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For me, it was important to get past the snacking hurdle pretty much cold turkey. My willpower is great after two to three weeks of a new routine -- but before that every minute is torturous. I think all my scheduled 'snacks' for the first month post-op were all like "half a protein shake" and "half a protein bar" lol. Now I'm finally able to snack healthily or with 'planned indulgences' (most of which I still try to make as healthy as possible, because I backslide too easily / get addicted to things very quickly). Last week I found a healthy quinoa puff (with no added oils / ingredients) at my local bulk food store, and toasting them up in a pan with some curry powder has become my new evening indulgence -- sometimes with a few peanuts or edamame thrown in. Ridiculously satisfying without throwing me off track. I've also found some baby snacks that are crazy-clean when it comes to fats/carbs/sugars, and they taste super plain but that's where my own seasonings come in. Baby Gourmet Cheesy Broccoli Puffies are made with quinoa and lentils, and one bag will last me for 3-5 snacks so I don't mind the price so much.

I add date paste and cocoa powder. It is a very special, delicious sweet savory. You can also add red lentils or pureed white beans if you want to increase the protein while keeping it soft and vegetarian

So more people are spared of them

I'm especially curious if the puree stage inspired any yummy dips 😋

Things have been going well! After some very slow weight loss in late April thru May, June is really looking up. With my 4-month mark just a few days away, I'm down about 61 lbs from my highest weight, which includes 35lbs since my actual surgery. I'm looking forward to hitting the "overweight not obese" milestone soon, just 5lbs to go! And 35lbs to go until I reach my weight goal! My hair thinning is just starting. My hairdresser styled it a bit shorter when I went yesterday and she'll suggest a new style if it becomes needed. But it's not too bad yet. Thankfully, I don't have any issues hitting protein and water targets. I usually have a protein shake in the morning to start the day and I put around a cup of Fairlife skim milk in my 32oz morning decaf tea, so that's 36g protein before I even have food, which I do a few hours after I get up. I can eat around 15-20g protein when it's solid food. I like Greek yogurt with berries and nuts for breakfast and often do a salad with chicken strips for lunch. Dinner is all sorts of things. The protein shake I use is Syntrax Nectar Natural in orange flavor, which vaguely reminds me of orange TANG. It feels sort of like having a glass of orange juice, enough to not be too weird in the morning before I'm fully awake. The rest of the flavors are just disgusting, although I am okay mixing a scoop of vanilla with some frozen pineapple and a splash of water or milk in a blender to make a frozen treat on a hot day. I do have about 1x a week issues with vomiting, triggered by different foods each time but usually either due to eating too fast or something being too dry. It's hard because a single bite can trigger it so it's very unforgiving. I've started carrying a small hospital-style vomit bags (found on Amazon) in my car and purse so that I won't be caught in an uncomfortable situation in public.. So far, I haven't needed them, but it makes me feel better to have it with me. I'm going on vacation next week and planning to bring along some protein bars and easy snacks like roasted edamame and beef jerky (which I found in 50-calorie packs at Dollar Tree). Once I'm home, I'm hoping to do some meal prep and try some new recipes because food is getting boring and kind of a chore. I don't really experience any hunger, so remembering to eat and making myself eat regularly is a nuisance.

@LisaCaryl I wouldn't worry about it too much yet. We're still pretty early out from surgery and according to the nurse practitioner in my office, a lot of the results at this point are in flux. My A1c went down a bit, but my cholesterol was all sorts of weird. Just keep doing what you're doing and give your body time to adjust. I doubt you're getting too much sugar or carbs at this point, but if you're doing a lot of sugar alcohols (sometimes in "low sugar" processed foods) you could maybe see about cutting those back. Otherwise, a lot of the studies for A1c and bariatric surgery are looking at results a year out or more from surgery, not a few months.

It sounds like you've made a big effort to manage your weight, but it's frustrating when progress stalls. Consider seeing a dietitian to make sure your portion sizes and food choices match your weight loss goals after surgery. Sometimes, metabolic changes or hidden calories can affect weight loss. Also, try changing your exercise routine to avoid plateaus. Stay positive and keep monitoring your progress; with adjustments, you can find what works best for your body.

I'm 5 yrs out from byoass/11 yrs out from sleeve and at goal. I've been adminning a small WLS board since I inherited it in 2015 - we have a close group of mostly ladies (a couple of gents) and most of our people are fairly far out from surgery but we do have a few newbies. We do 2 Weightloss Challenges a yr and they're pretty fun, We have 3 prizes and they're decent prizes. 6 wks long, % of lbs lost, weekly weigh ins, rules - the whole sha-bang. Lots of support. The last challenge, I was going thru some stuff and I let life get in the way and while it went off without a hitch, as my co-admins are amazing, it wasn't the same as usual. I promised everybody the summer challenge would be GREAT! I started working on it (yes, I have help from my co admins) and I have daily education, Fun Food Facts, I do something where I ask everyone to say something supportive to someone they don't know well, and I try to do small weekly challenges. It hard doing everything online. I do a hydration challenge, a moving challenge (try to park a little further, put in a few more steps in ur day), no fast food for 7 days , no snacking for 7 days, do (however many) crunches (however many) wall push ups, etc. You get the idea. The challenges are getting stale. Thinking about doing a "take ur pic in an outfit on day 1 and on last day and see how it looks" challenge. If you were in an online challenge, what would you appreciate doing? What would be fun? What kind of information would u like to see or know? What kind of support would you like to see or get? If you'd like to get involved, you r more than welcome to join us! It starts July 24 and goes 6 week. I will be posting info on it on the website in the coming weeks but u can certainly do a search on challenges and bring up a TON of them! We're on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/groups/SupportWLS (or look for Recipe For A New Life). We'd love to have you, however you DO need to be 6 weeks out from surgery (for fairness, as you lose a TON of weight early on, not quite fair). But you can certainly come over and support the challengers!

I love to eat seaweed which is very high in iodine. Here is an article about 20 iodine rich foods to include in your diet. https://blog.savoryful.com/iodine-rich-foods?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvb-zBhCmARIsAAfUI2uhEzQRV3ajF7vBOd2I8mdPBNIEAePobehwiWzbG-GSIP8o-UbvurwaAqBdEALw_wcB

Here are 8 ways to curb your cravings during intermittent fasting. 1. Plan ahead 2. Start with a small goal 3. Drink more water 4. Increase your protein intake 5. Focus on fiber rich foods 6. Make sure you are getting enough sleep 7. Slow down and eat mindfully 8. Keep yourself busy and distracted Here is an article about 8 ways to curb your cravings during intermittent fasting https://scitechdaily.com/8-ways-to-curb-cravings-during-intermittent-fasting/. I hope this helps you.

Thank you so much for mentioning this podcast. I had to go to town to have blood drawn this morning, and I started listening to them. I started with the finale, and oh my gosh, they made me cry. When one talks about the best part of the journey so far and describes the thoughts she had as an obese person. I just lost it. I'll be 69 years old next week, and when I think about the hours of my life lost in "obese thoughts," it really hurts. Things like "Am I the largest woman in the room?" "What will the poor person next to me on the airplane think?" "Will I be able to sit at all comfortably in that chair?" "Will I break that plastic chair?" "Do I have to find sturdier beach chairs?" "What are they thinking of me?" etc... the thoughts have been never-ending and all-consuming at times. I'm going to go back and listen to more of their podcasts. Thanks again! @NickelChip Yay on the weight coming off again! So exciting, I'm really happy for you. I can understand the not being interested in food. There are times I even dread it. I try to shop for things that I like and they sound good in the store, but when it comes time to eat, I'm usually apathetic about it. Good luck with your vacation. I found some protein bars I like, but they will melt sadly. In case you haven't tried them, they are https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4V2ML1C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Can you sneak some protein bars or packets of roasted edamame or something in your bag, just to make sure you've got some healthier protein options -- just in case you find there's not much there to suit you? Or even keep some low sodium V8 juice in your hotel room -- even if it just makes you feel better about having had 'A Vegetable' at the end of the day. I know a lot of places don't 'allow' outside food but as a recent surgery patient maybe they'll give you more lenience (or maybe they can be tucked under a towel lol). Hahaha YES! I've taken to stashing vanilla-scented dog waste bags in my purse in case of a tummy-temper-tantrum. XD

Well done @Bypass2Freedom @JennyBeez and @NickelChipon your successes so far. I am watching all your journeys with interest 🙃 I’m SO looking forward to getting back to the gym. I find it a massive boost to my mental wellbeing as well as my fitness. Great tip re checking blood pressure, I never even thought of that. I hope your hormones settle down for you Jenny, they can be impossible to deal with at time! Embrace all your wins - weight loss, different foods, exercises, swimsuits 🏆

Happy Monday! I'm approaching my 4-month post-op mark at the end of this week and happy to say the long stall I had in month 3 is behind me and I'm back to losing at a good clip. I had been worried that it would be a permanent slow-down, but it wasn't. This morning, I hit 60lbs lost since my highest weight, which was almost exactly a year ago when I went back to my weight management team after a long absence and seriously discussed entering the surgical program. I'm going through a patch right now where food is just not at all appealing. Maybe it's the start of the hot summer weather, or just the fact that cooking and eating such small quantities is tedious. I don't know. But nothing sounds appealing and I get a few bites into a meal and really don't care if I finish eating it or not. No real hunger, and the head hunger from the beginning has quieted down, too. At least hydration is going well. I ordered a swimsuit online for an upcoming trip to the waterpark with my kids and tried it on yesterday, size 16 US. It fit! It even looks reasonably good! I'm finally down to a weight I legitimately haven't seen in half a lifetime, and I can finally see the difference more. In the early days, I think I still had a memory of being the weight I was before, like I never fully recognized getting bigger, so losing that weight was just bringing me in line with what I believed I had looked like all along, if that makes sense. But now, at 15 pounds less than the very lowest I had ever managed to get with nutrition and exercise alone, I find myself surprised to realize my silhouette has changed and that I'm looking smaller, or that I can easily sit in a seat at a theater or a booth at a restaurant. 6 more pounds and I will be "overweight" instead of "obese" for the first time in about 25 years! The big challenge coming up is family vacation. We're doing water parks and amusement parks, and the food choices are sure to be dismal. I have no desire to eat the junk food, so my bigger concern is really that I won't get in enough healthy foods over the week. Especially fruits and veg. It's so hard to get healthy food when you travel, and I still get enough issues with my stomach that I've bought some discreet vomit bags to keep with me in case something doesn't agree with my tummy on the road.

Thank you @SleeveToBypass2023 @Bypass2Freedom and @JennyBeez for your kind, supportive comments. All are very much appreciated 😄 @SleeveToBypass2023 I know my carbs are a little high but they are around half of what they were a couple of weeks ago! I’m trying to reduce the amount slowly but surely. I have to be careful as I did high protein/low carb around 12 years ago and lost 8.5 stones. Unfortunately this wasn’t sustainable for me which resulted in gaining back the loss and a couple of extra stones, just because I could 🙄 I need to try and find a balance between carbs and protein so it’s a constant work in progress at the moment. @Bypass2Freedom 💜 @JennyBeez oh, it’s definitely a learning experience! I’m happy that I didn’t end up sabotaging myself by listening to that little voice saying ‘it’s not working, have a pizza/chocolate bar/bag of crisps to make you feel better’. These small wins will all add up to something more substantial, I know they will. Salt is a sneaky little thing but it will remind me to be more aware. I will be glad to have my dietitian appointment in August, just to discuss everything. I’m weighing and recording everything that goes in my mouth on the Nutracheck app. I’ve changed how my nutrient choices are recorded so it shows my salt intake now, as well as carb, protein and calories so I can make adjustments as and when I need to. I would love to be someone who doesn’t have to think about food!

(I love your username!) I feel like the majority of us turned to WLS as a last resort after many other WL-options didn't work out for us. I've done WW, Dr Bernstein, raw diets, different drugs, intermittent fasting, all sorts of fad diets / cleanses, etc. I feel you. This is different. This is a diet not as a noun, but as a verb -- a healthy way of eating for life. This resets our hormonal responses to food. It gives us a blank slate to re-learn those healthy habits of portion control, of prioritizing nutrients, etc. It gives us the opportunity to look at our old habits and realize we don't need them anymore. It gives us a jumpstart into weight loss so we start off with great momentum / kicking ass. Good luck to you -- but you don't need it. Good mindset is all you need.

A loss is a loss!! Especially if you've been struggling with pain (and pain killers). Honestly, even if it were a gain, the fact that you're learning from it and identifying where your problems were this week would still make it a plus, in my book. This is a life-long journey you've (we've) started, and we're going to keep re-negotiating things with our bodies and our digestive systems -- so anything that teaches us is at least a small win, right? Sodium has been a toughie for me post-op. So many food items take out sugars/carbs or fats but really seem to up the sodium to make up for it. I was always a little sensitive to sodium, but post-op? JEEBUS, the sodium headaches if I'm not careful. (Looking at you, sugar free drink crystals)

Happy Monday everyone! I just wanted to start a post to just check-in and see how everyone is doing, regardless of what stage we are at, pre or post surgery I feel that after complaining that I wasn't feeling full, now that I am on proper food, I am feeling it, and boy is it a struggle 😂 On the plus side, I feel a lot better in myself already, and I am going to go back to the gym! Just body weight stuff and light cardio to begin with, and maybe 2-3 times a week. I notice that I am getting dizzy spells lately, probably due to struggling with eating much, so I will be mindful of that! I've had some people comment on my weight loss already - which admittedly was quite nice - they were friends and I don't mind hearing it from them, but they were just proud of me regardless, which made me feel quite good. I hope everyone is doing well ❤️

Ok, so a couple of things. First, let's look at things a little differently when it comes to that pound you lost. You LOST A POUND!!! Which means you DIDN'T GAIN A POUND!!!! WooHoo!!!! Sometimes, we have to remind ourselves that ANY loss is still a success. Some weeks will be better than others. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Next, you know where you went wrong with the foods you ate, you know you retain water when you have too much salt, so now you know what to avoid. Sometimes, the best way to learn is by trial and error. There's nothing wrong with experimenting with new foods. Just read the labels carefully and make adjustments accordingly to how much of that food you eat and what you eat the rest of the day to compensate for it. Finally, if I were to make a suggestion, I might say to lower your carbs a bit. That seems like a pretty high amount, and unless you're carb loading for intense workouts, I don't think you need to be over 100 carbs per day. PERSONALLY for me, I never go over 50, and that's on weight training days. But again, that's me. It just works out the best for my body. But I, too, had to experiment until I found the sweet spot for my body in regards to calories, carbs, healthy fats, protein. All in all, give yourself some grace, take note of what your body did and didn't do this week, and make changes as needed. You're still doing great, and you'll get to where you want to be. Don't worry about that.

@BlueParis depending how much milk you're using in tea and coffee, that's a decent source of protein. I don't know if you have ultra-filtered milk available in France (in US, the brand is Fairlife, like the protein shakes, but it's just milk that has been filtered to lower carbs and amp up the protein, not supplemented like the shakes). I started buying Fairlife milk and make a 1L thermal container of hot tea every morning, with between 125 and 250ml of milk in it, so my morning tea alone gives me between 7 and 13g protein. I would try adding a slice of smoked salmon to the bagel, but that's just because I love that combo. The omelet seems very healthy and the pannacotta sounds delicious. You might consider adding more beans/legumes to your rotation. I am getting so tired of meat. I've just ordered a vegan cookbook to help me discover new recipes that are based on plant proteins (not the fake meat, processed plant products but real foods). Maybe bean soups and stews, lentil curries? Your stall will break eventually, but in your case, because you're already at a "normal" BMI, it may be a lot harder and slower from here on out. Don't lose hope! After barely losing weight the entire month of May, I'm losing at the quickest pace since surgery, 9 lbs in 16 days! That's been a real surprise. I am eyeing my next milestone, which is 5.6 lbs away, the point where I will cross from an "obesity" BMI into just the "overweight" category. I have never looked so forward to being called "overweight" in my life! I'm also noticing I'm just not very interested in food. Even though I can technically eat a bit more now than in the beginning, I don't really want to. I'm not hungry and chewing is a chore. I'm sick of meat. I'm tired of thinking about protein. And while I do still enjoy going out for a meal, I am exhausted by looking at the plate and seeing 4 days' worth of food in front of me. I'll be going on a family summer vacation next week and have no idea what I'll manage to eat. We're going to amusement parks and water parks, so the typical fare will be pizza and hot dogs, which sound terrible. I'm stocking up on protein bars, which I find a bit better than shakes, though not something I want in my diet normally. But better than a hot dog! So if anyone has a favorite protein bar, especially one that won't melt in my bag on a hot day at an amusement park, please share!

It’s been a really frustrating week. It took me right back to the feelings I had when trying yet another weight loss regime and getting nowhere 😡 I have been trying new things this week plus sticking to my eating plan. However my weight has been all over the place, even though my calories have averaged 1400 per day, my protein intake around 100g and my carbs between 100 - 140g. I’d forgotten a couple of basic things - my body doesn’t do well losing weight when I’m throwing down a handful of pain killers 3 times a day and I didn’t check my salt intake. I retain water like mad when I have high salt foods which a couple of the new things I’d tried this week had (looking at you low fat sausages 👀) But, lesson learned with that, especially as I had bookmarked these sausages when I had to complete the liver reduction diet (allowed on my NHS trusts plan) Better to know now and not later when I know it would have sent my in to a proper flap! Overall, a whole 1lb down this week. Not a roaring success by any means but I did stick to plan and I didn’t fall headfirst into things I shouldn’t! Plus I am at a lower weight now than my initial reported weight to the clinic by the GP so that’s a positive 😊 Onwards and Downwards!

Looking pretty fine there @Lilia_90. Actually @GreenTealael started a thread the other day where a few of us have started sharing our maintenance stories which you may find interesting. Link below. 😁 What you have gleaned already is certainly true: there are many different ways of successfully managing your maintenance. As I say, & say very often, the only right way is the way that’s right for you. In the beginning you may find you are a little more controlled about what you are doing but over time you become more flexible in your food choices, eating style & how often & how much you eat of certain things. As you progress you continue to learn more things about what you can & can do. Well that’s how I was & am now. Certainly more flexible about some things. Bring in maintenance didn’t stop me going out & socialising with friends & family. I just was & still am very conscious about what I chose to eat, how much I ate & ensured I still ate slowly. Sometimes you have to make the best decisions you can in the situation. They may not be perfect but you can’t beat yourself about it. It’s not like you’re doing it everyday. I don’t track, but do random checks especially when I introduce new foods or new recipes. It may be checking calories or looking at ingredients & swapping some out, weighing serves t check portion sizes (weighed my cooked vegetables last night as I’ve added some extra ones & wondered if I needed t adjust the portion) or changing the cooking methods. I usually weigh a few times a week. I do this as previously if I thought I was gaining I wouldn’t get on the scales - it’s not true if there’s no proof. So weighing myself every second or so day keeps me honest. PS: It takes time to get past the body dysmorphia & being able to see how you really truely look now with your weight loss. Even with the evidence of body measurements clothing sizes, photos, number on the scales it can be hard to see the reality. Those fears of looking ‘sickly thin’ are very real with the dysmorphia. Doesn’t help when people around you may still be playing catch up too: Oh, you’re so thin. Don’t lose anymore weight. You look too thin now. Try to ignore those comments & in some cases you may need to tell others to butt out & mind their own business. In time & with regularly looking at the evidence you’ll come to accept & see how you look now. Though I still am surprised sometimes by how I can comfortably fit in small seats & squeeze through tight spaces. Understanding the space I physically take up in relation to the physical space around me.

I'm literally where you are right now. I hit my first goal, moved it, hit the 2nd goal, moved it, hit the final goal, and now that I'm ready to maintain, I'm still losing lol I made a post about it and the general consensus was to not try to stop losing just yet and let my body decide its new happy place/set point. I'm also afraid of looking sickly thin (I have some curves and I'm big bones, so I carry my weight well and always look like I weigh less than I do) so I'm trying to figure out when to finally bring my body to a halt on the losing (if I even can) if I feel it's getting to be a bit too much. I was always thin in high school, but when I had my son at age 20, my PCOS kicked in and I gained all kinds of weight and couldn't lose it. Then I had several miscarriages, then had my daughter which caused even more weight gain. Once I saw I couldn't lose the weight no matter what, I stopped caring and I ate myself all the way to 421 pounds. Never, in a million years, did I think I'd be here now. But I'm kind of concerned about looking too thin, just like you are. So I feel you 100% there. I'm one of the ones that cut out a lot of foods and found yummy alternatives instead. I didn't want to feel deprived, but I also knew I couldn't really do cheat meals because it would be a slippery slope for me, and the guilt and "what ifs" just aren't worth it. So I went about finding really tasty, healthy, compliant meals instead. I've lost 235 pounds from my highest weight and 202 pounds since my initial surgery date. There's just no way I'm willing to lose any of that progress over a meal or drink or a get-together. So for me, I still have to learn the balance lol I'm definitely not there yet. Not sure when I will be. But I'd like to get there sooner rather than later. OH, and you look AWESOME!!! Fantastic job!!!!!!!

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Thank you all for your messages re my stall! I'm still stalled ... no suprise there. I'm going to try and track what I'm eating this week as I haven't really been tracking at all. Just trying to be sensible and go with the flow. I'm still being very conciencious about everything I put in my mouth and reckon I'm averaging about 1200-1300 calories a day max. I know I could eat more protein but as I eat so little meat its a bit complicated esp when I'm travelling. I hate protein shakes and anything with an artificial taste, I'm really not into processed foods. I do love carbs. I know what I'm eating is far from perfect but I'm also trying to "live" as normally as I can without getting ultra focused on food because 1) I just don't want to 2) I know that it won't be substainable for me to track/only eat specific things/100% certain avoid things long term 3) food is a real source of joy for me as is cooking. Cooking is my way of calming down and disconecting my brain after work but I'm an improvisation whats left on the fridge cook not a planning cook 4) I've very scared of being too "strict" on food and ending up with a transfer addiction as I have a very addition prone personality and I already smoke (cigarettes daily and weed probably 2/3 times a month) and drink (much much less than before the surgery when I was drinking too much) and even though I haven't touched a Benzodiazepine (xanax) in 3 years and 8 months (go me 😌) I had a big enough issue with benzo abuse to have to take a month of work to come off them. I'll try and track properly tomorrow and for a few days but for example today from memory I had ( I also had water) Breakfast : 1/4 bagel with butter, coffee with semi skim milk Mid Morning : 2x Coffee with semi skim milk Lunch : Palm sized bit of omelette with courgette, red peppers, kale, onions, cheese, about two tablespoons grated carrot salad Mid afternoon : Tea with semi skim milk and sweetener, bit of brie cheese about twice the size of my thumb Supper : Palm sized bit of omelette with courgette, red peppers, kale, onions, cheese Herbal tea Before bed : About 4/5 teaspoons of vegan pannacotta (soy milk, sweetener, orange flower water, cornstarch, pistachios, maple syrup) Herbal tea