JeffA70

MoM, Miralax, and chia seeds or Fiber One in your diet as tolerated are all our friends. I do Miralax on Wednesday and Sunday, with a little bit of Fiber One in my yogurt a few days a week and all is well here. MoM works for me too. I just think it tastes awful. But I can stomach it (pun intended) if all else fails. I'll say this. I'd rather have this than the IBD-like symptoms I used to have pre-surgery.

That's true. In fact, my apnea continues at 216 lbs, far below my goal of 235 and my NUT's goal of 225. I have decided to not treat it, since all other vitals are good, I have no outward symptoms, and the CPAP machine was invented by Nazis who want to deprive married men of the little chance we already have to be romantic in bed. That last part is an exaggeration. Sort of.

I'm a very tall (6-6) male, so my numbers are going to be very different than for a smaller female, but my current daily goal is 1,200-1,500. I started out at 900 calories, and have moved up to this, and maintenance is 1,500.

Second vote for the TJ's chicken sausage. Very good and many flavors. They also have a chocolate yogurt that's a great reward treat, and sometimes they have kale chips ready made too. Great little TJ's find are the dark chocolate nibs, which are near the register. They're like tic tac sized chocolate bits that are awesome and nice to have for a little guilt free treat. Sprinkle a few in a yogurt or something. Like 1 or 2 calories each.

I do not fear fat in foods, within reason. I'd much rather eat fat vs. empty flour or something, and really, I'm eating so little in the grand scheme of things that if I want 1 oz of real cheddar vs. fat free cheddar, you know what? It ain't gonna kill me. My nighttime snack if I have leftover calories is a 1/4 cup of ricotta with some extract (almond or coconut) stirred in, with a packet of sweetener. I had been using Splenda or Truvia, but I've recently just used a sugar packet. It's like 15 calories and 4 carbs to use the real sugar packet and it tastes better. Two more minutes on the elliptical and it's forgotten.

I'm more or less the same as MichiganChic. I did go a very long time, though, when I really just was never hungry. Now, six months out I often wake up hungry. But it's certainly manageable. I feel normal. Head hunger, that enemy of all of us, came back at around four months. Like physical hunger, it's manageable and easier to squash.

I couldn't wait to eat fruit and veggies. And I'm loving fresh peach season now. Go easy on the skins of fruit at first to see how you tolerate it. I had a horrible experience with apple peel the first time I tried. Some people have issues with lettuce, but I never did.

You're human. Being flawed is a product feature, not a bug. Good that you know you shouldn't have had the chips. Could have been worse. Don't dwell on it, do an extra 10 minute run / walk / workout as pennance for your mind, and move on. The only easy day was yesterday.

Whole Foods is wonderful, but their prices are, in general, crazy. I love, love, love their prepared food. Their salad / prepared food bar is heaven... Could have the various things in there every day for lunch. Ideal for people like us. I can't think of any product at WF, though, that I wouldn't be able to get elsewhere, etc. But it sounds like you're more limited in your store choices.

Six months out, I can usually eat one or two slices max. Typically skip the crust. It's doable. Not the ideal food, but such is life. I think I've had it three times in six months postop. Old me would have finished a half a pie by himself. My 'last meal,' in fact, was pizza and wings.

Uncharted territory is more than a little scary, it's terrifying. I'm 19 lbs. below my personal goal, 9 below my doc's, and well within the range of "normal" BMI. I'm wearing a 16 1/2 neck dress shirt, which I've never fit into as an adult, and a 38 waist, which is like high school era for me (I'm 42). I would be perfectly happy to not lose another pound, but it keeps coming off (I get no sympathy for that, I understand). I'm at 1,200-1,500 net calories a day, and trying to find the sweet spot. Am getting plenty of comments like, "OK, don't lose any more weight." And I agree!

HAPPY SIX MONTH ANNIVERSARY, everyone! How are we doing? I'm down to 218, which is below my goal and my doc's goal. All going well. Can eat anything, more or less, just in small quantities. Head hunger is there, and physical hunger is gradually coming back, especially in the morning. Working out 4-5 times a week, and literally start Couch to 5K training this afternoon. It's all good. And I'm really, really close to getting another Bucket List item checked off...doing a pull up.

As much as we all mostly use this experience to change how we view food, we swim in a cultural sea that focuses on eating and drinking. Learning to live in that, versus being some abstinant monk, is key, in my opinion. Others may disagree. I told everyone about my surgery, and asked them to not invite me for a few months. At about four months, my various circles of friends started inviting me again and I do go out, using all the food and drink tips mentioned by others. I've had very few problems. Unless you're going to 'Bob's House of Carbs,' you can always find Proteins on the menu. I've more or less given up drinking, so I can't address that at all. I've noticed two things.... At first, people are very curious about what you order, and I've found myself appalled at the size of restaurant portions. Both are just part of the deal. Good luck to you.

I used to love apples, and couldn't wait to try then when I could. I had some at about four months, with peel, and it was horrible. Very bad feeling. However, the next day, I found I could eat them just fine with the skin removed.

While I hit my own goal of 235 on April 30, my doc / nut wanted me to drop another 10. So I did (I love you, Sleeve ). Now I'm 224 and feeling like, "OK, this is the floor." I'm getting a ton of nice compliments, but more and more, people are adding, "Sooooo, you're done losing now, right?" A few close friends have told me they're worried about me going much lower and getting obsessed with it. I do get their point. So, will now enter maintenance mode...bumping up daily calories from 900-1,000 net to 1,200-1,500 net and see where that goes. I'm 42, so this means only 45ish more years of maintenance. No big deal. The only easy day was yesterday.

Haven't heard that one yet. God help the first person who says that to me. The closest I've had is someone who said that they prefer losing weight on their own. For the record, I do too. I'm not sure who else would make me lose the weight.

What's your strength and cardio routine? Look good, dude. Rock it.

I have told everyone. Have lost one friend because of it, and had a somewhat rude comment from one other person. Out of hundreds. Such is life. These days, I'm telling people that I lost the weight from "diet, exercise and surgery." It's true...wasn't my surgeon busting his ass on the elliptical last night.

Good luck. We're all here for you. Rock it.

I have never experienced "sliming" or the feeling of food feeling stuck. I have eaten too fast twice and felt like I was ready to vomit, but never did. I just sat down and it passed in 15-20 minutes. Pre-op, I was a weird case in some ways because I, um, never felt full. Like I literally could devour a large pizza after dinner. I might get "greased out" or something, but not full. So, the surgery has been a blessing in that I finally know what it's like to feel full. To me, I start to feel a tightness internally...and then if I take a few more bites, I feel like a "solid" feeling. I don't know how else to describe it. I've learned to stop or severely slow down once I get that tightness...arguably, I shouldn't even get to that, I suppose. But I've definitely not taken another bite when I get that solid feeling. I think I probably would throw up. So weird, and so great, to finally feel full.

Five months out. The only two things I have tried that I did not tolerate was untoasted bread and apple skin. Both were at about three months out, and I have not tried them since. Toasted bread was fine, pizza crust was fine, etc. I have very little craving for carbs, so I haven't been in a rush to try again. I have since peeled apples and had no problems.

So, I'd like to stop losing weight. I'm at 224, which is ten lbs. below my goal, and now below my doc's goal of 225. I'm a size 38 pants, which I haven't been in since age 19 or 20 (I'm 42). I'm a size 16 1/2 dress shirt, which I've never been in, since I only started wearing them after college. I routinely now have people telling me that I look great (boom-chicka-bow-wow... ), but also adding, "So, you're not going to lose any more, are you?" Following my dietician's plan for maintenance, I'm moving my daily calories from 900-1,000 to 1,200-1,500. We'll see what happens. Going back to my shrink this week to get a head-check. It's weird...I see myself as a good weight in pics, and based on how I feel. I look in a mirror, and I still see a fat person.

I crave very little of my old diet, but man, do I miss having a Guiness from time to time. I was actually wondering about how it might be compared to regular beer. I had a half glass of wine last week, my first alcohol in five months (my postoperative period), and only the second drink in eight months, and hoooolyyyy god, did I feel it.