I am considering the sleeve because of its pros..but what are the cons?? What are some things you can NEVER have again?..I heard soda was one of them.

Hello,

I'm only about two months out from surgery so I'm not an expert but you are correct about soda unless it is flat. You aren't suppose to drink from a straw either. You will have to make the consumption of protein and water a priority. If you get low on either your energy will be zapped, or at least that's how it did for me. You will also need to watch your carbs like if you were on the Atkins diet. The surgery is still worth things that we have to change. Good luck in making your decision.

MK, I'm a year out and over 120 pounds down. I drink decaf diet coke, about 1 a day, sometimes 2. I also use a straw in my Water cup every day. I eat bread very rarely these days because it makes my sleeve hurt, and I used to LOVE fresh hot bread. I baked it every week for my family pre-op. Now I do well to eat a whole small tortilla...and I'm full for way too long afterwards, so I make that a very rare thing.

As for what you can never have, there's not much that you can't ever have again. That's the beauty and frustration of the sleeve. You CAN eat whatever you want once you are past the post-op diet, but you'll find yourself needing to make better choices in order to meet your Protein goals. I eat very few veggies these days and find that I have to deliberately plan them into my diet, but I eat anything I like protein wise. My sleeve doesn't like bread and it doesn't like spicy foods, but I don't miss them either.

For me, the sleeve has been a godsend..and I'd do it over again if I had to in order to lose almost 120 pounds in just over a year. What would you give up to weigh 120 pounds less? I think that bread and spicy food was a great trade for me!

Good luck, whatever you decide.

Thank you Lissa. I didn't think I would ever be able to have Coke again.

I believe that "what you can never have again" is highly individualized. Like Lissa, I can't do white bread, it just seems to expand and cause painful pressure. Whole wheat bread, sliced thin and toasted, does fine. pizza has to be thin crust.

Greasy foods, no way. Like Lissa, very spicy foods, uh uh. But mildly spiced does fine.

Dry white meat, that hurts. Plain dry hard boiled eggs too.

I did not drink soda pre-op, so don't miss it. I did drink Water by the buckets, but now I can't stand the taste and feel of it. I have to add Crystal Light. I really miss plain water.

Been scared to death to try lettuce, don't know why!

Other than these few things, I do fine with foods.

And again, like Lissa, so worth the trade-off!

Being that I am addicted to Coca Cola...idk how I am going to shake the habit..but its the reason y I am overweight..

My doctor didn't give me any "never again" foods. I am about 14 months post op and can eat a few bites of anything, but like the above posters bread is only a bite or two and I'm done with it. I do occasionally drink diet soda, but find I don't crave it like before. I also can't stand the taste of plain water. I use sugar free crush in orange, strawberry or grape flavor. Also sugar free hawaiian punch. Spicy food doesn't bother me at all so it really is what your own stomach will tolerate.

The only thing I can't have is diet soda. Some people drink it and have no problems with it. I know that for me, if I take 1 sip, I'm hooked. That will be the only fluid I will drink. I also read about the weight gain in our mid sections from artificial sweeteners. But I can eat anything I want with no consequences. My taste for breads have changed. I don't like them any more. My PCP won't prescribe NSAIDS because Kaiser looks at the sleeve like it's the GBS. But i am so happy I choose this. It has changed my life.

I am seven months post-op and have had a DREAM recovery. There are no foods that I have found that I can't tolerate. I COULD eat pretty much anything I want at this point.

I do occassionally (very rarely) have a coke zero or diet dr. pepper. I can't drink a whole 12oz can and I have to drink it VERY, VERY slowly. The carbonation just makes me uncomfortable. But, sometimes I will have it as a treat because it tastes SO GOOD! Often, I will find myself having a diet soda instead of ice cream when my husband wants to go to the DQ. It makes me happy and it still has fewer calories and carbs than even sugar free ice cream.

I don't eat steak much any more. I used to love a good rare (raw) steak. Now I have to chew it into oblivion for it to be anywhere near comfortable in my sleeve and that ruins it for me. I think I've had it once in the seven months since surgery. I still like the taste, and can eat it if I just absolutely have a craving and have to have it, but I really don't miss it at all.

I don't like fried foods anymore. I will still sneak one of my husband's french fries every now and again, but ONE is about it. I also have given up chips. Will occassionally have corn chips with ALOT of pico de gallo and LOVE vegetable chips. But those greasy potato chips that I used to love... gross!

So, don't think of it as stuff that you "can't ever have again". It will be more like stuff that you could have, but won't really want anymore.

Good luck! This was a fairly easy decision for me and I don't regret it at all! But, its different for everyone and I'm glad you're considering all the pros and cons up front!

I am 3 months out and have zero problems with lettuce. I see no reason in drinking pop whatsoever, even though others do it. I was told the carbonation does expand your stomach (which it does while you are drinking it) whether or not it stretches is a highly debated issue on VSG.

There are those of us that would rather not take the chance. Should you get the sleeve and start eating candy bars, I would say the answer is NO, do people do it, I am sure they do. I have read people eating potato chips as early as a week out.

If you are going to go back to your old way of eating after surgery, then surgery should put off until you have enough psychological counseling to change the emotional eating issues, and get proper nutritional counseling to see the hows and why on how you gained so weight in the first place and realize that this is something you need to do for life.

The sleeve is for you if you want to make lifestyle changes. Can you gain the weight back after you get the sleeve and lose all your weight? Yes, if you do not make lifestyle changes.

The sleeve DOES stretch. It will never get to the size your stomach was pre-surgery, but it does get bigger and it is easier to eat more food as time goes on, so it has to be a lifestyle change.

I can eat just as spicy a food now as I did before surgery. I do not drink caffeine, pop, beer. I have had a glass of wine with no problem.

When I hit goal I will probably have a glass of champagne and deal with the bloating of my sleeve and come what may whether or not my sleeve with stretch a bit.

The issue is, people thinking it's okay to drink real coffee, eat what they want right after they get sleeved. Your stomach gets cut from the bottom to the top and it's a massive surgery. Your stomach is extremely swollen inside and out and putting things like caffeine (which could cause ulcers), carbonation which is very rough and acidic on your swollen stomach or foods that are rough could cause a leak.

After you reach goal I think what you can and cannot tolerate is up to you. If you start throwing high carb food in, you will gain weight. It's a lifestyle change, not just a diet.

Being that I am addicted to Coca Cola...idk how I am going to shake the habit..but its the reason y I am overweight..

I don't know how far pre-op you are, but I suggest cutting down now on the soda. Reduce your consumption by one a day, replacing it with a bottle of Water or some other caffeine/sugar free drink. I found that decaf iced tea helped me a lot in dumping soda. I didn't drink a single soda for over 4 months post-op, but I finally decided that fighting the soda craving on top of all the other changes I was making was too much for me. Your mileage may vary on that. I am proud to say that I am STILL caffeine free and I don't miss that high at all.

I believe that "what you can never have again" is highly individualized.

I also highly believe this that everyone is different.

As for spicy foods I not only still eat them but search out more intensely flavored food. Since the portion control will be there why not find healthy foods but with bold flavors. I never could see how some fancy restaurants have only a bite or two on the plate but now understand. Yes that could be a meal and a splendid experience.

Finally, I used to be a pot a day coffee drinker and was told no more. I thought I would just go through surgery and sneak it in after. Yes I went through withdrawals and severe headaches without caffeine. But now I have not touched it since and have no cravings for coffee anymore.

Hope this helped some for you.

Break the soda addiction now. It will be SO much easier. I switched from coke/dr. pepper to Sprite/7 UP when I was diagnosed with a heart condition and wanted to not have the caffeine. Then I had my last soda about a month before my sleeve - at the movies with some popcorn.

Do I miss it? Maybe a little. But not enough to try it anymore. I'm only 7 weeks out and have yet to find anything I can't really have. I stay away from things like pasta/rice/bread because they are just fillers without much nutrition. And I just don't have the room to fill my stomach up with foods like that. I did a 2 week preop liquid diet before surgery and that helped me get over my carb addiction. I really don't miss those anymore either.

Try this to get off soda. I would make that goal #1 - because seriously, soda is nothing buy empty calories. Good luck to you!

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/28-day-national-soda-challenge

I'm still waiting to be sleeved.

My doc told me that I will eventually be able to eat/drink whatever I want in moderation. He said its not a diet.. It's a lifestyle change and he doesn't want me to feel deprived.

That being said, I think it's an individual thing some people end up not being able to tolerate certain things. It may come and go. And some people decide to give up certain things because they feel those things are detrimental to their new lifestyle.

I know people who drink pop and people who eat Pasta at times. Its a very individual thing.

Thanks everyone. I am definetely ready for the sleeve..my body needs it!...i am ready 4 a change

I use a straw with no problems, I'm 10 months post op, I just started using them a few months ago. I haven't tried pop, diet pop pre-op was a big addiction for me so

I have not wanted to try it at all!

Sent from my iPhone using VST