I had VSG March 2015. I eat whole foods. Typically 8-10 times a day. When I 'm hungry, I have a healthy snack or water. When I'm not hungry, I don't eat. I make crock pot 1-2 times a week and that gives me 4 meals or more. I eat LOTS of fruits and vegetables, meats, cheeses, beans and nuts. I try to stay away from processed food. And RARELY have refined sugar or carbs. I exercise regulary so I'm typically eating throughout the day. I estimate I'm consuming 2,000-3,000 calories a day (I don't really pay attn to it though). I'm at a lower weight than my surgeon said would be "ideal". I've been about this weight or lower for 16 months. If you ditch all the processed stuff (bars, shakes, etc) you can eat a lot and still maintain a healthy weight. Or you can eat that stuff and limit calories. To each his/her own.

I'm 5 months post-op from VSG. Weekends might have more variety, but I keep things pretty routine on weekdays. This is what a typical weekday looks like for me...

6:45AM - Banana Smoothie (half a Premier Protein shake, half a banana, 1/4c. greek yogurt and a cup of ice)

9:30AM - 1oz. Sharp Cheddar

11:00AM - 3/4c. Chicken Salad (baked chicken breast, almonds, dried cranberries and light mayo)

2:30PM - 2c. Garden Salad (mixed greens, shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, blue cheese crumbles, sugar-free raspberry salad dressing)

6:30PM - 4oz. of a protein (typically shrimp, chicken breast or steak) and 1/2c. of a veggie (usually broccoli, green beans or butternut squash)

8:30PM - 1c. of melon chunks or 1 square of dark chocolate (the really dark kind with almost no sugar - definitely an acquired taste)

I'm still steering clear of bread/pasta/rice. I'll have a few bites from time to time (usually if I'm eating at an event), but they still don't sit well. Carbs feel really heavy in my stomach. I'm also steering clear of sweets (other than fruit). Sweets do not sit heavy in my stomach. Sweets go down super easy and if I let them back into my life as more than an occasional treat, I know it could be really easy to ruin all the hard work I've been doing. I'm trying to train myself that sweets are a rare treat not just an it's Thursday night kind of thing.

I am 3 1/2 years post VSG. This is what a typical day looks like for me -

Breakfast - I am not an early morning breakfast eater so about 9-10 am at work I eat an Icelandic yogurt (to me better taste that Greek and still high protein) with a tablespoon of peanut butter added

Lunch - I tend to cook in bulk on weekends so I have something to bring for lunch during the week. Usually that's chile verde, chili, some kind of roast meat or baked chicken - if it's meat it's about 4 oz with a little bit of veggies like cauliflower or broccoli rice, other foods usually a measuring cup full

Afternoon snack - a couple of hard boiled eggs, maybe some veggies and hummus, maybe a protein bar or beef jerky or a small piece of fruit

Dinner - Often I make scrambled egg whites with some chopped up turkey bacon, mushrooms, maybe a little spinach or roasted peppers, and a little cheese. Sometimes I will make chicken patties that I get from Costco and top it with some sauteed veggies, sometimes I have soup, it just depends

Generally, when I eat protein dense foods like meat, 4-6 ounces is the most I can eat, measured foods like soups or chili, I try to stick with one measuring cup full. I do love to cook and I do experiment with recipes to make them more suitable for my diet, but during the week especially I tend to be a creature of habit and it works.

AllisonMart wrote: »

Every doctor will give you different instructions. The best advice I can give is to do what they say! I've been following my nutritionist's info religiously and it's working great.

There is no better advice. Follow the doctor's instructions, if it's not working for you call them and create a new plan with their guidance. I followed the doctor's instuctions and went from 233 to 130. It wasn't always fun but it was doable.

My meals have evolved over the 2.5 years since I had surgery. For the first year and a half I was very strict on my food selection. I've relaxed it a bit since then. Once every two weeks I let go a little and just have something I like, still watching the portion size and caloire count. I still never consume more than 8 ounces per meal.

There are people that will tell you to never eat a carb or have a gram of sugar or fat but you have to do what works for your body. There is no right or wrong in my opinion. If it works for you it's right.

To give you an Idea of what real food stage can look like. Here is a link to my dietician's bariatric friendly recipe site.
insidekarenskitchen.com/bariatric-friendly-recipes/