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Just want to recommend a lovely tea brand .. Tazo teas are lovey! It has great quality, simple ingredient tea bags that brew up well. i sometimes put monkfruit sweetener in it to enhance the flavor. My favorite is wild sweet orange. It smells and tastes heavenly. the glazed lemon loaf is pretty good and tastes naughty but i believe is no calories brewed - just a tasty way to hydrate.

bring bottled water or a water bottle to stay hydrated that is #1! you may want to make sure you have your phone or other tracking method to make sure you aren’t going crazy with food. my philosophy is if you can handle staying in control you can have a little wiggle room during vacation or special circumstances (that is not for everyone)… don’t feel bad about “wasting” food. it’s not a waste of you dispose of calories you don’t need… eat your food slowly and enjoy the company you keep.. you can feel indulgent by keeping portions reasonable that way and have fun! i hope you are going to a great place

What you may need to bring on vacation depends on your eating plan and how firmly you intend to stick to it. If you do protein drinks and intend to stick with them then you'll need to bring protein drinks. Obviously, anything you just must have that may not be available on vacation you need to bring. Or your can adjust by eating foods on the vacation that still allow you to achieve your protein and calorie goals. Or, you can just ****-it all because you're on vacation. Personally, I'm somewhere between the last two options on vacation, depending on the meal. My plan since puree has been easy to follow no matter where I am with no special potions, lotions, or concoctions. As for drinking, you have similar options. Be careful, though. At this point you're eating very little, so alcohol can hit harder. Many sleeve folks are also generally affected by alcohol faster and harder so be very careful. If you're going to drink do it in a safe place initially so you can get a handle on the new paradigm for you. Also, transfer addiction is a hazard, so again, be aware and careful. Again personally, I don't recall drinking until more than a year out, on vacation. I don't drink normally but ****-it all, I'm on vacation. Once people understand your vacation, goals, and plan, they can offer a ton of tips. The requirements for a backpacking trip would be different than a 5 star resort. Enjoy your vacation. Tek

I think that many such problems can be solved by distributing daily calories for night snacks in order to adjust to your body. A simple set of dried fruits and vegetables that I always have at home helps me. By adjusting the amount I can eat according to how I feel, I always go to bed without that urge to eat something.

about to park ourselves on the couch for a couple hours to watch a movie. no popcorn in the pantry today so movie snacks will be...CHEESE! we are a household of cheese lovers and always have a bunch of different ones on hand. this snack plate has feta, sheep cheese with pistachio and a black pepper bellaVitano (my fave of the bunch) 223 calories for the plate. im sharing so not sure yet how much i'll eat. mmmmm....cheese.

Last night dinner: Left over Hibachi veggies and I added grilled chicken! YUMMM 226 Cals. 28g protein for all of it. I didn't bother adjusting the serving because the little bit I left wasn't really changing the calories enough to matter.

Sorry you're struggling so much! Based on what you're describing, neither weight loss surgery, nor GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic/Wegovy/Rybelsus would do anything for you. Both WLS and these meds work by helping patients reduce caloric intake. You've already said that doing so didn't work for you, so I see little point in either approach. Here's the deal. While this is a slight over simplification, you can't overcome basic physics even if there's some sort of hormonal imbalance. If you eat less than you burn, you'll lose weight. If you eat more than you burn, you'll gain weight. There's no way around that. This makes me think you may be asking the wrong question? I think instead of asking how can I reduce my food intake further, the question you should be asking is why is my metabolism so low and what can I do to increase how much I'm burning? Based on what you've described, there really are only two explanations: Either you are eating a lot more than you think you are (it's common for people to dramatically overestimate caloric intake), or your metabolism is unnaturally low. My first recommendation would be to have a baseline metabolism check done. This is sometimes called resting metabolic rate (RMR), resting energy expenditure (REE), or Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Do some Google searches and you should find a place near you that can test this. Even if you do nothing else, knowing how many calories you burn at rest will help you understand what you should do to get to a normal weight. Next, I'm going to guess that your previous fitness attempts were focused primarily on steady-state cardio. While that's great for heart health, it's not what I think you need. I would strongly recommend finding a reputable trainer that can help you add muscle mass through proper diet and exercise. Simply put, the more muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolism. In your case, where you've likely severely negatively impacted your metabolism through a starvation diet/anorexia, you may have to "reset" things with this type of training regimine. One final point: stop obsessing with the number on the scale. This is a poor analog for how fit you are. Your body weight is comprised of lots of things other than fat (muscle, bone, water, organ weight, etc.), so you could actually be really fit at 180, or carrying too much fat at 160. For example, you made a point of saying that after months of working out in a gym, you ended up weighing more than before you started. That's actually somewhat common and not necessarily a bad thing. That extra 6 pounds may have just be fluid retention, or muscle (likely some of both), so the number on the scale was not a good way of tracking your overall health. This is one of the reasons we strongly recommend also periodically checking your body measurements, as well as potentially checking body composition. You can buy a BIA scale to check that, or there are plenty of commercial places that will do it for you. Best of luck.

@SpartanMaker This is incredibly helpful. THANK YOU for taking the time to share such a thorough and thoughtful answer. I'm mostly considering IF because I'm concerned about weight regain. Now that I've moved into maintenance, my calorie count is creeping up. I find it pretty easy not to eat before lunch, so IF might help limit my snacking/potential overeating. Again, THANK YOU. You've given me lots to think about.

This is an interesting question. I've read quite a lot of the scientific literature on Intermittent Fasting (IF) and I think it can be summarized as follows: IF has similar and many times better results vs. daily calorie restriction if the goal is weight loss. A lot of this additional benefit is due to the inherent ketogenic nature of IF. Compliance with IF is typically better than daily calorie restriction. If weight loss is the goal, IF can fail spectacularly if the subject overeats when not fasting. This is problematic for some people because they feel like IF gives them an excuse to eat badly on refeed days/times. IF really only works if you eat "normally" when not actually fasting. While there are numerous studies showing improved biomarkers with IF, almost all of those were done with either animals, or with overweight subjects. When compared to daily calorie restriction, many, if not most of the benefits are explained simply by underfeeding, not by IF specifically. (I should note here that IF can be extremely beneficial for certain specific medical conditions. I'm excluding a discussion on that subject and assuming we're talking about otherwise healthy adults.) Taken as a whole, the conclusion I've personally come to is that IF can be beneficial for the right people, but it's not for everyone. Which leads me to your question: Is Intermittent Fasting good for maintenance after WLS? Assuming by "maintenance" you mean you'd be at or under a normal body weight, I'm not sure how beneficial IF would be? After all, IF is typically talked about as a diet or weight loss strategy. My point being that if instead, you are worried about or are actually seeing weight regain in "maintenance" then IF may work for you. Keep in mind however that IF & daily caloric restriction should both technically work. The question I can't answer is which is best for you. Only you know which eating pattern you can best comply with. Also, there are genetic and epigenetic factors at play here as well. Some people just do better with different eating patterns. The best advice may just be to try IF and see how you like it. Don't forget there are lots of different IF eating patterns and while 16/8 may work great for one person, someone else may need 5:2 or even alternate day to be successful. If gaining weight is not an issue and you're looking more for the potential health benefits, I'll point out again that most of the scientific literature seems to support that both IF and underfeeding in general have the same benefits. This means it really comes down to you again. Can you avoid overeating when refeeding? Do you struggle with compliance on a "normal" diet? Your answers will determine your success with IF.

@kelly jojo First few weeks, we are usually bloated. After surgery I gained over 10 lbs due to the IV. Your body is healing and adjusting. I was told not to take my weight too seriously until I was fully healed (6 to 8 weeks). Try to be patient and stick to your program. 3 lbs a week is actually good at your weight (10.5k calories less), that's 12 lbs in a month if continues at that rate. If losing 3 lbs a week is upsetting then beware of the infamous 3-week stall where you may not lose anything for a few weeks.

well...i sort of do intermittent fasting naturally (both during weight loss phase AND during maintenance) i normally don't eat until after noon (just not a morning eater...never was even before surgery). After surgery i don't normally eat past 7 or 8 pm..i got into this habit cuz i had a horrible experience with nighttime regurgitation one night and it was enough to make sure i always went to bed on an empty stomach. ...sooo i ended up practicing 16/8 IF without really meaning to. been doing this pretty much about 90% of the time for about 4 years now. not sure if doing so has any added health benefit but i do it anyway cuz its just how i roll lol. p.s. i meet all my nutritional needs most of the time and can easily get 1800+ calories in during those 8 hours (fyi, i graze). my last set of labs 1.5 months ago say im in great health...and i dont even take any vitamins. YMMV. Good luck!

WOOHOO! Congratulations! You will be there before you know it. There is nothing you can do for hair loss but be patient and it will grow back. It is natural and can be accelerated by multiple things. Some people lose hair just from anesthesia, iron deficiency, etc. It is common in WLS because of the lack of calories, your body "dumps" the easiest thing first when fighting. Kind of like why your toes and fingers get frost bite first. There are a ton of supplements but they don't stop hair loss, they just help regrowth. Don't stress it, just keep up on your protein, fluids, vitamins etc. and you will be just fine. Wishing you the best!

I've had a long history with weight problems. By the age of ''4'' I was already 68 pounds despite having the diet of the typical child. By the time I was 15 I was in the 180's and eating honestly no different from my peers. By 17 I had joined a teen fitness group and failed to lose any weight what-so-ever. I resorted to starvation about a year later and by 19 I was 150 pounds and subsisting on 500 calories per day, taking diet pills and using tea laxatives. This lead to a cardiac issue which lead me into an Anorexia treatment center by 20. I cleaned up my act and began a ''healthy eating journey'' but sadly for me that resulted in a slow creeping weight gain of about 7-8 pounds per year. Sometime in 2014 I had reached ''180'' again and decided to join a gym. Worked out for months and lost nothing. I reduced my sugars, cut out processed food.. somehow I ended up weighing even more. I was 186 by the end of that year. By 2021 I was ''210'' pounds. My doctor weighed me. I was in shock. Literal shock.. could not even believe it because I was working with a nutritionist at the time and following through with everything. This last year I have worked out constantly, eaten no carbs and I am 208. I have only lost two pounds. I am nearly 33 year old and my weight has been a seemingly life long struggle and close to resistant to change unless extreme measures were taken (Anorexia). I am very disappointed with this. I have been tested for PCOS, Cushing's, NCCH etc many times and nothing showed up. I had severe acne (took accutane three times) and mild hirsutism as well but all blood tests come back normal, ultrasound reveal no cysts and I've gotten a monthly period since 13 years old. No doctor can explain this. I feel as though they do NOT believe me when I tell them what I eat. I just had an appointment with an endocrinologist and he said what I was telling him was ''impossible''. I have asked my doctor to refer me for weight loss surgery but at 210 pounds and 5'7 they just won't do it. I am at a loss.

Sunday Brunch- I hated everything but the tea so no calories count 🤣 Fish and chips ( I only ate a few chips and some slaw) & french toast (only took one bite)

your calories could be too low too… sometimes one day with some reasonable treats and higher calories will kick your metabolism into gear … also are you measuring ??? often people who exercise will loose inches (fat) but not pounds due to muscles 💪

The main thing that makes me feel hungry, those bottomless pit type of days, is when I don't sleep well. It's like my body wants to eat for energy. Gerd gave me fake hunger too in the past (I don't have gerd now). Dehydration does that too. I'm not hungry but thirsty but it's hard to tell the difference sometimes. My goto "snacks" during those days are homemade vegetable soup, low calorie fruits like watermelon, strawberries... Etc.

toast two ways: (1) peanut butter and jam, and (2) lemon curd ate all the pb&j but didn't care for the lemon curd. waaaaay too sweet without some whipped cream or something. estimated 237 calories for what i ate. no one wanted my leftovers so its in the trash.

I'm 11 days post op and I'm struggling to get more than 250 calories a day of that I'm getting about 15 grams of protein. At 9 days post op, I was allowed to start a full liquid diet and I finally tried today a teaspoon of mushroom bisque, stayed down but now I'm trying to do a shake and my stomach is just gurgling. My nutrition gave me a recipe for protein Popsicles, so making them now. Has anyone had any problems with liquid intake after surgery.

I have been getting my hunger back too and I also had my surgery done in sept. It makes me sad because I was hoping to not be hungry for longer. Its harder to stay on track when I'm hungry every two hours or so but I fill it with low calorie food. I am eating salad or fruit as snacks and trying to eat slower during my meals. I've upped my protein but that didn't really help. I measure all of my food and stick to my dietitians guidelines, but its scary to see how hard it is sometimes.

made some avocado toast for The Kid's lunch earlier and ate HER leftovers for a change, which was half of the egg-less one. Estimating 159 calories for what i ate.

I also lost my interest in food & wasn’t really hungry so I get how you feel. I also was only eating two ‘meals’ a day to begin but then I realised I needed to eat for my body to function properly. So I started to eat more regularly. I found eating to the clock helpful. It actually changed a lot of my relationship with food. That adage of eating to live not living to eat became true for me. (I still very much enjoy food but I consider what & why I’m eating it.) As a place to begin, try adding a third meal of a smaller portion & eat it even more slowly than you normally would just to get into the routine. Or add a yogurt drink or shake at sometime during the day & look at them as a drink not a meal with the bonus of necessary nutrients. Have you had a chat with your dietician to review your diet, nutrient & calorie intake. They may have some suggestions re nutrient dense meal suggestions. The lack of hunger & interest in eating doesn’t last. It’s a temporary bonus of the surgery. Though my lack of hunger lasted into my second year, most find it starts to return in their first year from about 6 months. Actually you’ll get to a time in the future when you wish you still experienced them.

Hey guys! I had my sleeve on Nov 7th. I'm doing pretty good. Just wondering how many calories you all are eating? I'm getting around 400-500. I feel like that is high especially for such small amounts of food. I eat 3 (2oz) meals of pureed food, 2 premier protein shakes (160 calories per shake), and of course my water. Sent from my SM-S115DL using BariatricPal mobile app

most people do lose their hunger for a few months after bariatric surgery. Mine came roaring back at five months out. Enjoy it while it lasts....I wish mine had never come back. It is SO much easier to lose weight when you're never hungry and don't give a flip about food! Things get a lot harder once your hunger comes back. Again, there are days I wish mine had never come back - I found it very liberating, on top of making it easy to lose weight (I'm 7.5 years out now) I wouldn't worry about getting too skinny. For one thing, only about 10-15% of patients make it to a normal BMI, let alone get too skinny. There are a lot more people who never make it all the way to their goal than there are people who get too thin. Plus if you DO get too thin, you can always increase your calories to either stabilize your weight - or gain some back. I wouldn't let that worry me AT ALL.

I have not experienced this but this is my sons exact story, only he was never overweight until now because of the pain. Find a different doctor and therapist. Chronic pain is real and many drs just dont feel like it needs addressing. There are many things you can. Your first step is finding a pain managment clinic to help with your pain. Next stay away from the alcohol. There are lots of calories in most alcohol. Next track your calories again. Do what exercises you can, even if its chair exercises just to be able to move. Its very difficult with back pain. You can do this, but you need the help of drs willing to help you. If a dr has a cavalier attitude about your pain , that is not the right dr for you.

I have not been in your position with the pain but I have been depressed in the past and I can feel your struggle in your words. I would for sure get a new therapist if they are not listening to you and realizing that you need help and not telling you to just deal with things. As far as the weight gain, the lack of exercise usually isn't the biggest cause. Some people can lose without any exercise at all. I totally understand your frustration to have your options so limited but you can only control so much. You are doing the best you can. I would look at your calories and you'll probably have to lower them to get the weight to come back off again. Alcohol is usually pretty high in calories, so it might be the main culprit. So for motivations sake, quitting the alcohol might make the weight gain stop and then when you feel better in control of your life you can make more diet changes and then lose the weight too. Sometimes just having something that you can control when everything else feels so out of control helps ground you and give you the mental stability to deal with things. So controlling your diet and calories could be a good start. I wish you the very best though and take care!