Lesson learned...

[leebick 448]

I am more than 6 months post-op and doing well. My weight, blood levels, etc., are all at the point that my surgeon hopes to see at a YEAR post-op; she and my Nut were both very impressed and supportive at my 6month visit. I am saying this just so people realize I AM following the program... mostly...

It is school vacation week and I decided to treat myself; I went to the Chinese buffet for lunch. Nobody else in my family likes this kind of meal, so I usually take myself to lunch once or twice a year. I have been doing really well with Portion Control, so thought I was ready. I ate the filling from two crab rangoons, the meat from inside one dumpling, a small chicken meatball, most of a 3" piece of chicken teriyaki, a 2" piece of boneless rib, and part of the meat (no skin, no coating) from a piece of chicken wing. I'd been eating slowly and was feeling full, but not bad, so I decided to have some ice cream. I LOVE the soft serve at the buffet, and thought I'd be OK. Four slow, small bites of ice cream and I was hustling off to the bathroom, where most of my lunch came back up!

You might wonder why I thought Chinese buffet would be an OK thing. Well, I have had eggs foo yung several times since surgery, successfully. I buy the quart-sized box, don't eat the rice or gravy, and one box gives me one or two dinners AND three or four lunches. I mean, it's mostly eggs and veg (and grease... but I scrape off as much of the gravy as humanly possible). I thought if I am OK with this, I should be OK with the appetizer-type foods- and a treat trip to the buffet is a vacation tradition for me! Looking at it now, I realize I ate way more than I'd usually eat in a meal; it looked like not much because of the parts I wasn't eating, and it's SO MUCH less than I used to eat, but when I think about the sheer quantity of the food, I can see what the problem was: TOO MUCH FOOD! You know what else, though? I didn't enjoy it like I used to enjoy it. I don't revel in the greasiness anymore- fat/grease makes me kind-of want to gag a little bit. However, my relationship to food has changed. I realize now that part of my food-affair was the sheer quantity of food that I could eat. I can't eat like that anymore, and I don't miss it. Don't get me wrong- some of that food yesterday tasted delicious- but it's not the same anymore, and I am fine with that. Honestly, remembering how I felt all afternoon and evening, I don't think I'll be tempted by the Chinese buffet again!

[kimba21539 48]

Thanks for sharing leebric. Chinese buffet is my favorite as well as my kids.

[B.Annie 290]

Honestly, Chinese food is one of the biggest food groups I will miss terribly once I have surgery. I haven't had any rice or noodles in months due to low carb de monitored diet and I'm ok with that. But jalapeño chicken and grilled Chinese chicken is my all time favorite. I also enjoy a dumpling or two when at a buffet but not much else. I am glad to know having some Chinese wasn't the primary root of your side effects, but the amount and desert. I hope to enjoy a few bites of Chinese after surgery at some point just for the flavor of Chinese spices. Probably a better hope would be that surgery changes my taste buds to the point where Chinese no longer sounds appealing though.


HW: 328 (02/22/17)
SW: TBD
CW: 292

[leebick 448]

1 minute ago, B.Annie said:

Honestly, Chinese food is one of the biggest food groups I will miss terribly once I have surgery. I haven't had any rice or noodles in months due to low carb de monitored diet and I'm ok with that. But jalapeño chicken and grilled Chinese chicken is my all time favorite. I also enjoy a dumpling or two when at a buffet but not much else. I am glad to know having some Chinese wasn't the primary root of your side effects, but the amount and desert. I hope to enjoy a few bites of Chinese after surgery at some point just for the flavor of Chinese spices. Probably a better hope would be that surgery changes my taste buds to the point where Chinese no longer sounds appealing though.


HW: 328 (02/22/17)
SW: TBD
CW: 292

I'm not sure you'll have to give up all Chinese food unless you choose to. It sounds like you are a fan of the flavors, not necessarily turned on by the grease and quantity; my favorite part of the buffet was always the appetizer section, and I'd eat two platesful of that stuff before ever looking at the entrees! If I were you, I'd be looking for Chinese recipes you can cook at home, looking for flavors and spices you can eat/enjoy. I know that's what I will be doing... once I can actually think of Chinese food again, LOL! Honestly, I didn't have this surgery so I can eliminate large groups of foods from my diet. All along I have said that I am going to use my sleeve as a tool to help me with Portion Control and food choice, but I'd be lying to say I'm never again going to have an adult beverage, or some bites of pie, or a couple of fried clams. My goal is to stick to ONE or TWO small servings, bites, etc., of whatever I CHOOSE to eat. I was never good on either portion control or food choice, but now I am getting REALLY good at it (yesterday's fiasco not withstanding...)