Differences

Approximately 30% of people dump-and the only way to know if you do is to find out if and when you eat something that makes you dump. It also doesn't always happen every time with the same foods.

And it is quite unpleasant. I do not dump-regularly. I have though on occasion, generally on fried stuff or desserts. The carb coma is more of an issue for me.

 I think the telling thing here is 'out of habit'.  'out of habit' is what got me MO to begin with.  we HAVE to change our habits to succeed.  Mindful eating.

am i 100% - of course not, but I am working hard to realize that doing what i always did got me in a bad spot that i dont' want to be in again.

Baklava and holiday cookies are OFF YOUR RADAR.  You can't have them. Period.  (I know some people can do moderation farther out, but not this soon out after surgery.)

You HAVE to break your old habits. Don't reach for it. Just don't even go there. Be vigilant.

When my kids were little and I was trying to avoid holiday cookies I delegated holiday cookie baking to my mom.  She had a great time with the kids, and I wasn't surrounded by temptation.

You have to find what works for you.

I didn't incorporate my old faves until maintenance. In maintenance I live by the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time I make very good choices-and I always follow the basic rules of my surgery (protein first, no drinking with meals, wait 45 minutes to resume drinking, no soda). Soda is very uncomfortable for me so I avoid it.

I guess some people can live forever with no chips, candy, potatoes, burgers etc. I am not one of them. If I could, I would not have needed WLS. The surgery has allowed me to now eat 2 cookies and not the whole bag-in maintenance I eat like a normal weight person.

I work out 5-6 days a week too, so I burn a lot of calories.

My advice is never say never, and write your own success story by finding what works for you-for life.

 I don't do moderation.  I'm an all-or-nothing kind of person.  It's a slippery slope and I'm not willing to start sliding.  I will never eat another cookie, cupcake, etc. again.  No more soda.  It was hell getting off it, and I don't see a reason to go back on it.

I do eat Chinese food, but no fried rice, lo mein, etc.  Happy Family is good. It's protein and vegetables, in a non-sweet sauce.  I do fine with cashew chicken, beef and brocolli, General Tso's chicken, etc. 

I also eat sugar-free ice cream, but no regular ice cream.  And I eat the bars, for portion control.

I wouldn't go back to my old favorites because thats what caused me to gain in the first place. I can't do icecream at all, as I am now lactose intolerant. If I do eat chinese or anything, It is always protein first.

I would encourage you to spend the first year truly EMBRACING new eating habits and eliminating things like ice cream, cookies, chips, etc. yes, you will probably be able to eat them again one day, but your greatest chance of long-term success with maintaining your loss depends of you committing to healthier eating.

I have probably said this a hundred times, but it is true... I never met ANYONE who said they wished they had allowed themselves to have "junk food" sooner than they did, but I have met PLENTY of people *****gretted introducing them back in too soon.

I would suggest that you steer clear of the ice cream and soda for the first 9-12 months, but there's nothing wrong with a bite of Chinese food. If you choose wisely (avoiding high sugar sauces and fried items), you can eat an entire meal of Chinese food once you are cleared for all foods.

Lora

 Why did you have the surgery if you didn't want to give that stuff up and find a healthy way to eat. You can fix good tasting food and make it healthy. Search for recipes that can help you with this. 
Personally it has been uphill for me but I'm gonna follow the rules and loose the weight and keep it off. I want to live healthy.

Everyone here finds their own "correct" way. MY path has been (and hopefully will stay.....never say never!) not going back to my crappy food plan. In my 4 years since RNY I have had NO candy, soda, cake or ice cream. I have had Chinese food, but not before I was at goal and then it was still protein first. After the protein I may or may not have had room that day for a bite or 2 of rice.

I live on the seacoast of New Hampshire so fresh seafood has always been a favorite of mine. One of the ways I could make it UNhealthy was by eating it fried. I have eaten fried lobster, fried clams and fried shrimp and will again. I say that I have......but not often, tops 2 times in a year. If I was trying to keep the calories down or was fighting the battle of the pounds I wouldn't do that. 

That's what works for me. I don't feel at all like I am denying myself anything that I really want though. Somehow it is easy for me to NOT have these things.

 I agree with Lora. Spend as long as you possibly can learning, embracing and really getting a feel for your new eating lifestyle. This is how it becomes second nature to you to choose healthier things instead of the old standby's.

But to answer your direct question. Old favorites aren't really my favorites anymore. My tastes changed quite significantly. I USED to love ice cream. I don't hate it now but it's fairly low on my priority list. It seems things that are savory always win out. Chinese food is a big NEGATIVE! I know MSG makes me deathly ill and I forgot to say "No MSG" enough times and got sick that I now have a "mind thing" about Chinese food. 

I won't lie. I have a soda every now and again. But I didn't until about...two years maybe? Soda is sort of futile. The gas fills your pouch and you hardly get any liquid. And you spend more time than a regular person burping it back out. It just isn't worth it most of the time.

But I would also encourage you to embrace remade versions of your old favorites. There is NO food that can't be made weight loss surgery friendly! No, you may not be able to eat it in exactly the same form you did before, but I have not found a single taste I wanted after surgery that I couldn't find a way to have.

Check out my website (link in my signature) to see how that plays out in my eating life. Then you can decide how it should play out in yours!

Hope that helps.