I had DS in March of 2014. I was 290 pounds at the time, down from my all-time high of 328 pounds pre-insurance requirements. I'm 5'3" tall, single, female, and in a demanding graduate school program which will wrap up in May of 2017.

I am now at 215 pounds and have hovered around this weight for several months now. I am disappointed in myself for only having lost 75 pounds though when it has been almost 2 years since my surgery. I would like to get down to a healthy BMI and do not care as much about the size that I am, but I do want to get rid of my "hanging apron" stomach as I think it really messes with my self-esteem.

I know that others have had much more dramatic weight loss and have probably given more attention to this process than I have. I also stress eat junk food -- Doritoes, donuts, etc. basically, I am a terrible post DS person! I know there is no excuse but I am in a demanding graduate school program and travel back and forth to take care of two sick parents, one of whom has stage 4 cancer. I chose to get the DS while I was working and still had good health insurance that would cover it knowing that I would be selling my place and moving across the country 5 months later -- so I was prepared for the fact that a lot of different changes would be occurring in my life but thought that I could still focus my energy and attention on this aspect of my life as well.

Unfortunately, I am not doing so well. I am overwhelmed at school (though earning mostly straight A's) and struggling with depression -- thinking about my parents, my general dissatisfaction with my life (I'm resetting my career but will be 35 by the time I graduate next year, unhappy that I am still single, and do not feel good enough for guys because of my current weight, and feel like I only have a handful of good friends in my program, and many of my friends who I left behind are now married and starting families and busy in that transition. Also I am not one to go out binge drinking and my Masters program trends about 5 years younger). The only thing that seems to be turning around is my career, and I am starting to find some good leads for what I can do when I graduate in spring of 2017.

Over the past few weeks, I have been trying to turn my life around when it comes to my health and have tried to focus on myself rather than to be sad about not having as many good friends anymore. (I have enough that I have someone to spend time with at least 2 times a week and really need to just be okay with that). I came to grad school to change an aspect of myself that I was unhappy about (my career) and feel that I should also focus on the other aspect of myself that I am unhappy about (my weight) as it could affect my long-term health, chances of developing cancer and heart disease (like my parents). I am starting to cook more, which I previously did not do. I joined a gym and go for 3-4 hours a week. I need to learn how to use my DS "tool" to my advantage though. I know that I lose when I eat a lot of Protein and less junk food. But I don't understand how much I should be eating to lose, as before I was losing about 2 lbs/week without thinking about it much. I went to see a nutritionist but she is unfamiliar with DS and could not give me any insight. I have seen her twice and gotten some general cooking advice and strategies for planning meals out on the go (since I am at school from morning -- like 8 AM until 8 PM at night some days). I also no longer live in the city where I had my DS and thus do not have access to those nutritionists.

I am trying to focus on the positives like how I reversed my GERD and diabetes and am in much better shape But I am also mad at myself for letting assignments/grades and what is going on with my parents has caused me to revert to old habits and stress eat. I also feel like I barely ever have enough time to sleep let alone do anything else. Hence, I am trying to implement small changes. This week, that has been to try to avoid eating donuts and muffins and to instead give me a weekly allowance of 2 sweets but to have them in a smaller, calorie-controlled format.

I welcome and appreciate any advice and support people can provide, as I am starting to feel pretty hopeless that I have come so far and am just "stuck" now.

Just a couple of observations:

don't use food as a reward, two treats a week are not needed, drop the sweets for good!

you might want to try an anti-depressant, wellbutrin does not promote weight gain, possibly loss.

what did you eat to lose the 75 pounds? Sounds like you need to go back to this eating plan.

finally the truth, stop making excuses and start using your DS to help you lose your weight

you can do this just make a plan and stick with it.

I would find a nutritionist that specializes in bariatric surgery. And also start using MyFitnessPal to write everything down. I personally monitor my portions and eat every 3 hours. I keep it to 2/3-1 cup of food.

You can get back on it

Edited March 6, 201610 yr by toastedink

Wow. It sounds like you are dealing with a lot of life.

I didn't have DS, so don't know if the post-op program is significantly different from a sleeve post-op program (I don't know why it would be).

The first thing I would suggest is that you talk to your PCP and/or look for a good therapist to address your depression. Since you are in grad school you might want to consider talking with someone at your school's counseling center if they have one.

I also suggest that you go back to basics.

Make sure you are getting at least 64 oz of water/fluid every day.

Track your food.

Meet or exceed your Protein target every day. Did your NUT and/or surgeon give you a protein target? Mine is 100 grams a day. 80-100 grams a day may be a good place to start until you can get a good target from your program.

Avoid starches and added sugars.

Take your Vitamins and supplements as directed. Get regular blood work to check your Vitamin levels.

Exercise regularly. It will help with your stress level, depression, and with weight loss.

With everything you are dealing with, time management is going to be key. Make sure you plan time for meals, Snacks, and exercise.

Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Thank you for all of the advice and kind words. I am committed to improving myself and am also trying to address the behaviors like coping/stress eating in a healthy way. Considering I had reverted back to my old habits of having sweets every day, twice a day, having them only twice a week is an accomplishment for me.

My doctor had me eating 100 g of Protein a day. Before when I was losing weight I was not really watching the number of calories I consumed. I was just being good about getting all of my protein in, and was avoiding rice, Pasta, and potatoes, and was limiting eating sweets. Hence I was losing 6-8 pounds a month for the first few months and eventually began to lose 2-4 pounds a month til I plateaued a few months ago.

I have been good about getting in my protein but have never been great about drinking enough Water. I tried to do high protein and very low carb (just from fruits and veggies) last week and had severe headaches for a few days and could not get much studying done. So I'm not sure what to do for my carbs intake. Is oatmeal okay, for instance? I feel like I am relearning how to lose weight essentially and am just grateful that I haven't gained.

Also, for anyone who hit a long plateau, how did you keep your spirits up? I am at a point where I look better enough than my former self to notice a big difference in my appearance. But I am also still at a point where I am large enough that I am still dissatisfied with how I look.

I know I have to lose 80 more pounds to be at a healthy BMI though I would be happy to lose just 50 more to get out of the "obese" BMI classification.

Edited March 6, 201610 yr by watchmeshine8

I am 34 months post-op RNY surgery. This describes my experience with Maintenance phase. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf But I am not sure if you ever reached Maintenance phase. I suspect that returning back to the guidelines of the DS program is the best approach to maximize your weight loss.

Attending bariatric surgery support group meeting may help. They happen about once per month and are free. At least they can provide you some additional support.

Wow. It sounds like you are dealing with a lot of life.

I didn't have DS, so don't know if the post-op program is significantly different from a sleeve post-op program (I don't know why it would be).

The first thing I would suggest is that you talk to your PCP and/or look for a good therapist to address your depression. Since you are in grad school you might want to consider talking with someone at your school's counseling center if they have one.

I also suggest that you go back to basics.

Make sure you are getting at least 64 oz of water/fluid every day.

Track your food.

Meet or exceed your Protein target every day. Did your NUT and/or surgeon give you a protein target? Mine is 100 grams a day. 80-100 grams a day may be a good place to start until you can get a good target from your program.

Avoid starches and added sugars.

Take your Vitamins and supplements as directed. Get regular blood work to check your Vitamin levels.

Exercise regularly. It will help with your stress level, depression, and with weight loss.

With everything you are dealing with, time management is going to be key. Make sure you plan time for meals, Snacks, and exercise.

Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Hi, Since your post seemed the most detailed I was hoping I could follow up with some questions.

I was re-reading the nutrition packet that my surgeon and his nutrition team provided me post-op and it says to avoid butter and margarine. I have read that other DSers have this because our bodies absorb only 20% of fats. I have been using an olive oil dairy free butter by Smart Balance (https://www.smartbalance.com/products/buttery-spread/smart-balance-buttery-spread-made-extra-virgin-olive-oil).%C2'>

I use it only this Sara Lee multi-grain bread that I found that is just 45 calories. Here's the nutrition information: Calories 45, 2%. Total Fat 0.5g, 1%. Sodium 85mg, 3%. Sugars 1g *. Fiber 2g, 10%. Whole Grain 8g.

I tend to have bread with eggs in the morning. I also use the bread to make a PBJ sandwich for lunch.

The school cafeteria has some really healthy and not too expensive fish/chicken options every day so I tend to have that with steamed veggies for lunch. I also throw a lot of tofu into lean ground meat that I cook, though I just started cooking on Sundays at the beginning of this year. I successfully cut out juices, potatoes, Pasta, and rice from my diet for the most part. I make brown rice once a week at most.

Really, the main thing messing me up (I think) is that I am having donuts/muffins that are 300-500 calories a day and also Cookies or the occasional bag of chips (the individual portion size but still) when I am stressed out about assignments or as I am writing papers. I justify this by saying that I "need fuel" since I am in class/studying for about 14 hours a day. In examining the "bad" stuff that I am eating, I could easily estimate it to be the 500-700 calories a day that if I were to cut, would result in 1-1.5 pounds of weight loss a week. And if I continue going to the gym, I am guessing I could up that weight loss to 2 pounds even. That's still not the "big" losses that others on this board seem to achieve but I would be happy with even 1 pound a week! I am hoping it's not too late to re-learn all of this.

Thank you for all of the advice and kind words. I am committed to improving myself and am also trying to address the behaviors like coping/stress eating in a healthy way. Considering I had reverted back to my old habits of having sweets every day, twice a day, having them only twice a week is an accomplishment for me.

My doctor had me eating 100 g of Protein a day. Before when I was losing weight I was not really watching the number of calories I consumed. I was just being good about getting all of my protein in, and was avoiding rice, Pasta, and potatoes, and was limiting eating sweets. Hence I was losing 6-8 pounds a month for the first few months and eventually began to lose 2-4 pounds a month til I plateaued a few months ago.

I have been good about getting in my protein but have never been great about drinking enough Water. I tried to do high protein and very low carb (just from fruits and veggies) last week and had severe headaches for a few days and could not get much studying done. So I'm not sure what to do for my carbs intake. Is oatmeal okay, for instance? I feel like I am relearning how to lose weight essentially and am just grateful that I haven't gained.

Also, for anyone who hit a long plateau, how did you keep your spirits up? I am at a point where I look better enough than my former self to notice a big difference in my appearance. But I am also still at a point where I am large enough that I am still dissatisfied with how I look.

I know I have to lose 80 more pounds to be at a healthy BMI though I would be happy to lose just 50 more to get out of the "obese" BMI classification.

It sounds like you know what to do.

As to carbs, I don't avoid all carbs, just starches and added sugars. A good complex carb like oatmeal should be fine. A hug protein oatmeal would be even better.

As to advice about stalls, my best advice is to Embrace the Stall! and read this for some ideas:

http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Thank you for all of the advice and kind words. I am committed to improving myself and am also trying to address the behaviors like coping/stress eating in a healthy way. Considering I had reverted back to my old habits of having sweets every day, twice a day, having them only twice a week is an accomplishment for me.

My doctor had me eating 100 g of Protein a day. Before when I was losing weight I was not really watching the number of calories I consumed. I was just being good about getting all of my protein in, and was avoiding rice, Pasta, and potatoes, and was limiting eating sweets. Hence I was losing 6-8 pounds a month for the first few months and eventually began to lose 2-4 pounds a month til I plateaued a few months ago.

I have been good about getting in my protein but have never been great about drinking enough Water. I tried to do high protein and very low carb (just from fruits and veggies) last week and had severe headaches for a few days and could not get much studying done. So I'm not sure what to do for my carbs intake. Is oatmeal okay, for instance? I feel like I am relearning how to lose weight essentially and am just grateful that I haven't gained.

Also, for anyone who hit a long plateau, how did you keep your spirits up? I am at a point where I look better enough than my former self to notice a big difference in my appearance. But I am also still at a point where I am large enough that I am still dissatisfied with how I look.

I know I have to lose 80 more pounds to be at a healthy BMI though I would be happy to lose just 50 more to get out of the "obese" BMI classification.

It sounds like you know what to do.

As to carbs, I don't avoid all carbs, just starches and added sugars. A good complex carb like oatmeal should be fine. A hug protein oatmeal would be even better.

As to advice about stalls, my best advice is to Embrace the Stall! and read this for some ideas:

http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

I do but I don't know what I am doing I never posted "big numbers" like others except for the first 2-3 weeks post-op.

For example, fruits wise, someone told me that I should not be eating bananas. Had no idea about this. Also don't see it in the packet I was given.

Also, Snacks wise. I hate Greek Yogurt. So I have Wheat Thins multigrain crackers with Peanut Butter or hummus or string cheese. Or I have nuts. Today I cut up celery and also have carrots that I can have with the peanut butter or hummus. I am trying to plan to munch on that (or some grapes that I bought at the grocery store last night) rather than going for Doritoes or Cookies while I work. But I would really LOVE some new ideas for healthy snacks. Am I better off eating a PBJ sandwich as a small meal than eating the snacks if the snacks are going to be as bad as Doritoes/cookies and keep me from grazing?

I also haven't been tracking my protein. Just been focusing on eating a lot of high protein foods in general.

Wow. It sounds like you are dealing with a lot of life.

I didn't have DS, so don't know if the post-op program is significantly different from a sleeve post-op program (I don't know why it would be).

The first thing I would suggest is that you talk to your PCP and/or look for a good therapist to address your depression. Since you are in grad school you might want to consider talking with someone at your school's counseling center if they have one.

I also suggest that you go back to basics.

Make sure you are getting at least 64 oz of water/fluid every day.

Track your food.

Meet or exceed your Protein target every day. Did your NUT and/or surgeon give you a protein target? Mine is 100 grams a day. 80-100 grams a day may be a good place to start until you can get a good target from your program.

Avoid starches and added sugars.

Take your Vitamins and supplements as directed. Get regular blood work to check your Vitamin levels.

Exercise regularly. It will help with your stress level, depression, and with weight loss.

With everything you are dealing with, time management is going to be key. Make sure you plan time for meals, Snacks, and exercise.

Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Hi, Since your post seemed the most detailed I was hoping I could follow up with some questions.

I was re-reading the nutrition packet that my surgeon and his nutrition team provided me post-op and it says to avoid butter and margarine. I have read that other DSers have this because our bodies absorb only 20% of fats. I have been using an olive oil dairy free butter by Smart Balance (

I use it only this Sara Lee multi-grain bread that I found that is just 45 calories. Here's the nutrition information: Calories 45, 2%. Total Fat 0.5g, 1%. Sodium 85mg, 3%. Sugars 1g *. Fiber 2g, 10%. Whole Grain 8g.

I tend to have bread with eggs in the morning. I also use the bread to make a PBJ sandwich for lunch.

The school cafeteria has some really healthy and not too expensive fish/chicken options every day so I tend to have that with steamed veggies for lunch. I also throw a lot of tofu into lean ground meat that I cook, though I just started cooking on Sundays at the beginning of this year. I successfully cut out juices, potatoes, Pasta, and rice from my diet for the most part. I make brown rice once a week at most.

Really, the main thing messing me up (I think) is that I am having donuts/muffins that are 300-500 calories a day and also Cookies or the occasional bag of chips (the individual portion size but still) when I am stressed out about assignments or as I am writing papers. I justify this by saying that I "need fuel" since I am in class/studying for about 14 hours a day. In examining the "bad" stuff that I am eating, I could easily estimate it to be the 500-700 calories a day that if I were to cut, would result in 1-1.5 pounds of weight loss a week. And if I continue going to the gym, I am guessing I could up that weight loss to 2 pounds even. That's still not the "big" losses that others on this board seem to achieve but I would be happy with even 1 pound a week! I am hoping it's not too late to re-learn all of this.

Ask away. I'll answer what I can based on my knowledge and experience.

I am not sure about the fats question. Since I was sleeved I don't have the same fat absorption issues that you might experience.

I avoid fried foods, but don't really limit good fats. I use olive oil a lot. If I am going to have butter, then I have butter (life is too short for fake butter). I find that I just don't want as much fats as I would have used previously (a little dab will do it).

When it comes to bread, whole grain is best. I don't eat bread very often, but when I do it is good quality whole grain and usually only one piece. (For instance a piece of Avocado toast or an open-faced sandwich). I USUALLY skip the bread entirely and just eat the insides. Life is too short to eat cardboard.

If you are like me you just need to go cold turkey from the junk food: muffins, donuts, cookies, potato chips are poison and not fuel. As long as they are in your system, your brain is going to come up for a rationalization for why you HAVE to have them. Look for high-protein alternatives.

As to healthy snacks. Pre-portioned packaging is your friend. Either buy individually portioned bags or take the time to portion out bulk items like nuts.

My post-swim "treat" is usually a bag of Mr. cheese o's and a V-8. Mr. Cheese O's, Quest Chips, Kay's Naturals or other protein snacks are good substitutions if you HAVE to have a pre-packaged, portable chip or snack. They aren't cheap so it makes it easier for me to ration them.

It isn't too late!

If you make smart choices 95% of the time you should do great! Plus, the better your nutrition, the easier it will be for you to focus on your studies. I only wish I had known this in grad school.

Wow. It sounds like you are dealing with a lot of life.

I didn't have DS, so don't know if the post-op program is significantly different from a sleeve post-op program (I don't know why it would be).

The first thing I would suggest is that you talk to your PCP and/or look for a good therapist to address your depression. Since you are in grad school you might want to consider talking with someone at your school's counseling center if they have one.

I also suggest that you go back to basics.

Make sure you are getting at least 64 oz of water/fluid every day.

Track your food.

Meet or exceed your Protein target every day. Did your NUT and/or surgeon give you a protein target? Mine is 100 grams a day. 80-100 grams a day may be a good place to start until you can get a good target from your program.

Avoid starches and added sugars.

Take your Vitamins and supplements as directed. Get regular blood work to check your Vitamin levels.

Exercise regularly. It will help with your stress level, depression, and with weight loss.

With everything you are dealing with, time management is going to be key. Make sure you plan time for meals, Snacks, and exercise.

Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Hi, Since your post seemed the most detailed I was hoping I could follow up with some questions.

I was re-reading the nutrition packet that my surgeon and his nutrition team provided me post-op and it says to avoid butter and margarine. I have read that other DSers have this because our bodies absorb only 20% of fats. I have been using an olive oil dairy free butter by Smart Balance (

I use it only this Sara Lee multi-grain bread that I found that is just 45 calories. Here's the nutrition information: Calories 45, 2%. Total Fat 0.5g, 1%. Sodium 85mg, 3%. Sugars 1g *. Fiber 2g, 10%. Whole Grain 8g.

I tend to have bread with eggs in the morning. I also use the bread to make a PBJ sandwich for lunch.

The school cafeteria has some really healthy and not too expensive fish/chicken options every day so I tend to have that with steamed veggies for lunch. I also throw a lot of tofu into lean ground meat that I cook, though I just started cooking on Sundays at the beginning of this year. I successfully cut out juices, potatoes, Pasta, and rice from my diet for the most part. I make brown rice once a week at most.

Really, the main thing messing me up (I think) is that I am having donuts/muffins that are 300-500 calories a day and also Cookies or the occasional bag of chips (the individual portion size but still) when I am stressed out about assignments or as I am writing papers. I justify this by saying that I "need fuel" since I am in class/studying for about 14 hours a day. In examining the "bad" stuff that I am eating, I could easily estimate it to be the 500-700 calories a day that if I were to cut, would result in 1-1.5 pounds of weight loss a week. And if I continue going to the gym, I am guessing I could up that weight loss to 2 pounds even. That's still not the "big" losses that others on this board seem to achieve but I would be happy with even 1 pound a week! I am hoping it's not too late to re-learn all of this.

Ask away. I'll answer what I can based on my knowledge and experience.

I am not sure about the fats question. Since I was sleeved I don't have the same fat absorption issues that you might experience.

I avoid fried foods, but don't really limit good fats. I use olive oil a lot. If I am going to have butter, then I have butter (life is too short for fake butter). I find that I just don't want as much fats as I would have used previously (a little dab will do it).

When it comes to bread, whole grain is best. I don't eat bread very often, but when I do it is good quality whole grain and usually only one piece. (For instance a piece of Avocado toast or an open-faced sandwich). I USUALLY skip the bread entirely and just eat the insides. Life is too short to eat cardboard.

If you are like me you just need to go cold turkey from the junk food: muffins, donuts, cookies, potato chips are poison and not fuel. As long as they are in your system, your brain is going to come up for a rationalization for why you HAVE to have them. Look for high-protein alternatives.

As to healthy snacks. Pre-portioned packaging is your friend. Either buy individually portioned bags or take the time to portion out bulk items like nuts.

My post-swim "treat" is usually a bag of Mr. cheese o's and a V-8. Mr. Cheese O's, Quest Chips, Kay's Naturals or other protein snacks are good substitutions if you HAVE to have a pre-packaged, portable chip or snack. They aren't cheap so it makes it easier for me to ration them.

It isn't too late!

If you make smart choices 95% of the time you should do great! Plus, the better your nutrition, the easier it will be for you to focus on your studies. I only wish I had known this in grad school.

Thanks for all your advice! Especially the protein snacks! I had never heard of these. It looks like Kay's also has some cookie bite options that are high in protein. Maybe this will solve my sweet tooth fix. And, as you mentioned, since they are not cheap, I will eat them more sparingly!

Thank you for all of the advice and kind words. I am committed to improving myself and am also trying to address the behaviors like coping/stress eating in a healthy way. Considering I had reverted back to my old habits of having sweets every day, twice a day, having them only twice a week is an accomplishment for me.

My doctor had me eating 100 g of Protein a day. Before when I was losing weight I was not really watching the number of calories I consumed. I was just being good about getting all of my protein in, and was avoiding rice, Pasta, and potatoes, and was limiting eating sweets. Hence I was losing 6-8 pounds a month for the first few months and eventually began to lose 2-4 pounds a month til I plateaued a few months ago.

I have been good about getting in my protein but have never been great about drinking enough Water. I tried to do high protein and very low carb (just from fruits and veggies) last week and had severe headaches for a few days and could not get much studying done. So I'm not sure what to do for my carbs intake. Is oatmeal okay, for instance? I feel like I am relearning how to lose weight essentially and am just grateful that I haven't gained.

Also, for anyone who hit a long plateau, how did you keep your spirits up? I am at a point where I look better enough than my former self to notice a big difference in my appearance. But I am also still at a point where I am large enough that I am still dissatisfied with how I look.

I know I have to lose 80 more pounds to be at a healthy BMI though I would be happy to lose just 50 more to get out of the "obese" BMI classification.

It sounds like you know what to do.

As to carbs, I don't avoid all carbs, just starches and added sugars. A good complex carb like oatmeal should be fine. A hug protein oatmeal would be even better.

As to advice about stalls, my best advice is to Embrace the Stall! and read this for some ideas:

http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

I do but I don't know what I am doing I never posted "big numbers" like others except for the first 2-3 weeks post-op.

For example, fruits wise, someone told me that I should not be eating bananas. Had no idea about this. Also don't see it in the packet I was given.

Also, Snacks wise. I hate Greek Yogurt. So I have Wheat Thins multigrain crackers with Peanut Butter or hummus or string cheese. Or I have nuts. Today I cut up celery and also have carrots that I can have with the peanut butter or hummus. I am trying to plan to munch on that (or some grapes that I bought at the grocery store last night) rather than going for Doritoes or Cookies while I work. But I would really LOVE some new ideas for healthy snacks. Am I better off eating a PBJ sandwich as a small meal than eating the snacks if the snacks are going to be as bad as Doritoes/cookies and keep me from grazing?

I also haven't been tracking my protein. Just been focusing on eating a lot of high protein foods in general.

It sounds like you need to get away from the idea that every meal or snack needs a bread or cracker.

You can eat peanut butter, hummus or string cheese plain or with a non-starchy vegetable.

I personally don't avoid bananas but am aware they are higher in sugar/carbs. This might be more important for someone with DS.

Whatever you do, focus on protein first and tracking your protein so you KNOW you are reaching your protein target.

If you eat protein first, then non-starchy vegetable, then you may or may not have room for whole fruits. There shouldn't be much room left for breads and crackers.

Since you don't like Greek yogurt do you like cottage cheese?

It sounds like you need to get away from the idea that every meal or snack needs a bread or cracker.

You can eat Peanut Butter, hummus or string cheese plain or with a non-starchy vegetable.

I personally don't avoid bananas but am aware they are higher in sugar/carbs. This might be more important for someone with DS.

Whatever you do, focus on Protein first and tracking your protein so you KNOW you are reaching your protein target.

If you eat protein first, then non-starchy vegetable, then you may or may not have room for whole fruits. There shouldn't be much room left for breads and crackers.

Since you don't like Greek yogurt do you like cottage cheese?

Not a huge fan of cottage cheese, no. I do like Dannon light and fit yogurt (strawberry) but don't know if it's considered "healthy" for DSers. It's got 80 calories. 12 g of protein. 8 g of carbs of which 6 g are sugar.

Will try to eat more protein plain or with veggies, as you mention. Makes sense. I grew up in a household where we constantly snacked on chips, crackers, popcorn, Cookies, etc. so I guess old habits die hard. By contrast, I've noticed that my friends who grew up in households where they had a platter of chopped veggies and grapes, strawberries, etc. on the counter grew up to be much healthier.

Came to school to work on a paper and brought my celery sticks, string cheese, and peanut butter with me! Small changes lead to big changes!

Start using MFP and track your caloric intake. I bet you are somewhere around 1,500 calories a day. Wheat thins and Peanut Butter could easily be 300+ calories as a snack. Switch this to PB2 and celery and you are at 100 calories. That's a 200 calorie shift... You have to find healthy snack replacements.

I tell my wife all the time "the little things add up". One donught won't kill your diet, but when you follow it with a Mountain Dew with fries you have problems...

Have been thinking about it and 100 grams a day of protein amounts to only 400 calories since there are 4 calories in a gram of protein and 4 in a gram of carb (but 9 calories in a gram of fat). How many calories are we supposed to be trying to eat a day then? Seems like people could even be eating close to 1000 a day and if only half of that is absorbed (assuming it is comprised of complex carbs and protein) that means we are at 500 calories a day and should be losing very rapidly. Something doesn't seem to add up.

I am only 90 days out from a sleeve, so I am not the person to answer this.

This may seem like a silly question, but aren't all calories absorbed?