Can we talk about rice? Have you eaten it post-op? Any issues? Is it okay to eat every once in a while? Any effects to eating it?

My family loves teriyaki take out, which always comes with sticky rice.  I can about 2 bites of it along with my portion of meat. More than that and I’m either very uncomfortable or puking.

Brown rice was on my "approved foods list," but I still couldn't tolerate it. I dumped SO HARD after just two small bites! Everyone's system/body is different, and many people can tolerate it well. But some, like myself, can't. It's always scary when introducing/reintroducing new foods, so keep the bites small. Good luck!

I have not eaten rice since my surgery. It is strongly discouraged, and I’ve seen a lot of people say that it’s painful to eat post-op because it absorbs water and swells in the stomach.

I eat a lot of cauliflower rice. I hate cauliflower, but magically, I don’t mind cauliflower rice! I’m too lazy to make my own, so I buy it frozen. I wouldn’t eat it plain, but with sauce and mix-ins (like meat and other veggies), it is not a bad imitation of actual rice. It’s kind of an awesome food hack because not only is it avoiding carbs, it’s also sneaking in veggies. One of my go-to meals is cauliflower rice mixed with chicken, black beans, and salsa, topped with a little shredded cheese and fat free Greek yogurt.

Erg, I just tried rice for the first time right before reading this lol. I guess we’ll see! I had 1.5 Tbsp. I tolerate noodles ok as long as it’s no more than 2Tbsp. My dietician kept pressing me to try it (I am getting very bored with eating at all - I feel like it’s a waste of time and I hate doing it).

I had it for the first time when I was about a year out. I eat it occasionally, but not much (maybe a half cup at the very most - but usually less than that) because it sits in my stomach like a ton of bricks. Plus it's not all that nutritious (esp white rice), so I don't really want something like that taking up a lot of space in my stomach.

I haven’t eaten rice any more nor pastas or noodles until before my surgery. I used to eat it a lot but I don’t miss it at all now. @BigSue & @catwoman7 are correct. Rice, like pasta & noodles, provides very little nutrition & it swells in your tummy.

Your small tummy can only hold a very small amount of food. That’s why you can only eat about 1/3 cup +/- of food. If you eat rice, it’s going to fill up that 1/3 cup pretty darn quickly before you get in your essential protein & other nutrient rich foods like vegetables, fruits, dairy.

Once you reach maintenance & are eating a little more, you may be able to have small amounts of brown rice if your tummy will tolerate it. But still eat your protein first, then your vegetables, etc. & leave the rice till the end of your meal if you can fit it in. You can only try when you’re much further down your journey. In the meantime, try vegetable alternatives like cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles, etc.

Rice is so hit or miss for me and I am almost 3 years out! I can maybe have a little bit of rice before I feel like I could dump.