So, I just got back from a week-long cruise to Alaska. As you may know, food is a huge part of cruising, so I wanted to report back my experience having been sleeved over 2 years ago and being confronted with a floating, 24 hour buffet.

I have to admit, the week prior, I was mourning the food I know I wouldn't be able to gorge on. Perhaps even a mild panic was stirring in my brain. Needless to say, I still have food issues. So, moments after boarding and before the ship has left dock, the rest of the people in my party are understandably hungry as it has been about 6 hours since Breakfast, so, we head to the buffet. As you can imagine, the food is plentiful. I look at it and sigh ... but, I don't hesitate to grab small portions of the cubed tenderloin, green Beans and fruit ... and a tart.

While my family grabbed reasonable portions, everybody else in line is piling up. As I sat at my table overlooking Puget Sound, my sadness changed to being thankful that I have a sleeve which helps me make good decisions about the quality and quantity of food I eat. I followed the guidelines eating my meat first, then the green beans and a bite of mashed potatoes. I was full, but was able to have a bite of tart.

The rest of the week, I had a caramel mocha Cappuccino with a chocolate croissant for breakfast, some form of a salad for lunch (cobb, grilled chx, chx caesar ...) and the most opulent dinners you can imagine. I did not hesitate to order two Entrees if I wanted to try more than one thing. I had people at my table who were happy to finish of whatever I ordered. I had fish from Australia, escargot (just one snail), lobster, tiger prawns ... the list goes on. Yes, they were rich, high caloric meals, for sure, but again, the sleeve didn't allow me to over-indulge. I had desert after every meal. I followed the basic guidelines and was able to enjoy, but not abuse food, which is what I was

accustomed to.

I did go to the spa every day except one and did the elliptical anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. Whilst many of my cruising companions were in a food coma, I maintained high energy and had a great experience. BTW, I did a cruise 11 years ago and did abuse the bejesus out of the food selections. Once again, the sleeve has freed me from the bondage of food abuse and I am so thankful I had this surgery.

If you are thinking about going on a cruise and are worried about the food, just know that if you follow the guidelines, of course stretching them a bit, you will be fine. I got this surgery to live, not diet, and it is doing exactly as I needed it to. (As long as I am honest with myself about following the guidelines, that is)

thanks that is good to know. My family loves to cruise and I was wondering what that would be like.

Sounds like you had a terrific time and rocked your sleeve to the fullest!! Good for you I think you had a very healthy outlook and found a new freedom for yourself!

I'm going on a cruise with my husband and some friends in December. I'm looking forward to it and I really think I'll be able to make good choices most of the time. Thanks for the post!

24 hour buffet.

PdxMan

Its been awhile

Nice to see your handsome, smiling, "thin" body again

glad you enjoyed your cruise to Alaska

sounds wonderful

all that amazing food...........sounds like you handled yourself like a true successful sleever

not denying yourself - bits of foods/samples here and there

going on the eliptical too!!!!

woohoo

good for you

but..............

for me at pushing 2 years (goal) - i would rather/won't be around that "buffet"

too much temptation

guess i'm not that strong yet

of course i couldn't eat that much at one sitting - but thats where grazing might hit me

knowing/being aware of my prob is 1/2 the battle

at this time - no cruise for this grammy !!

keep on enjoying your new life

don't be such a stranger!!!!

kathy

continued success & happiness

Thanks for the post. I'm almost 6 months out and have lost 55 pounds. Need to lose another 25 or 30 to be at goal. Leaving on a cruise 10/13 so I'm feeling a little panicked about having all that food around! Hope that I do as well as you!

So glad you posted this! Wonderful to read how "normal" life can be in time.

Honestly I think a cruise is one of those huge "tests" of how far you have come in regards to resetting your attitudes, feelings, and habits in regards to food. Because it's so plentiful, it's everywhere ALL THE TIME and you are trapped on a ship with no way to escape, ha ha!

It sounds like you did amazing and still enjoyed yourself WITHOUT being in a food coma (love that comparison ...food coma...so true.) Anyway, it's great that you used your sleeve the way it was intended and also didn't fall off the exercise wagon. That's awesome!!!

So, I just got back from a week-long cruise to Alaska. As you may know, food is a huge part of cruising, so I wanted to report back my experience having been sleeved over 2 years ago and being confronted with a floating, 24 hour buffet.

I have to admit, the week prior, I was mourning the food I know I wouldn't be able to gorge on. Perhaps even a mild panic was stirring in my brain. Needless to say, I still have food issues. So, moments after boarding and before the ship has left dock, the rest of the people in my party are understandably hungry as it has been about 6 hours since breakfast, so, we head to the buffet. As you can imagine, the food is plentiful. I look at it and sigh ... but, I don't hesitate to grab small portions of the cubed tenderloin, green Beans and fruit ... and a tart.

While my family grabbed reasonable portions, everybody else in line is piling up. As I sat at my table overlooking Puget Sound, my sadness changed to being thankful that I have a sleeve which helps me make good decisions about the quality and quantity of food I eat. I followed the guidelines eating my meat first, then the green beans and a bite of mashed potatoes. I was full, but was able to have a bite of tart.

The rest of the week, I had a caramel mocha cappuccino with a chocolate croissant for breakfast, some form of a salad for lunch (cobb, grilled chx, chx caesar ...) and the most opulent dinners you can imagine. I did not hesitate to order two entrees if I wanted to try more than one thing. I had people at my table who were happy to finish of whatever I ordered. I had fish from Australia, escargot (just one snail), lobster, tiger prawns ... the list goes on. Yes, they were rich, high caloric meals, for sure, but again, the sleeve didn't allow me to over-indulge. I had desert after every meal. I followed the basic guidelines and was able to enjoy, but not abuse food, which is what I was

accustomed to.

I did go to the spa every day except one and did the elliptical anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. Whilst many of my cruising companions were in a food coma, I maintained high energy and had a great experience. BTW, I did a cruise 11 years ago and did abuse the bejesus out of the food selections. Once again, the sleeve has freed me from the bondage of food abuse and I am so thankful I had this surgery.

If you are thinking about going on a cruise and are worried about the food, just know that if you follow the guidelines, of course stretching them a bit, you will be fine. I got this surgery to live, not diet, and it is doing exactly as I needed it to. (As long as I am honest with myself about following the guidelines, that is)

Pdx, out of curiosity, did the rest of the people that were with you on the cruise know you had surgery? I'm just wondering how they reacted to you not eating a lot.

So' date=' I just got back from a week-long cruise to Alaska. As you may know, food is a huge part of cruising, so I wanted to report back my experience having been sleeved over 2 years ago and being confronted with a floating, 24 hour buffet.

I have to admit, the week prior, I was mourning the food I know I wouldn't be able to gorge on. Perhaps even a mild panic was stirring in my brain. Needless to say, I still have food issues. So, moments after boarding and before the ship has left dock, the rest of the people in my party are understandably hungry as it has been about 6 hours since breakfast, so, we head to the buffet. As you can imagine, the food is plentiful. I look at it and sigh ... but, I don't hesitate to grab small portions of the cubed tenderloin, green Beans and fruit ... and a tart.

While my family grabbed reasonable portions, everybody else in line is piling up. As I sat at my table overlooking Puget Sound, my sadness changed to being thankful that I have a sleeve which helps me make good decisions about the quality and quantity of food I eat. I followed the guidelines eating my meat first, then the green beans and a bite of mashed potatoes. I was full, but was able to have a bite of tart.

The rest of the week, I had a caramel mocha cappuccino with a chocolate croissant for breakfast, some form of a salad for lunch (cobb, grilled chx, chx caesar ...) and the most opulent dinners you can imagine. I did not hesitate to order two entrees if I wanted to try more than one thing. I had people at my table who were happy to finish of whatever I ordered. I had fish from Australia, escargot (just one snail), lobster, tiger prawns ... the list goes on. Yes, they were rich, high caloric meals, for sure, but again, the sleeve didn't allow me to over-indulge. I had desert after every meal. I followed the basic guidelines and was able to enjoy, but not abuse food, which is what I was

accustomed to.

I did go to the spa every day except one and did the elliptical anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. Whilst many of my cruising companions were in a food coma, I maintained high energy and had a great experience. BTW, I did a cruise 11 years ago and did abuse the bejesus out of the food selections. Once again, the sleeve has freed me from the bondage of food abuse and I am so thankful I had this surgery.

If you are thinking about going on a cruise and are worried about the food, just know that if you follow the guidelines, of course stretching them a bit, you will be fine. I got this surgery to live, not diet, and it is doing exactly as I needed it to. (As long as I am honest with myself about following the guidelines, that is)[/quote']

Glad you had this experience! I really want to do this cruise too. I've done bora bora and Tahiti and yes they can be a food fest...

I totally get the worry about food! I think I will always have that same feeling. I still put entirely to much thought about food... At the end of the day I eat well and will continue too.

I still have issues, food is still on my mind more than it should be it calls to me.. It can still be the first thought when i wake up and the last thought before i go to sleep. I know this will be a lifelong recovery.

But we are doing it.. We are living and enjoying life again! And though it tries to creep back in Sometimes, I know that a happy life does not include stuffing.

Pdx, out of curiosity, did the rest of the people that were with you on the cruise know you had surgery? I'm just wondering how they reacted to you not eating a lot.

I was with my mother and 3 siblings, so everyone knew about my surgery. My mother still makes the comments, "I don't see how you can survive with the amount of food you eat." My retort is always, "I know, isn't it amazing how little we actually NEED to survive?"

I did have lunch with other folks and only once did someone mention something to me. I was eating some Red Snapper with asparagus and au gratin potatoes. I ate about 3 bites of fish, two spears and about 3 bites of potatoes. I was conversing with everyone at the table, so it wasn't like I finished 5 minutes after the food arrived. I still practice putting my utensil down in between bites to ensure I eat slowly. One woman commented as to how incredible her beef goulash was and offered me a piece of meat. I accepted (it was incredible) She offered me another and I said that it was delicious, but I was full. Of course, she looks at my plate and says, "But you've hardly eaten anything." I usually just make some excuse as I usually don't want to have to go into the background of my issues with food, but since I knew I would never see these people again, I told them that I had a VSG with a brief explanation of what that was and that my portions were a lot smaller now. She said, "Hey, whatever works for you. I think that is great," and that was the end of it.

Now, I didn't avoid the buffet as there were times, like when my brother and I were at the hot tub until 1:00 AM, we did a drive by the buffet and I grabbed a couple pieces of cheese and two Peanut Butter Cookies. I also did two lunches up there where I had curried chicken one day and pork chops the other.

I guess, the bottom line was that I had a lot of anxiety before I went on the cruise. I am a food addict. I love food and food loves me. Has this changed with the sleeve? No, not completely. The surgery was on my stomach, not my head. But my sleeve gives me a tool to help me manage my issues with food. Again, the sleeve has fulfilled what my expectations for the surgery were. Not restrict what I can eat, just the quantity. It is still up to me to make the good decisions, but it is nice to have this tool keep me in check.