Question:
12 month Daily Menu's...please share

I am just over 1 year post-op and I am very interested in seeing what other 1+ yr post-op's are eating throughout the day. I have only lost 2 pounds this past month and I still have 20+ pounds to lose and I'm getting nervous that my weight loss has ended. After reading a few postings it seems that most post-op's feel that they lose more when they shake up their eating and exercise rountines a bit. I'm very interested to see what others are eating at this point. I did a search on the library but didn't come up with anything. I average 1000 calories a day, exercise 3-5 times a week, get 80+ grams of protein a day, take all of vitamins and drink at least 72 ounces of water as day. I think I need to shake things up a bit, but I'm just not too sure how! I'm hoping that some of you experienced post-op's can offer some help... Thanks!! :-)    — pam29922 (posted on May 25, 2003)

May 25, 2003
I am 1 year out and only lost 10 pounds in the last 3 months. I am only 10-15 pounds from goal. Surgeon said it may take 6 months to lose that. If you are 20 pounds from goal....it is all up to you now. I think you may not be getting enough calories. I am getting about 1200 calories a day and my surgeon said I should not be eating any less. Just different. I get about 65-70 grams of food protein and 60 grams of protein shakes. I changed up this week after my appointment, cut back on the white carb and ate more fruits and veggies and lost 2 pounds !!! Good luck.
   — Sharon H.

May 25, 2003
I'm a year out and at goal already, so my post-op diet is definitely different now than what it was when I was still trying to lose weight. Your stats generally sound good to me. Maybe you could try a minor adjustment by increasing your protein a little more (and reducing the carbs a little), as 80 grams of protein is about 320 calories, which is about 1/3 of your daily intake. That's a good level, but when I was losing, I always kept my protein grams ahead of my carb grams, even if only slightly (and I used protein shakes to do it). Also, exercise is a relative term; if you're at a stage where your routine isn't really making you sweat, or you're not seeing your speed or duration go up (at whatever you're doing), start setting some goals to make your exercise regime a little more challenging for the time you're spending. Remember that as we get smaller, we burn fewer calories doing the same exercise we did 20 pounds (or 50 pounds, or more) ago, because the body is smaller and burning less fat doing the same task. Those little changes might push you along a little better -- and you might find you can up your calorie intake to 1200 a day or so by doing them, and still lose well, which would be cool. Good luck!
   — Suzy C.

May 25, 2003
HI Pamela- you sound like you're doing great! I'm a year post-op as well and surpassed my goal weight already-I can't believe it! But I definately don't think your weight loss is over, our window of opportunity is 18 months, but that doesn't mean you can't lose even after that! I'm still losing very very slowly, so i can relate. I think you might want to add some calories as well. I'm eating anywhere from 1100-1400 calories a day. And although I try not to overdo it, the days I eat more, are usually the days I end up losing weight! I have a sample menu on my profile if you wanna take a look. Different things work for different people. Some still don't eat carbs, some never touch junk, etc. I personally believe moderation is they key. I do eat carbs, but never eat more than 20grams per meal (and it's not at every meal) Your protein and water intake and exercise looks great- good for you. Congrats on your success so far :-)
   — Lezlie Y.