I attended two family funerals this weekend, one Friday and the other was Saturday. I don’t know how people in the rest of the country handle the passing away of love ones and friends. But in some parts of the south, there is something called the repast. This is where family and friends meet after the service.

And there is food, lots of food, either it’s catered by professionals or each family member will bring or donate some type of food. Good ole fashion comfort food. Food items such as mac & cheese, dressing, turkey, chicken, Soups, sauces, ribs, potato salad, rice, cakes, candies and pies were just to name a few kinds of food which was in front of me to consume or refused. It’s no wonder how I gained so much consuming all this of good and fattening food.

Thank goodness for the sleeve, I was only able take down a few ounces of food, the only thing in the south at family gatherings, Aunt Mae’s (we all have one) only know how fix up one type of plate. Hugh piles of food on the plate. No matter how little I ask her to prepare, she always stack it and pack it on. Asking for Greek yogurt and cottage cheese at one these events would be pure crazy.

Other family members are looking at me as push away from the 2500 calorie plate and wondering how I loss so much weigh so fast. Some asked my wife had I been ill or sick, others wanted to know if I joined a gym and a cousin inquired was I on drugs (crack). Some knew about surgery, but most did not.

All in all, it was an interesting set of events in the life of a successful sleeve patient.

Lash

Sorry to hear about the family funerals and especially two in one weekend...what a hard weekend to get through.

I feel your pain about the southern food. In my family you didn't eat meat (and a lot of vegetables) unless it was dipped in egg and flour and fried and served with a cream sauce. Not to mention the biscuits, mashed potatoes, butter and everything else that went with it. My husband thinks I am joking (but I am not!) but I didn't know you could grill meat until I was dating and a guy ordered his steak grilled. It was a marvel to me. (Yep....just a little hick girl here)! Fortunately my exposure to those relatives and eating situations is limited now and after next week I will also have the sleeve on my side to help. Thanks for sharing your experience...gave me flashbacks to my family!

Sounds like any time my family meets up. Period. It is comforting, but at the same time sooooo filling wannabe waist expanding. Even being a pescetarian, I can put down those macaroni and cheese, green been casserole, and fried fish dishes like no other. Go you for staying strong during such a traumatic time. You give me hope someday soon I might be able to get through family gatherings too.

Yes food also with my family is almost a religious thing. I can recall, the regular Sunday meal consisting of a some sort of meet, (roast, turkey, fried chicken, pork, or lamp) smothered in gravy, mac and cheese, potato salad, rice, stuff bell peppers, mash potatoes, bread pudding, cakes, pies, and sweet tea.

I figured this was normal until I realized this was a fast track to a early health problems.

Lash

Sorry to hear about the family funerals and especially two in one weekend...what a hard weekend to get through.

I feel your pain about the southern food. In my family you didn't eat meat (and a lot of vegetables) unless it was dipped in egg and flour and fried and served with a cream sauce. Not to mention the biscuits, mashed potatoes, butter and everything else that went with it. My husband thinks I am joking (but I am not!) but I didn't know you could grill meat until I was dating and a guy ordered his steak grilled. It was a marvel to me. (Yep....just a little hick girl here)! Fortunately my exposure to those relatives and eating situations is limited now and after next week I will also have the sleeve on my side to help. Thanks for sharing your experience...gave me flashbacks to my family!

Yes food also with my family is almost a religious thing. I can recall, the regular Sunday meal consisting of a some sort of meet, (roast, turkey, fried chicken, pork, or lamp) smothered in gravy, mac and cheese, potato salad, rice, stuff bell peppers, mash potatoes, bread pudding, cakes, pies, and sweet tea.

I figured this was normal until I realized this was a fast track to a early health problems.

Lash

Amen! I'm from the deep South and that's how we eat/ate every Sunday and ANY and all 'special' occasions. It's just a wonder we don't all have diabetes and/or heart disease, among other ailments. Thank God for the sleeve.

Good job resisting!

And sorry about your family's losses.

Wow, 2 funerals in one weekend. I'm so sorry.

And what a great victory to be able to eat a few bites from the calorie-laden plate and be DONE! Gotta love that sleeve! We had my father-in-law's 70th birthday party at Red Lobster this weekend with about 25 of his closest friends and family and no one noticed that my hubby (who was sleeved Mar. 7) and I barely ate any of the food in front of us. A lot of people had boxes of the extra food because they give you SO dang much. I did eat 3 bites of birthday cake and enjoyed each and every bite! Now I have steak, salmon and broccoli that will last me at least 3 more meals!

I am sorry for the losses, but estatic that you were able to clear the hurdle of foods at these events.

We do the same down here in Texas... you know, where everything is bigger especially portions. I've noticed, with our family, that we plan what we will do around what we will eat. NEVER the opposite. It makes it interesting being on this side.

And,@ Mommy2Girls, I am impressed with your fortitude at Red Lobster. I am still terrified of that place because of those damn cheddar biscuits. Kryptonite in a basket!