Your eating habits 1+ years out.

Hi everyone!  I was wondering about the eating habits of the people who are one year out or more.  I would like to know how many people still follow the rules?  Who measures their food, who journals their food.  Do you still chew, chew, chew tiny bites? Is this the way to eat for the rest of our lives to have the best success?

I'd love to read your answers!  Thanks!

I just passed the two year mark. I still weigh and log every last bite on MFP. I drink right up until meals, and never drin****il at least a half hour, usually an hour, after eating. I never drink any calories. I chew very well, but not as much or for as long asI did early out.

I have no intention of changing this any time soon. It's working for me.

...and I am coming up on the two-year mark.  I never weighed food but have a good handle on knowing what one-cup of food looks like.  I still use 1/2-cup containers for frequent chili-making.  I will continue homemade protein smoothies for breakfast until tiring of them--not yet.  Thank God for Greek yogurt, too.  I use a six-inch plate getting anxious if served food on a bigger plate (so much so I request a side plate).  I eat every 3 hours giving myself a D- at tiny bites, get in enough water waiting 1/2 hour, and am an A+ supplement-taker.  Exercise is my least favorite rule but was ramped up a little this summer.  Being the volunteer facilitator of our local WLS support group keeps me a religious attendee learning so much from monthly guest speakers who generously give of their time to help people like us (for example, the last guest speaker is a local radio personality who had WLS complications leading to 23 follow-up surgeries, yes 23, not a typo). Lastly, I hardly ever miss a day here on OH thankful for the help, encouragement, warnings, funnies, honest criticism, and more.   

I am two years out and maintaining at more that 20 pounds below goal for one year. I still exercise every day,don't drink for at least 30 minutes after meals and measure my food when I am at home,which is most of the time. I still eat slowly but don't chew quite as much as I did at first. I also log and track my food every day and intend to keep doing all these things so I can keep all my weight off.

Rules... well I found those vary A LOT. I've eaten pretty much the same way since about 4 months on.... 8+ years now. High protein, complex carb, moderate fats. I have some foods I have chosen not to eat post WLS (physically I'm sure I could, I chose not to reintroduce a few), I don't drink till at least 45 minutes after eating... sometimes more depending on the density of the food, I physically can't but I know tons of post-ops who do and have no issues. We are all unique snowflakes LOL. 

I do journal but not everyday. I did for about 3 years now it's more like every few weeks I'll do a week or so to make sure I'm on track or if I make a new recipe I enter that day. I do plan my meals a day at least in advance (most days) and so that helps A LOT (highly recommend) it gives you a visual, helps balance the day protein, carbs, fats, and helps you not "crap grab" as I call it. Helps with $ too... utilization of leftovers.

Chewing becomes less of a thing, new normal I guess... I just chew, it is more than a non-op for sure but I know the foods by now that need more effort or could give me issues. 

Best wishes to you! 

~Michelle "Shelly"

I will add that after a few years I came to realize that a lot of WLS is a head thing (slaying the dragons, learning new coping mechanisms, working through the why's of why I gained, etc.) so working on the healthy mind part has made me feel more successful and makes the healthy living in body easier. 

I measure my food most of the time.  I usually do not journal it but I have not done that since pretty early out.  I track protein occasionally to see how much I am getting and once in a while I will count calories for a couple days to see where I am but that's it.  I take normal bites (I think they are normal anyway, not super small but not really big, either) and I chew well.  I don't drink with meals or for about half an hour after eating.  I eat mostly healthy stuff but eat "treats" in occasionally in small amounts (OK, usually in small amounts, sometimes a little more than that, I am not perfect).

When you talk about "following rules," I think it is important to remember that different people were probably given different "rules" or recommendations by different surgeons and dieticians.

I don't follow all the advice I was given by my surgeon because after doing some research, I realized there was no basis for some of his advice.  For instance, he told me that drinking carbonated beverages would stretch my pouch and basic physics tells me that is just not possible.  So I drink carbonated stuff when I want it.  He told me caffeine would cause ulcers but most sources say it rarely if ever does.  I avoid caffeine most of the time for other reasons, but not because my surgeon told me to.

This is good to hear as it is my basic strategy too. I generally have a mental calorie and protein count going so I know I'm not too far off base, but find the process of journaling or logging every bite that goes into my mouth horribly restrictive and depressing. I just can't keep it up. I also raised an eyebrow at the carbonation recommendations (and no straw recommendation). Generally when I say these things though I get back "well you're in the honeymoon period." I am, it's true, but I'm not sure that makes my strategy invalid. I'm glad to hear it works for you. I will be happy to change these things if they no longer work for me in the future, but for right now things seem good.

I just hit 7 years out.  I NEVER actually measured my food, not even immediately post-op, so that one would be a "no". I haven't logged food on a daily basis since about 6 months out, so that would also be a "no".   I do, however, track my daily protein intake in my head.

I still chew my food very well because my surgeon indicated that we permanently need as much breakdown from the chewing process and from the saliva as possible to help make up for no longer having the same amount of gastric juices and have the shortened intestine.

I still eat protein first at every meal, and  rarely drink with meals (and, if I do, it is just a sip or two).

The food measuring and tracking aren't mandatory for everyone to be successful (lots of people let go of those when they feel confident they can control their portions and food choices without them), but I absolutely believe that the protein-forward and no-drinking-with-meals rules are critical for us to maintain our loss long term (no matter what one person says here about her ability to drink with meals.... she also only eats once per day, and doesn't regularly take vitamins, which both go against almost every surgeon's recommendations).

For some people, though, the measuring and tracking ARE necessary.  They key is finding out what you need to do to keep yourself successful.

Lora

I'm 18 months past surgery and logged food intake/protein intake/liquid intake RELIGIOUSLY...until I hit my 14th month.  Then it wa**** and miss and slowly became more miss than hit.  I've just gone through a plateau, and when I got off of the plateau...I started gaining.  Whatever you do, please continue to log!!  And listen to your doc's advice regarding exercise.  I've been logging for the last week and am planning on increasing my exercise soon.  Looking forward to losing a bit more.  Good luck!!

Please see my profile page if interested. I detail my RNY experience there.