Strangefruit

VSGAnn2014 - if I ate over 1500 calories a day, I'd be over my starting weight... I'm glad it worked for you - it worked for me intially - but I never got to my goal weight and every pound I loss was a struggle... and now, the only way I can lose is to eat 800 calories a day or less... my goal now is to just maintain and feel better...

Sorry, ReallyRosy - I didn't notice you had already posted that article ... my frustration is that - no, I didn't think after losing weight after surgery I would be able to eat anything I wanted ... but I did think I would be able to eat a normal amount of calories for someone of my height and activity ... I was not prepared to have my calories restricted almost as much as my pre- surgery liquid protein fast! The only reason I could do that was I knew it was temporary ... but I cannot go the rest of my life existing on 800 calories or less per day AND working out 6-7 days a week. I walk, I exercise, I do yoga... but I also work full time and have kids... for my lifestyle (and yes - some people manage to do it) working out 7 days a week and eating less than 800 calories per day is not why I had the surgery ... and honestly - had I been told that THAT is what was required for maintenance (I was told to adopt a "healthy eating (normal) lifestyle and exercise ... had I known this was required for maintenance I would not have had the surgery.

Has anyone read the article in th NY Times / NPR also did a story on it ... it specifically tracked folks that had lost weight on The Biggest Loser, but said how your metabolism is permanently changed... even though I had sleeve surgery 3 yrs ago, I cannot LOSE weight if I eat more than 800 calories a day, which is pretty darn low... Here is the article: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html?_r=0&referer=https%3A%2Ft.co%2FbFjsCgTUDe&referer=http://m.facebook.com (I just noticed it's a Facebook link - if it doesn't work for you, Google NY Times and Biggest Loser...)

So... I'm three years out ... I'm up 25lbs... I am reading - and planned to start - the 5 Day Pouch Test Owners Manual... it is supposed to help sleevers like me who have fallen off the wagon get back to eating correctly and "reset" their pouch to fullness. But ... more and more I am thinking I am tired of counting calories and watching what I eat ... life is stressful and at aged 55, I should be able to come home and have a glass of Merlot of I like and some Brie and triscuits... the holidays are coming and I WANT to have Cookies and muffins and an occasional hot chocolate... The angel on my shoulder reminds me that 25lbs ago, my back, feet and knees didn't hurt... I could use stairs easily and not get winded ... I loved the feel of having collarbones! But then, I think, "Why not be fat? You can buy larger clothes- you're still smaller than you WERE!" *sigh* I need a little more than a nudge ... I am not sure I want to be healthy as much as I am tired of BEING ON A DIET of some kind. I had planned to start the 5 Day Pouch Plan on Saturday ... I'm reading the book first, and am already dreading two days of only Protein shakes and broth. When I did it pre-surgery, I really believed I would never go back... now, I'm not so sure anymore. Thoughts?

Thank you. I'm sure we all love to contribute, but someone who was sleeved two months ago really isn't ready for this particular thread.

I am sorry to read about your struggles, but I have to admit feeling a little better that I am not alone in my struggles... it's HARD and very frustrating.

I can graze on nuts and craisins all day... I have a beach mix with almonds, plantain chips, coconut slivers, yogurt covered raisins and pecans. I keep a measuring cup in the jar to ensure a 1/4 cup serving... If I get too hungry, my blood sugar gets unstable and I get light headed and shaky... Keeping this with me helps at the office or running errands when I need some quick protein. But eating 1290 calories a day using My Fitness Pal, taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator, parking further away AND doing the treadclimber for 30 min every other day would get me maintenance and if I'm lucky - a 1lb loss... So, it's hard even NOT eating crap. BTW, I'm 54 and was sleeved in 2012...

that sounds good. thanks for sharing.

laurak712 - are you vegan? you can eat rice, beans and pasta and eat less than 1500 calories? I can eat beans, but rice and pasta make me ill. What do you eat in a typical day?

I also think LauraK is an exception... Please don't assume if we are struggling we're eating "crap"... 1500 calories a day causes me to gain. I MUST limit my intake to 1100-1200 AND workout 4-5x a week or I gain. Consider yourself very lucky. It doesn't work like that for all of us. I am 5'6" and also started at 240... my lowest weight was 172 and I'm struggling now in the 190s. sorry for the double post... my tablet froze and it appeared my original comment didn't post...

1500 calories a day causes me to gain. I MUST limit my intake to 1100-1200 AND workout 4-5x a week or I gain. Consider yourself very lucky. It doesn't work like that for all of us. I am 5'6" and also started at 240... my lowest weight was 172 and I'm struggling now in the 190s.

Thank you for posting this. Reading this and other posts that seem to say that for some of us, the surgery makes our already sluggish metabolisms even more wonky is encouraging and depressing at the same time ... I generally eat less than 1300 calories a day and cannot lose weight ... ????

I'm 3 years out, I've gained about 35lbs back from my lowest of 172, and really wish I did have. supportive surgeon... My guy is so much if a dick, I actually call him Dr. House (from the Hugh Laurie character)... He's rude and abrasive - I would never have selected him, but with Kaiser Permanente, I didn't have a choice of surgeon ... He's thin as a reed, which really makes my wonder why he went into Bariatric surgery, but he's such a dick, he made me cry in the hospital when I was dehydrated and couldn't even eat ice chips. I bought a Bowflex Treadclimber hoping to help with my exercise - I absolutely hate it, but continue to use it because I don't want my family to say, "I told you so"... I've stopped using the elevator at work, I walk around the building at lunch time, I log everything I eat in My Fitness Pal and still cannot get the scale to move. Reading about others opinion that this surgery messes up our metabolism is comforting while at the same time depressing. *sigh*

Today is the beginning of Week 3 with the 5:2... I am encouraged as I have lost at least 2lbs each week... Today is a particularly hard fast day though... (My fast days are Monday and Thursday)... A lot of head hunger... I ate my two daily gummie Vitamins and found myself craving more! I was lookin around for something more to eat like my always hungry beagle! My "goal" is to stick to this plan for at least a month ... If I am successful, then I should be back close to my lowest weight since surgery... And then I will feel like that number is within reach... I keep reminding myself that this should be easy for anyone who had to do a two week pre-surgery Protein Shake fast...if I could do THAT, then surely I can do this! Whatever I am craving today, I *can* have tomorrow!

I had the surgery fall 2012... The first year was great... The end of the second year, I have gained 18lbs and went through menopause... I am wondering if this is common... I still average about 1300 calories a day, but cannot seem to shake this weight gain... On 1/15, I started doing the 5:2 Intermittent Fast Diet... One week out, I am finally down 3.6lbs... I am committed to doing this 5:2 plan for at least a month to see if this gives me the results I need... I have read that a weight gain after menopause is not uncommon, but I thought 18lbs was quite a bit for one year. ????