What Is a “Slider Food” and How Can You Avoid Them?

Bariatric surgery is a life-changing procedure that can help you become a healthier, happier, and yes, slimmer version of yourself. With it, however, come a few challenges and changes, especially when it comes to your diet. You may find yourself wanting to relax the rules a bit at some point on your health journey – this may include snacking on slider foods. As tantalizing as slider foods are, though, you’ll want to avoid them because they do nothing but thwart your progress. Learn more about what slider foods are, what they do to your post-bariatric surgery body, and what you can do to evade their siren song:

What Are Slider Foods?

Slider foods are typically soft, highly-processed foods that are high in carbohydrates and offer little to no nutritional value. Unlike other foods, carbohydrates start being digested as soon as they enter the mouth. Enzymes called salivary amylase get to work and start breaking down the carbs into sugars. By the time the food enters your smaller stomach, it easily slips into the small intestine. Just as the name implies, slider foods slide into and out of your digestive system quickly and effortlessly. To make things worse, slider foods are not filling or nutritious, and eating them can lead to slower results or even weight gain.

Here are the most common slider foods:

Crackers, including saltines, graham, Ritz, and others
Popcorn
Tortilla chips
Potato chips
Pretzels
Filled cracker snacks
Cookies
Cakes
Candy

Why Are Slider Foods Dangerous After Bariatric Surgery?

Digestion is different in those who have gone through weight loss surgery like gastric bypass, gastric banding, and gastric sleeve procedures. When you eat the right foods beginning with protein first, your stomach pouch will cause you to feel full. When you eat slider foods, however, they slip right through the stomach pouch and enter the jejunum, the portion in your small intestine responsible for absorbing nutrients during digestion. Your body then absorbs and stores the carbohydrates without spending very much energy. For this reason, you feel unsatisfied and are tempted to eat more, setting you up to experience a weight loss plateau or setback. Worse yet, your body won’t receive the nutrition it needs and deserves.

Slider foods might be tasty, but they are not in your corner. They make it so easy to fall back into unhealthy habits, sabotaging your hard work. You might even begin questioning if your stomach pouch is actually functioning correctly since you never seem to feel full. They are the tantalizing tempters that gaslight and ghost you. No one needs them in their lives, especially anyone who’s undergone weight loss surgery.

Your Stomach Is a Funnel

It might help to envision your new stomach as a funnel. When you fill the funnel with a dense protein source with a thicker texture like a turkey burger, it will take a longer amount of time to leave your stomach, helping you stay satiated for longer. Slider foods, however, are like water – they pass through the funnel as quickly as they enter it. Remember: the thicker the consistency of the food you put into the funnel, the slower it will travel through and the fuller you will feel.

What Is Dumping Syndrome?

Another problem that slider foods often cause for post-weight loss surgery patients is dumping syndrome, which can be very uncomfortable. Patients can experience the symptoms of dumping syndrome differently, including the following:

Abdominal cramping or pain
A feeling of fullness, even if you’ve only eaten just a small amount of food
Increased sleepiness
Nausea or vomiting
Severe diarrhea
Sweating, flushing, or light-headedness

How Can You Avoid Slider Foods?

It can take an immense amount of willpower to stop eating slider foods, but if you follow a few pro-tips, you might find your self-control growing stronger and their alluring call fading. Here are some of our favorites:

Remember the rules. First and foremost, if you want to lose weight, you need to follow a few specific rules. Eat your proteins first, then your veggies. After that should come your complex carbs and healthy fats. Remember also to take small bites, chew thoroughly, eat slowly and mindfully, and stop at the first sign of fullness. Finally, keep the 30/30 rule in mind: don’t drink anything 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after a meal. You’ll also want to refrain from drinking anything during your meal as well.
Keep healthy, high-protein snacks available. Choosing delicious foods high in protein can help you say “no” to slider foods more easily. Hardboiled eggs, protein shakes, and nuts make easy and nutritious substitutes. Here’s a list of some tasty high-protein snacks as well!
Start before surgery, if possible. If you haven’t undergone weight loss surgery yet, now is the perfect time to begin limiting and even eliminating slider foods from your diet. Start cutting out these foods slowly, beginning with your least favorite. Savor the food one last time before kicking them out for good. Journal about the experience and begin fostering a healthy relationship with food.
Remember your “why.” When you want nothing more than a bag of chips or a pint of ice cream, step back and reflect on why you had your surgery. Remind yourself that these foods will hinder your weight loss goals and walk away. The more you say “no” to these foods, the easier it gets!
Don’t bring them home. This is perhaps one of the easiest ways to avoid slider foods. If you don’t buy them and bring them home, they won’t be there to tempt you. If there are other people in your household who buy or enjoy these foods, consider designating a cabinet just for your snacks. In time, you could even convince them to join you on your health journey by collectively banning slider foods from your home!
When in doubt, exercise. This is especially helpful if you tend to use food as a source of comfort. Whenever you feel upset or stressed, lace up your shoes and take a walk, dance it out, or do some strength training. Exercise releases endorphins, which help combat negative feelings and increase your happiness. You’ll soon find that you won’t need to lean on food to help you get through the tough times!

ProCare Health Is Here for You

You’ve come a long way on your health journey. Let us join you in helping you become the thinner, healthier you! We are proud to provide our once-daily multivitamins, which are specifically designed for those who have undergone weight loss surgery. Not sure where to begin? Rely on us to find the right products for you and your unique health needs. Call us at (877) 822-5808 to learn more or get started today!