Well if the truth be known I could eat anything my own arm included. My restriction does exist but in a very weird way. Some days I can eat what a 'normal' person might then others I can't eat 1/6th of that.
For me its a case of trying to do the best I can. My aim is not to eat carbs especially ones I would like to like to e.g loads of bread. So ideally I eat protein - and try (not always succeed) to ensure it is 'dense' protein like chicken, meat not mince which slips down and add in veg and fruit.
This is what I found such a struggle and its not just after having WLS. Much as I wanted it to be WLS has never been the whole solution, it helps me not to overeat SOMETIMES but I find I could easily force my way through that restriction as the years go by. Didn't I feel let down, I paid out £10,000 pounds and couldn't get the ultimate stop me overeating machine I longed for. Well I eventually learned to say to myself "for goodness sake GROW UP". Does that sound harsh? Not what anyone wants to hear? Believe me it wasn't what I wanted, no way. I thought I paid the price, made the ultimate sacrifice, if you will, ensured I would never be able to stuff myself again surely by all that was reasonable I would always be slim?
Well welcome to 6 years out. Now some may have that halcyon journey where you loose like a dream, you suddenly start exercising and love it, your restriction is as strong as strong. Well every good wish to you. For me …I wish!!! I struggled the weight off. Stalls lets not go there …can happen at 3 weeks…tick did that, often at XYZ…didn't miss one of them. Felt like giving up…often, did I? Yep some times but I dug deep and somehow I got back on track. Managed to exceed expected weight loss my lord i did it. Surely any decent god would have recognised that and made me a saint who would remain at 10 stone for ever??
Well no he was out that day or even that year. Like every other 'diet' I got bored, I failed to follow the rules, I could eat more and I did. I could certainly get back to drinking and I did. Luckily I embarked on a very expensive round of plastic surgery. My surgeon had standards he didn't just take your cash private or not you had to remain at a BMI. I wanted the surgery so I kept myself in check and it was bloody hard.
Then that was over no more hoops to jump through. I liked the new me and that kept me Ok for a while, then my restriction got less and I got slack again and then slacker. Fortunately or not as I expanded suddenly I got ill and weight came off like a dream, then oh lord like a nightmare, 10lbs in a day followed by 7 lbs in 3 days. Good lord I am ill.
Now thats over and yes I weigh just below 10 stone. How delightful 6 years out and well below target, pleased? Nope fearful of what the struggle will be to remain at target now
So a long drawn out answer to really say what you eat is important to maintaining. BUT it is the most difficult phase and so hard to commit to long term. You can get advice and its all useful but essentially only you can work out what you are prepared to do to maintain your weight. It may be diet, it may need exercise, it might be something else.
I hope that you find the answer for you just as I know soon I will be searching for the long term answer for me, will that be easy? No it won't. My bypass will help to some extent and i know better now than to force my way through restriction when it occurs. I am finally starting to recognise the real truth of dieting after over 45 years of failing. The diet is the easy bit it is having the will to change completely which ensures you maintain. For me WLS or not this is the main thing I need to understand and it is so hard.
Good luck to all of us
x
