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@ShoppGirl how did all your medical stuff go? Are you doing okay? @Justarwaxx I have heard periods get worse when your losing weight because so much estrogen is stored in fat, so when you lose fat you have more estrogen in your body, which in turn makes you cramp more and your flow worse. That has been my experience so far. I was hoping I would have lighter periods since I'm not intaking as many calories.

Had a productive visit with my doctor today, and there's some good news as well as a few adjustments to make. She was happy with my weight loss progress so far, but made it clear that it could be better. Her main concern is the calories I'm consuming, so the goal moving forward is to cut down a bit. One key suggestion was to start considering protein snacks as meal replacements, which makes sense to keep things in check. Since these are my "honeymoon months," she emphasized that it’s essential to get this right now to avoid hitting a stall by the 6-month mark. My workouts, on the other hand, are spot-on, so the primary focus will be on tweaking meals—specifically reducing carbs and being mindful of snack choices. On the health front, I’ve started taking iron supplements and will be getting my vitamin levels checked this Sunday. However, one piece of disappointing news: the counselor is no longer available, so if I need support, I’ll have to look for external options. Overall, I'm feeling a mix of being a little down but also more motivated to fine-tune my food intake and cut back on calories. I’m determined to make the most of these critical months and maximize my progress.

Had a productive visit with my doctor today, and there's some good news as well as a few adjustments to make. She was happy with my weight loss progress so far, but made it clear that it could be better. Her main concern is the calories I'm consuming, so the goal moving forward is to cut down a bit. One key suggestion was to start considering protein snacks as meal replacements, which makes sense to keep things in check. Since these are my "honeymoon months," she emphasized that it’s essential to get this right now to avoid hitting a stall by the 6-month mark. My workouts, on the other hand, are spot-on, so the primary focus will be on tweaking meals—specifically reducing carbs and being mindful of snack choices. On the health front, I’ve started taking iron supplements and will be getting my vitamin levels checked this Sunday. However, one piece of disappointing news: the counselor is no longer available, so if I need support, I’ll have to look for external options. Overall, I'm feeling a mix of being a little down but also more motivated to fine-tune my food intake and cut back on calories. I’m determined to make the most of these critical months and maximize my progress.

If you’re losing inches it sounds like you’re putting on muscle 🙂 The best way to describe it is that a lb of muscle takes up less space than a lb of fat, plus muscle burns calories for longer too so additional benefits - yay! I would suggest carrying on with what you’re doing currently and just keeping an eye by tracking your measurements until you feel comfortable in what you’re doing. Your body is getting used to your current changes in upping your calorie intake and is probably thanking you for adding additional fuel while you work out!

I don't think I ate anything that made me sick post op, except for sugar (I am sure it is a form of dumping). At 10+ months post op I eat everything, and by everything I mean I can eat everything and feel fine, my portions are much smaller of course. I eat tacos, burgers, sushi, noodles, pizza and even dessert but in smaller amounts. I eat out 2-3 times a week. Here are some things I follow that help me eat what I feel for in moderation: - I do not drink my calories, other than an oat/almond flat white, all my drinks are calorie free. I do not drink alcohol nor sugary drinks. I drink water, diet soda and coffee and that's about it. - I limit deep fried food, I almost always opt for grilled/air fried/baked. If there's a portion of fries and I really want some, I will have one or two and stop. - I prioritize protein 90% of the time. On weekdays I always start with my protein, then my veggies THEN a tiny bit of carbs if I have space (most of the time there is not much space left). When I'm out for a nice dinner or I've ordered in I will eat my order the way it is and will not pick the protein first, so if I've ordered a burger I will eat it as it, or if it is sushi i will eat that and not worry about protein first, but that is only a couple times a week. - I make tweaks and substitute when taste isn't compromised. I love my big mac tacos but I don't want to be eating 200+ calories from a tortilla, so I substitute that with a mission low carb because I really can't taste the difference, or it's negligible. I also substitute wheat toast for protein toast (still occasionally eat sourdough because I love it and can taste the difference). I also opt for low fat milk/dairy/meats when I can, but I will not substitute cheddar for a low fat version for example because MELTED CHEDDAR 🤤 - I eat carbs in tiny amounts. So if I'm snacking and picked up a cookie, I will eat a bit of it or half at most. If it is a slice of cake I make sure it is tiny or I will eat half the slice, if it's ice cream it is half a scoop. I can't tolerate much of sugar and it makes me ill but I will taste/try. And it has to be WORTH IT. I will not eat something for the sake of eating it, I should really want to try/eat it, and if it ends up not being good, I will not continue eating it. - I workout a lot, I lift, I run, I do Pilates, I cycle and close my steps. I stay active. If you can control your portions and refrain from the "all or nothing mindset" it is very possible to eat what you like and maintain your results, at the end of the day it's calories in vs calories out. Also, my moto is that life is too short to be living miserably (I love food LOL). I will however say that I recommend that you hit maintenance first before exploring with the above. I was VERY strict during weight loss and ate 100% clean.

Just a thought whilst reading through others comments. I know you said that carbs are hard to increase, however I think that is the culprit. I work out 6days a week and I am closer to 80g of carbs and 30 ish g of fat most days. You don't have to eat bread but fruits, and veggies have carbs. I am not saying goes balls to the wall, but if your working out then 1800 cal is not cutting it. My BMR to maintain is close to 2500 calories, I eat about 1500 cal right now just because I cannot physically eat that much. I checked to see how many calories I need to gain weight and I would need to consume 3300 calories a day! I am not saying stuff yourself, but eating every 1/5-2hrs will be beneficial- add granola to your yogurt, protein bar right after working out, eat some peanut butter balls with oatmeal, maple syrup, caco nibs or chocolate chips, add cottage cheese to eggs with a handful of spinach. Beefing up your meals will help you feel better. Maybe you know all this but just my two cents

it took me 4 months (and ~15 lbs) to figure out my maintenance calories were. i also had to get over my fear of gaining all my weight back and actually start eating MORE. maintenance level calories are VERY individual, and vary greatly from person to person. and even then, it varies greatly form time to time for the SAME person. 4-ish months after achieving goal, i finally figured out that i needed 1800 cals a day to stop losing weight... AT THAT TIME. over the years, this amount has changed depending on my activity level. luckily, i am anal and i track my food intake and weight DAILY so i am armed with data to figure out what i need at any point in time. i am 6 years post op now, and these days i need about 2300-2500 to maintain my current weight (i exercise alot). had i continued to stay at 1800 cals from the before days i would have shrunk beyond what i wanted. soooooo....long story short: your maintenance calories will change depending on your output and input, on your sleep patterns, overall health, stress levels, age, genetics, etc....its up to you to notice what affects you and act upon it. so, so, so, so, many times i read folks on here saying "i gained/lost weight and i just don't know why!". the answer is PAY ATTENTION....you will know why. P.S. i do know that "normal" people don't need this level of attention to stay at a healthy weight. i also know that i am NOT a "normal" person. i mean, i got to a BMI of 43 (from BMI 23), in 10 years. it takes more "effort" for me to stay at a healthy weight that a "regular" person. so i do what i am willing to do.

don't judge me! had a 2.5 hour back to back hot power yoga classes tonight and came home absolutely STARVING. grabbed what was available before i even showered omg: a cold mini butter chicken meat pie, a can of smoked oysters w/ seafood sauce, and almost-expired blue cheese. 427 calories for all of it...scarfed it all in like 30 mins (except the meat pie crust...not very appetizing when cold. ew.)

Have you seen a bariatric specialist? It sounds like something other than a small pouch to me I am over 6 years out, but I still have a lot of restriction. My capacity for the last 5+ years has held steady at about 4 oz. So a small frozen burrito, a taco bell taco, etc. But that does not restrict the amount I can eat in a day, and certainly not necessary to stay up at night. Is there a reason you can't eat slider foods, calorie dense foods, eat more frequently?

Thank you for sharing your insights! I completely agree that calories alone don’t tell the whole story, especially when it comes to the quality of food we consume. I also strive to focus on whole foods and keep my intake mostly clean, limiting processed options. Interestingly, I met yet another dietitian today, and she had a completely different perspective than the first one I consulted. It left me feeling frustrated, especially since my next appointment isn’t until May. After some reflection, I decided to take matters into my own hands and stick to a plan that feels right for me. With the help of my trusted ChatGPT, we crafted a fantastic meal plan that emphasizes protein while keeping my calories between 1000-1200. I’m really excited to start this journey, especially since I’m active most days and want to maximize my results. I just wrapped up day one of the revised plan, and I’m optimistic about the changes! They’ve been suggesting I should be losing more weight this early on, so I’m determined to make this work and see the results I’m aiming for. Thanks again

I think it was Dr Matthew Weiner that said that blending fruit made it lose some of its nutrition. That being said, I was allowed to have them if they were homemade or made from simple ingredients. If you like them I really reccomend a nutra bullet. They are so simple to make at home. If you do buy it out somewhere consider a child size if they have one. You would be surprised how filling they are plus the calories can add up pretty quick in the larger ones. Tropical Smoothie Cafe has a kids Jetty Junior that is 12oz strawberry and banana which is 190 calories (80 if they make it with Splenda). They have their nutrition info for all their smoothies online. Of course there is not any protein in it. They have whey protein powder as an add in It says 110 calories for 16 grams. Just watch them when they make it if you ask for Splenda. For some reason they tend to forget by the time they get to that part.

So totally true.....its more about what you put in your mouth and less about exercise. Exercise is good for your muscles, heart, lungs, joints, but as far as weight loss, you can do it without exercise by watching what you eat and stay within your calories suggested by your doctor/nutritionist - low fat, low carb, high protein.

Hello there! I had my MGB on the 13th of May. I’ve lost 46 lbs since then but my weight has been stalling since two weeks now. I also feel like I can eat what ever I want without feeling sick or feeling full. Do you guys count calories? My nutritionist says I should not but when I read other threads I see people eating max 800-1200 calories….i am thinking maybe I need to do the same in order to continue to loose weight….

Okay, so as I see it, you have three potential issues with coffee. The first is caffeine, which is the main reason some (not all) doctors say not to drink it. It's a mild diuretic, and if you are struggling at all with hitting your fluid targets, you want to avoid anything that will make it worse. If, on the other hand, you easily can surpass 64oz water in a day, you're probably good to go. I never had issues hitting my fluid targets. The second issue is acidity. It's possible the coffee may upset your stomach (but if you are already drinking decaf without an issue, you're probably fine here too). I had to stop drinking coffee except for a few times a month well before I ever had surgery because the coffee was making me sick, so I switched to tea. And I started drinking regular tea at around 4 months because decaf was just sad. The third issue is all the stuff people love to put in coffee and forget has calories. That's just something to be mindful of, because if you mix up a large coffee with tons of real sugar, sugary syrups, and cream, you can easily consume hundreds of calories without even thinking about it. This happened to a friend who had VSG and didn't use sugar but would add a ton of cream to a very large thermal cup of coffee. He honestly thought he was just adding "a splash" of cream. Like, dude, that's 400 calories you just put in that coffee. And it's liquid, so it just goes right down without filling you up at all.

Yea. For me whenever I have alot of carbs, I crave them for a few days so just be mindful of that and if that’s the case for you the only real way to get through it is to white knuckle it. One trick I did learn is to use my free foods from my preop diet such as pickles and sugar free popsicles to eat when I’m craving other things. May be one day of a few more calories still but it’s not nearly as bad as another day of high carb. Especially because that would only be followed by another day of the same. This is my first time having a lot of carbs with my revisions so hopefully this still works for me too

Meals so far for today along with 6oz of caramel macchiato and a medium skinny mocha. Oh and my current calorie count. I’m not really hungry (it’s currently 6pm) so I might eat a snack but I dunno. Breakfast- plain nonfat Greek yogurt, strawberries, and a baked strawberry oatmeal bar cut up lunch- beans and peppers over Spanish rice and chihuahua cheese that I ate in the car because my son had an appointment.

Hi 👋 aww so sweet of u to follow up! Yes today is day 8 and I'm on fuller liquids but I feel so lost 😢 I literally have no communication with the any of the team in the hospital.. I have so many questions and I don't even know who to contact 🙃 I had a panic attack yesterday because I felt like I've actually consuming quite the calories..so I was wondering if that's OK since we are still in the liquid phases? By quite the calories, I mean less thank 1k a day. I really don't know what to do or expect. I will Try to ring the hospital today for some more insight. Hope you do better with your protien intake! It's all learning from here!

I think nuts are a pretty good choice in moderation. The protein fills you up and the fat is healthy fat at least. I had to google wagyu because I had never heard of it. I will have to give that a try sometime. How did the cocktail go? I haven’t tried yet either. Post sleeve I was the opposite of most people and I couldn’t get a buzz even after like 3 or 4 drinks. I decided it was a waste of calories for me and haven’t drank since. Idk if that’s still the case post revision. I guess I may try eventually. Then again I haven’t missed it for a couple years so maybe I should just stay away from it.

It sort of makes sense? A nutritionist I saw years back (not program related) told me that she often starts people on higher calorie counts and then as the weight loss slows down, that's when she restricts them further to keep the momentum going. These days, I take it all with a grain (or seven) of salt because everyone reacts differently to foods / calories / etc. Different strokes.

this early out, most of us don't get calorie guidelines. You're eating far too little to really worry about calories. Most of us just get protein and fluid goals (and some get carb goals, if their clinic's plan calls for ultra-low carbs - mine did not). I didn't start considering calories until I was a few months out and could eat enough that there was a risk of consuming too many calories.

instant ramen! package says 470 calories! how did i not know instant ramen was this many calories?!??? this would explain alot in my multi-package ramen eating days.... edited to add: oops forgot to mention that me and Mr. ate this together, so not exactly sure how much i actually ate, but am just gonna say i ate half for simplicity's sake!

I am in USA and started my pre op diet today. Surgery date is 7/17. I have a pre op diet of up to 800 Calories. Most is consisting of protein shakes, protein water, bouillions, an occasional very low fat, low sugar yougurt. (High protein so Greek). I was wondering why someone had a 300 calorie a day post op diet. Wouldn't you not have enough protein? Saffy1, what is on your diet?

Right. That’s where my biggest dilemma is. I don’t know when I enter it into Baritastic if I should use 3oz for the cooked chicken breast or 4oz for the raw chicken breast The calorie difference isn’t my concern. I would just enter the 4oz and be done but for protein that’s like 8-9g difference. (Really not sure why 1-2 oz is 9g difference but 3-4 ounces is 8g but that’s a whole other issue).

Our plans are different. Some allow smoothies others don't. My plan says no drinking calories, so I couldn't drink a smoothie and stay on plan. What does your plan say? Good luck, Tek

Yes my surgeon doesn’t think in resizing either. He did do an endoscopy and said I still have my restriction lol do you worry of losing too much with the sedi. His PA told me”your going to lose alot of weight” and her tone almost scard me lol I figured if I lose to much ill up calories until I reach a happy middle lol goal is 140