Now that VST has been around awhile, there are a lot of us at goal who are learning to maintain.

I would like to discuss maintenance. Is it easy for you? It is not easy for me.

I fight it every day. I can eat so much more than I could when I first had surgery. I don't feel really full all the time the way I did a year ago.

I used to be able to eat a meal and feel so full for hours that I had no desire to eat again until it was meal time again.

I would say that Head hunger is more than 75% of hunger for me. I can eat a meal and thoughts of junk food enter my mind an hour later.

I am so thankful that I do have this tool to help me maintain, but it will always be a battle for me to not eat chips, candy and all the rest of the stuff that could easily pack on 20 lbs in a short time if I gave into my head hunger.

How are the rest of you at goal doing? Is eating healthy such a habit now that you have no desire to snack?

maintenance has become more of a challenge and difficult for me too. It's not that I really hungry but I want to eat all the time.

I really have to watch the scale closely.

I am sixteen months out - I've been maintaining since about mid-December. I finally got the hang of it, but did have a difficult time stopping the weight loss. How weird! I was at 132 once or twice, eighteen lbs below my doctor's goal and 13 below mine. I finally called the dietitian and was told to 'snack' - lighten up and enjoy. I've finally gotten the hang of it, and I think I'm eating like a naturally thin person. I managed to add calories and gain a little weight. I go between 137 and 143 now. I like 138 - 140.5 - I can gain 4 lbs over a weekend of eating out quite a bit, and on Monday, get back on track and lose it by Thursday. We are eating out more on the weekends since moving back to Texas. Dallas has endless new restaurants to try!! =) All in all, I am finding it pretty easy to maintain. It still 'scares' me, the thought of gaining it all back. Logically I know it is irrational, but I am certain all of y'all out there understand what I'm talking about. I can eat so much more now than I could six months ago, and waaaay more than I could at 3 or 4 months out. I will ask my husband, "did I eat a lot?" I am sure he thinks I'm a nut!! I can look at a stranger at a restaurant and see what is being eaten and am shocked at the quantity!! I remember I use to eat that much and I KNOW that what I am eating is what would be considered normal portions or less!! The head games....will they ever stop???!!!!!

I just realized that I can post here... if I can ever think of anything to say. The only thing for me is really getting it in my head that I'm completely done... in maintenance... no longer actively trying to lose weight. My brain has been in weight loss mode for so long, I'm having a really hard time coming to terms with the fact I really don't necessarily need to lose more. I'm complete 100% healthy (folks are constantly telling me I look 'fit' or even 'athletic'), and fitting clothes I never dreamed I'd fit. As a matter of fact I look at some of my pants and still can't believe I fit in them! I did that just this morning!

One day I'm like, "whatever!" and the next day I'm buring my butt feeling like I'm still trying to lose. Then I remember... "Oh yeah... I'm not trying to lose anymore". Did anyone else experience this? It's just the weirdest thing in the world.

The headgames we play are unreal!! It is difficult for me to THINK like a normally thin person, but I do eat like one. Thinking about food still consumes me! I hope it will stop eventually, I won't worry about gaining, did I eat too much, will my tummy stretch (there still isn't a standard answer, it varies!!). Shopping is fun for the first time ever....I wish my arms were better, but my tummy is ok. I'm 52, I don't want plastic surgery on anything. I'm fine with me.

I just realized that I can post here... if I can ever think of anything to say. The only thing for me is really getting it in my head that I'm completely done... in maintenance... no longer actively trying to lose weight. My brain has been in weight loss mode for so long, I'm having a really hard time coming to terms with the fact I really don't necessarily need to lose more. I'm complete 100% healthy (folks are constantly telling me I look 'fit' or even 'athletic'), and fitting clothes I never dreamed I'd fit. As a matter of fact I look at some of my pants and still can't believe I fit in them! I did that just this morning!

One day I'm like, "whatever!" and the next day I'm buring my butt feeling like I'm still trying to lose. Then I remember... "Oh yeah... I'm not trying to lose anymore". Did anyone else experience this? It's just the weirdest thing in the world.

LilMissDiva---Yes, I feel like that all the time.Maintenance has been surprisingly easy thus far. I still adhere to some principles: 3 meals, 1 snack, only 0 calorie drinks in between (though I'll allow myself a latte or a beer). I try not to drink during meals but occasionally I will. It's weird to not need to lose weight.

The headgames we play are unreal!! It is difficult for me to THINK like a normally thin person.

Nice to see you here! I was wondering how you were doing. You look fantastic. I am not on maintenance yet, but pretty close.. For all intents and purposes I am not losing weight, and will probably be around this weight when I see where I am in a few months.

Hi there, and thank you!! It's been a while since I've posted much of anything. We moved back to Texas at the end of July. It's been busy and hectic!! I am certain you will lose the additional 14 lbs. You aren't even a yr out!!! Good luck, it is good hearing from you!!!

Nice to see you here! I was wondering how you were doing. You look fantastic. I am not on maintenance yet, but pretty close.. For all intents and purposes I am not losing weight, and will probably be around this weight when I see where I am in a few months.

I also think About food all the time and can't seem to keep myself from snacking. I am seriously realizing that getting thin was the easy part. What do most of you eat and snack on at maintenance? I have allowed myself to gain 10 pounds!

With me, year and a half out or so...the physical exercise helps when I am very busy and I'll lose down to my lowest weight which is 145. But as soon as I stop exercising I put it back on. With snacking I can creep up to 149 or 150 but then if I cut carbs more I lose back to 148 which is more my standard weight.

My problem, I know, is my metabolism which has adjusted to my lower weight. I am normally fairly inactive. But mostly even on a bad day I'm not eating a TON of calories, but I guess if I'm not moving so it still tries to store extra weight especially if it was snacks/carbs.

But so far it is scarey, but manageable. Usually if I'm busy my weight is lower than if I'm at home with nothing to do but eat. And usually I'm pretty busy so that works for me.

The hard part is when you are like stressed and wanting to junk out and you just can't consume the volume. The ultimate irony I guess. Trying to self destruct and yet can't fit the food IN (thank goodness). Or if I go between meals too long and I'm sooooo needing food but get physically full, but just not yet satisfied. Then I have to eat again a short time later.

But honestly, I'm so inconsistent and the damn thing still works. I'm a believer. But scared I will creep up. When I hit 150 I am in freak out mode. And usually it goes away quick.

I will be 14 months out on the 27th and so far maintenance has been pretty awesome. I never thought I would be here. I am so thankful for my sleevie everyday. Before I could gain 5 lbs. in ONE DAY, SERIOUSLY. I have been bouncing between the same 3 lbs. (145-148) since 6/12/11 which is about 4 months now. Today I was 146. That is truly a miracle for me.

I also think About food all the time and can't seem to keep myself from snacking. I am seriously realizing that getting thin was the easy part. What do most of you eat and snack on at maintenance? I have allowed myself to gain 10 pounds!

Because I really don't want to drop below 145, I eat anything. I do try to always have a balanced dinner. Protein (meat), carb (rice or pasta), and veggies. AND my dinner left overs are what I normally take for lunch the next day. Today I was SUPER BAD, and I had a cinnamon pretzel from Sam's for dinner because everyone else was having pizza and I just didn't feel like pizza.

I am terrible for eating breakfast . I typically just have a venti caramel light frap in the morning and eat lunch about 11am (M-F). On the weekend I don't eat lunch until much later. I snack on candy a lot too ...but again so far it's keeping me the weight I want to be, IF for some reason I pass 148 I would STOP that immediately, I NEVER want to gain all that weight back EVER!!!! So I watch it carefully and weigh EVERYDAY!

Yes. My problem is that I am snacking toomuch because I seem to get hungry every 2-3 hours. Weird too ecause until a few months ago I never thought of food and lost so quickly and easily. Just got to get my mind straightened out now.

I snack on Graham Crackers (lite) with Natural Peanut Butter - something my mom loved - and now I'm addicted to it. I have it two or three times per day. I do love snacking, and luckily I NEED to snack to get in the calories I need to maintain. I seldom if ever snack on things like cookies, ice cream etc. I've had both in small quantites, but hardly ever. I find maintaining easy. I too weigh every single day. My doctor recommended it before I ever had surgery. He likes for us to watch it - if we start to gain or lose too much, it's easier to take control when it's under five lbs. Most of us can gain ten lbs and wonder HOW this happened, this can happen in a couple of weeks to many of us. The thought of HAVING to lose ten lbs because I was making bad choices is not something I want to deal with. This is simple for me so far!

Thanks for the advice. I was weighing everyday and then slacked off. I need to just get back in the habit and I agree- 1-5 is much easier than 10 and easier on the mindset too!

Btw. About how many crackers are in your snack 2-3 times a day? And that is on top of your 3 meals, right?