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I had a much longer recovery back to eating from you by the sounds of it, but I'd just echo what everyone else has said. Don't eat it just because you can. Believe me, I'm the last person I thought would ever be saying something like this, but the day you get sleeved has to be the day you change your eating habits in every way. And this is coming from a former 375lb crazed binge eater who used to eat at least 6,000 calories a day and thought she could never, ever change her behaviours. I used to be sceptical that the sleeve would work for me and was blase when people said the sleeve is a tool that you have to work for, not the other way round. But it's the truest thing about this whole journey. Think of everything you went through to get your sleeve - emotionally and physically. You don't want to go back to old ways. There's no point in just eating the old stuff but just less of it. It'll get you in the long run. I know it sucks sometimes, but just don't even put it on your plate. I really now believe you get out what you put in. What I've found works for me is being pretty rigid and on point with my nutrition during the week - I eat a vegetarian, mainly vegan diet and keep my Protein in the 70s and carbs in the 30s/40s every day. I'm strict on Vitamins and Fiber goals too. Then if I want to eat maybe a little slice of baguette on the weekend when hanging with friends or have a bite of chocolate or a cookie, I do and I don't panic and feel guilty for it because I know that earlier in the day I hit my nutritional goals and the rest is plain sailing. There are times when I've thought I could push it and eat a lot more slider foods or carbs than I had, but I just forced myself to stop and walk away. You're doing so well. Keep on going and test your limits in other ways!

A couple of tablespoons of flaxseeds per day work miracles!

If there was ever time for a happy dancing banana gif, it's now. SERIOUS congratulations to you. You've done such an awesome job!

My BMI was 57 when I started my sleeve journey. It had lowered by the time I had the actual sleeve surgery due to pre-op diets and having a gastric balloon inserted. I remember the day my dietician telling me my BMI had dropped below 50 and being weirdly proud! I was so lucky to have managed to get by at such a high weight for so long without having any serious health implications, apart from barely being able to walk when I was at my highest weight (not too impressive for a 26 year old), and I can't see how this would do anything but improve your health. Losing weight helps most things and it's definitely always worth a go. If you want to really make a change in diet and lifestyle, go for the sleeve. It's not easy but I feel like a new woman already, and I'm still only halfway through the weight I need to lose. Best of luck in your future surgeries and decision on the sleeve

I had a bad time with meats when I was on purees and when I was first on solids. They just weren't agreeing with me at all and making me throw up! I basically gave up and became vegetarian. I have wanted to do it for ages and the veggie burgers go down so much better and can boost my Protein. Although intentionally slip up and have some beef Jerky and really well stewed curried goat last week. Went down a lot better than I thought it would. I also tried a few bites of spicy rice and a tiny bit of hard dough bread too, but that's the first time I've gone near the super carbs really. I'm basically terrified of having a bad time on them so don't really have rice, Pasta, potatoes or bread in my diet yet. It's really hard to know what's going to work. I understand how you're feeling. One day something will be going down great and the next day it'll turn your stomach. Best of luck with the meat journey

Oh my gosh, I've been having crazy food dreams too over the last month or so. Mainly mine are about eating large quantities of all the wrong things and then remembering I'm sleeved, but being surprised how much I can fit in. Then I have massive guilt about it and get depressed that I've stretched out and ruined my sleeve forever. All in a dream too! Amazing the emotions you can feel. The dream food weirdly always tastes gross too. I'm always so relieved to wake up and realise I'm still on the right track.

A seriously gorgeous girl! Well done. You're a big inspiration to us all.

I can relate to this. Some (not all) people have made such dumb comments to me just before and since my surgery. Like today I saw someone for the first time in nearly two months and the first time since my op and all she had to say to me was I looked "really, really pale; even paler than normal" and I needed to go on a sun bed. So rude. I'd like to see her after major surgery! I also had someone warn me today that did I know my stomach would stretch eventually and I'd be able to eat more? No! Really?! And here's me just going into this surgery blind without doing any research and throwing my doctor's advice into the garbage! You've got to just blow them off as ignorance. At the end of the day, this is about doing something for yourself. If you're like me, it's probably the first time you've done that in a long time and I guess some people just find it difficult to comprehend. Brush your shoulders off and keep going. Good luck! x

I ate a WHOLE lot more than a chicken pitta three days before my surgery (think disaster at a well known fried chicken establishment) and it made no difference at all to my surgery or my weight loss as a whole on the liquid diet. I actually think it helped in some bizarre way because I was so hungry and weak and wouldn't have made it through the rest of the days cheat free. You'll be fine from now on, I'll bet. Don't feel guilty!

I was a complete wreck the first time I went in to have my surgery. I was worried about every possibility going. I didn't sleep for weeks before. The two days in hospital are a blur. The drain was only in for twelve hours luckily, but all the removals and stitching and injections and taking of blood are nothing. They become like second nature and I was so out of sorts I didn't feel a thing. I knew everything that was happening was to help reduce my pain, so I encouraged it all willingly. I'm sure you'll feel the same. The scariest thing is taking the first step towards surgery, and that's out of the way already!

You mean you haven't got your magical Beans on back order? Jeez. I took mine weeks ago! I know how you feel. People are ridiculous, but as long as you keep remembering that, that'll keep you sane. You have a great sense of humour and outlook on it from what I can see. As long as you don't start judging yourself by other people's crazy expectations! The funny thing is, I wasn't going to tell anyone I work with. But when my original surgery date came up last year, I found myself wanting to be open about it to colleagues. I work with a lot of people who are 30 to 40 years older than me and I expected their reactions to be pretty old fashioned. In fact, they were surprisingly really supportive about it and it's shocking how many people knows somebody who's had a procedure done already. They are still completely clueless about it though. The other day one of them was like, 'How much have you lost, like 45lb?' and I had to laugh inside because I've lost double that but people seem to totally forget just how big you were once

I have to say, I was pretty much a zombie for the first two or so weeks out. The difficulty sleeping and the tiny, tiny amount of calories in from such small amounts of liquid left me with no energy until I moved on to more food and Protein shakes. 45 mins walking around the shops a day left me exhausted and achy! Not to mention I was 'hobbling like an old woman' as my mother so kindly put it as it was difficult to stretch and bend properly due to incisions. I personally would have had trouble getting any significant amount of Protein shake stuff in that early post op, but like everyone says, it depends on the person. Just don't push yourself too hard! Concentrate on getting you better and build yourself up for when you feel ready to do more.

Hey guys, Thanks for all your amazing and lovely comments! You guys and this forum really helps spur me on when I miss my old crazy eating ways. Being a new me is still something I'm getting used to. Inside I still feel like that near 400lb girl struggling to walk. Hopefully I'll get used to it and the changes will keep coming! StacyS, a gastric balloon is a minimally invasive weight loss procedure where they basically put a tube down your throat and fill a balloon full of saline in your tummy. The idea is that because your stomach is full of something, you'll want to/be able to eat less. Can't say I was overly impressed with it. I could still eat a LOT, nowhere near as restricted as I am with the sleeve. I think most of the weight I lost with it was through all my pre op diets and feeling sick for the first month it was in! I only had it because I had one failed attempt to have my sleeve because surgeons wanted me to lose more fat off my abdomen and suggested the balloon. I had my sleeve here in the UK on the NHS, so basically what they suggest goes if they're paying! They were a great help every step of the way though. x

I'm around the same time out as you, and I find that I can just about hit around 600 to 700 calories every day. I usually get most of this from a Protein shake made with half soy milk half Water, and then adding either a tablespoon of Peanut Butter or half a banana. It usually gets around 250 calories out of the way! The World According To Eggface blog has been my saviour for helping jazz up my shakes. I'm also finding things like string cheese and Laughing Cow (light) cream cheese triangles go down really easily and help boost up the calories and are great for protein. The Laughing Cow also goes great spread onto a small piece of cold cut like ham or turkey and then rolled up like a little wrap. A glass of milk is also a good calorie and protein booster and is generally easier for me to get down as it feels less like an eating chore . I get around 125 calories from 250ml of semi skimmed milk. Good luck! I'm always struggling to up mine too and seem to be forever eating tiny bits!

Hey, I'm a month out from my VSG and have lost around 25lbs. I had a gastric balloon last summer, so am down just over 90lbs from my highest weight so far. Sometimes I can't really tell the difference because I have so far to go still, but thought I'd post two truly awful before pics from when I was around 375lb and one from last night, where friends kept telling me I looked nice (which honestly never happened before!).

Looking seriously awesome! Well done

You look fab and it's knocked years off you! Congrats

I think a lot of it is to do with height too, right? I've heard of smaller in weight but taller guys getting refused. I'm a good 5'9 too and often struggle with the leg room thing. Should be interesting when I go with my 6'5 brother then!

Hey, I too am going to Disney World in October so have been doing some research. Like everyone has already said, Disney is the most plus size friendly theme park out there. A great website I've found with reports on how people of varying weights fit in the rides and which rides to avoid is WDW At Large. Hope it's useful. Now my goal is to get to around 250lbs for my trip because I've heard that Universal isn't so size friendly and I'm determined to ride that darn Harry Potter ride!

Haha, I know this feeling well. I was constantly on the defensive every time the cat came anywhere near me! I was repeating "not the stomach, not the stomach!" at my friend's little boy just the other day.

I'm just under a month out and I'm on nothing other than a multi Vitamin. My hospital didn't pander me with painkillers either: by day two they just packed me off with some paracetamol if the pain got bad, which I rarely used. All I'm concentrating on is eating right and drinking enough Water. Granted, I wasn't on any meds pre-surgery and in generally good health, but it's not all doom and gloom and worry post-surgery. Ignore the what ifs!

Hey, Just wanted to pop in to say hello. I'm 27 now, turning 28 in two days time. I don't want to spend my thirties messing everything up like I did in my twenties all because of food. Year of success 2011, woo!

I really struggled to lay on my back for over a week after surgery. It just felt like everything was pulling, I was panicking that I couldn't breathe properly and it really hurt to go from a lying to a standing position. I too went down the sitting up in a recliner or on the bed propped up with pillows. I'm quite a fussy sleeper and never thought I'd be able to sleep that way, but trust me, you'll be so exhausted that you'll sleep regardless! I finally got onto my side maybe two and a half weeks post surgery - ahh, it was heaven.

Hi, I am 7 days post op today and I think on the same kind of diet of you. And I get EXACTLY how you feel! My family have been eating fried chicken, bacon and all sorts over the last few days and I seriously felt so compelled to eat, despite knowing I couldn't as a few spoonfuls of yoghurt right now are making me so full. People keep saying to me, "Oh, food shouldn't bother you now," which is the complete opposite of the truth. I'm finding the head hunger a lot harder to overcome than I thought. I guess it also comes with feeling down and ill all the time too. When I'm like this, all I usually do is eat to make me feel better so it's a hard transition. Keep at it. I'm feeling a bit less sick every day. Last night was the first time I managed to sleep lying down on my back rather than sitting up in a recliner chair. Would much rather be snoozing on my side but that seems a long way off right now! Lex