In June I'll be three years post op, I am still surprised at how quickly I can drop a few pounds. I'm still below Dr. D's goal of 150, but I hoover (sp?) around 147, just a couple of pounds above MY personal goal. A few days ago I thought, I'm going to alter my calories just a little and see what happens. I almost always keep a food log, but I've been especially dedicated this week. I've gone up and down a little, which is normal for me, but this morning I got up and weighed 145.7. Whoooo whooo! I normally need 1200 - 1300 to maintain, I have been closer to eating 1300, maybe a little over, since Christmas and my weight has creeped up a few lbs, one time I was 151, and that totally was NOT OK!!!!! LoL This week I cut it back to 1100 - 1150. I do not feel deprived at all, I basically cut out a snack. Yesterday though, my protein was a little over 95 grams and total calories were 1034. Wow....and it feels as though I grazed all day but I kept track!! The cincher was dinner. I'd planned on making a chicken rice a roni casserole. I use Greek yogurt in it, half lite sour cream and half yogurt. It's topped with 2% cheddar.....it's not horrible, and I eat less than 3/4 a cup....but, there are still more calories than I really wanted. When I was at the grocery store I stumbled across a package of cooked, tail on shrimp in the meat dept. It looked sooooo good, it was half price because it had to be sold by today. I snatched it up and steamed it for dinner. Nothing else, cocktail sauce and shrimp. I made 6.5 oz but could only eat 4 oz at dinner. I saved the rest and THAT was a snack later on. That put me way over the top for protein. I am sure this helped with getting me down a pound from yesterday morning. (Yes, I weigh every single morning......for almost three years now!!

I just wanted to share this......it is still pretty simple to lose a few pounds just by making a few good choices, NOT a diet, just a choice!!!! A half cup of cottage cheese for breakfast with about a quarter cup of pineapple 'tidbits'. Breakfast of champions!!!

I love when the veterans post, especially the successful ones. Thanks for sharing, it's very interesting to see how much one can eat 3 years out!

Thank you soooo much for your post!

Yep, I love reading stories of you guys who have gone before us.... it helps keep me on track. Eye on the prize!!

Thank you so much for sharing. I kind of needed that. I am just four weeks out today...still on blended/pureed foods till next week. As I sit eating my two ounces of cream of wheat and get full very fast....I was wondering if I will ever be able to eat a little bit more normal. It's wonderful that you put the type of food and quantities down so I can see that it does get a little bit normal.

Thank you again and congrats on your success!

An inspiration for sure! Thanks for sharing and making my 2nd day of pre-op diet a little easier! :-)

Would you mind sharing what sort of food log you use? Do you plan meals? Do you use an online program for calories? Thanks. You inspire me!!!

Thank you for sharing that. I needed your motivation.

Thanks for sharing! Is there anything that you feel you cannot eat still?

Thank you so much for sharing. I kind of needed that. I am just four weeks out today...still on blended/pureed foods till next week. As I sit eating my two ounces of cream of wheat and get full very fast....I was wondering if I will ever be able to eat a little bit more normal. It's wonderful that you put the type of food and quantities down so I can see that it does get a little bit normal.

Thank you again and congrats on your success!

I just read this post again! Congrats and welcome to the losing side!! I just wanted to say something, maybe I should start a whole new thread....but, you are wondering if you will ever be able to eat a little more normal. I can't eat more than a cup of food at one time, usually not that much and God willing, this will be the way it is for the rest of my life. As you heal you will be able to eat more. When I got to where I was allowed to add eggs to my diet, I could not finish an entire large egg. Now I can eat two. Nothing else, just two eggs, but still, I feel like this is a lot. It is not, with our new restriction, after we heal and get to where I am....THIS is normal, my new normal. If we'll all look back to a year prior to surgery, THAT AMOUNT WAS NOT NORMAL!!!! I feel like I am finally eating like a normally thin person. I am pretty sure that when we can sit and eat and entire platter of Mexican food, in addition to a basket of chips....that is over the top. It was OUR normal, but not good.

Thanks for sharing! Is there anything that you feel you cannot eat still?

Hi Noura - at this point, there is nothing I feel I cannot eat. I CHOOSE not to eat some things and I never, ever drink soft drinks. That is the only off limit thing in my life. The difference now is I do not mindlessly eat, not normally....now days I am aware of everything I put into my mouth. There is a huge difference. There ARE a couple of things that get me if I'm not careful. Rice and Pasta, I still cannot eat a lot of these two things but they are soft, so if we are at Bucca di Beppo or Olive Garden, I need to get a box to go when they bring dinner to the table, or I need to literally divide what I am going to eat and what I am going to take home. It can sneak up on you. If you haven't heard the term, 'One bite too many'. It is the truth, one bite can make all the difference in the world. The most recent thing that happened was when I got chicken fried rice at a local Thai restaurant. I like this place because although there isn't a lot to choose from on the children's menu, they will let me order from it. Sadly, the amount is what EVERYONE should be served, but that's a whole other story. I always eat all the chicken and some of the rice. Well, this night I ate all the chicken and a couple bites too much of the rice. I was miserable. When I eat too much, I have to spit, I know, that sounds weird and gross, maybe some call it foaming, but it's that feeling you get just prior to throwing up, except I don't throw up, just a lot of salivia. I had to lay the seat down on the way home and opened the car door and DID spit several times before we made it home. I know better, I have to pay more attention. Other than that, I am just careful of the amount. Weighing and measuring at home, and putting aside what I am going to eat/take home, when we are out!! I hope this helps!

Would you mind sharing what sort of food log you use? Do you plan meals? Do you use an online program for calories? Thanks. You inspire me!!!

Thank you Determined Girl!!! I use fitday.com to log my food. I like to keep track of calories and Protein. It's harder to do when you eat out, but many restaurants have the nutritional stuff on line.

I plan my meals, but not like some people. My daughter plans a week of meals on Sunday....I don't know where she got that!!! I'll start thinking about dinner right about now, it crosses my mind. For instance, I have "go to meals".....I buy a large pkg of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They are always sooooo big and we're not huge on leftover baked or grilled chicken. I'll cut them in half, because he doesn't need 8 or 9 oz of meat either!! Mine ended up weighing 2 oz after cooking and my DH's was double that. Perfect, and is probably what is REALLY normal portions! I use 98% fat free Cream of Chicken and 98% fat free Cream of Mushroom Soups as 'gravy'. I used S &P to season and put the meat in a can of Cream of Mushroom, diluted with almost a can of Water. I baked it like that, it makes it soft, easy to eat and I made mashed potatoes, so gravy for that is nice too. This is something I did prior to surgery....not something new except the amount I make. Before, I would bake TWO breasts, one for each of us!!!! OMG Anyway, I ate my 2 oz, about 1/8th cup of potatoes, total amount of 'gravy' was about 1/4 cup. I had 1/8th cup of 1% cottage cheese and the same amount of peas. I use a smaller plate most times now days and my plate was full and so was I. I hope this helps you in some way!!! You can ask me anything!

Thank you so much!

I guess that I'm still mourning food and dreaming of being able to eat a bacon cheese burger again.. Head hunger

I love this thread. I'm so happy to hear of your success & for all the newbies just starting their journeys. I'll be there myself very soon, and its been such a roller coaster. So nice to see real world results.

Ntvtxn- so glad you shared your story with us & congrats on your 3 years of success. I am 5 1/2 mos out & grateful for my 54 pound weight loss. I do not compare myself to others. It is nice to hear that you have maintained you weight & are staying at goal, that is what I'm hoping for. I have read some posts that people have put their weight back on. Is that truly possible? The thought makes me ill. I realize we've been given a tool & not a magic wand but it still scares me. Anyway, best of luck to you

This post helped me alot I always worry about being able to lose if I gain a few pounds. Like, will it be easy or hard or will I be able to lose again ever once my body gets to its comfortable weight? Thanks for this post!

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