what happens in a year or so

are you able to live normally again, i read that someone was able to eat steak again, how ling before you can really start to eat food with out worrying about anything?

your gonna always have to worry about sugars and grease and stuff...

I am six weeks out and can eat most foods. I have not tried sugar yet nor do I plan to. Early on I had some lobster bisque and I dumped on it, I am going to assume it had sugar in it. I can eat any meat that I can chew into small pieces.

Hi Florida Girl, I am one year post-op. Foods are trial and error. I am lucky. I have not had any major problems with food. The problems that I have had are usually caused by eating too quickly, not chewing well enough. I can eat steak without any problems. Some of my friends are not so lucky. I usually try a new food at home. I'm always afraid of a reaction at a public place. I do avoid all sugars and fried foods. I also ask questions. I explain that I cannot have sugar and usually ask for sauces, dressings, etc on the side. It seems at one year, that my pouch is not as picky as in the beginning. If you have a reaction to something one time, do not avoid the food forever. Try again. Sometimes one thing that doesn't agree with you will be fine the next time. I eat out regularly and do enjoy my meals. Best of luck to you! Best wishes, Debbie

That depends what you mean by normal. I asked myself this before surgery and pretty much the last ten years of my life has been on some sort of diet. Is this normal? Well to me I had gotten to a point where I had no options to do this so I already had the mindset (and done lots of research) that no matter what I was going to deal w/ what lies ahead. It really hasn't been a walk in the park, it is all trial and error. I am only 2.5 months out and I eat steak, yet chicken I can't tolerate it. At least for now I am never hungry and I really haven't craved anything. Good Luck if you are looking into it and remember do lots of research so you know what to expect!

I am 7 months out and can eat almost anything except bread and rice. It took me a long time (3-4 months) to be able to tolerate most meat, but now that is OK if I chew it well and it isn't too dry. I avoid sugar, high fat and high carb foods, but I am not militant about it, I just try to make good choices. I know what foods got me to be morbidly obese, so I try to avoid those foods. I do eat pasta and tortillas which some people avoid, but I figure in moderation, it isnt gonna kill my progress. What WOULD kill my progress would be my pattern of eating sweets, pastries and fast food. Now I never go thru the drive thru (well, except for an occasional chili from Wendy's), prior to surgery I was a drive thru addict (breakfast, lunch AND dinner), not to mention take out/delivery queen. Today, I can honestly say, I am not only thinner but I have a lot more money since I dont eat out as much, plus there is plenty of food in the pantry and fridge now versus it being empty before. I bet the pizza and chinese places near me are near bankruptcy since I never call them anymore. Trust me, you'll gain your life with surgery, you wont lose it because you cant eat something !

I'll be 5 years post op in April. I can eat ALL foods. Trust me, you don't want to "start to eat food without worrying about anything" That is when we stop the weight loss or/and start to put back the weight. The honeymoon period is about 1 year to a year and a half. You need to use this time to the MAX. After that losing weight is difficult, most of the time it completely stops. I know many wls friends who have put on 50-100 pounds. I long for the days when 1 bite made me full or nauseated. Enjoy this time, try not to think of any foods your missing, that time will come all too soon. Best of luck on your WL journey!!

I did forget to mention something. I do avoid bread and pasta. Only occasionally will I eat a small amount of pasta. It fills my pouch very quickly and makes me feel "overstuffed". Bread hates me! By the time I finish chewing it, I no longer enjoy the taste.

Hi Florida Girl! I'm 4 months out and can tolerate most foods. My only 'dumping' episode to date was 5 weeks out when I made a poor choice for dinner out - not sure if the sauce had too much suger or if I ate too fast or if the food just did not agree with me. Since then, I've had episodes where food feels 'stuck'...sometimes this lasts a couple of hours, more uncomfortable than anything. This is usually because I eat too fast, which means I eat more than I should...it's a very over full feeling. I can tolerate steak (I've only had VERY tender pieces), chicken, unless it's in a sauce or in soup, I've had a tough time with. I can eat some breads (better with darker breads), rice & pasta. Both pasta & rice, I make sure are cooked well, so they have less room to expand in my stomach. I generally eat about 6 oz at a meal, mostly this depends on how dense the meal is. For the most part...I feel like I do lead a normal life. I no longer use a straw, I do not drink sodas or alcohol and I don't drink with my meals. Other than that, and avoiding most sugars, it's as normal as I want to be. Best of luck in your journey, Valerie