I went to the informational seminar the other night, and they mentioned you can never have soda. Ever ever again! I'm actually doubting my decisions because I love soda so much... He said that probably 90% of his patients that gain weight back admit to soda use. That's not worth it to me, but... still...

What do you miss most now that you've had surgery done? Is it possible to live life without soda? What else are you living without that you truly miss?

I gave up soda last year... it started as giving up diet soda, but i didnt want to gain, so i limited the sugar soda to a glass once or twice a month. So when they said no more after surgery, luckily i was in the right place that it didn't cause a problem.

I have to say though... before I started the liquid pre-op diet I had been eating toast every night, with butter. It's my go to craving when I diet. Not sure why. But the most amazing thing was... when I started liquids on Monday, I actually didn't have a problem with toast. I didn't even think of it until last night (Wednesday). NSV? I think so.

But back to the topic i guess... what do I miss? At this phase of my journey... I miss salty, savory and crunchy. A taste other than chocolate in my mouth.

That is not an easy question to answer but I will give it a try. I miss shopping at the big and tall store. I miss being out of breath when I walk up one flight of stairs. I miss wearing 3XL shirts and size 50 waist pants. I miss being the biggest person in the room. I miss not being able to squeeze into a chair and feeling the armrests digging into my sides. I really miss my heartburn.(You know the kind that hurts so bad, you get tears in your eyes), I miss being called: "Big-T" at work. I miss sitting on my ass everynight shoving my face full of food and playing video games until 2 in the morning. I miss the sound of my thighs rubbing together when I walk. I miss trying to convince myself that because I had a bad day, I am entitled to eat whole pizzas, and drink 2 liter bottles of soda. I miss telling myself that tommorrow I will start my diet. I miss not getting compliments on how good I look. I miss staring at my feet when I walk in public. I miss not having self confidence. I miss my double chins. I miss how round my face once looked.

You can drink soda again. I have a few co-workers who have gained most if not all of their weight back. It has been said a million times on this site, but the surgery is a tool and that's it. It's what you decide to do with this tool that will make you successful.

Edited June 9, 201412 yr by trever

I miss...nothing. Although I did have a brief pang of longing for Cheetohs when I saw them sitting in the kitchen, but it was a memory pang, and not really a craving. I had stopped drinking soda long before my surgery, so it wasn't an issue (coffee was more an issue, but I've been able to have small amounts of that with no adverse effects, so it's not something to miss)

Honestly? There's not a single food or beverage that I miss enough to care about. My non-aching knees and better fitting clothes are worth more than any amount of food (I haven't lost a whole lot yet...but what I have lost has made such a difference already that there is absolutely nothing worth risking my progress over. If I'm feeling this good down 49 lbs...imagine how good I'll feel when I'm down even more )

I can tell you what I DON'T miss..... feeling awful, being depressed, having to shop in the "big" girl section, wearing size 22 / 24 pants & 3X shirts. I miss NONE of that!

Oh wait, I kinda do miss my boobs!!!

I sometimes miss the memory of certain dessert foods like cold stone, top food donuts, cheese cake factory chris' crazy cheese cake, etc. Do I really want them? Not really. They are just memories of what I used to enjoy 2+ years back. If you have been on this bandwagon for a long period, you will find cravings are not there. Just memories. And even those have faded with the passage of time. The more we practice healthy lifestyle, the more our body craves that.

I went to the informational seminar the other night, and they mentioned you can never have soda. Ever ever again! I'm actually doubting my decisions because I love soda so much... He said that probably 90% of his patients that gain weight back admit to soda use. That's not worth it to me, but... still...

What do you miss most now that you've had surgery done? Is it possible to live life without soda? What else are you living without that you truly miss?

Honestly i really thought i was gonna miss the binge eating late at night when everybody went to bed. Stuffing my face with sugary foods till i felt sick. After the surgery food isnt really that appealing to me. I like to have the occasional nice meal but now i eat to live. I do miss being able to down a bottle of Water but dont miss pop at all. I loved pop too but it was a great compromise to feel the way i do now. I would do it again in a heart beat to feel this good. Its just people dont like the thought of not having things. U will eventually be able to drink pop again. Would we recommend it? Heck no! Not worth the trouble it gets u into. Good luck and dont think of things as a loss but what u r getting as a great gain!

I agree the only thing I miss is being able to drink Water the old way, big gulps. It is amazing I don't miss anything else.

I was a diet coke addict and couldn't imagine my life without them. I reduced the qty before my preop diet and that was rough. It was rough through the preop diet. The changes immediately after the surgery, though, are like hitting a wall. I think it must be like rehab for drug and alcohol addicts.

Since my surgery, I haven't missed diet coke on bit. Five and a half months out, I'm thrilled with the changes to my body and health (normal blood pressure) but, honestly, I'm especially happy not obsessing over food and drink anymore.

I'm still a newby, so this may be temporary, but at this point I really miss fresh vegetables. I was lucky enough to be raised in California and generally had fresh vegetables every day. I'm hoping when I'm fully healed, I'll be able to eat them again. I also agree with others about the water. I'm thirsty all the time, but can't drink enough water in the time between meals. This too will probably ease up when I have adjusted.

Gulping down a lot of Water whenever I feel like it

Ohh I know!! It used to feel so good to do that. Now I just cant afford to let myself get that thirsty now.

I miss sitting down with my family and others with a full plate of food, talking about what taste good and enjoying fellowship without the chance of getting sick. I still have a hard time with that and taking in too much air or swallowing food too fast without chewing while socializing over a meal. Panic sets in and I'm right...there goes the good times.

I'm truly hoping to master that art one day.

I miss hot spicy food!! I still do a little hot and spicy but not like I used to since I can't drink while eating. I also miss Chinese buffets. Haven't been to a buffet since being banded because it's a waste of money.

I miss hot spicy food!! I still do a little hot and spicy but not like I used to since I can't drink while eating. I also miss Chinese buffets. Haven't been to a buffet since being banded because it's a waste of money.

That was my thought too about buffets until my wife convinced me to think differently about buffets. The automatic conclusion for most is that eating at a buffet equates to stuffing yourself to the gills in order to "get your money's worth." That is definitely the way I used to think about buffets. Now I think of a buffet to take a little of the best entrees, skipping over ones that are not that appealing or do not offer much in nutrition density. In this manner, you can still eat a bunch of different foods, but you will neither violate your WLS way of eating (for me, 4-5 oz food) or waste money. The reason I state money is not wasted because your plate will contain high quality food that meets or exceeds the value of the buffet (for this discussion, let's say the buffet price is $7.99). You do not even need to finish the contents on your plate. Just eat until satisfied, eating the protein first. We do this approach with Indian buffets, focusing on the inclusion of high quality, high value foods like chicken tika or chicken Marsala. Indian food is delicious and we can eat at a lunch buffet with this strategy.

Edited June 7, 201412 yr by Fiddleman

The thing with pop... when you are in the green you can't drink when you eat anyway. Think of how much money you will save going out to eat and not spending $2.50 on a drink!

I take a sip of pop now and then but eventually the flavor wasn't as appealing anymore and what's the point of opening a can or bottle if you can't finish it?

Having surgery changed my life and I am so grateful for my sleeve. But, I do still miss some foods and my diet coke. It's okay to mourn something that gave so much comfort for so many years. I have food issues...I wouldn't have been almost 300lbs and desperate enough for WLS if I didn't. But, a year later I am treating my body kinder. I am learning moderation. I can still have pretty much anything I want. I just want to make better choices now. I also eat my Protein, exercise and drink my Water. On occasion, I will enjoy a taste or two of a dessert or something special. I just don't binge eat anymore.