Question:
How long after surgery were you able to eat vegetables? ex. corn, celery, sweet pot

I have asked the following questions several times over the last week or so and as of yet not had a true answer to them. What do you measure your food by: volume or ounces? I am 5 weeks out from my open RNY and getting real tired of the same type of foods. What did or are you eating at this stage? I don't want to harm my pouch so I really would like to hear what you all have to say.    — curiousjane (posted on November 20, 2002)

November 20, 2002
Hi~ I am 6 months out surgery date May 13 and have lost 102 lbs-start weight 256 and am at 154 right now- I started eating corn and beans at 4 1/2 months out and do fine with them- I also have potatoes and carrots as well. I eat these after I eat my meat (protein) boy did they taste good. Good luck- my dr said to try things in moderation and see how I do- I still only eat 1-3 oz of food at a sitting. I do not do well with dumping so I really am careful of what I eat :)
   — Sarah A.

November 20, 2002
By 6wks post op I was was given the OK to eat anything as tolerated. I still remember how delightful it was to be able to "crunch" into something! For the 1st 10months I was a strict measurer...only 1cup/volume of anything and even less if it was including something dense (like meat). Had to measure cause I could never tell when I was getting full til I took just one bite too many, then I suffered that overstuffed/miserable feeling for hours afterward. Today I'm getting pretty good at eyeballing my portions, but still find that less is safer for me. Many folks are only able to eat a much smaller portion, so you have to ask your surgeon, or test what feels right for you. Also I remember trying things one at a time just to be sure they agreed with me. Sometimes it's really a trial & error thing!
   — Denise W.

November 20, 2002
11/20/02 I'm 23 days post-op today; I had open RNY with complications due to an enlarged liver and loss of blood. I have yet to eat anything pureed. I?ve eaten liverwurst, cottage cheese, crackers, broccoli, hamburger meat, chicken, tuna, Jell-O, pudding, cheese, shrimp, mashed potatoes, carrots, onion, tomato, etc. etc. Everyone is different, you just have to try things and see how you react. Here?s a good site, I hope this helps. http://sabariatric.com/diet__plan.htm
   — Bev B.

November 20, 2002
Many people are limited to ounces, so measure their food on an ounce scale. I never weighed my food, just took a few bites here and there early on and learned by trial and error what was too much and what it felt like when I was full. At 5 weeks, I was moving on to salads (boy, did they taste good!) with soft stuff in them like lettuce, tomato, beans, hard boiled egg, mushrooms, cheese..and I tried popcorn at 5 weeks too. Other foods were scrambed eggs with melted cheese for breakfast, tuna salad on crackers for lunch or a crab cake for lunch and for dinner, chili or thick soups with meat in them or crock pot meats (had to be soft and juicy) with mushy vegetables. It takes alot to harm the pouch so don't worry about it-you'd have to forcefully overeat alot to stretch the pouch. At your stage if you try to overeat, believe me, the pouch will tell you! Or you will throw up....
   — Cindy R.

November 20, 2002
I was told to use volume not wieght. I just eye call it for the most part- find a rounded spoonful is about an ounce worth. From day to day it varies what I can tolerate. My doctor did say no celery or any vegetable/fruit skins ever ( just peel them). I guess they are difficult to chew small enough and break down slowly so they are likely candidates to cause a blockage of stomach outlet. We were also told to avoid beef even if ground the first year because if is harder to digest.
   — Carrie R.

November 20, 2002
By six weeks I could eat anything I chose (so long as it didn't make me nauseated) with the exceptions of raisins (or any dehydrated fruit) and skins (like on apples and grapes). At 5 weeks or close to it I was eating popcorn, all veggies cooked and I loved raw carrots, oh and celery with peanut butter on it (I peeled the strings off of it with a peeler) Yummm. Just take tiny bites and chew well. I have no trouble with beef so long as it's tender and not greasy. Burger that is baked over a boiler or bbq'ed or boiled was/is fine for me. Steaks and prime rib cooked to medium; chicken was my worst culprit unless cooked in juice. Just too stringy. The key here, is that everyone is totally different - you have to find what will work for you. For the most part I advocate following your doctors instructions, but we're not kids and we can think somewhat for ourselves. Best of luck to you!
   — [Deactivated Member]