When it comes to foods that cause weight regain, for surgical weight loss patients, popcorn is one of the worst offenders. By all accounts, it’s a high-fiber “healthy” snack. However, for many gastric patients, popcorn becomes the king of slippery foods leading to digestive disorders, dumping syndrome, and ultimately weight gain. Many bariatric centers advise patients to eliminate popcorn from their diets, firstly because it is a starchy carbohydrate snack and secondly because by eating it, the patient reverts to the habit of mindless snacking that contributed to morbid obesity before surgery.

When a gastric bypass, gastric band, or gastric sleeve weight loss surgery patient is forced to eat popcorn, they should follow these eating guidelines provided by most weight loss surgery centers. Applying these guidelines is not radical or misleading, it is following the rules we agreed upon when we signed the gastric surgery.

  • Measure a 1-cup serving for your meal or snack. Do not butter, salt, or season the popcorn. Compressed air is preferred.
  • Stop drinking 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after enjoying your 1 cup serving of popcorn.
  • Do not drink liquids while eating your 1 cup serving of popcorn.
  • Do not exceed 1 cup serving of popcorn.
  • If you choose to eat anything else with your popcorn meal/snack, you must decrease the volume of popcorn by the volume of other foods you will eat so that the total volume of food is 1 cup.

Nutritional per serving: 1 cup lightly buttered popcorn has 82 calories; 1g of protein; 6 g of fat; 6 g of carbohydrates. That’s 1/2 starch/bread exchange and 1 fat exchange.

Many patients who eat popcorn following these guidelines report an unpleasant experience: their bag feels tight and stuck because the popcorn just stays there. With no liquids to wash it down (and make it a slider food) and with our limited gastric enzymes and digestive juices, “dry” popcorn takes a long time to digest in the bag. We also experience dry mouth, bad breath and thirst. This is your bag doing its job—you’re supposed to feel uncomfortable when you follow the guidelines and eat something that appears on most “avoid these foods” lists provided by bariatric centers. Thank your bag for doing a good job and accept the message it is telling you.

If we ignore the guidelines and eat popcorn while drinking a drink, often our portion size is not measured and we switch to eating grazing-style. This is a problem with popcorn because popcorn is a high glycemic food and raises blood sugar. If the drinks consumed with it also raise our glycemic load, we are in danger of dumping syndrome. More commonly we find people suffering from “low grade dumping” where their blood sugar rises to the point of dizziness or “floppyness” but not high enough to manifest the signs of full blown dumping. Soon, this “disconnected” state begins to feel normal and can only be sustained by nibbling or eating similar simple carbohydrates such as crackers and crackers.

I have had my hand in the tub of popcorn several times since weight loss surgery. It’s so delicious and so tempting and apparently such a smart and healthy choice. I understand. But sadly, I’ve responded well to the hundreds of emails, phone calls, and inquiries with patients who are struggling with weight gain that began innocently enough with one hand in the popcorn-filled bowl of healthy snacks.