Really want Pizza!! One month out and stomach seems to be very accepting of most things....which is worrisome!

[slimslen]

So I know the nutritional info is listed and I know it's BAD even with THIN Crust. But what I can't find is nutritional value, or a good guess, on peeling the topping off of the pizza crust with very little sauce? It's basically just cheese. So Im sure the fat content not good, but carbs should be minimal?? Ive made my own 'pizza' at home with low carb this and fat free that and it's just not doing it for me. I want the REAL DEAL!!! Anyone given in to pizza yet or know how bad just the topping is for you? Im a little over a month out from surgery and have been able to eat things that most people can't at this point. Im eating beef jerky and fajita chicken. I just had a fajita chicken salad - just chicken, cheese, lettuce and tomato with extremely minimal dressing (i just dip my fork prongs into the dressing about half way after I put a bite in my mouth just to get a little taste of dressing with each bite - all in all I dont eat even a teaspoon of dressing with the entire salad). It worries me that I can eat so many different things so soon but I am very conscious of WHAT I eat and how much. There are a few things that bother me - turkey burger patties, tomato based sauces (bruschetta) and dairy - but of the things I have tried, most have gone down well- which is scary and surprising. I almost wish I would get sick trying to eat most things instead of not having much trouble eating most things. Just means Im really gonna have to watch what I eat - cuz my new tummy is ready for just about anything. My portions are pretty good - but it sounds like I can eat more quantity than most. For lunch I had fajita ckn salad with probably 3 oz of chicken meat. Anyway-- I know I need to be careful going down the pizza path - but I just want one or two slices just to satisfy me. Who knows - maybe the cheese will make me sick and that will keep me away from pizza for a long time to come!!

[pack89]

I've had pizza so far. I just take 1 piece, eat the toppings, and maybe on tiny bite of the edge crust that's crispy. My family eats pizza once a week, and I'm not going to deny myself. I figure the cheese isn't much more than a cheese stick, there is normally only about 2 pieces of pepperoni on it and mushrooms. The piece in normally about 2 inches square. That satisfies me, is pretty much my whole meal, and I'm good. I normally only get about 6-700 calories, so if I limit the pizza to once a week and figure in the calories, it only takes me up another 50-100 for the day. This new way of eating has to be something I can live with, the rest of my life.

[Grace]

Hi there - couple of thoughts...
if you gotta have a taste of pizza toppings that's not so bad, but at a month out.... really be careful it's way too soon for crunchy things and such, shocked you can get lettuce down so soon!
And - trying to be careful how I say this - just because you CAN eat something maybe doesn't mean you should. There's a progression for reasons other than just if it will go down and not hurt. It's part of the psychology of this thing to take baby steps, to learn to eat just the parts of things that will feed our bodies and not necessarily our cravings. So, while you might find you can eat 1/2 slice of pizza, just scrape off the toppings (avoid crunchy gassy veg, though) and cut it up tiny and take your time and enjoy it. Your sleeve is still healing! You might be well off remembering it takes at least 8 wks for your new stomach to heal up fully. Not trying to scare you, just reminding you to take it slow with your new baby stomach....

[CuirousGeorge]

I had HUGE pizza cravings early on, in fact I had pizza dreams. When I was a month out I found a 'short cut' for the craving, more over a brain trick. I heated up some canned pizza sauce (Ragu) and added some ground up turkey pepperoni (ran it through a chopper), 'italian seasonings' from the spice rack and some parm cheese (Shake kind from the green canister) Heated it all up together and instant Pizza Soup. Like I said it was a brain trick and gave me the taste without the guilt and worry. I have no idea about the cal. count and wasn't worried about it. Unfortunately I made too much of it as my new tummy is much smaller than my eyes and much of it went to waste. Just a thought

[slimslen]

Hi there - couple of thoughts...
if you gotta have a taste of pizza toppings that's not so bad, but at a month out.... really be careful it's way too soon for crunchy things and such, shocked you can get lettuce down so soon!
And - trying to be careful how I say this - just because you CAN eat something maybe doesn't mean you should. There's a progression for reasons other than just if it will go down and not hurt. It's part of the psychology of this thing to take baby steps, to learn to eat just the parts of things that will feed our bodies and not necessarily our cravings. So, while you might find you can eat 1/2 slice of pizza, just scrape off the toppings (avoid crunchy gassy veg, though) and cut it up tiny and take your time and enjoy it. Your sleeve is still healing! You might be well off remembering it takes at least 8 wks for your new stomach to heal up fully. Not trying to scare you, just reminding you to take it slow with your new baby stomach....

Good Advice!! That's kinda the reason Im scared - because my stomach is allowing me to eat more than what everyone/everything is telling me I should. So It's a little concerning because I am looking for different things to eat after being on liquid for so long. I don't think I have stretched my new stomach because I have only overeaten one time (one too many crab legs)! But I do worry that something I eat may hurt it. But so far, most things have been fine. I will try to heed your advice and eat smaller bites of the stuff I do eat but I sure am feeling hungry alot more than I thought I would - which is depressing. I guess Im one of the unlucky ones who can eat more things without getting sick than I should. Im guessing Im chewing it enough because its going down fine. Who knows - I have my calorie cap at 700 right now - so I should still lose weight. The things I do eat are pretty low carb and fat - they just aren't all 'soft' foods. Thanks for reply!!

[Noregrets82]

I can eat about everything at one month out, including pizza...chew chew chew! I give myself lil treats, but I do work out for atleast hr per day....good luck!

[s0urgir1]

so how can u tell u have stretched ur tummy? I have only thrown up because of food once and that because of protein shot...shot...to much to fast! I really cant hold much solid food, maybe 2 oz, but I can hold 6oz of protein shake in 45 min...I stop eating when I get that feeling and I really keep my calories under 400,Ive had a problem with energy but have been upping the meat lately...I go to see nutritiousness @ end of month but I dont like her and live to far away from big town to look for new one, any thought s here?

[SECRETSLEEVE]

i ate some food with bread stuffing and the smallest amount made me feel like I had eaten a 12 course dinner

[Grace]

@Melinda - Didn't mean to intimate that anyone a month out would be stretching their sleeve. I was mostly worried about hurting it as Stephanie mentioned. I probably worry too much but it seems to me that if the scars on the outside aren't all healed in 4 wks then the scars on the inside, with stomach acid and all will take longer, right?
It's hard to stretch your sleeve, you'd have to eat a lot, pretty often. Most folks regain from eating too many carbs/sugars not from stretching.
You can kind of figure how much your sleeve holds when you can eat meat. It's the most dense and least liquid/mushy so it's a good indicator.
You'll probably find you can get about 2 oz of it down at about 2 months out and from there you'll loosen up a bit and get to somewhere around 4-5 oz at a year. I can just barely get 4 oz in of meat, about 1 1/2 cups of soft lettuce. My plan is to only very seldom eat more than that so it stays this size. Liquids, well, they just go down which is where will power and determination comes in.

[midnight]

Your calories should be more like 800. Your body will go into starvation mode you wont lose and you lose your energy. I would up your protein and your calories.

[LMS]

I did less then one month out. I can eat anything I want (good or bad) but you will be amazed that you wont eat very much with out getting full so enjoy and get the craving in the past I know your eyes will be bigger then your stomach. It is nearly impossible to stretch your stomach this early no worries.

[Sambo]

I can eat nearly a full subway turkey and ham avacado and lettuce wrap! Is that bad? Is that too much?

[StephO]

Your calories should be more like 800. Your body will go into starvation mode you wont lose and you lose your energy. I would up your protein and your calories.

My calorie range, per my dr (and insurance- through a 3 month class) is 400-600 calories. 800 calories a month out seems like quite a bit.

[dachsie]

I have craved pizza too. However, I have a goal that I dont want to miss. Therefore, i have told myself that even tho it will be a week early, I will get a Papa murphy's pizza and carry it to Louisiana with me for Thanksgiving and eat one piece and let my aunt have the rest of it. That will be one week shy of 6 months when they say you can eat that kind of stuff pretty easily. However, i also know that I cant eat that kind of stuff and continue to lose weight so I will still watch my carbs even after the 6 months. I also plan to eat a small serving of dressing with my turkey but that will be it. Then I decided that I will get my potato fix at Christmas. I refuse to give in to these cravings and screw up my weight loss.

My two other cheating episodes will occur in Sept and Nov. in Sept I go to a conference and am staying at a Doubletree. I dont think I will be able to refuse a warm choc chip cookie but I also plan to eat only part of it and will toss the rest if i cant refuse it. Then in Nov i am traveling to PA Amish country and I am going to get a warm pretzel. I may only eat a few bites of it, but I am going to have a bite or two of one. They are the best pretzels I have ever eaten.

[Island Girl]

I ate a small piece of Kashi mushroom & spinach pizza....tried to keep it healthy. It is funny, I cannot eat beef and other meats--but the pizza went down without a problem...go fiqure.