Puja

Good luck to you!!

Hi! I'm 16 months out right now, and still measure my food to 4 or 5 ounces. I can do 4 ounces of greek yogurt with an ounce of granola. On occasion, if I don't measure, I'll find I can eat up to 6 ounces, which gets scary. So, I try to keep portions to 4 or 5 ounces. 2 low fat string cheeses with a half cup of grapes (about 3 ounces) is perfectly satisfying, without me feeling full. If I'm eating something more liquidy, like lentils or curries, I will usually go up to 5 or 6 ounces. I'm vegetarian, so can't give you much input on the denser meats, which I've heard feel heavier in the stomach. Good luck!

You're so right! After surgery, I realized how much happier my body feels with natural foods. I did artificial Protein powders and bars for the first few months, but all that is out now! I cook with real foods now, but try to limit the sugar and fat contents with bananas, natural sweeteners, or yogurts. Please let us know if you decide to experiment with sleeve friendly - high protein - veggie recipes!

My parents handled that aspect, and I didn't want to know, in case I backed out due to guilt. Sorry I don't have an answer for you!

I did self pay, because my insurance was requiring a minimum of 6 months with their own doctors and diet plans, which didn't fit into my holiday schedule very well.

Oops, sorry, I suppose I gave you the same information twice.

I think there may be a few others on here that have gone to him, but I'm not in contact with them. I am really happy with my experiences in his office, with him, and his staff. He works out of a few hospitals, and I had my surgery at Placentia-Linda. They have a nurse there who is a bariatric liaison of sorts, and also elected to have her own surgery through Dr. Oliak. I believe a few of the doctors there have also had bariatric surgeries to Dr. Oliak. In my opinion, if other doctors and nurses trust him, that says a lot about his quality of work.

I think another thread was just started on a similar topic! My surgeon was Dr. David Oliak - he's amazing! His staff is very supportive and they hold weekly support group meetings. His website is: www.oliakcenter.com

Dr. David Oliak was my surgeon, and he's amazing! His office staff is great, as well. I heard a lot about his work through other doctors and nurses, which is always a good sign. If a nurse or doctor has good things to say about a colleague, that person must be good. His website is www.oliakcenter.com

I live in Southern California - Orange County! My surgery was also performed here. I'm glad your surgeon is directing you to the right sources. He's right that a lot of vegetarians and vegans become Protein powder/shake dependent.. but it's primarily because they don't have enough information, and think those are their only sources. "Vegetarian" rarely equals "healthy"! You, however, have found this site before your surgery, so you will be completely prepared! Yay for you! Educating yourself will take you half way towards your success. I drank 1 Protein shake a day for the first several months after surgery. I had to go to Bangalore after my first month post-op, and found it difficult to maintain my protein intake without the powders and Protein Bars (also 1 a day), By the time I came back to California, I was at 7 months post-op, and desperate for more food options that did not require me to rely on artificial products. So, once I came back, I started working out my daily meal plans to incorporate healthy, natural foods, with variety. I haven't touched the protein powders since! You will need powders while you are on liquids and purees - the shakes will be your best friend. You can forget them once you start back onto real foods - if you want to. As for tofu, I only eat it about once a week, but I'm always surprised by its versatility. It really is a wonderful protein source, if you learn how to use it. Rice and roti expand a bit in your tummy, which makes you get full faster - this obviously means you get less of the good stuff. I never actually restricted myself from either, but found that I didn't miss them much. I might have had a bite or two here and there, but only if something looked yummy, and I was craving it. Now, I am in a maintenance phase, and I still only have a few bites here and there. If there is something exciting like gobi parantha being made, I will make sure to enjoy a piece of it, and not feel guilty. We have to feel normal, and remind ourselves that there is no "bad" food. Only "better" food. I'm glad you find my outlook to be rational! I sure think it is. The logic in it is what has helped me stay on track, and stay motivated. Right now, I usually hit my protein requirements before my last meal of the day, so I can enjoy something with my parents - or I can cook something that I'm in the mood for, even if it's a bit low on the protein count. I just make sure to keep a track of my calorie intake. I didn't have any other weight - related issues, but hopefully I have prevented them from occurring in the future!

My hunger definitely did reduce after surgery. Interestingly enough, I found myself much more satisfied after my high Protein meals than I ever did before the surgery. Satisfaction after a meal was something I rarely experienced before surgery. I still have a good appetite, and enjoy my meals. I do feel hungry faster if the daal is very liquidy, so I make thicker daal (lentils). Or, I eat more of it. I also sometimes mix daal with subji (veggies) and dahi (yogurt) to give it a thicker consistency, and more substance. I don't know why your surgeon is pushing so hard with the meat, to be honest. Eating meat makes things easier, but it's not at all necessary. Still, I eat every 2.5 to 3 hours. I don't always feel hungry, but I feel low on energy. Either way, eating small meals often is a good way to boost your metabolism! I decided to not check my weight post-op, because I have a history of self-sabotaging my diets. So, I made up my mind that I wanted to change my food choices for my overall health, not just my weight loss, and maintained that lifestyle every day. The doctors tracked my weight during follow ups, and I was always on target (if not above target) for the expected loss. At 14 months out, I was a normal BMI and had lost 85 pounds. Does your surgeon work with a nutritionist to help you work out meal plans and whatnot? Where are you having your surgery done?

Neil, 3 months out with a 62 pound loss! That's amazing! Being a vegetarian in America will definitely be much easier than in India. There is a larger variety of Protein options available to you. Natural, low fat cheeses, greek yogurt, low fat milk, powdered Peanut Butter, protein powders, nuts, and soy products. All these items are staples you should have in your house, to provide yourself with daily variety! I'm in California. Good luck to you!

I can very honestly say that I grew up obese, and tried every diet out there . The gastric sleeve is a TOOL that helps us reach our goals. We still have to make the right choices for our health, but it is a huge factor that plays into our success. I would have never been able to lose weight without it. My sleeve is the best thing I ever did for myself! You're right. Surgery is not for everyone, but it's up to us to be honest with ourselves about our lifestyle and habits. Without that, we can't be successful with or without the sleeve.

I forgot to respond to your earlier questions: My nutritionist did have some hesitations with me being vegetarian, but only because she had not had any vegetarian patients. I discussed Protein options with her, and did lots of research on my own, to find out what foods were best for me in regards to a calorie to protein ratio, fat content, and carbohydrate content. Some doctors put a carb limit, but I did not have one. Initially, I was at 800 to 1000 calories a day, and am currently at around 1200 calories a day. I eat every 2.5 to 3 hours, without fail. I don't always feel hunger, but I do feel drained, and eating keeps up my energy. 9:30 - 1 boiled egg (7 gm protein) 12:30 - 2 ounces of low-fat cheese with some grapes, or some healthy crackers, or broccoli (14 gm protein) 3:30 - a Protein Bar (12 - 15 gm protein) 6:30 - Greek yogurt with granola (17 gm protein) 9:30 - lentils with veggies (8 to 10 gm protein) 10:30 - glass of milk (10 gm protein) I started out at 207 pounds, and am currently at 118 pounds. Good luck!

Oops, I made a mistake in my initial post. My meal was 10 grams of Protein, not 20! Chaya, where are you located? I eat Indian food on almost a daily basis: lentils, paneer (make your own with low fat milk, yogurt, milk, etc. Depending on where you are in India, tofu, Peanut Butter, and cheeses are also good options (natural cheese, not processed). For a higher protein yogurt, hang your dahi in a cloth, and drain the Water out - this is similar to the Greek Yogurt that lots of people post about in the forums. If you use low-fat or non fat milk, even better! This thicker dahi can be used as cream in your daals, and tastes delicious with fruit or granola. If I have tofu available, I add that into my vegetables with Indian masala. It's good plain, and the rest of the family can eat it like a subji with roti. Make sure to press the water out of the tofu first. If you are making daal, eat yours with yogurt, while the rest of the family has rice. It's very manageable! Following a few healthy tips will be beneficial for the entire family. Feel free to message me if you have any other questions.

Neil, you can do it! I'm vegetarian, and it has worked out just fine. It does take some planning. Where are you located?

Hi, all! I'm Indian, but living in California. I joined this forum when I first had surgery in August of 2011. There weren't any Indians then! I don't come on very often, but it's nice to see all of you joining this forum - it was a great support for me when I first started out! Good luck to you!! I hit my goal a few months ago, and have been maintaining since then. I'm so happy with my sleeve, and feel better than ever. I wish you all the same!

It is totally possible to be vegetarian!! I'm 16 months post-op, vegetarian, and very healthy! I don't do the fake meat stuff, but I do eat lots of natural foods including lentils, nuts, dairy, and eggs. It does take planning, however. I plan my entire day out in the morning, and pack my lunches. I also look at menus before going to restaurants, and call ahead if I need something special. I'm eating a meal as I write this: an apple with PB2 powder! 150 calories, 20 grams of Protein - all natural and low fat.

You may be eating too fast, causing an increased level of reflux. Take time to chew your food really well, and try to keep your meals smaller and more frequent. Good luck!

There are loads of threads in the forum with ideas for a vegetarian diet! Hopefully a search will give you some good tips. In the meantime, here is a list of my go to food items: All cheeses (low fat), PB2 Peanut Butter powder, Wasa and Kavli crackers, Greek and regular yogurt (low fat), eggs, milk, veggie patties, tofu, lentils, Beans, and fruits or veggies in between. Like MegInNOLA, I have several small meals, and eat my Protein first. Protein Bars and shakes do help a lot, as well. I don't cook much, so these foods are really fast and simple.

It gets better than sipping, but it definitely doesn't reach the level of chugging. I'm at 8 months postop, and I still might have some discomfort or pain on a really big gulp. Also, once you regulate your diet and meals, it'll be easier to get liquid in at a regular interval, so you won't be feeling that desperate thirst. Totally worth this small inconvenience!

I'm a veggie! I was originally having a Protein shake every day to help make up my protein intake, but no longer do that. My calories have increased since stopping the shakes, but my diet is much more "normal". I am a big cheese fan, so usually have 2 to 3 ounces of low fat cheese a day. I enjoy Fage 0% Greek yogurt, PB2 Peanut Butter powders, milk, tofu, paneer (an Indian style cottage cheese), lentils, and a veggie patty every so often. I only get in about 2 servings of fruits or vegetables a day, which I need to work on. Otherwise, I'm perfectly happy with my veggie diet post op!

Have you tried "slim fits"? I know banana Republic carries them, and I believe the Gap does, as well. You could also try Abercrombie and Fitch, though I'm not sure if they have slim fits, or their shirts are just tailored smaller. If you can go to a Van Heusen or Louise Phillipe type of store, the employees will measure you and find shirts that suit your body type.

I've found myself falling into this trap when I'm at home and bored, or around lots of yummy foods. So, I only keep healthy Snacks in the house, I try my best to stay busy or entertained. There are always yummy junky things at my mum's house, which I find myself grabbing for every 10 to 15 minutes. In those situations, I put the food onto a higher shelf that requires a stepping stool. That way, getting to the food takes effort, and I usually give up.

Hamany, I'm a doctor and still took all of my surgeon's advice, and did all the research possible. You cannot use your being a medical student as an excuse for not taking care of your health. You, of all people, should understand that orange juice does not give you a well balanced diet with Proteins, and will not sustain you. If you can drink liquids, focus on Protein drinks instead. Crisps and crunchy Snacks are easy for all sleeve patients to eat, because they do not expand in the stomach and slide right through. The sleeve is a TOOL to help us make better food choices, not a quick fix to our obesity. We still have to maintain discipline and be careful with your nutrition. All the best to you and continue to use this forum to educate yourself about your new sleeve.