DLCoggin

If you're reading this, please participate! So, it's a week before Thanksgiving and I thought it would be fun to post a new positive thread each day up to next Thursday. For this first one, how about you give a shout out to at least one person on this site that you are thankful for! Maybe it's someone you just met, but inspires you. Maybe it's someone pre-op that you identify with. Maybe it's someone post-op that makes you feel like anything is possible. Whoever it is, give them a thank-you here and make sure you tag them
I am thankful for @@The Candidate, for new friendship and the promise of a good laugh. I am thankful for @@Kindle for her recipes and stories, @@LipstickLady for telling it like it is, @@Miss Mac for always being the voice of encouragement, @@BeagleLover for being the first to reply to me when I got here, @@woo woo for sending me samples of extra Protein packs she had. I could name so many more! Who are you thankful for? Let's make this the nicest thread going!

Since having my surgery on October 20, 2011, I have set a "main" goal every year. Year one was obvious, get to the weight that my body wanted to be at. Approximately fourteen months post-op I hit 155 lbs, my weight loss leveled out, I felt great about my weight, about myself, and about what I had accomplished.
Year two. I had read so many times about "bounce back weight gain". Usually ten or fifteen pounds but sometimes much more. I researched everything I could find and there appeared to be no physical or metabolic justification for the weight gain. It was/is quite common, but I could find no science to explain it. So my year two goal became to avoid the bounce back. I established a window of 151 to 156 lbs that I was determined to maintain. I changed my weigh-ins schedule from my year one weekly weight checks to year two daily checks. My weight in year two was seldom below 151 (maybe two or three times) and never above 156.
Year three. As you get further out veterans who have "been there done that" often drop off of the forums. It became more difficult to identify potential "bumps in the road" that were common in the third year post-op period. Then over a period of time I read a number of posts by a five year veteran who repeatedly stressed that maintaining your weight becomes more difficult, m u c h more difficult, after the two year mark. And responses to this member's posts seemed to confirm that many had experienced the same difficulties. Once again I looked to science for an explanation and possible suggestions for avoiding or at least minimizing the challenges. And once again I was unable to identify any credible science to explain the problem. So my year three goal became more of a mental challenge than a physical one. I had lost 130 lbs. And I had maintained it for a year. The goal for year three became to maintain my commitment, and my focus, on following my plan that had resulted in the success I had achieved.
Stay positive. Stay patient. Monitor my weight daily and respond very quickly to weight changes. Making slight increases or decreases in my calorie goal depending on whether I needed to gain or lose two or three pounds. Exercise to my ability. Continue to maintain a food log. The result? I frankly never experienced any identifiable change in my diet, in the effort required to maintain my weight, or in my confidence that I was in complete and absolute control of my weight. No changes. None. Zip. And my weight this morning? 154.2
I only have one problem - I'm at a total loss for a year four goal! Everyone's thoughts, suggestions, ideas or experiences are most welcome!!
You guys have a terrific day and regardless of where you're at in your journey always remember - follow your plan and you're gonna love the new you!

My husband is a first responder and you need to have your med id in your body. in 14 years he never looked in glove compartments or trunks or wallets. ..they dont have time. They are only looking at you and keeping you alive. Sometimes a car accident the purse or wallet is no where to be found as well and they don't know its for you. And if you are in a hotel or house fire they still won't have this info. A on person id is the way to go

Thanks @DLCoggin... I'm currently around 800 calories a day regularly, so I'd have a LONG way to go to even get up to 1200/day. Maybe I'll start now just increasing and getting up to around 1000/day even though I could still lose more and be healthy. I've been focused on BMI but I'm going to have a body fat analysis done, too, next week and try to set a goal based on a % body fat. I know they are closely related but I've been working out with weights pretty hard so I might want to be at a little higher weight than if I weren't.
I think a little fear has crept in that I won't know when or how to stop. I already feel a little bony in places (wrist, elbows, collar bones) and I don't feel like my brain has caught up with what the body looks like, so I'm not feeling like I can trust my eyes to tell me when I'm where I shoudl be. And the loose skin around the belly always stands out to me... no matter how much I lose and lift and plank, I'm not gonna have concave, six-pack abs.
I'm going to meet with the nutritionist again and get this body fat analysis done and try to see if I can come up with a healthy number that's specific for me and then just try to land within about 10 pounds of it somewhere.
Thanks for your help again -- I'm sure I'll be back asking more questions!

Carol - wow! Talk about success stories! You are like the poster person for gastric bypass!
It is unfortunate that so many of the vets drop off the forum after reaching their goals. I don't post replies as often as I once did (you can only answer the same question so many times and then it's time for others to take over) but I still monitor the forum on a regular basis and try to help out where I can. I firmly believe that, like a person that has the disease of alcoholism, I will always have the disease of obesity. Whether you're one year post-op or ten years post-op, managing your weight is a life long endeavor. Reading the victories, challenges, and lessons learned by others is an invaluable tool for maintaining my commitment. You never stop learning.
Have a great day!!

Hi Ginger and a huge congratulations on your success!! Great job!!
I went into my weight loss journey with the idea that my body would tell me when it was at the weight it wanted to be. I never set a goal weight. Intentionally avoided forming any expectation of how long it would/could take. After averaging just slightly under 1300 calories/day for fourteen months, my weight loss slowed to a crawl and eventually just stopped. After several weeks at the same weight, I knew I had arrived at my destination.
Then I had exactly the same question you have - now what? Seemed like a good question to ask my surgeon. She told me that 1) she did not want me to lose any more weight (BMI is/was 22.9) and 2) she recommended about 1800 calories/day for weight maintenance. I felt that jumping from 1300 calories/day to 1800 calories/day was more than a little uncomfortable. So I decided to work my way up to 1600 calories. I changed my calorie goal to 1450 and maintained that for about two months. All the while checking my weight on a daily basis. I had established a window of 151-156 pounds that I wanted to maintain. To be honest, I was somewhat surprised that even though I had increased my average calorie intake, my weight remained in that window. So after a couple of months, I increased it again to 1600 calories. And once again, there was no change in my weight - for about four or five months. In fact I thought I had found my "number" - 1600 calories.
But after four or five months at 1600, I started struggling to keep my weight above my 151 minimum. To this day I have no idea why. My diet had not changed. My calorie goal had not changed. My exercise had not changed. But my weight was dropping. So I increased my calorie goal again - this time to 1750. I have been at that daily goal for over a year now and my weight has been rock solid within my window. My weight this morning was 152.2.
I should note that I am an avid fan of maintaining a food log. I've been logging in My Fitness Pal for over three years. This is a good example of just one of the many benefits of logging. No log is absolutely accurate no matter how hard we may try but I do everything I can to make my entries as accurate as possible. My log was priceless in helping me make the calorie adjustments and then monitor the results in terms of my weight. Without my log, calorie intake would have been a guess. An educated guess, but a guess all the same. Logging is a huge confidence booster!
Congratulations again!!

During the "rapid weight loss" stage of my journey I weighed once a week, even once every two weeks if I could stand it. Daily weigh-ins can be frustrating at best and self-defeating at worst during this stage.
Once I transitioned into the "maintenance" stage, I started to weigh every day for weight management purposes. I established a weight window of 151-156 lbs. My daily weigh-ins give me immediate feedback on how I'm doing. More importantly, they allow me to identify and respond to two or three pound shifts (up or down) immediately. If my weight is a little high, I decrease my calorie goal by 100-200 calories for a day or two and my weight comes right back down. If it's a little low, a 100-200 calorie increase for a day or two and it comes right back up. I've done both many times. Works like a charm. My weight has not been above 156 for two years. It did slip below 151 two or three times but was easy to correct. Today's weight - 153.8.
I've been logging in My Fitness Pal for over three years and it is an amazing tool for truly managing your weight. As opposed to your weight managing you. It puts me in complete control. The confidence from knowing that is priceless. Making a two or three pound correction is a snap. Correcting 10, 20 or more pounds - considerably more challenging.

WLS Do’s and Don’ts

DO remove the word ONLY from your vocabulary. Ex: I’ve ONLY lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks… Now let’s look at this again without the word ONLY: I’ve lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks!! See what I mean? Perception is reality folks!!

DON’T assume you’ll never eat all of your favorite foods again. This is just an excuse your brain has designed to allow you to indulge. You WILL eat all your favorites again someday, just much less but find it to me more enjoyable. Which leads directly into the next:

DON’T do the “last meal” syndrome. You will only sabotage your weight loss you might have pre-surgery or set you back further from your ultimate goal post-op. This surgery is very serious and is for the serious minded. Use this time wisely to get the feeling of how life might be like post op.

DO learn all of the rules pre-op that you will endure post-op. Such as, no drinking with meals, using smaller utensils and plates, engaging in some type of workout routine, limiting your sugar and sodium intake, joining as many WLS support groups as you can.

DO Celebrate every single pound lost! Imagine one pound of butter. Yeah… that’s gone from your body forever. It is noteworthy and worth every bit of a pat on the back as any others that may go along with it.

DON’T compare your successes and losses to others. Chances are very high that you will only come out on the short end and only find yourself disappointed. Everyone’s journeys are their own…

DO keep track of your losses in many different ways than just the scale! Examples:

DO keep one set of your largest clothes you’ve ever worn. Make it a point to try them on, especially when you’re having a down moment. You will find this will really pick up your spirits! This is a real rollercoaster of a ride, and anything that will keep you positive is what you should do!

DON'T keep any other fat clothes around. Get rid of them ASAP. You're never going to fit them again, right? So... off to donations they go.

DO take photos of yourself just before your surgery. Keep them close. Again, having a bad day? Look at them and compare them. As a matter of fact, take photos of yourself often. You will also find that the more you lose, the more you will want to take pictures. Nothing wrong with that!!! That goes with celebrating your losses.

DO take measurements of yourself often. Keeping track of all your inches lost will really keep you on the right track when your scale is being stubborn!!

DO reward yourself every time you hit a mini goal. Make some more worthy than others. I like to go shopping when I hit a goal, it is my favorite thing to do now.

DON’T let the scale define you. Great majority of us will endure many fluctuations and stalls in this journey. It is what it is… patience is the key here. Meditate and envision yourself months down the road at your goal. Smile, then move on!!

DO find out about measuring body fat! It’s more than just weight loss, FAT LOSS is the real goal here. Keep in mind that the BMI scale is greatly inaccurate and most Health Studies do prove this. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) our body fat % ranges should be average: 25-31% for Women and 18-24% for men. Any higher is considered obese. However it does go more in depth, according to ages and more. Everyone has different genetic make ups, frame sizes and fitness levels... even a different ethnicity can post differences.

DO have many goals in sight. Having only one, especially a simple weight goal you will find can be difficult. Have many MINI goals along your journey, and more than just ones that involve the scale. Such as, clothing size goals, body fat% goals, fitness or workout goals, dietary goals, etc…

DO challenge yourself always!! Whether it’s a global challenge with others, or personal challenges... It will keep you motivated and always willing to go further than you ever thought you could!

DO have a mentor! Find someone that you can trust and confide in, and that you know has “been there”. Preferably someone you know in person. You will find many folks in your life who have been there, for obesity is worldwide now and there are so many who have been able to defeat this demon. It’s not easy! It quite literally is the toughest feat I’ve ever had to endure. I can say this too, my job will never be done. This is for life!
DON'T believe the myth that your tool has an expiration date. Yes, it's true you will lose the most weight in the first year and it's also true that the further out you are and the closer you are to goal, the harder it is to lose. However, as long as you keep up with your healthy eating and fitness routines you will continue to lose weight and / or keep it off in the many years post op. It all boils down to calories in vs. calories out.
DON'T believe the myth that having WLS will keep the weight off forever. That is our individual responsibility.

And finally…

DON’T ever beat yourself up! We all make mistakes, and dare I say not one person on this Earth is perfect. I try hard to be, no doubt! I always admit that I’m a perfectionist – but I’m far from perfect. I just try to be… The only thing you can do is pick yourself up, give yourself a pep talk, perhaps contact your mentor for reassurance and move on!!! Again, this is for life. Every day you wake up is a second chance.

DO look for solutions to your problems. Otherwise they will just become excuses.


DON’T EVER GIVE UP! I don’t think any explanation is necessary here.

DON'T expect the scale to post a loss every single day. As a matter of fact, don't expect it to move that much even weekly! Just keep doing all the right things and the scale will move in the right direction when it needs to.

DO expect to see fluctuations on the scale, both down AND up. DON'T lose your head over it either. This isn't a miracle cure and the weight isn't going to magically disappear in a few weeks. You have to keep pushing with healthy eating, some type of workout and getting plenty of Fluid.

DON'T let the scale define your journey when there are so many pieces to that puzzle!!!



Good luck to all of you. This journey is a tough one, but if you are here, then you believed in yourself enough to give yourself the life you’ve always dreamed of. YOU WILL BE successful. Always keep that in mind.

Add-ons by other experienced sleevers:

DO keep a list of NSV (Non scale victories) to reflect on when times are getting hard. Can you walk up 2 extra flights of stairs before getting winded? Cross your legs?" and

"DO NOT be afraid to change things if they aren't working. Stalls happen even gains happen. If you are on a long stall look at your eating and decided if changes need to be made. Utilize your tool!" -- Southern Sleever

DO: Keep a food diary of what you eat and drink. This is a great learning tool as to which foods have what amounts of fat, Protein and carbs that add up to your daily intake goals. There are many ways to diary your food - from old fashioned pen and notebook to many options via smartphone apps. Keeping one is the important thing - however is right for you. I use mine now to look back for meal ideas when I hit a blank as to what to prepare for a day or a week.

DO: Realize this is not a diet to be followed for a while then set aside. This is a permanent lifestyle change. Yes, the amount of food you eat will increase as time passes, but your relationship with food will be forever altered. How you Celebrate your joys, successes and holidays will be different. How you mourn your sorrows will be different. Some people need outside help to get through the sometimes overwhelming mental changes this process brings. If you need help with this part of the deal- reach out and get it. -- SKCUNNINGHAM

DO roll with the punches!! -- fern

Carol - wow! Talk about success stories! You are like the poster person for gastric bypass!
It is unfortunate that so many of the vets drop off the forum after reaching their goals. I don't post replies as often as I once did (you can only answer the same question so many times and then it's time for others to take over) but I still monitor the forum on a regular basis and try to help out where I can. I firmly believe that, like a person that has the disease of alcoholism, I will always have the disease of obesity. Whether you're one year post-op or ten years post-op, managing your weight is a life long endeavor. Reading the victories, challenges, and lessons learned by others is an invaluable tool for maintaining my commitment. You never stop learning.
Have a great day!!

Hi Ginger and a huge congratulations on your success!! Great job!!
I went into my weight loss journey with the idea that my body would tell me when it was at the weight it wanted to be. I never set a goal weight. Intentionally avoided forming any expectation of how long it would/could take. After averaging just slightly under 1300 calories/day for fourteen months, my weight loss slowed to a crawl and eventually just stopped. After several weeks at the same weight, I knew I had arrived at my destination.
Then I had exactly the same question you have - now what? Seemed like a good question to ask my surgeon. She told me that 1) she did not want me to lose any more weight (BMI is/was 22.9) and 2) she recommended about 1800 calories/day for weight maintenance. I felt that jumping from 1300 calories/day to 1800 calories/day was more than a little uncomfortable. So I decided to work my way up to 1600 calories. I changed my calorie goal to 1450 and maintained that for about two months. All the while checking my weight on a daily basis. I had established a window of 151-156 pounds that I wanted to maintain. To be honest, I was somewhat surprised that even though I had increased my average calorie intake, my weight remained in that window. So after a couple of months, I increased it again to 1600 calories. And once again, there was no change in my weight - for about four or five months. In fact I thought I had found my "number" - 1600 calories.
But after four or five months at 1600, I started struggling to keep my weight above my 151 minimum. To this day I have no idea why. My diet had not changed. My calorie goal had not changed. My exercise had not changed. But my weight was dropping. So I increased my calorie goal again - this time to 1750. I have been at that daily goal for over a year now and my weight has been rock solid within my window. My weight this morning was 152.2.
I should note that I am an avid fan of maintaining a food log. I've been logging in My Fitness Pal for over three years. This is a good example of just one of the many benefits of logging. No log is absolutely accurate no matter how hard we may try but I do everything I can to make my entries as accurate as possible. My log was priceless in helping me make the calorie adjustments and then monitor the results in terms of my weight. Without my log, calorie intake would have been a guess. An educated guess, but a guess all the same. Logging is a huge confidence booster!
Congratulations again!!

DL Thank you for your post. I have written to you before about this. Your information is so very helpful. At 18 months I have now been at my goal weight for nearly six months and have been successfully maintaining doing exactly what you are doing. I still panic when I see the scale climb a pound or two, but I am always able to bring it back down in a couple days. MFP is the key to maintaining. I wish there was as much support for those of us in this phase of the journey as there is for those at the beginning. Thank you for providing that!

Thank you DLCoggin, yes, I am loving the changes and the lighter me, but I still have ways to go!
About the walking, wow, another great post, never realized that walking shorter distances multiple times a day can be as effective as doing a long walk once a day.
I ditched my car when I had my surgery and I decided to walk everywhere. I do not take the bus, I just walk (mind that I live in a fairly small town that is pretty safe). So my workplace is on the top of a hill and I am huffin'and puffin' every morning by the time I climb up to work but it is a great workout, also my work keeps me on my feet all day long and I walk a lot. You would think it makes my feet ache but nooooo, my arthritis pain is gone for good and I feel fantastic even after a 12 hour shift. I walk to the stores, I carry the groceries, I try to turn everydays chores into a small workout - just like you by walking around the block while waiting for your prescription.
Yes, I say it again, the choice in in our hands, we have this amazing tool and I am so glad for it.

It's been a challenge for me. On the one hand, I enjoy walking (I really do). But I sometimes have a tendency to get carried away with things which leads to unrealistic expectations. Reaching for goals that are not sustainable in the long term is a sure formula for failure. For me, exercise is the perfect example.
First I set a goal of walking five miles a day, every other day. And I bought a Total Gym at the same time and set a goal of strength training every other day. I enjoyed doing both - for about six months. The walking evolved into measuring my time per mile. Then that became working (hard) to push that time down. And then pushing the total miles up. Then increasing the calories burned. On and on.
The strength training started with very modest workouts (I was concerned about injuries). But that quickly evolved into pushing myself to do more and more. More weight. More reps. More sets. More, more, more.
Bottom line - after about six months I eventually stopped doing both. It wasn't a conscience "forget this" decision. I just found myself skipping one or the other (and eventually both) for all of the usual reasons we come up with for not doing things we really don't want to do. It was frustrating, time consuming, disruptive of a busy schedule. And for all of those reasons, it just wasn't sustainable. Physically it wasn't a problem. Psychologically was a different story.
After about a three month break I knew that I wanted to begin walking again. But I had an honest conversation with myself and realized that my goals had to change if they were to be sustainable. So here are the highlights of the new plan:
My new walking goal is a daily average of about 7,000 - 8,000 steps a day. In the back of my mind I know that 10,000 steps is the recommended goal. And sometimes I do that. Some days even a little more. But I congratulate myself for hitting an average of 7 to 8 thousand. I don't punish myself on those days where I fall a little short. I don't pay any attention to miles. I don't pay any attention to minutes per mile. I don't pay any attention to calories burned. My goal is steps - period. I don't saunter, but I'm not pushing myself to the limit either. Now here's one that has been a real eye-opener. I was at costco one day and when I came out it occurred to me that I could make some progress toward my walking goal for that day with a relative quick walk around the shopping center. So off I went. And in ten to fifteen minutes I added about 3,000 steps to my day's total. A day or two later, I was at the grocery store pharmacy filling a Rx. The pharmacist said that it would be about 20 minutes. Thinking back to my costco excursion, I decided this was another good opportunity to build up my steps for the day. In the process I discovered a small park about a block away from the store complete with a quarter mile walking track. How cool is that?! For the last six weeks, I have walked around just about every kind of store, restaurant, Starbucks and any other kind of place that life takes me. It's quick, easy and it doesn't require that I just drop everything to walk. I'm already "there". Wherever there happens to be. I'm always looking for the opportunity to do a little walking. Sounds a little silly (even to me). It might not work for everyone. But for me, it's been a huge psychological and motivational game changer. Some folks may not realize that walking is "cumulative". Numerous studies have shown that it makes no difference whether you walk five miles at one time, one mile five times during the day, or any other combination. The more steps you do, the greater the health benefit. Walking is walking. It all counts and it adds up surprisingly quickly. I walk for all of the health benefits of walking - circulation, blood pressure, cardio, relaxation, etc. I do not walk for the purpose of controlling my weight (that was never my goal). I no longer record or even monitor calories burned. I don't know or care how long it takes me to walk a mile. Like I said, my only goal is steps. I'm still working on a plan for getting back to strength training. I recognize the importance. I just need to formulate a plan that will provide a similar psychological and motivational boost. I've been thinking about trying daily, short sets (about 15 minutes) that will focus on different muscle groups each day. Probably not as effective as longer sets but, for me, almost certainly more sustainable. And sustainability is everything.
I'm sure there are folks who will read this and be reminded of their own personal discoveries of sustainable ways to maintain their exercise regimens. I for one would love to read about the keys to your success!!

Thank you so much for your kind words and a huge congratulations on your weight loss!! I'm betting you're lovin' the new you!!

Hi Ginger and a huge congratulations on your success!! Great job!!
I went into my weight loss journey with the idea that my body would tell me when it was at the weight it wanted to be. I never set a goal weight. Intentionally avoided forming any expectation of how long it would/could take. After averaging just slightly under 1300 calories/day for fourteen months, my weight loss slowed to a crawl and eventually just stopped. After several weeks at the same weight, I knew I had arrived at my destination.
Then I had exactly the same question you have - now what? Seemed like a good question to ask my surgeon. She told me that 1) she did not want me to lose any more weight (BMI is/was 22.9) and 2) she recommended about 1800 calories/day for weight maintenance. I felt that jumping from 1300 calories/day to 1800 calories/day was more than a little uncomfortable. So I decided to work my way up to 1600 calories. I changed my calorie goal to 1450 and maintained that for about two months. All the while checking my weight on a daily basis. I had established a window of 151-156 pounds that I wanted to maintain. To be honest, I was somewhat surprised that even though I had increased my average calorie intake, my weight remained in that window. So after a couple of months, I increased it again to 1600 calories. And once again, there was no change in my weight - for about four or five months. In fact I thought I had found my "number" - 1600 calories.
But after four or five months at 1600, I started struggling to keep my weight above my 151 minimum. To this day I have no idea why. My diet had not changed. My calorie goal had not changed. My exercise had not changed. But my weight was dropping. So I increased my calorie goal again - this time to 1750. I have been at that daily goal for over a year now and my weight has been rock solid within my window. My weight this morning was 152.2.
I should note that I am an avid fan of maintaining a food log. I've been logging in My Fitness Pal for over three years. This is a good example of just one of the many benefits of logging. No log is absolutely accurate no matter how hard we may try but I do everything I can to make my entries as accurate as possible. My log was priceless in helping me make the calorie adjustments and then monitor the results in terms of my weight. Without my log, calorie intake would have been a guess. An educated guess, but a guess all the same. Logging is a huge confidence booster!
Congratulations again!!

Hi Ginger and a huge congratulations on your success!! Great job!!
I went into my weight loss journey with the idea that my body would tell me when it was at the weight it wanted to be. I never set a goal weight. Intentionally avoided forming any expectation of how long it would/could take. After averaging just slightly under 1300 calories/day for fourteen months, my weight loss slowed to a crawl and eventually just stopped. After several weeks at the same weight, I knew I had arrived at my destination.
Then I had exactly the same question you have - now what? Seemed like a good question to ask my surgeon. She told me that 1) she did not want me to lose any more weight (BMI is/was 22.9) and 2) she recommended about 1800 calories/day for weight maintenance. I felt that jumping from 1300 calories/day to 1800 calories/day was more than a little uncomfortable. So I decided to work my way up to 1600 calories. I changed my calorie goal to 1450 and maintained that for about two months. All the while checking my weight on a daily basis. I had established a window of 151-156 pounds that I wanted to maintain. To be honest, I was somewhat surprised that even though I had increased my average calorie intake, my weight remained in that window. So after a couple of months, I increased it again to 1600 calories. And once again, there was no change in my weight - for about four or five months. In fact I thought I had found my "number" - 1600 calories.
But after four or five months at 1600, I started struggling to keep my weight above my 151 minimum. To this day I have no idea why. My diet had not changed. My calorie goal had not changed. My exercise had not changed. But my weight was dropping. So I increased my calorie goal again - this time to 1750. I have been at that daily goal for over a year now and my weight has been rock solid within my window. My weight this morning was 152.2.
I should note that I am an avid fan of maintaining a food log. I've been logging in My Fitness Pal for over three years. This is a good example of just one of the many benefits of logging. No log is absolutely accurate no matter how hard we may try but I do everything I can to make my entries as accurate as possible. My log was priceless in helping me make the calorie adjustments and then monitor the results in terms of my weight. Without my log, calorie intake would have been a guess. An educated guess, but a guess all the same. Logging is a huge confidence booster!
Congratulations again!!

Thank you so much for sharing! It's really inspiring for all of us that are newbies to get such great advice from veterans like you! Keep sharing!!

@@DLCoggin,
I can't say enough how much of a "game changer" your posts are. So relevant to my experience and I haven't even had surgery yet. I cannot tell you how many times I have embarked on unrealistic and therefore unsustainable exercise regimes!!! I don't know if it correlates with the whole food thing, but it feels like the exact same thing as with the new diet. The build-up, the start, the early success, the plateau, the disappointment, the slack off, the complete and screeching halt, the feelings of guilt and sadness for "failing" yet again. And it wasn't until I read your post that I saw the same pattern with exercise that I exhibit with food and diets. Its almost identical! I am learning slowly that I can succeed with small measurable goal-setting and even friendly challenges with myself. In the past, its always zero to 60, couch to half marathon with me. So, thanks for giving hope that there is another way possible.

Keep sharing love the motivation!!!

It's been a challenge for me. On the one hand, I enjoy walking (I really do). But I sometimes have a tendency to get carried away with things which leads to unrealistic expectations. Reaching for goals that are not sustainable in the long term is a sure formula for failure. For me, exercise is the perfect example.
First I set a goal of walking five miles a day, every other day. And I bought a Total Gym at the same time and set a goal of strength training every other day. I enjoyed doing both - for about six months. The walking evolved into measuring my time per mile. Then that became working (hard) to push that time down. And then pushing the total miles up. Then increasing the calories burned. On and on.
The strength training started with very modest workouts (I was concerned about injuries). But that quickly evolved into pushing myself to do more and more. More weight. More reps. More sets. More, more, more.
Bottom line - after about six months I eventually stopped doing both. It wasn't a conscience "forget this" decision. I just found myself skipping one or the other (and eventually both) for all of the usual reasons we come up with for not doing things we really don't want to do. It was frustrating, time consuming, disruptive of a busy schedule. And for all of those reasons, it just wasn't sustainable. Physically it wasn't a problem. Psychologically was a different story.
After about a three month break I knew that I wanted to begin walking again. But I had an honest conversation with myself and realized that my goals had to change if they were to be sustainable. So here are the highlights of the new plan:
My new walking goal is a daily average of about 7,000 - 8,000 steps a day. In the back of my mind I know that 10,000 steps is the recommended goal. And sometimes I do that. Some days even a little more. But I congratulate myself for hitting an average of 7 to 8 thousand. I don't punish myself on those days where I fall a little short. I don't pay any attention to miles. I don't pay any attention to minutes per mile. I don't pay any attention to calories burned. My goal is steps - period. I don't saunter, but I'm not pushing myself to the limit either. Now here's one that has been a real eye-opener. I was at costco one day and when I came out it occurred to me that I could make some progress toward my walking goal for that day with a relative quick walk around the shopping center. So off I went. And in ten to fifteen minutes I added about 3,000 steps to my day's total. A day or two later, I was at the grocery store pharmacy filling a Rx. The pharmacist said that it would be about 20 minutes. Thinking back to my costco excursion, I decided this was another good opportunity to build up my steps for the day. In the process I discovered a small park about a block away from the store complete with a quarter mile walking track. How cool is that?! For the last six weeks, I have walked around just about every kind of store, restaurant, Starbucks and any other kind of place that life takes me. It's quick, easy and it doesn't require that I just drop everything to walk. I'm already "there". Wherever there happens to be. I'm always looking for the opportunity to do a little walking. Sounds a little silly (even to me). It might not work for everyone. But for me, it's been a huge psychological and motivational game changer. Some folks may not realize that walking is "cumulative". Numerous studies have shown that it makes no difference whether you walk five miles at one time, one mile five times during the day, or any other combination. The more steps you do, the greater the health benefit. Walking is walking. It all counts and it adds up surprisingly quickly. I walk for all of the health benefits of walking - circulation, blood pressure, cardio, relaxation, etc. I do not walk for the purpose of controlling my weight (that was never my goal). I no longer record or even monitor calories burned. I don't know or care how long it takes me to walk a mile. Like I said, my only goal is steps. I'm still working on a plan for getting back to strength training. I recognize the importance. I just need to formulate a plan that will provide a similar psychological and motivational boost. I've been thinking about trying daily, short sets (about 15 minutes) that will focus on different muscle groups each day. Probably not as effective as longer sets but, for me, almost certainly more sustainable. And sustainability is everything.
I'm sure there are folks who will read this and be reminded of their own personal discoveries of sustainable ways to maintain their exercise regimens. I for one would love to read about the keys to your success!!

I'm following your posts from a long time now and your wisdom never fails, I love to read your posts and you are truly a role model. You really make it clear: the choice is in our hands and everything else is just BS, whining and crying.
I do not have any idea about your 4th year goal but I know one thing for sure: whatever you wan't to achive, you will
I wish you the best, and please keep posting!

Since having my surgery on October 20, 2011, I have set a "main" goal every year. Year one was obvious, get to the weight that my body wanted to be at. Approximately fourteen months post-op I hit 155 lbs, my weight loss leveled out, I felt great about my weight, about myself, and about what I had accomplished.
Year two. I had read so many times about "bounce back weight gain". Usually ten or fifteen pounds but sometimes much more. I researched everything I could find and there appeared to be no physical or metabolic justification for the weight gain. It was/is quite common, but I could find no science to explain it. So my year two goal became to avoid the bounce back. I established a window of 151 to 156 lbs that I was determined to maintain. I changed my weigh-ins schedule from my year one weekly weight checks to year two daily checks. My weight in year two was seldom below 151 (maybe two or three times) and never above 156.
Year three. As you get further out veterans who have "been there done that" often drop off of the forums. It became more difficult to identify potential "bumps in the road" that were common in the third year post-op period. Then over a period of time I read a number of posts by a five year veteran who repeatedly stressed that maintaining your weight becomes more difficult, m u c h more difficult, after the two year mark. And responses to this member's posts seemed to confirm that many had experienced the same difficulties. Once again I looked to science for an explanation and possible suggestions for avoiding or at least minimizing the challenges. And once again I was unable to identify any credible science to explain the problem. So my year three goal became more of a mental challenge than a physical one. I had lost 130 lbs. And I had maintained it for a year. The goal for year three became to maintain my commitment, and my focus, on following my plan that had resulted in the success I had achieved.
Stay positive. Stay patient. Monitor my weight daily and respond very quickly to weight changes. Making slight increases or decreases in my calorie goal depending on whether I needed to gain or lose two or three pounds. Exercise to my ability. Continue to maintain a food log. The result? I frankly never experienced any identifiable change in my diet, in the effort required to maintain my weight, or in my confidence that I was in complete and absolute control of my weight. No changes. None. Zip. And my weight this morning? 154.2
I only have one problem - I'm at a total loss for a year four goal! Everyone's thoughts, suggestions, ideas or experiences are most welcome!!
You guys have a terrific day and regardless of where you're at in your journey always remember - follow your plan and you're gonna love the new you!

Since having my surgery on October 20, 2011, I have set a "main" goal every year. Year one was obvious, get to the weight that my body wanted to be at. Approximately fourteen months post-op I hit 155 lbs, my weight loss leveled out, I felt great about my weight, about myself, and about what I had accomplished.
Year two. I had read so many times about "bounce back weight gain". Usually ten or fifteen pounds but sometimes much more. I researched everything I could find and there appeared to be no physical or metabolic justification for the weight gain. It was/is quite common, but I could find no science to explain it. So my year two goal became to avoid the bounce back. I established a window of 151 to 156 lbs that I was determined to maintain. I changed my weigh-ins schedule from my year one weekly weight checks to year two daily checks. My weight in year two was seldom below 151 (maybe two or three times) and never above 156.
Year three. As you get further out veterans who have "been there done that" often drop off of the forums. It became more difficult to identify potential "bumps in the road" that were common in the third year post-op period. Then over a period of time I read a number of posts by a five year veteran who repeatedly stressed that maintaining your weight becomes more difficult, m u c h more difficult, after the two year mark. And responses to this member's posts seemed to confirm that many had experienced the same difficulties. Once again I looked to science for an explanation and possible suggestions for avoiding or at least minimizing the challenges. And once again I was unable to identify any credible science to explain the problem. So my year three goal became more of a mental challenge than a physical one. I had lost 130 lbs. And I had maintained it for a year. The goal for year three became to maintain my commitment, and my focus, on following my plan that had resulted in the success I had achieved.
Stay positive. Stay patient. Monitor my weight daily and respond very quickly to weight changes. Making slight increases or decreases in my calorie goal depending on whether I needed to gain or lose two or three pounds. Exercise to my ability. Continue to maintain a food log. The result? I frankly never experienced any identifiable change in my diet, in the effort required to maintain my weight, or in my confidence that I was in complete and absolute control of my weight. No changes. None. Zip. And my weight this morning? 154.2
I only have one problem - I'm at a total loss for a year four goal! Everyone's thoughts, suggestions, ideas or experiences are most welcome!!
You guys have a terrific day and regardless of where you're at in your journey always remember - follow your plan and you're gonna love the new you!

468 pages (according to Amazon)!! Amazing!! Can't wait for my copy to arrive!!

Since having my surgery on October 20, 2011, I have set a "main" goal every year. Year one was obvious, get to the weight that my body wanted to be at. Approximately fourteen months post-op I hit 155 lbs, my weight loss leveled out, I felt great about my weight, about myself, and about what I had accomplished.
Year two. I had read so many times about "bounce back weight gain". Usually ten or fifteen pounds but sometimes much more. I researched everything I could find and there appeared to be no physical or metabolic justification for the weight gain. It was/is quite common, but I could find no science to explain it. So my year two goal became to avoid the bounce back. I established a window of 151 to 156 lbs that I was determined to maintain. I changed my weigh-ins schedule from my year one weekly weight checks to year two daily checks. My weight in year two was seldom below 151 (maybe two or three times) and never above 156.
Year three. As you get further out veterans who have "been there done that" often drop off of the forums. It became more difficult to identify potential "bumps in the road" that were common in the third year post-op period. Then over a period of time I read a number of posts by a five year veteran who repeatedly stressed that maintaining your weight becomes more difficult, m u c h more difficult, after the two year mark. And responses to this member's posts seemed to confirm that many had experienced the same difficulties. Once again I looked to science for an explanation and possible suggestions for avoiding or at least minimizing the challenges. And once again I was unable to identify any credible science to explain the problem. So my year three goal became more of a mental challenge than a physical one. I had lost 130 lbs. And I had maintained it for a year. The goal for year three became to maintain my commitment, and my focus, on following my plan that had resulted in the success I had achieved.
Stay positive. Stay patient. Monitor my weight daily and respond very quickly to weight changes. Making slight increases or decreases in my calorie goal depending on whether I needed to gain or lose two or three pounds. Exercise to my ability. Continue to maintain a food log. The result? I frankly never experienced any identifiable change in my diet, in the effort required to maintain my weight, or in my confidence that I was in complete and absolute control of my weight. No changes. None. Zip. And my weight this morning? 154.2
I only have one problem - I'm at a total loss for a year four goal! Everyone's thoughts, suggestions, ideas or experiences are most welcome!!
You guys have a terrific day and regardless of where you're at in your journey always remember - follow your plan and you're gonna love the new you!