*Lexie*

Definitely reading this late but I found it to be very helpful. I am 1 1/2 years out and feel like I eat a lot compared to some of the posts I read. Admittedly I'm a bad girl and don't track my food very well anymore. If I were to guess, I would say I eat around 2000 calories per day, primarily high Protein and fat and low carb. I do exercise a lot, I ran a full marathon in December and I'm running my second half marathon of this year this Sunday with another one scheduled in September. I guess the exercise allows me to eat more without gaining. I guess I better keep running so I can keep eating!

I'm just going to put this out there. Surgery to lose "only" 90lbs could be the difference between living another 20 years versus living another 40 years. Is it worth it if you could extend your life by 20 years?

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Definitely reading this late but I found it to be very helpful. I am 1 1/2 years out and feel like I eat a lot compared to some of the posts I read. Admittedly I'm a bad girl and don't track my food very well anymore. If I were to guess, I would say I eat around 2000 calories per day, primarily high Protein and fat and low carb. I do exercise a lot, I ran a full marathon in December and I'm running my second half marathon of this year this Sunday with another one scheduled in September. I guess the exercise allows me to eat more without gaining. I guess I better keep running so I can keep eating!

Ha! I'm 70 years old. I walk and hike and move more and do a lot more housework and gardening than I used to do. And I do some yoga and stretching ("rolling around on the floor"). I do fidget more than I used to, and I think that counts, too. But I don't run and am not a gym rat in the least. My number one exercise rule is: "Don't hurt yourself!"
I am newly retired (which means less work stress), but we've had a lot of family stress (death of an adult child, husband has cancer, hubby's father and my mother died) in the last year. And don't even ask about the pets!
My food is "pretty clean" -- in that I eat around 100 grams daily of animal and plant Protein, and a lot of veggies, fruits, whole grains. I hardly ever eat fast food. Most days I have one alcoholic drink and one sugar treat unless my weight is above 135. I get in 64 ounces of liquids a day.
FYI, I didn't eat like a bird when I was losing weight -- following my bariatric P.A.'s advice I averaged 800 cals/day the first 4 months, then 1,000 cals in months 5-6, then 1,200 cals in months 7-8. In all, I've lost 100 pounds, including 19 pounds pre-op. It took me 8 months to lose the last 15 pounds.
I have NO IDEA why some people can maintain while eating more than others. And I have no idea if I'll always be able to eat like this and maintain this weight. I think you just have to find out what your body likes and then be willing to do that. I also think you should have the courage to try other combinations to see if they work better for you.
I have learned a lot of things that helped me lose weight and maintain weight, including:
* Eating Protein and eating protein first works.
* Eating healthy veggies works, too.
* Sugar makes you crave more sugar. You may have to go cold turkey on sugar's ass.
* Fast food isn't very satisfying in any way.
* Eating slowly and chewing well helps.
* Grazing is the road to perdition.
* Healthy Snacks are excellent and aren't even close to the same thing as grazing.
* Taking my meds and supplements every day works.
* Weighing every morning works. Otherwise, I would wander off into the weeds.
* Positive self-talk, keeping a positive attitude and cultivating a big sense of humor (and appreciating others' funny bones) help.
* Seeing my therapist once a month helps.
* Having a spouse who constantly says, "Great ass, babe!" is lovely.
That's all I got for now. If I learn anything else, I'll mention it .

I can eat 1900 calories on days I don't exercise and 2400 on days I do and still maintain. Everyone is different, I guess.

Thanks, @ ... but admittedly, that menu was a little more than I normally eat, which is 1700 - 1800 cals/day with around 100 grams of Protein.
Just be aware that I weigh every morning, measure everything and track my food in My Fitness Pal. I'm still maintaining right on the button -- 135 pounds. But if that were to change, I'd have to change my menus, too. The main thing to remember is that you have to find out what works for YOU.
Please know I didn't eat ANY chocolate or drink ANY alcohol for at least 6 months post-op. Or for 2.5 months pre-op. I've added these and other treats back in very gradually and very carefully. Sometimes chocolate does get the better of me and I have to let it go for a while. In other words, I'm just trying now to live like a normal person who's perhaps a bit hyper-attentive to what she's doing. I'm trying to be "mindful" and care for myself better than I ever have before.
Good luck to us both!

Oh my goodness it's been awhile since I've been here! I only see a few names I recognize!
I had my sleeve on 06/12/12. I lost 102 lbs.
unfortunately I have gained 35lbs within the last two years. About a month ago, I started weighing and logging my food on mfp again. I started gaining when I stopped logging my food and making myself accountable. Since I started logging again I've lost 14lbs. So now I'm 21lbs away from my lowest weight and 27 away from my original goal weight. I'm going to do this. The good thing about my sleeve is even though I fell off the wagon, it's still here to help me.
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Exercise mainly helps me maintain my weight versus lose. In fact when I'm dieting, I generally cut back on exercise initially as I want to do just enough to maintain my muscle mass versus going catabolic and losing muscle. Op you mentioned you are consistently eating low carb but that you eat around 70 grams of Protein, that's approximately 300 cals. At 1200 cals- something is amiss. Are you eating more carbs? What are your macros? If you are low carb--Have you tested your urine for ketones?
When I am in maintenance, my Protein is over 100 grams a days, I try to keep carbs around 100-120 and my fats are somewhere around 30 and I workout 4-5 days a week. When dieting, as I am currently (HS reunion is next month!), I cut carbs to around 50, up fats to around 50 and maintain or up my protein some. I cut my workouts down to 2-3 days a week. In the end, I eat less because the extra fat keeps me full longer. I also add a low dose EC stack (Google Lyle McDonald) to keep my metabolism going and I make sure my fluids and Vitamins are on point. I also test my urine to validate that I am burning fat or not and adjust my macros accordingly. Going with a modified Keto diet is my choice on this time as I am trying to lean out but I believe other approaches (e.g. intermittent fasting) can be effective as well so do what you prefer.
Regarding a "broken" metabolism all I will say is that yes there is metabolic adaptation and that once a diet is over expect to spend that equal amount of time reversing out of it. My current diet will run 8 weeks, I will spend 8 weeks afterward adjusting my macros back toward pre-diet ratios. I recommend reading more about metabolism at Eat To Perform or by listening to their podcast.

Love this topic!
My pet peeve is my family wanting to go to restaurants that I have no use for anymore. I got a promotion a few months back and my husband wanted to Celebrate by going to Cheesecake Factory. That really wasn't a celebration for me, I would rather have a new outfit. And every dish at that place is huge, there was nothing I could order.
The other thing is choosing between eating and drinking. Sometimes when we go out, I want something tasty to drink like a flavored ice tea. But if I get that, I can't eat and vice versa. For me it's not just about following the rules, I literally get sick if I eat and drink at the same time. (probably for the best)

Great post! I have discovered that I have a cycle of losing really well for around 2 weeks and then 2 weeks or so of no weight loss. I have had to remind myself a few times to take a deep breath and just keep doing what I'm doing and not go crazy and try something radical to get the weight loss going again. It all evens out.
And I'd rather have a stall than a gain any day. :-)

Great post! I have discovered that I have a cycle of losing really well for around 2 weeks and then 2 weeks or so of no weight loss. I have had to remind myself a few times to take a deep breath and just keep doing what I'm doing and not go crazy and try something radical to get the weight loss going again. It all evens out.
And I'd rather have a stall than a gain any day. :-)

I am definitely number 3 and have even read a few books on the topic and gone to classes at my doctor's office. Even with all that, I feel like a baby learning to walk. I fall down a lot. But it's a process and I'm trying to undo years of bad thinking and habits. I definitely feel that number 3 is the hardest path to follow but will lead to permanent change.

Great post! I have discovered that I have a cycle of losing really well for around 2 weeks and then 2 weeks or so of no weight loss. I have had to remind myself a few times to take a deep breath and just keep doing what I'm doing and not go crazy and try something radical to get the weight loss going again. It all evens out.
And I'd rather have a stall than a gain any day. :-)

I am definitely number 3 and have even read a few books on the topic and gone to classes at my doctor's office. Even with all that, I feel like a baby learning to walk. I fall down a lot. But it's a process and I'm trying to undo years of bad thinking and habits. I definitely feel that number 3 is the hardest path to follow but will lead to permanent change.

Great post! I have discovered that I have a cycle of losing really well for around 2 weeks and then 2 weeks or so of no weight loss. I have had to remind myself a few times to take a deep breath and just keep doing what I'm doing and not go crazy and try something radical to get the weight loss going again. It all evens out.
And I'd rather have a stall than a gain any day. :-)

I am definitely number 3 and have even read a few books on the topic and gone to classes at my doctor's office. Even with all that, I feel like a baby learning to walk. I fall down a lot. But it's a process and I'm trying to undo years of bad thinking and habits. I definitely feel that number 3 is the hardest path to follow but will lead to permanent change.

Good topic! I think I fall most closely into the third category. I definitely follow Portion Control as in the second category, but probably pay too much attention to my diet to say I’m a non-dieter.
I don’t forbid myself specific foods, as in the first category, but I do often think that certain high-calorie, unhealthy foods are a waste of space, so it’s better to choose healthier ones to fill up my pouch.
I do try to go for healthy foods first. If I am not hungry enough to eat something healthy, like a salad, I don’t let my head tell me I’m starving and need that ice cream. But, if I’ve wanted ice cream for a while and the desire doesn’t pass, I’ll plan for it and have it – in moderation, and with a lot of attention so I get full pleasure!

Great post! I have discovered that I have a cycle of losing really well for around 2 weeks and then 2 weeks or so of no weight loss. I have had to remind myself a few times to take a deep breath and just keep doing what I'm doing and not go crazy and try something radical to get the weight loss going again. It all evens out.
And I'd rather have a stall than a gain any day. :-)

Great post! I have discovered that I have a cycle of losing really well for around 2 weeks and then 2 weeks or so of no weight loss. I have had to remind myself a few times to take a deep breath and just keep doing what I'm doing and not go crazy and try something radical to get the weight loss going again. It all evens out.
And I'd rather have a stall than a gain any day. :-)

I enjoyed reading every single post and I agree with so many of you on what I miss and don't miss.
I miss having full course meals. I still have such great restriction that I often only have enough room to have one food type (protein). I miss having a salad, entree and side when out at a restaurant.
I do not miss shopping for overpriced, ugly plus sized clothes. I don't miss how exhausting it was just to move my body. I can run for miles now and never feel as tired as I did pre-op.