mel14

I was a huge beer and wine drinker before surgery and didn't have a drop for 90 days after. Since then I have had a few glasses of wine and don't really notice a difference.
I was warned to not try beer by several VSG veterans (was told it would be painful and I would feel like my chest was going to explode), but today ended up at a brewery that didn't serve anything except beer and was with my sister who doesn't know about my surgery and I didn't feel like explaining it all today so I just ordered a beer. It did make me feel a little full and I sat there and nursed one beer for 90 minutes (I think I would have drank 3 in that time, before). Nothing bad happened and I didn't feel very drunk.
So far, in my case... I think all the dire warnings I was given about never drinking again were a bunch of crap.
No, I can't drink like before but I can't eat like before either and that's the whole point. I plan to have an occasional beer or wine when I want to and not stress about it anymore.

My stomach must be a touch cookie bc ineat the 100 calories packs every day for my snack bc itsyummy high protien and low carb helps w my protiens now i can only eat half of a bag and wait later for the rest
I usually eat it over a cuple hrs and iam good

3 months, no, no, no.
I still choose not to eat and drink at the same time just because I don't want to risk getting sick from being full and taking in liquids too soon after that.
I don't feel like I'm affected any more now by alcohol than I was before surgery. I've tried wine, mimosas, amaretto sours, but will usually stick to cape cods (vodka and light cranberry juice). Can't drink fast and carbonation of champagne has to go even slower.
Still kind of nervous to try my luck with shots, but if someone else who answers has any advice, I'd love to hear that too.

Try vodka and crystal light

shopping and having your needed items at home is a GREAT idea!
have a heating pad at home and waiting for you
have SONIC ice (little pellet ice), it's so great to have as your ice chips at home
have lot's of stuff to watch on TV, DVR.. or search the web
have comfy pillows for lying on your side (if you are a side sleeper)
cut down caffeine
I just had surgery last Thursday and came home Saturday and these are my words of wisdom so far

Perhaps those who believe that pork rinds are always bad for you should do a little research. The fat content in pork rinds varies greatly.
The brand I use is microwaveable, no added sodium, and 2, yes TWO grams of fat in a 1/2 cup serving. No carbs, and 9 grams of Protein in a 1/2 cup serving. The bagged type can have anywhere from 5-9 grams of fat per serving because they are FRIED. Stick to the type you microwave and you get a healthy high protein, low fat snack, much better for you than many other Snacks that have more fat and less protein or are loaded with carbs.

I try to eat 3 ounces a day. 240 calories and 27 grams of Protein. Most days I can only do 2 ounces. An ounce is roughly 23 pieces. Each ounce has 80 calories and 9 grams of Protein. Great snack to munch on through out the day.
Deb

In the recipe section here, I actually posted a pork rind meatloaf recipe. It was yummy, also I made salisbury steak with ground beef or ground turkey with Pork rinds as the binder, those were delicious.
I used the barbque flavor for the meatloaf once, and it add some flavor to the meat, and I like the hot and spicy ones for just a snack with chunk cheese.

Premier Protein already mixed shakes - can't beat 30 grams of Protein per drink!
tuna
Egg salad (made with relish and mustard)
cheese sticks
Yogurt
Turkey pepperoni and turkey beef Jerky

I have thick skin - so what some people may consider "negative" comments don't bother me
If you look at what I actually consumed in the 2 days there, it isn't bad...
I DESCRIBED alot of food, but what went into my mouth was:
ONE crispy corn taco with about an ounce of finely ground (not greasy) beef and an ounce of shredded cheese and one bite of a bean and cheese nacho.
ONE meatball (2-3 oz) that unfortunately had some bread mixed into it (I did not eat ANY of the noodles or saurkraut)
About 3 oz of Quiche made from eggs, cheese, spinach, carrots and Tomato - none of the crust
1 and a half of the egg roll ruebens that equaled about 3-4 oz.
I drank lots of Water.
I walk A LOT!
I lost 2 pounds.
The point of my post was to show actual, real food I had to make decisions about - and I am happy with.
My surgery date was July 2nd - I am free and clear on my diet. I have not thrown up once, had any nausea after the 3rd day post - op, and have healed wonderfully.
I have had zero pain - but can feel a cramping like sensation when I am full.
I am extremely thankful for this board, and I welcome any/all questions. It has been a life saver for me - literally! I would not have had the surgery without it.

Hi yall !
I was sleeved on 7-23 and am soft foods but really have little to no desire to eat. I have still not been able to get in all my Protein or liquids in for any given day. It's tough...but I am trying. Tonight I have a bit of a headache and dehydration is always in my mind. debating on getting an IV.. but I keep telling myself it's not that severe. I went back to work pt this week and am pretty tired and I do get foggy a bit.
I am down 28 pounds..on the positive side and have been able to walk 20 mins a day ..on the days I have some energy.

Sleeved the same day. I can't tell the difference at certain times between head hunger and hunger. I can ignore the images but I was making my son chicken and I believe I had real hunger. I don't know. It seems all unreal. And yet I can't wait to have food. I'm starting to hate whey Protein. Tomorrow I can have some strained Soup which is exciting! Good luck to you both!!!

I had my surgery on the same day. Head hunger started today lol due to commercials etc. lol I didn't have much pain in the hospital . With me it's a mental fight. And worrying about what could happen leaks, clots etc. can't wait for the worrying to stop so I can feel better emotionally.. The buyers remorse sucks. Lol I'm told it passes once I can eat again????????

post opers.. today was my first day of soft foods.. I had 3 sep meals that consisted of total 1 piece of fish / by 3, total of 6 TBs/ by 3 of turnip greens and 2 tbs of sweet potato. does this sound like too much ? I just feel completely FULL at this point

Something I made before my surgery that I'm excited to have post-surgery: boiled butter Beans (otherwise known as mature Lima beans), with a little bit of salt, olive oil, and fresh lime zest. Mash those beauties up and you've got yourself a treat!

I made my own version of "egg roll guts!" Not really sure what truly goes into an egg roll or how it is prepared, but I just came up with my own recipe:
Ingredients:
1 package cole slaw mix (green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots)
1 chopped white/yellow onion
1 handful of shredded carrots (there weren't a lot in the cole slaw mix)
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper
1-3 T veri veri teriyaki sauce (whatever your preference)
1 lb of ground pork
- Saute the onion in a large skillet over med-high heat until clear and just turning brown at the edges.
- Add the pork and cook until browned (mine was 30% less fat so there was no need to drain)
- Add cole slaw mix and shredded carrots and cook until very soft, reducing heat at the end.
- Add salt, pepper and teriyaki sauce as desired.
It was very yummy but at my stage I definitely needed to eat it very slowly to avoid feeling uncomfortable. This was my first attempt at eating ground meat since surgery. I chose the pork over lean turkey (my first choice), chicken, or hamburger because I figured the fat in the pork would make it easier to eat and not as dry. I think once I advance I will be brave enough to try the lean turkey.

I absolutely love to cook and I am always experimenting with flavor profiles so if you or anybody needs some recipes please feel free to ask and share any ideas you have. I love this forum and all the support I get from it. Thank you so much for helping me through this!

I'm almost 11 months out, and this is what I ate yesterday. It was a crazy carb day, and I grazed quite a bit. A lot of my carbs come from the fruit juice and fruit Loops, potatoes with dinner and yogurt/fruit I ate for Breakfast. I do not eat like this every day. I actually keep my carbs around 80grams per day now. But, yesterday, I wanted fruit, and Cereal for some odd reason.

Breakfast - 1-6oz Chobani strawberry Yogurt, 3 large fresh strawberries

Snack - 3oz of teriyaki beef Jerky, 3 saltine crackers, 1- 2% extra sharp cheddar wedge

lunch - 1/2 peanut butter/honey sandwich on whole wheat bread (no crust), 10-12 tortilla chips with sour cream/salsa dip

Snack - 6 iced circus animal crackers

Dinner - 2oz of steak, 1/4 cup of steamed green Beans, 1/4 cup of pan seared new potatoes

Snack - 1 cup of fruit loops Cereal with 1/2 cup 1% milk

Calories - 1387
Carbs - 226
Protein - 84
Fat - 36

I got in about 50 ounces of Water, 8oz of the the grape juice, and 8oz of coffee.

I eat out 2-4 times per week.
Thai places - chicken Satay skewers with dipping sauce and I can at 2 skewers.
Chili's - my son and I share a half rack of ribs, I can eat 2 of the ribs, and a few bites of the various side dishes, we also share the Cajun chicken Pasta entree (yummy chicken alfredo with penne Pasta and grilled cajun flavored chicken breast)I also order the 1/2 order of nachos from the appetizer menu, I can eat about 3 of them with salsa and sour cream, I order and split the Quesadilla Explosion salad with the kiddo.

Mexican food - my son and I order beef and chicken fajitas for 1, I can eat 1 fajita with 2-3 strips of meat, loads of sauteed onions, sour cream, salsa and a little bit of rice. I do eat some chips and salsa before my meal. I may have a few bites of the refried Beans, but I like to save room for the actual fajita.

Taco Bell - Steak quesadilla with extra sauce. I can eat 2 of the 4 wedges, but I pull off the top of the tortilla. I wait about 3 hours and eat the other 2 wedges later. Or, I order a bean burrito with extra red sauce and sour cream, and peel off the extra tortilla that doesn't have any filling.

TGI Friday's - I order the appetizer course of Pot stickers/chinese dumplings, and I can eat 3 of them, the inside mainly, and the outside shell of 1.5 of them with dipping sauce.

Logan's steak house - my son and I split an 8oz ribeye and a few bites of the side dishes typically rice or loaded mashed potatoes with a green veggie. I typically eat a few chips with their spinach/artichoke dip before our meal.

Mongolian BarBque - I eat the thick egg noodles, with cabbage, snap peas, pineapple, bean sprouts, and chicken or beef. Covered in Mongolian and Teriyaki sauce, and minced garlic. Typically, the meat gets over cooked on the grill, so I stick to the noodles and veggies/fruit.

Chinese buffet - Spring roll (1 with the outer shell peeled off), peanut chicken, beef broccoli, General Tso chicken, fried rice, low mein noodles, and pot stickers again.

IHOP- sirloin steak tips with broccoli
Wendy's - baked potato with cheese/broccoli, small chili with crackers

Panera Bread - The asian fruit side salad (it has apples), broccoli/cheddar Soup, 1/2 tuna salad sandwich with chips.

Obviously, I eat a very small portion of all of these, but it gives you an idea of what I order and eat. Yes, I bring lots of leftovers home, but I make the meals last for at least 2 other meals/lunches, or even Snacks.

I rarely order off the kid's or senior menu. I know people find it hard to believe but I literally eat anything and everything I want just in small quantities.

I think I did one at 3 weeks and puked it right up. Too dense.
Wait a month. I will tell you cocktail shrimp at mo th 2 became a staple of my Snacks. I would buy a half a pound sunday and it would last me days.

What kind of concert? You should be ok but you don't want to be around a bunch of pushing and shoving!

I tried very, very hard to resist. I did, really. Sigh. I lost the battle.
Dude, you're smoking it right now, aren't you???

I had scrambled eggs on day 8 and went to solids on day 10. That's my surgeon's plan. Today I had broiled lobster tail for lunch. Yesterday I had grilled ribeye steak. I've had filet mignon several days this month too. I'd much rather have lobster than Pasta. I can eat 1/2 a hamburger with no bun - I put it on Bibb lettuce leaves instead.
I don't like sweets any longer. I've tried them and ick. They don't taste good any longer. So since I know they don't taste good to me I don't want to eat them. Ice cream was the worst - it was AWFUL.

I did eggs during pureed stage...just added some milk and blend it in blender. It was so good. My experience is that I can't eat that much. I'm 2 months out and besides not being hungry I get full super fast. I promise it gets better. I was also so sick of Soups. I would blend anything I could get my hands on. As long as it was high Protein apple sauce consistency I would eat it. I loved refried Beans with salsa, guacamole and sour cream. I would measure the beans to 1/4 cup and add a tad of the other stuff. Delicious. Good luck!
P.S. I can eat part of a hamburger...no problems. I have avoided pastas only because of lack of nutritional value. I promise you'll start to feel more human. Not eating good food messes with your brain. It'll get better. Hang in!

I wasn't over 350, and I'm a few pounds away from a normal BMI, so I don't quite fit your criteria, but I think I can offer something to the conversation.
My highest recorded weight was 325, and I'm short, so I do know what it's like to be super morbidly obese. I was 306 when I started the process (had lost about 75 pounds on WW 5 years before and only gained back 50 - I can't explain that!). I also felt a little discouraged that even when I had lost 100 pounds, I still had more to go. I saw people being sleeved who weighed less than me when I had lost that much! I'm not sure why, but at the time, it made me still feel like the fattest girl in the room.
I have learned that it IS possible to succeed, even if we do start at a much higher weight. I think there may be more and different challenges for us. For most people, the weight comes off easiest in the early months. You have to go out of your way to not lose. The hardship comes in the fact that human beings can't usually lose more than about 120-150 pounds in a year. When you have 200 or more to lose, you quickly realize that your peers are passing you by. It took me 14 months to lose 145 pounds, and I'd still like to lose that last 10ish pounds. But I'm going to need to work really, really hard to do that because my body likes this weight.
Here is another lesson I learned - I am way better off than I was, with every pound lost. I am my ONLY competitor. I see this as a competition I'm in with only myself. So, I continue to win as long as I maintain my loss. That's a hard thing to live when you are trying so hard and it feels like you will never "get there". I'm here to tell you that even though I'm "not there", I have SO ARRIVED!
The moral of my story is that I was super morbidly obese for 30 years, and overweight or obese the rest of it, except for 5 minutes in the 80s. I lost a total of more than half my body weight (from highest weight) and 145 of it with the sleeve in 14 months. I've kept it of about a year and a half, and that is a fight every day. I wear a size medium top and an 8 pants. I look way younger, and feel way better than I have in years. I have my life back and it holds so much promise. So while I still wish I could lose a little more, when I look at where I started, I am better off. I had to stop comparing myself to others and start comparing me to myself to gain a true understanding of my accomplishment.
The short version of all that is that you can succeed, one pound at a time, just like anyone!

Thanks for posting, @@HillaryA !
I too am only about halfway to my goal. (I use the term "halfway" loosely! What is math?) Here are my stats:
491 - 10/1/2014 Highest weight
422 - 12/17/2014 Day of surgery
304.3 - 7/8/2015 Current weight
I feel like I am doing well and can see success on the horizon. But the horizon is still a long way off! Just to echo your story, I recently bought a season pass to an amusement park and was able to ride many rides (but I have been a little scared to try ALL of them, haha.) But there are so many other goals and NSVs that that have nothing to do with the scale that I have already reached! So now it seems like the sky is the limit. I am excited for the future, not just for me but for everyone here! I am rooting for us! Haha.
I hope there are some women who started at 350+ who have hit goal that will come comment on this post. I'd love to hear from them as well!!!