I'm curious to know if veterans still follow the "rules". Like a certain amount of Protein per day, no soda, no alcohol, no rice/pasta or heavy carbs in general, etc.... ?

I spent last weekend with a cousin who had the surgery a year ago. I was shocked when I saw him eat a burger and had a sprite, later on, he had a rich haggendaz milkshake, then at dinner, a cheese and bacon sandwich with the thickest bread there was in the house, and he ate it all. He does exercise. But it seem to be the only rule he still follows. I couldn't believe everything he ate.

So how about everyone else? Veterans? What's life like now?

Still follow the rules, but In a more general sense to help fitness goals. I follow the things you listed above, but my calories are probably higher than most at 1800 and my macros are currently 50, 30 and 20 with regards to Protein, carb and fat. I make clean food choices in order to "get shredded." Diet is 80% of effort where exercise is 20% of effort. I drink 1-2 gallons Water a day. Feel a little bad your cousin is digging a hole with the food choices.

No desires here to eat bad food just because I can. I enjoy eating clean and healthy every day. It feels right and the results do speak for themselves in terms of normal BMI, athletic body fat percentage and strong body. Why would I want to sabotage a healthy active life by making bad food choices? Does not compute. My one bad choice may be consumption of caffeine. I drink too much of it I think, but hard to break the habit. Someday I will as I would love to be caffeine free and still be able to function at a high energy level.

Another small point; I have not tracked except in a general sense until a couple days ago (about 20 months post op). Just kept it in my head and did fine because of making general sound choices like eat 7-8 x a day, 4 oz of protein and a couple oz veggies a meal, good carbs for Breakfast (1st meal) and before working out, 25-40 G protein a meal, low to med glycemic foods and as much water as possible. It has worked fine to follow these general rules and not track. I do not get hungry, I maintain easily and food is about fueling. However, I wanted to actually see where my macros fall with my choices so I started using MFP to track everything 2 days ago. To my surprise, these rules are giving me exactly the macros I need at this time. And is is kind of fun to see how the food choices make the percentiles go up and down.

Edited March 4, 201412 yr by Fiddleman

I've never been a big rule follower but I'm sensible and know when i am eating well and not eating well and exercise is a must. Your cousin is still in the honeymoon phase of his sleeve and he sadly thinks he can eat like this and not gain weight. My weight stayed off for 2+ years. Now I am in my third year and it's a completely different story. I must watch what I eat and exercise; which is fine! No one should have a 'magic button' approach. I don't think you have to follow rules exactly, but you cannot eat what he is eating and keep your weight off.

I read here about a lot of people who are clean from sugar and carbs; I admire them greatly. I have chosen not to do that; I have a cookie every day with coffee in the afternoon. And I have a glass of wine every night. (Well, 5 days out of 7, because I have adopted the 5:2 into my life). It's my treat and I love it. The difference is, I don't eat the whole bag of Cookies. I weigh myself every day and I average over 12,000 steps on my Fitbit every day.

And even though I don't follow the rules, lunch is always a salad and dinner is always Protein and vegetables. How much? I don't know, but I look at the scale and I have my blood work done every year.

Good luck to your cousin!

I am two years out and don't follow the rules, but like Queen of Crop, I eat sensibly. I no longer track Protein and carbs, but I remain aware of the general balance that I should maintain. I do eat sweets daily, and have a couple of alcoholic drinks on Saturday evening. I never eat a big meal, but have several small meals each day. I have never had the soda habit. If I tracked I think I would find that I eat more carbs than I think. Fortunately, I have no desire for rich fatty foods such as cheeseburgers, fries, milkshakes. I'll take a baked sweet potato, please.

I have no trouble at this point maintaining my desired weight, which is a few pounds over the recommended BMI. I have a ridiculously high metabolism, and I've said here before how embarrassing that is because it means I really had to work hard to get so heavy!

Unfortunately, I have yet to hit the first lick of exercise (hangs head in shame...).

I do and don’t but from like month 4 I didn’t really anyway.
Now to explain I don’t track calories I don’t weigh my food I don’t drink Water I don’t exercise much and that’s the things I don’t do and haven’t done from very early out.
my personal reason for not doing them is I didn’t want to have to calorie count etc for the rest of my life I wanted to know by looking roughly how much and my choice in what I eat be good enough not on a diet for the rest of my life.
The things I do is no standard carbs as in rice Pasta potatoes hardly ever bread and if I do its never even a slice.
I do get my Protein in, my meals consist of meat and veg and healthy no take aways no pre-packaged no ready meals not a load of fried stuff either.
I do eat “bad” stuff chips/candy/cookies/cake from time to time I never planned not to for the rest of my life and I don’t see anything wrong with a little bit of it now and again.
There is a big difference between eating packet after packet/bag after bag etc every day or several times a week and 1 or 2 here and there even a cookie a day if you like.
I know for me adding a handful of chips one day or a cookie or 2 another a candy bar isn’t going to escalate to more than that, for some people it’s a slippery slope and i get that but I didn’t have a food addiction before and I don’t now so for me its not a issue.
I can be eating a candy bar and after 2 bites go meh either give it to someone else or stick it in the fridge for when I next fancy a bit.
I’ve eaten a bit of “bad” food here and there from about like 6 months out.

I will share a funny thought I often have in my head about eating honestly I feel like some people not anyone in particular just type of person over actual names pictures people are so strict so NO NO NO NEVERRRRR on anything less than organic clean and super healthy super food that I imagine one day they will take a taste of “bad” food like a speck on there tongue and go on a eating gorging rampage!
Like letting the maniac out of the box from being locked up for so long that’s its overkill and a nightmare.
So I never tell anyone DO NOT DO THAT EVERRRR I think some people do need to learn how to control eating even “bad” food to not go over the top and not 1 year or 2 or 3 go on a rampage or add so much in that the old habits and eating styles are back full force.

Good thread....I would like to add another thought about 'rules.' My goal was to eat, think, be like a normal thin person. Thin people don't follow rules, but they do watch what they eat, they keep their wait in check, and they do what works for them....cut back on (fill-in-the-blank-on whatever your problem area is) and most exercise regularly. I believe I have gotten there...I have 6 lbs to lose to be where I am comfortable but I am not going crazy about it. I envy kylifalcon with the high metabolism because I don't think I have any! (Which is why I am SO grateful for my sleeve....would never have lost any weight otherwise). I have lost 2lbs in 2 months doing the 5:2; no award winning losses but it's doable for me and by summer I should be at my goal weight...no big stresses and no big rules.

Not all of us had the same "rules" anyway.

If I ate like your friend I would weigh 300 again. If I eat anything even approaching a "normal" diet I gain pounds. It is just how it is, I need to be a small eater of dense Protein and veggies FOREVER. I do have "treats" like alcohol sometimes but not a daily thing. My daily habits generally follow the "sleever" rules.

Good thread....I would like to add another thought about 'rules.' My goal was to eat, think, be like a normal thin person. Thin people don't follow rules, but they do watch what they eat, they keep their wait in check, and they do what works for them....cut back on (fill-in-the-blank-on whatever your problem area is) and most exercise regularly. I believe I have gotten there...I have 6 lbs to lose to be where I am comfortable but I am not going crazy about it. I envy kylifalcon with the high metabolism because I don't think I have any! (Which is why I am SO grateful for my sleeve....would never have lost any weight otherwise). I have lost 2lbs in 2 months doing the 5:2; no award winning losses but it's doable for me and by summer I should be at my goal weight...no big stresses and no big rules.

I also aim to think, eat, and be like "normal thin" people. When I think back to just a few months ago before my surgery, I already think "oh my god, how could I have eaten all of these things?!"

I like when I react that way lol. Makes me feel so thin haha.

so what exactly is a "normal thin person?" and how do they eat? I don't know what that is anymore.

Normal today isn't the normal it was 50 years ago, before obesity became an epidemic. I think "normal" is a very subjective term, depending on where you live, how you live, where you work, etc.

so what exactly is a "normal thin person?" and how do they eat? I don't know what that is anymore.

Normal today isn't the normal it was 50 years ago, before obesity became an epidemic. I think "normal" is a very subjective term, depending on where you live, how you live, where you work, etc.

You are right. it is subjective. To me, it's not obsessing over food, not overindulging, watching what I eat, and thinking about the consequences of what I choose to eat before I eat it, not after.

I never went strictly by the rules and did fine. I exercise pretty consistently. I eat 1800-2000 calories a day. I try to hit 100 carbs every day but that merely by eyeballing as I don't track my food anymore. I am 145 pounds, size. 4.. 5'7.5". I have stayed within. 3 pounds of 145 for months.

I drink alcohol & have sweets though when I sense I'm overdoing it I scale back.

I drink over a gallon of water every day

I am almost 3.5 years post op and still could not eat as much as your cousin ate. I actually feel a little sorry for him as he is on the fast track to weight gain and obviously did not take this surgery as seriously as it needs to be taken. This surgery is a chance to make changes and start over again.

I am far from perfect, so I would never claim to be. I do, however, still follow a lot of a general "rules". I never counted or tracked, but I cut back on "bad" carbs and still do not eat/rarely eat rice/pasta/bread. I rarely drink with my meals. I never drank pop much before, and I now rarely drink it because it still hurts my stomach. I eat Protein and veggies first. I do eat treats sometimes, and I have and probably always will mess up here and there and over do it. But what has made it easy is it is always fairly easy to get back on the right track.

I think it is not so following a strict set of "rules", but making it a lifestyle change. So many have said it, so I will only echo that it is a tool to work with. The sleeve will not do everything for you.

If you do well in the first 6 months, that is pretty much the indication of your success afterwards (from my surgeon's patient stats). I was probably 95% good during my first 6-7 months, then the weight loss slowed down a lot. I had a long stall of no weight loss for almost 12 weeks, so I shook some things up and lost another 10 lbs. Then I stalled again for about 3 months, then I changed a few things up, stalling again for another 2-3 months. I issued a weight loss challenge at work to help me get motivated to get to goal, and in the last 3 weeks have lost around 8 lbs. I have less than 3 lbs to goal and still another 2 weeks to lose them to rank top in the weight loss challenge.

This is probably going to sound terrible, but it isn't what it might seem from a glance.

I DO

• drink coffee, beer, and wine whenever I like
• eat candy, Cookies, cake, chips, ice cream, pie, and other sweets
• travel a lot and eat out around 14+ meals a week
• (I pre-screen menu items so am familiar with nutritional contents most of the time)
• eat salads with no dressing, cooked and raw vegetables with no oil or fat
• eat plain chicken, steak, salmon, lighter Soups, fresh fruit, raisins, raw spinach
• get a monthly b12 shot, take prescription Iron, take a ppi 2x daily, take something to be "regular"
• drink a lot of Poweraide Zero (not the greatest, but a no cal indulgence)
• still eat sugar free popsicles
• use only coconut or first press olive oil when cooking
• add in cheese and nuts in moderation
• use mustard varieties and mayonnaise made with olive oil (sparingly)
• recognize that "crunchy" is craved because it is a release of stress, which can build up in your jaw and facial muscles, so try to crunch on things that aren't unhealthy
• practice "self care" choices, especially if I'm feeling down or vulnerable (pedicure, massage, a movie night, a new cosmetic item, haircut, a walk, a focused moment of appreciation/thankfulness

I DON'T

• count calories or Protein
• drink Protein shakes or eat meal bars
• drink soda at all (maybe 3-4 in the last 17 months)
• exercise (I've been hibernating all winter), but have plans to up my activity when the weather warms up
• eat fried foods
• eat cream based Pasta sauces or soups
• eat much pasta, bread, or rice (use it as a condiment, not a side)
• always eat Breakfast (I do when I'm in a hotel), sometimes I don't eat anything until afternoon if my body doesn't tell me it is hungry
• drink X ounces of Water daily
• freak out when the scale goes up. I've tracked daily weight for so many months that I understand it looks more like a horizontal zig-zag than a smooth decline or flat line over time
• listen to negative internal dialogue, complain, make excuses, whine, pity party (or put mental/emotional work into keeping it at a minimum)

I could probably add a lot more, but I'm sure many of you have other Dos and Don'ts that help you to be more successful than not.

so what exactly is a "normal thin person?" and how do they eat? I don't know what that is anymore.

Normal today isn't the normal it was 50 years ago, before obesity became an epidemic. I think "normal" is a very subjective term, depending on where you live, how you live, where you work, etc.

If you ate like my normal thin best friend you would be shocked to hell that woman can eat everyone I know under the table one of her good days was having 3 big dinners in 4 hours at 3 different places lol

Shes skinny never put on weight other than her pregnancies and is going back to normal real fast.

We have a saying “you must have hollow legs” meaning you eat a buttload of food an never get fat so hollow legs is where you store it lol

I was amused when I was 350lbs+ we would go to all you can eat places I would get the look of oh my god here we g fatty on a mission!

When in actual fact I would be done 40mins before her lol

If I ate like she eats I would be 1,000lbs in no time so that’s not the normal skinny I will go for lol

If you ate like my normal thin best friend you would be shocked to hell that woman can eat everyone I know under the table one of her good days was having 3 big dinners in 4 hours at 3 different places lol

Shes skinny never put on weight other than her pregnancies and is going back to normal real fast.

We have a saying “you must have hollow legs” meaning you eat a buttload of food an never get fat so hollow legs is where you store it lol

I was amused when I was 350lbs+ we would go to all you can eat places I would get the look of oh my god here we g fatty on a mission!

When in actual fact I would be done 40mins before her lol

If I ate like she eats I would be 1,000lbs in no time so that’s not the normal skinny I will go for lol

Lol, yes, I do know some people like that too. My dad for one! He's very thin, and always has been, but eats just like that. Lol. These people are just something else haha.

I am almost 3.5 years post op and still could not eat as much as your cousin ate. I actually feel a little sorry for him as he is on the fast track to weight gain and obviously did not take this surgery as seriously as it needs to be taken. This surgery is a chance to make changes and start over again.

I agree. I feel the same. I felt sad for him. I probably should have mentioned that he is 17. He was "prepped" for this surgery for one year. I had a talk with him and he said he's still losing. But I told him that from what I hear, it's not gonna stay that way if he continues like that. Anyway, I can only hope that as he grows, he realizes that he needs to change behaviors...