Mantaining

[EnjoyingWhoIAmBecoming 16]

To all you post op sleevers at your goal weight..how are you able to keep your goal weight? I am worried about loosing too much weight..do not want to look sick from being too small. What is the key to maintaining?

[sgraff47 3]

I want to hear from all those at goal weight too! (I haven't figured out how to start my own topic on here yet) I was sleeved 2/12. I have lost 46 lbs from my surgery weighty of 251. As of today I am down to 205. I've had few, if any, stalls. I am so grateful to have even come this far in such a short time.

[Catracks 865]

Someone on another thread said to add a zero to the weight they wanted to maintain, e.g.: You weight 130 then 1300 calories will maintain that weight. It sounds very reasonable to me. 1300 calories is a lot of food to me now.

[Foxbins 625]

I am finding that maintenance is a balancing act. Some days I eat a lot, the next day maybe not so much. I tracked all my calories when I was losing and so I know how many calories I am eating each day. It will vary for all of us, but at 138 lbs, I eat anywhere from 900-1500 calories. I try to stay around 1200 because when I am above that I find that I have been eating junk like a handful of chips or some candy. Also, I weigh myself every morning. If I am at 140, that day is Protein only and lots of Water. So far the 2 lbs have come off within 48 hours. I got fat by ignoring the scale and I promised myself I would not do that ever again.

[BlackBerryJuice 349]

I agree with Foxbins, my appetite fluctuates from day to day. Some days I definitely overeat, other days I eat fine, and some days I eat less than I probably should. I dropped as low as 136, but I have a large frame, so that translated into as small as size 2 in some clothing, so I was actually kind of gaunt and bony yet with some fat and loose skin. I then found that maintaining 136 required a fair bit of effort - zero alcohol, zero Desserts, that kind of thing - which to me wasn't worth it. I bounced back up to 140-142 and have been there consistently for like half a year now. I bounced all the way up to 145 at some point when I was out of town for 4 weeks and eating a lot of junk while exercising a lot less than I normally do - it required some focus to get back to my normal weight. So YES, you can still gain weight if you are consistently overeating and not active enough to compensate. I don't deprive myself or starve myself, I just make better choices, e.g. eggs for Breakfast instead of a cinnamon bun at the coffee shop or blueberries for a snack instead of a Protein Bar. I actually just took some pix today in the same spot/clothes/lighting as a year ago, and while I've gained those 4-5 lbs from 136, I look better - I'm less "soft," my butt actually exists instead of just skin hanging down, and my stomach is actually leaner. My mom said I look much healthier now than when I was in the active weight loss phase.

[Purdy in Pink 57]

I've only been at goal for 3 months, so it's all still new to me. I talk to my Dr quite a bit about some of the questions I have, and this was one of them.

I was told: even though you have reached goal, you still need to maintain a high Protein diet (for the rest of my life) and drink the Water (64 oz at least) for the rest of my life. Still no snacking or nibbling between meals. Was also told to weigh my self daily, so If I see a weight gain, I can get it back in controll before it gets out of hand. (I was really hoping he would tell me, now that you have reached goal, eat what you want' just in smaller quanities...lol..nope!...grrrr)

So, basically, nothing's changed for me. I'm eating this way for life, staying away from all the foods that have no Protein value.

[Catracks 865]

I've only been at goal for 3 months, so it's all still new to me. I talk to my Dr quite a bit about some of the questions I have, and this was one of them.

I was told: even though you have reached goal, you still need to maintain a high Protein diet (for the rest of my life) and drink the Water (64 oz at least) for the rest of my life. Still no snacking or nibbling between meals. Was also told to weigh my self daily, so If I see a weight gain, I can get it back in controll before it gets out of hand. (I was really hoping he would tell me, now that you have reached goal, eat what you want' just in smaller quanities...lol..nope!...grrrr)

So, basically, nothing's changed for me. I'm eating this way for life, staying away from all the foods that have no Protein value.

I will probably eat the same way I do now and add in additional calories by upping the portions a bit.

No Snacks? Hmmm, I guess I either snack of eat 5 meals a day. I'm still around 700 calories.

Not everything I eat is protein packed, but I do choose foods that are high protein. I do eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, but I tend to dip them in high protein things like flavored Greek yogurt or Peanut Butter. My carbs are complex and contain protein. I also eat dark chocolate (70% and above).

I am of the "eat what you want within reason" crowd. That's what the surgery was for. We can eat like normal thin people now - thin people who choose wisely.