Spinoza

Sounds like you're doing just fine OP. I am almost 2 years post surgery. I have never set a timer to do anything (food or drink) but I know lots of us have benefited from that approach. I am a chugger and a gulper. I can see that this would not be good for lots of folks but it seems to have worked for me thus far. I eat what I think I'll be able to process (based on experience) and then stop. If I need more later then I will eat more. At 6 weeks I was desperately trying to meet my fluid and protein goals. Nothing else mattered. I didn't do it every day. I never timed bites - not sure that would have been in keeping with my long term goals.

Agree with the other posters. Almost never done by bariatric surgeons here any more because of the rate of adverse outcomes. I would never have had it having done my own research but I'm in a totally different life stage so best of luck to you if you do go ahead!

So frustrating. It's less than 4 months since your revision though - this could be a long stall as opposed to the end of your losses. I hope you start losing again soon. You've done so well, you're an inspiration.

Oh I meant to say - @Arabesque is, as usual, spot on about stalls. They come and they go and they are SUPER ANNOYING. People swear by all sorts of tricks to break them like switching exercise regimes or eating more or fewer calories/protein, etc. but I don't really think they make any difference. Also - I am really nosy too so hope some other folks share their typical daily diet!

What surgery have you had OP? I had a sleeve 23 months ago. Ballpark daily menu below for you. I was eating about two-thirds of this quantity at 8 months I think. Breakfast - I don't eat it but I do I have a large latte with whole milk. I like supper instead. Mid morning - 3oz greek yoghurt (or porridge made with whole milk) and fruit (3oz frozen berries or sometimes half a banana with honey); alternatively two eggs fried or scrambled or one with a couple of rashers of bacon. Lunch - chicken salad with about 2-3oz chicken and usually 2oz full fat coleslaw, with lettuce, tomato, cucumber etc. and a sprinkling of seeds All fits on a side plate (piled up, LOL). Or soup (I love soup with loads of veggies and lentils for protein) - can do a good cup of that. Or a small amount of sushi - about 3 large pieces or 5/6 small. Rice really fills me up and is good on hungry days because it takes my stomach forever to process it (probably doing untold internal damage, LOL). Dinner - my main meal - meat or fish 3oz approx - I can eat more of some meats than others; veg about 3oz; if I have space left then a tiny amount of carbs but usually not. Fish pie I love, with a tiny mashed potato layer. Stews are good - usually beef and veg in those (no potato). Fried chicken (I prefer thighs to breast). Wings with hot sauce - I can eat about 4 top or bottom wings. Curry - especially veggie curry with lentils and chickpeas (no rice). Steak (or pork steak) fried. I don't make pasta dishes any more really but I'll happily make a really meaty ragu with beef/pork mince and bacon lardons/pancetta and plenty of veg and just eat that on its own! Sausages (one large or two small) with onions and mushrooms. Fajita filling - chicken with onions mushrooms peppers sour cream guacamole cheese etc just no fajita. Sometimes a pie - chicken and ham - with just a top crust none on the bottom. Pizza or other takeaway food very occasionally - I can eat two slices of a large pizza nowadays. Supper - porridge and fruit; cheese and wholemeal crackers or oatcakes; a slice of wholemeal toast and something - e.g. half a banana, or sometimes pate or cream cheese or nut butter. Snacks - 2-3 a day - 1oz cheese; 1-2oz deli meat; 1oz raw nuts; olives; most days I have a small bag of crisps (chips to you lot). I drink wine at weekends - 1-2 glasses per night. Basically a bottle per weekend. I drink *far too much* diet soda all the time. I have almost no sugar in my diet now but sadly on the rare occasions I do eat any I still really love it and crave more - don't think that will ever leave me. Hope that helps - it's actually made me hungry just writing it 😂

OK then what I'm hearing is that you regret having surgery based on what you can now eat and also on what your friends have experienced. Please be assured that what you can eat now compared to the future will be totally different, and soon!

Gosh. Thank you for sharing OP but lots of us have had a very different experience. So sorry that you've had such a difficult time adjusting to your surgery. I totally agree that most people on this forum have tried to lose weight in the traditional ways (diet and exercise) and failed many many times. I'm not sure how you are relating that to your current experience though. Please may I ask you - if you had to do it all again and not have the surgery and stay at 265 lbs whether that would now be your choice?

Absolutely yes OP. All liquid intake counts! Best of luck on your journey.

Oh lord OP I asked exactly the same question here 18 months ago! The answer is there is no answer. The more I research WLS the more I believe that the surgery plus our dedication to our programmes plus our bodies determine our eventual weight. If you adhere to your surgeon's/team's goals then I think you'll be OK. I wish you the best of luck.

So lovely to hear about your journeys. Fantastic progress! Welcome to the rest of your lives 😍

Not sure why anyone would advise you to stop exercising? Surely that's a big part of your new life and maintaining your loss. Also - why does your loss need to be slowed - who decided this was best for *you*? What is YOUR goal? I say focus on that and how you can achieve it. Stick to your non-processed foods if that's best for you in the long term. You're in charge. I wish you the best of luck.

ALL the time and I think I always will.

Totally agree with @Arabesque in that a diet of shakes might be hard to sustain huskymama, particularly if you're slow to recover from your fracture. If you can revert to protein first, veg second, carbs (a long way behind) third you might be able to claw back your previous weight loss. I know it's rubbish to regain for whatever reason and I hope you can get it sorted while you recover.

Oh I agree, it's definitely a lifelong commitment to use our sleeve TRAVELRN. I also need to eat every 2-3 hours at this point if I haven't planned protein based meals in advance, which seem to keep me full for longer - then the pressure is off (for me anyway) and I can eat 3 meals a day. It's so very hard to keep on track though.

Lots of us experience this post WLS. I wear multiple layers now, summer and winter. I always budget for being cold even when other people are *far* too hot. My rule of thumb is to wear two extra layers of clothing in any situation. I can always take a layer off if I need to, but I rarely do!

Well done you Fred. You (YOU) have lost loads of weight after your surgery and I'm so glad you're now seeing the benefits! 😍 As an atheist I have absolutely no idea how and why you would want to attribute all your hard work and your loss to some deity or other but - yunno - absolutely good on you if you need to do that! We all get though our surgery and lose our weight in whatever way we can. I don't do that but kudos to anyone who needs to and does. Onwards and downwards.

Amazing @Arabesque You do simple elegance so very very well. Honestly I don't have the wherewithal. Think I need to post some photos on this thread soon. I do so love seeing everyone else's. I just have a mental hurdle to jump over first (embarrassment).

Oh I love your approach to this. I hope you're now out the other end of your surgery. I really look forward to getting to know you. 😍

*TRIGGER ALERT* Vomited milk! 🤢

I have never gone the fruity route in my life and I'm not starting now 😂

What stage are you at OP and what surgery did you have? I had a sleeve 22 months ago and from a few months post up I have got my protein mainly from meat/dairy (CHEESE but also yoghurt)/pulses/nuts. Deli meat is my go to snack even now. I often cook a little more meat than I need for family dinners and keep the leftovers in the fridge for easy grabbing. I make a point of eating nuts and seeds absolutely every day, even if small quantities, because I think they have loads of micronutrients that it's hard to get from elsewhere. I haven't done protein shakes or bars or added powders in forever but I'm sure they're a godsend if you're having difficulty in the longer term with getting your protein in - I just don't need them because of my sliced turkey addiction, LOL.

Oh dear, I am a real outlier here because I had blood tests for the first time after 6 months. My surgeon seems really relaxed about this (possibly because their dietitian is SOOOOOO good). I'm getting another set done at 2 years and that'll be it for me unless I develop symptoms of deficiency of something or other. I think it's different for people whose surgery induces malabsorption? Although of course I know not having a whole stomach does that for certain vitamins in some people.

Cottage cheese also a big no from me. Have tried it so many times. Won't say what the taste and texture remind me of, but suffice to say I had really nasty hyperemesis in my pregnancies and drank a lot of milk in an unsuccessful attempt to cure it. 🤣

This is what really scares me. People who have clearly done really well then slipping back into old habits. Thank you so much for sharing. I am one of the people who is afraid to relax. Still clenched 100% of the time. I an eat a lot more now I'm almost 2 years post surgery. I do stick to the protein first veg second carbs third ALL THE TIME though, maybe that's what's saving me. Do you think that might help you @SleeverSk ? I've had a few planned strays from the path and one or two unplanned ones but I've been able to get back on the path immediately after (so far). The tip I would share would be to track everything but I know that doesn't suit everyone. I would love to think that in another couple of years I wouldn't need to but I suspect I always will. Really interested in others' experiences. Thanks for starting the thread OP!

I picked a goal weight right in the middle of my healthy (hahahaha what even IS that?) BMI range. I had many many times lost weight and got there by various means previously. My surgeon and dietician thought it might be too ambitious given the average loss with a sleeve, so I was prepared to lose MUCH less. You can do it any way you like OP! Perhaps pick a weight that you have been comfortable at before. OR a weight/BMI that you really want to reach, for whatever reason. Or lick a finger and hold it up into the wind. Turns out my team's advice meant virtually nothing. I got to my goal weight and then lost some more. I didn't need to try or do anything specific - just stuck to my plan. I wish you the best of luck.