Search the Community

I’m down 175 lbs since 9/12/22 and currently eat 1700-1900 calories a day. I’ll hit my surgeon’s goal in the next 1-2 weeks and I’m about 30 lbs from my personal goal. You can damage your metabolism staying at 800-1200 calories for life. I have adjusted very slowly first going to 1400, then 1500, 1600, and now I try for 1700 but do go as high as 1900. On vacation I ate 2500+, gained 3 lbs and lost 5 the week I got back. I am very concerned about disordered eating and a lifestyle that is sustainable long term. I do exercise quite a bit, mostly because I genuinely love food and want to be able to indulge in small ways without stalling my progress too much. It’s about balance.

Thank you for your kind words! So you are ok mentally to stay at 800- 1000 calories forever? To me I get scared that that would not be a healthy number for anyone and that we are training ourselves into eating disorders. I find myself very close to being counted as having an eating disorder because of how much I count my calories and weigh my food etc. It's not officially an issue because we're under medical supervision but soon at the 1 year mark we are supposed to be mostly set free, at least I am. I go to every 6 months visits instead of 3 months with the dr. The line is blurry between what we do to to lose weight because we've had this surgery and we have lots of weight to lose and what is healthy long term. I was always under the impression that the goal was to eventually get back to eating a more normal amount of calories, but if we can't without gaining the weight back, what do you do? Is this the reason that so many surgeries fail? Its just scary to me no matter which way I look at it lol. I still am sooo happy to have lost this weight though and I would have the surgery again in a heartbeat. I just need to figure out this next step in the journey. I don't want to fail.

I use keto-friendly sauces like Primal Kitchen’s unsweetened ketchup and avocado ranch or I make my own from scratch. They may not be the lowest calorie, but I use so little of it that it isn’t really an issue and they have fewer chemicals and other garbage in them so I’m willing to make that sacrifice. They’re very, very tasty.

I totally get the struggle to find lower-calorie sauces that still hit the spot. It's awesome that you've found some options like the Sweet Baby Rays sugar-free BBQ sauce – I'll have to give that a try. When it comes to sauces, I've stumbled upon some real gems that I think you might love too. I've been a fan of Alfredo sauces for ages, and recently, I found a list of the best store-bought Alfredo sauce brands in a jar. These sauces are not only lower in calories but also pack a ton of flavor. It's a win-win in my book. If you're interested, you can check out the link here: https://www.beststorebought.com/alfredo-sauce-brands-in-jar/

Great job hitting your goals! I'm working on finding some non-scale victories to keep me motivated because the stalls are getting longer and longer, but progress is happening albeit slowly. I think my calorie count is around the 800-1000 mark, too, and I think that's where I'll be pretty permanently. Congrats on 155! That's amazing! I can't believe we're at the one year mark. Also, we seem to be scooping up some of the 2023 September surgery folks since this post isn't dated. To the new people, welcome! If you have any questions, let us know. We've all had our surgeries in September 2022 and while we don't post as often anymore, folks pop in every couple months to update / celebrate / commiserate. Best of luck to new and old September weight loss comrades!

I love the outdoors, so hiking/backpacking and trail running are my main cardio exercises right now. I also strength train 2-4 times a week, depending on what routine I'm doing and what else I'm doing cardio-wise. Before surgery, I would have been pushing it to walk to the end of the block, so I mostly just didn't bother. To me, I don't think of any of the activities I do strictly as something to help me lose or maintain weight. Honestly, fat loss mostly comes from the kitchen, Instead, I partake in these activities because I enjoy them, but perhaps even more importantly, they make me healthier and will hopefully lead to more time here on this planet. Regarding loose skin, I have been able to "fill in" some of it on my arms and legs with muscle. I attribute this to my overall workout plan, not to any specific thing. You didn't really ask, but I wanted to share a few additional things with you: While as you've seen in this thread not everyone is active post-surgery, the data is clear on this: those bariatric surgery patients that partake in at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity 5-6 days a week are significantly more likely to reach their goal weight and maintain their weight-loss long-term. That does not mean you can't be successful without exercise, but it does mean you can greatly tip the odds in your favor if you're active. Both cardio and strength training are important. While cardiovascular exercise has obvious heart-health benefits (that's why it's called cardio after all), it also helps with your overall physical endurance and energy levels, so everything else you do physically just becomes a lot easier. Strength training, in addition to helping you look and feel better physically also increases your metabolism so that you burn even more calories even at rest. It's hard to argue with the benefits of that on weight loss. Strength training will have no direct effect on loose skin. As I implied above, what it can do is help fill out that loose skin with some muscle instead of fat. This is probably going to be more in the arms and legs than in your belly for obvious reasons. Keep in mind though that your ability to add muscle mass is highly impacted by age, genetics, epigenetics, diet and biological sex, among other things. My point is that while some people can "fill in" that lose skin by adding muscle mass, it's by no means assured or even realistic for most of us. It's sometimes misleading to think of strength training as the only thing that builds muscle. Even just walking can help, depending of where you're starting from. Like all exercise, the key is continuing to progress. Once you stagnate, you'll stop improving your health. In short, I highly recommend partaking in both cardio and strength training. If you need help knowing what to do, seek out the assistance of a reputable trainer.

Scheduled for a DS on September 11. Counting down the days and running through the gambit of emotions. I didn't come into my surgery prep thinking that I'd be getting a WLS from the surgeon in an effort to fix a failing nissen fundoplication (GERD surgery, 2005). He just told me at the first appointment that it was my only real viable option for a repair and return to somewhat normal function. I'm eating reasonably now, I just have to remember to eat breakfast, which I usually don't but I've been trying to divide up my calories more thru the day instead of them all at the end of the day. I usually don't eat during work hours. Making sure I'm drinking plenty of no-calorie fluids and my care team recommends Liquid IV, so I've been making sure to drink at least one a day, although when I start my 2-week pre-op diet it'll go up to two each day. I think I'm ready, not 100%, still scared witless that I'm going to regret it but at the same time I know I can do this and that this is going to be my best shot at being able to enjoy life again.

I think I’m starting to get my energy back as well and I had surgery June 14th. I’ve been working out at least 3-4 days a week but it was exhausting me lol he last 2 weeks. I might need to up my calories as well. Things are getting alittle easier I must say. Trying new foods and really trying to watch the carbs but it’s hard to avoid there in everything lol. Today I made egg roll in a bowl with ground chicken and man was it good and feeling. I recommend it, it’s easy, tasty and makes u feel like you’re eating egg rolls or my favorite lumpia. Keep it up everyone.

I had my surgery June 12th. I just started getting my energy back the last 2 weeks. I did have to increase my calories though. 500-600 calories wasn't doing it. I was trying to exercise but I was exhausted all the time. I Increased my cals to about 1000. It gives me enough energy to exercise but it has slowed the weight loss. But I'd rather lose slower and feel better.

I can't believe its almost been a year already! I hit my 1st major goal of 155 which is what I have been trying to hit for over 20 years but then I of course have been in a stall and have been going up and down the same 3 lbs and haven't hit it again since. So I'm hoping this stall will break soon and that I can keep going. Its so sad to not really feel happy about hitting that goal because I gained the next time I weighed myself and so I can't count it in my head yet. I'm close though so I'm happy about that. Once I hit 152 I'll have lost 80 lbs which is my next goal lol. I'm scared because I seem to have to be very strict with my calories to be able to lose and not gain. I have to be under 1200 and over 800 and I have to exercise. If I don't exercise then even with that range of calories I start to gain or stall. Which means I might be stuck at 1200 and under for life which is depressing because my hunger is really coming back and I've never had a great restriction so every day is a harder battle. I'm using veggies to fill in the hunger gaps and water too but its scary. I was hoping that after this amount of time that eating less and eating better would be natural and normal for me so that it wouldn't feel like a diet. For awhile it was like that but now with the hunger back I can easily eat too much and my brain still thinks I should be eating bigger portions. I'm still working on it though and I'm still hoping to reach more goals so I hope I don't fail this close to the finish line. One day at a time

Oh, I'm beyond heart broken, I literally cannot stop crying. I work in a hospital and my panic attack was so bad after being told my surgery was cancelled that I had several nurses, plus a physician all ask me if I was ok or if they could drive me somewhere/take me to the ER. I even got reprimanded by the nurse over the phone for not following instructions, when I asked if I was correct in being on an under 500 calorie diet, with my three 160 calorie protein shakes adding up to 480 calories/day. She refused to let me even speak. When I asked if I could speak for 30 seconds she said no. The instructions I was emailed says "3-5 protein shakes per day depending on the amount of protein per shake." I am using the Premier Protein, which has 30g protein, so since I was told I needed 80g/day I was drinking 3 shakes per day. She lectured me on not following instructions until she looked back in her email that she sent me and realized I was correct. Apparently it was suppose to be 6 shakes per day! This was also part of what got me cancelled, when I asked if I was correct that I should be under 500 calories/day.

I start the morning with 16 oz of water. Then, I have my protein shake. I have lunch, dinner, and at least a couple days of snacks. I purchased a really great recipe book with high protein options. A couple of my favorites are bell pepper nachos and tofu tacos. The biggest help is that I marinate enough for two or three family dinners and freeze the extra. This lets me take a break from planning during the week. My go to snack in a hurry is a Chobani 60 calories yogurt that has 11 grams of protein. I add some Granola and fruit, and this is a very filling and healthy option for me. I still have restriction, and that helps to keep me in check. This week, I am 6 months out and will need to push up my calories and protein intake.

I am almost 2 years out: First thing in the morning (6-ish) I eat something very small (>100 cal) in order to get my meds down, take meds, wait 30 minutes to drink anything else, and that first thing is usually a coffee with a scoop of collagen in it. Over the next couple hours I usually try to drink 32 oz of water or some similar no-calorie fluid. Mid-morning I have a small breakfast, or sometimes wait for lunch. Today it was a 1/4 of a half-baguette with ham, cheese, and mustard on it. (Total calories: around 250. The bread is 90.). Wait 30 minutes, start working on a second 32 oz of fluids. Mid-afternoon (2:00 pm or so), I have a snack that comes in around 150 calories. Today it was some imitation crabmeat and cucumbers with a spicy dipping sauce. I have dinner with my husband between 5 and 6; Dinner is usually around 300-400 calories (tonight it will be chicken tikka masala with cauliflower rice). I also try to finish yet another 32 oz of fluid before bed, which is early. I do snack in the evening partially because we eat dinner so early; my evening snack resembles the afternoon snack, usually veggies with some kind of protein component like a dip or some cheese/lunchmeat, and I try to keep it under 200 calories. Total for the day around 1100. 96 oz of water, one cup of coffee.

I'm a teacher so my eating schedule is pretty set. My breakfast is a protein shake with caffeine. My lunch time is usually between 12:30 and 1:15. When I get home I'll either have dinner right away and a healthy snack at around 8 PM, or I'll have a healthy snack and then dinner at about 7 PM. Sometimes, If I have a calorie/protein deficit at the end of the day, I'll add another healthy snack. As for water, I'm drinking that all day, also ensuring I get a min. of 64 oz.

Kids Tacos at Chipotle The calorie range is from 350-810 so I’m not counting any of it 😂

was going to have salt and vinegar chips for breakfast/lunch but then i spilled them all over the couch when i sat down! before i had cats, i would've just scooped em up back into the bowl to eat, but now im a little weary of any cat hair or residual cat poo/pee on said couch so i tossed them 😂 went back to the kitchen and got me some breakfast pistachios instead. 240 calories for 2/3 cup. ate it all (just the pistachios, not the cat chips lol)

Hey July buddies! Well I’m exactly one month passed my July 6th Gastric Sleeve. Hope everyone is doing well! I’m reporting 25 lbs down this morning very happy for the first month! No Stalls, yet. Only eating around 1000 calories a day, but burning more than 3600 every day. Lots of walking, can’t wait till the doctor says I can lift heavy weights again, my checkup is next week.

I definitely want to work on my arms sooner than later. They have always been so huge to me. Now I will have a bit more advantage now that I’m totally calorie restricted and exercising is not as overwhelming for me like it was before. But I will definitely take it slow and wait for restrictions to be lifted first.

Hi just now seeing this. I went pack to basics and intermittent fasting. The two Protein Shakes and one meal is what you have to do to get weight moving. Also you can never eat regular again to maintain the weight loss. That’s what I found works for me. I keep my calories around 1000 or less per day and I’m fine. If I splurge one day I only eat a little of the bad item. Also no leftovers of not good food choice items

I had sleeve & am just over 4 years out. my weight has been pretty much stable aside from a small gain of a good 2kgs after a medication absorption issue (& lost about half of it when the meds were adjusted). I never was required to measure & track my food intake. I only did it & still do randomly out of my own interest. While portion size is important equally important is calories & you can’t judge or make decisions about one in isolation of the other. The importance of nutritional value goes without saying of course. Generally I say I eat about a recommended portion of most foods & tend to eat predominately low processed food with the exception of some things. As an example I eat about 3-4ozs of protein with a good cup or so of vegetables for dinner. I have a half serve of rolled oats made with milk & blueberries for breakfast. Lunch may be 4 steamed prawn gyoza, a tub of yoghurt, 12 mid sized prawns, 1.5 egg omelette with vegetables, etc. I snack about 4 times a day (to get in additional protein, nutrients & calories). It’s usually some multigrain crackers with labneh or liverwurst if I haven’t made labneh, macadamia nuts, protein bar, string cheese, peanut paste, fruit, beef jerky. I don’t eat dessert, cakes or biscuits (except on very rare occasions), rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, chips, popcorn or other traditional ‘snack’ foods & don’t drink soda. Nor do I eat fast food & very rarely have takeaway (maybe 5 times since my surgery & not through my choice). Don’t really miss them either. Also I still take 30 - 45 minutes to eat a meal. If I eat more quickly, how much I can eat is reduced & I can end up with the foamies. I still aim to eat 60-70g of protein & to get my fluids in every day. I eat about 1500 calories to maintain my weight. I’m 5’3”, have a finer build, am 58 & aren’t really active. If I was taller, weighed more, was more active &/or younger I’d need more calories. Anyway that’s what I do & found works for me. It may not work for you. There is no right or wrong way to eat only what is right for you & allows you to maintain your weight & health, is sustainable & doesn’t limit or restrict the life you want to live. PS - Earlier this year I checked a BMR calculator out of curiosity. Interestingly, it suggested I’d need to consume about 1500 calories to maintain my weight which confirmed I was on the right path.

I had gastric bypass. The following has been repeated here enough to be... well... repeated enough here. But since no one researches old posts, here I am... My plan is 3-4 oz protein, 1oz veggies (or other) 3 times per day... Or as much as I can manage before I become full. I never counted calories or much that isn't described in the first sentence of this paragraph. This was my plan Day 1 through current (20+ years post op.) Currently, I'd say I reach 3-4 oz protein 1oz veggies for perhaps 50-60% of meals. The rest are meals where I can't come near my meal goal, I just stop when I max out for the meal. Perhaps 1% of the time, when the meal is exceptionally good and hits all that is good of an exceptional meal, that I might (very much might, because is is uncomfortable) push the envelope. The fact that I don't challenge my limits is why I believe my restriction is in the same place as it was about 3 months post-op. I can't eat much more per meal than I have since I have been 3 months post-op because I have rarely ever pushed the limit. My belief is the more one pushes the limits the larger those limits become. I simply do not push the limits, so I believe they remain narrow. Whether the limits actually exist as I said are perhaps a matter of belief doesn't really matter. My belief has kept me near my goal weight. So what I eat now is not a whole lot different than during the post-op period when I was learning how to eat again. I don't push my limits.

I had RNY but it's probably similar. I don't go by ounces anymore - I just know that it takes about 1600 calories to maintain my current body weight, so I try to stay around there (or under if I want to lose a few pounds). And the above person is right - the number of oz depends on the food. I can easily eat 8 oz of yogurt. But a piece of meat? No way. Maybe 2 or 3 oz. btw - no one would be able to tell now that I've had weight loss surgery. They'd just assume I'm a "light eater", just like lots of my female friends are who've never had a weight problem. I'll go to a restaurant and order a salad or an appetizer. Or I'll get an entree and eat half of it (and box up the rest to take home).

Congratulations on your weight loss & maintenance. To lose more, go back to the basics of what you were eating & doing when you first stabilised. Your old protein & fluids goals, watch portion size, keep your carbs, fats & sugars low & track your food. You’ll then need to reduce your calorie intake to lose weight. (Remember, exercise only accounts for about 10% of your weight loss so upping your activity to help your weight loss will only help with the loss of about 2 lbs in your case.) Given that you’ve been stable all this time, the weight you’re at may be your body’s set point - the weight it is happiest at & functions best at. It’s easer to maintain this weight & much harder to lose more & then maintain a lower weight simply because your body doesn’t want to be at a lower weight. To maintain weight lower than your set point will require you to always work at it & to eat fewer calories than you do now to maintain. Will this be sustainable & manageable? Will a lower weight & reduced calorie intake limit or restrict your lifestyle? Just something to consider.

k, im pretty proud of this one...my first ever attempt at paella, and it turned out really good! 1st pic collage are the different cooked components: the main rice part (aborio rice, shrimps, chorizo, onions, tomatoes and seasonings) + mussels in lemon white wine sauce + grilled whole shrimp. the second pic is of our table spread of the finished/assembled paella plus some mexican street corn i made with and without cojita cheese (cuz one of my guests doesn't like cheese 🤷🏻‍♀️) and some extra grilled shrimp that didn't fit in the pan. looks like there was too much seafood on the paella cuz u cant even see the rice...or maybe i just need a bigger pan lol. anyway, in my excitement i didn't take a pic of my serving before it was all gone, but i ate about 1/2 cup worth of the rice, 4 mussles and one grilled shrimp. also had a martini and 1/2 a lemon square. altogether, i estimate tonights intake at 859 calories . im ready for bed! but i need to digest first....

Hi everyone. I was given a referral to the Options Program, but wasn't given any information on surgical options, just the shakes and meals. When I asked the Staff, they said my Dr needs to give me a specific referral before I can talk to anyone in the program. I asked my Dr, he said the referral he gave me should have covered it. What do I need to tell him to do? It took me 4 Dr switches to get one that would even have a discussion on weight loss, most of the Dr's in the past have just said stop eating cookes and drinking soda. When I would tell them I don't eat or drink either, they would then tell me I need to calorie count. We all know where that leads. I am a bit nervous, I have tried just about everything under the sun, done nothing but yoyo, so I am looking to explore the surgical options. I am open advice, the thought of surgery is a bit unnerving. Thank you.