My "food funeral"

With my weight loss surgery coming up in less than 3 weeks, I am down to 5 days of my old eating habits. Starting Sunday, I have to be on 5 meal replacement shakes a day for 14 days prior to surgery (with no meals). After surgery, I will have one week of clear liquids, one week of thicker liquids, a week of pureed/mushy food (refried beans, mashed potatoes, etc) then I can start adding in softer solids such as baked/canned/poached fish. It will probably be 2 months or more before I can eat solid red meat or pork.

This last week or so that I am in is often used by people in my position to have bittersweet last meals in their favorite restaurants. Oddly, I am not really interested in doing that. I don't feel like I am going to miss a place for the rest of my life. I guess that is because I have been "in training" leading up to this time/date and don't want to ruin my progress.

I am thinking that my food funeral will be short, sweet and only be one meal of splurging... I am thinking about a lunchtime pizza or calzone on Friday and then back to the plan. Maybe Impellizari's or Cliftons. They are two of my fave's.

It should be interesting.

It should also be noted that if I explode in rage/anger and offend/hurt anyone in the next two weeks, it is not personal ... it is the shakes and lack of food talking.

While listening to the faint refrain of Taps wafting through the air...

With the pending long term restrictions on meats, I believe I would forgo any carbs whatsoever. You should be thinking more along the lines of bratwursts, ribeyes, and osso buco.

and wine, and beer. Yeah beer, and wine. Gotta have that.

[Robin Garr]

I am thinking that my food funeral will be short, sweet and only be one meal of splurging... I am thinking about a lunchtime pizza or calzone on Friday and then back to the plan. Maybe Impellizari's or Cliftons.

Pete, if those are your faves, then that's what you should do! I might think of Papalino's or Coals, but those are my faves - with Impellizzeri's and Boombozz in a strong runner-up position.

Meanwhile, thanks for sharing your journey with us, and please know that my thoughts and best wishes - and I'm sure those of the forum family - are with you as you go into this. I think you'll be happy with the outcome at the end of the process, and isn't that what it's all about?

and wine, and beer. Yeah beer, and wine. Gotta have that.

and isn't that what it's all about?

Exactly, and my wife has threatened me ... If I die on her prematurely because of my weight issues and leave her alone with the 4 four boys, she is going to dig me up and kill me again with her own hands

Pete, wishing you well on your journey. As I have said my son has had weight loss surgery at age 19, I feel it saved his life/Before he lost weight he had a never ending battle with cellulitis in his legs the last 2 years before surgery he was in the hospital at least 6 times for IV antibiotics since then once and that was 8 years ago. Please dont think of this as a funeral cause it could very well be preventing one.

It's not the end, it's a new beginning! Congrats on your new life!

I agree with not thinking of it as a funeral -- once you start eating more healthfully, you'll wonder how you ever lived any other way. Your body really adapts quickly, and pretty soon processed junk food and fatty stuff just doesn't sit well with the stomach anymore. Good luck!

Well, I had my Impellizari's 4 cheese pizza on Friday, and grilled dogs on Saturday for my sons birthday. Since Sunday morning, I have had nothing but meal replacement shakes to shrink the liver. Needless to say, it has been a rough couple days ... but I am down another 6lbs. in 2 days.

[Robin Garr]

but I am down another 6lbs. in 2 days.

Hey! When the going gets tough, the tough get going! Good on ya, Pete, and hang in there, knowing your forum pals' thoughts are with you.

So a quick update ... yesterday was my 4 week followup from surgery. I am down a total of 70 lbs (50 pre-surgery and 20 in the past 4 weeks).

I am going to spend the rest of my life eating of the kid's and appetizer menus I think Right now, I am able to eat between 2 Tbs and 1/3C of food at a time, depending on consistency. I start fish this week, and will get to have chicken, turkey and lean ground beef next week. I still have 3 more months before I can attempt solid beef or pork. A 1/3 c. of mashed potatoes makes me feel as though I have eaten a full Thanksgiving dinner!

-Pete

[Robin Garr]

Hang in there, Pete! It sounds like you're making great progress, and thanks for sharing your journey so we can be here in moral support for you.

So a quick update ... yesterday was my 4 week followup from surgery. I am down a total of 70 lbs (50 pre-surgery and 20 in the past 4 weeks).

I am going to spend the rest of my life eating of the kid's and appetizer menus I think Right now, I am able to eat between 2 Tbs and 1/3C of food at a time, depending on consistency. I start fish this week, and will get to have chicken, turkey and lean ground beef next week. I still have 3 more months before I can attempt solid beef or pork. A 1/3 c. of mashed potatoes makes me feel as though I have eaten a full Thanksgiving dinner!

-Pete

Pete-
You are making incredible progress- so happy to hear it. And regarding the "Kids and appetizer menu" restriction: there are several places in town that are doing great "Small Plates" menus- I'd aim for these . You'd get small portions of incredible food so you can enjoy and not feel deprived. Anchorage Cafe, Volare bar and Red Hog at Blue Dog are all wonderful for this.

Best of Luck-
Deb

Glad you are doing well - congratulations on your weight loss.

I eat off of kids' menus quite regularly. I find the adult portions just too large now even after losing weight the old-fashioned way. The only problem I usually run into is lack of vegetables because restaurants seem to assume kids don't like them. I got a kids' dish at Yang Kee Noodle once and it had a single piece of broccoli in it and one carrot slice.

It saves money too!

I dislike it when places put age limits on the kids' menu. I don't care if you don't want to give me a free drink, that's fine (that's how Yang Kee does it) and you don't have to give it to me for 99 cents if I happened (by accident) to come on kids' night...but don't make me feel as if because I'm an adult I must purchase a supersized platter of food instead of a normal sized plate.