blizair09

At that point in my journey, I ate about 2 oz of meat (chicken, salmon, or hamburger) at a time along with 1 oz of green beans. At nearly 9 months post-op (for reference), I eat about 3 oz of chicken and salmon and about 2 oz of hamburger at a time along with 1 oz of green beans. I could easily eat more; I just don't. I have planned my meals around set amounts, not feeling "full." I'd say your amounts are on point.

How many calories and carbs are you taking in every day? Are you weighing your food and tracking everything you eat and drink?

It's a great feeling. Congratulations!

I've given up on making that point. It will never make a difference (as correct as it is)...

I had a serious Diet Coke addiction for years and years -- worse than any food or carb addiction. I drank my usual 8-10 twelve ounce Diet Cokes every day during my six month pre-op diet program. I lost 99 pounds during that six months before surgery day, so I know that I can drink soda (to excess really) and still lose weight. I have been soda-free since 3 days before my surgery last September 28. At this point (almost 9 months post-op), I very well may be able to tolerate carbonated drinks; however, I know that I can't bring them back. If I can tolerate Diet Coke, and have one today, I'll be back to 8-10 within a week. Like carbs, I must abstain with soda less I become the Nikki Newman of Diet Coke (again)...

I have followed a keto way of eating since the beginning of my six month insurance-required diet (including during the post-op food stages). I like it because it is a sustainable way of eating for me and it meets the protein-heavy requirements of post-op life. I love it -- and have lost over 200 pounds embracing this style of eating! Good luck!

When we all proclaim that WLS isn't the easy way out (and, of course, it isn't), it is this very kind of thing to which we are referring. The physical part is tough, yes, but the mental part is the toughest. You are different now and are likely different from your friends. Your life has changed and will continue to change. And as @Berry78 said, you have to find that balance that makes you happy. Good luck!

I would call the doctor. That's what he/she is there for!

I never said I was perfect. But I have done what the doctor asked me to do every single day. And that's why I have been successful. And what I said is absolutely true. I have no idea why you are so enraged.

But the point is that you don't have to miss anything. Go be with your friends. Focus on enjoying their company. You can do everything you have always done without eating. I do it all the time.

I've always said that the key to the entire weight loss journey is redefining your relationship with food. For me, that meant working very hard to make food not be the centerpiece of my life anymore. Why can't you go spend time with your friends? Does it require you to eat and drink? Or does it just require a little bit of adjustment on your part? You don't have to miss out on anything. You just have to re-envision these occasions where food isn't the focus. If your friends really care about you, they will understand that and support you. Food is just food. It isn't life.

WLS can be a tool that can help you lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, and improve your quality of life, but you have to put in the hard work to be successful long-term. While you can (and probably should) work closely with a psychologist and a nutritionist, it ultimately comes down to you doing what you need to do to be successful. And you must make a commitment to this become a lifestyle change. People bat those terms around all of the time, but it is true. The people on here that do not reach their goal or that regain all their weight later never changed their relationship with food, depended on the "honeymoon period" to do what they did do, and more or less were seeking to "eat normally, but just less" (which is a fallacy, in my opinion). The question you have to ask yourself is this: Am I prepared to change my life to ensure my success? If yes, then WLS is for you; if no, you might lose a little weight, but you'll never get where you want to be.

@jessb25 While you will probably be okay for surgery, I recommend telling your surgeon exactly what you did. When a doctor is cutting into someone, it is extremely critical that he/she be in the know about everything. And post-op, you simply won't be able to "cheat." That could mean life or death in the early days after the surgery.

@Freedom2Thrive Great post. Thanks for sharing your story!

I like PowerAde Zero (specifically fruit punch and grape). I have about 32 oz of it per day, and the rest of my fluid consumption is water. I also liked decaf iced tea in the days immediately post-op, but I don't have it much anymore. I am almost 9 months post-op and I still haven't brought back carbonated drinks. I may be able to tolerate them now, but I don't know. To be honest, I was as big a diet coke addict pre-op as I am a (now recovering) food addict, so I'll never bring soda back because it was so hard to leave it behind in the first place.

Congratulations. Keep up the good work!!

How many calories do you take in per day? Carbs? Protein? Water? Do you track everything that you eat and drink? What do you do for exercise?

They are both off the table for me permanently. I just won't take up valuable stomach space, and I limit myself to 20 carbs per day anyway.

I've told anybody and everybody since I decided to pursue surgery and began my six month insurance-required pre-op diet program. I have gotten nothing but support and well wishes from anyone. And, frankly, I've lost over 200 pounds. There is absolutely no way that people wouldn't ask what I have done, and I just wouldn't bring myself to lie (even a lie by omission, which in my opinion is still a misrepresentation). To each his/her own on this one...

I followed a keto way of eating for six months prior to my surgery (and lost 99 pounds before surgery day), so I wouldn't eat all of those carbs during the early days like my NUT wanted me to. I just didn't want to go through the transition to ketosis all over again (because it is heinous). That being said, it's a personal choice. If you haven't been doing keto or low carb, it probably won't hurt you in the early days. If you have, you might want to think about it.

Well, I can tell you that I haven't had over 20 carbs in a day since March 21, 2016 and I have lost 203 pounds. But, that's me. How long has this stall been going on? Stalls are a frequent part of the post-op journey. I have them all the time. (I usually lose steadily for 10 days and then I stall for 2 weeks, and the cycle repeats.) I ask because I wonder if this is a consumption issue or just another stall that will happen regardless of what you eat. Also, you've lost 22 pounds in 6 weeks. For a woman with a relatively low BMI when you started (35, am I right?) that is a HUGE amount to lose in a short period of time. You aren't going to take off all your weight in just a few months...

I have never heard of advice like that. (There are some people on the board who are pro-carb with a "listen to your body" philosophy, but I have never heard of equalizing carbs and protein.) In my opinion, you might be stalled because you are eating 70 grams of carbs per day. You might bring them down below 50 at least and see if that makes a difference.

Buy a food scale and weigh everything. I'm almost 9 months post-op, and I weigh everything that goes in my body. I have a travel portable food scale and a big one at home. I'd be lost without them.

There ya go!!

I haven't had more than 20 grams of carbs any day in about 15 months. After a time, you just don't want them anymore. So much of this journey is a mental battle. If you know that carbs are something that you shouldn't consume, you just have to have the inner strength to resist them. For me, they would derail everything I have worked so hard for, and no food or drink is worth that to me! So, my advice is when you get those cravings, consider your goals, take a deep breath, and just say no...