So I am 3 days from getting sleeved and I still get nervous. Will I ever be able to eat a "normal meal" again? I am not looking to eat like I always have- but want to have a fairly normal life once I am at goal weight. What do you guys that have reached goal eat in a given day? Can you eat 1/2 a restaurant entree? Do you ever drink through straws? Now that you are at goal are you religious about no drinking 30 min b4 or after meal?

Hey I just had my surgery 2 and a half weeks ago so I'm still on my soft purée diet however my mum had her surgery like 2 years ago now. And she eats everything!! She has lost about 45 kilos and has reached her goal weight and not put anything on since! Of course her meal sizes are smaller.. She still can't eat a full Big Mac!! Even so, mum finds it difficult to eat really harsh meats like steak but if she chews properly and chews her food she's fine!! Other than that.. It's like she never had the surgery!!

If you read around the forums there are a lot of posts where guys go out and eat normal foods, just much smaller portions. There's also a thread about straws. It looks like our surgeons usually say no straws but people use them anyways without ill effects, just a bit of air goes down with it. I personally have used a straw once so far, and i get more air eating soup for lunch than through using the straw.

In about a month and a half I'll be 2 years out. I can eat a NORMAL portion of food, however that NORMAL portion is just that - what SHOULD be normal. Portion sizes are out of control in the first world countries.

We eat out at least once a week. Last Friday night we went to a nice Italian restaurant.. The entree I had came with soup or salad. I had them put the soup in a to-go cup and ate 1/2 the entree as well as a few small pieces of bread in olive oil dipping. We also ordered 2 pieces of tiramisu to GO and I ate 1/2 of it a few hours later. So out of that ONE meal I got THREE, two of which I had with desert.

I have always drunk with straws. I do not see the issue and I think the "no straw" rule is BS.

I also drink before, during and after my meals. I eat controlled portions and NO MORE. I have an issue with kidney stones so I MUST drink a LOT of liquids all day. Cutting out 3 to 4 hours of a day without drinking is impractical, especially with my exercise routine of swimming and biking so much.

I have absolutely ZERO issues with any food. Nothing upsets me and I do not "dump" because of sweets. I pretty much avoid bread and baked goods just because they fill me up too fast. I try to concentrate on Protein but eat carbs to finish the meal out. I feel I keep a good balance. Eating out is when really get too man carbs but it's just one meal a week, or two if you count th leftovers.

After I eat I feel satisfied and am rarely ever really hungry. When I am hungry it's NOTHING compared to the feelings I USED to have pre-sleeve. Now it just bothers me a bit, it used to feel like my stomach was eating away at my backbone. I tend to get hungry at times like when I rush home after work, hop on my bicycle and ride for 20 miles, by the time I get home I am pretty hungry and ready to eat. I am NOT shaky and weak feeling the way I USED to be pre-op, just ready to eat.

I weigh 200-205 and have been that weight for about a year now. That's technically still a tad overweight for a 6' 1" male I suspect I carry about 5-10 pounds of excess saggy skin which is damn near impossible to get rid of so that narrows the "overweight" category a bit.

Getting sleeved is the BEST thing I have ever done for myself health wise. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

My neighbor had his around 3 years ago, and tell me he can eat and drink almost anything he wants, but just smaller quantities. The only thing he still has problems with is carbonation.

That said, years ago, a buddy of mine had declaired that he never uses a straw. When asked why, he said, "Picture this: you come upon a big bad mean biker and he stares you down and hells while wagging his finger at you: 'Hey you.. GET THE F*** AWAY FROM MY HARLEY', then takes a sip of his big gulp from a straw. Kind of takes the "tough" out of the situation, don't you think?"

Hey guys thanks for the replies. Rootman would u be willing to share how much you have lost to end up with the 10lbs of loose skin? I am 6-4 and 320 and my doc says I will likely lose 80 lbs and he thinks I will have no loose skin- sound right?

Hey guys thanks for the replies. Rootman would u be willing to share how much you have lost to end up with the 10lbs of loose skin? I am 6-4 and 320 and my doc says I will likely lose 80 lbs and he thinks I will have no loose skin- sound right?

I am 6' 1/2" (up from 5' 11 3/4" 2 years ago) started out at 375+ pounds, lost at least 170 lbs. For some people it hangs down in big bat wings and a pendulous stomach , some - like me - it's just a general droopiness all over and some lucky devils skin is tight again after weight lose. There are too many factors to tell if you'll have it or not, age, skin type, genetics and prior damage are all factors.

5-10 pounds is a total WAG, there is no reliable way to tell unless you have it surgically removed and weighed. Along with the skin there is usually some dub-dermal fat that refuses to go away too. I'll live with it as it doesn't look THAT bad and does not inhibit my activities at all.

Rootman,

How does one grow 3/4 taller form WLS? I'm guessing your posture is better now and your spine is less compacted, but 3/4 of an inch is a huge amount... Thanks!

Yeah, nobody was more surprised than I was. At one point in my life I was 6' 2" tall, I shrank over 2 inches.

Decompression of spinal discs is one improvement, better posture another, I just could not stand up stright with all that fat pulling me down. Pre-op I felt like a turtle, my chiropractor often noted how screwed up my neck was and is shocked what 2 years and 170+ pounds off has done. I actually HAVE a neck now

I have also massivly improved my muscle strength and am now supporting myself much, much better.