laurak712

I eat very limited amounts of nuts because of the high calorie density. There's so many things to eat that have less calories and more volume. I may eat a small plate of baked fries or an apple. I don't worry about protein per se, just eat a wide variety of whole grains and salads/cooked veggies every single day. My labs have improved over the time I've been doing this too so that's an added bonus.

So your going on 4 years. I'm a grazer too and like I said I eat mostly whole food plant based. I just get so full so fast. I still can only eat about 3/4 of a cup of food at a time so I'm eating every 2 to 3 hours. I hope you can continue to come down even if it's slow. Laura.

Rosy how long ago were you sleeved?

Well on another forum I'm on there are some older people in their 60's who've done well. I think your starting weight is more likely the issue. It seems from all I've seen that higher bmis need duodenal switch surgery.

Well Ms Skinniness admits to the problem for HER. Empty calories aka crap! This isn't easy for any of us or we wouldn't have to had surgery. Someone asked about age earlier. I'm 52 so not young by any means but I didn't have a super high bmi to start with @38 I think it was. Now it's 21. And it took me about 20 months to get to goal. this surgery may not be a strong enough fun for a bmi over 45 though. My 2 friends who gained back were much heavier than me to start. Although I have a male friend who weighed in the 340's and now maintains at 210ish. By the way my name is Laura everyone!

And I'm on vacation right now and my whole family is sitting around me eating fattening tacos for breakfast. Hell yes I want them but I'm having a bowl of oatmeal instead. That's my reality.

But I didn't accuse anyone. You look back.

For me, the sleeve has helped ME to stay on my diet of choice and maintain my loses. I never said it was easy but it is possible. I also think some people need malabsorption for metabolic issues.

Boy I sure didn't intend to start a shitstorm, sorry ladies and gents. And I never accused anyone of eating crap. I simply asked a question. Are people eating bad to gain back lots of weight? Well looking at my friends who have gained back all their weight, yes they have reverted back to the standard American poor diet. I was lucky in that I didn't have to go to therapy. But I do have an type A personality and am anal about food and exercise. And i've been a heavy exerciser for 27 years. I just needed the restriction in my case. I know it's not the same for all. And my vegan diet allows for more food volume which helps even more. I only wanted to offer a possible eating alternative that has helped me.

I got surgery to lose weight like everybody else. But somehow I was able to get over my food issues in the process. That's what this thread is about in the first place. Isn't it? I'm just trying to tell people what has worked for me as a veteran sleever. Some of us do lose AND keep off the weight. It is possible. I want to offer a ray of hope that is can work but only if we resolve our issues with food. I definitely don't want to put anyone down or hurt any feelings. So please don't take my posts that way. But I'm skinny and I have sleeved friends that are still skinny and I also have some for which the surgery failed.

Yes that was the point of my original post. Some people are eating around their sleeves and abusing food again. I've got 2 friends that have done this and have gained back every bit of their weight. One is 7 years out and the other is about 4 years out. Thy both are as big now as they ever were. There's no surgery to cure that problem I'm afraid. Basically, any diet works if you adhere to it.

Yes, I definitely find myself eating all the time but I find that the calorie density of these foods is so low that I can't out eat my restriction. So what I'm saying is that my calories in a day stay low because of my inability to consume much volume at once.

Yes, I watched Forks Over Knives and Engine 2 Rescue 2 years ago and that changed my mind about what I had been doing. I had been suffering with an anal fissure for over a year on the high protein lifestyle and just could not resolve it. When I went plant based it cleared up immediately and my cholesterol went down to below 150. A lot of things improved for me overall. I just feel great on this lifestyle. Very clean in the colon if you know what I mean. And the food prep is easy. I keep cooked rice, potatoes, beans etc. on hand for quick effortless meals.

Your right about that!

Just looked at my post. Sorry, my daughter is eating this way. She has PCOS and is losing steadily and absolutely loves the lifestyle because she can eat very large quantities. No more portion control for her. she eats tons of food this way and yes it's mostly complex carbs.

Believe what you will but my very overweight has been able to avoid bariatric surgery eating this way and she has tried everything else. This is finally working for her. I know lots of people for whom this works. Carbs in the form of whole foods work wonders. There is a bariatric surgeon in Houston who puts all of his patients on this plan and they do better than the traditional way. Don't knock till you try it. The trick is to keep fats low. It works for me and I don't even have to weigh myself anymore. And my labs are better than they used to be on meat.

Most people just don't wanna give up their animal products but it's so worth it to stay effortlessly skinny. And there is no need to eat things that make you feel unwell as there are many grain alternatives and dozens of veggies and fruits as well. Now I'm off to eat some corn on the cob. Yum

Yes I am vegan now for 2 years. I follow the McDougall program. I was so constipated eating the traditional bariatric diet and this totally fixed that problem. Dr Garth Davis is a vegan bariatric surgeon and prescribes his way of eating for all his patients who return with weight gain. He says it does the trick every time!

My typical day starts off with oatmeal and fruit with flax and a bit of soy or almond milk. Then for lunch I have salad with fat free dressing and maybe some baked fries a little bit after the salad goes down. My snack may be a small bowl of rice and beans or some fruit and dinner may be a half a small baked potato with a grilled portobello mushroom cap. I eat all plant foods with no oils. And trust me I am stuffed always and must eat often to get in enough calories. These foods are not very calorie dense so you have to eat more. It works like a charm. I never have to weigh myself. I stay very thin. 5'7 137/138 always. I only weigh when I go to a doctors appointment and it's always the same. I have never experienced anything like this in my life. I can finally eat to satiation and not gain an ounce.

And also a lot of people have said that they got off track for whatever reason and have gained back a LOT of their weight. Well I don't think they're eating chicken and salad. Just sayin'. I don't mean to sound ugly but you don't gain 49 pounds just like that. And they admit to being off on their eating.

Well I'm hypothyroid too and I don't gain weight that easily. And guess what, I eat a plant based diet...no meat, dairy or eggs. Also no added oil to cooking. I live on beans, potatoes, rice, pasta, oats and lots of veggies and fruit. The trick is no added fats. I eat as much as I want. I also exercise. I don't gain on this way of eating and I also have a sleeves friend that follows the same and she too is very slim after 5 years.

Sounds like you need malabsorption as well. That sucks.

I am really surprised at the amount of people gaining weight and lots of it too! I'm almost 7 years postop and still have maintained my weight loss. I started out at 240 and now weigh about 137/138. I still have a ton of restriction. What are you people eating? Are you just eating crap all the time or what. I'm lucky to get 1500 calories a day!

Hi everybody. I'm 6 1/2 years out now and still doing just fine. Food just isn't my focus anymore and I do not follow a traditional diet. I've been eating a whole food low fat plant based diet for a year and a half now. So no meat dairy or eggs. I feel better than ever and have my doctors blessing. My labs are great in fact better than ever. Good luck everyone. It's totally possible to keep off every pound. I've never gained anything. Just normal daily fluctuations depending on salt/water intake. But my size stays perfectly stable. I do exercise plenty though but I've done that all my life.

I was an emotional eater but that seems so far removed from me now. I just don't feel the same way about food anymore. I now can make myself realize that the is another meal just a few short hours away. I've just done a mental shift regarding food. My health is much more important to me now than eating something pleasurable. I'm not saying I never eat bad things, but I can just eat a bite or two of something and be satisfied knowing I'll have it again another time. Laura