Question:
Should we be staying away from salt? I causes me water retention

I had surgery 5 weeks ago and have already had 3-week long plataues. I never know what toi eat anymore. Nothing appeals to me. Salads are the only thing I crave. Breakfast makes me sick so I usually don't eat until lunch. Maybe I'm not getting in enough food or calories. What should I do? I get in around 500 calories a day    — kris B. (posted on May 16, 2002)

May 16, 2002
Hello, you could be talking about me. I put alot of salt on everything trying to make them have some taste, then I started swelling really bad so my dr put me on a water pill and told me to lay off the salt. 5 weeks is still pretty early post op, but it will get better. Drink drink drink, you sure don't want to get dehydrated. Still at 6 months post op I have trouble finding things that appeal to me. I go through stages.I won't eat sald because my surgeon told me about a patient of hers getting lettuce stuck and she couldn't get it up so I have yet to try a salad..yes I'm chicken:) Good luck and I promise it will get better.
   — Lynda T.

May 16, 2002
I too have a problem with water retention. At about 4-5 weeks I noticed swelling in my legs. I went to the Dr for a follow up at seven weeks. I had only lost 1 pound in the last two weeks. The Dr. said I was carrying 20# of water. He put me on a diuretic and I lost 11 1/2 lbs in 5 days. I don't know about the salt cause I don't use a lot of it, but it is buried in so much food. I am down 63.5 in 8 weeks. Good luck
   — Don D.