Question for those VSG Veterans Post Op 1 year +

[Liliana Arleen 173]

I have surgery date ,hopefully I can get my VSG if I can convince my surgeon that RYN is not for me. My questions is for those who are post op 1 year or more.

Do you think you can eat a bit more than when you were 6 months post op? Or are you eating the same amount of food as when you were 6 months post op?

How soon do you get full,with how many oz of liquids or food? I know everybody is different so I willing to read different opinions here TIA

[shaferb 1]

Liliana,

My date was 5/10/2010 so I am about 18 months out. I have lost 138lbs 347 to 209. 209 has been there for 3 or 4 months. While I'd be happy to lose say another 10lbs, I feel great at my current weight. I believe I eat about the same amount now as I did 6 months out. I'd not claim to be the 'poster boy' for vsg, but without a doubt VSG was the best choice I could have made.

For me, I believe eating habits have been the biggest adjustments I have needed to make. Not so much to please dieticians, but to understand that eating when I was no longer hungry caused problem for me. It's a psychological adjustment more than a physical one. Favorite foods still taste good even when I got full. I had to give myself permission in advance to go back 2 hours later and have a little more if I really wanted to then...no not plan to do so, but rather use that motivation to stop eating when satisfied...it's a fine line.

Today, I am confident that I will not gain back because I am able to control my appetite and I also really enjoy living an active lifestyle.

Bill Shafer

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Yes, I can eat quite a bit more now than I could at 6 months. I am at 2 1/2 years post op now. I can eat more now than I could at one year. I don't think I can eat all that much though.

I would say if it's solid meat like steak, I can eat 3 oz or a little less. At 6 months, it was more like counting the bites, not counting the ounces if that makes sense.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

I'm almost 14 months out and yes I can really eat more than I could at 6 months out. I don't remember the exact amounts at six months but I'd say its noticeable.

I can eat probably about 3/4 to one cup of food depending what's on my plate. The only thing that really still gets me full very fast are very dense meats. Dense meats and I won't get past 2-3 oz and maybe one bite of veggies.

I still don't feel though that my capacity is too much. I do burn tons of calories with my workouts and even though I'm not outright trying to lose "weight" I am still losing. Even if I didn't workout as much as I do, I'd still be ok with my portions.

HTH

[sleeve 4 me 910]

I am 14 months out and everyday it changes for me. Some days I can actually finish a meal. Yesterday I could only take a few bites of my dinner, and it was sooooo yummy, but I had to stop, no choice. Today at lunch I had a large slice of pizza and could only have half, but other times I can literally finish the whole slice. Go figure. Sleevie really keeps me in check and I'm so thankful.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

In terms people go by, I can eat most of half of a sandwich, even though I rarely eat that because I don't eat bread.< /p>

I can eat one piece of pizza and sometimes I try to eat the toppings off another, but then I am way too full, so I try not to do that.

I can eat one taco.

I can eat half of a small chicken breast, with about 1/4 c veggies.

[Tiffykins 673]

My capacity for dense Proteins have remained the same since about 7-9 months post-op. Now sliders, breads, crackers, pretzels, junk foods, I can eat a lot more of those foods. Liquids go right on through, I can guzzle Water now, if I really gulp down a huge drink, I might burp afterward, or feel a little tightness but for the most part if I swallow liquids, they go in and out.

For reference, I can eat;

1 slice of medium pizza of thin crust pizza

1 small fajita with Beans, a little rice, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and about 4 small strips of chicken or steak

I can eat 3 inches of a meatball sub from Subway minus the top part of the bread, I can only eat the bottom part of their rolls.

Steak 4-5oz depending type of steak and how it is prepared

chicken breast - about 1/2-3/4 depending on what I eat with it

I can eat pretty much any type of chips, Cookies, pretzels, crackers without feeling much restriction at all.

Chili type consistency stuff is about 3/4-1 cup

Yogurt or anything extremely smooth like mashed potatoes give very little restriction as well

If I stretch my meal out more than 35-45 minutes, I can eat more. If I eat Protein mixed with other foods, I can eat more. If I eat salad or starchy stuff with my meal, I can fit more in.

If I follow the rules all the time, I still have phenomenal restriction at 29 months out. For most social settings, I eat just about the same amounts as my other skinny friends. Of course, social lunches and dinners can last 1.5-2 hours so I can eat quite a bit more.

[NtvTxn 1,262]

I'm almost 17 months out and I can eat quite a bit more than I did at six months. I ask my husband, "Did I eat a lot?" pretty often! I know it sounds nuts, but to ME it looks like a huge amount, but in reality it is not. I can look at other people's plates in a restaurant, and it astounds me what others consume, and to think I use to eat the same amount!! What can I eat??!!! Well, like many of the others, 1 slice of pizza. I can eat a half cup of cottage cheese and a pineapple slice, although lately, a third cup with the pineapple fills me up. I ate two scrambled eggs this morning with a quarter oz of LF cheddar.....normally I eat one with the cheese. I am really full, too full I think. I need to stick to one egg. I can eat 2.5 - 3 oz of dense Protein with a bite or two of whatever veggie and I try and always add an eighth cup of cottage cheese. (great protein!) I seldom eat a sandwhich unless it is at a sandwich shop, then I eat a little of the bread and mostly just the insides. Restriction is still good....I've been maintaining for about 11 months.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Sounds like all of us past one year out can eat about exactly the same!

[clk 3,519]

Yeah, great posts Tiffy and Oregondaisy! I'm 16 months out and can definitely eat more than at six months. I think the way Oregondaisy put it is exactly right - at six months I was counting bites, not ounces, because it was a real fight to eat much of anything.

I'm about the same as everyone else:

1 slice of very thin crust pizza with cheese and mushrooms

3/4 to 1 cup of Soup, unless it's very hearty like a stew or chili, then it's more like 1/2 to 3/4 cup

1 egg

2 to 3 oz of dense Protein like lamb, beef or sausage, 3 to 4 oz of soft chicken

1 hard shell taco

8-10 potato chips, 5-6 regular pretzels

1 slice of toast, if it's not too big (but I can't eat anything else if I do this, so I avoid it)

I have a huge capacity when it comes to popcorn so I have to watch it - I can eat 2 cups before I feel full

I still can't eat:

Soft tortillas, especially flour - they gum up and expand, hurting my tummy

Pasta - anything beyond one or two bites fills me up immediately

Rice - I can sometimes get a few tablespoons of rice in, but it's not easy

I'll say once you're past a year it's still easier than pre-op but it's definitely a little tougher to control what you eat. I can easily eat 1500 calories in a day if I choose to have a soda and eat carbs all day. I'd have to do it all the time to gain weight, but I have to make good choices or I'll go off track. But going back to eating half a dozen hot wings and half a pizza like pre-op just isn't going to happen!

Good luck to you!

~Cheri

[Liliana Arleen 173]

Thank you so much ya all All this information is very helpful

[Forensikchic 528]

I am three months out and was wondering the same thing. In the past two weeks my sleeve capacity has gotten bigger. I was at about 4 to 6 bites and now its a little more I notice. I couldnt eat a whole 5 oz greek yogurt and now I can finish it. I can eat about 3/4 of a taco (hard shell only) if I dont have anything else... I usually have about 3 chips and salsa broken up and then I can only eat half my taco. I dont have this often. I can eat about 2.5 ounces of Talapia.. my staple food. I eat a LOT of talapia. I love it and its easy to eat..lots of Protein. I season it differently so I dont get bored. I can eat about a half a cup of chili type food if I take it slow. I love that I have a lot of restriction and I hope it stays that way. I dont push it. If i get that lump in my chest, I stop. I always tell my husband that it feels like I swallowed a small potato whole and its stuck in my chest. The feeling is uncomfortable but not really painful. I dont like it so I try to avoid it. Milk makes me extremely full very quickly and i have to pace myself to drink a cup of it. It also hurts my tummy now so I buy lactaid milk or take the little tablet lactase. I just felt like chiming in here.. hope you dont mind. I was excited to see that you dont loose much restriction at a year or so out.