Is this normal?

Hey everyone! I'm 2 weeks out tomorrow from my lap band surgery, and this past weekend I was able to eat my first soft foods meal. I ordered the salmon, without the sauce, and barely could eat 1/4 of it. However, in the middle of the night, I was awakened with the worst diarrhea I have ever had (even on the liquid diet it wasn't that bad). Sunday, I had the worst stomach cramping. I did manage to eat some Greek yogurt yesterday, but that was it, but did get in my 64 ounces of water/crystal light. Today, I still have no appetite and it is all I can do to finish a protein shake. I'm not throwing up, which I know if I was, to go to the doctor immediately.

Anyone else have this problem of no appetite, and a really bad reaction to solid food? I have also gained 3 lbs, but I do not even know how that is possible unless it is water weight.

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Stacey

Hi Stacey,

Gosh most docs dont allow you to eat solids for almost 4-6 weeks post op you are eating solids earlier then alot of people do which is fine if that is what your doc said for you to do.

To be honest I never had that reaction to solid food because I was introduced back into solids in stages and ti took me six weeks till I actually took my first bite of a solid so I really cant help you there.

I would think it would be to early for you to be eating foods like this right now because your band is still healing around your stomach and that is probably why you feel the way you do .  To much to soon .

Sorry I cant be much more help to you .

oh yeah, I had the same problem with risotto (I also posted about this, please do not eat risotto in your soft food phase, no good idea), I was suffering as well, however I had been advised that technically I should not have suffered from diarrohea as after it goes through the band, our anatomy is just the same as from everybody else- maybe the fish wasn't the freshest? My partner had risotto the same noght as I had and he told me later that he had stomach pain as well, not as bad as I had, but still. I did not throw up but I felt like it.
Just give your stomach some rest- I had been advised if my body was not ready for soft food yet (which could also be a reason for your stomach cramps), I should go back mushy or liquids for 1 or 2 days and then try again.
oh, and about the weight gain: Same here, same here, put back on 2 lbs, and I really did not get why, but apparently this is normal, because the body gets used again to more solid food- at the moment your body has to heal, afterwards we concentrate on the weight loss.
Hope that helps :)

Is salmon on your list of soft foods? Fish can be quite difficult sometimes for us to eat.

Problems below the band are logically not caused (usually!) by the band as our anatomy is unchanged. But I suppose that you might be reacting to solid food, more likely you have some sort of unrelated stomach upset.

It is totally possible to gain weight as the earliest fast weight loss is related to glycogen use and as our bodies become accustomed to our new low calorie intake, we rebuild glycogen stores which require us to store water. I have posted the details of how this happens a couple of times in the last few days but if you need details I can do so again.

Kate

 Kate - would you mind posting for me please?

The following explanation is courtesy of Diana Cox.

Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet.

As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a sabertooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored

Thank you so much for posting this. VERY interesting!!

When I went to the doctor last week, he told me to eat fish on my soft food diets, like salmon, but not grilled chicken. I was a little shock too at how early I could start eating solids again because even in my dietary guidelines from him, it said 6-8 weeks before my stomach was completely healed. He even told me I could do whatever at the gym (lift weights, etc), and I had a hernia repair. I tried this weekend, and boy was that a no-no. I'm thinking I'll go back to the pureed diet this week, and try again Saturday.

Thanks for all of your support! 

Stacey

stacey,

I'm all for one following docs orders BUT I totally disagree with him allowing you to go back to the gym and workout just two weeks after your surgery if I was you I would ignore that order and wait  at least six weeks till you do that and even at six weeks I was still sore and had to work myself up to it.

I was not allowed to do anything but walk till my six week appt that really scares me he would allow you to do that because IMO that is not safe at all for you or your band .

And if I was you I would go back to purees.  I was on liquids for two weeks , then puree for a week, then soft foods for a week then solid foods for a week and even then I wasn't allowed steak till almost 10 weeks out .

Your stomach is still healing and from what I was told you dont want to work your stomach muscles to much because of the healing process that is why most docs do this stage thing.

I'm not a doctor or a nurse so I cant tell you what to do ,but I'm just telling you how I have seen things done around here and what my doc said :o) 

Please just be careful !!!

 WHAT?  you can do anything at the gym???? NOOOOOO WAY!
you have to wait 6 wks minimum.  Did you check out the review of your doc?  I'm worried he has you advancing way to soon.