Hi all,

I'm a sleeve patient needing to switch to a bypass due to GERD, and I'm hoping to hear from folks about foods they cannot eat because of their bypass. In particular:

• How tolerant are you of sweets/sugar?
• How do you do with "gummy" foods like pasta, rice, and bread?
• Are there other foods you find painful to eat?

Separately, what is people's experience with side effects:

• Dumping syndrome
• Flatulence
• Others I should be aware of?

For those who had there bypass 2+ years ago, do you become more tolerant of these foods and/or experience fewer side effects over time? For instance, I couldn't eat ground beef for the first year and a half after my sleeve; it hurt. Now I can.

I ask because I've heard anecdotes about the severity of dumping syndrome (like, will I be able to have any sweets at all?) and that some people find pasta, rice, and bread painful to eat. I just got back from Italy; I like my sleeve because I can still eat my favorites like pasta and gelato but I can't go overboard. That's why I chose it over the bypass, and I did really well. Some weight regain, but I've kept off 70% of my initial weight loss.

I'm 80% satisfied with my sleeve. Honestly, I'm a little scared of the lifestyle changes a bypass will entail. I made a lot of changes for my sleeve, but my understanding is the changes required of the bypass are more intense.

I had a long time to prepare myself mentally for the sleeve versus just a few months for the bypass, and while I was so unhappy with my body pre-sleeve that I'd so almost anything, I'm not so unhappy today. If it weren't for my GERD, I'd likely get re-sleeved than convert to a bypass.

Be honest, but, ya know, don't be afraid to say reassuring things ?

Thanks so much!

I had my bypass over 4 years ago. It really just depends on the day. One day I can eat candy corn & the next day it makes me sick. The only food that has given me any problem is almond milk. I have tried it 3 different times & it has made me sick.
I do have problems if I eat too much.
When I dump it’s throwing up or I don’t feel well for a couple hours.

Just like pregnancy, everyone is different & my experience won’t be the same as anyone else’s.

Hello, I am 7 months post-op bypass. Really, everyone is different so I can only share my experience. Dumping is common in about 30% of bypass patients. There is risk of becoming lactose intolerant which is the most common intolerance.

I tolerate everything, or at least I haven't had anything that I don't tolerate. I had a few hiccups very early out, for example I couldn't eat cold chicken (I think it was too dry) but I do now without issue. Otherwise I haven't ran into anything that I don't tolerate and LUCKILY I am just fine with all kinds of dairy. I was worried about that one because I just love all the dairy products.

My team/ Dietician is very "balanced diet" they do not restrict any foods once you get back to your normal diet phase of the process. They stress that the point of the surgery is that you can learn to eat a well balanced diet so you do not "feel like you are on a diet forever". I love this strategy because I am and always have been against all the fad diets. Our bodies really do need everything, just at different levels. (I'm ranting, back to the point) Therefore we are allowed all foods, with the priority of proteins FIRST and then if we have room in out bellies and our plan for the day can go on to others.

I eat carbs, fat, sugar..etc. Not in excess and in moderation and after or once I know for sure I will hit my protein goal. Some carbs like breads fill me up super fast so I limit them just because of that. I have had regular pasta, brown and white rice, breads, crackers all of which are fine but I have a little at a time. Again, mainly for filling up reasons. I eat regular sugar sweets without issue. Although, little bits at a time and not often so I may just not have hit my "maxed to the point of dumping yet" or I just may not be a dumper. I really don't know for sure and I don't intend to push myself to the point of trying to dump to find out. haha I do pay attention to the sugars so if I do dump I know at what point pushed me there. So far I have had a max of 15g ADDED sugars at a time. I do not have any issues with dumping from fats either. Or, again maybe just haven't hit the dumping point yet. I have had fried chicken breast once but pulled the skin off. I have had chicken tenders too with the breading. Maybe a few fries (5-6). I usually only eat these things in a pinch, usually out just because they are always so high in calories.

I might be a special case, I have has a seamless recovery and transition back to "normal" eating. I am so grateful for that!

Eating too much will kick my a*s but I learned from that quick and it only happened 2 times.

Gas...yea... it sucks. I definitely have more gas. haha I do notice if I eat those "bad" foods as mentioned above that i have more gas.

I hope I answered all your questions and this helped. Good luck on whatever you decide!

Edited November 2, 20223 yr by kcuster83

I'm 7.5 years out - bypass.

Never dumped. I could eat a pint of ice cream and not dump (unfortunately...). Only affects about 30% of us, and for those who dump, they can control it by limiting how much sugar they eat at one sitting.

never had issues with flatulence. I don't think that's too common - at any rate, I don't see a lot of posts on that. I would guess it's likely caused by eating certain carbs, though. If it happens to you, you'll probably figure out after awhile what it is that sets it off.

I don't have issues with any of the "gummy" foods you mentioned, but I know some bypassers can only eat a limited amount of pasta, rice, etc. The only thing about them is that for some of us, those kinds of foods sort of sit in your stomach like a brick. They don't necessarily make people sick, but they just....sit there for a long time. Not sure if that's true for sleevers or not.

I don't think you're going to find more lifestyle changes with bypass than you did with sleeve. Our clinic had everyone on the same regimen, regardless of surgery. The only thing is that with bypass, it's imperative to keep on top of your supplements because of the malabsorption factor. Slacking off on your vitamins has more consequences for bypassers than it does for sleevers.

P.S. I spent two weeks in Italy in May. Had gelato every day and pizza probably five or six times. Never had issues.

P.P.S. the only food that bothers my stomach is raw carrots. I find them very irritating. But I use that to my advantage. I'll start eating baby carrots when I feel a binge mood coming on. Usually they make me so uncomfortable that the last thing I want to do is eat anything else..

Edited November 2, 20223 yr by catwoman7

You're going to get a million different answers. Everyone's body is so different. Some people don't have any food intolerances, at all. Others have a lot of them. There are a few people in my surgeon's support group that still have fickle tummies, 5 years out - one day they can eat something and the next they can't.

For the first 3 months, I had the "foamies" meaning if I didn't chew well, I'd get a lot of excess saliva. If I chewed really well, no problem except for fruits with skin early on, those always gave me problems in the early months. After the 3 months passed and my stomach healed completely, I can tolerate everything. I just came back for a vacation, and my siblings insisted to go to all their favorite restaurants there, and I took a bite of practically everything, and no problems whatsoever, from seafood to beef, to desserts to sourdough bread to pasta. I may be in the minority in how smooth everything has been but this has been my experience. I was also this way with the vsg except (I know this is weird) I dumped from time to time with the vsg. Weird, I know.

Over a year post-op. I did get my sweet tolerance back, but it's very touchy. Doesn't take much at all to make me feel sick. I prefer "barely sweet" to "proper sweet", and sugar-free to both of those. Still detest protein shakes though - never got that back.

Cannot eat coconut-based dairy alternatives post-bypass. Coconut milk/cream is just waaaaaay too rich for me now. Makes me ill.

No dumping. I'm pretty careful with the foods that can typically cause it. Occasional mild foamies.

If I eat or drink too much I get very burpy and uncomfortable.