IcanMakeit

At 36 you might not have too much of a problem with loose skin over the long term, but even if you do, you can hide it with Shapewear or remove it with surgery. Don’t let the fear of loose skin dissuade you.

One problem I never expected to have after weight loss is that my armpits are now too deep and narrow for standard razors. I have to buy the more expensive bikini razors. Is this just me or is this normal?

I was also told by my surgeon that people typically lose more weight after bypass surgery than with the sleeve. It seems that the difference must be in adherence to the program post surgery. Maybe people with the bypass are more likely to follow the program strictly because so many of them suffer when they stray and that discomfort doesn’t diminish much over time. Whereas those with the sleeve have to form good habits with less of a threat of immediate consequences. I know that was the case for me. I lost more than 120 pounds post VSG and then gained back 60 over the next few years. That’s when I realized that I had to go back to strict adherence to the program. The reduction in the volume of daily food from pre-surgery days was not enough to keep me from regaining. Healthy food choices mattered just as much. I am now below my target weight by quite a bit and need to put on some muscle to look and feel better.

For me, the only defense against impulsive eating is knowing that every bite I put in my mouth will be logged on MyFitnessPal every day without exception. Logging keeps me honest and motivated.

I love the suggestions by others to pre-prepare and pack meals, Snacks and Water so that you have no need to visit the cafeteria or vending machines. I’m usually too disorganized to accomplish this but I need to incorporate this into my life.

I am also 7 years out from my VSG. I had some significant regain for a couple of years but have since turned it around and am currently a couple of pounds from my lowest weight. Even with the weight regain, I am grateful for my surgery since most of my health issues have resolved or improved. I am also finding it easier to lose weight since I still have less stomach capacity and reduced appetite.

If you feel skeletal, perhaps you need to build up muscle? I don’t know your height or body type but maybe you lost too much muscle during your weight loss. Talk to your doctor of course, but I don’t think it’s usually a good idea to put on fat purposely. I did that when people told me I was too thin (at 104 lbs) and proceeded to gain 60 pounds! I’m currently back to 104 and my bones are too prominent for my taste but this time I will either get used to it or build up muscle to improve my figure.

Weight loss is an important way to improve or maintain health, but it is not the only way. Can you forget about weight loss for a while and work on finding a healthy diet and regular exercise that you can stick to and even enjoy for the long term? Focusing on weight loss can be counterproductive since failure leads to giving up, when the ultimate goal is improved health and vitality, not dress size. For me walking, bicycling and dancing are so much more enjoyable than CrossFit, so I would be much more likely to continue them, even if I don’t lose weight. The same thing applies to your diet. Work with a nutritionist (if you can) to come up with a sustainable diet plan. It may be that your doctor’s weight goal won’t be attained, but if your health and happiness improves, you win anyway.

MyFitnessPal has a few quirks and inaccuracies (since some items in its database were contributed by regular users), but overall it’s very user friendly and helpful. I give it a lot of credit for my weight loss success.

Keep following the diet, you are on track. That initial weight loss was probably mostly Water. Fat loss is much slower, and it’s better for your health that way. If you really stall (you aren’t in one yet), increasing your exercise level might get the scale moving.

I am about to pass the one year streak on MyFitnessPal. It has been the most crucial tool for weight loss, but I don’t enjoy being tied to a routine that feels unnatural and overly precise. I wrote initially hoping to find others who have transitioned out of a hyper aware diet into a natural, healthy eating style. That was one of my main goals when I chose weight loss surgery. The reality is less simple. Even though my appetite is much less, my ability to ignore consequences when I’m not paying strict attention has not really changed.

So the answer for me seems to be eternal vigilance. Onward to the second year of daily food logging. No more whining. My health is so much better now than it was pre-surgery, I really should just be grateful for that and not self sabotage by seeking an imagined nirvana.

3 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

yes - maintenance is/was new to me as well. Prior to surgery, all I ever did was gain and lose weight.

I give myself an acceptable range, knowing that fluctuation is normal (because of Water levels, how full your intestines are at any given point, hormones, etc). So having maybe a six lb or so acceptable range is good. The high end of that is my drop dead level - the point at which if I go over it, it's all hands on deck until I back comfortably within the range again.

So the truth is you just have to stay vigilant and expect to go back to weight loss phase periodically when the regain reaches an unacceptable level. There’s no perfect equilibrium. My past mistake was waiting too long to go back to weight loss phase. I guess I knew that. I just want a different reality. 😉

I’m struggling with maintenance. I have exceeded my weight loss goal and am currently at the bottom of the healthy BMI scale, but I’m very wary of weight gain because four years after my surgery I had regained almost half of the weight I lost. I’m currently adhering to the dietary recommendations given to me in the first year, but it has me losing slightly every week. I don’t seem to know how to maintain. I’m either gaining or losing.

Challenge starting weight: 107

Goal: 107

Labor Day weight: 104

I did not achieve my goal, but I have learned a great deal by following my weight and food intake. I know that I'm under eating out of fear. I believe that as time goes on, I'll get used to being thin and will become less fearful of weight gain.

I went to a wedding about one month from my surgery date. I brought Atkins shakes with me and had one while everyone was eating the buffet and drinking champagne. I missed being able to join in,vas the catering was excellent, but I still had a great time and was glad to be able to give the happy couple my best wishes. I also went on a road trip to the Ashland Shakespeare Festival a few months after surgery. By then, I was eating a limited diet of real food as tolerated and I really enjoyed the trip. So my advice is to go forward with your travel plans as long as you feel you are recovering normally, but understand that you will have to refrain from recreational eating/drinking and find your fun in other ways.

I'm back to my pre-vacation weight: 105.

I was at 108 this morning after my week and a half of vacation. This is what I knew would happen if I stopped following the rules. This is not a disaster since I was underweight, but I am now recommitting to my healthy lifestyle.

@@Essence46

I understand your resentment. You are putting in the effort, you should get the desired result, dang it! But as you stated: we can't compare ourselves to others. Some have bodies that are stubborn and hang onto every pound, others have a pretty smooth journey for the first year. But most of the people who consistently continue the healthy lifestyle end up in the same place a couple of years out.

I'm sorry to be late to report in. I've been on vacation with no access to a scale. And apparently no restraint. My weight this morning was 107.

@@amazon, I heard you say ice cream equals weight loss and that's all I needed to hear! LOL.

@@enjoythetime, I am afraid that the weight I put on will not come right back off. I have witnessed some pretty disappointing regains in my family and I don't want to follow in their footsteps.

When I first made goal I thought I looked a lot older than I did when I was obese. Now, months later, I feel that my face has adjusted to the weight loss and has lost the Skeletor look. But this is all probably more in my head than reality. People didn't see me as I saw myself. When I told my husband that I thought I was looking better, he said I looked fine all along.

@@JamieLogical

I agree with what you say and did not mean to say that exercise is not an important component of weight loss, just that I think caloric restriction is what gets you past the post.

@@leag78 I know this isn't what you want to hear but my advice is that you just keep following your doc's plan and try to be patient. Everyone loses at their own pace and we don't get to dictate to our bodies how quickly to lose. Your weight loss so far seems pretty darned good. Try not to worry so much, just enjoy the benefits.

@@AR40

The real key to weight loss is caloric restriction, not exercise. Do you use MyFitnessPal? I find its projections and caloric goals very helpful and reasonably accurate. You could also talk to your nutritionist if he/she is available and knowledgeable about bariatrics. Once you determine the number of calories your body really needs to maintain your healthiest weight, you will have a much easier time.

I agree that trying to encourage people to lose weight is bound to cause friction. The best way to support your loved one's efforts toward health is to share your new healthy habits with them. Invite them (without insisting or nagging) to participate in your activities/exercise and share your healthy foods with them. You can't force people to change, you can only support the change once it begins to occur.

I'm going on my third annual road trip to the Ashland Shakespeare festival this weekend. Last year, I was in full on weight loss mode and my eating style was very conservative. This year I am below goal and in maintenance. I'm trying to decide how I'm going to behave on vacation. I know I can't go back to my old hedonistic (and fat) ways and have a non-stop bacchanal, but since my goal is to learn to manage my weight for the rest of my life, I think I need to allow more treats while on vacation. I guess I should ask myself, "what do skinny people do?" And try to do that. How do you all handle vacations?