ausmith

You made a start your back looking for answers so your heading in the right direction. Exactly where we started in this group asking questions. Good Luck

I feel your frustration so much. I was sleeved Oct 2016 and I've technically met my surgeon and nutritionist goal and passed it. But im still struggling to lose the last 20. I'm hovering between 142 and 144 at 5'2 and it took like 6 months to lose from 160 something to now. I am rebooting myself. But im going back to basics in the dense Protein and veggies sort of way. If i follow the plan i should be ok. I've tried to go back to liquids but its harder than EVER. I keep straying. WHY is this so hard? I feel like i should have been to my goal weight already. My family doesn't think i need to lose more but i want to be able to get into the healthy bmi range for my height. Being told all your life to lose weight is NOT fun. I don't want to give any doctors any reason to doubt me on my health concerns. Sorry for the rant. I just feel you on the frustration[emoji28].

Thank you I think that's probably a good idea. I have tried to do the pre-op diet over again, a few times, but I always flake out. Honestly, the preop diet was hard before surgery, too. I'll have to see if I have my old diet papers still around. I was sleeved in 2013 & who knows where they are now!

Maybe start by going back to the basics that you started with straight out of surgery. Go through the whole process again. I think one of the most important things for me is food prepping at the beginning of the week. To Ensure every time I go to grab something to eat it’s high Protein in Portion Control amounts and the only thing I’m drinking at the moment is Water and green tea. I’m struggling with 15 and I was sleeved in 2013. Good Luck

So Glad you posted I used yourself and many others on so many occasions pre sleeve and after I had my sleeve for advice. Then I went back and read as much as possible about your plastics. I had plastics about 14 months ago but researched for a year prior to that. I also went overseas to have it done but went to Bangkok. Yourself and many others are surely missed. Your right we do get on with our lives but sometimes maintenance can be a b***h and unfortunately we are now in a position where there are only a small handful of people to get meaningful advice from. It’s a shame because by the time I went to see my Bariatric team pre-sleeve I was so so prepared because of everything that I had read and learned from here. I really hope I can find somewhere that will offer the same this far out in maintenance.

Hang in there under the circumstances I think your doing great. Try to get out in the fresh air to clear your head and maybe just walk a quarter of a block to start with and consider that a win. It’s the head game that will steer you off the path being outside and just doing the smallest amount of walking has to be good for you even if it’s just to clear your mind. Good Luck

I'm down 21# of surgery weight & 85-ish since my high weight. I'm definitely better off than I was at 350, but I'm so upset that I let myself slide this far back, ESPECIALLY after going through the chaos of surgery. I'm trying to get back on the right track. It's just that nothing seems to stick anymore. I'm sure it's all in my head. And I'll never give up!

He did go get a much needed haircut, lol. And I kept telling him - in the main dining room - no jeans (buffet ok, bf you can wear Docker shorts, etc - but he had his man ears on when I told him all this 5 times). The thing is we are also square dancing and at regular dances he dresses for that....it's too funny....
I am sooooo excited we fly tomorrow morning. I have so many new clothes, a lovely dress with lace, new shoes, etc etc. I got my hair highlighted and a crazy glitter pedicure!!!!🛳🏝🏖🌞🎉

Once upon a time I had a doctor ( not my Bariatric Surgeon,not even my current PCP) tell me: I'd like you to weigh 148 lbs. My answer: I would too but I don't see that it Will be happening without Bariatric Surgery. If wishing weight away would work none of us would be overweight.

Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

I keep thinking of the same thing being told to someone with obstructive coronary artery disease...
"Did you do it on your own and correct your diet to avoid a heart attack? Or did you do it the easy way and have that pesky triple bypass they said you needed. That's not natural! You must have low self esteem!"

Just seen your post. I hope you are still around. Just checking in to see how you are doing.
I'm in the same situation. 3rd year and my weight went up 15/20 pounds. I came back to the site for support and ideas of things to try.
I've been battling the same 10 pounds up and down for a while. All the tried and true ways stopped working. I gain quickly if I eat off plan for a few days. that same small gain will take me months to get off.
I had to dial my diet in to what works for me. I'm ten pounds down. Having this site keeps me more focused and brought back some discipline.

I have lost (re)15# since Halloween - and doing it without being hungry! It seems so slow, but you know, I am still 15# less than I was before the holiday season so that is something !
I know it is very hard, but at some point I think it is helpful to get past the obesity induced shame, and focus more on living life, paying attention to healthy habits without being so hard on ourselves. Regain happens to many after about 3-5 years out, it's what you do about it that matters.

I was SO good about watching my weight & proud of my weight loss. I looked & felt great. I averaged around 140 pds, which was good for me. I mean, come one, I went from a size 22+ to an 8. WHOA, me, at 8?! Then, life happened, and it happened hard.
I lost my job& was unemployed for 5 months. I gained about 20 pds from simply sitting around looking for jobs all damn day. I accepted the job, because I needed one & it paid OK. However, my commute is an hour+ each way every day. Therefore, when I get home, I'm just not motivated to do anything. My son also had a major incident in his life that left us helping him financially & dealing with major stress. Oh, it's his stress, but affects me directly as his mom.
Fast forward to present day...
I now weigh around 168 pounds! Yea, that's what I said. WTF people! How did this happen? Yea, yea, I know HOW it happened, but I'm so disappointed in myself. How could I let this happen after being so successful & feeling so good. I'm now in a size 14, and I now hate my reflection yet again. Self image & confidence go hand in hand with your weight. At least, it does for me!
Do over~ As the saying goes, every day is an opportunity to start over. As such, I have most recently started to watch what I'm eating by once again monitoring my food intake via myfitnesspal.com. It helps, I guess. I mean, I'm not eating as much crap as before & trying to watch what I eat. I've also started working out, and by 'working out' I mean going on my newly purchased recumbent bike 15 minutes each day. Better than nothing. I've even gone as far as putting a few post-it notes on my bathroom mirror to keep me focused & in hopes of staying positive. The sweet thing is that my 15 1/2 yr old daughter added a few positive, thoughtful notes to the collection as well. :-)
Starting over sucks! My goal is to get back to 150. I think I can be happy at that weight as it seems realistic. Yesterday morning I was 165.8 then today 167.4. I'm not 100% sure what I did to gain a few pounds again, but it makes this journey quite frustrating - UGH!!!!
Give me strength!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Jane I’m curious as to how the meal plan and high intensity workouts are going. Xmas wasn’t good to me or should I say I wasn’t good to myself. Visitors go home on Monday so I’m very much ready to get back into a healthy food routine and regular exercise. I’m always making allowances when we have relatives come to stay and that’s dangerous because they are here often. So I’m interested to hear how your plan is going

Hi after a week of 2 shakes and a high Protein meal each day wth lots of Water I lost 5lb. So I’m sticking to it for another week. I must say I feel so much better cutting out the carbs that had crept back in.

Hi after a week of 2 shakes and a high Protein meal each day wth lots of Water I lost 5lb. So I’m sticking to it for another week. I must say I feel so much better cutting out the carbs that had crept back in.

I'm 7 years out. I'm 116 pounds. My body picked my goal weight for me and really likes it here, so maintaining is easier than it could be. But I do have rules I live by.

I weigh at least weekly. I do not worry about tiny fluctuations but nip anything out of my maintenance window immediately. Complacency leads to larger regain. I don't avoid food groups, but I do put Protein first. I will usually choose a protein snack. I indulge when I want, because I believe forbidden foods lead to binges. I don't want the yo-yo. It works for me. I never graze. I either portion food out and eat it, or I don't, but no mindless or emotional eating.

I still have a ton of restriction, so maybe that's made my journey easier. And my tastes changed a lot. I don't care for potatoes, or sweets. I can't have milk or eat ice cream due to lactose intolerance. But just being mindful is what keeps me successful. I think before I eat. I don't have to track anymore, it's just second nature. The scale is my tracker. And it hardly moves.

I think this is the ideal. I'm happy, can't complain.

Cheri

@crazyplantlady
How I eat at 2.5 years is basically the same as how I was eating at year one. Just slightly larger portions. My dense Protein portion size is unchanged at 4 ounces but I can easily eat 8 ounces of fish or a 6 ounce burger. Which is fine for me. 8 ounces of fish doesn't even hit 200 calories.
My calories vary wildly depending on my day or mood, anywhere from 1200 to 2200. The average 1400/1500 if I am home all day (which I am most of the time I work from home).
I keep my carbs below 25 most days. My protein is always a minimum 100 grams, goal is 130 grams.
At 6 months post-op I picked a way of eating that I felt natural to me that I could stick to, so there is no real reason to change it.
My physical hunger still has not returned at all unless I go about 16 hours without eating. I do WANT to eat more, but that is due to RL circumstances. I'm a stress eater and 2017 was high stress for me. In the summer I can work off steam being outside, in the winter, when I am trapped in doors it is harder.
The mental game is harder, but my sleeve is still function as always.

Here is what is working for me. Make a plan and follow it. So, more specifically, if I plan for (and have on hand ready to go) dense Protein and vegetables that I split over approx 4 meals it cuts the cravings and snackings way way back. I don't really have room for much else.
Last night I came home from the gym STARVING and my son had a nice fresh out of the oven pizza - not on my plan. I almost attacked it, but remembered my premade meal - plop it in the microwave, add some lettuce and Tomato and voila - delish dinner on plan.
If I don't do that sort of thing, I give in to food I don't really want, it's just easier...

Checking in to see how your new program has worked.

Hi after a week of 2 shakes and a high Protein meal each day wth lots of Water I lost 5lb. So I’m sticking to it for another week. I must say I feel so much better cutting out the carbs that had crept back in.

I’m the same in regards to what comes into the home. I was relentless with that for the first 3.5 years. Then in the last 6 months things have started to appear in the shopping trolley and now I’m struggling with an 11 pound regain.
I also haven’t weighed or tracked what I’m eating for a few years but that changed yesterday. Trying to get back on track before that 11 turns to 20 or 30

I’m the same in regards to what comes into the home. I was relentless with that for the first 3.5 years. Then in the last 6 months things have started to appear in the shopping trolley and now I’m struggling with an 11 pound regain.
I also haven’t weighed or tracked what I’m eating for a few years but that changed yesterday. Trying to get back on track before that 11 turns to 20 or 30

I hope newbies don't take what I'm posting as a reason not to have surgery. It's all worth it and no regret for me.
3 years out and regain and just got the scale back down.
I've been working this program way too hard. I admit my mind is messed up anytime I gain. I'm getting exhausted at the discipline it takes for me to lose weight and maintain.

The bariatric basics and successful behaviors to lose and maintain weight.
(1)Logging food
(2) weighing your food,
(3) making healthy choices,
(4) weighing yourself to lose or maintain weight.
(5) Exercise
I have to stop being so regimented with my food. I need to relax. Things for me to change in 2018! I'm walking a thin line between bariatric lifestyle and eating disorder.
I'm a food snob. I see foods as good or bad.
I feel the need to know how many calories and macros I get in each and every day for the past three years. A few exceptions on vacations etc
I automatically can say what calories and macros are in certain foods...Just because I've logged them so often.
exercise is my replacement for stress/emotional eating. I have to monitor myself and recognise when working out gets obsessive.

I agree with those above. What works for one won’t work for all. We find different ways of managing our lives and bodies. Success is defined differently by everyone. It’s not black and white, this is a complicated long term commitment.

A lot of doctors have changed their protocols and one surgeons strategy doesn’t always match up with another’s.

Vets are qualified to give advice- because they have been through it.