Thanks for the feedback. What I have read is three grain servings a day, five fruit/veg...etc. I try to have protein at every meal, but don't want to eat meat at every meal, thus they legumes. When I tried cutting out all starchy carbs, I was STARVING and was told to add a whole grain at every meal. Sometimes it's so hard to sift and sort through the contradicting advice!

Those guidelines are targeted towards "normal" people, not those of us who've had WLS.

Your best bet is:

• ~1000 calories per day (some people need fewer to lose)
• 60g+ protein per day
• under 25g carbs (40g if you're less strict)
• 64+ oz water

Eat meals that are protein-forward. Meat if you can, tofu and meat substitutes are fine, legumes if you can't, bu****ch out for the carbs in beans and such. Almost exclusively protein, with MAYBE a bite or two of veggies once you've gotten your protein in.

The wright -wrong.. yea.

What you are doing is not working for you to lose weight. You are maintaining.

if you want to lose - you need to change what you are doing - eating.

when I maintain - i can eat so much more than when I try to lose weight.

when you eat many carbs - grains and starches - and then you try to limit that - you may feel like you are starving. I've been there. Way too many times. The carbs are delicious, a bite here and there... and I want to eat more.

the cravings vs real hunger: for me - when I am hungry - I will eat almost any real food - chicken, beef, pork, eggs... But cravings - are when I just want the crackers or bread, or even the berries. With whipped cream.

You don't need to eat just meat- just now I have a serving of pork loin, with some mayo, and 4 NSA pickles. (NSA=no sugar added). My tomato got funky, so I tossed it.

Before that, for lunch i had a serving of cooked veggies with cooked chicken.

Often my meals are full of some proteins with avocado, veggies,

On Sunday I made some mushroom sauce, made taco chicken, chicken in Indian sauce with lots of veggies, spaghetti sauce ( that I will use with zucchini noodles - zoodles) etc etc..

as a snack I had some SF jello with some fresh berries and whipped cream. (i use coconut cream)

I often have eggs and bacon - often made as frittata - with a lot of roasted veggies, or have some cucumbers or other veggies with my omelet. Yummy with some chopped ham or nice crispy bacon.

I do eat a lot of proteins - but in rather natural form.

Nuts are often my snack. Or beef jerky (not that often).

Check "againstallgrain.com site. She is my favorite cook that has a lot of good recipes - even on grain free bread, or waffles. i often make waffles or pancakes using coconut or almond flour. They are great with PB or just Kerry gold butter, or some NSA preserves.

Some people can use high fiber tortillas and lose weight, but that does not work for me to lose a regain.

Great ideas and thanks for theinsight and wedsite--will check that out! I'll finish off this week's meals...then try your suggestions. Thanks for taking the time to write such a long, informative and thought out post!

Sparkle Kitty-Julie is right. Just this week my dietician looked me in the eye and firmly said "The [nutritional] needs of a bariatric patient are very different from the general population"

She was speaking in reference to the ER doc putting me on carbs and adding eating every 2 hours AFTER a hypoglycemic episode.

See! Even the dietician doesn't want us eating starches. That is the LAST thing to be eaten on a plate, only rarely, and if there is room.

You might be getting hungry cuz you aren't getting enough fat in your diet. I can eat something like a boiled egg with half an avacodo and not get hungry for a good 6 hours.

Wow...thanks for the response and input!

I'm pre-surg, so really shouldn't be butting in. Sorry in advance! I happen to be very hyperinsulinemic (make a crap ton of insulin in response to food). If I ate your diet, you could roll me around and make me a party float. I would gain like nobody's beeswax. Even pre-op, I have to eat only protein adequate and low glycemic carbs, with very little fruit (I can only handle about 1oz of a dark berry at a time). Maybe see what would happen if you cut out all they high glycemic grainy/potato-ey/ricey/pasta-ey shenanigans? Hugs!!

Wow! OK--thanks!

I guess I'm destined to be a contrarian grrrr .... My body looks way better than this now and I'm NOT that young and I lost a lot of weight post op ( about six years ago give or take) .

I don't have to exercise to maintain my weight ( but I like to ... sometimes) . I am still ( and always have been ) ridiculously healthy.

I am a semi-vegan which basically means I can't stand eating a ton of meat or full fat cheese or any of that stuff . I LIKE fat free high fiber rather unprocessed carbs plus fat free cheese fat free refried beans fresh salsa avocado fat free greek yogurt ( read - sour cream) and veg... homemade fat free enchiladas are like my favorite comfort food and so totally non-fattening.

My REAL eating advice ? Salads with fat free dressing ... don't drink with meals ( allows you to eat three times as much) try to limit the alcohol. ((((())))) good luck! Honestly I DONT think anyone eats high fat / disgusting amounts of protein and looks good in a bikini .. jes saying ... do you actually KNOW anyone that does that because I sure don't. If not why would you accept advice from know-not-much if well meaning people ?

I think your assessment about who does or does not look good in a bikini is incredibly rude and incorrect.

I will not say anything negative about your body or diet. If it works for you, that's great.

However, you may want to consider that for those of us with self-esteem and lacking an uncontrolled drinking problem, how "Fu*&-able" we look is not our main concern.