Food with skins/shells

I have been told to avoid foods like corn, peas, grapes, etc. because of the skins/outsides.  Is that a forever issue or when can someone start reintroducing them to your diet?  Curious about lettuce salads and when it will go well to start these?  I am having issues with almost all meats (a little chicken will go down once in a while) and fish has not gone well either.   Anybody else have an issue like this and if so, when will it pass?  I am two months out from surgery and have lost about 50 lbs along with 60 lbs before surgery

Hey there.  Which surgery did you have??  It helps to know for different side effects.  Also you need to go whatever board you had your surgery...RNY go to the RNY board.  You'll get alot of answers.  If you had RNY I would say some people can never eat certains meats ever again...It's a very small percentage.  Most RNYers will have problems early on with meats (pork, wild meats can be the hardest to digest.  What many people do is if something doesn't sit well...Wait a few months and try and reintroduce slowly back into your diet.  Between 6-12 months your pouch will expand some and certain food will be easier to digest.  I waited about a year before I added lettuce...You need to make sure every oz counts (high protein-low carbs) to retain muscle mass.

I had RNY so didn't start introducing those types of foods until about 3 months out and even after doing that I always concentrate on getting my protein in first and then eat whatever I can of the vegetables.  I am just shy of 6 months post surgery and am just now eating a grilled chicken caesar salad.  Again,  I target the grilled chicken first and eat what I can of the greens until I get that full feeling and then I stop.   Usually with a good amount of greens left and at least 3 oz of the grilled chicken gone.  I may munch a crouton or two but usually avoid them because I just don't need them and really don't want them.

As for having troubles with meats early on I can offer some advice as I was having similar problems early on.  Take very small pieces, chew, chew, chew until the meat is a consistancy of mush in your mouth and put your fork down between bites to make eating much slower.  Do not rush your meals!!  It should take you 30 mins to 60 mins to eat your meal this way but you should be able to tolerate the meats much better.   You may also want to try tuna fish with low fat mayo on a low carb cedar's wrap.  Yummy and you get your protein without any troubles.

Good luck!

My doctor let me start adding lettuce and salads at about 4 months post op. Salads are one of my main foods.

I've had periodic problems with meat. I have a hard time tolerating dry / overcooked meats. At about 2 months I found that canned meats (chicken, tuna, turkey, beef) went down pretty easy. I also add these to my salads for extra protein.

Totally agree with Brian that you've got to make sure to get all your proteins.

About 6 months post-op I tried corn on the cob with no problems. Haven't had it since but once wasn't an issue. Have also had peas (didn't know they weren't allowed). No problems there. Haven't tried grapes and would be more concerned with the sugar issue than the skins.

I reached my goal weight in about 6 months and am in maintenace mode. I still avoid breads, potatoes, rice, pasta, high sugar foods, etc. I also have to chew, chew, chew and keep the meals very small portions. Doesn't take much to fill me up.

I have no problem with grapes, but I still have problems with the skin on apples. Also, watch out for oranges and pineapple where the membranes can cause issues. I was also told to avoid broccoli, although I seem to be ok with that now. My biggest issue now is still ground beef, which nearly always causes me problems. Odd, but it seems that quite a few have trouble with it.

I am of the opinion that we will all have certain foods that don't work for us ... And these foods may be different for each. We just need to try these foods slowly and carefully once we are permitted by our surgeon's plan.

My surgery was the RNY, a little over a year ago.  For at least the past eight months, I've had not one single bad reaction from eating grapes, corn, peas, lettuce, popcorn, or anything else for that matter.

I almost wish that I had had a problem, inasmuch as that might help define my limits.  As things stand now, my only food limitations are what I impose on myself... no white carbs, light on grease.  And no panda meat.

I'm very pleased with my progress.  I never thought of myself as a cross-dresser before, but a couple of days ago I put on a pair of my wife's jeans and if it hadn't been for the fact that they were about five inches too short, I wouldn't have known.  I seem to have gone from a 48 waist down to a 32.