lsereno

I don't track in detail, but I do measure my food and I am mindful of what I'm eating. At goal weight or within my bounce range, I have treats and cocktails in limited amounts. I generally eat lean Protein, nonfat or low fat dairy, whole grains, veggies, and fruit, in that order. For example, today I had a soy latte, a slice of whole wheat bread, and two slices of low fat ham at Breakfast. Mid morning if ate about a cup of green grapes. At lunch, I had about a cup of Lima beams cooked with ham shanks. Mid afternoon if ate a salad with light dressing. For dinner, I had turkey pot pie. After dinner, I had an ounce of low fat salami. Before bed, I will have a cup of Greek yogurt mixed with Splenda, pumpkin purée and spices. I've been at goal for more than a year and a half. I walk for at least an hour four days per week. Lynda

hi Laura-Ven, I'm not a 5:2 eater, but CONGRATS!

what she said. See you guys in a few days. Lynda

What are you eating? How many calories? How much protein? How much fluids?

Your stomach is only going to stretch so far if the surgery was done correctly. Anyone can gain weight by eating the wrong things and eating too often. Go back to basics: get the junk out of the house NOW. Stock up on heathy, nutritious foods you enjoy. Weigh yourself at least once a week. I weigh daily, first thing when I get up. Plan your meals. Protein first. Monitor your Fluid intake and be sure to get in 64 ozs. a day. You can do it! Lynda

Ask your program coordinator. My program allowed no sugar added applesauce and fruit juice thinned with Water fairly early. Lynda

I had to wait till I was closer to two years before I started eating cereal again. I can eat it now. I didn't have a problem with soup, but I couldn't eat enough of it to call it a Protein dense meal till much later. Anderson Split Pea Soup was good for me very early. And it's got a lot of protein for a soup. I also ate Progresso Tomato Soup fairly early. More as a snack between meals because by the time I ate my protein, there wasn't much room left over. I ate chili pretty early too. That sat well and the low fat beef canned chili and my homemade chili are both fairly protein dense. You are still not at full capacity yet and probably won't be till at least a year post op. I used Metamucil for a few months till I could get enough Fiber in my regular diet. I don't like it, but it did help. Lynda

I would post this in the Self-Pay & Mexico Vertical Sleeve Surgery (NEW FORUM!) you will get more answers there. Lynda

Congrats! I bet that costume made someone's halloween a lot more jolly! Lynda

Not sure how far out from surgery you are, but here's what I've snacked on while losing: Beef Jerky lunch meat wrapped around string cheese Roast chicken (I like the ones from Costco) with some kind of dip such as BBQ sauce, sugar free jelly mixed with mustard, or teriaki sauce Roast chicken rolled in a lettuce leaf Raw veggies with dip made from Greek Yogurt Greek yogurt and blueberries or strawberries Apple slices with PB2 (powdered Peanut Butter that is very low fat - I buy it on Amazon) Low fat beef chili In weight loss mode, my Snacks need to include Protein or I just get hungry again fast. Lynda

Everyone is different post op. I followed my guidelines and didn't have alcohol till after 6 months. At goal, I enjoy a couple of drinks per week on average. Sometimes I have more, like while we were on vacation, and sometimes I have less. Even at 2.5 years post op, I no longer care for margaritas or drinks with a lot of mixer. I drink flavored Martinis, shots, liqueurs, wine, or port. I occasionally have a soda. Probably less than one per month. Lynda

Grandkids love me time. Crafts, indoor games, reading, walking the dog, riding bikes, playing games outside, watching TV together, reading. All fun and no food. My youngest grandkid is 11 now and the oldest is 19. Lynda

Glad to hear we will still have separate areas and a group area. I'm interested in seeing how vets with other surgery types are faring as the years go by. Lynda

Oh, and an advantage to buying plain is you can also use it in salad dressings or anywhere else that calls for sour cream. Lynda

I only eat nonfat plain Fage or Chobani. They have 23 grams of Protein per cup. I buy it in the big containers (that come with a lid BTW) and flavor up the whole thing. Right now, I'm eating it flavored with pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and Splenda. In the summer, my fav is to add splenda and top with frozen blueberries microwaved till warm with Splenda. Early out, I often had yogurt shake made with the yogurt, splash of OJ, bigger splash of Water, couple frozen strawberries, and Splenda. Lynda

Well I don't look great in mine, but I finally found an acceptable one at Macys. It's a full suit that covers my hiney and midsection and has a distracting ruffle that goes from left hip to right bustline. It cost a ridiculous amount, but at least I can visit a pool if I'm in the mood. Lynda

I also bought new clothes all the way. Not many and not expensive, but I bought workout pants, jeans, tops, sweaters, new PJs, and new undies when any got super baggy. And I don't mean falling off baggy. Also bought a couple of coats before I got to goal because mine were ridiculously large. My go to stores were Walmart, Target, and Marshalls. Also bought a few things at yard sales. After I got to goal, I bought nicer things for each season and a swimsuit (I don't swim much). Lynda

I think if you look through the vets forum, you will see most everyone who is successful long term "owns" their food addiction and finds ways to manage it. For me, it's keeping bad foods out of the house, stocking up on healthy foods I enjoy, weighing daily, and finding ways to cope with emotional needs besides food. For me, that can be as simple as applying lip gloss and lotion. The scent and feel soothes me. I also enjoy seasonal treats, so I find low cal substitutes. For fall, I mix pumpkin and spices with Greek yogurt and drink sugar free hot apple cider. Best wishes on your journey. Looking forward to seeing you, thin and happy, in the Vets Forum a few months down the One. Lynda

I hear you! I was thin into my 30s and attributed becoming "invisible" to aging. Now that I am thin again, I see that is only a tiny part of it. Lynda

Every program is different, my program allows 1-2 drinks per week after the 6 month post op appt if all is well. Lynda

I have about 2 drinks per week. It really varies, but I don't do tall drinks because there is too much mixer. So it's mostly flavored martini style (lemon drop or a seasonal flavor), port, or wine. Lynda

You are a leader here, so you should do what you think is best. For me, it's too much effort for not enough return. Someone else usually pops in (not just you Laura-Ven!) saying something about their bad decision. And I don't think people really spend a lot of time looking through old threads because they are constantly asking the same questions. As a longer term vet, I prefer to mostly answer questions and comment about life 1+ post op. There are plenty of people commenting about earlier issues. You rarely see people 1+ years out who are eating whatever they want and searching for ways to stuff more food in because if they continue that behavior, they are regaining weight and they disappear from the group. Lynda

Well I'm a little late to the party, but I know I'm a food addict. It's why certain foods are not welcome in my house. I'm squarely in the never say never camp, but I control problem foods with a very tight leash by not buying them, and making them very occasional treats. I also weigh daily to keep overrating in check. After years on this group, I have to admit that I ignore most threads where people are bragging about how they progress their diets too fast. I do reply to threads asking about what we can eat eventually and how much. And I also struggle with how I look on some days. But on most days, I'm happy with what I see. Lynda

I'm closing in on three years. I took a PPI for the first six months and has to go back to taking it a few months ago. No issues with the PPI. Lynda