Gwenmand

Yeah, girl. I've got a grill that travels somewhere out in the garage. I may show up wearing a bedsheets 'cause I truly have divested myself of most of my clothes.
I gotta be back by 6:45 am Tuesday, though. You see, I have this rather important surgical appointment to keep.

I've yet to decide on a Protein drink. My dietician recommends unjury, but I never heard of it. And what kind? Individual packets, powder, etc?
I really like Unjury, particularly the chocolate splendor and chicken Soup flavors. You can get a starter kit from them that includes individual packets of all their flavors plus a food thermometer, which you will need if you are going to mix Protein Powder with hot liquid (e.g. the chicken Soup flavor). I would recommend getting a starter kit plus some extra individual samples of different flavors that look good to you. Once you find something you like after surgery, then you could order a larger tub.
Nashua Nutrition also sells individual Protein samples:
http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/protein-powders/protein-powder-samples-1-serving.html
I think all their brands are pretty good -- my particular favorites are Syntrax nectar Sweets, Syntrax Matrix, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard, and Chike. Again, buy samples and don't commit to buying a larger amount until you try it after surgery and like it -- or can at least get it down without being too grossed out.
Do supermarkets sell sugar free popsicles?
They do, they also sell sugar free fudgesicles, which I really enjoyed after surgery.
What else can I do with it for my pre-op and post-op?
Make your Protein shakes? I would also start checking out different kinds of liquid you might use to mix your Protein Shakes. Look for Fair Life milk, maybe try something like unsweetened vanilla almond milk or unsweetened cashew milk.
You might also buy some things like G2, Vitamin Water Zero, Powerade Zero, light fruit juice (if approved on your plan -- light cranberry juice was great for me because it isn't as sweet), low sodium V8, different kinds of tea and broth. Good luck!

Happy Birthday!
You just had MAJOR SURGERY 5 days ago. Patience, Grasshopper. It takes at least 6 weeks to recover. That's why they call it "recovery". Each day, each week that goes by you will feel better and better.
Months down the road, this will all be a distant memory. I promise.

I am four months out and I have a glass of red wine almost every night. My tolerance has not changed, nor have I suffered any ill effects from the alcohol. I do make sure to include the glass in my daily calorie tally.
I have a few other friends who have had VSG, and they too enjoy a regular glass of wine.

So where are you on your journey? Are you doing a pre-op diet, then? How long until your surgery? One of the best ways to get trough this phase is to plan. Plan for what your long-term goals are, short term... Plan for activities you want to do once the surgery is done.
Start figuring out what styles of clothes you'll be wanting to try, go through your closet and figure out what shoes will go with what. Sort through the clothes you have and decide which will work for your "after-surgery" shrinking phase. Loose and flowy work well while dropping sizes. Go to your local goodwill and other second-hand shops for interim clothing. You can case these places out now, so you know who has what, and get an idea of prices.
There are so many things to plan for, so get busy and KEEP busy, it will get you through the rougher times. Start a new hobby that will keep your hands AND mind busy, keeps your mind off food. Munch on LOTS of sugar-free popsicles. LOTS. The thing is to plan for the future...ALWAYS look forward. You are not alone on this journey. Participate in the forums on this site, someone is bound to answer or want to chat. ALWAYS look forward!!!!!!! Good luck to you, sweetie, and keep your chin up!!!!!

I used to love my Coke Zero vanilla. Now I drink crystal light cherry pomegranate and I love that too. But I will miss my Coke Zero. I purchased Protein Drinks from costco, Premiere Protein. They have a discount when you purchase online. Not sure if discount is available in store but you can only purchase two at a time so you have to make a few purchases. chocolate is my fav, there is vanilla and strawberries and cream. 30g of protein. Ive also tried muscle milk light. But premiere is my fav. Gl!!!!!

I had about the same problem you had hate to cook cook habit and I work early morning so I'm generally asleep by normal dinner Time but I've learned to love my crock pot just set it and forget it

Thank, very helpful. I do have a month to go, so this is a good time to start practicing some new ways. I will definitely pursue the "teeth" thing right away too, though it's always been such a big production and I'm not sure there's a whole lot I can do to change the situation completely. The good news is that I do have teeth to chew with And the Diet Coke thing - I know I've been hedging - but I got you. I think the tupperware idea is a really good one and that will work for me. I'll keep you posted on progress (and look forward to hearing about yours).

1. I don't cook much.
Neither do I. I get a lot of pre-cooked meats from Trader Joe's and frozen veggies. I also used things like cans/pouches of tuna and salmon, canned sardines and mackerel, bags of peeled and hardboiled eggs, cartons of yogurt, string cheese, etc. There is no rule that says you have to become a gourmet cook! I can't be bothered.
2. I work at night and the options for ordering in are limited. I realize it will be better to bring my food most of the time anyway, but as I said - I don't cook much, so this will be new.
Get some tupperware type containers. Add in a few ounces of meat (pre-grilled chicken breast, packet of flavored tuna, etc.), an ounce or two of thawed frozen veggies, and a tablespoon of salad dressing. shake. Or bring in yogurt or a hardboiled egg (you can buy bags of hardboiled eggs at Trader Joe's and other places). If you don't want to turn your life into slaving over a stove, don't!
3. I've never been one for chewing my food thoroughly. I tend to swallow my food in large quantities and one reason that accompanies that, though certainly not an excuse, is that my teeth aren't great.
If there is any way you can, start working on getting your teeth fixed. Just as a general rule, this will be great for your overall health. If you can't do that, then at least practice taking in smaller quantities. Your teeth should not be too much of an impediment there.
One additional reason you may want to look into getting your teeth taken care of -- many surgeons and anesthesiologists will not do any elective surgery on someone with a tooth infection or a loose tooth. So if those are issues for you, you may *need* to get them taken care of before your surgery, and preferably as much before the surgery as possible.
4. I have an over 2 liter a day of Diet Coke habit. I actually think I can kick this one
This isn't a "think I can kick this one" item -- this is a "I will kick this one." It isn't optional . . . start practicing good mental habits now as well as good physical habits. Don't debate with yourself whether you can make the changes necessary. Tell yourself it isn't up for discussion and come up with a plan as to how it will happen.
5. I love food!!!! - I feel like I'm giving up my best friend, but it does feel similar to other addictions and I do want to be healthy. I can see myself in a new lifestyle regarding food - though, for me, it will mean changing everything.
I think that's true for everyone here! We can all relate. We all love food and had to change how we expressed and indulged in that love. So make the best use possible of your medical team as well as resources like this forum and hopefully we can all learn and change together. Good luck!

Everything changed for me when I started the preop liquid diet. I think it is actually very beneficial to go that route before surgery since that is what life will be like for several week post op. Your new stomach dictates what you consume. If you don't slow things down and comply you will experience pain. The human body is more intelligent than the brain where food is concerned. Your life and the way you handled food will be part of your past after surgery. You will be fine just listen to your dr. and your body. Gl

Thank you AvaFern for putting it all in perspective. I have a surgery date but still grappling with that I'll have to completely transform my habits (including giving up my over 2 liter a day Diet Coke habit). I am weening myself off it now, but I do see this as a long road, and as I'm losing the weight, I'd like to develop long-range eating habits, which include occasionally enjoying some foods that I like (though I've heard tastes do change after the surgery). In any case, I've been really fearful of "life after surgery," and your post is helpful.

In limited quantities, yes, and on special occassions.
bread tends to make me sick, so I don't eat much of it. You can eat it if you choose to. Minimizing consumption of bread, Pasta, etc, is good for a diet, and with a sleeve it will potentially be a slider that fills you up on carbs instead of Protein. You can eat it though, just don't eat a lot of it.
I refused to give up diet coke and I drank it the entire time. I've maintained at goal weight. Diet Coke is bad for you. You should not drink it. Are you able to drink it after the first 2 months of recovery following the sleeve? Yes. Is it any worse for you with a sleeve than without it? No.
I love Cookies. I eat them maybe once every few months, I enjoy them, and then I'm good for awhile. You can eat Cookies all you want- you just won't lose weight quickly and won't maintain if you're still eating junk. Enjoy them once in a while, and then skip them.
The nice thing about the sleeve is that after recovery there is literally nothing you are banned from eating. If you make bad food decisions, you pay for them just like you did before the sleeve. Enjoy a sandwich occassionally, eat a few cookies if you want to, probably don't drink diet coke as much as I do....use your discretion and you will be fine.