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Weigh and/or measure your food. I am 2 yrs 7 months out and I still do this and also keep an on line food log. When you aren't hungry it's very difficult to know when you're full!! Being uncomfortable can sneak up on you very quickly!!! I still don't experience 'hunger' - not like before, my new hunger is an empty feeling. Something I can definitely ignore if I choose to.

You might be a fast loser or it may be slower, but after having 85% of your tummy removed, you WILL lose weight. Remember, the first yr is the honeymoon period, don't stray. Stay away from sweets, carbonated drinks (forever) and weigh and measure you food. I still do that and still keep an on line food log and I had surgery in June 2010. Good luck and enjoy the ride, a year from now you won't recognize YOU!!!

I could have tuna fish, but no shrimp or Cod etc until week 6 when I started on regular food. Shrimp is something I keep on hand, frozen in a bag, to eat at lunch some times. Fish is THE easiest 'meat' on my tummy, i can eat all, but this is the least dense. I'm 2.7 years out!

Nothing with asprin. Tylenol and any 'Tylenol' product should be safe.

If you are wanting the cheese for protein, use 2% American or cheddar. I can/do eat about 3 oz of lean ground meat, I normally do not add a cheese slice just because I don't want the additional calories. If we are OUT, I might eat a bite with a bun, but normally, out or at home, I don't eat the bread. I dip in mustard, eat a pickle or two. So, I eat 'a hamburger' sans bun!!

My doctor wanted me to find/take calcium citrate. I do NOT like the chalky ones, but found choc chews from Bariatric Advantage on line. They are like little Tootsie Rolls. I take four per day, 2 each time. They are 250 mg. Free shipping if you have it set up to auto ship monthly or every two months, whatever. It's a great deal.

Cheri, Similar to you, I maintain between 1200 - 1350, but when I was losing, I was taking in between 700 - 850'ish. Early on, I did good to get in half the Water I needed and 400 calories. It was a challenge!!! Life is pretty easy right now. I've never been on a diet in my life that is as simple as this has been. Lack of hunger makes a world of difference. Now I eat because I must and because it is still 'fun'.

Dr. Davidson is the best there is. He has been voted 'Top Doc' in D Magazine for something like 18 years straight. He is good......we are back in Dallas, but when I had surgery in 2010 we were living in Wisconsin....I came home for this surgery and after much research, decided on sleeve surgery and decided on Dr. D. Seminar was at Presbyterian but I had surgery at Forest Park Medical Center. I never regretted my decision, although, leading up to the big day, I had all these concerns. I was never depressed, you CAN use junk food as a crutch......this is just a tool. You will hopefully choose not to eat around the sleeve. Enjoy the ride, it's a great journey. I loved it from the moment I woke up in recovery......I never really had any problems, the pain isn't bad and I only took prescription meds at night and only for 8 days after leaving the hospital. Once your clothes start getting too big and once you get to start buying new ones......it's a whole different world!!! I go to North Park some times, just to try on clothes because NOW IT IS FUN!!!!! Whereas before, it was a chore, I went shopping when I NEEDED something. There was nothing fun about it. You will be sucessful, they are going to remove approx 85% of your tummy.....it's forced portion control. Buy a disposable camera and take a picture the morning of surgery, and then take a pic every month on your anniversary. At your one year surgiversary......take the last picture and then go get them developed. Laying side by side, the transformation is amazing!!!! It's fun!!! You'll be fine, this is the best thing you can do for yourself. I promise you!!!! Good luck!!! stacy

I gave all my big clothes away. I kept ONE pair of shorts, just so I'll always remember what it was like. You're in N Dallas? Us too....sort of - NE Plano. I am pretty sure we can see the Oklahoma border from here!!

How far out are you? I am 2 yrs 7 months, and I'll eat half of a small baked potato or less.....occasionally. A little butter, use Greek yogurt for sour cream and sprinkle a little 2% cheddar in. Eat your Protein, the potato is a side and a treat!

I can't remember how long I was suppose to wait to use a straw, but it is the one thing I did that I wasn't suppose to. It never made me uncomfortable, extra air...nothing like that. I started using a straw at two weeks to the day.....I was able to get in a lot more fluids with a straw.

2 years and 7 months out, I have NEVER had a sip. That was the one no no the doctor put forth from the start - there isn't anything good for us or anybody else that can be found in a coke of any kind.

Hey there!! Congrats on heading into the longest, forever phase of our journey!! I'm 2 yrs, 7 months out and have been sucessfully maintaining for 2 years. I feel like I eat just as a naturally thin person eats. I DO still do the on line food log, it's habit and I like to see what I'm doing. It is sooooo easy to let the calories go up or maybe be slacking with protein. I do it almost daily, just like I weigh every single morning! I am able to maintain with between 1200 and 1300 calories. If I drop below that by much, I'll continue to lose, if I add some, I'll gain. I need to keep it pretty close. I like to start my day off with protein if possible, an egg, maybe two, or one egg and a piece of whole wheat toast. I put butter on it, I use the whipped butter and do it lightly. Some times I'll eat a thin bagel with a wedge of cinnamon laughing cow cream cheese or an English Muffin with a slice of 2% American cheese melted on it. I still like the 'breakfast of champions' - 1% cottage cheese, about a third cup and four or five pineapple chunks. (in light syrup) For lunch, tuna, one can lasts me two days. A can of solid white tuna mixed with 2 TB lite mayo. Sometimes I add a couple of sweet or dill pickles. I eat half the can (ton of protein), half the can without pickles or anything other than mayo is 1/4 cup. I will eat that on Special K Crackers, I think 17 is a serving. I don't usually eat that many, 12 is plenty with 1/4 cup of tuna. I've also eaten it on the mini club crackers. Less than what a 'serving' is. For dinner, 3 - 3.5 oz of protein. Baked or grilled chicken, pork chop, beef. I'll steam a veggie, like Brussell Sprouts, and eat two. Maybe steam some new red potatoes and eat 1/8 cup. Some times I'll make spaghetti and I can eat somewhere between 1/2 cup and 2/3 cup. I always use low fat sour cream (or use plain Greek yogurt instead), 2% cheese, 1% cottage cheese.....the only fat free thing I use is skim milk. I like to keep a bag of shrimp around and steam a few oz for lunch....high in protein and is easy on our tummies. I hope this helps!!!!!

I am 2 years and 7 months out.....to maintain, I get between 1200 and 1300 calories per day. I still log my food on line and when we are home, I weigh or measure my food. It's just a habit now, kind of like I weigh EVERY morning! I guess I'm a control freak, I want to know where I am and if I am up a few lbs, it is easy to get rid of a few rather than ten or fifteen. good luck, you can do it!!!

Never before.....my physician didn't set a goal until my third month. His goal was right at a healthy BMI, I wanted a five lb pad and that's where I feel good.

I do not get made because I can't eat as much. I enjoy each and every bite and I know when to quit. Energy level is much higher, sex was not bad before, but WOW!!! No mood swings, not anything different than prior to surgery. It takes quite a while for your head to catch, he is operating on your tummy, sadly, our brain has to adjust!!

Personally, I can be on vacation and gain 5 lbs, easy as pie.....and I can come home, cut out a snack or two, just purposely lower my caloric intake, and it comes right back off. It's so much easier since I am really never hungry, not real hunger, just an empty feeling instead. I am sure we can put on weight if we drink our calories, whether it is milk shakes, alcohol or soft drinks......stupid, stupid, stupid. A social drink once in a blue moon I find ok.....I never, ever drink anything carbonated and although I'll have a little ice cream once in a while....NOT OFTEN.....I haven't had a milk shake. It's just not worth it.

My surgeon's goal was 150 (healthy BMI) and I wanted to go five lbs lower. Actually, when I hit 170 and a size 12, I was thrilled, had I never lost another lb I'd have been happy.....but it happened fast and I knew I wasn't finished. That is when I decided my goal would be 145 and/or a size 8. I kept losing and losing, I got down to 132 and was freaking out, I couldn't stop, my size 4's were baggy. They had me up my calories, to maintain she said 1200 - 1400 calories per day, I'd have to find what was going to work for me. I was doing good to get in 800 calories, so I had to add a couple of Snacks or another small meal. I'm grazing, I am comfy doing that.....I like LF grahams with Natural Peanut Butter and Snackwell Cookies. Anyway, I needed to gain a little back, I leveled out at 135 and got back up to 145. I find it easy to maintain between 144 and 148. I still wear 4's and 6's. Depends on the style and brand. Shirts are all over the place, I have some smalls, usually a medium is right, but I even have a large or two. Anyway, this is more information than you asked for. I know I could lose more if I wanted to, but I was looking toooooo thin. Yes, there IS such a thing!! LOL

My doctor's theory is 'This is NOT a diet, it is a way of life' and never wants us to think 'diet' again....post op. Well, until I reached goal, I did not listen, I considered this THE single most important diet of my life.....I knew the first year was the honeymoon period.....I'd lose the most. I reached goal, easy as pie. Not a chip, no bread and nothing remotely sweet passed my lips!! Now, I'm eating like what I think a naturally thin person does. Chips are one of those things, kind of like french fries, I NEVER have a bag or an order, but will eat 4 - 6 off someone else's plate. Other than Fritos, I don't really care for chips any more. The only ones in our house is Baked Scoops, that is what my DH eats....I don't care for them, but when I make guacamole, I'll eat a few of them. There is NOTHING good about any of the chips that is good for us.....I like it I can CHOOSE not to eat something, it's much easier now, don't y'all agree?

Oh wow, what a fun topic!!! The theme to Rocky and I Am Woman by Helen Reddy I am woman, hear me roar In numbers too big to ignore And I know too much to go back an' pretend 'Cause I've heard it all before And I've been down there on the floor No one's ever gonna keep me down again

I'm going on 3 years post op now, but when I was back to real food, during my losing phase....I called 1% Cottage cheese, the breakfast of champions. The foods that allowed me to meet or exceed my daily protein goal by 2 months out were cottage cheese, eggs, tuna with 2 TB of Lite Mayo per can, steamed shrimp - it's low cal and fish is still 'easy' on my tummy,not as dense as pork, beef or chicken!! I still log my food on line most days and I still weigh or measure my food when we eat at home! It's a game to me, it's fun.....it's a habit!