male only Trying to decide

[big_kahuna 0]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to decide if I want to get the surgery or not. I guess my biggest concern is life after the surgery, specifically the diet. Maybe it just a mind-set that I have to get over, so maybe you can help me. Will you ever be able eat a "normal" meal? Everything I've read here is "I take 2 bites of this or 2 bites of that and I'm full". It makes it sound like if you make a pot of spaghetti you will be eating on it for a month or two! I enjoy food (obviously too much or I wouldn't be thinking of the surgery) and I guess I'm just unsure of what to do and concerned that if I do the surgery I'll regret it later on.

Any advice?

[newmom 0]

I had surgery in late November. I can eat:

-almost an entire lean cuisine

-an entire chicken breast over an hour

-a whole luna bar/protein bar on my way to work (15-20 minutes)

-1 scrambled egg

OR

-sometimes just a bite here or there

My point being that I can eat a lot (relatively speaking) or just a bite or two depending on my tummy that day. Every month, however, I have seen improvement upon what I can eat...I assume due to swelling going down.

Last night we had friends over and they brought pita chips and dip and I was able to graze on that while we played Wii. Then my husband made mini pizzas and I had two of those over the course of 45 minutes.

I really am able to eat whatever I want just really small quantities, compared to what I ate before. However, I feel like the amount I eat now is what "normal" people eat! And I actually feel more "free" b/c I am not restricting myself to certain foods only.

I will admit to you that sometimes (really just sometimes) I miss miss miss being able to just PIG out. But I have realized that doing that was just my unhealthy way of dealing with stress, and it never really made me feel much better. In fact, after wards, I always felt worse.

[Tiffykins 672]

During the healing process, post-op diet, you will not eat normal portions or have normal food choices. But, it's temporary. So, what you're reading is people who just recently had surgery and they can't eat decent portions. I've posted a couple of threads called "Food for thought" if you'd like to search for them. It'll show exactly what I can eat in one meal. I don't feel like deprived or that I'm missing out on anything. I eat out 2-3 times a week with a bunch of girlfriends. They all know I've had surgery, but never am I restricted in what I can order. I bring leftovers home and have those for later or the next day for lunch. Plus, the sleeve makes it so much easier because the ravenous hunger is gone. So, food simply becomes energy instead of a comforter, void-filler, or something to occupy my bored mind.

I literally eat anything and everything I want just in moderation. I consume steak, ribs, spaghetti, thai food, fajitas, all veggies, salads, chips and salsa, potato and corn chips, pretzels(hard and soft), Snicker's miniatures, ice cream, guacamole etc etc. There really isn't anything I've found that I can't eat. I eat small portions, but I am completely satisfied.

If you honestly think you'll have issues post-op, check into some counseling with someone who has training and experience with bariatric patients.

Believe me when I tell you that I love food. I lived for my next meal. I woke up thinking about what I was going to have for lunch, and before lunch was over I had dinner planned out.

I've only had one case of "buyer's remorse" and that was at Thanksgiving when I had to witness other people shoveling food into their bodies and I couldn't do it. I got upset, went outside, kicked rocks and was talking to myself about how stupid I was to have this done. Once I cooled off, went inside and saw everyone in their food comas, and stretchy pants, I felt much better about my satiety with the small portions of everything I ate that day. I went back a couple of hours later and had more of the Thanksgiving day spread.

I can honestly tell you after losing 130 pounds, I have absolutely zero regrets. The quality of life I live is superb compared to what it used to be lugging around all that weight.

[longhorn 11]

hey big kahuna,

I think you are right to be thinking about this issue and how you would handle it. Not being able to pig out ever again. Never really enjoying (in terms of quantity) the food you love is a post surgery fact. So thinking it through and being mentally prepared is a reasonable thing to do.

I had this concern pre surgery as well. For the most part I was prepared but it's still a different thing when you actually go through it. I admit to being dejected after several meals during my first 6 weeks simply because they were over almost before they started.

We all love food to a point where it has become a problem...hence the need for surgery. Any dejection I've experienced about small amounts of food has so far been easily overcome by the many positives of the weight loss. In the end it's not a contest between the two. Give me the weight loss and someone else can keep the pig out sessions.

Already I see a big difference between what I could eat 4 weeks ago and what I can eat now. It's still small but is a few more bites. I can eat a half of tilapia filet. Two fishsticks. I even ate a piece of thin crust pizza last night (Valentines dinner for the wife :crying:) One piece of pizza...who woulda ever thunk it?

I've had no problem with any type of food. I've eaten BBQ, pizza, fried chicken, Pasta, bread, burger meat, etc. Can't eat much of any of it. But some things seem to fill me up a few bites faster like hamburger meat, bread, and Pasta.< /p>

In summary, I think you are right to mentally evaluate this for yourself. It is quite a change. For me it was a change I needed. I have no regrets. In the 6 weeks since surgery I'm off my blood pressure medication and no longer snore and have put up my CPAP machine. Old clothes now fit and are actually loose. I've lost almost 50 pounds and health reasons were my driving motivation for this.

Good luck in your decision process. If you do it...do it eyes wide open.

[big_kahuna 0]

Thanks everyone. I know I need to do this but I just have to get it right in my head first. Getting confirmation from folks who have gone though this makes the decision a little be easier to make.

Thanks again!

[thinoneday 445]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to decide if I want to get the surgery or not. I guess my biggest concern is life after the surgery, specifically the diet. Maybe it just a mind-set that I have to get over, so maybe you can help me. Will you ever be able eat a "normal" meal? Everything I've read here is "I take 2 bites of this or 2 bites of that and I'm full". It makes it sound like if you make a pot of spaghetti you will be eating on it for a month or two! I enjoy food (obviously too much or I wouldn't be thinking of the surgery) and I guess I'm just unsure of what to do and concerned that if I do the surgery I'll regret it later on.

Any advice?

Hi there, hope you don't mind a girl jumping in . . . but let me tell you . . I'm a (was) a big gal. . .6' tall, major huge bones, no hips, pretty darn ewww. . . appetite like a man. . . then I had this surgery after about 1 1/2 years of research, thinking, himmmmming and hawwwwinggg. . . the first week or so was really weird. . . I never had ever experienced such a weird feeling. . . i wasn't sure if i liked it or not and had wished that there would have been such a thing as a trial run . . . but nope no such thing. . I just continued to do as my doctor ordered and never once weighed myself, actually threw my scale out when i got home from surgery. . anyhow on my first 1 1/2 week out doctor visit i was surprised to see i had lost 32 lbs. . . my justification was, "well what do you expect on popsicles, broth, and Jello?" . . . then i just continued to do as doctor ordered, not weighing myself or anything for 7 weeks. . . yesterday was my 7 weeks out and my doctors appt. . . guess what 53 lbs lost! I'm eating, not normally, I don't think that will ever happen again, but i'm experimenting with different foods, keeping everything fat free, and sugar free of course. . . i rarely eat more then 550 calories a day mind you, but i'm experimenting, there are days where i forget and put in a heap too much food, but the sleeve lets me know that was a big mistake. . same with gulping Water. . the sleeve doesn't allow you to do that anymore, I'm actually a cultured lady now. I also am off all my meds for cardiac problems, my heart has the odd irregular beat now and only beats at 50 (back to my kid days yahoo) . . other then the first week or so, i have never regretted getting this sleeve and am thankful i did. . . I'm glad i did it at this age (47), don't know if i would have wanted it any earlier though. . .well hope my story helps you and good luck on any decision you make.

[BeardedItalian48 3]

Tiffykins said it very well!!

I am post op since 7/11/09 and I eat what I want it is in moderation however.....I do not any regrets either. I am off all my blood pressure pills, off my anti depressants, off my Water pills, off my fish oil, the only thing I am on now and this has been since surgery is my cholesterol pills. I anticipate being off those soon as it has dropped.

PUSH FORWARD AND "JUST DO IT" You will be healthier, happier and all.

[lauramomof3 2]

I am going to ditto everyone else here about no regrets. i feel like a million bucks most days. today i have a cold but when i get better, i feel so good. i walk around much better with no pains in legs, glad to be fitting in clothes that are in the normal sizes. not the ones that cost $2.00 more because they are bigger!! it is nice to finally go shopping with so many varieties. i hope this helps you. i started out just being able to eat a few bites of scrambled eggs lets say, now i can almost eat the whole egg!! if you work around people that are of small frame, then yes they eat like small quantities. just look at what they eat sometime on a regular basis. good luck.

[Mary Gordon 3]

why don't you try talking to Nina she's Dr. Aceves patient coordinator, i think she could help you answer some of your questions and help you come to a decision.

hope it helps, goodluck!!!

Nina Eguia

Patient Coordinator, Dr Aceves

888 344 3916 toll free

nina_eguia@yahoo.com

[pumpkin07 32]

I think you are really really smart to weight the factor that you can't pig out very heavily. This is why my brother says he'll never get the surgery. I honestly don't think I gave that enough thought. Including the size of the stomach that is made for me, I wish I had researched it myself more heavily.

Before my surgery I had a major pig out pizza lunch. For me that really isn't too much pizza probably have of a large pizza. I had a big perfect Pepsi with it. But I'm so glad I did that.

But I'm only 12 days out and yeah, that is the part that is real sad for me. But I try to figure out if I really 'got it' ahead of time (which I think I had my blinders on) would I have still done it? I think I would because I just don't like being fat. But I really understand what you are saying b/c I just LOVE LOVE LOVE my favorite pig out foods.

So I guess I would say I'd still do it if I realized then what I knew now, but I'd do it with great loss and sadness to never be able to do that again.

I think the truth is you do eventually become satisfied with less. And you look and feel a lot better. So I guess the goods really do outweight the bads. And over time maybe we will forget what it is like to eat half a pizza with a really great Pepsi

[thinoneday 445]

pumpkin, don't you wish there would have been a "trial sleeve" ? Try it on, before you buy it type of thing? That is exactly what i wished the first week out of my surgery. . even though i researched this thing and joined this forum, it's a weird feeling and i really didn't like it the first week out. . . now being about 8 weeks out, i have become really used to it and really scared to eat out of my scope incase i gain weight! I've lost 53 lbs in 7 weeks and that makes me really really really happy. . . if i have to do it this way all my life so be it. . . i'll never be able to pig out again (not that i'd want too) but i guess like all other things we do in life, we knew (or should have known) what we were getting into when we had this surgery. . . all we can do now is deal with it and love ourselves and not have pity parties with ourselves. . .

[Tiffykins 672]

pumpkin, don't you wish there would have been a "trial sleeve" ? Try it on, before you buy it type of thing? That is exactly what i wished the first week out of my surgery. . even though i researched this thing and joined this forum, it's a weird feeling and i really didn't like it the first week out. . . now being about 8 weeks out, i have become really used to it and really scared to eat out of my scope incase i gain weight! I've lost 53 lbs in 7 weeks and that makes me really really really happy. . . if i have to do it this way all my life so be it. . . i'll never be able to pig out again (not that i'd want too) but i guess like all other things we do in life, we knew (or should have known) what we were getting into when we had this surgery. . . all we can do now is deal with it and love ourselves and not have pity parties with ourselves. . .

A-FRICKEN-MEN ! ! !

I honestly believe that the mourning of not pigging out ever again is a fleeting moment. Once you lose weight, start seeing some of the benefits from the surgery, being in control of your life, and not letting food rule over you like some tyrant, those thoughts of "I'll never get to eat half a pizza again" will be in the distant past.

I've had one episode of "what the heck was I thinking". It lasted about 20 minutes, then I saw my skinny a$$ in the reflection of the screen door and thought, "screw food, nothing tastes as good as being thin feels"! ! !

[big_kahuna 0]

I want to thank everyone for their responses and observations on this. Hearing from people who have gone through this gave me the confidence that this is the right decision for me. I've been going through the program getting ready for the surgery but hadn't decided to do it or not. After reading posts on this forum and all your replies to my question, I've decided to go ahead with the surgery.

Thanks again for all your thoughts on this!

[Mary Gordon 3]

you won't regret it at all!!! plus if you need more specific information i suggest you contact Nina.....she's really helpful and she helped me with my surgery as well.

goodluck and please keep us posted.

Nina Eguia

Patient Coordinator, Dr Aceves

888 344 3916 toll free

nina_eguia@yahoo.com

[loser 0]

Hey, I will admit even though I have lost 55lbs since the start of my preop diet, I have thought many times I wish I had not done this. I just have to remember in the long run, at the end of the day, I will be able to eat a normal serving again of most anything. I did have a few bad days, and have to say my doctor, Dr. Alvarez quickly responded to all my concerns and got me back to good condition right away. I think I had taken in to much to early and caused some inflammation in my sleeve. He still let me start mushies yesterday and I have been fine, but only eating about 1-2 ozs at a time. Ask me again in a few weeks and I am sure I will be very happy with having the surgery done. I am a little concerned about the loose skin. I don't want any more surgeries.