hello, I couldn't post in the veterans forum for some reason so this forum seems as close as it gets: i'm 3 years post op and the last 2 years my weight is optimal and steady. the last few months though I took a few pounds by eating junk in front of the TV......this 10 pounds I like too loose now......but how? I already eat about 200 grams per meal, 3 times a day. that is exactly the same amount since I got sleeved, it just doesn't work as it did. (back then,my doctor told me this would happen) should I eat even less??? it seems too extreme. what is a acceptable "veteran" diet to loose a few pound?

Maybe increase your exercise??

I read a lot of people go "back to basics" meaing a liquid diet like right after surger. Do you think that could help you reset?

Definitely doing a well balanced meal and exercising....these are healthy habits that we all should try to develop.

Hi tdriver,

Welcome back.

I am almost in the same position as you....only a little worse.

I never got all the way to goal and then gained approx 7 lbs during the last 18 months.

I have 20 lbs to lose, and hope to do this for Christmas 2013.

I am hoping to tidy up my act and follow the rules properly and hopefully that will do the trick.

I am hoping not to go back to the liquid phase but rather drop some careless habits, e.g. cut out alcohol, never drink within an hour of eating, and take a protein drink every day.

My diet is otherwise healthy and I am hoping these small changes will make a difference.

I will give these a try for 1 month to see.

Best of luck with what you decide to do.

Bookleen

I tried cutting out "the small changes" but it didn't help much (if at all)...... more needs to be done. may try the liquid phase again.....or try to eat 1/4-1/3 less per meal. although this would mean a calorie intake of way less than the post op diet. afaik too less is not good either. the body goes into "economy-mode" and won't loose this way either. ?? my doc told me this would happen eventually, but who listened.....

Cut the junk food, useless calories and back to regular excercise and even try the VSG boot camp to getcha mojo goin'

Start tracking your food. If you've cut out the useless calories and you still aren't losing, then this might be a great next step. It helps to make sure you've been accountable to yourself. And log EVERYTHING you put in your mouth.

Check out five day pouch test by Kaye Bailey. It's basically for gastric sleeve patients but it works for the lapband and sleeve too. Good Luck!

Your metabolism is shot. The years of maintaining a caloric deficit has screwed up your metabolism. The weight loss slows down or becomes harder to lose because your BMR has been slowly dropping and as months even years go by you starting eating a little more.

These online BMR calculators online are great tools but will not work for someone who has been eating at a caloric deficit for a while with a shot metabolism. You will need to get your BMR checked by a professional.

Once your know your BMR I would eat at a caloric deficit at not more than 500 calories a day. It will take you about 2 months to lose that 10 pounds but you wont ruin your metabolism any more if you do it this way.

Once your back to your goal weight slowly up your calories by about 150cal a day, hold your daily intake of 150 added for about a week or 2 then increase it by another 150 for another week or two. You want to slowly build your daily calorie intake to a healthy level approaching 2000cal. I know it sounds like a lot but slowly adding calories over time to your diet will boost your metabolism and get it working again. Once your metabolism is working as it should you can play with eating at caloric deficits to lose even more weight.

I believe you have to always be changing it up with your caloric and macro intakes or your body gets use to it. Eating at a caloric deficit for a long period of time is screwing up peoples metabolisms and when their BMR drops they wonder why the weight loss stops.I hear members trying to give advise but its rather simple actually. Your metabolism is shot from the long caloric deficit diet and its resulting in NO calorie deficit. They are eating barely anything and not losing weight. Lucky you can repair your metabolism.

I am a firm believer in refeeds, carb cycling and manipulating calories. I change up my caloric intakes every other day to keep my metabolism working hard.

Mike - this description made so much sense, yet was explained in such an elegant, articulate and simple manner. Thanks! This is good advice for every one of us to make the most of our natural fat burning processes. It is a shame that the doctors cannot gear their post op programs around this approach to feeding the body per Healthy BMR.

t is a shame that the doctors cannot gear their post op programs around this approach to feeding the body per Healthy BMR.

I think doctors just want to see quick results and construct their post op programs for the average WLS patient, they dont want to complicate thing. It seems most post op programs are geared towards seeing a lower number on the scale rather than focusing on transforming the shape of ones body. Its kinda annoying that they tell you the first steps to lose weight quickly but don't advise on how to repair your matabolism to reach your ultimate goals. You think your average VSGer is running 10k a week and intense crossfit sessions the other days. The average VSGer only cares about a number on a scale not body composition. Doctors gear their programs towards what the majority wants. What really irritates me is some advise I hear from these dieticians... more then one way to skin a cat but starving yourself just wont work long term.

great post mike! never thought of that. I'll try this approach.

Love it, Mike!