brittanyp_vsg

I'm 42 and did my share of partying in my youth. I would choose surgery. After you can still go out just like before but drink a regular cranberry juice and pretend its alcoholic. Not only will you get skinny and hot but you will be sober enough to choose the best man in the bunch! Bonus!!

This is going to sound harsh...do you want to be fat or do you want to party? You said that much as you have a great life, it is limited because of your weight. You avoid doing things because of your self-esteem and you feel like you are surrounded by all your beautiful friends and guys never look at you. You're going to need to give up booze for a few months after surgery, but after that if you want to you can still go out and drink. If anything you will be a way cheaper drinker because less alcohol gets you buzzed faster.
I can appreciate in a sense how you feel because when I was 21 (and under 21) I had a great time partying, however back then I was normal sized. When I did finally decide to get the sleeve (when I was 29) I hadn't gone out in several years because I was so ashamed of what I looked like. Guys wouldn't give me the time of day, so no matter how much fun I had with my great girl friends, I felt like not only was I bringing them down because guys had to send in the Grenade jumper (the dude that jumps on the ugly fat girl so his friends can hit on the hot girls) before they could come hit on my friends but I was embarrassing myself in the process. As a result, I just decided staying in and being alone was the better option.
I am now slightly under goal and for the first time in a very long time dating someone. We go out places and instead of people looking at me like I should be at home on a treadmill, men hit on me all the time. People are nice to me. Women and men make comments about how tiny I am. I'm not a big drinker anymore, but when I do drink I really don't notice a huge difference between before sleeve and after sleeve now that I'm almost 2 years out. I can still go out, have a good time, and drink...I just don't eat a lot of the foods anymore and I don't spend the entire time wondering if people are laughing at me. Really though, I would give up booze and partying forever if it meant that I got to be the size I am now for the rest of my life. Being thin, healthy, and attractive is worth way more to me than being able to drink and eat my face off whenever I want to.
So...getting the surgery will not kill your social life for more than a few months, but if your priority is not with being healthy and is instead with going out, partying, and keeping the bad habits that contributed to your weight problem in the first place, the sleeve isn't going to help you much past the first few months. I can easily eat and drink my way to WAY too many calories, but I'm more focused on being thin and healthy than I am in enjoying food and booze. It sounds like you, like me, want to be thin because you want to be hot. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, however in the long term the motivation to be thin has to be more than the motivation to go out and have fun every night. Being hot comes with sacrifice and if you don't think you're willing to make that sacrifice, wait until you're a bit older, a bit less interested in partying everynight, and a bit more oriented toward making the healthy choices you will need to make if you have a sleeve.
I'd say I'd do a shot for you tonight and wish you luck on your decision....but I'll drink some carrot juice for you instead.

Hey Everyone,
I was sleeved on April 20, 2015
It has been 7 weeks and I am down 39 pounds! I am pretty excited about it.
What kind of foods is everyone eating?
Thanks!
Jenn

Full liquids for 2 weeks, purees for 1, soft foods for 2, then slowly work up to regular foods. Best of luck!

Yup. And your choices will effect your success. Really, none of my business.
But don't ask me to justify your bad choices when you are just a few weeks out from surgery when it can actually do physical damage. It's not "cute" that you chose to drink alcohol a couple weeks out from surgery. I'm not going to pat you on the head and say "There, there" when you won't follow your doctors orders because you are tired of Protein shakes and want to eat solid food before you're cleared to. At least have enough self respect to actually allow yourself to heal before you continue to make the terrible choices that caused you to have the surgery in the first place.
After you're all healed up, I could care less about the bad choices you make. I know I'm getting to goal from the choices I'm making.

It was pretty cut and dry, the way the NUT put things. No bread, Pasta, sugar, soda. It definitely amazes me what I've seen others eat, but hey it's their journey not mine. I want to use my new tool as effectively as I can, while I can. Its potency, for lack of better terms, seems to not be very long (long enough to lose), so why jeopardize any possible progress?

I think this is a great question/topic. I'll be interested to read what others post about this. I'm a little over 3 months post op and my surgeon/nutritionist advised (especially for the first year) to stay away from carbs/starches/sugars. They suggested my diet be protein/vegetables/water. If I made breads/subs/sugar, etc (even in small amounts) as part of my daily diet, I (personally) would not loose weight. Even with having VSG.

I admit family gatherings are hard as everyone keeps an eye on you in order to make sure you ate well. What I do nowadays with lots of experience is eat very very slowly, chat with others while eating with long passes and people won't realise how little you ate.

Lots of good advice above. Depending on your surgeon's/NUT's food plan for your liquid phase, the only thing I would add is to drink a Protein shake before you leave home and take one with you to drink at the gathering. If you are allowed soft foods when an event rolls around, plan ahead and take what you can eat with you so you can stay on plan. If most of the folks attending these events don't know you've had WLS, they still don't have to know just because you're drinking your meal. Good luck!!! And......CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I agree with others. Eat before and bring along a spare. Then politely decline. Since you are still on liquids drink a shake before and bring one with you. The rest is mental. Have in your mind that you won't be partaking and then congregate in the non food areas so you are further away from temptation.

Bring your own food that you know you can eat. And brink your own drinks too. Depending on what phase you're in when the parties happen, you'll bring different foods. And don't give in and say "the heck with it". The stronger you stay, the more ingrained the good habits will become, and the more successful you'll be. Drink a Protein shake in the car on the way. Bring a pitcher of Crystal Light that you can use to keep filling up your glass. Once you're on "real" food, have protein-based Snacks with you, like Jerky, nuts, cheese, etc. If you absolutely have to eat at a party, eat the cheeses and meats without the bread. Take it as a challenge to make it through each event without straying from your program. And when you do, claim it as a victory! Good luck!!!

I had an acorn squash that I did not get to make before surgery so today I roasted it, scooped out a little and threw it in my nutribullet with a little sugar free almond milk, 2 tsp of fake butter, 1 tsp of Truvia's brown sugar blend (stevia and molasses 10 calories per tsp.)
mixed it up and its delish! I may sautee some onions and try making a Soup with chicken broth and nutmeg, cinnamon type of deal.

I've seen it i the stores but haven't bought any. I use a HEB brand of lactose free milk called "MooTopia" The Fat Free version has 6 gms of carbs all sugar) and 12 gms of Protein per cup.I've used it all through the mandated weight loss, pre-op and post-op. It tastes just like regular milk but cost significantly less than Life Milk. I'm glad to hear that the Life Milk is good, so that on the days HEB is out of my MooTopia or when we travel, I'll have a good substitute.

Before surgery I fell in love with the chocolate fair life milk. Then my nut said no, to much sugar. Darn. Anyway, there is a fat free white fair life with 13 gr Protein per cup. I am using it to make pudding, hot chocolate, etc.

That is funny, my nut was pushing it on me like crazy. I am not a fan of the taste so I use my pre made premier Protein for my chocolate and strawberry fix.
I did not like the taste of all that sugar.

I drink it in moderation due to he high carbs. Tastes great and a lot more Protein than regular milk!