Hi all.

I am considering having a VSG. I thought I would seek advice regarding this. I have a very large appetite, largely emotional eating, I am sure, but I am able to consume large portions of food, and tend to get hungry fairly easily. Result has been many years of yo-yo dieting. my BMI is now in the mid 30's.

does anyone know if the post-op portion of food is affected much by sleeve size? Ie, I believe it is common to take 75-85% of the stomach.... has anyone ever had say a 45-55% reduction to remove ghrelin cells, but a larger stomach size remains? I would still like to be at least able to enjoy family meals once in a while. thank you all kindly for any advice.

You will be surprised by just how much of certain foods you can eat. I'm almost 2 years out and I remember what it felt like to only be able to keep broth down to now I can consume almost all of a big mac. The taco test with me was also a big step for me. I remember only being able to take 3 bites of a taco. That switched to being able to eat an entire taco. That became being able to eat 2 tacos. pizza stayed the same. I can only eat 1 slice. Before surgery I could eat an entire large pizza, bread sticks, salad, and desert. Salad boggles my mind. I can literally eat a gigantic portion of salad. It's just crazy and I don't know how I'm able to eat that much. Popcorn as well. I can eat an entire large bucket of popcorn at the movies. Luckily I don't go to the movies that often.

Also, you will find that each day is different. Some days you can't keep anything down or even the amounts that you know you have eaten before. Other days it seems like you can eat far more than usual. I don't understand why this is so either. However, i think that it may be due to mucous in the stomach. When there is a lot of mucous you may not be able to eat much.

I was explaining this to my MIL. The sleeve will eventually hold about a cup of food.

If you put a cup of chicken salad in the blender, it comes back out about the same.

It would take about 8-10 cups of popcorn to make a cup of it blended.

About 2-3 grilled cheese sandwiches, half a bag of potato chips, etc.

This is why we have to pay attention to what we eat and how much. Restriction only does so much..

By no means is surgery an "easy way out!" Being addicted to food is just as bad as being addicted to other things. You have to do this for yourself and if you think other people knowing could be an issue, keep it to yourself. You can't worry about what a cup of food is like. Maybe other conventional methods like Weight Watchers is better for you. The bottom line is you'll change the amount of food you eat but you won't be deprived and hungry. You'll make better choices and be full and happy.

I can't even eat a cup of anything! I can only get two or three teaspoons of purée meats or beans in! And that's plenty enough for me when I feel the slightest fullness I stop and throw it away!

Don't concern yourself with "what others think." Say to yourself what you would do (and be), then do what you have to do... For you. Focus on you. Own yourself. Those others aren't your life.

Edited March 21, 20179 yr by Dr-Patient

Time eating is irrelevant. We eat no bread, carbs, sWeets. We are both 70. Husband maintains perfectly. I had a low BMI. I work with a life coach at the surgeon's office. No matter what, I struggle terribly, I eat less than my husband. I follow rules. I backtrack to shakes. I try the re-set the pouch.

Good to hear you both had it done at your age. I'm 69 and wonder if results will be different because of my age.

I have not told anyone I had surgery. I just say, "I am on a Dr.'s mandated diet. I have to eat less and I have to avoid carbs due to blood sugar issues". Anything further is no one's business but my own. I go out to eat all the time and it was a little weird at first, but people will accept what you tell them. I am 6 months out and 60 lbs. down and thank the stars every day that I did this. One ritz cracker instead of the whole sleeve is a joy only a compulsive eater can understand. Keep researching and soul-searching. You will figure out what is best for you.

10 hours ago, Finally17 said:

Good to hear you both had it done at your age. I'm 69 and wonder if results will be different because of my age.

We would do it again in a heartbeat. It has saved my husband's life. He just had a heart blockage. He would be dead if he still weighed 320 lbs, and especially because his diabetes is under control. I am off Metformin and we are both off 1 blood pressure med each. My asthma is under control.

I've had several friends tell me I'm helping them by setting an example for portion size. A few of my closest friends know I've had surgery but certainly not everyone. Even Weight Watchers teaches to eat just until your not hungry any longer......not till your full. That has been a blessing for me. I'm not doing it because that's what's recommended but because feeling full is very uncomfortable for me now. I just tell people I've had enough and often take my leftovers home for another couple of meals. It's really no ones business how much I eat so I don't feel bad declining large portions or leaving food on my plate. If I eat something when I'm not hungry it is as wasteful as throwing it in the garbage . This was the best thing I've done for myself and don't feel apologetic or like I need to explain........

....I am just SO self conscious about others knowing, people thinking I am weird, or weak, or "took the easy way out". I do not intent to tell any family members besides my spouse.
Your posts have been so very helpful.

No one knows I did the surgery except my fiancé & a close friend. I didn't want to hear anyone's negativity & to me, it's no one business what I do with my body. Everyone (co-workers, friends, family) know I've been struggling with weight for years & know I'm always on a diet. I lost a little over 30 lbs in a month but it looks healthy, not drastic. I don't even think many people noticed I lost that much weight. If anyone asks, I'll just tell them I've been exercising & dieting - no carbs, smaller portions which is practically the truth. I just leave the surgery part out of it.



Height: 5'0"
Weight for WLS consultation: 216 lbs.
Surgery date: 2/13/17
Goal: -71 lbs for healthy BMI (about 145 lbs).
Current weight: 180.8
My profile picture is not me. It's my "FITspiration" body.

I was just hoping it may be possible, at my absolute largest gorging meals, to be able to take in a portion of say, HALF of this size plate at holiday dinners, etc... right now I could probably eat 2 of these no problem

I could only stomach 2 1/2 oz of food a sitting. I'm almost 6 weeks out. Looking at that plate I could only take 3 bites of turkey, 3 bites of mash, one bite of asparagus. I doubt I'd have room for a bite of stuffing after eating what I just mentioned. By the way, this used to be one of my favorite foods ever (turkey, mash, & stuffing).

You can still eat this months after surgery, but with the stomach being 80% cut off it will be significantly smaller portion. Which is fine for me. I was fat because I could go for 3 of these plates before. Now the thought of it makes my tummy hurt.


Height: 5'0"
Weight for WLS consultation: 216 lbs.
Surgery date: 2/13/17
Goal: -71 lbs for healthy BMI (about 145 lbs).
Current weight: 180.8
My profile picture is not me. It's my "FITspiration" body.

I found this image from this forum, I guess if it makes sense, what I'm thinking of is wondering it it possible to have "B" instead of "A".

I'm not sure the answer. I only have 70 lbs altogether to lose & I'm petite but still cut out 80% of my stomach. This would be a good question to ask the surgeon when you go in for a consultation.



Height: 5'0"
Weight for WLS consultation: 216 lbs.
Surgery date: 2/13/17
Goal: -71 lbs for healthy BMI (about 145 lbs).
Current weight: 180.8
My profile picture is not me. It's my "FITspiration" body.

May I suggest over eaters anonymous? That might sound flippant but honestly it sounds like you have an eating disorder if you're that concerned about what people think when you're eating smaller portions that will ultimately benefit you.

It sounds like it's a mental issue with you, that you're craving that full feeling - and if the opinion of others concern you more than your health. Not good at all.

The point is to become healthy, to restrict your stomach and make practical choices in the meantime, because the stomach will eventually stretch – but if you're not mentally sound, and you're craving food, and you're trying to fill a void, and you're trying to feel full, and you're concerned about everybody else except your health, then no matter how small they make the stomach it won't work.

If you want to have more room to eat, then go see a nutritionist and have them give you a list of portion sizes that you can eat that are more than the gastric sleeve but less than what you eat now, and get on a nutrition program.

If you can't do that then get the sleeve the way it's meant to be, and make a commitment to something that will add 20 years to your life – and consider over eaters anonymous, because it helps people with food addictions, all sorts of them.

Sadly a lot of people are seeking a quick fix, and not to change their own lives through a conscious effort and hard work – self-realization is never easy but it is a sure path to peace.

There is a lot of misinformation in this thread.

Since @Proud2BMe seems to be the only person over 1 year post op to post. He is the only person that offered a realistic answer.

I'm 20 months post-op. I could eat all the mashed potatoes and gravy. They are a slider. Luckily I hate mashed potatoes. I could eat all the stuffing, another slider. I could probably eat all of the veggies too. Noticed I started with sliders and kept going with sliders. If I started with the turkey with no gravy, I would just be able to eat the turkey, nothing else. Since the turkey has gravy on it, I might be able to eat something else. It just depends.

When you see people at 2 to 5 years post op and they have regained, do you think theyou regained on protein shakes and dense protein? No, they regained on sliders. I can eat basically infinite amounts of chips or cookies if I want. They offer no restriction. As time goes on and you learn your sleeve and what slides through you learn what you can eat. I can eat an entire bag of baby spinach in one sitting. Salad greens are a slider. A good slider but a slider.

The idea that you are only going to be able to eat one cup of food for the rest of your life is completely ridiculous and totally false (unless you have some kind of complications like a stricture and even those people can eat a lot of sliders and usually do since sliders are easier for them than dense protein.).

I would like to share that I too had a lot of emotional eating issues before the surgery, particularly if I was trying to procrastinate doing something. The surgery has given me a "forced window" to change my habits. Now when I attempt to eat to avoid doing something, I have a Protein shake or string cheese. Once I've had that I am done and full. At that point I make the conscious effort to do what I was procrastinating. Sometimes, if I already feel a restriction, I make myself do what I need to do and THEN have my Protein Shake. My point is this: I'm making a conscious decision to utilize the surgery to change my bad habit patterns.

I do allow myself some sliders at 6 months but only a bite. That's my rule. If it's Cookies, I allow for 3 small cookies (never more than that in one day) or if it's cake, only a bite or two. Again, I'm building controlled habits. If I see that I've moved to a few more bites I make myself cut back again and replace with more protein. I USE my tool to make a better life.

I too feel uncomfortable when I eat with family and friends but what I've started doing is get up from the table a little sooner and start cleaning or serving others or visit more. No one seems to really notice and they seem happy so that's what matters in the long run.

I may be at the table for 30 minutes less but I'll be in their life for more years in the long run!

I would highly advise going full in on the surgery. In the end, you'll be eating normal amounts of food and you'll know that it worked the way it was intended to work. Remove less and you probably will not lose the amount of weight that your body was never intended to carry around for a lifetime anyway.

You got this and if f you have any more questions, we're here for you!