NtvTxn

I regularly weigh myself every Sunday am on an empty stomach, in the buff. If I feel bloated, I will weigh in during the week for a reality check. For 3 days, I ate off plan, fatty foods, and was shocked to see I gained 1.5 # only 10 weeks out. Great wakeup call. I am learning the Rules are there BECAUSE THEY WORK. ( emphasis for my own benefit only) best wishes

It's been 3 week's for me, I went down 20 lbs the first 2 week and then went up 1/2 lbs. Now this week i am back down 1 1/2 putting my total at 21 1/2 after 3 weeks.

You are all absolutely right... I did all of this prep work (for 6 solid months)...why take my eye off the ball now? I have to get organized and start eating to live, not living to eat.

I'll be honest with you.
You have all the information in front of you. What's keeping you from tracking? I bet in the amount of time it took you to write this post, you could have tracked it. Make a habit of it and you'll do it.
If you're worried about not eating the right amount of calories or nutrients, plan your days ahead of time and stick to the plan. You got surgery. You need to invest in yourself. You spend so many dollars and so much time up to this point. Why cop out now?
Also, please take your Protein. You won't recover without it.
Best.

I'm 10 days pot- op. I've lost 15 lbs since surgery (early on...slow now)... 32 since pre-op diet. I am eating when I feel a need but really don't know if I'm getting enough or too much. I feel good (very sore) but I can tolerate everything without issue. Today I ate a sugar free hello, a fat free tapioca pudding, a cup of tea, Water, a tiny bowl of egg drop Soup, 1/2 an avocado and a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt. I'm every other day with Protein Shakes because I hate them. Is this too much food, not enough... I'm not someone who is going to measure and track and calculate- I know that so why fool myself? I start to feel hungry so I eat a bit... am I going about this the wrong way?

I need 1300 to maintain, I do good to get that many in each day. Many days I am under by a couple of hundred. Seldom do I go over, and the times I have, it's 10 - 100 calories, never anything major. I FEEL like I eat constantly just to eat what I need to! I hope this never changes!!

You sound like me, I lost an additional 5 lbs for a 'pad'. I am actually about 7 lbs under right now. I've been maintaining for over 2.5 years, and I need 1300 calories per day to maintain. At 1400 and I'll gain, it's a fine line. I had to add 'snacks' or a couple of smaller meals in per day to be able to get 1300 in daily!! You'll have to find what works for you. I'm 54 years old, 5'7" and fluctuate between 143 and 146.5. I weigh every morning, and I log my food on my fitness pal. If I am ever 147, I cut my calories by 100 - 200 calories and it's easy to lose. I really do not struggle with maintaining, knock on wood.

As for me, my maintenance calories have to be around 1200-1300 JUST to maintain but if those are not CLEAN calories ( good Protein, fats, lower carbs) I can still edge up. As others have said, it is definitely a work in progress approach and you have to find what works for you individually. Unfortunately, it took 25 lbs of regain over my 3rd year post op to find that out and work a maintenance plan for me. I used 5:2 to lose the regain over a 3 mi period, increased my walking exercise and learned to eat correctly.
As sleevers, Mist of us will never be able to eat as many calories as the normal, never been obese person. Men have greater leeway I think. Their metabolisms work a little better and more regularly than women. (Hormones). So go into maintenance with your eyes wide open, realizing this is a FOREVER goal. You may have REACHED goal but it's WORK and diligence that will keep you at goal!!!!!

Everyone is different. I am small chested and small boned. In my early twenties, my top weight was 124, but in my 30s weight crept up and up till in my 40s I could not get under 200. Highest weight was 260 something.
One of the keys if you want to continue losing is to find the low calorie, nutritious foods that are satisfying to you. For me, that includes lean meats, non starchy veggies, and non-fat dairy. For instance, tonight dinner was about 1/2 Tbs. olive oil, summer squash, eggplant, onion, and red bell pepper sauteed with 3 oz. lean ground beef. I threw in a little basil right at the end. Very filling and satisfying. I want something sweet tonight so I will have some very low calorie fruit drink before bed. I have to hit the need for crunchy, savory, and sweet.
Also, I walk at least an hour at least 4 days per week in maintenance. During the losing phase, I walked and did strength training exercise classes 2-3 days per week or worked with a trainer.
Lynda

Don't I know it can happen quickly. Prior to surgery I could wake up and realize I was ten or twelve heavier, or yikes, my jeans are tight and I needed to go up a size!!! This is exactly why I am a micro manager....For over three years now, I weigh every single morning. I go to the bathroom, wash my hands and weigh. It is what it is....a habit, part of my new life!

You sound like me, I lost an additional 5 lbs for a 'pad'. I am actually about 7 lbs under right now. I've been maintaining for over 2.5 years, and I need 1300 calories per day to maintain. At 1400 and I'll gain, it's a fine line. I had to add 'snacks' or a couple of smaller meals in per day to be able to get 1300 in daily!! You'll have to find what works for you. I'm 54 years old, 5'7" and fluctuate between 143 and 146.5. I weigh every morning, and I log my food on my fitness pal. If I am ever 147, I cut my calories by 100 - 200 calories and it's easy to lose. I really do not struggle with maintaining, knock on wood.

You sound like me, I lost an additional 5 lbs for a 'pad'. I am actually about 7 lbs under right now. I've been maintaining for over 2.5 years, and I need 1300 calories per day to maintain. At 1400 and I'll gain, it's a fine line. I had to add 'snacks' or a couple of smaller meals in per day to be able to get 1300 in daily!! You'll have to find what works for you. I'm 54 years old, 5'7" and fluctuate between 143 and 146.5. I weigh every morning, and I log my food on my fitness pal. If I am ever 147, I cut my calories by 100 - 200 calories and it's easy to lose. I really do not struggle with maintaining, knock on wood.

I'm going to message you with days, times and addresses! There are two this week!

I'm in McKinney and would like to know about area support groups. I travel a lot for work, but I would like to attend some when I can. Thanks!

I think you should listen to your body. Just add back a little... slowly... and see where it all works out. i don't believe in calorie math - meaning that the formerly obese are not like "normal people". I happen to be very sensitive to carbs, so I can eat more calories as long as my carbs are in check.
I weigh daily and have been maintaining pretty successfully since Feb using this method... of using my body as the feedback loop.

Hi everyone. I'm 5 pounds from goal and therefore starting to stress a little about maintenance. I'm even considering losing another 5 pounds for a little safety. I'm curious when you all first got to goal, what did your maintenance calories get up to? I'm 5'2", female, and my goal weight is 125. When I google maintenance calories for this, it says like 1600 calories. That seems like an awfully lot. Help!

We moved to NE Plano about ten months ago. I attend four area support groups. They're all different and all good. Everyone's welcome. If you're interested, send me a message with your email address and I'll forward you my 'list' with the information about each of them. Location, times, addresses, etc.

Three years post op, as of today! I lost 23 lbs prior to surgery, 85 total. I have been maintaining for 2.5 years, going between 144 and 147.

Never, not one. Things will look up, I'm sure of it. It's like Christmas morning when you slip into a pair of jeans a size of two smaller. I went from wearing 18's and 20's to 4's and 6's. When I got to single digit sizes....my first pair of 8's.....I was practically orgasmic!!!!! There is nothing like it! You'll be thrilled, I wanted to go shout it to everybody else in The Gap!!! LoL

Unfortunately, there are many who are afraid of there own weight issues (most women gain each year until they reach a point that it is unhealthy - just go to a public event and look at how big we as a nation have and are becoming). The fact that you have taken a major step to control your eating and allow you to choose healthier food choices and amounts is threatening to many. This is why I shared my sx with only 3 people. Remember everyone while have an opinion of you, so just develop thick skin and focus on yourself (which is hard for women to do). Congrats on your weight loss and keep up the good work.

One of the things I hate most is when people see me plate and say, "Oh I didn't know you could eat that, or oh I didn't know you were allowed to eat that" I'm so glad that I have built in food detectives!! If I do eat something or have something that in not supposed to....it's none of NO ONEs business!!! BTW I haven't eaten anything I'm not supposed to, I had 1 egg and a link sausage for mid-morning!
I guess because just about everyone knows I had surgery everybody is curious as to what I'm eating....
Does this happen to you?
Kim
Sleeved 8/8/13
Down 37lbs

Please see the forum description:
"This forum is dedicated to veteran Sleevers who are six or more months post-op, to discuss issues specific to those who are further along in their journey. You must have 100 posts in order to post here."

I'm over three years out and I STILL feel this way. I feel surely it will come to a screeching halt. Paranoia, it's not a bad thing!!! LoL
Congratulations, you are doing great. It only gets better!

BMI, number on the scale.....OR - a certain size???!!!!
BMI, which is probably the most important, from a doctor's point of view, it was icing on the cake to me.
scale, I wanted to be way below my husband. I am.
Clothing size, I kept lowering it, I started out wanting to be in a 12, but that happened pretty fast, so I lowered it to an 8 and realized that I had underestimated what could be done with this new little tummy. An 8's swallow me. I am wearing 4's and 6's. Even if it's all vanity sizing......it is gratifying.
Shallow???!!! Yes, but so what, right? Everyone is different, and everyone's goal is different, we all define 'success' differently. Some people want nothing more than to lose weight to get off all their medication, and rightly so. Goals run the gamut around here.

BMI, number on the scale.....OR - a certain size???!!!!
BMI, which is probably the most important, from a doctor's point of view, it was icing on the cake to me.
scale, I wanted to be way below my husband. I am.
Clothing size, I kept lowering it, I started out wanting to be in a 12, but that happened pretty fast, so I lowered it to an 8 and realized that I had underestimated what could be done with this new little tummy. An 8's swallow me. I am wearing 4's and 6's. Even if it's all vanity sizing......it is gratifying.
Shallow???!!! Yes, but so what, right? Everyone is different, and everyone's goal is different, we all define 'success' differently. Some people want nothing more than to lose weight to get off all their medication, and rightly so. Goals run the gamut around here.