How many calories should I be consuming?

I am over three years post op and like you, I eat normal. I consume probably way more calories than you do. I am not as active but I can't keep my weight on. I have many other interests now this far out. Like you, I am not consumed by WLS life anymore. I think there comes a time as a post op, that it is time to move on and live this wonderful new life we have been given. The things about the board that I used to love, no longer interest me. Most of the things I read, I cannot even relate to them. have I forgotten where I can from? Of course not. I have always had a saying that, for about a year or so pre-op, WLS does consume you because you are researching, taking tests, excited about surgery. Then for about a year post op, every minute of every day is spent learning how to "work your tool". Then guess what? It's time to enjoy life. There is a whole nuther world besides WLS. i cook regular foods for my hubby and I join him in eating it. I cannot eat much at a time, but there is very little that I deny myself. I eat many times a day unless I forget to eat like I did today until late afternoon. I am not at all surprised by the amount of calories you eat. You are a very active lady.

HI Delores!! You look wonderful lady! And you're exactly right! There IS a whole world out there after WLS..and even though I do live my life, run my business, i'm a mom and a wife.I do come back and give back..I like helping others..and actually I dont look at people as whiners..lord knows we all whined at some point..some of us just forget that we did..and also..for me..it keeps me grounded..I can look at the new postops and see myself in them..and for some people.it really IS hard.. Lots of us have had wonderful support systems to get us through the time toughs.but you know..so many people are not as lucky as we are..and many I encounter on the main board..have noone..and they havent had many people in their life because of their obesity..I could never judge or look down on them..I know it bothers lots of people here..but I just dont care..,I will do whatever I have to do..to get someone through a tough time i LOVE to cook..I cook and bake and do all sorts of good stuff and I eat it..if i'm making cookies for the kids..I will either make them sugar free (they dont have a clue lol) or make some SF for myself for my support group..and I am active..between running my company, and a household and all the kids and my husband and the animals..its busy! lol BUT thing is..I can enjoy it now..and i'm SO glad you have done so well..and i'm glad that you understand where i'm coming from...as a 5 year postop who runs over 100 miles a week..3000 calories a day isnt as much as people think it is..and I dont post here sometimes because I know when I post what I do eat..not that I ever apologize for what I do or eat..but because many will not understand..and it shocks me tht even though i'm a competitve athlete..people still think that if you dont eat like them..that I cant be successful..they still have that..you're not normal because you had surgery and you will never be normal thing..its weird..we ARE normal..and I gotta say..I LOVE your pups! how cute! We're going to KY in August..Lake Cumberland..if you're ever down that way i'd love to meet! I adore meeting long term postops..it's always such fun to sit and talk and learn ab out other peoples journies!! Again..you look great sweetie! mariella

absolutely! we are all diferent. I think i eat more than the average wls person, based on having in the past read "what did you eat posts" I had to stop reading them as it was causing me to stress out on what I was eating and making me a little (or a lot) crazy. i would be passed out with hunger on what most of them post that they ate. I cannot live on protein shakes and a couple lettuce leafs a day. I eat 1500 - 1700 cals a day, Less than you but I dont exercise as much either. My newest mantra is "my body is not who I am" and outside of the website, or talking to preops or post ops, I move on and live life.

I agree Willow! For years now (i've been on OH since 1998) i've watched the what are you eating thread evolve..it is quite scary tos ee people who are 2,3 and even 4 years postop only eating 800 calories day..I see people say they had a bad eating day and then I see what they've listed and it's veggies and salad and a pretzel..good lord..how is that bad? People say they are amazed at how much I eat..well i'm amazed that they eat so little..how does one sustain years out when eating what a newbie postop eats? Also..everyone is an expert now..I see many "We advise" or "We suggest"..who is we? and what educational or certified background do they have? Are these people dispensing advice certified in nutrition? or do they have a degree in something related to WLS and their dietary care postop? 5 years and I think I know quite a bit..though i'd never tell someone that this is what they should be doing or especially for life.. My surgeon is one of my bestest friends and we talk every day..his wife and I are super close and even he is horrified sometimes at what he reads..not so much that people are dispensing advice but that so many people take the advice withouth talking to their doctors or even questioning the advice thats given.. I dont make a living off of having had WLS..I only support and angel and give back what I can..every day for the most part..and I eat..a lot..and I eat like a normal person..I get SO sick of being thought of as abnormal..*cringe* but like you..my life is my life..it;s not an experiment in WLS anymore..Surgery was just something I did to be heatlhy..now..it's something I can pass on some wisdom to others..and try to be of help..but it doesnt run my life..and its not even close to being the center of my universe.. You've done wonderfully..and you look fabulous!! I love and enjoy meeting other long term postops who have somehow managed to move forward..I mean wasnt that the purpose of surgery anyway? to live our lives and not feel trapped? it seems like sometimes some go from being trapped by their obesity to being trapped by their surgery.. Life is good..but life is what you make of it..and even as postops..we get out of it what we put into it.

"for the rest of your life" If "I" followed the "formula" you list for the rest of my life, I'd DIE either from lack of nutrients or by my own hand!

there is no way on earth I could live on 800 - 1200 calories a day for life. at 3 1/2 years out I eat 1500-1700 calories a day and occasionally up to 2000. and amazingly sometimes when I am at the 2000 for several days I drop a couple pounds. I have been at 135 give or take a couple pounds for over 2 years now. except for swelling after plastics and a loss with an illeius. (and the 2 pounds I gained with new boobs that are here to stay!) only used shakes when I was unable to eat solid food in the early post op period, and when I had an illeus after plastics and lost too much weight (down to 120) and needed to regain some as I looked bad. The shakes put the weight right back on.