AZhiker

And you will have all those foods again - just not for a while!

You can make your own sugar free gummie bear candy out of sf Gelatin. And you can flavor it with essential oils, liquid stevia, and add citric acid to make them like sour patch. Then you start stepping down from the candy. But you will likely need to replace the cals with some other source cuz otherwise you will likely start losing again. Also, you can make Keto candy like fat bombs with healthy oils/fats + cacao powder, nut butters etc. They add up VERY quickly. But they are usually more satiating. SF Peanut Butter cups are the bomb.
You can also try getting delicious Protein Bars, cutting them in 8 pieces then freezing them. Pop them like a candy bite.
I think you're in a pretty special situation because of your super endurance exercise. I think @Healthy_life2 and @BigViffer could help you with this. They are both power athletes and have to eat in a method to keep their cals high enough for training.
Congrats on your losses. The candy is an addiction. Addiction to sugar is as powerful as heroine addiction. I'd also see your doc/RD and ask for help. They may have a temporary medication that can help you with cravings as you try to detox.

Cheers guys - I’ve entered this race in April so I’ve got some work to do, nothing like having a target to get one motivated 😂
https://www.etapelochness.com/

I'm a spinning instructor, but also a distance runner. I have tried out so many different things for fules during my long runs. What works for me is actually sour candy. I know it sounds strange, but I start out around 30 min into the race and take one piece every km. That along with electrolyte drinks works for me.
What is important is that you try out different things for your long rides way in advance of your race. Nothing new on race day or the week prior.

Agree with above advice. Let me also stess the need to cut your grain carbs for the time being. The grain carbs will raise your glucose levels which in turn causes your insulin to shoot up. The insulin drives the blood sugar down and then you are hungry again. This can cycle all through the day. Cut out the grains and never eat fruit without the protection of Protein. A little fruit is fine in a protein smoothie, or as dessert with some yogurt at the END of a meal. But not as a snack.
Ok, For part two: EVERY time you eat, insulin levels increase. Insulin drives calories into fat storage. The more often you eat or snack, the more insulin you have floating around, doing it's dirty work to store fat and not allow fat burning. You have to limit your meals to 3 a day with NO snacking. Just doing this alone (along with eliminating grain and minimizing fruit) will take the pounds off.
If you want to amp it up even more, give yourself an 8-10 hour window to eat each day. Only eat your nutritious food during this window. This is one form of intermediate fasting (most people skip an early morning meal and start around noon.) It is very powerful and kicks you into a fat burning mode. Do your exercise routine during this fasting time, and you will get even more benefit.
I am also very nutrition conscious. I was not allowed to eat any form of veggies for 8 WEEKS post op!!!!! I have a large organic garden, and this was just torture! (I ended up making filtered greens Water that I added to everything. My doc was mad at first, but I showed him that it was CLEAR and was a heck of lot better than Crystal Light, Gatorade, pop-sickles, or any other artificial "food."). Anyway, you have to follow the plan and get your protein in first. Then add all the veggies you want (except starchy ones.)
At 6 months, I was still only eating about 600 cal/day. But I made every bite count for optimal nutrition and my 6 month labs came back great. Do not worry about becoming nutrient deficient at this point. Your labs were fine and you can eat plenty of phyto-nutrient dense foods now. But you still have to get your protein in to protect your muscle mass. Sometimes overeating is from fear of malnutrition, resulting in OVER eating. An overweight person is NOT well nourished - they are over nourished, which leads to a host of other serious problems.
You can do this. The "honeymoon" period can last a lot longer than 6 months. You haven't lost the opportunity to maximize the next 6 months. The whole first year is really important and now that you can eat more "real" foods, you should not worry at all about nutrition if you are eating a healthy balance.

63 years old here. RNY Feb 2019. Reached goal between 6-7 months, with loss of 110 lbs. I am 5'6". I exercise a lot - walking/hiking, weights, stairs, legs, biking, swimming. Just completed a triathlon which was an amazing experience and unthinkable 8 months ago. My advice is to get a step tracker and start walking right away, even while in the hospital. I was up to 10,000 steps by day 7, and just kept adding little exercise routines along the way. A step tracker is very motivating and keeps one accountable. I log my exercise along with my food.

Your wife might just be nervous about the whole thing and worried. Spouses of patients have come on the forum to ask about how to be supportive, and how to cope with the process. Fell free to tell your wife to lurk or log on and ask any questions she might have. Too bad we don't have a "Support Group" forum for spouses and family members who also need to have information.

Your wife might just be nervous about the whole thing and worried. Spouses of patients have come on the forum to ask about how to be supportive, and how to cope with the process. Fell free to tell your wife to lurk or log on and ask any questions she might have. Too bad we don't have a "Support Group" forum for spouses and family members who also need to have information.

way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And you will have all those foods again - just not for a while!

walking right away. Four weeks for most everything else except for weight lifting. I think I had to wait eight weeks for that.

Agree with above advice. Let me also stess the need to cut your grain carbs for the time being. The grain carbs will raise your glucose levels which in turn causes your insulin to shoot up. The insulin drives the blood sugar down and then you are hungry again. This can cycle all through the day. Cut out the grains and never eat fruit without the protection of Protein. A little fruit is fine in a protein smoothie, or as dessert with some yogurt at the END of a meal. But not as a snack.
Ok, For part two: EVERY time you eat, insulin levels increase. Insulin drives calories into fat storage. The more often you eat or snack, the more insulin you have floating around, doing it's dirty work to store fat and not allow fat burning. You have to limit your meals to 3 a day with NO snacking. Just doing this alone (along with eliminating grain and minimizing fruit) will take the pounds off.
If you want to amp it up even more, give yourself an 8-10 hour window to eat each day. Only eat your nutritious food during this window. This is one form of intermediate fasting (most people skip an early morning meal and start around noon.) It is very powerful and kicks you into a fat burning mode. Do your exercise routine during this fasting time, and you will get even more benefit.
I am also very nutrition conscious. I was not allowed to eat any form of veggies for 8 WEEKS post op!!!!! I have a large organic garden, and this was just torture! (I ended up making filtered greens Water that I added to everything. My doc was mad at first, but I showed him that it was CLEAR and was a heck of lot better than Crystal Light, Gatorade, pop-sickles, or any other artificial "food."). Anyway, you have to follow the plan and get your protein in first. Then add all the veggies you want (except starchy ones.)
At 6 months, I was still only eating about 600 cal/day. But I made every bite count for optimal nutrition and my 6 month labs came back great. Do not worry about becoming nutrient deficient at this point. Your labs were fine and you can eat plenty of phyto-nutrient dense foods now. But you still have to get your protein in to protect your muscle mass. Sometimes overeating is from fear of malnutrition, resulting in OVER eating. An overweight person is NOT well nourished - they are over nourished, which leads to a host of other serious problems.
You can do this. The "honeymoon" period can last a lot longer than 6 months. You haven't lost the opportunity to maximize the next 6 months. The whole first year is really important and now that you can eat more "real" foods, you should not worry at all about nutrition if you are eating a healthy balance.

A couple days behind,, yes I’m still freezing all the time all year long. Clothes do not help the only thing really is a hot shower or submerging in tub Somehow other than once before my surgery I have not been to see a dietitian - so much for that center of excellence. I am thinking about a dietitian to help me a adjust to next stage - tmenopause Then I recognize probably not sure don’t think... honestly I went from WLS to plastics and now recognize to some degree I need to focus on other things. I need a hobby so i’m signing up for pottery classes

I think we're all different honestly. And you have to do what you know is right. I would try to see if I could find some balance due to your fear.
I would:
Only have 1 green smoothie a day (if you feel you must). Pack it with a scoop of Protein Powder, 1oz of avocado, 2oz of deep dark greens, psyllium husks, 1oz of blueberries (or other deep berry), liquid stevia, 28g Greek yogurt (plain) and thin it down with ice and either Fairlife Fat Free Milk or unflavored almond or cashew milk (not as much protein).
Then for lunch, I'd have raw veggies in a salad or with my 2-3oz of Protein + raw veggies. Use a Greek yogurt (plain) dip with Ranch seasoning if you need. Thin it with Fairlife Fat Free Milk. Include 1oz of avocado and a very very very light oil. I used 3 zeros Italian or Greek (zero cal dressing) or Walden Farms zero cal dressing. I would add 5g of pumpkin seeds or 10g of some kind of nut. That way you are getting plenty of fat for fat soluble Vitamin absorption.
Then for dinner, I'd have 3-4oz of protein + 1-2oz al dente steamed veg + 1oz avocado + 1oz grape tomatoes.

I would drop everything else. Your hunger should come under control in 3-4 days from now.
I would try to get in a range of 700-800 cals per day. I lost best around 650-700 cals and carbs at 30g net or below per day.
At the rate you are going, I honestly believe you will stop losing well before you are finished or should be finished. You need to up your speed and you are right to feel concern. You are mainlining sugar into your body with all your juicing and smoothies. And just quit the grains. No one needs em. Frankly. If they are causing your weight loss to slow so significantly and causing so much hunger, you clearly as an individual cannot handle them right now. Maybe for maintenance, but the question should ALWAYS be:
How did your meal xy or z make you feel 1 hour after eating, 2 hours after eating, the next morning. How long was it before you felt hunger cues.
By now, you should be able to go 3-4 hours minimum between meals. If you cannot, you are having blood sugar roller coasters and those are very bad for all of us.

Hope that helps. It's not too late to restart your plan!!!! Choose to do it today!

Operation Quit Smoking - Part Deux, Update:
It's Day 10, babies. After a rough few days of likely nicotine-withdrawal-induced crankiness, I am glad to say that I have remained smoke-free since I said I would (and am noticeably less cranky, so say Mr. & the Kid).
...AND I didn't even succumb when I kept BFF company while she smoked outside after brunch today. Yes, there was a twinge of longing, but the desire to stay on the wagon was stronger. Yay Me!

Some people actually weigh in heavier a week post op, so it is actually pretty good that you lost some. You gotta give this more time. There is soooooo much tissue swelling and internal Fluid retention that you can't see. Those little lap sites are nothing compared to what went on underneath. If you broke your wrist, think of how swollen your arm would be for quite a while. Anytime tissue is injured it swells. Your surgery was a major insult to the tissues and they will react. It probably takes a good 8 weeks for all the swelling and inflammation to completely resolve, which is why you have to be on liquids and purees for so long. You don't want to put any strain on the sutures or staple lines. Hang in there! There is nothing wrong. The weight will come off - it just takes time for things to settle down.

Sorry to be Debbe-Downer here, but I used my preop time to get RID of the addictive foods - alcohol, caffeine, sugar, processed foods, refined carbs. I cleaned up my eating a lot. I did not want to struggle with any of that afterwards when recovery itself would be hard enough. I figured I did not have to wait until surgery day to decide to make the changes for life. Just saying.

Some people actually weigh in heavier a week post op, so it is actually pretty good that you lost some. You gotta give this more time. There is soooooo much tissue swelling and internal Fluid retention that you can't see. Those little lap sites are nothing compared to what went on underneath. If you broke your wrist, think of how swollen your arm would be for quite a while. Anytime tissue is injured it swells. Your surgery was a major insult to the tissues and they will react. It probably takes a good 8 weeks for all the swelling and inflammation to completely resolve, which is why you have to be on liquids and purees for so long. You don't want to put any strain on the sutures or staple lines. Hang in there! There is nothing wrong. The weight will come off - it just takes time for things to settle down.

If you can eat Soups now lentil Soup is delicious and a good Protein source. It's very easy to make yourself - lentils cook pretty quickly compared to other dried legumes. You can soak lentils overnight to speed it up. But basically, I put Water, lentils, chopped onion, garlic, bay leaf in a crock pot. Cook until lentils soften up, and then add celery and carrots if you like. Salt, pepper to taste, or any other seasonings like tumeric. You can run this through a blender to puree it and it is still yummy.

If you can eat Soups now lentil Soup is delicious and a good Protein source. It's very easy to make yourself - lentils cook pretty quickly compared to other dried legumes. You can soak lentils overnight to speed it up. But basically, I put Water, lentils, chopped onion, garlic, bay leaf in a crock pot. Cook until lentils soften up, and then add celery and carrots if you like. Salt, pepper to taste, or any other seasonings like tumeric. You can run this through a blender to puree it and it is still yummy.

I rode 40+ miles on my bike today. I did great with my Water and my RX bars, but I was hungry afterward, no suprise. My car tire got a flat and I had to wait over 2 hours at Discount Tire to get it fixed. Anyway, I walked to Chik Filet and got a healthy lunch. Great. Got my car back and THEN drove through McDonalds and got a LARGE fry!!!! I ate it all, wishing there was more salt. (Clue.) And now I am sick. My tum really hurts and feel like throwing up. Remorse, remorse, remorse. Looking back, it wasn't hunger - it was salt. So lesson learned - I need to use some electrolytes on longer rides. But oh how it makes me sad to see how easily I just drove through and got those fries. More head work to do.

Woohoo congrats on the 40-mile ride. Celebrate big once you feel better. Lesson learned. *smile* NUUN tabs are my saving grace for electrolytes/hydration.

I rode 40+ miles on my bike today. I did great with my Water and my RX bars, but I was hungry afterward, no suprise. My car tire got a flat and I had to wait over 2 hours at Discount Tire to get it fixed. Anyway, I walked to Chik Filet and got a healthy lunch. Great. Got my car back and THEN drove through McDonalds and got a LARGE fry!!!! I ate it all, wishing there was more salt. (Clue.) And now I am sick. My tum really hurts and feel like throwing up. Remorse, remorse, remorse. Looking back, it wasn't hunger - it was salt. So lesson learned - I need to use some electrolytes on longer rides. But oh how it makes me sad to see how easily I just drove through and got those fries. More head work to do.

If you can eat Soups now lentil Soup is delicious and a good Protein source. It's very easy to make yourself - lentils cook pretty quickly compared to other dried legumes. You can soak lentils overnight to speed it up. But basically, I put Water, lentils, chopped onion, garlic, bay leaf in a crock pot. Cook until lentils soften up, and then add celery and carrots if you like. Salt, pepper to taste, or any other seasonings like tumeric. You can run this through a blender to puree it and it is still yummy.

Sorry to be Debbe-Downer here, but I used my preop time to get RID of the addictive foods - alcohol, caffeine, sugar, processed foods, refined carbs. I cleaned up my eating a lot. I did not want to struggle with any of that afterwards when recovery itself would be hard enough. I figured I did not have to wait until surgery day to decide to make the changes for life. Just saying.