I'm just curious and want something kind of like a roll call to see where we're all at.

I'll be three years out in one month and I'm five pounds away from my pre pregnancy weight and eight pounds away from my original goal.

If you're at goal, how long have you been maintaining within a 5 pound window?

If you're not at goal, how far do you have to go?

How do you transition your mind and eating from loss to maintenance or back to loss from maintenance? Do you go back to basics, restrict calories, get more active, etc.?

I'd like to see some experiences shared here. I'm finding that I just don't make the time to come to VST much anymore. Sure, there's a small measure of burnout (I just avoid most of the topics when I do come around) and sure, I just had a baby a few months ago. But I think a major thing is that I don't like being here as a vet and not at my goal weight. It's silly, because this is exactly where I should be as I'm trying to lose.

I'm struggling. Eating isn't that bad. I'm very fortunate, because I've read a number of threads lately where even vets are having trouble with non-stop hunger or food thoughts. I'm not dealing with that.

But I maintained so easily. I'm not bragging...it's just how it was, and I honestly feel like I deserved it after struggling for 17 months to lose 107 pounds a tenth of a pound at a time! Transitioning from maintenance to pregnancy to loss again SUCKS. I hate it. I log my food and I track and no, I don't feel hungry (thank goodness) and I don't really want to graze or binge (thankfully) but I feel like the SLOWEST LOSER IN THE UNIVERSE and I'm really struggling with my body image and with the idea that I have to eat 700-900 calories a day, and skip the extra cups of coffee and actually pay attention to what I eat.

I want to be lazy again, honestly. I want to be back in maintenance, back at goal and I want my size 5/6 pants to fit perfectly, without being slightly snug. I want to go back to hopping on the scale each morning and not minding if I see the number go up a touch one day and down a bit the next, because I'm already in my maintenance window and a small change won't hurt. I want to see progress again!

I cannot wrap my head around making this transition smooth. It's not a huge amount of stress but there is a very real underlying fear that if I don't manage to get back into loss mode mentally, too, that I won't ever lose the weight and I'll slide into regaining.

Where are the rest of you on this?

~Cheri

I am 2.5 years out. I am actually below goal and have been for over a year. I gained back about 5 pounds (On purpose) and feel great at this weight!

I am 2.5 years out. I am actually below goal and have been for over a year. I gained back about 5 pounds (On purpose) and feel great at this weight!

You are my hero! I want to ge like you when I grow up! LOL. I gained back and it was on purpose but because I ate badly for a few months. Back on track now. Within 5 pounds of my original goal/bounce. 150/153

I'm now under my original goal and try to gain some muscle mass.

I have the same goals as big country - to bulk up without gaining body fat weight.

It is hard work to gain muscle mostly because we cannot eat the quantity of a normal guy who is bulking up to gain muscle (3000-5000 calories), in order to fully optimize the ass-busting workouts. I have been simultaneously cutting fat from 192 to 178 and gaining lean muscle back to 180 in the last 6 weeks to become more athletic. Weight has normalized around 180 in last 2 weeks ( my original goal), but think i really need to weight 185-190 when muscle gain has peaked. Yes, we could drink gainers all day (each protein shake is about 600 - 800 calories and can be bought at health stores), but those would more than likely turn into stored fat rather than lean muscle ( my hypothesis) because we process food differently in our entire gi tract. It is a constant learning experience of trial an error to see what works as a VSG post op. big country is doing incredible at this daunting task (major kudos!). Slowly but surely I think we are figuring it out.

I am 2.5 years out. I am actually below goal and have been for over a year. I gained back about 5 pounds (On purpose) and feel great at this weight!

That's awesome and very inspiring for me just beginning my maintenance phase.

Bulking without storing. Tough for me at this point.

The work I have been doing, shoveling and wheelbarrowing dirt all day in the heat of a Florida summer, has been a workout times 10. Recovery is slow at my age so the muscles are hard as rocks but not getting much bigger. The protein intake is maxed but it only absorbs so much at a time.

Guys my age don't bulk as much due to lessened testosterone anyway so I am resigned to having a Bruce Lee body under a cascading loose skin coat.

I'm happy anyway. It's great to be in this kind of shape. Never wanted to be a GQ model or make big bucks endorsing protein powder anyway.

Bulking without storing. Tough for me at this point.

The work I have been doing, shoveling and wheelbarrowing dirt all day in the heat of a Florida summer, has been a workout times 10. Recovery is slow at my age so the muscles are hard as rocks but not getting much bigger. The protein intake is maxed but it only absorbs so much at a time.

Guys my age don't bulk as much due to lessened testosterone anyway so I am resigned to having a Bruce Lee body under a cascading loose skin coat.

I'm happy anyway. It's great to be in this kind of shape. Never wanted to be a GQ model or make big bucks endorsing protein powder anyway.

You have done great!

Yes, we could drink gainers all day (each protein shake is about 600 - 800 calories and can be bought at health stores), but those would more than likely turn into stored fat rather than lean muscle ( my hypothesis) because we process food differently in our entire gi tract. It is a constant learning experience of trial an error to see what works as a VSG post op. .

Hi FM -- what does the bolded (by me LOL) part mean? I thought we had the same structural/operational setup, just with a smaller stomach. Is there more to it??

Hi FM -- what does the bolded (by me LOL) part mean? I thought we had the same structural/operational setup' date=' just with a smaller stomach. Is there more to it??[/quote']

I think the mechanics of nutritional absorption are different as a VSG post op because the food does not get a chance to break down as much in the stomach. This is an oversimplification.

You're right fiddle. My surgeon came to the last support group meeting. He said exactly that. We absorb food differently because it moves out of our stomachs much quicker.

You're right fiddle. My surgeon came to the last support group meeting. He said exactly that. We absorb food differently because it moves out of our stomachs much quicker.

Hence the admonition not to drink with meals or some time afterward, something that I have difficulty following. The food needs all the time it can get in the stomach with the tsunami washing it down.

You know, one of the benefits of fast processing stomachs is a BM within 5-10 minutes of each meal. At least it happens that way for me. I feel like food flies through really quickly.

You know' date=' one of the benefits of fast processing stomachs is a BM within 5-10 minutes of each meal. At least it happens that way for me. I feel like food flies through really quickly.[/quote']

Show off! Me it's more like once or twice a week!

And yes I've tried everything. I think I have a lazy stretched out colon!

I can only dream, Fiddle! I used to have IBS prior to sleeve and went like clockwork. Nada. If I even remotely THINK I can go, I'm on a trot to the pot! .

Do y'all ever THINK ABOUT THE CRAP (no pun intended we talk about on here! bahahaha

It is the small miracles that bring happiness.