Rogofulm

Next Tuesday is the one-year anniversary of my surgery. Do I have any regrets? Not...a...single...one! Knowing what I know now, I just would have done it sooner. This rounds out the top 5 most important things I've done in my life, along with marrying my wife, having my daughter, quitting smoking, and quitting drinking.

Congratulations on your one year anniversary, @@Essence46! An congrats in advance on your entry to Onderland! You're doing great so far, now keep your head in the game and keep following the rules. That's what will get you to your goal!!!

Thanks for the tip! I've never tried Quest Bars, but a little research shows that they have 160-210 calories (depending on the flavor), 21-25 carbs from nuts (3-5 net carbs), and 20 mighty grams of Protein. That's pretty impressive! So my question is.... For those of us who might be tempted to keep going back for more Snacks, do they satisfy the cravings for a good, long time, or might we find ourselves reaching for another one an hour later? That's still my biggest fear. That I'd go through the whole box in a couple of days. Oh wait – that's old thinking. New thinking is eating to live, not the other way around.... Can you buy Quest bars in stores, or just online?

Since you're at goal now, check out the new Maintenance Forum. We're sharing ideas about eating, snacking, exercise, and how to manage our programs so we stop losing weight but don't bounce back up. Congrats again!!! http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/1190-maintenance-forums-new/

I'm not a very good tracker. I did the MFP thing for a while, but once I figured out my formula, I stopped tracking. I like your idea of tracking physical performance. By the way, I've posted it before, but it bears repeating for those in maintenance.... My doc had a very good suggestion when I asked about adding carbs back into my program. He said to only add back the types of carbs that you would cook for a meal (brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, whole wheat Pasta, etc.) That way, you're never tempted to go to the fridge or pantry for a handful. I really think that makes sense! The good side of my problem with snacking on so many nuts, is that when I go to the pantry and see crackers and chips and other crap, at least there's something protein-based for me to grab instead. But I probably need to find a better alternative for the long haul. Does anybody have non-carb, quick grab-n-go snack ideas to share? Low-maintenance and crunchy, but not "dangerous" is what I'm thinking about, like baby carrots and hummus. What else......?

I'm guessing you are still in the liquid/soft stage, right? Otherwise, eat the lobster – it's protein!!!

Six weeks after surgery my family went on vacation in Maine. Our goal was to get sick of lobster, and on the last day we succeeded! For my metabolism, it seems that as long as I'm staying away from starches and sugars, calories and fat don't seem to matter. So butter, nuts, cheese, and red meat don't affect my weight. It's weird! I can eat a bunch of cheese and nuts throughout the day, and my weight stays the same. I haven't experimented with eating starches or sugars, but I'm betting that if I did, and still ate those nuts, my weight would jump up. I'd be interested to know if others have the same experience. (Uh oh! Have I just hijacked my own thread?)

@@etamluosym, I suspect you're right in many cases, but the number of BP posters that appear to not have ANY information or follow-up support is alarming. So I still maintain that any surgeon who runs a "chop shop" that doesn't provide pre-op and post-op education and support really needs to be investigated.

Okay here's another one. It's not technically restaurant food, but it is a dish that's prepared outside the home. This is really tasty and healthy, and if you can handle the carbs, it's a great supplement to your lunch Protein. I like quinoa because it's a protein-rich carb that doesn't present any "slippery slope" problems, so it's perfect for maintenance! I'm not much of a cook so I buy it pre-made, but the recipe is below. Quinoa Tabbouleh recipe from Safeway "Quinoa, once a staple grain of ancient Incas, is tossed with lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, green onions and parsley. " Prep Time: 15 Minutes. Cook Time: 15 Minutes. Ready In: 30 Minutes. Makes 4 servings. Printed from Safeway.com. Nutritional Info per serving Calories 354; Total Fat 17 g; Saturated Fat 2 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 383 mg; Total Carbohydrates 46 g; Dietary Fiber 9 g; Protein 10 g Ingredients: 2 cups Water 1 cup quinoa 1 pinch salt 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 cup lemon juice 3 tomatoes, diced 1 cucumber, diced 2 bunches green onions, diced 2 carrots, grated 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped Directions: In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature; fluff with a fork. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, carrots and parsley. Stir in cooled quinoa.

Thank you for starting this topic, @@jenn1! And @@VSGAnn2014, I think your shrink may have hit the nail on the head. At least for those who actually make it to goal. I wonder what he'd say about those who stop short of goal? I've maintained below my goal for nearly two months so far, and quite frankly, I'm not eating THAT differently than before. Except that I eat Safeway's quinoa tabouleh a couple of times a week, and a little brown rice or sweet potato from time to time. For my birthday dinner, I ate two or three small bites of dessert, which I never would have done during the weight loss phase. But for the most part, I'm still eating Protein and some veggies. I still get on the scale every morning, and I think that helps keep me motivated. But I've found myself exercising less, rather than more. I used to be a meaty guy, but now at 5'6", I'm really kind of tiny. My wife and daughter don't like me to be so bony, so I really need to start working on building muscle mass to pad my ribs and shoulders. So that will have to be my next motivation. A little harder to quantify than scale victories, but helpful nonetheless. And yes, the compliments are becoming fewer and fewer. Of course, that's as it should be. But losing all that positive attention sure leaves a motivational vacuum, doesn't it? Okay, this thread has helped already – I'm determined to get my bony butt back to the gym!!! How about you?!!

Hey Maintainers.... How about we use this thread to share restaurant ideas for meals that fit into the maintenance world. I guess by that, I mean meals that may be a little higher in carbs, but still won't push us onto a slippery slope. Some of my favorites are fajitas without the tortillas, kung pao chicken without the rice and egg rolls, Thai dishes without the noodles, and this OMG dish I just ran across at Panera..... Panera's Lentil Quinoa Bowl with Chicken Chicken raised without antibiotics, organic quinoa and organic brown rice, lentil blend, tomato sofrito, fresh kale and spinach with a lemon wheel in our umami soy-miso broth. 390 Calories; 9g Total Fat; 1370mg Sodium; 48g Total Carb; 8g Fiber; 33g Protein Are you kidding me? Quinoa, lentils, kale, spinach, and chicken in a miso broth? That's 390 calories of ridiculously healthy food! This is exactly the kind of meal the "old me" wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole. But now I find it pretty darned tasty. And I feel so freakin' virtuous afterwards that I just can't wait to get on the scale the next morning!

Wonderful post!!!! Your girls rock! And they are so right. If you need to recondition yourself, here's a link to a site that teaches you how to reset your surgery by going back through all the phases in just a week or so. There is a pay option, but all the info is there for free if you poke around. I haven't tried it myself, but have read good reviews. http://www.5daypouchtest.com/index.html And speaking of Panera, for those of you on maintenance that can eat a few more carbs, check this out: quinoa, lentils, kale, spinach, and chicken – are you kidding me? 390 calories of ridiculously healthy food! And it's pretty darned tasty. Lentil Quinoa Bowl with Chicken Chicken raised without antibiotics, organic quinoa and organic brown rice, lentil blend, tomato sofrito, fresh kale and spinach with a lemon wheel in our umami soy-miso broth. 390 Calories; 9g Total Fat; 1370mg Sodium; 48g Total Carb; 8g Fiber; 33g protein

I'm in a munchie phase too. I've been below goal weight for almost two months, but I do get hungry. We've had lots of family in town this past week for a graduation, so we go from one eating event to another. So far, I've been able to keep my grazing to protein-based foods like nuts, cheese, and Jerky. Nuts are a particular trigger for me. As long as they're available, I keep going back for more. But since I'm still not eating much in the way of carbs, the insane amount of fat and calories I'm taking in don't seem to be affecting my weight. But I need to get out of the grazing habit, and that may mean keeping nuts out of reach. And I find that the best way to manage hunger is by drinking TONS of fluids. Typically I drink over 120 ounces of fluids (mostly Crystal Light or generic decaf iced tea) every day. That keeps my sleeve full, and helps stave off hunger pangs. When I start feeling hungry and it's not meal or snack time, I just drink more. Unless there are nuts nearby, then all bets are off. Good luck, and stay full... of fluids!

I'm with those who can't understand how someone would choose to have weight loss surgery without doing TONS of research. If we're on this forum, we all have some level of internet access, right? There are thousands of sites out there with information about what you should and should not do after bariatric surgery. Most of them are put up by surgical centers, but that's okay. They're the experts in the field, right? But there are also lots of sites from the medical profession with info, statistics, results, etc about the subject. So when someone asks how soon they can have wine or bread, it makes my head explode too. Furthermore, I think their doctors should lose their licenses for performing surgery on uninformed patients. And for anyone reading this topic who may not have received information from their doctor, here's a site I've found that has a great deal of helpful information. http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/ Hope that helps!

Congratulations!!!! Don't go crazy, now, that's the OLD way. Keep making the good choices, because that's what will keep you at goal. Way to go!!!

Congratulations! You have reached The Dreaded Week-3 Stall. It's perfectly normal, and just about all of us have suffered through it. You're not crazy, and your doctor didn't screw up. In fact, you might not lose any weight for two weeks or even longer. But don't worry – after that, the pounds will start falling off if you stick to your program. And, the inches will continue to come off even while the scale isn't budging. Here's a good article that explains why it happens and why we all have to go through it. Hang in there. Pretty soon it'll be in the rear-view mirror and you'll be dropping weight again! (Apologies to BP regulars who have seen this repeatedly, but it's a big deal to those who are going through it!)

Congratulations! You have may have reached The Dreaded Week-3 Stall a little early. It's perfectly normal, and just about all of us have suffered through it. You're not crazy, and your doctor didn't screw up. In fact, you might not lose any weight for two weeks or even longer. But don't worry – after that, the pounds will start falling off if you stick to your program. And, the inches will continue to come off even while the scale isn't budging. Here's a good article that explains why it happens and why we all have to go through it. Hang in there. Pretty soon it'll be in the rear-view mirror and you'll be dropping weight again! (Apologies to BP regulars who have seen this repeatedly, but it's a big deal to those who are going through it!)

Congratulations! You have reached The Dreaded Week-3 Stall. It's perfectly normal, and just about all of us have suffered through it. You're not crazy, and your doctor didn't screw up. In fact, you might not lose any weight for two weeks or even longer. But don't worry – after that, the pounds will start falling off if you stick to your program. And, the inches will continue to come off even while the scale isn't budging. Here's a good article that explains why it happens and why we all have to go through it. Hang in there. Pretty soon it'll be in the rear-view mirror and you'll be dropping weight again! (Apologies to BP regulars who have seen this repeatedly, but it's a big deal to those who are going through it!)

Thanks, @@MrsSugarbabe! It's a long post, but hopefully people find it helpful. Congratulations on your loss so far, and keep up the good work! It's so worth it!!!!!!

Thanks @@Fluffypal! All the best for your surgery and on your trip to good health!

Hey @@devillynn! I'm in a play right now too, and down 120 since the last time I was onstage. One of the reviewers (a total stranger) said that I was "nice looking, but not exactly tall", and that if I was "a larger man".... something or other. Weird, and borderline insulting, but I'm so happy to be "not large" that I'll take it. And @@LipstickLady, as a guy, I have to agree that it was just meant as a clumsy offhand compliment. I constantly get the Beatles reference, "Suddenly, you're not half the man you used to be..." Probably heard it 100 times. Guess I'm still at the place where I appreciate that a few people are still noticing. Sounds like, from your experience, that it eventually gets old. I'll look forward to the time when the big guy I've left in the past never comes to mind any more, except when someone points it out. But since I'm only 11 months out, I'm still enjoying the new me. I'm sorry about your discomfort! As other have said, some people are just socially clueless. And most of them are guys – who can have kind of an in-your-face way of complimenting (or insulting) each other. If you let it, every time you see him it's going to poison you a little. But the fact that you're bothered doesn't affect him in the least. And as they used to say in self-help seminars, you are responsible for your own anger. I understand why you feel that way. It's normal. Now please try to let it go. Hugs!!!

Wow, @@VSGAnn2014, thanks so much for the nice comment! And coming from a great poster like you it means a great deal! Two months into maintenance and so far so good. I've stayed in a 2-pound range while experimenting with expanding my menu just a bit. I'm loving quinoa salad, by the way, and the occasional sweet potato or brown rice. But for the most part, it's still Protein and veggies. For now, at least, I'm finding that food is more fuel than anything else. I still enjoy eating out and grilling, but most meals are fairly routine. And when I'm on the run, it's still beef Jerky and almonds in the car. The sleeve really helps keep to an "eat to live" way of thinking. And after 40 years of "living to eat", it's a refreshing change! Keep up the great work, and if you discover any maintenance secrets, please share!

Hi @@RaginCajun, thanks for the kind words! I have not experimented with Protein bars yet. I remember back in my monster eating days, that I would look for the ones with the most calories so they would fill me up the best. I guess I view them more as a source of calories than of protein. Weird, huh? So I still get all my protein from a morning shake, and then meat, Beans, nuts, cheese, and yogurt. Hey, good luck with your program! Let me know if you have any more questions....

Thanks, Betty! I'm going out for tapas on Tuesday with a bunch of family and friends. No cake, but I might have just one bite of flan!!!

Thanks! If you can detox from the "old habits", it get much, much easier. You've come so far already, so you know you can do this!!!