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well...we didn't end up going to Costco...whomp whomp we got distracted house hunting and then ended up picking up Popeyes in the way home...double womp womp. an onion ring, 3 boneless chicken wings, and a scoop each of cole slaw & the mashed potatoes. estimated 370 calories for the before pic. ate the sides, a bite of the onion ring (not very good) and 1 of the chicken wings which turned out to have a bone in it, surprise! hahah.

yum! i make cookie versions of this all the time! i've made it both sugar and sugar-free in varying degrees of success. for sugar-free i find monk fruit sweetener works best...but it is waaaay sweeter pound for pound so use less! you'll have to add some sort of wet/moist ingredient to make up for the volume loss in the recipe tho...i've used unsweetened almond milk and olive oil...which one depending on how many calories i want per serving in the end, ha.

@Justarwaxx I'm sorry you are struggling right now. I can definitely relate; with Christmas and also recently having my period, I overate, especially sweets. It happens. You have to remember that you are fighting years of bad eating habits and those aren't just going to change overnight because you had surgery. I know for me it helps, that even if I have made bad eating choices, I still log my food and feel better seeing that it's still not over 2000 calories a day, which in theory means I'm still below anything that would make me gain weight. It's not helpful to shame spiral, because there is no lesson learned in shame. You are okay. And tomorrow is another day and another chance to make better choices. I hope you are feeling better now.

late night coffee and dessert with some gal pals last night: i ordered this monstrosity: banana and nutella funnel cake with chocolate and peanut butter sauce and peanu-chocolate chip crumble with a side of vanilla soft serve ice cream (not shown) the menu listed the calorie count at 1,380 calories plus another 191 calories for the ice cream for a total of 1,571 calories! i ate maybe 1/4 of the funnel cake itself (but none the ice cream), so maybe 350 cals? pre-wls i probably would have eaten all of it including the ice cream, plus have forkful tastes of my friends' desserts as well. my, how things have changed! i did get a little bit of a loose poop when i got home, but it was worth it, ha! next time, i could do without the chocolate sauce and the crumble topping....

Some programs want their patients to avoid them as soon as possible - within the first few months - on the premise that they don't want their patients drinking calories and would rather they work with solid food instead. Most programs don't care, but there is some merit to the liquid vs. solid argument, at least for a time. Many, OTOH, as we see above, still use them long term, often as a convenience. I still use them - my own blend, as with most things - as an exercise recovery drink after the gym. My wife uses some of the powder in the regular smoothie that she makes (20 years post op) in which she also includes some of the added supplements that she still needs (for her DS,) So, if you can get away without them and still get the requisite protein, and object to drinking them, then great - you can do away with them. If you like them and they still provide some benefit or convenience, there's little reason not to continue using them.

Are you logging your food? If you end up working with a dietitian, I can almost guarantee they are going to ask you to do so. You might as well start ASAP so they have something to work with. Specific amounts matter, so be sure to weight and measure everything. The reality is we just aren't good at determining how many calories we actually eat. Most people underestimate calories, but overestimating isn't unheard of either. You mention a couple of times that you're eating a lot. What you need to understand is that the amount of calories you are currently eating just IS NOT ENOUGH for you. You need to be consuming eating even more calories and logging your current intake will often be the first step. Once a baseline is established, a dietitian can help you find ways to increase your caloric intake to where it needs to be, even if you feel like you can't physically fit any more food in.

BlondePatriotinCDA- I have been tracking my food and beverages until yesterday I was eating 500-600 calories a day for the last year waking up at night is the only way I am able to increase my intake. My symptoms aside from low calorie intake was severe hair loss, extreme fatigue like I could only be awake for a few hours at a time. I have epilepsy with medication I typically have 1 seizure a month, suddenly I was having severe a week. My mood also changed I am usually a very happy bubble person and my thoughts and emotions started going to a very dark place. I lost the ability to think clearly, could not even watch a 30 min show without losing g focus. I was snapping at everyone and I had a general unwell feeling and I started to get back pain and upper stomach pain. Then my blood pressure dropped low.

Calories snd weight loss aside, I was warned that immediately post op that you may physically be able to eat more than you should and you really need to measure to avoid injuring yourself by eating too much until your insides are healed. Those portions they put in your book are not just a suggestion. They are really important. Once things heal you should start to feel your restriction better but you do still need to eat slowly and to pay attention to it or you will overfill yourself. The difference between okay and stuffed can be just one or two bites for most people. That being said, I could’ve eaten more than expected with every single stage post op and I could eat more than most when I was healed as well. I still can’t eat a lot but more than most sleevers. I still lost a pretty significant amount with the sleeve and then I revised to SADI recently in which my dr didn’t touch my sleeve and I have lost a pretty big chunk of weight again. If you choose healthy foods you won’t really be consuming that much more calorie wise with an extra quarter or half cup of food, honestly. I’m talking about like broccoli or salad greens. Stuff like that. If you do your protein first and do fruits and veggies after that you still probably wont have room for much else even with a slightly larger pouch. I know that I don’t. Sometimes when I’m exercising pretty intense I do add a third cup of brown rice but I have to cut the veggies to do so.

No worries.i haven't had a period since 2018, so I can't use that as a guide. I've been to nutrition and my bariatric team. Nutrition gave me calorie and macro goals and I'll repeat a body composition the end of October. What's funny is I haven't changed how I eat, just tracking, and I've meet or exceeded the goals given. They also did blood work and everything checks out fine. At this point, the only thing I can think of are the times my activity level has been higher. However, I compensate for that by eating more calories. I'm very in tune with my body and adjust my eating as needed. I guess the key factor is calorie input/output. Also, my bariatric team seems to think the body composition was inaccurate. We'll see what the end of October brings.

Interesting info ! I was tracking my macros but my doc asked me to stop as he maintains it can lead to unhealthy obssesional behaviour I don’t fully agree with that but i tried winging it just to see. Maybe i should track macros for a while without fixating on calorie intake but only on nutrional values 🤔

Been drinking green tea for about 24 years now and believe me it never did a thing to help with my losing weight. Was drinking it when I had my greatest weight gain periods. Only reason people may notice a little weight loss over time is you drink it plain without extras so no milk, cream, creamers, syrups, sugar, honey, etc. that many add to their coffee so fewer calories. I began drinking green tea for one reason: caffeine was kicking my butt specifically sleep issues & reflux. Tried decaf for a while but felt it was a sacrilege and it would make me a little nauseous. Interestingly the smell of the leftover coffee dregs in a cup turned my tummy too. I also thought if I get any anti oxidant benefits yay but not really a factor. I enjoy it. However, I don’t like the grassy, grainy texture of matcha nor any of the green and fruit blends: bit of a purist. Don’t miss coffee at all. Not all green teas are the same in regards to caffeine content but generally it’s about 1/4 the caffeine as coffee or black tea. So if I have a cup/mug too late it can affect my sleep as it will if I drink more than two a day. Personally I prefer Tea2 green teas (sencha and Buddha’s tears). I believe you can but them online in the US. They have a cleaner taste and tend not to get that bitter dry taste that some brands do. Note the tea bags are large and a single bag gives me a good strong 450ml (almost 2cups) mug. Funny story: Back about 20 years ago, my hairdresser asked an apprentice to make me a cup of green tea. He went out the back & was gone for a little while. He returned and asked how do you make tea green? He was being serious. Still makes me chuckle. Never forgotten his name either: Luke. Bless him.

Well today was crazy but I still managed to stay on track with my nutrition. I just finished eating dinner since I missed lunch and had to eat it late. I wasn’t really hungry so I just ate some chicken breast to get my protein. The good news is that my calories were way lower today so that should help offset the fact that I didn’t do any exercise.

and yeah...i NEEDED some dessert (before i showered! lol)...so totally ate these 4 squares of hazelnut milk chocolate! 143 calories! btw, Mr. is eating chips right now, so i will likely be logging some chips servings in MFP later on.....

Good morning. I'm not discounting anything SpartanMaker posted above. However, I was in the exact same boat as you. I was eating 1200-1400 calories, religiously measured/counted everything, plenty of water, I played with my macros till I was blue in the face and for 10 months I did not lose and I did not gain. I'm a nurse so I probably have more background in nutrition than most, so I'm confident in how I was eating was appropriate and what most providers would "recommend". In February I went to my two year follow up. My labs were perfect, my vitals on point and I had not lost one ounce since the last visit nearly a year prior. After having a long conversation with my bariatric provider, the only change since the losing stopped was I was pretty much into full menopause. We discussed options and ideas on how to "overcome" the hormone influencing my insulin processes that was affecting my metabalism hurdle I may possibly be facing. She said based on her research zepbound might be a great option as it also can help in reducing "hot flashes" which I was having twice a day, everyday. Long story short, even with my insurance, zepbound would have been around $700 a month, so I choose to do the my budget friendly compound tirzepatide route (the compound equivalent to zepbound) with my provider's blessing. I have been on the weekly injections for 6 weeks and have already been able to shed 19#. I have not ate any differently, no change in my physical activity AND the hot flashes are gone. I'm not suggesting this would be the answer you need, but it's been a game changer for my journey. Good luck ❤️

@Mspretty86 girl good for you!!! I tried to do that but I became too lethargic and cranky! hahaha I wake up at 4am make myself coffee, unsweetened almond milk and a couple of pumps of sugar free sweetener. I also make myself keto toast with Nuttzo butter ,half a banana sprinkled with cinnamon. It starts my day and I know I eat more calories than the average sleeve person (1800-2000 a day) but hey I got to where I am at doing this. Have you found that fasting helped in other ways?

Wow, congratulations on your amazing progress! It’s so inspiring to hear how much your life has transformed and how active you’ve become—Zumba, Pilates, and Vinyasa Yoga sound like such a fun way to stay healthy and energized! I’m 4 months post-op now, and I find myself really curious about the science behind bypass. Sometimes I notice I’m able to eat a decent amount but still lose weight, and it fascinates me that it’s not just about restriction but also how our bodies absorb fewer calories now. It’s like my body is working with me for the first time! I’m so excited to see what I’ll look and feel like a year from now—I don’t even know myself in a skinny form yet! Stories like yours keep me motivated, so thank you for sharing.

The simple answer is yes. Just getting a small stomach does not cure your brain. It is hard wired to feast whenever there is a glut of food and unfortunately that is what is all around us these days. I waited 30 years for this surgery so this is me - I allow myself 1500 calories a day. I religiously track them I could easily eat around my sleeve, I love chocolate and dont have any will power. If I open a bar then I eat it. So I buy the packs of tiny 25gram bars. I have increased my activity. I walk everywhere. I shop better for quality protein rich foods and menu plan, You may find when your new stomach has healed, about 6 - 12 weeks out, you will hopefully feel your restriction kick in. You should feel the full signals. Certain foods fill me longer than other. I physically can not eat or drink for two hours after eating meat. Mince it and I can go again after an hour. Its a massive learning curve.

Well if you’re only eating one salad every two days and buying another on the third you are probably eating too little calories and your body is in starvation mode which sometimes you can actually gain. BUT, if you were to eat THAT same salad a couple of times a day and had breakfast too you would probably be eating too many calories to lose. Salad is very deceiving. They can actually have more calories than a bacon cheeseburger meal if you just add the good tasting stuff without measuring and counting and nutrition wise you aren’t getting a whole lot of what you need in a tiny portion of one salad as prepared. If I was you I would talk to a dietician about what choices are healthier options and how much protein you need. What you’re eating even though it’s a salad which sounds good is not the most nutritious option. First start by measuring and tracking what you’re having in an app. You would be surprised what you learn about what you eat by doing that. Most prepared salads have more than a serving of things like full fat cheese and croutons and the dressing packets they give you is far more than one serving as well. it sounds kinda silly but if you bring home your favorite salad and take the time to deconstruct it just once you can measure each thing and figure out exactly what’s in it (assuming they make it the same way each time). It’s always best to make your salad at home if possible so you can use lean or reduced fat protein and lower calorie dressings and choose healthier toppings but if you have to get it while your out you can use less of the dressing and ask for them to go light on the cheese and skip the croutons. Also, opt for grilled chicken and if possible ask for an extra fillet of chicken or two and add that to your leftover lettuce for your next meals. I do that at chic fila all the time. I make two meals out of a salad by getting a second fillet of chicken and making a grilled chicken Cesar salad with my leftover lettuce. But your focus will always need to be protein first since you do have a tiny stomach. Ask your doctor your personal goal but You should get probably be getting around 3-4oz of lean protein a meal and then fruit and veggies and then the lettuce is a filler if you have room. I prefer to bring my salad home so I can take off all the toppings and add just a tiny bit of lettuce and put that into a container. I prefer the toppings to the lettuce anyways. Also a good way to use less dressing is to mix any salad in a bowl like you would do ceaser salad and you get a bit on all the lettuce using less than you would if you just pour it over. And try to avoid the sodas like mentioned above. If you must eat and don’t enjoy water, try to find a drink mix that you like and keep a box of drink packets in your car to grab when you go in. Order water and mix in your drink packet. It’s way less calories and it’s cheaper. Note that the drink packets do have artificial sweeteners and there is evidence they aren’t the best for you either so plain water is best but they do have some made with stevia which my dietician says is the best option if I must have them. Tru lemon is one of the better ones. So many of us think we are making good choices when we are eating a salad or soup but they are not all created equal. And just eating a tiny portion of a less nutritious food isn’t the best option because you may lose weight this way but you’re not getting all the vitamins and protein your body needs. If you don’t get enough protein you may actually just be losing muscle mass and as we get older that is really hard to build back up. If you aren’t doing strength training this can be really bad. Measuring and putting things Into the Baritastic app and really looking at how much protein is In something and how much fat and carbs are in there as well as added sugars has really helped me to learn what foods are more nutritious choices. I think my protein goal with my sleeve was 60 grams minimum and with the SADI revision it is 90 grams. I was told that protein was the very most important thing but you also need to get fruits and veggies for the vitamins. And check your labs regularly to make sure you are getting what you need. I hope this helps.

oops i did it again: came home from 2.5 hours of hot yoga and was too lazy to fix something so reached for some junk. sour cream & onion chips, 1/4 of a coconut bun and 1 of those dark-chocolate-peanut-butter cups i made the other day. 317 calories for it all. ate almost all of it. (i really need to make sure there is something to eat when i get home from yoga/pilates/rock climbing....need to go grocery shopping!!)

Most of the comfort foods that I prefer are not exactly on plan. Chili or chicken chili are nice for the cold weather though and they’re on my plan. I also like quiche. I found one at Walmart by the deli that is made with egg whites so it’s less calories. Of course it’s still a little high in fat because it’s got full milk cheese but considering it’s a prepared food that’s fairly inexpensive It’s reasonable macros. I definitely have to be sure to have like just a protein shake for breakfast and then something really reasonable for dinner like chicken breast or fish with veggies. Anyways, if you consider it what I do is just slice it up while it’s cold and then heat one slice in the oven at a time so it’s nice and crispy and good. I’ve not tried freezing yet cause I’m not sure if it’s safe to freeze eggs like that. I know you can’t freeze raw eggs but I don’t know about eggs that are in something. Seems like the texture would not be the same. Anyways, I hope everyone. Find a way to stay relatively warm and not let this cold weather mess us up too bad.

went on a sauce/condiment making rabbit hole yesterday... from left to right: 1) garlic chilli crisp oil 2) ginger green onion sauce 3) simple syrup 4) earl grey infused simple syrup (made this on whim and don't know how i survived all this time without it! #yum) added a generous drizzle over some silken tofu....😋 **last pic: a tbsp each of the chili crisp and the ginger sauce with 50g of Char Sui (aka Chinese bbq pork)...ate it all! (224 calories)

I had a post op appt with my NP yesterday. She is please with my nutrition even though it’s not quite status quo. I am still doing chemo with steroids so I have some pretty intense cravings but for now the chemo has made me hyperthyroid so I am maintaining despite a lot less exercise and a less than perfect bariatric diet. Sounds like a blessing to be able to eat more but I’m still having to rein it in because I am ravenous 24/7 and of course there are some real health risks with hyperthyroidism so I have to closely monitor things. I am really hoping it goes away or I’m going to go broke trying to afford healthy food in the quantity I am able to consume. I have mostly nutritious food but I’m not counting calories or quantity for now. Plus with the tiny stomach I eat like 10 times a day so it’s pretty time consuming. On a better note I had a PET Scan the other day and my treatment is working!! A couple more months until the chemo should be done as long as I stay healthy enough to keep getting it. I hope a couple of months later things will be back and I will have a normal amount of cravings that I should be able to handle. I’m gonna need some emotional support kicking the carbs though for sure.

first meal of the day: i was soooooo excited to eat this while i was preparing it...and yes, it was crazy delicious!!! smoked salmon, avocado, yuzu cream sauce, capers & toasted sesame seeds. with a side of some homemade feta focaccia i made yesterday. soooooooooooooooo yummer omg. a whopping 776 calories for the plate, ate roughly 2/3 of it (?)...Mr. ate the rest.

Yea. For me whenever I have alot of carbs, I crave them for a few days so just be mindful of that and if that’s the case for you the only real way to get through it is to white knuckle it. One trick I did learn is to use my free foods from my preop diet such as pickles and sugar free popsicles to eat when I’m craving other things. May be one day of a few more calories still but it’s not nearly as bad as another day of high carb. Especially because that would only be followed by another day of the same. This is my first time having a lot of carbs with my revisions so hopefully this still works for me too

Thank you so much for this detailed reply — I truly appreciate the time and care you put into it. It really helped ease some of the anxiety I’ve been carrying. You’re right, I’m losing around 1kg a month and logically I know that’s great… but emotionally I keep feeling like I should be doing more. So reading that I’m exactly where I should be was super reassuring. I also loved what you said about exercise — I know it’s not the biggest driver of weight loss, but for me, it plays a huge role in how I feel. I actually want to focus more on losing fat and toning up now, not just dropping scale weight. I’m starting to realize that body composition matters more than the number. As for protein, yeah — I was surprised when my dietitian suggested lowering it to 65g. I’ve been aiming for 100–115g all along. I have another appointment on the 20th, so I’ll definitely bring this up again and see what’s behind that recommendation. Right now, I’m not using apps like MyFitnessPal. I track my food using ChatGPT (kind of like a food journal), and I weigh things in grams to stay accurate. But I’m a bit unsure how to move forward — like, should I only track protein and not worry too much about calories? Or try to follow macros more closely? I do eat clean, mostly home-cooked meals, but I also have occasional snacks and off-plan moments (nothing crazy, just not perfect). I know I need to tighten things up again, especially with workouts — I’ve been slacking a bit lately. Again, thank you for the perspective and advice. It means a lot to hear this from someone who's been through it herself. Would love to know your thoughts on whether focusing on protein alone is enough, or if I should be tracking more closely.