OK...I drank the Kool-Aid

[CowgirlJane 14,261]

I would have said the same thing during my first year or so post op. Maybe it is just me, but my food,.. desires... shifting. Like, I weaned myself off candy bars preop, but some point I started abusing Protein bars (now I only keep terrible tasting ones for emergencies!). I didn't keep hersey's kisses around and the nuts were the healthy substitute, but over time... one little portion turned into two and so on.

I seem to have less problem with that right now, but I have felt like I have had to really watch the sneaky way that I can "overdo" healthy foods too.

i suspect that it is remnants of a lifetime of using food to soothe, comfort and numb... it got easy, then it got harder, now it is easier again... but I remain watchful of my food patterns. It is especially important since i don't track.

I think the key to eating nuts is Portion Control. I measure and track them. I try not to eat them every day and only allow for one serving a day. Nuts don't call my name so I find it pretty easy to control eating them. chocolate is my bugaboo so I keep it out of the house altogether.

[Kindle 8,667]

@@CowgirlJane it's funny I seem to be transitioning through the same food weaknesses. Nuts and Peanut Butter used to be my goto Snacks. I made up my own mixed nut variety and ate a handful/day. But eventually I couldn't control portions anymore. Nuts became my crack. Peanut Butter is even worse. I could seriously eat a whole jar in 3 days. I can't stop myself. So those things no longer enter my house. But boy, do I still luv em. In fact, I think my favorite part of my recent vacation from hell was allowing myself to eat peanuts on the plane.

Protein bars have become an issue for me, too. Since I don't get any breaks all day at work the easiest thing for me to have for lunch is a Quest bar or natures valley Protein Bar. But then I was wanting one (or 2) as Snacks in the evening. My compromise is I still have one at work, but I don't keep any at home.

So far those have been my two weaknesses that developed somewhere around 18-24 months postop. Maybe let me know what comes up for you next so I can be prepared

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

I'm not at maintenance or goal yet, but reading all your posts makes clear how successful people eat. You have all expressed a deliberate consciousness of what you're eating, and staying on top of changes as they happen. Kudos to all of you. I hope to join you this year.

[bellabloom 2,469]

Just to add a different perspective- at 2.5 years out I started to binge eat again and feel very depressed about my body and feel that I would still be trapped in the diet binge restrict cycle forever. I started to see weight gain and I panicked. My hunger came back full force and my quantity came way up.

I decided to forgo dieting and embrace intuitive eating instead. It has been a miracle for me. My weight is stable and I no longer diet or restrict what I eat. I eat when I am hungry and stop when I'm full. I accepted that I may gain some weight and I did but it quickly leveled out. I'm not sure how much I eat in a day because I don't track anymore but I'm guessing it is around 2000-3000 per day. I will personally never diet again and have learned to love my body unconditionally. If you are struggling and want to stop being afraid of food I highly recommend exploring intuitive eating as an option for weight maintenance.

I do not diet or count calories and I'm fine with what my body wants to weigh as long as I am eating for the right reasons and staying mindful.