HI All!

I had gastric sleeve surgery on 12/6/23. As of March 7th, I am 45lbs down. I stopped weighing myself after this date, though, bc I was becoming OBSESSED with the scale and would fall into a deep sadness each day I didn't lose at least a pound. So, I decided to put it away and focus on my feelings and habits.

Anyway, lately, I've noticed I can eat much more than I was. I watched a YouTube video about a doctor explaining that after month 3, patients tend to notice they can eat more. He mentioned that it usually freaks them out at first because not being able to eat a lot at all was the major tool in helping the weight loss, but to not be alarmed because it's normal and to focus on healthy foods, working out, etc. Still, it's scaring me because I am scared I will fall into old bad habits and start overeating again.

So I was just wondering, has anyone noticed this? I noticed I can eat more than I was 2 months ago. It's freaking me out a bit bc I'm scared I'll overeat, esp bc certain foods are easier to overeat than others. The other day, I got a bag of organic Doritos and ate the whole bag throughout the day. I know I shouldn't have, but I was weak.

So, has anyone experienced this? Has it affected your progress at all? Please be kind. ❤️

Thanks!

Chips are slider foods. Most people can technically eat more of them than other foods and anyone can eat a pretty good bit when they are “grazing” Which is eating little bits multiple times throughout the day. Try really hard to avoid grazing because that will can definitely get you into trouble.

Not sure if you’ve seen me on here but I had sleeve three years ago and I lost a quite a big chunk of weight but I did regain my weight just as fast. I was able to eat more than I expected at every stage but even still if I had been eating healthy options three times a day that would not have allowed me to gain the amount of weight I gained.

I gained my weight by sneaking in the not so healthy foods from near the beginning since I was eating so little i thought it was okay because I was still losing. When my hunger came back my portions got a little bigger and eventually I was eating bigger portions of less that ideal food more often than prescribed. Since I never really took advantage of that honeymoon phase to actually change my eating habits to healthy foods this is when things went off the rails. The surgery will not do all the work.

My recommendation is to take this time where your tool is really working for you to try out some new healthy options and recipes and find a variety of things that you like so when the actual hunger comes back you will have changed your habits.

Yes. As time goes on, you are able to eat more. It's normal, as long as you don't push it too far, or eat a lot of slider foods or foods higher in calories and carbs. There are some days where I can eat what seems like a lot (although compared to what I used to eat, it's a nominal amount) and then there's days where I struggle to eat even the smallest amount. I honestly don't know why that is, even when I make sure to follow my diet and eat the same types of things across the board. I just look at is like this: the days I eat less balance out the days I eat more. As long as you stick to the eating plan and prioritize protein first (then veggies, then carbs and healthy fats), and I make sure I'm not grazing or eating even when I'm not hungry (head hunger) then I figure it's all ok and will even out in the end.

I totally understand this. It's not a bad thing AT ALL to step away from the scales if they aren't helping you.

Honestly - if you stick to your plan you will lose more weight than you have already - much more. The issue is that the loss is never linear. If you get stressed by stalls and regains then maybe weigh yourself once a month and celebrate your losses then. I was and am a daily weigher but I could tolerate the highs and lows associated with that.

Yes - the food volumes we can tolerate increase in the months and years after surgery. If you focus on a diet of protein and veggies you're not likely to go too far wrong.

As @SleeveToBypass2023 said, it is perfectly normal to be able to eat more as you progress. Your calories increase & your portion size increases. Your tummy is stretching more that it is getting a little looser, plus your more healed & your tummy is less fussy & sensitive to certain or random foods. The trick is not to exceed either of those. And, yes, it’s okay to have the odd days when you eat less on those days you don’t want to eat more or can’t eat more.

Almost 5 years out & I still have days I’m not all that hungry (went through a few months of not being hungry earlier this year - it was great). I also have meals where I don’t want to or can’t finish my usual portion of that particular meal. Sometimes certain foods can sit more heavily at odd times than other times. I like to think it’s because I don’t need to eat more that day or simply because my tummy isn’t in the mood for that food/meal.

Yes chips like Doritos are slider foods. Crackers, pop corn, pretzels, chocolate, sweets like cake biscuits, etc. all pass through your digestive system more quickly & therefore don’’t fill you up so you are able to eat way more than you should. If you do eat any of these types of foods portion out a small amount to eat & put the rest away in the cupboard. Or don’t keep them in your house to tempt you.

There are healthier options to some of these like instead of chips (corn or potato) air fry some thin slices of other vegetables. Try baking/air frying some fava beans or chick peas & sprinkle your own flavours (sea salt, chilli, paprika, garlic, etc.). Or get some edamame (I got mine from the freezer section at the grocery store).

Constantly weighing & recording food can mess with you sometimes but if you are someone who may be making less great choices or are worried about portion sizes you may have to keep it up if only for most meals.

It is a bit unnerving to have days where you can only get a small amount of food in, then the next, so much easier or visa versa. I agree with the others here that it all seems to balance out. Unless on those easier days, you are consuming slider foods and not the protein and veggies as prescribed.

My appetite ups and downs haven't seemed to hinder my weight loss at all. In fact, it's probably good to vary your daily caloric amount (within limits) so the body doesn't adapt. Kind of the same as with exercise.

I recently met a woman who had Gastric Bypass quite a few years ago when WLS was young, and she had gained all her weight back. It served as a reminder that I never want to go back there ever again. If we don't make the changes we need to early on, regain is inevitable. The surgery can only take us so far...

GL

Yes, it is usually those slider foods that I can eat so much with no problem. I feel like these last 2 weeks, I have been eating more than I should, and it's just kind of scary that I can. I prepped my meal and have my water and protein shake ready for tomorrow. I just want to do a refresh. I'm so scared of weight gain, and this tool is not working for me. I know this is the "honeymoon phase," and I really want to take advantage of it, too.

Thanks for answering! ❤️

10 hours ago, Spinoza said:

I totally understand this. It's not a bad thing AT ALL to step away from the scales if they aren't helping you.

Honestly - if you stick to your plan you will lose more weight than you have already - much more. The issue is that the loss is never linear. If you get stressed by stalls and regains then maybe weigh yourself once a month and Celebrate your losses then. I was and am a daily weigher but I could tolerate the highs and lows associated with that.

Yes - the food volumes we can tolerate increase in the months and years after surgery. If you focus on a diet of Protein and veggies you're not likely to go too far wrong.

See, when I don't lose, it messes with me so much. From Feb to March 7th, I only lost 8 lbs, which messed with me so much. It triggered a binge where I just ate crappy foods for like a week until I came to my senses. But now I am terrified of the scale bc I don't want to fall into that horrible mental state again. So, for now, I am just keeping it away until next month.

I do agree with everything you said and feel I can definitely lose much more if I just stay consistent and on track.

I appreciate your kind words. ❤️

3 hours ago, Arabesque said:

As @SleeveToBypass2023 said, it is perfectly normal to be able to eat more as you progress. Your calories increase & your portion size increases. Your tummy is stretching more that it is getting a little looser, plus your more healed & your tummy is less fussy & sensitive to certain or random foods. The trick is not to exceed either of those. And, yes, it’s okay to have the odd days when you eat less on those days you don’t want to eat more or can’t eat more.

Almost 5 years out & I still have days I’m not all that hungry (went through a few months of not being hungry earlier this year - it was great). I also have meals where I don’t want to or can’t finish my usual portion of that particular meal. Sometimes certain foods can sit more heavily at odd times than other times. I like to think it’s because I don’t need to eat more that day or simply because my tummy isn’t in the mood for that food/meal.

Yes chips like Doritos are slider foods. Crackers, pop corn, pretzels, chocolate, sweets like cake biscuits, etc. all pass through your digestive system more quickly & therefore don’’t fill you up so you are able to eat way more than you should. If you do eat any of these types of foods portion out a small amount to eat & put the rest away in the cupboard. Or don’t keep them in your house to tempt you.

There are healthier options to some of these like instead of chips (corn or potato) air fry some thin slices of other vegetables. Try baking/air frying some fava Beans or chick peas & sprinkle your own flavours (sea salt, chilli, paprika, garlic, etc.). Or get some edamame (I got mine from the freezer section at the grocery store).

Constantly weighing & recording food can mess with you sometimes but if you are someone who may be making less great choices or are worried about portion sizes you may have to keep it up if only for most meals.

Yes, I actually discovered these amazing chip alternatives. They are high in protein, only 150 calories per bag, and taste just like chips! They're called Legendary chips, which I got today at GNC. Chips are my weakness so I'm happy to have found a healthy high high-protein alternative.

Other than that, I have no junk food in my house and like to keep it that way. I'm too weak right now to keep anything tempting in my house. It's full of water, protein shakes, protein chips, and quest protein cookies. You get the picture if I get a sweet craving, lean meats, nuts, veggies, etc..

I am going to start tracking my food again, too. I feel that helped me stay accountable. I am just so terrified of falling all the way back into my old habits. I can't allow that to happen.

Thanks for responding and being helpful ❤️

I wonder if part of the problem of eating slider foods is that they are foods that we are used to just scarfing down and not paying attention, repetitive movements are soothing. I've noticed recently that I started eating a few bites of things that are not on my meal plan and somehow that contributed to my eating all foods without being mindful. When I eat slowly, paying attention to what I'm eating, I don't eat too much of even slider foods.