If you are a year or more out, how is your restriction?

[provenzee 262]

Just wondering what the restriction is like further out...can you eat a lot? Or do you still get full off of a few ounces?

[stacyrg2 350]

I'm 22 months post surgery. I can eat 4 oz of beef, pork, chicken or turkey and slightly more (almost 6 oz) of fish like salmon. After eating my Protein, I can fit in a few bites of veggies or salad. I don't eat bread, rice or Pasta, so I can't help you there. I do eat quinoa, and usually cook it with diced veggies as my side and can eat about a 1/4 cup. Breakfast-y type foods, I can eat 2 eggs with a sprinkle of cheese and before I go on long runs, I have 1/4 c of oatmeal mixed with 1/2 container of greek yogurt. Hope that helps. If you have any questions about specific foods, ask away and I'd be happy to tell you amounts.

[JamieLogical 8,684]

I am going on 19 months post-op. I still have a lot of restriction. Especially with dense Protein. I can eat about 3-4 ounces of poultry with nothing else. Could probably eat more if I ate slowly, but one of my strategies for not over-eating is to actually eat quickly so all the food is still in my stomach at the same time instead of having some of it pass through, making room for more.

I always pre-portion my food so as not to accidentally overeat also.

If I am eating something in sauce or something more runny, like chili, I can do more like 6-8 ounces.

I don't waste room on bread, rice, Pasta, or even veggies.

If I ever do eat slider foods like chips or ice cream, I can definitely fit a LOT in. Which is why I either avoid them completely or pre-measure them. If I were to just eat any of those things until I was "full" I could do some serious damage!

I've been tracking my food for the past 19 days since I got my FitBit, which means I've been weighing everything. Here's a little snap shot of the kinds of things I will have for lunch and dinner (I have Protein Bars for Breakfast and snacks):

• 1 oz. pepper jack cheese, 1 oz. colby jack cheese, and 1 oz. peanuts
• 3 oz. pesto with spinach & feta chicken sausage
• 3 oz, turkey kielbasa w/ mustard
• 4 oz. of meatloaf w/ ketchup
• 5 oz. of chili with 1/2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 egg scrambled, 1/2 oz. feta cheese, 1 Breakfast sausage link
• 3 oz. shrimp w/ cocktail sauce
• 4 oz. pulled pork in BBQ sauce

[Healthy_life2 8,319]

I will be two years out in June. My restriction is good. As you get further out you will be able to get more food in. I can eat 5 oz of salmon a few bites of veggies and two bites of potato in a meal. I can have healthy carbohydrates in maintenance mode. I still feel it when I get full. If I'm to the point of burping..I know to stop lol

[Bufflehead 6,358]

I can eat 3 oz. of dense Protein (chicken, beef) + an ounce or two of veggies. I can eat 4 oz of fish + an ounce or two of veggies. 3 oz. of dense protein is actually enough to make me quite satisfied though.

However, carb-based foods and sweets are deadly. I have almost no restriction with them. So for the most part I stay away.

[Babbs 14,680]

I'm 22 months post surgery. I can eat 4 oz of beef, pork, chicken or turkey and slightly more (almost 6 oz) of fish like salmon. After eating my Protein, I can fit in a few bites of veggies or salad. I don't eat bread, rice or Pasta, so I can't help you there. I do eat quinoa, and usually cook it with diced veggies as my side and can eat about a 1/4 cup. Breakfast-y type foods, I can eat 2 eggs with a sprinkle of cheese and before I go on long runs, I have 1/4 c of oatmeal mixed with 1/2 container of greek yogurt. Hope that helps. If you have any questions about specific foods, ask away and I'd be happy to tell you amounts.

This is almost exact amounts for me too at almost 19 months out. It really varies from day to day, though, doesn't it? So weird how that happens!

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Tomorrow I'll be 19 months post-op. I've lost 100 pounds and have maintained my weight (135 pounds) for nearly a year now. I eat 1500 - 2000 calories a day, averaging 1700-1800 calories. My Protein grams average around 90-100 grams/day. I'm not a gym rat, but I'm very active in daily life. Feel great, doing great, looking great.

My restriction is still very good. I eat 2-4 ounces of Protein at each meal and have one or two Snacks a day (which include at least a little protein). I almost always eat protein first at each meal. It's just a habit now. I eat 4-5 veggies and fruits a day. I eat bread, Pasta, sweets, and wine. But please note that I eat these things in moderation.

EDIT: I also always eat at least 21 grams of unsoluble Fiber daily, which just shows how hard I work to eat not only protein, but veggies, fruits, and whole grains each day.

I'm not allergic to any foods. I have NEVER thrown up since my VSG surgery. I love food. It tastes great. I plan my menus daily. I still track my food in My Fitness Pal. I never get sick. My blood panels are perfecto.

I dunno if and how much all this will change in the years to come. There are lots of discussions on here about weight regain over time. In most instances (but not all instances), it seems that as the years go along people tend to eat less protein and more processed carbs, graze more throughout the day, don't take their Vitamins and supplements as religiously as they once did, exercise less than they once did (often due to training injuries), and revert to medicating themselves with food to alleviate life's stresses.

My shrink says he sees successful bariatric patients continue to create new goals that engage their healthy lifestyles. He says some patients suffer because they get bored after achieving their weight loss, after the compliments end, after the initial support they relied on from family members and others fades away, and their new life becomes no longer new. Words to consider.

I'm doing great now. I think I'll continue to do well. I will also underscore what @@CowgirlJane and others have said ... my skinny friends fret about their weight all the time. I reckon I'll just become one of those folks.

[provenzee 262]

Thanks everyone! This was really helpful. I was just curious. I love the restriction!!

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

P.S. You probably already know this, but the extent and rigor of your sleeve's restriction depends greatly on what you are eating. The sleeve REALLY restricts Protein. But it doesn't restrict at all what are called "slider foods" -- highly processed, high-carb foods that require little digestion, turn to mush almost immediately, and slide on right down the pyloric valve into the small intestine. In other words, you can eat potato chips, Cookies, ice cream, and stuff like that all day long and never feel much restriction. And you can eat little bits of all kinds of food all day long ("grazing") and eat a helluva lot of food without feeling much restriction. And if you drink with your food, you'll push the food sooner down into the intestine -- again, leaving your stomach empty and able to accept more food.

[stacyrg2 350]

I'm 22 months post surgery. I can eat 4 oz of beef, pork, chicken or turkey and slightly more (almost 6 oz) of fish like salmon. After eating my Protein, I can fit in a few bites of veggies or salad. I don't eat bread, rice or Pasta, so I can't help you there. I do eat quinoa, and usually cook it with diced veggies as my side and can eat about a 1/4 cup. Breakfast-y type foods, I can eat 2 eggs with a sprinkle of cheese and before I go on long runs, I have 1/4 c of oatmeal mixed with 1/2 container of greek yogurt. Hope that helps. If you have any questions about specific foods, ask away and I'd be happy to tell you amounts.

This is almost exact amounts for me too at almost 19 months out. It really varies from day to day, though, doesn't it? So weird how that happens!

It does depend on the day. Some days I have "hungry days" and can eat more than what is listed and some days it's a struggle to get that much in. However, this is what an "average" day looks like for me with a few Snacks (nuts, yogurt, deli meat and cheese) thrown in the afternoon.

I'm 22 months post surgery. I can eat 4 oz of beef, pork, chicken or turkey and slightly more (almost 6 oz) of fish like salmon. After eating my Protein, I can fit in a few bites of veggies or salad. I don't eat bread, rice or Pasta, so I can't help you there. I do eat quinoa, and usually cook it with diced veggies as my side and can eat about a 1/4 cup. Breakfast-y type foods, I can eat 2 eggs with a sprinkle of cheese and before I go on long runs, I have 1/4 c of oatmeal mixed with 1/2 container of greek yogurt. Hope that helps. If you have any questions about specific foods, ask away and I'd be happy to tell you amounts.

This is almost exact amounts for me too at almost 19 months out. It really varies from day to day, though, doesn't it? So weird how that happens!

It does depend on the day. Some days I have "hungry days" and can eat more than what is listed and some days it's a struggle to get that much in. However, this is what an "average" day looks like for me with a few Snacks (nuts, yogurt, deli meat and cheese) thrown in the afternoon.

I'm 22 months post surgery. I can eat 4 oz of beef, pork, chicken or turkey and slightly more (almost 6 oz) of fish like salmon. After eating my protein, I can fit in a few bites of veggies or salad. I don't eat bread, rice or pasta, so I can't help you there. I do eat quinoa, and usually cook it with diced veggies as my side and can eat about a 1/4 cup. Breakfast-y type foods, I can eat 2 eggs with a sprinkle of cheese and before I go on long runs, I have 1/4 c of oatmeal mixed with 1/2 container of greek yogurt. Hope that helps. If you have any questions about specific foods, ask away and I'd be happy to tell you amounts.

This is almost exact amounts for me too at almost 19 months out. It really varies from day to day, though, doesn't it? So weird how that happens!

It does depend on the day. Some days I have "hungry days" and can eat more than what is listed and some days it's a struggle to get that much in. However, this is what an "average" day looks like for me with a few snacks (nuts, yogurt, deli meat and cheese) thrown in the afternoon.

[stacyrg2 350]

I'm 22 months post surgery. I can eat 4 oz of beef, pork, chicken or turkey and slightly more (almost 6 oz) of fish like salmon. After eating my Protein, I can fit in a few bites of veggies or salad. I don't eat bread, rice or Pasta, so I can't help you there. I do eat quinoa, and usually cook it with diced veggies as my side and can eat about a 1/4 cup. Breakfast-y type foods, I can eat 2 eggs with a sprinkle of cheese and before I go on long runs, I have 1/4 c of oatmeal mixed with 1/2 container of greek yogurt. Hope that helps. If you have any questions about specific foods, ask away and I'd be happy to tell you amounts.

This is almost exact amounts for me too at almost 19 months out. It really varies from day to day, though, doesn't it? So weird how that happens!

It does depend on the day. Some days I have "hungry days" and can eat more than what is listed and some days it's a struggle to get that much in. However, this is what an "average" day looks like for me with a few Snacks (nuts, yogurt, deli meat and cheese) thrown in the afternoon.

[stacyrg2 350]

sorry for the multiple posts. Apparently my computer went insane!