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If you had a DS you are thought to absorb about 20% of the fat you eat, 60% of the protein you eat, and 100% of the carbs you eat. Your doctor should have explained this to you... The intestines can adapt some to the surgery over time, but most studies have shown DS patients continue to have malabsorption. That's the whole point of the surgery! In rare cases, there is a small number of patients who will lose more weight than they intend, or have excessive muscle wasting. The muscle wasting is normally due to not eating enough protein post surgery. A DS patient needs around 120 grams of protein a day, more if they workout trying to gain muscle. Are you taking your vitamins? Have you had your labs checked recently? In the case of someone who has lost more weight than they intended to with a DS, certain enzymes can be given to help them absorb more of the food they eat, or a surgical revision can be done to lengthen their common channel, giving them more length of small intestines to absorb calories from. Of the two, I'd try the enzymes first. If you gained up to 240 with the enzymes, clearly they were effective for you! So why not consider taking them on an alternating schedule, titrating the dose to slowly gain what you need, and then taper off of them and see if you can maintain?? If you want to do this with food you are probably looking at over 4,000 calories a day. That is going to be tough. You can only eat so much food in a day! DS patients usually don't count calories at all, we count macros because it is the macros that help us stay in our target range, since no one really knows exactly how many calories an individual with a DS surgery is going to absorb, we can only ballpark it. But you should be getting a LOT of protein and around 120-150 grams of fat, according to vets who have lived with this surgery for decades. To bulk, most people I know load up on carbs, which is not easy for a DS person unless you want to spend a lot of time in the bathroom, or you are lucky enough to actually tolerate a decent amount of carbs. But carbs will usually put weight on. If you want more people with DS to talk to, check the bariatricfacts.org forums. We are mostly DS people over there and most of the regular posters are vets. But be prepared, they are fans of straight talk and not everyone likes that!

Thank you for the replies. Summerseeker : "Food should not be boring. I just do not live to eat it anymore." I don't Iive to eat, I never have, but good food contributes to a good life. "Variety is the spice of life" variety I can't have. Yes, I knew this goes into this but, it doesn't make it any easier! What I was attempting to say is its boring because; 1. Unlike you I detest cooking so the thought of sitting down to think out my weeks meals sounds tedious and time consuming (even if necessary) I really wish I had the time and inclination to do it and I'm jealous of those who are willing and able.. I just don't want to add yet more measuring, weighing prepping to my day off since I do enough of that weekly in very exacting details (down to microns) 😛 Perhaps its also the lack of options..see #2; 2. With this new way of eating and my intolerance of carbs it makes my options very limited. After all there are five food groups and I've eliminated 3 of the five as it is - grains, most dairy unless you want overly processed artificial dairy and fruits. Add to that my food texture issue (symptom of ADHD) ..this leaves me with low fat beef, fish and chicken for proteins and veggies (non starchy). I do track everything I eat and drink as well although I love your way of if you get your proteins in and still want a "biscuit" and a bite of noodles you have it. Perhaps, I'm being overly controlling of my diet out of fear of regaining the weight and its causing me to feel this way. Arabesque: I understand why drinking water and peeing is important and your body should adjust to more water consumption, but, after 9 months I still go 20+ times a day - very inconvenient when I work managing a pathology lab - I have to remove a lab coat, gloves and mask, then go through decontamination processes each time I exit the lab and then upon entering resuit up and on top of that no drinks allowed in the lab - so in order to get my water in I have lunch time and when I get home OR leave the lab for my sip. So, this means working 10 hours a day it gives me a very short window to get my water in especially since I can't drink large quantities at once. I should have explained better (but my post was already long). My apologies. I guess my lack of "thirst" has developed from years of training from this job and my last. I just worry about not getting the required amount in. Anyway, its just me whinging. I'm just finding it difficult and quite frankly tiring (getting up several times a night to pee doesn't help).

Hi everyone! I had my surgery on Tuesday! I stayed two nights because they did two procedures. Taking out my lap band and doing the gastric bypass. He removed a lot of scar tissue, but that was expected. The pain isn’t as horrible at this point. I’m only on Tylenol because I’m allergic to opiates. In the hospital they gave me IV and pills to drink. Heparin and antibiotics. I’m really bruised up on my arms and generally sore from the neck down. Even my thighs 🤷🏻‍♀️. There is absolutely ZERO interest in any kind of food. I am able to drink more than I should. They want a few ounces at a time, so I need to slow down. Walking helps get rid of gas above and below. It’s uncomfortable so far not painful. I have meds for that and nausea and reflux. All to take as needed. Oh! I also had a Foley catheter for the first day. No staples, I have glue. So I can’t shower until Sunday! 🫣they sent me home with bath wipes. I’ve had some broth and most of a protein shake today so far… I’m promising my self not to weigh myself at home. I’ll wait until my follow up. Any questions, I’ll answer if I can!

I understand fully what your saying. I was shocked too at how much less pain the surgery was compared to my gallbladder. I didn't really have too much anxiety, as I did excitement and finally had it done. when I came to in recovery I had to wait for a room to open, so I was there for a couple hours and my nurse was wonderful!! she was so kind and got me extra pillows and talked with me the whole time. All the staff was wonderful through the night and the next for going home I was home by I believe, 10:30 am. Why did they say you cant have soup or pudding more than once a day ? I can have soup just have to have it cream and strained before having it, I wonder why they stated that. I am sorry that they said that. I feel hungry all the time too, I am just trying to get fluids in and get at least one protein drink in a day at this point. I don't want to push it. I find It hard when my kids are making food not to just taste it to make sure it taste alright lol , but so far I have been good. I have slipped and took a very very small bite of some chicken wing dip and just made sure I chewed it really well. I sat okay. So I was glad. I really hope that you are able to get your medicine soon. I am on my own medicine and glad that I have it through this , I don't think that I would make without it.

I use bariatrix and I’m tracking everything. I am at about 500-600. I have protein shakes, jello, and popsicles. I am making my shakes with 1% milk and some I am mixing in powdered PB or nonfat Greek yogurt or Keifer I am 6 days out of surgery

4 weeks, 3 days Sorry for the delay in posting. The first week after I got home I slept a lot, night and day. Eating and drinking enough is hard when you sleep so much, so I haven't been meeting my goal of 64oz fluid and 100gm of protein, but I've been getting at least 48oz fluid and at least 60-80gm of protein. My protein oatmeal with extra protein added and my Pure Protein Bars with 19-21gm of protein is a huge chunk of that. 3 weeks in, after sleeping most of the day my body decided it was done with that, and since I'd just slept all day, it chose to stay awake at night. I've been trying to get my sleep pattern under control, but when I went to bed at 10:30 I awoke at 1:24am refreshed from my nap and last night I went to bed just after midnight and woke up at 4am and wasn't able to get back to sleep. I think this time I'll be able to stay awake all day though, so I'm hoping to sleep through the night tonight. I've still been having a hard time with my diet goals since I am trying to sleep at night. If I didn't have the luxury of working at home on my own schedule, I might not be having such a hard time sleeping because I'd be forced to a regular schedule. My husband has had his reservations, but has been supportive through all this because I promised I'd take care of myself. When I feel bad for being gone so long and now sleeping on the couch instead of snuggling with him, he tells me that I've just had surgery and I'm healing, sleep when my body tells me to sleep, and if the couch is more comfortable than sleeping reclined in bed, sleep there. At least I'm spending a few hours snuggling with him at night now. A couple days after retuning home I took my surgical tape off and discovered that I'd pulled a couple stitches. Remember those painful sneezes? I'm pretty sure that's when it happened. I have mighty, full body sneezes that sometimes makes my arm go numb and always said I'll probably die because I sneezed while driving. The wound didn't reopen. There was no bleeding or seeping, there were just larger scabs and one had a tacky feel. The scar in that area in front is going to be uglier than the nice thin scar in the back. This isn't the surgeons fault and nothing would have been different if I'd been there for a follow-up and he took the tape off. I'm waiting for the last scab to fall off before I start using the scar gel and massaging the scar. I have been concerned about the puffy area just above the scar across the front. I told myself it's probably just inflammation. They tell you not to judge the way you look because you won't see the final results for 6 months to a year, but it's hard. When you look at before and after pictures, the after pictures are long enough after for the inflammation to be gone. I went to a friend's commitment ceremony 2 days ago and another friend there had a lower body lift and BBL here in the states with one of the best surgeons (they have more money than me). She had her surgery 10 days after mine and she has that too, so I feel better. To summarize how I felt moving around week by week: Week 1 was difficult getting in and out of bed and it was painful. Week 2 I had the roll and push method down pat so it was easier to get up and down from bed and I could move around better, but when I'd first get up I'd walk more hunched over and this was when I had the really painful sneezes. It was easy to not push myself and to remember not to lift things or bend down because I could feel the pain in my stitches. I was very itchy. Week 3 I was able to move easier and could reach for things, but I could still feel it pull at the stitches, but it was more discomfort than painful so I was having to remind myself not to lift things and to not twist. This is when the itching was at its worst. Week 4 I'm getting stir crazy because I am still not supposed to drive and I promised my husband I'd take care of myself, which means following doctor's orders even if I think I'm OK to drive. Because of the mini BBL he did, I'm not supposed to drive for 4 weeks, then for 2 weeks only short distances "if I have to drive". I was moving normal, but I could still feel it pull at the stitches, but not really uncomfortable, just a pulling sensation. I still itched really bad, but it wasn't as constant. Now I don't really feel any pain except now that I'm sleeping without the pillows and my hips are on the bed, I am not sleeping on my right side because the incision is still a little tender when sleeping with weight on it there. Thankfully I can sleep on my left side and it doesn't hurt. Of course, I haven't slept more than 4 hours that way yet. I was supposed to wear the compression garment 24/7 except when showering for 4 weeks, then for 4 weeks I can sleep without it. I cheated and slept without my compression garment and drove a night early. It was really nice to snuggle with my husband without it even if it was from on top of pillows and just for a little bit because I couldn't sleep. I snuggled lying on 2 thick pillows with my hip/butt between them because of the mini BBL. After talking to my friend who had her lower body lift and BBL here, I'm rebelling a little bit. She was told she could sit on soft furniture without a pillow and sleep in bed without pillows keeping pressure off her butt. I'm still obeying my doctors orders regarding sitting because I can't find an entry on Google supporting that you can sit on soft furniture, but after talking to her I decided to sleep without the pillows under me. I have a thick Temper Pedic Memory Foam pad and REALLY want to snuggle with my hubby and sleep normally. I sleep on my side and he didn't transfer fat to my hips, that's where he took it from. As mentioned above, I can't sleep on my right because it's still tender there when sleeping on it. Of note regarding my breast lift/implants. I don't talk about them because they haven't hurt at all until recently. I get twinges now at the lower scar. I've had implants implanted, removed, and implanted again, so 3 surgeries and the scar tissue at the bottom of my breast is pretty thick and now that the incision is healed I need to start massaging it to break that scar tissue up. The first time I had implants (2006) it did hurt. I had to lean to the side to get one hand wet, then lean to the other side to get the other wet, then rinse the soap off the same way because leaning forward hurt, and it took almost a year before I didn't look like I had super pecs (they sit high when they are new). I'm assuming it didn't hurt this time and they have already settled because the skin didn't need to stretch. Maybe the signals from the incision from the lower body lift overrode anything my breasts might have wanted to tell me as well. When I hit 6 weeks and "can drive", I'm going to drive to Missouri. My Mother-In-Law has cancer of the esophagus and they need help taking care of her. I can work from home and they can't, so I volunteered. She needs help bathing and having her diaper changed, her feeding tube needs cleaned and feeding bag filled, and she and her house needs taking care of. She is on hospice, but not close enough to the end to have daily helpers, but she has a nurse stop by twice a week and a helper come twice a week for a couple hours, so I can save heavy lifting for the helper. I'm going to ask my husband to take some 4.5 week after pics so you can see what it looks like soon after the incisions heal. I'll post again at other intervals so you can see progress as the inflammation goes away and the scar heals. Other than that, I will post if I feel I have something relevant to say regarding my progress. I'll only post about my MIL as it relates to my being able to care for her due to my surgery because this isn't a cancer support forum.

I am a Gerd patient and got the sleeve Sept 5, 2023. My HW 210, SW 206, CW 180. I hit the plateau in November 2023 and havent lost any weight since. I did have GERD previously before the surgery with a hiatal hernia 2cm; but, my stomach was literally stuck in my chest since 2008. I was told by my surgeon that GERD patients have a harder time losing weight. I workout 4 days hard since 3 weeks after surgery, I still watch what i eat as a GERD patient not weight loss. I want to know if anyone is going through this stall as well. I've seen videos of people around 240lbs weighing 120 6m after surgery.To me that is crazy, I do eat carbs but its limited and I still keep my protein intake above 90g daily. I do track my meals and i'll have days ill eat 1000 cal or below and sometimes as high as 1200 cals. I do drink about 48 oz of water sometimes less or more. When will my plateau stop or is it cause i am building my muscle fast; I was never obese just in my belly that is my issue. the left pic is 1 yr before surgery and the pic on the right is 4 months after surgery

I know exactly how you’re feeling! I get the feeling of food being stuck in my stomach pouch. It’s very uncomfortable. The only thing that makes it feel better is throwing up. I’m okay with soft foods (mashed potatoes, oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, pudding, protein shakes). The only solid food that I’m confident in eating is Ritz Toasted Chips. I can stuff myself with those chips and dip and have no problems. Only recently have I been able to handle chicken, and even then, I have to be careful. Beef still gives me problems, although ground is better. I have to try the trick where you add water to ground beef.

I am 6 days out and so far it seems to be going well. Hardly any pain. Staying in my schedule for protein shakes and fluids. Finding a sleep position is the only issue I have been having really. It is hard too because I use a cpap machine. I have had time of being hungry. But they passed.

Update: due to unforseen reasons(surgeon had foot surgery) my surgery date was rescheduled...I'm now having surgery on Jan 30,2024...pre-op visit will be 16th...guessing that's when 2wk diet will start....I already started doing protein shake for breakfast..light lunch like cup of broth and spinach frittata...then regular dinner....can't wait to get this healthy life started...thanks

I went on vacation last month. Eating out was a struggle. I haven’t made my surgery public to a lot of my friends. I can never finish my entree. I usually order fish as the portion is a lot smaller. Eating protein first then the carbs last. I still feel very bad for throwing away half my plate. Skip the appetizers lol.

Oof yall. My doctor had me on a pre op, high protein diet a week before. I started it two weeks to be sure my liver was shrunk enough. But, he also said that IF it wasn't, that he would do a sleeve instead of a roux en y. Then we could do the roux later. I can only see closing you back up if you were even too big for a sleeve. This is a procedure you should talk to him about if you want a roux but may not be able to get it at the time. Oh and I was only full clear liquid the day before surgery.

I found this Isopure on Amazon. 20g protein and not too too sweet. I tried the tropical punch flavor (only bc it was the only one with overnight delivery, which I needed), and I can tolerate it. Not as pricey as some of the others, either.

I found this Isopure on Amazon. 20g protein and not too too sweet. I tried the tropical punch flavor (only bc it was the only one with overnight delivery, which I needed), and I can tolerate it. Not as pricey as some of the others, either.

11 days for me (after i had plastic surgery a year later, it was 13 DAYS omg). i ended up doing a glycerine suppository. my pro tip would be to keep up efforts to stay regular, and start taking action after a certain amount of days to avoid discomfort/pain/annoyance/etc. In the first 6mnths postop, I took 2 tsps of Benefibre every day with my morning protein shake and drank ALOT of water. If i didn't poop in 3-4 days, I'd take a miralax, if that didn't work after a day or so I'd take Milk of Magnesia, if that didn't work after a day, I'd do a glycerine suppository. if that glycerine suppository didn't work after 1 hour, I'd take another one. Luckily, I have never had to figure out what to do if that 2nd suppository didn't work, as to date, it always did, phew. these days (im 5+ years post op) i no longer take my daily benefibre, and am more or less regular (poop every 2-3 days), but i do get the occasional bout of consitpation, during which i'd employ my old M.O. described above. its funny-not-funny that pre-wls i had the opposite problem, i would poop like 2-3 times A DAY (sorry, TMI!! lol)

I found this Isopure on Amazon. 20g protein and not too too sweet. I tried the tropical punch flavor (only bc it was the only one with overnight delivery, which I needed), and I can tolerate it. Not as pricey as some of the others, either.

The guidelines lines I’m referring to are : Limiting sugar intake to 5g or less per serving, protein forward meals, limiting carbs and fats. Separation of meals and drinks (30 min rule), limiting calories from drinks, etc. (I’m sure others can chime in with more Bariatric specific rules that they were given to follow). What is your doctors recommendations now that you have stalled? How tall are you? What does your exact calorie intake look like weekly? Do you accurately track it or eyeball the amounts? Have you used any online calculators to figure out your BMR, visceral fat, lean muscle mass, etc? These can help you figure out your excess body weight . Also InBody and DEXA scans will tell exactly how much excess fat you are carrying.

There are things like miracle noodles, heart of palm noodles, and of course most of our "fullness" should come from veggies once we are a year out. Think high volume low carb veggies like lettuce, mixed greens, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, as well as colorful things like bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, green beans, etc... These paired with a little fat and a decent amount of protein should help you feel fuller longer. I think it is very well possible you could be experiencing true hunger. You are MUCH taller than the average woman (if you are not a woman I apologize for the assumption) and the dietary guidelines that surgeons and nutritionists hand out are usually useless if you fall outside their standard patient. If you are exercising enough to get your heart rate up for a consistent amount of time or doing weights/strength training, you could be burning a fair number of calories too. Both of these things would make me think you may have a higher caloric need, even though you are a sleeve patient, than the average sleever would. If your surgeon's nutritionist isn't interested in customizing your true caloric need given your frame, height, and activity level, you may need to have a few sessions with someone else who is trained in bariatrics and will actually help you work through this so you can stop feeling guilt when you eat more than your surgeon wants you to. Also, have you tried the Millie's sipping broths? You can get a sample pack of their flavors on Amazon for a pretty reasonable cost. They might help ease the hunger between meals until you find a dietician to talk to.

Almost 5 years & yes, I do. There are certain foods that simply are too heavy in my tummy. Breads, pasta, rice I’m looking at you. I try a bite of bread every now & again just to see but nope not for me. (Don’t really miss them at all & I used to eat them often). I also have times when something I’m eating unexpectedly sits too heavily. Unexpected because I’ve eaten it before without an issue & I’ll eat it again easily. Though it is nice to know my restriction is still active. And yes I still have bouts of the foamies. I think I’ve a more sensitive tummy & esophagus but I had a sensitive tummy before surgery so nothing really new just a little different. I’ve accepted them & think of these as things that are just quirky to me: makes me more special than I already am - LOL! Doesn’t really restrict or limit me in any way. Can be a little annoying at times of course but easily manageable. And much like @The Greater Fool, some days I eat all of my meal & another I may not. Doesn’t matter. I love left overs. They mean I may only be reheating my dinner tonight not cooking from scratch. I’ll be snacking on my left over rolled oats breakfast later this afternoon. I also focus on protein & vegetables too & honestly after that I couldn’t eat anything else. Oh yes, also female, though late 50s, 5’3” & not active,& have maintained (apart from a 2kg medication glitch 2.5yrs ago but I lost that when we sorted it). Congratulations on maintaining too. Who hoo!

Hey there! Would love to hear how it's going for you! Here's where I am: My highest weight was 251 back in the summer, which is when I was referred to the surgical program. I started making changes to my eating following the Pound of Cure book by Dr. Matthew Weiner and was down to 238 on Feb 7 when I started 2 week pre-op liquid diet. I was 223 the day before surgery, so 15 lbs down in two weeks. That's compared to 13 lbs in 6 months, which is crazy, but I also know that I wasn't trying to lose weight during those months so much as make healthy choices. I didn't count calories or other macros. I just made an effort to reduce processed foods and eat a pound of vegetables most days. Whereas the liquid diet was pretty much me starving for 2 weeks. But I survived! Since surgery, it's gone a bit slower, which is in part due to the fluid shifts from surgery (according to my meeting with surgeon last week). My weight this morning, 3 weeks post-op, was 217 lbs. So, 6 lbs down since surgery. I'm healing pretty well, meeting my 60g protein goal and 64 oz water goal daily. I did have one incident of foamies / vomiting two days ago that set me back a little on food tolerance, but I think I'm doing better today. I go in to see the dietician on Monday. The first week I was getting around 400 calories per day. Last week and this week have ranged between 500-700, depending on the day and what food choices I make. I haven't really experienced anything I would call hunger. As for non-scale victories, I had to pull out one of my smaller bras yesterday that I still had from about 5 years ago! I also fit into an outfit I bought last year that I wasn't able to try on at the store and discovered was too small when I got it home. But not anymore! And I'm officially off blood pressure meds!

Allulose. Its a rare sugar that naturally occurs in fruits like figs and raisins. “It’s about 70% as sweet as sugar. Allulose is a monosaccharide so it doesn't act like sugar by altering insulin/glucose blood readings and doesn't have that artificial taste. Also, like with any sugar/substitute start out with small quantities but most people who eat allulose in moderation won’t notice any issues. I hope this help. I purchased a bag, dipped my finger in it and had my husband try it - no artificial taste at all! Lastly, I just buy whey isolate - the highest quality there is on bulksupplements.com and add it to everything (including my crystal light), soups, broths..etc., so I get my protein without the "protein drinks"! It has no flavor and very little smell if any.

I had my sleeve surgery on Nov 20th. Monday marked the beginning of week 7 post op. Since week 3 I have not lost anything (if anything, I've gone up a couple pounds). I am getting 60-70g protein. Water is a bit of a struggle due to just forgetting to drink water (no issue drinking it, literally just forget). My MIL has been bugging me the last week to remember water, thankfully, so I'm getting 64oz now. Hopefully this is just a *really* long 3 week stall. Just 4 weeks long now. Aughhhh.

I did. Perimenopause & then menopause saw me gain 30kgs (15kg above my usual high weight of my fluctuation range). Tired to lose it for about 4 years but couldn't. No co morbidities. Was almost 54 & on HRT when I had my surgery. Reached goal at 6 months (a 23 BMI & my usual low weight of my range) & then lost another 11kgs over the next 11/12 months. So I lost about 135% of the weight I was hoping to lose. Haven’t weighed this since I was about 12 years old. And I have pretty much maintained my weight at almost 5 years post surgery. My rate of weight loss seemed pretty average. Didn’t exercise (don’t like it). Was a low calorie eater in comparison to many others. My hunger didn’t return for about 12 months. All my menopause symptoms disappeared while losing (still had some breakthrough symptoms though on HRT). Thank you that oestrogen hormonal flush that occurs while losing. They came back after I lost most of my weight though. Sigh! Almost 59 now, still menopausal, still on HRT. No real issues with the surgery or after. My tendency to have low blood pressure drops occasionally before occurs every day now. Had my gall bladder out at the two years mark which left me with a protein malabsorption issue. Blood work otherwise always good. Haven’t taken vitamins since 8 months out (except Vit D in winter). Have reflux but had it before surgery too just mild then. Tummy can be a little sensitive but it was before surgery too. I have episodes of the foamies but I think my oesophagus is more sensitive too. So really just some quirks that are special to me. LOL!

I havent been eating bad things like my husband made a 16 hour smoked pork roast i had three pinches of the meat, I have been doing yogurt and soup i did oatmeal mixed with my protein shake once also. I cant do more than 2/3 onces of food at a time… mostly im doing soup and yogurt now though. Its not really unhealthy food but I had gotten confused with the diet and started the soft foods one week earlier the doctor didnt seemed worried though. It just was messing up my head thinking im off track. Im down 16 lbs so that’s got to be okay. Thank you for the peanut butter advice i love fit pb I’ll probably go buy powder protein shakes and start making them instead also I dont do dairy so maybe that’s another factor.

first off, @newbegining2024, you will have zero complaints from me, food porn is my favourite kind of porn, ha! re: food funerals, like @Arabesque, i didn't really have time (or thought) to have one. i had postponed my surgery twice in the year and a half prior deciding to finally (again) go through with it. I called my surgeon to say, lets do it in early to mid september 2018, and he booked me in for surgery in a little over a month later for October 2018. I got into tunnel-vision like mode of like, "Lets GOOOO!" while i didn't do any specific diet prior to the 2 week liquid diet before surgery, i DID make conscious efforts NOT to stuff myself or eat mindlessly. i did this for about 2-3 weeks, and didn't lose any weight, interestingly enough. then it was time for my 2 week liquid pre-diet of 3 protein shakes a day. and since i'm a self-proclaimed over-achiever😂, by the end of week 1 i was doing 2 shakes a day, and by mid week 2 i was down to 1 shake a day. yes, i know i was NOT supposed to do this, but i just wanted to prove to myself that i could for some reason (i blame the tunnel vision). again, interestingly enough, i lost 11 lbs. fast forward 5 and half years and life is good, i'm skinny, healthy, happy, and full of energy. i also eat whatever i want...in fractions of amounts i used to, of course. and we aren't just talking salads (though i do LOVE salads!), and boiled fish. i will order items displayed in that awesome spread that @newbegining2024 shared. i eat bread and pasta and fatty steaks, deep fried whatever, chips, bacon, pizza, cheese, alcohol and yes, even desserts. JUST IN VERY SMALL PORTIONS (and yes, i also eat steamed vegetables, grilled lean meats, greek yogurt, and a ton of water). i guess what i'm trying to say is that you don't have to say good bye to your fave foods forever. good luck! ❤️