GottaLearnToSlowDown

It's almost time for the watercress, my aunt's friend used to bring it to potlucks, had a Miracle Whip and milk dressing, suspect it did contain a pinch or 2 of sugar, but why couldn't you use stevia instead? Mouth waters just thinking about it, used to pick maybe late February or March, had to move fast because if her lambs found it they'd eat it first. Did I ever mention Knox County Ohio is the largest Sheep producer East of the Mississippi? Well it's true, one small item to boast of on here!

I just try a little bit of different things to see what godward well or causes gas. I’m seven weeks out. Most foods do fine as long as I remember to chew well.

Iceberg lettuce literally has so little nutritional value that it is a waste of space. They only time that eating it is a good idea is when you are constipated. For some reason, iceberg lettuce goes through most of us like fat through a goose.
If you really miss salads, learn to love kale, spinach and other dark hearty greens. Even then they will be in very small portions. They are very fibrous and can be difficult to digest in the beginning. But they are at least nutritionally dense and worth the space they take up.

I love salads, but I can't tolerate any raw veggies, or some cooked. The gas pressure is just too much for me.
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So at my program we can't have fruits or vegetables until week 8 and then the veg has to cooked only for a couple of weeks and we have a list of which fruits we can start out with. Our NUT has told us as well that, when we start fresh veg to avoid lettuce as it has little nutritional value (especially for the amount you can eat) and that it can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea in a lot of people. As for lettuce expanding, lettuce has a gas producing starch called raffinose that some people lack the enzyme to process, making their stomachs feel stretched and bloated. That surgeon may find I it easier to just say it expands than explain all that. I hate it on here when people make fun of other people's programs (such as saying your surgeon needs to take a chill pill) simply because their program is different. The first thing I've found on this site is how different programs can be and that is because there is research out there that will support almost any opinion that a med professional out there can have. My opinion is that you chose your provider for a reason, so listen to them and adhere to their guidelines as much as possible, but as our NUT stresses to us, it is ultimately your choice as to what you choose to take away from it and your choice as to what you decide to follow.
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No, lettuce does not expand in your stomach. I never heard such rubbish. When lettuce gets wet, it WILTS. Especially in the presence of stomach acid.
I had salad for lunch today - one of those ready-packed salads, so a small portion. Probably two cups of greens, mostly iceberg lettuce. I know that iceberg and romaine work OK for me. I was able to eat the entire salad, and I added a hard-boiled egg to it cause there wasn't enough chicken in it.
And for dinner, I'd made lamb stew. I was able to eat only 2 oz of lamb, one slice of carrot, and a half-slice of parsnip. No, I did not stretch my sleeve out eating lettuce for lunch.
I'm thrilled to find out lettuce works as a slider for me. I love salad, and I love growing lettuce. There are so many kinds to grow that you never see in stores. They're beautiful, and tasty, and have names like "Frizzy Haired Drunken Woman" and "Flashy Troutback".

Ahh that's really smart, thanks!

Thanks @GottaLearnToSlowDown. The low BP & hypoglycaemia were not new to me just went from random episodes to way more frequent events. My dearest friend has Graves so I understand it’s challenges. Excited for you to be able to get back to your previous fitness soon. Congrats on your weight loss so far.

I'll tell you what, when I lost weight pre-op it was because I ate 6 times a day, small meals and healthy Snacks, and worked out. It melted off. Now I'm post op and eating 6 times a day, sometimes 7. Still early days for me but I appear to be losing so I mean, eating more frequently ESPECIALLY if your body demands it seems like the right thing to do. As long as you keep it healthy and meet Protein goals, you shouldn't ever have to force yourself to feel hunger to get change. Fasting is not great for post-op people.

My biggest incision and internal stitches near it hurt for about 6 weeks. I was worried about it, but the dr wasn’t. He was right. Im about 11 weeks out and it’s fine now. I do HIIT workouts and ab workouts with no pain.

My incisions were tender for about a month. Your internal stitches take about a month+ to fully dissolve while the incision sites on your belly that are glued shut take about 2-3 weeks to heal.

if there's a leak, they usually discover those right away - like with a day or so after surgery. Plus I believe the side effects from that are things like extreme weakness, nausea and vomiting, rapid heartbeat - so it doesn't sound like what you've been experiencing. What you're feeling is probably normal, but it's good to ask surgeon anyway - if nothing else, for peace of mind.

Hi GottaLearnToSlowDown!
I think my incisions were sore for the first week, but the bigger incision where the stomach was removed (belly button in my case) was sore for 2 weeks. After the first few days it was mostly when moving, clothes touching it, & it was touched. It was slightly sore to the touch in third week also and still had bruising.
As for twinges in the belly area, I felt those often the first week. Then after that I felt them after drinking a few sips of a liquid close together. I usually stop and wait a few minutes before another sip. Once I started soft foods & solid foods, I usually feel them when (I think) my stomach is telling me it is time to stop eating. Soon after that I often get hiccups, too. I am only about a month ahead of you, so I am not sure if the twinges fade, or if they are just a signal to stop eating or drinking at the moment. It may be different for everyone, too.
Congratulations on your surgery & hope your incisions feel better soon. Good luck!😁🍀