The whole time I was losing, I never gave 2 thoughts to maintenance. I figured the body would find a happy weight and just stay there. Well, it kinda has. But my mind isn't coming along for the ride. Maintenance is hard for me because it's emotionally taxing. It's like there is this constant, permanent low grade stress that I can't shake. Losing weight was great. I was getting somewhere. Maintenance is like standing still.....and standing still is too close to backing up. Its disconcerting.

In my old life, if I worried about my weight, I'd have that same low grade stress all the time, always worried about my health. But back then I was able to shroud myself in denial for periods of time and forget about it. Of course, when I did that, I always gained weight. I think that's my fear now. If I relax....if I forget about what I need to do....I'll gain. And I will, I've already done it. The couple of times I've thrown caution to the wind, I gained back a few pounds very quickly. Those new habits aren't as ingrained as I'd like them to be. They still take a certain amount of effort and diligence. Perhaps they always will.

I often hear people say they didn't have this surgery to be on a diet for the rest of their lives. Well, what is a diet if not being diligent about what you eat? If that's a diet, then I'm on one and I'll have to stay on one forever. So be it. Better that than regain the weight.

It's hard yes, but worth it.

What's hard about it for you guys?

Cheri I really love how you process your thoughts on here...very well said and so many of us have the same struggles too. I can't do moderation so I do try and stay away from junk foods. But I do go out an get some every now and then. It has gotten me in trouble but i did reduce 1/2 of the weight gain. I know I need to increase my exercise more to burn more calories. I have just begun my maintenance phase and look forward to hearing more experiences with maintenance too.

I haven't been in maintenance for YEARS and YEARS yet. The true test will come in a few years I feel. If I can make it past the 5-6 year mark and maintain, I will feel like I might be able to do it. I know as I age it is normal for a few pounds to come on. I'm okay with a little bit as I age. But 3-5 lbs. a year for the next 5 years? No way. That's not ok with me.. 10 pounds in 10-15-20 years? Okay that's acceptable for myself. Yep even men have to worry about the middle age spread. They get the "beer gut" and expanding bodies too. Women are not the only ones LOL. People just tend to focus on women's weights a lot because that is the way society is. Of course, Russell Crow and Luke Wilson put on a lot of weight and the stupid gossip magazines gave them a hard time too. That seems to happen more than it used to . I think you men have to work just as hard after VSG as women do. They have hormone imbalances and metabolic problems just like us. We just have to deal with the annoying monthlies that they don't have to and the annoying Water weight. It goes away after it's over, so it is only an annoyance really. So I honestly don't think men have it much easier. Good job to you VSG guys.

I've been maintaining for 10 months now so I'm not far enough into it to be confident yet. I am getting more confident with my ability, but still not completely "confident". Just slowly starting to see that I "might" be able to hold on. I agree with Cheri about stress. I can eat great for months and months and then sometimes stress hits and I wonder how I will do. I had a horrible experience that I had to go through in April of this year. It was one of the worst things I've ever been through. I managed to NOT turn to food and let it become a runaway train. I did get depressed and ate a FEW things I don't normally eat, but there was one of my children's birthdays soon after so I celebrated along so they wouldn't see how sad I was. I got a little sidetracked for a few days, but that is all. I still ate my Protein first, I just had a few Snacks I normally wouldn't. Now I am a bit more confident. However, if someone I love DIES then I don't know how well I would do. I would like to think I would mourn their death through remembering good times and knowing they would not want me to let their deaths be the catalyst to me becoming unhealthy and obese again. I think that is the one thought that would keep me from going back. But I do worry. Sooo while I did lose a bit more weight after reaching goal (not intentionally) I have been maintaining a while now. I still eat protein first for every meal, and only occasionally have a carb without protein being involved. If I'm going to eat something I don't normally eat, I'll have some beef Jerky or an ounce of chicken first, That seems to work well for me.I also can do some goodies in moderation without having to go back for more. I think I was a volume eater really. I managed to go through one of the most horrible things in my life and stay pretty much on track and do well. I also have a pair of jeans that fit perfectly and if they ever start to get tight, I go right back to cutting out anything I consider unhealthy for myself until they are loose again. :-) Works for me.

Like LSereno I am also on Obesityhelp. Honestly, I'm on there a lot. There are some vets that are maintaining within their goal weight range (usually 3-5 lbs) for years (some of them for 5 years). So it can be done. I just noticed that they are vigilant and don't let the scale float up too much or let their pants get too tight without doing something right away. I also follow BandedWendy and AmySDMom on Youtube who are both great WLS maintainers. Wendy has the band but she has maintained her weight so well that I love her secrets. AmySDMom was sleeved 4 years ago and is maintaining her weight. She actually started having some IBS/gastroparesis type symptoms earlier this year that cause bloating but she's still keeping her weight off. She's not sure if this new issue is from the VSG or not. She is very inspiring and it's nice to see some vets do well. Good luck everyone. I hope to pop in now and then. I love the new veteran's forum.

In moving into maintenance I really analyzed what I was doing pre surgery that got me to where I was. How did I continue to gain year after year? It turned out to be pretty simple. I had no accountability and knowledge of what I was actually putting into myself. I ate what ever I wanted, as much as I could and never bothered to think about just how much it actually was. Combine that with never knowing what my actual weight was and it's a pretty easy recipe for super morbid obesity. I lived in a fog created by my own ignorance and apathy.

My approach to maintenance has been to do what I was not doing before. I hold myself accountable. I weigh myself once a week. My daily food intake is still pretty consistent and I'm very conscientious about what and how much I'm eating. I am not as regimented and restrictive as I was when I was in losing mode, but I know that I can't down a half gallon of ice cream and expect it to not be detrimental. I have an acceptable weight range I want to be in and if I get out of that range I go back to logging everything again.

The stress and emotional eating will likely always be my biggest hurdle and I know know that. I know that when things get stressful, etc. I need to be more diligent and pay attention. I have even found that when I am experiencing stressful times, I will go back to logging everything, just as an extra level of awareness.

Damn this taking the easy way out sure seems like a lot of work. But sooooo worth it!

My regain came between my birthday and the first of the year. My birthday is the end of October. Everyone was taking me out to dinner for like a week straight. That was when first noticed it was really hard to take off the few lbs I gained. Nothing was working.

Pretty soon it was all the other holidays and between my birthday and the first of the year, I gained 10 lbs that I could not take off. It was lose 2 lbs every week and gain it back on the weekend.

It's been the 5:2 plan that's gotten me back on track.

As I come to the end of my weight loss phase, I am beginning the process of "mentally preparing" myself for maintenance. Just like I did before surgery, I have to get my mind right. These days, I am spending considerable time in thought. How is maintenance going to work for me? What will each day look like? How will I Celebrate success? Rebound from failure? How will I address the emotional or physical changes? What is my support system?

I'm viewing my VSG weight loss phase much like the time when I was engaged to be married. Lots going on, lots of planning, learning, stress, milestones, but always with a fixed end.

All of us VSGer's dream about our "big day". The day we hit goal. In my mental prep, I have realized hitting goal is simply the "wedding day". A one day celebration. After that celebration, the next phase begins. Maintenance.

We all know people who were caught up in the engagement & had a beautiful wedding, but weren't prepared to be successful at being married. I DO NOT want to be one of the VSG group that can lose the weight, but not keep it off. After all, you can't divorce your sleeve.

For me, maintenance means the long term, real responsibility has started. Maintaining my weight is going to be like a marriage. This is the rest of my life. There are going to be the inevitable ups and downs. Sometimes maintaining will take work. Sometimes it won't. There are going to be days that maintenance is as fun as I make it. But, for better or worse, this was my choice and is now my reality. I will continue to get out of my sleeve - exactly what I put into it. (Pun intended.)

Fail to plan = planning to fail

All of us VSGer's dream about our "big day". The day we hit goal. In my mental prep, I have realized hitting goal is simply the "wedding day". A one day celebration. After that celebration, the next phase begins. Maintenance.

We all know people who were caught up in the engagement & had a beautiful wedding, but weren't prepared to be successful at being married. I DO NOT want to be one of the VSG group that can lose the weight, but not keep it off. After all, you can't divorce your sleeve.

For me, maintenance means the long term, real responsibility has started. Maintaining my weight is going to be like a marriage. This is the rest of my life. There are going to be the inevitable ups and downs. Sometimes maintaining will take work. Sometimes it won't. There are going to be days that maintenance is as fun as I make it. But, for better or worse, this was my choice and is now my reality. I will continue to get out of my sleeve - exactly what I put into it. (Pun intended.)

That's good stuff "Hoosier"! Thank you!

Good luck and well said! It is a life journey!

As I come to the end of my weight loss phase' date=' I am beginning the process of "mentally preparing" myself for maintenance. Just like I did before surgery, I have to get my mind right. These days, I am spending considerable time in thought. How is maintenance going to work for me? What will each day look like? How will I celebrate success? Rebound from failure? How will I address the emotional or physical changes? What is my support system?

I'm viewing my VSG weight loss phase much like the time when I was engaged to be married. Lots going on, lots of planning, learning, stress, milestones, but always with a fixed end.

All of us VSGer's dream about our "big day". The day we hit goal. In my mental prep, I have realized hitting goal is simply the "wedding day". A one day celebration. After that celebration, the next phase begins. Maintenance.

We all know people who were caught up in the engagement & had a beautiful wedding, but weren't prepared to be successful at being married. I DO NOT want to be one of the VSG group that can lose the weight, but not keep it off. After all, you can't divorce your sleeve.

For me, maintenance means the long term, real responsibility has started. Maintaining my weight is going to be like a marriage. This is the rest of my life. There are going to be the inevitable ups and downs. Sometimes maintaining will take work. Sometimes it won't. There are going to be days that maintenance is as fun as I make it. But, for better or worse, this was my choice and is now my reality. I will continue to get out of my sleeve - exactly what I put into it. (Pun intended.)

Fail to plan = planning to fail[/quote']

Love thiis!

This is like a marriage. There is no going back for me. I will always need to be diligent and not allow myself to snack or graze. I love the 5:2 plan and it helps me to maintain my skinniness.

This is like a marriage. There is no going back for me. I will always need to be diligent and not allow myself to snack or graze. I love the 5:2 plan and it helps me to maintain my skinniness.

Oh to be Skinny!!! . Thin yes. Skinny no!

why is it so hard to maintain a reduced body weight

http://www.drsharma....or-obesity.html

http://www.drsharma....ody-weight.html

why is it so hard to maintain a reduced body weight

http://www.drsharma....or-obesity.html

http://www.drsharma....ody-weight.html

This was a very fascinating read, but the odds are really stacked against us, aren't they.

why is it so hard to maintain a reduced body weight

http://www.drsharma....or-obesity.html

http://www.drsharma....ody-weight.html

VERY interesting and confirms what we thought! Metabolically changed and it will take much less to successfully maintain over the long term. I, for one, am truly glad to have found this plan because it gives me hope for a successful maintenance since we are easily cutting our calories overall. And I don't know about the rest of you but I am not eating anywhere near where I was on my eating days. Eating clean and junk free plus fasting has to be lifestyle for me.

Now, it might be one fast day like mentioned by the author once REAL maintenance is started but it will definitely have to be forever!

Thanks, FYE!

A discussion on this topic and 5:2- some hope...I posted this on the 5:2 group site, but thought some of you might enjoy all the links to research on the topic....

http://www.52fastdie...c395.html#p2542

why is it so hard to maintain a reduced body weight

http://www.drsharma....or-obesity.html

http://www.drsharma....ody-weight.html

Great articles FYE! It really does feel like the odds are stacked against us, but knowledge is power. The more we know, the more tools we have to continue maintaining and not becoming statistics!