june13sleever

Congrats!

What do you do differently now that you are "on maintenance"?

I am in constant fear of gaining the weight back. I hope that my hair grows back...it hasn't even started to grow back. I hate my skin, but it doesn't make me cry so I when I start to think yuck I get over it real quick. I just eat normal, but also since I am in constant fear I watch what I eat all the time. I don't eat whenever I am hungry because then I would be eating every two hours so I am hungry a lot more now. You get over that too because you can't give into it. Some people still have restriction...I don't. I mean I do of course, but I could eat a medium bag of popcorn over a movie and not feel a thing. I will never not have to watch what I eat so it is kind of good we monitored, weighed and counted because for some of us we will have to do it for the rest of our lives.

My experience doesn't sound much like yours at all. I never did 500 calories -- got up to 1000+ as soon as I could, and ate at least 1000 cals per day from like six weeks post-op. After a few months it was 1200-1500, and now it's 1500-2000. I've lost just fine, and worked out not at all the first nine months, then started going to the gym three times a week. But multiple-hour workouts are not really necessary IMO. I'm almost two years out now and still losing slowly here and there, not with some huge extra effort or anything. I think the honeymoon period is a 'thing' but after the honeymoon you're still married as it were.

I am not married like that... I can drink a mocha frap in 5 minutes. The whole thing. I did it once and won't do it again, but I can eat, throw down, and keep on going. You lost 90 pounds. You had wiggle room. But 2 years out and you never reached your goal. I am just saying...and you only had 10 more pounds to go. This may be nasty, but what if you didn't eat so much. You might be 10 pounds under goal. I am sure you are happy, but some people have 150 to 200 pounds to lose.

You should not eat. No fruit, no veggies. If you are hungry and it is in between eating times then stay hungry. Drink Water, but don't eat. it is a bad habit. It could potentially get worse. And fruit is nothing but sugar. You shouldn't eat it at all. Sorry I am being a bit bossy today But I am tired of people struggling and a lot of the people who are one, two, three years out disappear from the board. So I am 1.5 years out, and I am going to keep it real. I am hungry. I mean I just ate a whole chicken breast, and I can feel it digesting and can feel some hunger pangs coming. It is not easy.

We all are fat right. That is why we had or are having the surgery. It has been impossible for us to lose it on our own. Sure if we could all take a year off from life and go on the biggest loser we would be able to, but who really has that luxury. So we get the surgery. Yay for us! I am so glad I got the freaking surgery.

So when you get to one year out and can eat like a semi-normal person you will not be able to lose it on your own - If you can't do it now, you won't be able to do it in a year from now. Eventually you will be able to consume enough calories and stop losing and it will be a struggle to lose the rest...IF YOU EVER DO.

So you have this window of opportunity. For me it was a good year, but for a lot of people it might only be six months and some of the lucky ones will have it forever. BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR "FOOD" LIFE WILL BE LIKE IN SIX MONTHS, A YEAR OR FOREVER, but you do know you have the six months! That is six months to basically allow your body to survive off of all of your stored goodness, fatty cells. You basically could just drink Water and eat very little and be fine. So do that! I really ate 500 calories the first six months, and I didn't eat much on the weekends. I wasn't hungry, and I didn't like food because it made me feel all yucky.

My good fortune lasted me a year and two months, but I am done losing now.

I am really sad when I hear people say that they are struggling to get the weight off after a year. They still have 60 more to lose. That window is closed and the only way they will lose weight is through diet and working out and a lot of it. To get that weight off they might have to work out 3 hours a day and do all the impossible things that were a struggle to do in the first place which is why we had surgery.

Use the first six months wisely...make them count. If you are stalling then eat nothing. I am serious. Drink Water and cut your calories in 1/2. Work out for like 4 hours. You don't know how much time you will have. So for the first six months push yourself harder than you ever have. It is just six months and you have this excellent tool to help you.

Just say NO! I am hungry...but I would rather be hungry than fat!

Stop snacking right now. Seriously! You have to just stop. Throw the **** away and don't buy any more of it. Tell yourself NO! Unless you are 6'2" you are not down to your goal weight so it is time to put some big girl pants on, count your calories and start losing again. Today.

I keep telling people...the first year I thought I had it in the bag, and technically I did. But now at 1.5 years out, I am hungry, and I want some ice cream. BUT I HAVE TO SAY NO! (not all the time, but most of it). I want Peanut Butter cups! NO NO NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! I want chips, yum! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! I cried every day because I was fat. There is no way in hell I am going back.

NO NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONON!

And the week before your period is the worst.

You get hungry. I am also hungry. You just gotta deal and not eat. I want to eat, but I don't because I will gain. I get hungry a lot sooner after I eat. I mean just an hour or two when it used to be four to five hours. Go for a walk. Play an online game. Watch a movie. Work Out. But whatever you do, don't eat.

Thanks for the tips. Did you have many stalls? I am almost 6 weeks out down 23 pounds and have been here for 2 weeks. What did you do to break the stalls if you had them??

I never had a stall except once when I was sick. I always lost 1 to 3 pounds per week. I only weighed myself on Monday, but to be honest what I really noticed was my eating patterns during the week v. the weekend...even now I tend not to eat much over the weekend. I always eat regular during the week...4 square meals, but on the weekend I might not eat until dinner and I am on the go or sleeping. I felt like I only lost weight because of the weekend I would just say change it up. Don't do the same thing over and over and over again. Even the trainers on the biggest loser didn't like a stall and it rarely happened. Most everyone lost weight consistently even if it was 2 pounds. So if you are stalling you should change it up. work out more...work out less. change up your work out. don't eat as much one day and eat more another. I really don't know what to tell you

How tall are you?

You look awesome!!!

5'11"

Wow! You look great. You looked beautiful before though!! Do you work out every day? What did your diet consist of??

I never worked out...which is why I advise you to start before the surgery. I am still very tired. I take my Vitamins, and I get bursts of energy here and there, but working out is something that I just wish I started before the surgery. My diet is the same thing pretty much everyday.

• 2 cheese Sticks & a power bar Protein builder bar (yum) for Breakfast...Sometimes not both...just one or the other.
  
• lunch is meat...so chicken or tuna or fish or steak...just meat. I sometimes eat some veggies (cucumbers/carrots), but mostly meat. Occasionally I will eat Chili.
  
• dinner is either baked chicken and a little mac n cheese or a couple of tator tots or a frozen stoffer's microwave meal.
  
• I am always hungry after dinner so I have Peanut Butter on a couple of crackers, or some chips, or another cheese stick or some cheese and lunch meat. Sometimes an ice cream.
  
• I always try to drink something when I am hungry to make it a little longer before I have to eat. I have been hungry for the past hour, but I don't want to eat until 1pm so I will drink now because I am feeling crazy hungry and then eat at 1pm.
  

I fall between 1200 and 1800 calories per day. If I go and have a couple of 1800 calorie days I will...like the past two days...go back to eating 1000 for the day for 3 to 4 days. It is rough. I have gained a couple and then went on my couple of days of eating lower calories and went right back down. You can have your bad eating day...maybe even two...but you have to stop yourself quickly and get some control.

The bones are something to get used to, but then when I look at all the skinny people on TV you can see all their bones too so I stopped freaking out. It is normal! But really weird! I never knew I had bones

So a 130 pound loss in a year and 3 Months. That is pretty spectacular. My words of advice...

• Start working out before the surgery
  
• Lose as much weight as possible in the first six months by severe calorie restriction (500). I am hungry now, and I can eat WAY MORE...so weight gain is possible. That window of opportunity is small in comparison to the rest of your life. See...I ate Breakfast, and I am hungry again already! It is 11:30am! I ate at 9:00am! So I have to drink something until lunch or else I will eat way to much during the day!
  
• Have fun and enjoy the ride!
  

I had so much hair and have lost so much. It still isn't growing back, but I don't think that is the norm. I hate the thinness, but whatever...I am skinny!!! Let me know if you need anything! Take it easy!

You are going to Mexico??? And you are in DC good for you! At your weight you are going to be super skinny! What day do you leave? Do you live in DC or outside?

Yeah I don't drink enough either. Still get dizzy sometimes. I try to make sure I get 20 ounces in a day and that is a challenge. I could never drink 64 ounces!!!'

You can't eat like you used to in one sitting, but if there is a will there is a way. You just gotta make sure you lose as much as possible in the beginning and if you notice a gain later on take action immediately.

You gotta shake things up and not eat but like 500 calories

Yes

I feel this way. I love the full feeling so when we eat the food moves through and then we are wanting to be full again. I believe I finally now can get the full feeling. I just really have to stick with dense protien and try to really start working out.

I hate all the books. I read them after the fact and feel they are all too scary and so silly. My book would say. Eat protien and relax.

You are lucky! At 16 months I am starting to get hungry . I gotta watch it! I lost 130! Be happy you are that far out and still successful bad happy!

I am so sorry! That is really all I can say.

I am living the fear in real time. While I have been on maintenance for almost two months I feel like the first year I ate so little that now I can eat more and will gain. I still refuse to get on the scale but once a week, but my stomach now isn't the little miracle it used to be. I really have to make the decision whether or not I want to gain it back. I believe it is possible. Lose as much as you can in the beginning...

I really need to get rid of my 18/20 lane Bryant draws! I am in a medium now . All of it is so expensive!