MegInNOLA

When you HAVE to put your jeans in the dryer because they're too big! I'm with ya on that one!

When you HAVE to put your jeans in the dryer because they're too big! I'm with ya on that one!

Dooter, yes, that's what I did and do still sometimes; I make my own "gazpacho," since my sleeve loves tomatoes but didn't (and doesn't) like carrots--I zap it all in the blender and slurp away slowly.
My sleeve is particularly picky and didn't tolerate a lot of different kinds of foods until around 6 months or so. Now, at 9 months, I can eat salad, broccoli, cabbage, cucumber (tolerated better now than pre-surgery--go figure!), and the only things that give me pause are raw carrots, raw celery, and raw onion, but I can eat all of these cooked.
If you find something bothers your sleeve at some point, try it again in a couple of months--I know it really did take what seemed like forever for my sleeve to accept raw veggies, but now I'm LOVING it!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

I'm at almost 9 months out. I can eat right around 1/2 c. of food by volume, unless it's dense Protein, like shrimp--I can eat 3 boiled shrimp now (moderately large) and a couple bites of salad. Most of the time, though, I eat just shy of 1/2 c. of food at a time--or a few small slices of cheese (probably an ounce and a half max), 10-15 almonds, 1/2 a packet of oatmeal. Smaller meals for me, because my sleeve is pretty restrictive. Even "slider" foods are much more restricted than before--I can eat popcorn and tortilla chips, but only around 2 c. of popcorn and only 6 or 7 chips. I don't eat popcorn often. I do eat chips almost daily, but I use them as a meal with a high-protein dip (smashed up Beans, cheese, whatever) in place of bread, which I can't tolerate.
I also don't like the way Pasta or bread feels in my sleeve. It seems to "grow" and gets uncomfortable pretty quickly.

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

The first few weeks, since you're not eating a whole lot, it sometimes makes sense to keep a Protein shake or a carton of yogurt sitting next to you in a bowl with some ice (I set mine on a towel to avoid the drips!). Then you can take a sip or a slurp every so often when you're thinking about it. I absolutely second the very organized lollyfidy's tips from above (wow, she's got it going on!!) for traveling prepared. If for whatever reason you find yourself away from home and having a "crash," and you know what I'm talking about, where your energy level tanks and you start snapping at people for no apparent reason, remember that most convenience stores now have yogurt (some even have Greek yogurt!), reduced-sugar Gatorade (hydration!), and mozzarella sticks. I keep a pack of almonds or peanuts and a Protein Bar in my purse, and I'm 15-1/2 months out from surgery! Sometimes you just need a Protein boost, and it's helpful to have it handy.
But yeah, eat when you're hungry. You may not feel hunger--I didn't--so setting a timer isn't a bad idea until you get in the swing of things. Once you're more healed and more active, your energy will sort of tell you when it's time to eat if you don't get the typical hunger signals. Hydration is equally, if not more, important, so definitely be sure you're getting that water/fluid in! BEST!!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

I definitely have what I call "dumping syndrome," as it mirrors my sister's dumping syndrome (she had gastric bypass). I had a few sips of a frozen, sweet coffee drink (a pre-op favorite of mine with probably 1000 calories), and felt the symptoms of nausea, hot/cold/clammy alternating, general weakness, and a desperate feeling that something was wrong. I am not lactose intolerant nor diabetic (and I wasn't pre-surgery, either). The symptoms subsided in probably 30 minutes, but it was a horrid feeling.
I've had it before, too, when I ate some sugar-sweetened Greek yogurt (the Oikos caramel flavor)--again, same symptoms of nausea, heart racing, hot/cold/clammy, weakness, and that feeling that something was horribly wrong. Same thing when I ate 1/2 a small piece of shortbread (so I know it's not dairy only that does it). LOL You'd think I'd have stopped trying stupid things by now!!! And actually, I have, because these few episodes were horrible enough that I know my sleeve just doesn't like certain sugary foods. fruit doesn't cause the same symptoms, happily, but I haven't tried fruit juice since right after surgery, as I'm afraid it would be too sweet and cause the yucky symptoms.
So I don't know if that's officially "dumping syndrome," but it feels awful, and whatever it is, I'm going to try to avoid it at all costs. Not a big deal, really, and I'm sort of happy that my sleeve is restricting me that way, too--sugar is just not my friend.

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

When your husband starts calling you "Hottie" in front of all your friends!!

When you HAVE to put your jeans in the dryer because they're too big! I'm with ya on that one!