I know I was curious about what I would eat years after my surgery; would I still be eating only tiny bites of protein? I got careless and gained seven pounds last year, so starting the last week in December I started logging all my food intake. It was interesting--too many high fat/high sugar carbs and "snacks" that were essentially junk food. So I lost eight pounds over the past few months and this is what I eat now. I aim for 1200-1500 calories a day--I hike one day a week in summer and ski in winter, do a little yoga for flexibility, but I'm not terribly active otherwise. I'm post-menopausal, too, so my metabolism has slowed some. The list below is about 900-1000 calories because I like to leave a little wiggle room for Starbucks lattes or food offered at a friend's house.

Breakfast: 12 oz coffee, 3 Tbsp. half & half

Morning snack: 1/2 small apple. If I'm starving I might have some oatmeal too.

Lunch: 4 Triscuits, 1 slice cheese, 2 oz ham, turkey, chicken, or fish, half cup of berries or pineapple or other fresh fruit

Afternoon snack: A roasted red pepper or a cup of mushrooms sautéed in beef boullion or a cup of air-popped popcorn. In cherry season I'll have a cup of cherries.

Dinner: I eat a lot of shrimp. Sometimes I make a stir fry with 4 oz shrimp,1 1/2 cups of Kirkland stir-fry vegetables, and a couple tablespoons of Yoshida sauce. Sometimes I have 3 oz of beef, lamb, or chicken with half a small baked sweet potato and 1/2 cup green beans. For takeout, I like a small Wendy's chili for dinner, or I get shrimp or fish tacos. When I go out to dinner I order an appetizer as the main course unless I want a doggie bag to eat at home.

I like sweets but cake and bready things seem to ball up in my sleeve, so I sometimes have an ice cream bar or one Lindt chocolate truffle for dessert.

Before bed: I can't sleep if my stomach is growling so I usually have a snack before bed. Maybe a slice of meat, or one or two Triscuits with peanut butter.

I pretty much detest plain water so I drink Crystal Light all day long. I still don't drink with meals other than tiny sips here and there because liquid + food makes my sleeve feel funny. I can get the foamies if I eat too fast, or don't chew well enough, or if the food is just not agreeing with me on that particular day.

This has worked for me for the past seven years until the snacks turned into potato chips and chocolate chip cookies. Now that I've gone back to my old ways I feel better. I am hoping this reassures some folks new to surgery that you do go back to eating like a normal person, but your sleeve and your preferences will have a lot to do with how you manage your eating when your weight stabilizes.

I know you can succeed!

Thank you so much for sharing!

Thanks, I was sleeved just 2 days ago and right now I just have some goals to get me through the liquid stage, but I'm glad to know things eventually stabilize.

Thank you so much for sharing, we are the same age and starting weight but I am shorter, 7 months sleeved and a ways to go until goal. Nice to see your calorie count in maintenance.

A big Mahalo for sharing. It's important that we get the experiences of the veterans.

It's so helpful when veterans share the love!