Thanks for your response. You kinda nailed what I've been thinking about maybe needing more structure. I want to succeed at this and I need to try new and different strategies now instead of waiting until I'm trying to maintain.

While I'm just starting out I can't speak into most of this, but I have watched countless YouTube videos of others' journeys and their experiences with "stalls".  All of them have had various stalls at certain times that left them concerned that they were done losing the weight and that their honeymoon stage was over.  They just stayed consistent and the stalls eventually broke and they continued to lose.  

Hello, 

I think there are a lot of different styles out there.  Is what you are doing working for you?  

On a very much non-expert note, personally I have purposely tried to do things differently post WLS.  The first year is an ideal time to try different strategies.  You mention that your previous habits were "not good" and did not lead to the best choices.  If you truly believe that, maybe it is time to add other tools to your toolbox? 

I would bet that the what cha eating posts are relatively loose guides to the poster's intention.  Setting an intention is a practice in itself.  

I do best with structure but even I don't regularly pre-populate mfp in the morning.  I have a bunch of regular meals that I have used so often that I have a rhythm of what works.  I do play around with mfp if I am going to try to add something new in.  It isn't so much that I don't have an idea of a food's macros (I am usually pretty good at that) but I am sometimes delusional at the time of the meal so that I eat more than I should. 

Best wishes!  

When I am at home or work.... nothing specific.  I do have food for work in the freezer ready to go so I can just grab an entrée along with either greek yogurt, a fruit (i.e. pear, peach singles, no sugar added, 1.5 oz raisins, etc.) maybe a few veggies (carrot sticks) and a skim milk snack for break along with a bottle of water 24 oz. that I refill at least once and drink during the day.

At home, not nearly as planned, but I have things on hand that are good choices so that helps. Freezer stuff, frozen fish, shrimp, burgers to grill, chicken breasts to stir fry, eggs, and other meats if all else fails.

I always have some protein drinks available to take along, if traveling, if I think my choices eating out aren't going to necessarily be the best so I can supplement with those.

We do cooking on Sundays and use those for lunches to freeze.  Chili, stirfry (heavy on the chicken or protein even adding tofu to up the protein), jambalaya (lots of shrimp, andouille, chicken, easy on the rice), refried beans, eggplant parm with a little meat for more protein.

Snacks for me... I keep these handy in the cupboard.  Nuts, dark chocolate (on occasion, and this is raw dark chocolate so pretty bitter but it satisifies me when I want chocolate), cheese (I buy expensive hard cheese and slice off about an ounce to nibble on) such as smoked gouda, asiago, etc. love that.  It lasts forever, so it really isn't too bad as far as an expense.  Skim milk is the recommended snack from my physician and I will add Instant Carnation breakfast to it for more protein and flavor.  The chocolate makes a nice hot chocolate.

So the bottom line is I have food to grab... do I know what I am eating a lot of times... no, sometimes it is a surprise at work to know exactly what I grabbed from the freezer lol.

I don't think you're out of line at all. I don't trust the FDA.