Cape Crooner

I have migrated to different meat and vegetable combinations. I think a hot meal is emotionally more filling, so I've created a bunch of dishes that are dietetically more like hot salads without lettuce.

Kung Poa - I found this Panda Express Kung Poa sauce that's only about 25 calories per tablespoon. If you cut it with soy sauce and rice wine vinegar, you can create a very tasty Chinese dish. I stir fry celery, carrots, and peppers. Add some peanuts and beef, chicken, or shrimp and I have a great 250 calorie, Protein rich dinner.

Broccoli "Pasta" - Create Classic protein oriented Pasta dishes using broccoli instead of pasta. Chicken with garlic, capers, tomatoes in evoo tossed with a little Parmesan. Again, a great protein rich 250 hot dinner.

Chicken Sausage, Pepper, and Onions - Grill them like a street sub, but leave out the roll. Melt a little provolone on top and voila.

I still eat salads, but only as a garnish with my hot meal...

I haven't been here in five years, but I thought I should share what I've learned on this journey...
1. My sleeve was a very minor surgery. Less than 30 minutes passed between being knocked out and the recovery room. Quite frankly, I think this option should be more widely available for marginally obese people. Unlike the other bariatric surgeries - which change your plumbing, this is simply the removal of the stretchy part of the stomach.
2. Think long and hard about who you tell. I told a handful of family members and I think that was a mistake. I suggest you either tell everyone, or just the absolute minimum (spouse or care giver). Within the first year I was sure everyone knew and I felt I was being dishonest.
3. The honeymoon is real. For 18 months it's virtually impossible to gain weight, but after that, you most certainly can. My smaller stomach can hold 8-10 ounces of food and get refilled after about an hour. If you fill it with sugar or fat and keep refilling it, you can certainly get back all your weight. I initially lost about 90 pounds and that was too much. People kept asking me if I had cancer. I've since put 25 pounds back on and while I wish it was 15, it's fine. My weight is what it was when I was an athlete in college. I have used my reduced weight and energy to excercise and I think that has helped. I generally do 100,000 steps a week. Again, eating/drinking the wrong stuff and not exercising would surely lead to more weight gain.
4. I no longer count calories, but I do have a few tricks to keep things in check. I have designed a menu with a lot of 200-500 calorie meals and I have 3-4 of these every day. I burn enough EXTRA calories a day exercising to offset the calories I drink (I only drink 100 calorie cocktails - nothing sugary).
5. There's a lot of good and bad information on alcohol on this site. I waited 6 weeks (the European guideline) and the eased in with weak cocktails and wine. I don't think it hits me harder, but since I'm likely to have less food in my stomach, the effect is to be hit harder. I can see no reason to wait 6 months or a year other than minimizing caloric intake. The Sleeve is a timeout from your bad lifestyle, but it's not a permanent timeout. At some point you'll create a new lifestyle that will include birthday cakes, pizza, French fries and booze. You need to manage around all of these risky consumables. You should think about it ll as you enter your journey, never stop reevaluating, and constantly adjust.
I hope this helps someone...

I haven't been here in five years, but I thought I should share what I've learned on this journey...
1. My sleeve was a very minor surgery. Less than 30 minutes passed between being knocked out and the recovery room. Quite frankly, I think this option should be more widely available for marginally obese people. Unlike the other bariatric surgeries - which change your plumbing, this is simply the removal of the stretchy part of the stomach.
2. Think long and hard about who you tell. I told a handful of family members and I think that was a mistake. I suggest you either tell everyone, or just the absolute minimum (spouse or care giver). Within the first year I was sure everyone knew and I felt I was being dishonest.
3. The honeymoon is real. For 18 months it's virtually impossible to gain weight, but after that, you most certainly can. My smaller stomach can hold 8-10 ounces of food and get refilled after about an hour. If you fill it with sugar or fat and keep refilling it, you can certainly get back all your weight. I initially lost about 90 pounds and that was too much. People kept asking me if I had cancer. I've since put 25 pounds back on and while I wish it was 15, it's fine. My weight is what it was when I was an athlete in college. I have used my reduced weight and energy to excercise and I think that has helped. I generally do 100,000 steps a week. Again, eating/drinking the wrong stuff and not exercising would surely lead to more weight gain.
4. I no longer count calories, but I do have a few tricks to keep things in check. I have designed a menu with a lot of 200-500 calorie meals and I have 3-4 of these every day. I burn enough EXTRA calories a day exercising to offset the calories I drink (I only drink 100 calorie cocktails - nothing sugary).
5. There's a lot of good and bad information on alcohol on this site. I waited 6 weeks (the European guideline) and the eased in with weak cocktails and wine. I don't think it hits me harder, but since I'm likely to have less food in my stomach, the effect is to be hit harder. I can see no reason to wait 6 months or a year other than minimizing caloric intake. The Sleeve is a timeout from your bad lifestyle, but it's not a permanent timeout. At some point you'll create a new lifestyle that will include birthday cakes, pizza, French fries and booze. You need to manage around all of these risky consumables. You should think about it ll as you enter your journey, never stop reevaluating, and constantly adjust.
I hope this helps someone...

I haven't been here in five years, but I thought I should share what I've learned on this journey...
1. My sleeve was a very minor surgery. Less than 30 minutes passed between being knocked out and the recovery room. Quite frankly, I think this option should be more widely available for marginally obese people. Unlike the other bariatric surgeries - which change your plumbing, this is simply the removal of the stretchy part of the stomach.
2. Think long and hard about who you tell. I told a handful of family members and I think that was a mistake. I suggest you either tell everyone, or just the absolute minimum (spouse or care giver). Within the first year I was sure everyone knew and I felt I was being dishonest.
3. The honeymoon is real. For 18 months it's virtually impossible to gain weight, but after that, you most certainly can. My smaller stomach can hold 8-10 ounces of food and get refilled after about an hour. If you fill it with sugar or fat and keep refilling it, you can certainly get back all your weight. I initially lost about 90 pounds and that was too much. People kept asking me if I had cancer. I've since put 25 pounds back on and while I wish it was 15, it's fine. My weight is what it was when I was an athlete in college. I have used my reduced weight and energy to excercise and I think that has helped. I generally do 100,000 steps a week. Again, eating/drinking the wrong stuff and not exercising would surely lead to more weight gain.
4. I no longer count calories, but I do have a few tricks to keep things in check. I have designed a menu with a lot of 200-500 calorie meals and I have 3-4 of these every day. I burn enough EXTRA calories a day exercising to offset the calories I drink (I only drink 100 calorie cocktails - nothing sugary).
5. There's a lot of good and bad information on alcohol on this site. I waited 6 weeks (the European guideline) and the eased in with weak cocktails and wine. I don't think it hits me harder, but since I'm likely to have less food in my stomach, the effect is to be hit harder. I can see no reason to wait 6 months or a year other than minimizing caloric intake. The Sleeve is a timeout from your bad lifestyle, but it's not a permanent timeout. At some point you'll create a new lifestyle that will include birthday cakes, pizza, French fries and booze. You need to manage around all of these risky consumables. You should think about it ll as you enter your journey, never stop reevaluating, and constantly adjust.
I hope this helps someone...

I haven't been here in five years, but I thought I should share what I've learned on this journey...
1. My sleeve was a very minor surgery. Less than 30 minutes passed between being knocked out and the recovery room. Quite frankly, I think this option should be more widely available for marginally obese people. Unlike the other bariatric surgeries - which change your plumbing, this is simply the removal of the stretchy part of the stomach.
2. Think long and hard about who you tell. I told a handful of family members and I think that was a mistake. I suggest you either tell everyone, or just the absolute minimum (spouse or care giver). Within the first year I was sure everyone knew and I felt I was being dishonest.
3. The honeymoon is real. For 18 months it's virtually impossible to gain weight, but after that, you most certainly can. My smaller stomach can hold 8-10 ounces of food and get refilled after about an hour. If you fill it with sugar or fat and keep refilling it, you can certainly get back all your weight. I initially lost about 90 pounds and that was too much. People kept asking me if I had cancer. I've since put 25 pounds back on and while I wish it was 15, it's fine. My weight is what it was when I was an athlete in college. I have used my reduced weight and energy to excercise and I think that has helped. I generally do 100,000 steps a week. Again, eating/drinking the wrong stuff and not exercising would surely lead to more weight gain.
4. I no longer count calories, but I do have a few tricks to keep things in check. I have designed a menu with a lot of 200-500 calorie meals and I have 3-4 of these every day. I burn enough EXTRA calories a day exercising to offset the calories I drink (I only drink 100 calorie cocktails - nothing sugary).
5. There's a lot of good and bad information on alcohol on this site. I waited 6 weeks (the European guideline) and the eased in with weak cocktails and wine. I don't think it hits me harder, but since I'm likely to have less food in my stomach, the effect is to be hit harder. I can see no reason to wait 6 months or a year other than minimizing caloric intake. The Sleeve is a timeout from your bad lifestyle, but it's not a permanent timeout. At some point you'll create a new lifestyle that will include birthday cakes, pizza, French fries and booze. You need to manage around all of these risky consumables. You should think about it ll as you enter your journey, never stop reevaluating, and constantly adjust.
I hope this helps someone...

I haven't been here in five years, but I thought I should share what I've learned on this journey...
1. My sleeve was a very minor surgery. Less than 30 minutes passed between being knocked out and the recovery room. Quite frankly, I think this option should be more widely available for marginally obese people. Unlike the other bariatric surgeries - which change your plumbing, this is simply the removal of the stretchy part of the stomach.
2. Think long and hard about who you tell. I told a handful of family members and I think that was a mistake. I suggest you either tell everyone, or just the absolute minimum (spouse or care giver). Within the first year I was sure everyone knew and I felt I was being dishonest.
3. The honeymoon is real. For 18 months it's virtually impossible to gain weight, but after that, you most certainly can. My smaller stomach can hold 8-10 ounces of food and get refilled after about an hour. If you fill it with sugar or fat and keep refilling it, you can certainly get back all your weight. I initially lost about 90 pounds and that was too much. People kept asking me if I had cancer. I've since put 25 pounds back on and while I wish it was 15, it's fine. My weight is what it was when I was an athlete in college. I have used my reduced weight and energy to excercise and I think that has helped. I generally do 100,000 steps a week. Again, eating/drinking the wrong stuff and not exercising would surely lead to more weight gain.
4. I no longer count calories, but I do have a few tricks to keep things in check. I have designed a menu with a lot of 200-500 calorie meals and I have 3-4 of these every day. I burn enough EXTRA calories a day exercising to offset the calories I drink (I only drink 100 calorie cocktails - nothing sugary).
5. There's a lot of good and bad information on alcohol on this site. I waited 6 weeks (the European guideline) and the eased in with weak cocktails and wine. I don't think it hits me harder, but since I'm likely to have less food in my stomach, the effect is to be hit harder. I can see no reason to wait 6 months or a year other than minimizing caloric intake. The Sleeve is a timeout from your bad lifestyle, but it's not a permanent timeout. At some point you'll create a new lifestyle that will include birthday cakes, pizza, French fries and booze. You need to manage around all of these risky consumables. You should think about it ll as you enter your journey, never stop reevaluating, and constantly adjust.
I hope this helps someone...

I haven't been here in five years, but I thought I should share what I've learned on this journey...
1. My sleeve was a very minor surgery. Less than 30 minutes passed between being knocked out and the recovery room. Quite frankly, I think this option should be more widely available for marginally obese people. Unlike the other bariatric surgeries - which change your plumbing, this is simply the removal of the stretchy part of the stomach.
2. Think long and hard about who you tell. I told a handful of family members and I think that was a mistake. I suggest you either tell everyone, or just the absolute minimum (spouse or care giver). Within the first year I was sure everyone knew and I felt I was being dishonest.
3. The honeymoon is real. For 18 months it's virtually impossible to gain weight, but after that, you most certainly can. My smaller stomach can hold 8-10 ounces of food and get refilled after about an hour. If you fill it with sugar or fat and keep refilling it, you can certainly get back all your weight. I initially lost about 90 pounds and that was too much. People kept asking me if I had cancer. I've since put 25 pounds back on and while I wish it was 15, it's fine. My weight is what it was when I was an athlete in college. I have used my reduced weight and energy to excercise and I think that has helped. I generally do 100,000 steps a week. Again, eating/drinking the wrong stuff and not exercising would surely lead to more weight gain.
4. I no longer count calories, but I do have a few tricks to keep things in check. I have designed a menu with a lot of 200-500 calorie meals and I have 3-4 of these every day. I burn enough EXTRA calories a day exercising to offset the calories I drink (I only drink 100 calorie cocktails - nothing sugary).
5. There's a lot of good and bad information on alcohol on this site. I waited 6 weeks (the European guideline) and the eased in with weak cocktails and wine. I don't think it hits me harder, but since I'm likely to have less food in my stomach, the effect is to be hit harder. I can see no reason to wait 6 months or a year other than minimizing caloric intake. The Sleeve is a timeout from your bad lifestyle, but it's not a permanent timeout. At some point you'll create a new lifestyle that will include birthday cakes, pizza, French fries and booze. You need to manage around all of these risky consumables. You should think about it ll as you enter your journey, never stop reevaluating, and constantly adjust.
I hope this helps someone...

I haven't been here in five years, but I thought I should share what I've learned on this journey...
1. My sleeve was a very minor surgery. Less than 30 minutes passed between being knocked out and the recovery room. Quite frankly, I think this option should be more widely available for marginally obese people. Unlike the other bariatric surgeries - which change your plumbing, this is simply the removal of the stretchy part of the stomach.
2. Think long and hard about who you tell. I told a handful of family members and I think that was a mistake. I suggest you either tell everyone, or just the absolute minimum (spouse or care giver). Within the first year I was sure everyone knew and I felt I was being dishonest.
3. The honeymoon is real. For 18 months it's virtually impossible to gain weight, but after that, you most certainly can. My smaller stomach can hold 8-10 ounces of food and get refilled after about an hour. If you fill it with sugar or fat and keep refilling it, you can certainly get back all your weight. I initially lost about 90 pounds and that was too much. People kept asking me if I had cancer. I've since put 25 pounds back on and while I wish it was 15, it's fine. My weight is what it was when I was an athlete in college. I have used my reduced weight and energy to excercise and I think that has helped. I generally do 100,000 steps a week. Again, eating/drinking the wrong stuff and not exercising would surely lead to more weight gain.
4. I no longer count calories, but I do have a few tricks to keep things in check. I have designed a menu with a lot of 200-500 calorie meals and I have 3-4 of these every day. I burn enough EXTRA calories a day exercising to offset the calories I drink (I only drink 100 calorie cocktails - nothing sugary).
5. There's a lot of good and bad information on alcohol on this site. I waited 6 weeks (the European guideline) and the eased in with weak cocktails and wine. I don't think it hits me harder, but since I'm likely to have less food in my stomach, the effect is to be hit harder. I can see no reason to wait 6 months or a year other than minimizing caloric intake. The Sleeve is a timeout from your bad lifestyle, but it's not a permanent timeout. At some point you'll create a new lifestyle that will include birthday cakes, pizza, French fries and booze. You need to manage around all of these risky consumables. You should think about it ll as you enter your journey, never stop reevaluating, and constantly adjust.
I hope this helps someone...

I haven't been here in five years, but I thought I should share what I've learned on this journey...
1. My sleeve was a very minor surgery. Less than 30 minutes passed between being knocked out and the recovery room. Quite frankly, I think this option should be more widely available for marginally obese people. Unlike the other bariatric surgeries - which change your plumbing, this is simply the removal of the stretchy part of the stomach.
2. Think long and hard about who you tell. I told a handful of family members and I think that was a mistake. I suggest you either tell everyone, or just the absolute minimum (spouse or care giver). Within the first year I was sure everyone knew and I felt I was being dishonest.
3. The honeymoon is real. For 18 months it's virtually impossible to gain weight, but after that, you most certainly can. My smaller stomach can hold 8-10 ounces of food and get refilled after about an hour. If you fill it with sugar or fat and keep refilling it, you can certainly get back all your weight. I initially lost about 90 pounds and that was too much. People kept asking me if I had cancer. I've since put 25 pounds back on and while I wish it was 15, it's fine. My weight is what it was when I was an athlete in college. I have used my reduced weight and energy to excercise and I think that has helped. I generally do 100,000 steps a week. Again, eating/drinking the wrong stuff and not exercising would surely lead to more weight gain.
4. I no longer count calories, but I do have a few tricks to keep things in check. I have designed a menu with a lot of 200-500 calorie meals and I have 3-4 of these every day. I burn enough EXTRA calories a day exercising to offset the calories I drink (I only drink 100 calorie cocktails - nothing sugary).
5. There's a lot of good and bad information on alcohol on this site. I waited 6 weeks (the European guideline) and the eased in with weak cocktails and wine. I don't think it hits me harder, but since I'm likely to have less food in my stomach, the effect is to be hit harder. I can see no reason to wait 6 months or a year other than minimizing caloric intake. The Sleeve is a timeout from your bad lifestyle, but it's not a permanent timeout. At some point you'll create a new lifestyle that will include birthday cakes, pizza, French fries and booze. You need to manage around all of these risky consumables. You should think about it ll as you enter your journey, never stop reevaluating, and constantly adjust.
I hope this helps someone...

Victoria - Do you mean "2.5 weeks pre opt" or post opt.
NOTHING upsets my stomach. I'm adding green Tabasco to my eggs and refried Beans. I'm adding spicy low carb BBQ Sauce to my mashed sweet potatoes. That said, 4 ounces is my limit for anything of substance (it's probably 3 ounces, but I can't bring myself to prepping such a small portion.)
Of course this may change with solid foods!

I told 6 people a year ago and wish I'd only told my wife (if I was single, no one). The problem isn't "dumb things people say", it's the fact that by telling "just a few close friends and family", you never really know if your secret is safe.
As @@Dub says, once you drop a ton of weight people will start asking and before you know it, you're being less than honest with very close friends.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying keeping a health issue a secret is dishonest, but imagine how you'd feel if a long term friend discovered it from someone else?
Worse, most likely, you'd never find out they knew, but their opinion of your friendship could surely suffer!
Keep it a secret or tell everyone!

I told 6 people a year ago and wish I'd only told my wife (if I was single, no one). The problem isn't "dumb things people say", it's the fact that by telling "just a few close friends and family", you never really know if your secret is safe.
As @@Dub says, once you drop a ton of weight people will start asking and before you know it, you're being less than honest with very close friends.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying keeping a health issue a secret is dishonest, but imagine how you'd feel if a long term friend discovered it from someone else?
Worse, most likely, you'd never find out they knew, but their opinion of your friendship could surely suffer!
Keep it a secret or tell everyone!

I have endured many slings and arrows on this forum, so you can check out my posts if you'd like.
Here's what I know:
1. The number one issue early on is preventing ulcers. The sleeve is fairly well healed after 6 weeks and that seems to be the earliest point any doctor suggests a return to alcohol consumption.
2. Transfer addition is the number 2 issue. I think it's very serious for people who were food addicts, not so much for people who became obese for other reasons. My test for addiction syndrome is to ask yourself the question:
" ...after I start [eating/smoking/drinking] the thing I'm addicted too, do I almost mindlessly consume more?"
If this is your mindset, you could be at risk for alcohol transfer addiction.
3. Alcohol has calories that can easily cause obesity along with the slider foods we tend to go to once we get drunk. My advice is to avoid high calorie (sugary) drinks, plan what you're gonna eat after you've had a few, and log it all so you can figure out why your Weightloss failed - if it happens down the road.
Me, I started back slowly after week 7. I followed my guidelines above and since then, I've gone from 225 to 182 (8 lbs below goal).
What you drink and eat matters greatly. You can easily consume thousand of calories in a few hours drinking sweet cocktails and washing down chips!
Like everything, there is no free lunch...

Second Crystal Lite. Most are too sweet, but they have one that as Watermelon, strawberry, and Orange that is quite good!

I have migrated to different meat and vegetable combinations. I think a hot meal is emotionally more filling, so I've created a bunch of dishes that are dietetically more like hot salads without lettuce.

Kung Poa - I found this Panda Express Kung Poa sauce that's only about 25 calories per tablespoon. If you cut it with soy sauce and rice wine vinegar, you can create a very tasty Chinese dish. I stir fry celery, carrots, and peppers. Add some peanuts and beef, chicken, or shrimp and I have a great 250 calorie, Protein rich dinner.

Broccoli "Pasta" - Create Classic protein oriented Pasta dishes using broccoli instead of pasta. Chicken with garlic, capers, tomatoes in evoo tossed with a little Parmesan. Again, a great protein rich 250 hot dinner.

Chicken Sausage, Pepper, and Onions - Grill them like a street sub, but leave out the roll. Melt a little provolone on top and voila.

I still eat salads, but only as a garnish with my hot meal...

I was sleeved a year and a half ago. There is nothing I can't eat that I ate before. Oh yeah, I cannot eat more than 8 ounces of anything!
You'll never be deprived of a "taste", so there's no reason for a food funeral.
Now, if you're wanting a pig out overeatingathon - what good will that do?

Raising my hand and adding my data to the database!
I have "put alcohol back into my diet after surgery."
And I have not (yet) gained weight back.
Most days I have a single drink. (Am sipping my evening's single-malt scotch 1.5 ounces right now.) I've been doing this most days since 6 months post-op. I've lost 100 pounds and been at or below goal for 13 months now.

How long ago were you sleeved?

I tried it after about 9 months. I can't drink much, but other than that, it's just another drink with artificial sweetener.

If you think it's bad - don't drink it!

Interesting, I have researched this extensively and it's simply no true. The sleeve procedure removed the stretchy part of your stomach.

There is absolutely no medical research that suggests a post vsg stomach can be stretched by a few bubbles. In fact, if you overeat (which is how our original stomach got stretched in the first place), it still won't stretch, you'll just throw up!

Interesting, I have researched this extensively and it's simply no true. The sleeve procedure removed the stretchy part of your stomach.

There is absolutely no medical research that suggests a post vsg stomach can be stretched by a few bubbles. In fact, if you overeat (which is how our original stomach got stretched in the first place), it still won't stretch, you'll just throw up!

Not true

I agree. I big part of this process is "forgetting" all our old bad habits and building new ones as we emerge from a successful weight loss. Time is the only way to do this.

Truth be told, the post op through goal attainment point diet is much easier than maintenance.

The more time that passes between your old eating habits and your new eating habits,?the better!

I don't buy that processed and fast foods are poison. No evidence (other than cheap movies) suggests that to be true.

My mother and mother-in-law are both well into their 90's and both drink diet soda daily.

That said, we are what we eat. I try to make most of my meals out of Whole Foods. I don't waste money on so-called organic foods.

I do enjoy 1-2 In N Out burgers a year and 12 ounces of diet soda a week.

We do not know that Type 2 diabetes is generally linked to obesity - not processed food unless that's all you eat.

No own knows what causes cancer, but most of the women I knew who had breast cancer, were on birth control; lung cancer and smoking, liver cancer and alcoholism.

Remember that the worst poisons on earth occur naturally; plan your diet, count your calories, and major in Whole Foods.

You'll be fine!

Interesting, I have researched this extensively and it's simply no true. The sleeve procedure removed the stretchy part of your stomach.

There is absolutely no medical research that suggests a post vsg stomach can be stretched by a few bubbles. In fact, if you overeat (which is how our original stomach got stretched in the first place), it still won't stretch, you'll just throw up!

It's not forever. I'm 19 months out and I do have an occasional carbonated drink. I seldom drink 12 ounces and only drink once or twice a week. You'll never drink 6/day again. Also, there is no damage caused to a sleeve after you move to regular foods. I will say I couldn't do more than a sip until I was 6-8 months post op.