New to OH and have a question

In the process of having surgery, looking at a September surgery date. And thinking about VSG.

What are some things you can't eat after surgery?

I think everyone is different - but pasta sits very heavy and uncomfortable in my stomach as does bread. That being said, I can eat an english muffin with no trouble... go figure!

The only things that have disagreed with me are bread with yeast and anything carbonated. I still can eat them, but it's uncomfortable so I choose not to.

There are lots of other foods that I choose not to eat, ever, in order to maintain a healthy weight but that's a completely different story! I follow the main components of Bright Line Eating, modified for someone with a tiny stomach. No flour, no sweeteners, no alcohol.

I'm going to assume you mean what can't you eat during the "losing" stage post-op, and not the maintenance stage...

Since you're new to OH, I suggest you check out the Daily Menu thread to get an idea of what people eat post-op. Generally speaking: protein (meat, fish, cheese, eggs), then if you have room add veggies. No fruits or starches. It may sound boring, but you'll find recipes and menu ideas posted.

The most important thing to do is read, read, and read some more!

Perhaps the question should be, what CAN you eat after surgery. The answer is whatever PROTEIN will provide you with at least 60-80 grams a day. Preferablly it should be protein dense (that's 1 gram of protein for every 10 calories).

As you progress, and if you have any room, then you can add a little non-starchy veggies. Eventually you will be able to add back in some low carb fruits, such as berries, or grains high in fiber, like quinoa, but it's always protein first!

At two years, I tend to stay away from pasta, rice, white potato & other starchy vegetables. I will occasionally have a low carb bread or some sweet potato. I am far from perfect and am in the process of getting back to basics. I've indulged & as a result have gained above my "safe" place.

GOOD LUCK with whatever decision you make!

In the long term, physiologically there is nothing that is incompatible with the sleeve, though there are lots of things that may be incompatible with weight control for you. As you can see from other answers, there may be select things that may not agree with you after surgery, either short term or long term, but there can be wide variations in that, and some people may wind up being lactose intolerant after any WLS. There are also varying opinions on alcohol use, from a few weeks or months through the entire weight loss period to never again. But there is nothing off the menu because it might "get stuck" or "stretch the sleeve".

What "can" I eat and what "should" I eat are two ENTIRELY different questions.

There are very few things that you are physically unable to eat after surgery. Unlike RNY, where some patients get quite sick after eating sugar, or a lap-band where things like rice and popcorn can cause trouble, a VSG patient is physically capable of eating anything in small portions.

As far as things you SHOULD not eat, assuming you want to be successful? That's a longer list. You'll need to be eating lean, dense protein almost exclusively during your weight loss phase, maybe a bite or two of veggies once you've finished your meat. That's IT. No bread, rice, or pasta. No ice cream, chips, or other junk foods. No "slider foods" like milkshakes or carbs that slip right through your stomach without keeping you full (like protein does).

Overall I do not like the thought of there being off limit foods. During the losing phase you may want to limit carb heavy foods. Just like all diets, eating cake and ice cream isn't going to help you. I don't plan to have off limit foods in my future but they aren't going to be in my menu until I am much smaller.

If you are asking what the sleeve can't handle then that is based on the individual I have learned. My sleeve HATES ground meats. Oh and bread? Just typing and thinking about it is making me sick. I don't cut out fruit in my diet like some. It makes up most my carbs honestly and that's okay. I am still low carb and I get the benefits of delicious low carb fruits like berries and watermelon.

Right now I can eat everything two years out. I have discomfort with fried foods. I wish I had the discomfort that some do with bread and pasta. Sadly, I do not.

My diet I choose to eat is protein-forward. I primarily eat animal protein and fat, and minimally, vegetables and rarely fruit. I shoot for 90g of protein a day, minimum.