Week 7 Post-op: Still can't eat most stuff.

[Anthony DeCastro 1]

I stil get sick really easily, even from eating small portions. Like, I had half of a roast beef sandwich and my stomach's hurting a lot. Nothing on the sandwich but the roast beef itself.

I REALLY hate this. I'm thinking this surgery was nothing but a big mistake. How long until I can eat a decent meal again?

UPDATE: It was half of a half of a sub.. yeah, small lol.

Sorry if I seem frustrated, I've just been getting sick way easier. Am I expecting too much 7 weeks in? I heard that around this time, I should be fully recovered..

Edited February 19, 2015 by Anthony DeCastro

[mrslb5 333]

Just try to take it slow it will get easier, I'm a year out and just started eating bread again at about 10 months out so just listen to your body and keep following the plan.

[JamieLogical 8,727]

Wait, did you eat the bread? No wonder you are miserable.

Edited February 19, 2015 by JamieLogical

[sweetie716 270]

I'd say skip the bread. Regular bread is on my doctor's avoid list for a long time because it gets sticky and can swell up in your sleeve. They say whole grain toast is ok if necessary because it takes a lot of the moisture out. I'd probably just eat the meat and leave the rest behind.

[Stevehud 1,790]

seriously man, im 8 weeks out and i havent come close to bread, well once a week i may have a whole grain flax seed small pita it is only 7 carbs and quite small and thin, but thats the closest to bread ive had. sandwiches are long gone my friend, someday perhaps but not for a long time yet, bread expands once it hits your stomach making it very hard to sit well. also if you eat too fast like if that sandwich took you less than 1/2 hour minimum to eat id throw it up as well. subs are the past there are no healthy subs in the future. Jared and subway aint gonna help . There is an app for eating slower if you want to use a timer thats fine too. im betting youre eating the wrong things and eating those wayy too fast.

Oh and by Decent meal, if you mean food you used to eat, or restaurant food etc. consider it gone. unless you just want to throw away the surgery then just eat a lot more often youll get right back to where you started. sorry but if you went into this thinking it was a temporary thing, I hate to break it to you. Talk to the Veterans here, listen to how they have to eat and workout just to maintain. this is a lifetime voyage, not a day trip. Good luck to you sir.

You Can Do This!

Edited February 19, 2015 by Stevehud

[JamieLogical 8,727]

I agree with everything Steve said (shocker, I know!). Did you not get instructions about what you should be eating when? At 7 weeks post-op I was barely on solid foods. I was told to avoid beef and definitely NO bread that early on. Like Steve said, bread expands in your stomach so there is absolutely no room for it. Thin toast is the best you are going to be able to do for a loooong time. I am almost 6 months post op and so far, the only "bread" I've managed is a toasted slice of Pepperidge Farm Light Style Whole Wheat, which if you are familiar with it, is very thin and only about 3 inches square. I've had that a couple of times as the base of an open-faced egg sandwich and each time I've had it, I have not been able to finish the whole slice.

Gastric sleeve is no joke. You are never going to eat they way you did before. You had 80% of a major organ removed from your body. I would have hoped you would have learned and understood the full implications of that before you had it done!

[Anthony DeCastro 1]

So bread is just a major problem, huh?

This time, it was just meat that made me sick and not the bread.. but not nearly as bad as with the bread. Guess that's understandable. I'll stay away from it for a while.

[Big_Mama 511]

I was sleeved 12/29. I was cleared to eat toasted bread @6 weeks. I buy Arnolds Sandwich Thins, thin round bread, 100 cals each. Dr said to always pair my bread with a Protein, so I can only eat(fit) 1/2 of one with a poached egg & still leave some. meat also makes me sick. I can't keep down deli meats, ground beef, chicken ..any meat! =( I know I definitely have a problem with eating too quickly, and that's probably why I can't keep it down. I try to slow down, but no matter how slow I eat, I'm still done in under 15 minutes, and a few minutes later, I'm up-chucking! It sucks!

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

Half a sub sounds like a lot of food. I'm 5 mths and doubt I could eat that. That said, everyone is right, you have to go easy with bread. I was allowed it after 6 weeks but the nutritionist advises either the thins or toasting the bread. I personally avoid bread 99% it's a carb I'm really not interested in.

[minniegirl 258]

Were you given a timeline of when you could move to full liquids, purees, soft foods and then "normal" diet? If so when were you cleared for the normal diet? I also received very thorough "sample" diets for each stage including a list of food that generally are not tolerated at each stage. If you received this paperwork I would recommend taking another look at it and if you didn't receive it I would call the NUT and get some advise!! Best of luck to you!

Edited February 22, 2015 by minniegirl

[blondebomb 580]

I know everyone has differant diets or protocol to follow but my instructions were bread, Pasta, rice , crackers this simple sugars I was to avoid till I reached goal or 1 yr after surgery date. I was 4 months out before I even tried eating a somewhat normal "within" my protocol limit. only bc my tummy was sensitive still. I talked to my internist an he said it takes a good 6 months for this type of tummy surgery to heal properly an completely so I needed to not venture out an eat to test an see if I could handle certain foods. I dont want to sound like a know it all or arrogant or perfect by any means (dont want to be judged here) but the fact that breads or these kinda foods can ball up in the tummy an get stuck was enuff to scare me into not eating certain items. everyones tummy is differant but the mental thinking of "wanting to eat a normal meal" everyones normal meal is usually eating our old way which for me was the wrong way but thats just for me(again not meaning for others dont want judged here just saying this from me) but you are fresh out plz be careful your . did you get a print out of a eating plan to follow? I do no that some dont an I feel bad for those who didnt. we are here to help an I surely dont want you to hurt your tummy an Im not goin to tell ya what to or not to eat but theres a reason for the starches to be avoided an if the tummy is hurting or making you feel sick its letting ya no it still needs babied an take it slow...plz dont take this as me jumping on ya thats not my intention..just trying to give some friendly support hope you feel better

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Anthony - I went through all this almost 8 years ago when I got the lap band. I was told there would be certain foods I wouldn't be able to eat. What I found was that EACH PERSON IS DIFFERENT and the foods they can and can't tolerate will become apparent through trial and error.

What I found with me is that some of the healthy foods they said I could eat with the band - like chicken breast or apples with skins were among the most problematic for me. And surprisingly - crystal lite Decaf ice tea if I drink too fast. bread still can be so I watch how much I eat and toast is definitely better than bread. What I also found is that I could eat foods that aren't healthy - like slider foods.

I KNOW the sleeve is different - anatomically and otherwise - from the band. But much of the advice given on here is a one size fits all - and it isn't.

Someone said they couldn't tolerate meat. Others said they could do thin lite toasted bread. Each person is different and everyone has to make the healthy choices that they and their sleeve can tolerate.

Remember - even healthy food can be problematic. But we have to eat something. We can't live off of Protein shakes and soft foods forever. At some point we need to be able to eat real food - healthy food. And I think that is very individual. For me - yogurt or cheese will never touch my lips. They never have and never will. Move on to plan B. lol