I love Brussel Sprouts. Before weight loss surgery, I would "veg out" on these little green beauties. I could eat my weight of them. I ate them often and in excess. Of course, no one ever became overweight eating vegetables, right? 

When we think of vegetables, we think of healthy eating, but are they always weight-loss or weight loss surgery friendly?

Over the years, I've discovered that every time I eat Brussel Sprouts my weight goes up 2 to 3 pounds. Why? Because, for me, Brussel Sprouts cause an inflammatory reaction.

Then I realized other foods that my body reacted to—eggplant, oranges and pickles. So I began to eat them sparingly. 

Brussel Sprouts, along with other foods, such as raw cabbage and raw brocolli are also gas forming. After weight loss surgery I had to eliminate these from my diet because air/gas build-up caused pain my newly formed pouch. Some foods are just harder to digest. Once I ate a handfull of baby carrots before bedtime—which didn't digest well and made me very sick. 

Now, in case you are a Brussel Sprout lover like me, or before you go into a tizzy that your eating will have to completely change again, everybody is different and different foods react differently to each of us. With a little practice, keeping a food diary, and making notes about how you feel after you eat certain foods, you can discover which foods cause weight gain, senstivities, gas or allergies. Also note that there are differences in food sensitivities and having an allergic reaction to foods.

Yes, we can. We have many more miles to go.