bbq guys that love to cook and drink good red wine

[oldmike 13]

do people that love to cook / grill and enjoy the presentation of food still feel that passion ? do you enjoy a fine red wine and just a smaller taste of the master piece smoked pork roast or does the desire to be around food and foody people go away - i have had a band for little over 5 years and no results but getting stuck and frustrated , i am scheduled to get band removed and be sleeved in next 8 weeks - will it really be the change i wanted with the band ? will there be a respect for fine foods with just a ability to not over indulge ? so many questions i know but i too want to say " it was the best thing i ever did for myself ! i enjoy reading the female posts and am happy for them because weight surely effects them different and they are judged harder then over weight men - but i would sure love to hear from or visit with the guys that love to cook and their relationship with the sleeve...thank you ......mike

[dlappjr 467]

I am a lover of all things grilled/smoked. Happy to say that after 6 weeks, I was able to have pork, chicken and fish. I still love smoked foods. I was never much of a drinker, so I cannot comment on that. I involve smoked salmon and smoked pork tenderloin in my diet frequently. Last night I made turkey chili and as a replacement for naturally smoked meat, I used liquid smoke when sautéing the onions and peppers for the chili. Made a huge difference. Everyone loved the chili and it was all within my plan. I must say, smoked salmon added to scrambled eggs with some gruyere is my most favorite Breakfast. Love me some protein!

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I don't have a penis, but I love red wine.

And great barbeque.

And steak tartare.

I had beef chili and Beans for lunch today.

However ...

When I was losing weight I didn't eat / drink a lot of this stuff. I didn't drink wine until I was almost six months out. And, of course, it was a good red.

These days, my wine drinking isn't every night, and it's typically 4 ounces. On weekends with friends, I may (or may not) wind up drinking more than 4 ounces. Or drinking single-malt scotch, but I really do sip, sip, sip the spirits, so I wind up not drinking all that much scotch.

I still go to wine tastings. (Went to one last weekend.) I still prowl the aisles of my favorite wine merchants stores, looking for big cabs, zesty zins, and complicated pinots.

Oh, did I mention dark chocolate? I don't need to -- you know what I mean.

Again, remember that I've lost 95 pounds and am maintaining at 140 pounds while eating / drinking 1,700 calories a day. FTR, I'm not a gym rat, but I do walk a lot. And in a month I'll be 70 years old. Make that a HAWT 70 years old.

Lucky me.

P.S. If you really want feedback only from guys, there's a men's room here, where the women rarely post. (When they do post there, it's probably because they're posting from the mobile BP app, which doesn't make it clear which forum a thread was started in.) Anyway, you can take your question to the guys there and get your penis fix.

[oldmike 13]

thanks dude

[oldmike 13]

thank you ann - all is helpful - wasent discounting the females advise its just that men seem to not comment and i know different things effect me different ways

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

You're very welcome.

[dlappjr 467]

I will add: If you are smoking meat and using a rub, watch the sugar content. I have found that there is a brown sugar that is half stevia and half brown sugar so it has less sugar. I also have packets of Stevia in the Raw, but have yet to see how they work in a rub. Not sure about grilling/smoking with artificial sweeteners.

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,444]

@@oldmike -- Here's another woman, but because I thought you were offering your topic's title.

There are men who are active on the site and communicate quite well their experiences. They'll probably stop by. Mind you, this is not to discount @@dlappjr.

Sorry that your band never worked for you. I'm still banded and did very well the first 15 months. My reversal was my own doing. Now I'm weighing the possibility of an adjustment to see if my Boy Scout has any life remaining before going for sleeve.

All the best.

Laurie

Edited November 2, 2015 by WLSResources/ClothingExch

[magtart 603]

Calling Dub to the white courtesy phone...

That man knows his way around a grill!

[B-52 7,113]

First, I had the Lap Band Procedure....

That said, I used to LOVE food and LOVE going to restaurants.

It was a topic of discussion places we discovered that had the best steak, BBQ, whatever...

Mortens was my favorite, and whenever I traveled for business first thing I would do is see if the city had one.

I was a pretty good cook also, and enjoyed cooking for the family whenever we got together...and they looked forward to it.

Fast Forward....My taste in foods have changed completely...I am never hungry and do not desire to eat most of the time..no interest in eating.

meat was a problem getting down with the band...and since all my Dr.'s wanted me to cut back ( I did have at least one heart attack resulting in Cardiac Surgery) I decided it was as good as time as ever to quit altogether...so I have not eaten red meat in almost 5 years now.

Red Wine? Not so much...gives me reflux because of my surgery. But I do enjoy other mixed drinks, and will also have a beer now and then.

So yes, I did turn my back on a lot...but what I got in return is the best I could have ever imagined...I am a Vietnam Veteran, 2 months shy of 64, and I feel like I'm 30...

I have become somewhat of a health nut...always looking for natural, organic foods.

May not be what you wanted to hear....but that is what this has done to me. And I don't regret it one bit.

[OKCPirate 5,323]

@@oldmike - I'm sorry for B-52's experience. I have been blessed that I'm still enjoying meat. Grilled meat and BBQ vital to this southern boy. I have no problem enjoying it, but in much smaller serving sizes. I mix my own sauces and I have never considered using stevia until @@dlappjr mentioned it. Will try it this week.

The biggest advantage to those who love meat...you can get the really good stuff to grill and since you will only eat 4 ounces at a time I splurge at whole foods getting the best cuts of grass fed, no antibiotic stuff. It tastes great, melts in your mouth. I enjoy cooking up a big spread when the boys are here especially with their buddies.

As far as good red wine goes, again a little of very good stuff goes a long way. Any leftover wine makes a great reduction sauce.

[PMJ 55]

Amen to all of that.

Once your up to full speed again it should all fall into place. Just in much smaller amounts but still enjoy (if not more) every bite and sip.

Wish I lived close cause I bet you make the neighborhood smell good!

Best to you and quick recovery

[Dub 9,922]

Howdy @@oldmike

You raise some great questions.

Before my surgery I was a big fan of grilling & chilling.

I'm not far enough along with my weight loss surgery allowable diet to see.

Still in the liquids stage.

I'm thinking that I'll still really enjoy it and just buy smaller cuts like OKCPirate is doing.

Right now I'd eat the hind leg off a hobby horse to get away from these damn shakes.

Who knows.......I may do some burgers for my family tomorrow.

[Djmohr 6,965]

@@Dub

Let us know how that hobby horse goes down! LOL! Your posts literally keep me in tears! Laughing of course.

I am not a male nor am I a sleeve but thought I would add my two cents.

I don't know if this is all bypass folks or just me. I love to cook and love to grill. My relationship with food has definately changed but mostly for the good.

I have noticed that I don't tolerate smoke flavor much anymore. In fact it can actually make me sick pretty quickly. I think it could be an aversion but I definately know that it has happened post surgery.

I figure like most things, this will resolve over time but for now bacon is about the only smoky flavor I can tolerate and I certainly cannot do double smoke.

I am 13 months post op and have yet to try any alcohol. The most I have done is take a tiny sip of my sons bourbon. Then again, I did not drink frequently pre surgery, maybe once every 6 weeks or so.

[2goldengirl 2,076]

As a lifelong cook (and yes, I DO know my way around pulled pork, and set up a charcoal snake in my Weber kettle for it), I can offer this. Mind you, I'm pre-pre-op, so this is based on that. I'm a big baker, especially at the holidays. I make lots and lots of things I won't dare describe here so I don't set up somebody's carb jones. I have Swedish roots, and it's in my DNA.

And I nearly never have a bite of it. I love the doing of it. I love the smell of yeast and spices and the alchemy that turns a wet mass of goop into something lovely and delicious, but it's in the doing, and the giving, that I get the most pleasure. I make it all for the kids (OK, they're in their 20's and married now) and the neighbors and dear friends. I love planning and preparing special meals for parties and company, but it's the sharing and the company that I enjoy more than the eating of any of it.

And the wine. You most definitely have a point there with the wine. And my fave is champagne. Yeah. Gonna be a long time postop before I can be in the same room with my drug of choice again.

But I don't think the part of you that loves the doing of 'cue has to change. It's a skill, and one that's best enjoyed in the company of others. Cooking is part art, part science, part dance, and part love. I don't think hunger, or lack of it, has to be part of that equation for you to love doing it.