I was a model child the first two weeks after surgery. I had no appetite and anything I put in my mouth was strictly out of medical necessity but I was dogged and made sure to meet my protein and water requirements every day. Lost 12 lbs. The second two weeks, I’m not sure if I was “hungry” but I found I could enjoy food again and things became more tempting. With the Doctor’s approval, and I asked many specifics of her, such as flax, vinegar, and protein bars with nuts, she reassured me “I couldn’t hurt my stomach”, I moved forward and, while eating 75% on target, I also incorporated small amounts of things from my old life – a bite of bread roll, a 1” square of brownie, half a flour tortilla, a piece of corn dog. All while keeping my calories between 700-900 a day. Nothing seemed to bother my stomach and my capacity, while certainly limited, was more than I expected.

At my four week appt, the nutritionist was a bit horrified and pretty much wrote me up as non-compliant. Said that most people were eating about 500 calories a day at that point. After sulking (and stalling) for another week, I started adding a protein shake back for breakfast, upped my water by 16 ounces and focusing more on the basics: using a scale, focusing on protein and vegetables, walking. I learned taking the tiny bites was not to help my stomach, but my head: it sucks when your meal is over in 3 or 4 bites. I claimed I could not walk because I have grade 4 arthritis in my knee and I’m really busy, but if I get up early, I can get a mile in before I go to work. And I added ankle weights to up the effectiveness. As of now, the scale is moving again after the stall from hell but I’ve also, grudgingly, learned the rules are there for a reason. I’m not here to be austere, at age 59, my only reason for loss is health, and I don’t feel the drive to be thin/attractive, so I still have my little treat: a 70 calorie square of baking chocolate. My calories these days still fall closer to 750 but I’ve lived a life of self-indulgence and self-discipline is hard to come by now.

Edited December 2, 20214 yr by Tupelo

My nutritionist b----ed me out for overeating, too. I was eating a whopping 800 calories and stalling hard. She told me that I needed to be eating 400-500 calories a day and that's why I wasn't losing weight. I told her that the week I tracked my food before starting on this journey, I was maintaining my old weight on 3800 calories a day and there's no freaking way I was bumping out of a caloric deficit with an intake of 800 calories.

So she said I was non-compliant and then huffed, "I guess if you want to gain it all back, it's up to you."

I fired her. Loudly. I posted about it elsewhere on this site. And I went and found a nutrition group that focuses on flexible nutrition and who have nutritionists and RDs who are familiar with bariatric patients. My nutritionist put me on 1200 cal a day to start and has been encouraging me to eat more—this week has been more like 1400. I am very active, though, and burn calories both working and working out (I'm not a "walker"... I run, I do CrossFit, I do ranch work.)

I'm twelve weeks out and still losing 3-4 pounds a week.

I do track everything I eat and self-discipline is hard but necessary. I figure this surgery gave me 6-12 months to re-evaluate my relationship with food, and that's plenty of time to develop new habits that are just second nature.