StratusPhr

I am four years out and have struggled with this for almost four years! Finally, I found something helpful. Miralax, daily. I was told early on I could take it every day but never did like the consistency of the orange juice or milk.......but someone suggested to put it in my HOT coffee every morning and it works like a charm. It totally dissolves. A life saver!

I am four years out, maintaining for 3.5. I didn't lose ONE pound due to formal exercise. I don't advocate that or discourage exercise, but I know me, and I know how quickly I become bored. Exercise 5 days a week FOREVER??!!! When pigs fly!! This was something I signed onto for life, no end date. I had to have a plan. I knew I'd have to do something, and I did, I made changes in my lifestyle that work for me, I manage and keep track of all the numbers, some say I am a type A personality. LOL Whatever, old age, a twisted ankle nor boredom will keep me from doing what I do! LOL Maximum calories for me is 1250, most days I get 1050 - 1175 and I am good. I seldom go over 1250, if I hit 1300 - 1350 for a couple of days, I'll see the scale inch up a little and I cut my calories by 100 - 200 for a couple of days, and it's gone again. It has not been difficult for me, maintenence has been pretty easy, but I cannot become complacent, I know how easily I can gain eight or ten pounds. I weigh daily, I log my food on MFP, I weigh and/or measure my food when we're home. All these numbers, I call this my dashboard, the number let me know what's going on 'under the hood'. Right away I know if I need to 'change' something or tweak what I'm doing. You'll figure out what works for you. We all have a similar goal, there are several different paths, find yours! Good luck and congratulations!

I bought my scale 2 months prior to surgery and unless we are out of town, I weigh every single morning. Surgery was four years ago and the scale, although I use to hate/dread stepping on one, now, it's my companion. It keeps me in the know of what is going on, up a pound or two, down a pound or two. I can nip anything in the bud and turn it around. Going six weeks without weighing, I cannot imagine, I know HOW FAST I can put on eight or ten pound, and unlike two or three, that would be overwhelming. I've been maintaining for 3.5 years, I can never become complacent.

I think it's a fear we all have. A doctor told me "A little paranoia is good" It keeps me from becoming complacent maybe!!

I don't think you guys really understood the intent of the question. I am not thinking of this as a one time thing here in losing weight and voila here is a wedding where we lost 100lbs. .... You have no idea the amount of time in years(over 5) it has taken me to get to this point. My question was simply a general question to where hopefully not a lot of thought was needed for a response. Actually I thought it was a great idea that way we can plan our journey together (as this is a lifetime decision) and have a general consensus that most of the weight is usually dropped in the 1st year or 1st 6months or whatever it is. We were simply using this information as a guide and not as a lifetime decision tool. It depends on a couple of things. How diligent you both are and how much do you have to lose? I was very disciplined when I was losing. I was so excited and treated this as the most important 'diet' of my life. No bread, Pasta, rice, nothing fried and absolutely no sweets. I have always tried to under eat my sleeve, which makes things way more comfortable. I've lost total 85 pounds, 23 of that was prior to surgery, the remainder I lost afterwards. I reached my personal goal just a few days shy of six months. I've been maintaining at or under my goal since December 2010. Good luck, this is a life altering decision. Best choice I ever made for myself!!

Dry mouth and bad breath both seem to be a part of the early days!! Ketosis is the cause of bad breath. Ice chips help with dry mouth, SF mints, if nothing else, temporarily disguise the bad breath!!

If possible, I try and always look at a menu on line before going to a restaurant. I have an idea of what I want, or what my husband and I can share. FYI - assume that everything is brush with or cooked with butter and ask them to prepare 'whatever' you order, without, if possible.

My NUT said per studies with the AMBS (American society of Bariatric Surgeons) successful bariatric patients consume about 1000 calories at approximately 1 year post-op. After 1 year post-op average calorie intake is around 1200 calories to maintain weight loss. Calories needs may vary some based on the age, sex and amount of activity for each individual. If your calories are too low, your m etabolism will slow and your body will go into starvation mode holding onto fat stores. A calorie intake of 500-600/day is simply too low for successful weight loss. WOW! I averaged between 450 - 650 calories per day and I never had a problem with a slow and steady weight loss. I reached my doctor's goal in five months. I reached my goal (5 lbs less) at six months. Between month 5 and 6 my calories did increase to 650 - 800, never over 800. I've been at or below goal since Dec 2010. I never did buy the "up your calories to lose more weight" - I thought it was hogwash. Upping my calories did nothing but increase my weight prior to surgery, there is nothing to make me believe it would be different post-op. I maintain at 1200, if I increase my calories to 1300 for a couple of days, the scale goes up. The PhD that does the psych evals for a bariatric team here in Dallas, as well as he heads up the monthly support groups, agrees. He said there is no scientific data to support the starvation mode theory unless we are being held in a POW camp. In my case, staying away from breads, fried foods, sweets, Pasta and rice.....things like that is what kept the scale moving for me until I hit goal. I know everyone is different, and we have to find what works for us. Celebrate every pound gone!!!

Hey Dan!! It is not only 'good' - it's great! I'll be four years out on June 11th and for the first time in my adult life, I am in control, food is not. I feel like I eat like a naturally thin person. I feel NO guilt, ever. Nothing other than carbonation is off limits. There are things I CHOOSE not to eat or not to eat often, but it's my choice. I've made lifestyle changes that are forever, there is no end date with what we've done. I was diligent, rigid and very, very strict with myself until I reached goal. I was at goal, my goal, six months after surgery. I've been maintaining at or below goal since December 2010. I weigh daily, I log all my food, I weigh and/or measure all my food when I'm at home.....and last but not least, I attend support group meetings. Dehydration was my biggest fear when I first had surgery. At first it was impossible to get all the liquid in that was required. Eventually I could, it does get easier. Now, I drink Water, ice tea, coffee and for extra Protein, I drink 2 cups of skim milk every day. No problems now, so hang in there!!!! Good luck!

I was really worried about not drinking while eating, I use to drink three glasses of ice tea during dinner, but no more. I TRIED to stop prior to surgery but couldn't, but afterwards, it has been no problem. My doctor's instructions are, no drinking for 30 mins after eating, but I can drink up until I start eating. When eating out, I try and get two glasses of ice water with lemon, down beforehand. I have no problem getting all my liquids in now, but early on, it was difficult. Sushi - I have never had it, but I know people at my meetings that enjoy post op, mostly without rice. Rice and Pasta are two things that seem to multiply in size when eaten. I can eat approx 2 TB of rice with Chinese or Thai....pasta, a fourth of a cup of less with a half cup of meat sauce.....of course I am almost four years out, I wasn't always able to eat this much! I have probably never had a full beer, if you add up all the sips over the past 35 years, so I don't miss it at all. I did like an occasional Captain Morgan 'n coke.....or Crown 'n coke, but no more. I wasn't a big drinker before, and I'd say I have a drink now as often as I did before. Maybe one or two every few months. I'll have Malibu Rum with pineapple juice or a choc martini. You'll be fine and you'll get the hang of it!

I didn't want to eat, but what I did eat, it was pretty boring. Luckily, the excitement of not being hungry and knowing how my life was changing.....made it all worth while. Hang in there, this too shall pass! Get out and go walk around the mall or Wal Mart - window shop, good exercise and will occupy your time!!

Just like prior to surgery, if someone is drinking alcohol, cokes and eating slider, high caloric food, they'll gain/re-gain weight. WLS is a tool, not a magic bullet. There is no end date, it's a life long commitment. Changes must be made or it is a waste of time and money.

I weigh every single morning, first thing. Unless we are traveling and I don't have a scale, I weigh......going on four years now! It doesn't dictate my mood or get me down if I'm up a pound or two. That is what normal people do, all it does is give me a reading of what's going on "under the hood". I am in control, food is not.....for the first time ever!

Curves was the last 'gym' I attended, that was in 2002. They drafted money out of our checking account for 12 months.....I went 3x's a week for the first four or five weeks and never darkened the doorway again. It's now a family joke.....yes, they poke fun at me. I swore I'd never join another gym....and I am true to my word. My advice, if you join and pay....GO!!!!!

I know two people who've used Dr. Babineau. Neither had sleeve surgery though. The friend who had lap band did fine, but never reached goal and has re-gained over half of the 60 lbs lost. The other friend had RNY, quite a few years ago and is still maintaining. I am not sure about support groups, but if he doesn't have one, find one. Usually anybody is welcome at these meetings, even if your surgery wasn't at that facility. Do you live in Tyler? Our daughter lives in Henderson, we lived there for 20 years. Good luck!!!!

My "dashboard" - Weigh every morning Log everything on MFP. I do have several 'planned' Snacks per day, but I stay within my 1300 calories a day Weigh and/or measure my food when I'm at home I'm also a support group junkie. I have four that I attend monthly

I reached my doctor's goal in five months, MY goal, five pound less, a month later. I've been maintaining for over three years now. What I do now, is as natural to me as breathing. I know I can never become complacent, I'm a bit obsessive, but that is no different than 25 years ago, I was obsessive about my weight then as well. I don't stress, I'm not having any trouble staying within my comfort zone, which is 143 - 146.5. I eat off a salad plate, when I'm at home, I normally eat with a seafood fork. I try and always under eat my sleeve. I cannot eat comfortably until I'm full. If I'm full, it isn't like being full prior to surgery, I'm miserable. I do not exercise, I have not lost one pound because I exercise. I know me, I knew from day 1, I'd have to make lifestyle changes that I could live with forever. There is no end date, this was a lifelong commitment. I do not advocate NOT exercising, but I know me, I know how easily I get bored. I didn't want to become an exercise guru only to lose weight and then get bored, stop and re-gain!! I DO 'move' - I park out in parking lots, I make extra trips up and down our stairs, I have a weighted ball I toss around every so often. That's it. I also have my fitness pal set at sedentary. I do not want "earned" calories added. Below I am listing what I call my "dashboard" - just like on my truck, the numbers let me know what's going on 'under the hood'. A 'light' goes off if I wake up and weigh 147, I know I need to adjust, change or tweak what I'm doing for a few days. If I'm up above or at the high end of my comfort zone, I just cut calories by 100 - 150 and within two or three days, I'm back to normal. 1) I weigh every morning and go up and down, my comfort zone is 143 - 146.5 (My weight does not dictate my mood) Like someone else said, the scale is my friend! 2) I log my food. I eat anything I want but it is all logged and fit within my 1250 - 1300 calories per day There are things I choose NOT to eat or food I choose not to eat often, but NOTHING but carbonation is off limits 3) I weigh and/or measure all my food when I'm home (when out, I must eyeball it, which I've gotten better at. I put aside what I will eat and box up the rest as soon as I'm finished) 4) I attend support groups. I'm a support group junkie. All of this is my new normal. Old age, boredom nor a twisted ankle will keep me from weighing, logging or attending a meeting. If I re-gain, it will not be because I stopped exercising for one reason or the other. What I do, works for me. Hopefully it always will....we all have the fear of waking up 25 lbs heavier! Don't we?

I can drink up until the time I start eating and nothing for 30 minutes afterwards. Doctor's orders, I've been doing this for almost four years.

The exact same thing happened to me. My doctor's goal was 150, I wanted a five pound "pad". I hit 145 and kept dropping. I'm not sure what I thought would happen, maybe I'd level out....whatever, it did not happen. When I woke up one morning and weighed 132, I knew I must call and get advice. Duh, "up your calories" is what my dietitian told me. I was eating three meals a day, period. No Snacks, nothing and I couldn't eat MORE at one time, so she told me to add two or three snacks and play it by ear. Increase calories a little at a time. I NEVER ate more than 800 in a day, usually closer to 650. Nobody can tell us what it will take to gain or maintain, but I managed to retrain myself to start snacking, but I log it all, it's planned! I gained ten - twelve pounds and now I maintain between 143 - 146. I need 1200 - 1300 calories per day to maintain, if I drop to 1100, I'll lose, if I get 1400 for a couple of days, I'm up a pound or two. There is a fine line!! Good luck, just log it all and up your calories, you can do it!!

I don't advocate NOT exercising, but I haven't lost a pound due to becoming an exercise guru. I made lifestyle changes that I KNOW I can do/live with, forever. Remember, there is NO end date, we've made a lifetime commitment. At least that is how we should have entered into this journey. I do move, I park far out in parking lots, I made extra trips up and down our stairs, but I haven't been to a 'gym' in ten years and will never join another one. What do I do almost four years after surgery is this: I weigh every single morning I weigh and/or measure my food when I am home I log it all on my fitness pal I attend support groups ** I call this my dashboard ** I know me, I have the attention span of a four year old. I didn't want to lose any weight because of exercise, six months down the road, I KNOW, I'd lose interest and re-gain!!! What I do now, is as natural to me as breathing. Boredom, old age nor a twisted ankle will keep me from logging my food, weighing and measuring what I eat, weighing myself daily and none of that will keep me from attending a support group. (I'm a support group junkie!) Sooooo, although I'd never suggest not exercising, this is what works for me. I've never bought into the "up your calories" to lose weight or kick start weight loss again. Common sense tells me that prior to surgery, upping my calories resulted in gaining weight and after 30 years, landed me in a bariatric surgeon's office. If I up my calories now, (and I've been in maintenance for over three years) by just 100 calories per day....if I do that for a few days, my weight goes up. It is pretty much a no brainer to me!! Anyway, this is what I do and I easily stay between 143 - 146. If I hit 147, then I lower my calories by 100 - 150 per day and within two or three days, it's gone.

Until I reached goal, I didn't snack, eat bread, nothing sweet or fried. It was like the most important diet of my life. Now, almost four years out, I have been maintaining for over three years. Take full advantage of your honeymoon period. I log all my food, I weigh every morning and I still weigh or measure all my food when I am home. There is a fine line for me, between maintaining, gaining or losing. I MUST be diligent, this is my new life, as natural to me as breathing. You can do this, enjoy every pound you lose. You're life will be so different a year from now! I dieted off and on for 30 years, for the first time in my adult life, I eat and feel no guilt. My life feels like that of a naturally thin person. It's very liberating!!! good luck!