Hey guys

I have a couple of questions and would like some advice.

First I am 3 months our from my surgery and have lost about 51 lbs (according to my nutritionist, we spoke this morning). I know I am still in that "honeymoon" phase of weight loss where my body hasn't realized just yet what I have done to it, which is why I have steadily been losing weight despite some poor choices.

I have learned that I am a habitual snacker and I don't even notice (well I didn't until about last week). I figured this out one day when after going to the kitchen for the 5th time in a short period of time, I asked myself "wasn't I just in here?" and "Why am I looking for food, I am not even hungry?!" So, obviously besides being super aware, does anyone have any tips to help avoid this behavior??

My next question is has anyone tried the Fairlife protein drinks?? My "pouch's" protein preference is all over the dang place, sometimes I can do Premier protein drinks, other times it makes me hurl. I have been pretty consistent with a protein powder I get from walmart, but sometimes I dont have the time to make that when I am running my daughter and I out the door at 6:15 in the morning and would like a quick grab substitute. My nutritionist suggested the fairlife protein drink and I just wanted some opinions on taste and how you feel with it.

Thanks everyone for your responses and tips :)

Congrats on the weight loss thus far!!! I was the same way after surgery and still am sometimes with the looking for food when not even hungry. I think my problem was that I ate out of boredom pre surgery and that bad habit didn't magically disappear after surgery so I had to work on that. The psychologist I saw had me make a list of things I could do when I got bored instead of eating. The key is to stay busy. Also stay hydrated! I learned that the hard way. A lot of times now when I think I'm hungry I'll drink something and be satisfied. I was probably thirsty or just craving something to drink instead and thought I was hungry.

I know I couldn't do the premier shakes right after surgery either. They made me gag! I also couldn't drink coffee for the first few months after surgery (and I loved coffee before surgery) because it made me gag as well. But now I can drink both and premier shakes are my go to protein drink now. I have one every morning as well as a cup of coffee or two or three! Lol. So your taste definitely could change with time. I have never tried the Fairlife ones, but definitely give them a try to see what works for you.

Hopefully others can provide you with some better tips!

I know people on here like it. You might want to follow the RNY menu thread each day to see what others are eating and drinking.

They are not my favorite but they are not bad, when I'm traveling they have been easier to find in the airport/shops than the premier in many cases; if i remember correctly, their profile was within the 10 grams of protein for every 100 calories so that's good -- what I can't remember is whether a container was one serving or two. If you like them and they work for you they seem like a decent choice!

Do you track your food? I would definitely recommend starting using a tracker, whatever one works for you, and also at 3 months out I was still measuring everything. I really like the baritastic tracker but I think most people use my fitness pal; It think some people have mentioned Lose It or spark people (but I'm not sure if that's a tracker or just a support site). My first 12-15 months, I tracked and measured everything (I even sent a mini scale to my sisters so I could measure when I was there) but while I still measure, I've gotten off of logging everything in the tracker so I'm focused on getting back to that!

And second what White Dove said, come join us on the daily menu thread!

Regarding the snacking, I use a multi-pronged approach:

• I typically have 3 meals of about 150 calories each, plus some snacks in the 60 calorie range, for a total of about 800 calories per day. Between the meals and snacks and drinking all the fluids I'm supposed to have, it feels like I'm always eating or drinking. This minimises the temptation to eat things I shouldn't. (This may be a bit controversial, but it works for me.)
• Every time I'm tempted to eat and it's not a scheduled mealtime or snacktime, I drink 500 ml of fluid first. That fills me up for at least 20 minutes. After that, if I still want to eat something, I do so. I try never to say "no" to myself so I don't feel deprived. Instead I say "maybe later", and when later comes I've usually forgotten about it.
• I still find that most of the hunger I feel isn't actually hunger, it's just excess stomach acid. Drinking more fluid helps a lot with that, as does the PPI your surgeon prescribed for you.
• I try to have snacks on hand that engage other senses besides just taste. For example, pomegranate seeds are crunchy and "explode" in your mouth with a burst of liquid. Interesting textures really help.

Love the tip on multi-sensory snacks -- that's a good one that I might steal!

Also, not everyone was prescribed PPIs/has an issue with acid -- I'm not sure if the variation is between surgeries or just between doctor's plans. I wonder if it's like the wide variation in pre/post op plans by program?

For real, consider a few sessions with a substance abuse counselor. You may have a food addiction or a tendency to "abuse food". Sort of like how an alcoholic just keeps gravitating to the fridge for another beer.

Please stop the snacking. I have several cousins that have had weightloss surgery. The unsuccessful ones "grazed" and "snacked" the weight right back on. One is actually HEAVIER than his pre-op weight.

I think I am 5 years post-op (maybe 4). To THIS DAY, I weight and measure every meal. In restaurants I, eyeball. I eat protein and non-starchy vegetable forward.

Poor food choices will eventually catch up to you. When I was going through my divorce (and losing my mind), I ate poorly (although I measured and tracked), did not take my vitamins and drank a LOT of alcohol. I did not exercise because I had hand surgery. To make a long story short, I went from 136 lbs to 165. As my mental state improved (with medicine and counseling) and I slowly came back to "me" again. I wondered "What did I do!?!?!" and I called up my surgeon's office, saw his NP and his dietician. They did not shame me. They wanted me to get back on the horse of making good food decisions and taking my vitamins. They wanted me to be healthy. I went back to my gym and got a personal trainer. It took me 12 months to go from 165 to 139. It was a long haul and was not at all as fast as "the first time". My tool (i.e. gastric bypass) still worked though.

So please nip the snacking and poor food choices in the bud. I do not want you to go through what I did. But if you do, KNOW that you can come back from it if you choose to do so.

And consider counseling.... It helped me tremendously and I still go weekly.

-SS

Pre-log your food. Do it the night before if you are rushed in the mornings. Consider it meal planning. I do this even today. There are many apps that can help or a simple journal will work just fine. Once you plan it, don't vary from the plan. I include snacks. And I assign each of my meals and snacks an approximate time. If I'm restless I between, I find flavored water or a mug of steaming herbal tea satisfies the need for something to be in my hand and in my mouth.