Unless it has foods like raw broccoli and lots of very fibrous veggies and a good protein source salads are going to break down into nothing very quickly, and it's also going to flow through that little pouch quickly leaving you unsatisfied. I really doubt salads will ever be in my meal plan again, they left me feeling empty before surgery, so I haven't even thought about it since surgery.
We should be eating an adequate amount of protein before anything else, followed by high fiber vegetables. Eat very slowly over 20-30 minutes. I was actually told I could drink right up to the point of eating, so I have never really monitored that very closely, but I do wait 30 minutes after to give the food I've eaten a good chance to start activating my satiety hormones in my gut and intestines.
I hate some generalizations by dieticians and doctors that treat everyone the same when it comes to calorie intake. First, every person's body is different, and more importantly all calories are not the same....yes, they are measured the same, but calories are a measure of physics, not physiology. Your body doesn't know what is or isn't a high calorie food, it just knows how to respond to whatever nutrients you are putting in your system. For example, your body does not react to 100 calories of chicken like it would 100 calories of sugar...totally different reactions, totally different hormonal reactions and those calories will not leave your body at the same rate.
Some people need more calories with more nutrients to fuel their fire, others do not. Each of us needs to find what works for ourselves, and we still need to be aware that stalls will happen to all of us, for days weeks and sometimes months. None of that is really important. Building habits that will last the rest of our life is the key that seems to be the common denominator of people who have had success for 5, 10, 15 or more years from what I've seen.
Following the dietary guidelines will benefit each of us in many ways beyond the scale, and our body is not going to sprint through this. It's going to do what it's going to do. Focus on healthy habits (btw, weighing 6 times a day is not a healthy habit), building a new, positive relationship with food, and improving your overall quality of life. F&%k the scale. I know it will forever be a measure we refer to, but it can't be the focus. There are too many other good things that come from this surgery that should be the focus.
The best possible thing to do is to choose good, clean protein, high fiber veggies, and drink, drink, drink water. You will have a calorie deficit and you will lose weight over time as your body sees fit to let it go.
LOL
