So I am seriously considering having gastric sleeve surgery but I'm afraid of what I can eat post surgery. I am not a vegetable eater( I can eat lettuce and maybe raw carrots, that's it...). I'm afraid that this might hinder my success. Anyone out there in the same boat? Have you been successful? Just wondering what others think:) Thanks!!

You are making excuses - post surgery you can eat - Over time

i have said this a bunch of times - I hate water and I hate fruits and vegtables -

so soups Fresh light fish shellfish crab soft wet meat all good for me since about 4 weeks

56 minutes ago, mmoon said:

So I am seriously considering having gastric sleeve surgery but I'm afraid of what I can eat post surgery. I am not a vegetable eater( I can eat lettuce and maybe raw carrots, that's it...). I'm afraid that this might hinder my success. Anyone out there in the same boat? Have you been successful? Just wondering what others think:) Thanks!!

Its great that you are doing research,

Trust your professionals. consult your surgeon’s office. A protein only diet may be an issue. You need good nourishment to stay healthy in this process.

My examples may not be something you like. Its to give you an Idea how I eat. I was not a big fan of vegetable pre surgery. Post-surgery, I found ways to cook vegetables that I enjoy.

• Hamburgers: Lettuce wrapped version - hamburger or turkey burger patty with tomato and onion. Hamburger salad version: a bowl of shredded lettuce Hamburger/turkey burger, onion, tomato, pickles
• Chicken/beef fajitas: (no tortilla) with bell peppers and onion.
• Teriyaki stir fry:(no rice) Stir-fried vegetables Protein of your choice(Chicken/beef/pork/shrimp) and riced cauliflower
• Pizza: (no crust) Veggies, turkey peperoni, pizza sauce mozzarella. Many healthy substitutes for crust.

Anyway, these are a few examples of what works for me.

You'll be fine I think. I also hate most veggies and in the first 6 months post-op you'll be focusing on protein and not getting much veg. I'm going to start working some in as I get closer to 1000 cals a day.

Hmmm well I liked veggies but they didn’t much care for me. I lost weight eating strict low carb and calories due to metabolic disorders and chronic illness but as i started adding veggies my weight crept up.

eventually despite my efforts my weight skyrocketed and my gallbladder wasn’t functioning properly I sought out bariatric surgery. My BMI was 40.1 I ended up having gastric bypass surgery due to gastric reflux.

You don’t worry about veggies for a while anyway. You follow a dietary plan. First is liquid proteins, always fluids and get protein first, then move to soft foods aka puree, then soft food with soft veggies, then in maintenance add complex carbs. (That’s according to my dietary guidelines) timeline is based on both the guidelines and your own progress.

dont worry about veggies just yet. First is finding protein drinks you like,then soft protein foods, then veggies. And honestly there really are tasty ways to get veggies.

They have so many tast veggie options now. I like Dr. praegers black bean chipotle pollock burgers I make them with BariatricPal protein mash potatoes. I like dr praeger veggie burger since it’s a blend of protein and veggies in a burger , they have one callled perfect burger.

bariatric surgery in my opinion works best sticking to low carb and low sugar (my nutritionist says no more than 5 grams of sugar) and veggies come later it’s the protein that’s vital. Plus you base your daily protein on your weight. (0.8 grams of protein per 1 kg of body weight if I recall correctly)

take the first step and take it from there. In my opinion As long as you stay low carb, little to no sugar, get your optimal protein, drink fluids, get fiber (soluble and insoluble) take Whole Foods based vitamins (I suggest garden of life gummy drops multi vitamins to start) and take probiotics. Veggies are just filler foods. But good protein and especially healthy fats are even more so filling.

Edited December 17, 20196 yr by Darktowerdream

I never liked raw veggies, & not a lot of cooked oned either.

I add baby spinach to my smoothies.

Spinach leaves,

Almond milk, or yoghurt, sometimes a little frozen fruit.

Sometimes some protein flavoring (from the Bariatric Pal Store).

It's all good. You don't taste the spinach.

Thanks for the advise everyone. I have an appt after the first of the year. I had originally planned to have surgery last spring/summer, but chickened out. I'm just afraid that once it's done, I'll regret it. There's no going back. Super scary!!! So many different things to consider. I'm worried that I will have cravings for the bad foods because that's what I want to eat all the time now!! lol!! But I just feel like such crap. No energy, short of breath, joint and muscle aches, etc. I'm a nurse and some of the people I work with have discouraged me from having the surgery. They say you shouldn't change your body permanently, it will cause problems.Some of my close friends feel the same. I have had a few surgeries in the past and have had weird complications, nothing super serious, just weird. I work with a girl that had this surgery and she is doing great, bumps along the way, but great!! Sorry for the long rant!! I know you all can relate and understand! Thanks again!!

1 hour ago, mmoon said:

Thanks for the advise everyone. I have an appt after the first of the year. I had originally planned to have surgery last spring/summer, but chickened out. I'm just afraid that once it's done, I'll regret it. There's no going back. Super scary!!! So many different things to consider. I'm worried that I will have cravings for the bad foods because that's what I want to eat all the time now!! lol!! But I just feel like such crap. No energy, short of breath, joint and muscle aches, etc. I'm a nurse and some of the people I work with have discouraged me from having the surgery. They say you shouldn't change your body permanently, it will cause problems.Some of my close friends feel the same. I have had a few surgeries in the past and have had weird complications, nothing super serious, just weird. I work with a girl that had this surgery and she is doing great, bumps along the way, but great!! Sorry for the long rant!! I know you all can relate and understand! Thanks again!!

I live with lifelong chronic illness and disability and have had my share of surgeries and problems come up fromnthem including my gastric bypass surgery, I had stricture, and some issues revealed themselves not caused by surgery but just that the surgery made me more aware of them and put me in a position to get diagnosis. But despite the fact that it’s been problematic for my chronic health issues, I still do not regret having gastric bypass surgery.

because I had no way anymore to fight it alone and needed the tool to fight my weight that or just give up and know my weight was going to keep going up and basically eat me alive. And I was fighting as hard as I could but getting nowhere fast.

being a nurse is high stress and hard on you physically and mentally.

just think about where you are in life and how the tool would work for you in improving you health and well-being. Try to shut out the pressure of others and think in terms of how much the surgery will improve life and eating habits. It gives new perspective. Read @FluffyChixposting about doing the head work and start there ❤️

I say grow up and get over your vegetable phobia. Everyone who has surgery has to adapt.

9 hours ago, Superman84 said:

I say grow up and get over your vegetable phobia. Everyone who has surgery has to adapt.

I wish it was that easy to just get over it but unfortunately it doesn't work that way for all.

Your taste preferences will change through the process, and you may find that vegetables do not taste as bad once you can add them back post surgery. As others mentioned above, the focus is on protein so there is no need to force yourself to eat vegetables.

Prior to surgery I used to joke that my four food groups were butter, sugar, flour and meat, but after months of purees and protein, I was craving salad the same way I craved desserts and fast food prior to surgery. Texture withdrawal was real and the taste of the vegetable not important as long as it was crunchy.

You might be surprised at how bad your old favorites actually taste (and make you feel) once you begin to break those connections/habits in your mind. Things I used to binge on literally taste awful to me now. After months following the program, the pleasure centers in my brain do not react the same way. And I keep encountering new surprises as I try new things....

I guess what I'm saying is that you will experience more changes than just your physical weight. Don't let your past mindset sabotage your future potential.