Asked my NUT a question.

This calorie thing is so subjective.  There is really no way to know exactly how many calories you burn on a daily basis or even what we are taking in exactly.  Those things change every day.  I was going crazy trying to balance everything.  I still am tracking my food to make sure I am getting enough protein and keeping the carbs healthy but I can't be obsessed with the numbers.  Most normal sized people probably never know how many calories they take in.
In my past, when I have lost weight and kept it off I never tracked my food.  I just made it a point to eat 3 meals a day and to avoid refined carbs.  With a normal stomach (probably larger then normal) I didn't really eat small portions except when I was actively trying to lose weight.  I ate large salads and lot's of meat and even had things like baked potatos with butter and sour cream and never counted a calorie.  And my weight stayed completely stable until I started putting refined carbs in my mouth.  I didn't even worry about it.  I don't know why it seemed easier then but I am striving to get back into that mindset.

"This calorie thing is so subjective.  There is really no way to know exactly how many calories you burn on a daily basis or even what we are taking in exactly.  Those things change every day. "

This is completely true. I knew this but didn't really *see it* until I got a BodyMedia FIT. I could see that my calorie burn varied by 100-200 a day!

However, I tracked my food and exercise for 3 years starting about 7 months out from surgery. I always had a goal to stop doing it. I tried a few times and every time I would start to eat a lot of crap and would put on a few pounds.

But this last time IT WORKED. Not only that, I've lost a few pounds. It turns out I was making myself eat food because the tracker said I burned it but I hadn't actually. 

I think that we post-ops can learn to eat intuitively eventually but it's not automatic for all of us. It definitely took me a while. It took me until about 2.5 years out from surgery, in fact.

I find that I have to track my calories in order to maintain a health weight...even when I was slim before, oh, 10 + years ago I kept track of everything I put in my mouth and as soon as I stopped I started packing it on...I guess everyone is different and it goes to show there is no cookie cutter WLS advice that these NUT can give us...I go see my NUT tomorrow..that should be interesting!