Rappahannock

Hi @Rappahannock
9 days out - woo hoo!! Congratulations and welcome to the losers bench!
I am 18 months out (bypass, but the journey is pretty similar). You have a good eating plan? I didn’t as my surgeon just said ‘three meals a day, don’t snack EVER AGAIN’. But I got some off this site somehow and they sure helped.
Even now, I eat off a small plate. I keep my portion size small - if I don’t it hurts. I imagine stretching my wee pouch and I certainly don’t want that.
The Mediterranean diet - pretty closely describes my eating habits nowadays. But instead of being like a jail sentence as it was when it was ‘a diet’ now it is because that is the food I love! I have a beef burger (well, 1/4 of one) every now and then and mostly think ‘did I really used to love this sort of heavy, dense stuff?’. I love it that we chan change!
Best of luck on your journey! Just one idea - in your signature, maybe add your weight, or your BMI? People can help you better when the inevitable questions arise, if they get a slightly fuller sense of your path...

There are a lot of veterans here several years post-goal who are still maintaining and doing great. I hope to be one of them in the future.

In the absence of information, I'd be inclined to use the VSG rules as your personal rules for success.

Honestly? That's the 1 WORST habit my surgeon and RD said. It will allow you eat more, plus it will stretch your anatomy (if you're an RNY) it can open the stoma too much and stretch that opening so then you have no resistance. No. It's too soon for you to be not feeling it. It's because of the drinking with food. You just need to STOP it. No excuses.