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Vegas after weight loss

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by harveyd63, Apr 29, 2015.

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  1. harveyd63

    harveyd63 Tourist

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    I had a gastric sleeve surgery 2014 and I been coming to Vegas the past 4 years until last year.My question is has others who had surgery of this sort how did they enjoy themselves seeing that eating is now limited. I say that because I enjoyed the food there especially the buffets.

    Thanks[/B]
     
  2. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Interesting question. I haven't had the surgery, so I can't reply to that particular aspect. I would assume you could still enjoy the buffet, but take smaller portions of the things you want to try.

    How had your eating changed at home? I had a friend have the surgery several years ago and she had trouble at first. She didn't feel like she was "enjoying" a meal when she couldn't finish a whole serving. Eventually she was able to adjust to how she ordered and where she chose to eat, but it took her about a year to get over the mental part.
     
  3. BlacklabberMike

    BlacklabberMike MIA

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  4. TheCooler

    TheCooler Professional Gambler and the Best Football Handica

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    I feel like this could be a great benefit. Many fine dining restaurants serve very small portions. I've been know to have an upscale meal the then go top my self off with some pizza or a burger. Another good option may be small plate restaurants like Julian Serrano.
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2015
  5. LolaDoggie

    LolaDoggie VIP Whale

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    Maybe look at doing other things you never did before? Tours? Spa? Pool? Parks like Red Rock?
     
  6. yankees4ever31

    yankees4ever31 Low-Roller

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    IMO, it's important to taste small bites of everything. Gorging prevents you from experiencing all flavors and varieties of food by filling you with carbs and junk. Avoid carbs and savor flavors.

    Good luck in you WLS journey. God Bless...
     
  7. mdee

    mdee VIP Whale

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    I understand how going to Vegas and having activities centered around food go hand and hand. I get it. But you do not want to make yourself sick.
    Have you given any thought to maybe buying some pre-packaged single servings of Protein Powder? You can carry them with you to mix up in water.
    Remind yourself why you had the procedure done in the first place and how far you've come and of course what your current food lifestyle is at home.
    As others have mentioned you should take the time to look into doing other activities that do not center around food. Good luck and have fun!
     
  8. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    I have diabetes so I watch the amount of food that I eat. I used to eat at buffets a lot but since being diagnosed I don't go to buffets as much. Not sure if it's because of old age (I'm mid 50's) but I seem to be eating less nowadays, I know that I can still pig out but I don't have the urge to do that anymore. Even to this day I can't believe the amount I would eat at buffets.

    Not sure but after your surgery I would think that you would have a more full feeling after eating so while you can eat at buffets you can probably have smaller amounts of food on your plate to fill you up. But then I felt that it wasn't worth the price to go to the buffet and only eat a little so lately I just eat small portions at restaurants and avoid the buffets.

    But buffets was how I learned I had diabetes. I pigged out at the vegas buffets and when I got home I found that I actually lost a few pounds. After what I ate I knew that something was wrong, sure enough a visit to the dr diagnosed the diabetes.
     
  9. GROWLR

    GROWLR Low-Roller

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    I find this topic fascinating for numerous reasons. But to answer the OP's question I'd want to know his activity level.

    For years my wife and I wold go to Vegas and eat, what we thought, was normally: breakfast, lunch, dinner. However, we (mainly me) began to notice that by the time we got to dinner I was really not hungry. Most of our days were spent at the pool, or the poker table, or other gambling with very little activity. I've since come to understand that for me I can get away with a moderate-sized meal in the late morning to early afternoon, and then we have a nice dinner in the evening. Two meals/day max is good for me when I'm just sitting on my butt all the time.

    BTW, we hardly ever ate at the buffets, just not our thing. Though if I did I might be able to get away with just eating at the buffet if I ate at the right time.
     
  10. woodsie

    woodsie VIP Whale

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    I love the food in Vegas but I hated being 20 lbs overweight. On our last trip, me and my wife split meals and ate half as much. I don't feel like lowering portion sizes has been detrimental at all to enjoying food. You just have to get over the idea that quantity is part of the quality of eating out.
     
  11. AbFab

    AbFab Low-Roller

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    I had a procedure (not surgery) last year in March (have lost a little over 100 pounds) and have been to Vegas twice, and still enjoy dinning. Just less food, because my stomach is reduced. Do I miss stuffing myself in Vegas at the buffets? Nope. I enjoyed eating at fine restaurants or grabbing something light and on the go.

    Good luck, OP!
     
  12. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

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    Speaking based on experiences with someone else who had similar surgery, buffets are still okay but you give up that notion of eating your money's worth. Restaurants are easier, especially if you do appetizers or small plates or order in a way where you and your party share your entree. That first year is tough because your eyes are still going to be bigger than your stomach and over ordering is still going to be hard to resist.
     
  13. jf3976

    jf3976 High-Roller

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    Can consider the buffet as paying for VARIETY, not volume, like most of us tend to think of first. Then you might still find value in it. And really, that is where the value lies, in my opinion.

    :)

    Best of luck to you as you navigate this change. I only know one person who's had a similar procedure, and she has a tough time. If you continue to tolerate most foods well, I'm willing to bet you'll be fine, some good tips and recommendations here.

    :)
     
  14. UTE

    UTE Plastics

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    I lost a significant amount of weight last year and have kept it off. It's easy to blow it when traveling, but part of it (for me) is avoiding buffets. Maybe others have better will power than me and can resist the temptation - I can't. Instead, I go to good restaurants and have smaller, higher quality, portions.

    Bill
     
  15. LolaDoggie

    LolaDoggie VIP Whale

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    I agree that buffets offer the most variety and ability to control portions. I've asked for smaller portions or kid's sizes at coffee shops and it hasn't been a problem either.
     
  16. harveyd63

    harveyd63 Tourist

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    I appreciate everyone's answers.
     
  17. ExVegasLocal

    ExVegasLocal Low-Roller

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    My guy had the same surgery some years ago before we met. He eats very small portions, but needs to eat frequently. Paying big bucks for a buffet to watch him eat four bites makes me crazy. Same thing with fine dining. The truth is that dining out with him in Vegas is really a bummer, so I've adjusted my expectations. I try to find places that have interesting appetizer menus. Tapas restaurants work well also.
     
  18. WhskeyTangoFoxtrot

    WhskeyTangoFoxtrot MIA

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    So....

    I had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy in May of this year. In September, my SO and I attended a conference for my job in Vegas at the Cosmopolitan. I had a lot of concerns, because I wanted to really enjoy myself. And I did. After battling post-divorce depression, and eating myself into diabetes (200 to 320 pounds over a year or so) 5 years ago, I knew that having the surgery was the best decision I'd ever made. And, as you know, the post-op pain was a motherf*cker. At least mine was. Having said that, I was not going to put myself into a position where it'd all been in vain.

    When we got to Vegas, I did all the stuff I'd been doing the last 4 months...eating smart. High-protein, low carbs. And no more than 4 or 5 oz. at a time. Which is really not possible, anyways.
    I ate a lot of chicken, fish, and some crackers and cheese with our evening wine (I know....no alcohol for a year. Don't judge!) I have found that fried anything makes me feel kinda sick. We split an order of fish tacos at Margaritaville, and although delish, I didn't feel so hot for an hour or so afterwards. Fried...

    On the other hand...the fish tacos at Bellagio Cafe were the best I've ever had anywhere.
    Same with the scallops at Mon Ami Gabi...melted in my mouth. My girl had 2 of them, I had three.
    We went to D.O.C.G. twice....one night I had the Caprese Salad. The next we split a small pizza. I had one slice.
    The conference I attended had a "continental" breakfast every morning. LOL, the quotes are because it was a lavish spread every day!!!
    I had some scrambled eggs and a few bacon strips. One morning I had half of a breakfast wrap.
    On the days I didn't attend, we walked across the street to McDonalds. We both enjoy the Egg White Delights. 200 calories, and 3 hours of feeling full.
    One night we had dinner at ESTIATORIO MILOS. I ordered Jumbo Prawns. Holy Crap, Vegas know what "jumbo" means hahaha! I ate 2. She ate one or two (I don't remember).
    And we tried the Wynn Buffet because we heard it was very good. I was underwhelmed. I had some crab meat, tasted a few other things, and tasted a few desserts. Hey, we were walking 7-10 miles a day (Fitbit!) so why not??? It's Vegas, baby...expensive buffet for $57? Or whatever it was? Fuck it, who cares? Whhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

    And, water. Doesn't matter if it's 110 degrees, or 10 degrees. Drink lots and lots and lots of water. Don't like water? Squirt some MIO in that stuff. Your body needs it, it staves off hunger, and your brain likes that you're putting something into your mouth.

    Oh snap, I almost forgot...the first night in town, we went to Battista's Hole In The Wall lol. An experience for sure. I had the pan-seared shrimp in garlic butter. Quite good, actually. The rest, ummm....not so much.

    So, here's the thing.

    Don't change your good habits. Eat like you do at home. Smartly. You can still enjoy things, but you have to do so in a manner that will benefit you, and ensure that you don't stretch out your sleeve (eating through the sleeve). You've had this longer than I have, so you know what you can't eat. For me, it's red meat and Chinese food. Just can't. Do I miss them? No, actually. My employer had the annual Veteran's Day luncheon today for all employed Vets, and I brought home at least 16oz. of Prime Rib. I did eat one bite, because I haven't tasted it in over 6 months, and guess what? I didn't enjoy it all. A certain Siberian Husky I know feasted like a King when I came home lol! I haven't missed the red meat, nor the Chinese. Today confirmed the red meat

    I've lost 70 pounds in 4.5 months, and have 50 more to go to my goal. I'm gonna do it, because I eat smarter than I ever have. You can go to Vegas, eat at buffets, and enjoy yourself. The sleeve has made your life better, and will continue to do so. It's a tool to use intelligently. Oh, also, I use MyFitnessPal.com which is a free calorie tracker. Good stuff there. It'll help you see patterns of what you could be doing better, and what you or doing well. Adjust behaviors accordingly. I hope that this helps.
     
  19. Jejas

    Jejas VIP Whale

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    I can only say that you must have been eating the cheap and fake Chinese food (most Chinese food in America belong to this category).
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 11, 2015
  20. WhskeyTangoFoxtrot

    WhskeyTangoFoxtrot MIA

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    I ate regularly at a Chinese restaurant, owned by a Chinese family that did all of the cooking.
    Now I cannot.
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2015
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