Maintenance Phases

[sinkim]

I believe that there are different phases of "maintenance".

18-36 (ish) months I was able to eat pretty much what I wanted. I was an avid exerciser but ... I still had a free ride!

36 - 60 (ish) months - I did find I could put on a pound or two if I didn't watch what I ate, but I could also get it off really easily ...

60 months + Just a sniff of a white carb and it'll stick to my butt! I can put it on REALLY easily and it takes a HUGE effort to get it off again.

I actually find it a heck of a lot easier to just NOT put it on and stick to my rare white carb (I try to stick to complex or brown) rule than I do trying to get the excess poundage off. I seem to be able to eat protein and fat with impunity ...

What about you?

[vicky]

I continued to lose through month 24 so I wasn't in maintenance that early.

24-60 months I have gained about four pounds from my bottom weight. I have another 2-3 pounds that I bounce around depending on the time of month but it always resolves back down.

My issue is the shape of my body! Although the weight is steady the muffin top is shifting! What is up with that??

[So Blessed]

For me, maintenance was pretty effortless until I was about 6 years out. I've had a bit of bounceback and I'm working to get rid of it.

I got in a walk yesterday and I think that helped me a lot. I've gone back to basics with food and watching out for mindless eating.

Looking at my numbers from year to year, the regain isn't really as bad as I thought it was. Still, I want to be back in the 140s again.

[Deleted]

First 36 months were easy for me, I also had no desire to eat (read graze).

After relocating and going through lots of family drama I found myself looking back to food as an emotional out in dealing with stress. Gained a few and had to seriously look at my eating habits.

As some of you know, I went through a divorce early part of 2011 and lost significant weight. I'm up 9 lbs from that low weight and maintaining so far. It's definitely more challenging today than it was the first 36 months. Approaching year 7 (Feb. 21) and looking at you gals (and guys if any here) that have paved the way and hope to continue to learn from each of you.

[missliss]

I will be 8 years out in just a few days on Jan. 15th. The first 3 to 4 years were pretty easy. I had some stressful things to deal with at that point and I had some regain. I have since lost it, but it was much harder and slower to lose than before. White/simple carbs make me gain easily so I have to watch those. They stick to my butt just like you said. LOL. I do better just to limit them and stick with protein and complex carbs because it is easier keeping it off than trying to get it back off once gained.

[hala2215]

I am over 3 years but 4 months short of 4 years post op.

First 2 years - considering my complications - was easy breezy... if I could eat it - I ate it.. tough there were lots of days or weeks that I could not eat much. But when my doc fixed the second hernia - I was able to eat more. And more foods. But I was also self medicating (from before) with wine... so the extra food and the extra wine.. I gained back 10 lbs (that I wanted to gain) and another 10 -15 ... I did not. So far lost the 5 lbs... but lost motivation trying to lose the 10.
At my age - 50's - the extra 10 lbs went to right places... butt, boobs and face.. with some extra to my legs. But I can live with that.

But now - I have to really careful about carbs. So I am on mostly proteins plus fat + some veggies and fruit diet. Starchy carbs give me bad RH, and I do not want to gain weight.

Food is important, but it is just that - food. I eat like a normal skinny person. Often, not very much at one time. I still have restriction, unless I drink wine with food. But that is a completely new story...

[Ladytaz]

I am a revision so I kind of had the same type of experience. With my first surgery I lost for 2 years, to my lowest weight. I ate whatever I wanted and didn't worry about it. By the third year I had regained about 15 lbs and was fine with that. By the fifth year I had regained another 10 to 15 lbs and I could live with that. I did nothing to change my eating habits. After 5 years I really started gaining pretty fast so I decided to stop eating the refined carbs. The weight came off very slowly, as you said, and once I reached 150 lbs I couldn't lose any more. Even though I wasn't eating refined carbs I was still eating pretty large amounts due to my lack of restriction. I was perfectly happy at that weight and the way I was eating but at about 7 years I just decided I wanted to start eating refined carbs again, for various reasons, and within the year I had gained 70 lbs.
I didn't have a revision to lose weight again. To tell you the truth I pretty much gave up on the idea that WLS would help me lose weight and keep it off. I figured I was a lost cause, too far gone to have any kind of success keeping weight off. I had the revision for other reasons but my surgeon told me he would give me a pouch (I had a large sleeve) and I decided to go for it because I was afraid I would gain even more weight. I was even told I might not lose any weight but I certainly didn't want to gain any more if I could help it.
After the surgery of course they put you on the post op diet and I found it wasn't hard to follow so I decided to not add refined carbs back in my diet. That was 18 months ago. Not only did I lose weight but I have lost too much weight. I really eat pretty much the way I want except I am sugar free and gluten free. I try to have some structure to my meals and don't just eat just because there is food around. I plan my meals and my snacks, although I frequently change my plans if necessary. I am flexible but I try to stay within a range.
I stopped tracking my food because I do eat pretty consistently everyday but when I last tracked I was getting in about 2000 calories a day. It is probably more now because I have added a little more here and there. I am hoping with the bounce back it will put me in a happy place.
I try to learn from my mistakes from my first surgery. I have no intention of having any more WLS so if this doesn't work I guess I will have to live (or die) with it.
I am still in the honeymoon phase in that I do not get hungry and I have to remember to eat. I also have pretty good restriction. I know that this too will pass.
For me this is a difficult period. I know how to lose weight. I've done it a million times before. And I certainly know how to gain it. But maintaining? Not so much. That is why I love hearing about people who have maintained for a long time. It gives me hope that it can be done. I also need to hear from the people who have regained because I also need to know that it can be done.
So far I am lucky in that I don't have any issues. I do dump but since I had already decided to avoid sugar that isn't an issue. When I first started trying to stop losing weight I had problems dumping on things like high fat or too many carbs but thankfully that hasn't happened for a while. That is very unpleasant. I am also concerned about reactive hypoglycemia. I guess I'll have to deal with that if it happens.
So, what do you guys eat? How much and how often?

[So Blessed]

So, what do you guys eat? How much and how often?


Typical Day

6:30
coffee with skim milk and Sweet & Low

8:00
1/2 cup oatmeal with 1/2 tsp light butter, cinnamon and Sweet & Low
boiled egg with hot sauce

11:00
3 oz lean protein like skinless chicken
1/2 to 1 cup vegetables

1:00
apple

3:00
protein shake or some other low carb snack

6:00
same as lunch

9:00
cheese or nuts for a bedtime snack

[hala2215]

typical day for me:
coffee + almond milk or cream
B: protein shake or eggs with meat and veggies
S: some proteins (meat or yogurt with proteins)
L: same as snack or soup or salad w proteins
S: nuts or seeds or protein muffin or cookies (home made)
D: proteins + veggies
S: yogurt with proteins or fruits with nuts and cheese...

Carbs: if I eat any are flatout wrap and or fruits, veggies.
sometimes a little bit of quinoa, or a few fries (when I am out)

Some days can eat a lot, other days - 1/2 cup and I am full. Got used to that. weekday starts for me at 6-6:30.. weekends 7-8...