stacyrg2

I don't mind freezing meats, so I buy the package they way it comes and when I get home, I portion it out and freeze what I won't immediately use. I know at the grocery stores where I live, you can buy a single chicken breast or thigh, or ask them to cut you a 5-6 oz steak (the cooked portion will be less than that, but I can eat about 3.5 oz of beef at a time) There are ways to get what you want, the way you want it. You just have to ask!
As for veggies, you can buy the frozen steam in the bag veggies in the single serving size. I prefer fresh, and I buy the smallest amount possible and just cook what I need.

Honestly, I find eating healthier is much more expensive. I spend more on groceries than before. Don't even get me started on the clothes shopping! No money saved there, that's for sure!

When I started this journey back in March with my six-month pre-op diet, my first goal (even above losing weight) was to re-establish my relationship with food. Specifically, I didn't want food to be the focal point of everything in my life anymore. And that was a tall order and took some time, but it eventually happened. When I say that I replaced food with life, I meant that instead of obsessing over where and when (and what and how often) to eat, we think about what activities we are going to do on an outing. My partner and I leave Monday for a 3.5 week tour of Southeast Asia. Our planning has been much more about excursions (some even very physically active) rather than what kind of food we're going to eat. We get out and walk; we go to the movies; we go see the Christmas light displays. And more importantly, we see people; we don't avoid pictures, and we re-connect with old friends that we have been too embarrassed to face for years.
I have gotten food to the point of being fuel for me and nothing else. Sure, I want what I eat to be good. If not, I wouldn't have worked so hard to get all of my Protein from food so I could dump those heinous shakes once and for all. But every day, I remind myself that food is just food -- not a friend, not a companion, not a coping device, not a support, not a destination, not an event, not the centerpiece of life. I let food and my out-of-control obesity control my life for far too long. That is over.

@@LipstickLady I'm a sleeve to bypass revision because of severe GERD. Does that mean I have a slouch?????

I love how the ones who respond to the "I ate a burrito 2 days post surgery" posts with "we're all human, we all 'cheated,' it'll be ok" are almost always new post ops. For the most part you never get that from the vets, because the vets know what it takes to be successful. Yet, the vets are seen as bullies, and haters and whatever the buzzword of the day is for someone who won't validate your choices. You ate a burrito 2 days post surgery? Good for you! It wasn't a "mistake," it was a choice. For the record, I didn't "cheat" on my pre OR post op diet. I didn't choose to eat things off plan. I was given a food plan that I followed because I wanted to be successful at this. And I have been. 2.5 years post surgery, 133 lbs lost, at goal, but still losing slowly. So, stop with the "everyone did it and survived" responses and mentality. You chose to eat off plan and you didn't get sick or injure yourself? Good for you. But stop with the generalizations that everyone does it. And to all of you who are seeking validation for bad CHOICES (not mistakes), stop complaining that you're being bullied when the successful vets on this site tell you how foolish you're being.

@@LipstickLady I'm a sleeve to bypass revision because of severe GERD. Does that mean I have a slouch?????

I love how the ones who respond to the "I ate a burrito 2 days post surgery" posts with "we're all human, we all 'cheated,' it'll be ok" are almost always new post ops. For the most part you never get that from the vets, because the vets know what it takes to be successful. Yet, the vets are seen as bullies, and haters and whatever the buzzword of the day is for someone who won't validate your choices. You ate a burrito 2 days post surgery? Good for you! It wasn't a "mistake," it was a choice. For the record, I didn't "cheat" on my pre OR post op diet. I didn't choose to eat things off plan. I was given a food plan that I followed because I wanted to be successful at this. And I have been. 2.5 years post surgery, 133 lbs lost, at goal, but still losing slowly. So, stop with the "everyone did it and survived" responses and mentality. You chose to eat off plan and you didn't get sick or injure yourself? Good for you. But stop with the generalizations that everyone does it. And to all of you who are seeking validation for bad CHOICES (not mistakes), stop complaining that you're being bullied when the successful vets on this site tell you how foolish you're being.

@@mi75
The topic of this thread said it all....The continuing post are more evidence of why people don't stay. The negative attention seeking is getting to a creepy level. My hope is If you ignore them they will go away.

Cookies and Cream followed by Peanut Butter

Clearly your posture needs to be enhanced.

@@LipstickLady I'm a sleeve to bypass revision because of severe GERD. Does that mean I have a slouch?????

@@LipstickLady I'm a sleeve to bypass revision because of severe GERD. Does that mean I have a slouch?????

@@LipstickLady I'm a sleeve to bypass revision because of severe GERD. Does that mean I have a slouch?????

@@LipstickLady I'm a sleeve to bypass revision because of severe GERD. Does that mean I have a slouch?????

Most of those complications are temporary (gerd--most people only have it for a month or two and take a medication for it) or fixable (gallstones are from losing weight not the surgery per se and they remove the gallbladder, strictures are fixable or you can live easily with one, one member here does and likes the extra restriction, nutritional deficiencies are often temporary and fixable when not).
What is the complication rate for remaining obese?
I had gerd so your dad would count me in those statistics. Three years out now and running marathons and the healthiest I have ever been in my life!
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Old? It was a few weeks ago! And once again, you threw a jab by calling people mean girls and "Catty", you just don't like it when someone pushes you back.
Weird stuff right there.
What's that saying about dishing it out and taking it?

RIIIIIIIIGHT???

It makes me crazy when people QUOTE who I have blocked because then I have to see their nonsense anyways!! GRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

Wow! What a post!
Let's see I think the original question was about soda......so I'll try to give my response to that. I'm a little over 6.5 months post op and I haven't had any soda....I've taken a couple of sips from time to time and it no longer really appeals to me....and I was a diet coke freak before!.....but down the road if I really want some carbonation I'll have some!
Now y'all play nice! haha

Meh. After almost 3 years on this forum, I'm used to it by now
I so wanted the vets input and knowledge when I first started! I hung on their every word, even when they told me I didnt know what I was talking about. They are the reason I've been successful thus far. It honestly gets me a little misty eyed just to say that.
It may be my tone. I'm not the most warm and fuzzy person, and it rubs people the wrong way sometimes. But I'm straight to the point, and that should at least be appreciated, darn it!

I guess I was just SO thankful when I was new, to get any good answers from vets. I looked at them-and still do- as an invaluable resource! I felt bad for the responder! Of course there was much discussion about the 'pouch stretch'.
I WANTED to chime in that although with a sleeve there is no actual stretch, drinking pop CAN lead to a lot of regain- like it did with me. but, i didn't respond at all.

I just read a thread over on the 'POST surgery' forum about POP. a newbie post related to drinking soda after surgery, a vet answered them and got herself torn sideways from the OP.
I feel bad because this person was QUITE obviously trying to only help, and give adequate information. For example, the OP carried on about their 'pouch' and stretching it.
The vet simply responded that a sleeve is not the same as a RNY pouch and that it really can't be stretched according to anatomical make up. Well, so much for trying to help! When I was a NOOB i was so happy to get good advice from the vets. in fact, that is how I learned the majority of the information that I needed pre-op. Obviously the other newbies couldn't give me advice based on experience, but the vets then were SO helpful (that includes many people on this forum).
So building off the other thread related to vets leaving, I look at this and totally understand why some vets have left....

Is this the thread where someone answers a question, and the newbie gets all annoyed because they didn't like the answer/tone?
I thought so.

@@AvaFern
Your diet wouldn't work for me, because at my age, my emphasis is more on health and nutrition. I would feel like sh*t if I ate like that. And I'm so over feeling like sh*t all the time.
But you do you.

I swear, @Gustavio....you have a serious habit of poking at certain vets on this board and if you run them off before I get through this surgery and get to my 5 year mark, I'm gonna be very, very irritated. I NEED them. You don't seem to realize that you may need them, too.

One more thought.
I think it's important to realize that everyone who is a "vet" and is posting on this board is very likely doing so because they want everyone on this board to be successful. I have yet to meet anyone here who has even a shred of malicious intent. Most of the vets are far enough out that they aren't really here for their own support. They're here because they made friends that are important to them, and/or they are trying to "pay it forward" for the help and support they got when they were newbies.
It's also good to remember that they've answered the same questions, or posted the same content, hundreds of times. So sometimes their answers may seem short or impatient, but it's really just that they've typed it so darned many times. They're trying to share their experience and knowledge, period. They're not here to lord it over anyone, because trust me there's easier ways than spending time on this board to get a superiority fix.
As someone who's only a little ways down this path, I deeply appreciate everything the vets share about their experience and how they're making this work. I believe it would be very short sighted and more than a little idiotic for me to blow off what they have to say. I give serious consideration to every post that a vet makes about successful WLS. Not all of it applies to me, but I consider it carefully.
Assume good intentions, is all I'm saying. Because that is seriously all I've ever seen here.