What food are NOT allowed with the VSG?

Is it true that you are not allowed to eat bread, rice, pasta or drink diet sodas?  What about using a straw?  I'm checking into this incase I decide to get a VSG revision.  Right now I have the Lap Band and I can eat just about anything and drinking diet soda with a straw is not a problem.  Please share with me your experience.  Thanks. 

You can eat anything with a VSG. It only makes your stomach smaller, but it's still a normal stomach. You will basically be on a low-calorie diet by eating smaller portions. Drinking with a straw supposedly makes you take more air into your stomach, which can take up space otherwise usable for nutritious food, but, other than possibly filling you up faster, it won't hurt you. And you can drink soda. I would wait until you're fully healed, of course, but the idea of soda stretching out your stomach is only a myth.

Physically I can get anything I want in there, unlike the band which could sometimes be a bit moody about meat and chicken.

Downside of this is that you can eat anything, whether its good for you or not. So you're still on a diet, and have to not eat high fat or high carb foods if you want to lose weight. I'd got bored with diets and had the DS instead, which is the VSG but with added extras...

I'd have to disagree with you.  I haven't dieted since I was sleeved and I maintain quite well at 120 with a BMI of 20.

Your stomach is MUCH larger with a DS vs. a straight sleeve, isn't it?  I can eat 2oz of solid protein and that's it, I'm stuffed.  I eat 4 small meals daily, I don't count calories, I eat anything I want, and do very well.

I agree that some need the malabsorption but not everyone does and to paint with such a broad paintbrush isn't accurate.

Ultimately you can eat anything you want with a VSG.  For most people, there is no dumping and no gas or bowel problems.  What you're probably referring to is that the VSG food plan is to eat protein first.  I eat 60 - 80 grams a day, then fit in whatever vegetables I have room for.  At 4 months post op, I started adding complex carbs.  My surgeon and nut recommend staying away from bread, rice, pasta until patients reach 75% EWL.  They say those who add them in sooner are less likely to reach goal.  The rules about soda and straws vary by surgeon.  I think avoiding straws is just for a while post op.  I still don't drink soda; I just don't crave it at all.  Now at 10 months out, I can eat about 3 oz. at a time, and still don't ever feel hungry.  Based on the longer-term VSG posters, I expect to remain stable at this quantity for a while.  I still have to deal with my head hunger sometimes, but have stopped being obsessed with food, or feeling like I have to eat mass quantities of anything.  It's also nice that since there is no malabsorbtion, I don't take much in the way of vitamins, or need to eat especially large quantities of protein.  My diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol have been completely resolved since about 2 weeks post-op.

Good luck with your research!
Linda

Hi,

I am a lapband to sleeve revision. I can eat any foods, but certain foods still make me feel queasy like really greasy things or too much sugar which makes me feel shaky, so I stay away from most unhealthy foods. I eat bread and sushi but dont each much of them since I prefer to get my protein in and can only eat about 5 ounces at a time almost a year out.

Babs

I don't know that soda causes problems for the sleeve but I really overhauled my diet when I was originally banded and soda isn't part of my world anymore.   The carbonation causes bone loss and today it really doesn't taste very good.

Straws... I have no problem with straws.

I don't eat bread only because it is far too filling.  It's an uncomfortable full just like eggs are.  It's not that I don't tolerate them or get sick, it's just not comfortable.  Hard to explain.

I think you need to stop and think about why the band didn't work.  Was the it band?  Did you never find a sweet spot?  Or did you eat around the band?  If restrictive only works for you then the sleeve is fantastic, if you tend to eat around your surgery type I"d be looking at malabsorptive procedures.