Maintenance-What does it look like for you?

Hi Everyone!

I'm new here. In fact, this is my first post. :-)

Right now I'm still in the research phase. I'm looking into the idea of surgery, still trying to figure out if it's the right choice for me. (And at this point, I'm thinking that if I do decide on WLS, the VSG looks most .... umm ...appealing(?) ... to me, which is why I'm posting here.)

One of my concerns as I'm researching is maintenance. I think I understand the commitment needed for losing, the phases of liquid and soft foods, the idea of eating slowly, chewing your food, etc. (And getting plenty of fluids but Slowly!)

What I'm wondering is for those of you who are 2, 5, 10 years out and are at goal weight (or at least satisfied at the weight you are at), What does eating look like for you? If you go to a restaurant with a group of people, does your eating look fairly "normal"? I mean, I'm assuming it's less, and maybe you take a doggy bag home for tomorrow. But are you eating "normal" foods? Or are you still relying on protein shakes, eating so slowly that it takes you half an hour to eat 4oz., etc?

And what abou****er/liquids? Right now I drink a lot of water, usually in big gulps at a time (like a 12oz glass at once, not little sips every few minutes).

I hope these questions, or the way that they are phrased, don't offend anyone. I sincerely feel like these are the things I need to seriously consider when making my decision. (And if these are red flag questions telling you "Nope. She's not a good candidate for the surgery" then please tell me that. :-) )

I'm 4+ years post-op. I'm not at my ultimate goal and have no idea if I ever will be. I'm very happy with where I'm at.

I eat protein forward and imagine that I always will. I don't know what "normal" eating is - portions in restaurants are ridiculous! I either order a meat-based appetizer or an entree. If I order an entree, chances are I won't eat anything except for the meat and, depending on the meat portion, I might end up having to take it home.

I eat 4-6 ounces a meal, three meals a day, no snacks.

I don't "rely" on shakes, but I've never liked solid food in the morning, so I do have a protein shake for breakfast almost every day.

I'm not sure what "normal" foods means, either. Pre-surgery normal was lots of refined and processed carbs - those are things I avoid now. I eat a lot more protein than I used to. But, honestly, with all of the paleo, keto, gluten-free, etc., ways of eating that people do these days, what really is "normal?" I'm a version of normal for sure. :)

I drink a lot, I have no problem with big gulps.

There's a daily post here called "whatcha eating" and it was really helpful for me to read pre-op to get a feeling for what life would be like post-op.

Thank you, Gwen. Your answer is helpful.

Yes, I know "normal" is such a subjective term, isn't it. I'm not sure what other word would convey the feeling of what I'm asking, though. Maybe "real" would be better? ("Real food", as opposed to shakes, or pre-bought meals like you'd get from Jenny Craig, or Nutri-system, or what have you. Not being dependent on certain things, not sticking out from the crowd because you "have" to eat your special stuff. Although, you're right. There are so many accepted ways of eating these days.)

I will check out a few of the whatcha eating posts. Thanks again! :-)

I definitely eat food that other people eat :) When I travel, I don't even bother to take protein powder for my morning shakes unless I'm going to be gone for MANY days. If I'm just gone for a weekend, I'll deal with eating eggs or something like that. (When I visit my mom once a month, for example, I always have two fried eggs and a slice of toast these days. Yum.)

I would be surprised if anyone who ate a meal with me now and didn't know that I'd had weight loss surgery would think that I was doing anything abnormal. I do, however, feel bad to have to check my watch to see if 30 minutes have passed and worry someone might think I was bored or such! I try to remember to turn my watch's silent alarm on!

I'm in early maintenance (18 months out, and have been at goal for over a year). I think I eat a pretty normal looking low-carb diet. I am diabetic so I will probably always eat lower carb than the general population. A sample menu might look like:

5:30am - Coffee w/ Heavy Cream

8:30am - (2) Eggs, 1oz Cheese, half an avocado, & a dollop of plain greek yogurt

12:30pm - 4oz of chicken, 1-2oz of veggies

3:00pm - Nuts/seeds or Jerky or String Cheese or a protein bar

6:00pm - 4oz meat w/ 1-2oz of veggies, or occasionally 1-2oz of sweet potato

9:00pm - 8oz of plain greek yogurt w/ 1 TBSP SF pudding mix, 1/2oz of nuts/seeds

Throughout the day I will also generally have a coffee/tea with half & half or an iced coffee made with unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I drink carbonation, so I generally have a can of Diet Coke per day. When I dine out I stick to protein forward options and limit carbs (ie: when I go for Sushi I'll order riceless rolls or sashimi). I indulge on an occasional basis (normally in the form of low-carb FroYo with toppings because it's my favorite). I have bites of other things on occasion: a piece of bread when we're out for dinner, a cookie during a get-together, or a stolen fry from my kid's plate.

I draw some hard lines with foods that really get me. I haven't eaten pizza, pasta, donuts, pastries, chips, pretzels, bagels, etc since before surgery. I avoid fast food, fried food, and buffets (especially Chinese food since all the sauces tend to be sugared and things are often fried). I don't order dishes for myself that I know I can't 'just have a bite' of. I save my indulgences for the things that I truly want. I don't eat things that don't taste good enough or are empty calories.

So yeah, in general, I feel pretty normal and like food has a proper place in my life that is no longer #1 BEST FRIEND.

Thank you!!!

This is exactly what I was hoping to hear. (Not that I only wanted to hear what I want... I want to hear the truth. I'm just glad to hear this. :-) )

I tend to be resistant to the "you can never again have this" approach. I more agree with the "moderation is key" idea. (At least in theory. If I actually practiced it, I guess I maybe wouldn't be in this position.) But I really do believe that there is a place for everything in a healthy diet. For example, ice cream. Not a gallon at a time, and not every night. But I want to be able to have a child sized ice cream cone when I'm on vacation with my family and they want to go out for ice cream. KWIM? I like how you phrased it. Saving my indulgences for the things I truly want.

Thank you again!

My advice is to really put your nose down and be incredibly unwavering during your weight loss phase. Once you get to maintenance you can start to introduce other things!

I am at below my goal, and 10 months out. I'm 66 years old. I'm working on figuring out maintenance in terms of total calories....my thought is to "hover" between 120-125 (I'm at 122 most of the time).

I put my protein first, and meet 80+grams 90% of the time. I take my vitamins and biotin, because I ignored it post sleeve and my hair loss was not a happy thing.

That said,

I use a tracker; it helps me to be mindful. We go out a fair amount (retired) and I make my best choice to get a protein and something tasty besides. I ask for the "to go box" first, and off load it to go home.

I have had some diverse things -- this morning 1/2 of a lovely Southern biscuit, a fried egg and sausage gravy to "dip" in, not pour over. I've had pizza, but I eat one piece, thin crust, and usually light cheese & vegetables, or canadian bacon. I like it that way. I eat Mexican food and chinese, and they are accommodating about leaving sauces on the side.

If I get really crazy, I have a graham cracker square with light PB. I have had a literal "1/2 fork" bite of pie or cake, and didn't like it. I can have a 1/2 glass of wine, but then I have to either wait before eating or wait after and it seems like too much trouble.

I eat unsalted popcorn, about 1/2C max, once in a while.

I cannot eat4-6 oz at a meal, and talked it over with my surgeon and my gastro. I have other GI issues, so multiple meals (not constant grazing) are okay, and retirement makes that easier.

I do use Premier Protein shakes -- as creamer in my coffee, or over 1/2 C oatmeal. Or at the end of a day where I am tired and notice my protein is low.

I think finding it is different for everyone. There is a lovely soul on here at 5 years out, at goal, who eats 1700 or so calories and maintains. Right now I am at about 1200.

Lots of water (ugh) but I like Crystal light, so okay there.

Probably not helpful since I'm not that far out! Best of luck!

No feedback. Just want to stay: Excellent questions! I applaud your approach. Taking the long view and all that. Welcome and best of luck.

I just want to say thank you for the encouragement! (First post always makes me nervous, and I haven't been lurking long at all...) You made me smile.