maintenance How are things going for those are are at (or near) goal?

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

I thought I would start this thread because the Life at or near goal forum seems to have died out.

It's probably because of the veterans forum, but this topic still needs to be addressed.

I've read posts lately of people who are really sruggling to stay at goal . They are gaining weight back and they are scared.

Some of us are using the 5:2 plan to stay on track and that seems to help. I think it helps that there is a big website for that diet for questions and support.

Anyone else care to chime in on how life is now that you're farther out and needing to use willpower to stay on track?

[Dee 39]

Been doing good still have be mindful. Put on some 131 like to be closer to 125. Off sugar need to slow down with carbs Wheat thins are soooo easy to eat! Don't know what 5:2 is will look it up. Over 3 years and still love this sleeve. I know I will be back closer to 125 before it would have been a flash and gain gain gain. Still struggle with Protein done with the "manufactured" stuff powder, bars chicken is my staple and eggs (sometimes they don't set well with me) Also eat grains that have protein. Need to "log" in food to get my protein up. Visual person! Hope all is well Oregondaisy

[discoveringme 31]

I'm just a few pounds away form goal now and a little over 8 months out. I am thinking about how life will be trying to maintain and not lose but want to at least get to goal before i stress to much about it. The biggest thing read over and over is that people tend to gain 10 to 20 lbs of bounce weight? I wonder how true that really for most VSGers? I can definitely see how easy it could be to gain but i wonder ho hard ti is to simply maintain once you find what works for you?

Are we destined to all gain 10 or more lbs after the first couple of years?? I really hope not and intend to try and keep studying up as much as i can, and keep trying to live life as i have when i lost the weight, to stay as close to goal as i can for the long haul.

If there are any tips out there i would really be so interested in hearing them?

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

No, it doesn't have to happen. It happened to me though, and it was hard to take it off. You have to be vigilent, and not snack or think you can make a whole lot of changes in maintenance. The farther you are post op, the harder it is to take off weight gained back.

Whatever you're doing now, tracking your food, counting your calories, etc, it's pretty much a life long plan. If you keep losing and you don't want to lose, you can add in a healthy snack, like avacodos, nuts, etc. You'll find your calorie range.

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

I am so struggling right now......I have been going to a friends house and helping her with home health needs and her best friend has a whole lotta crap in the house. It's pure sugar and I've found myself making all kinds of excuses to eat it...... I told her yesturday that unless her friend takes her crap food home, I will not be coming over much....I really don't have the right to make these demands, but I know that I am doomed if I keep going over there and eating that crap... So she agreed, she told me that she doesn't really like the sugary stuff and feels her friend will understand. But it is possible to gain the weight back especially when we can eat when we're not physically hungry... It's head hunger.....

I can eat a lot more now than I use too and that is scaring the pants off me.....

[discoveringme 31]

No, it doesn't have to happen. It happened to me though, and it was hard to take it off. You have to be vigilent, and not snack or think you can make a whole lot of changes in maintenance. The farther you are post op, the harder it is to take off weight gained back.

Whatever you're doing now, tracking your food, counting your calories, etc, it's pretty much a life long plan. If you keep losing and you don't want to lose, you can add in a healthy snack, like avacodos, nuts, etc. You'll find your calorie range.

Excellent advice and i plan on taking it :-) I do sometimes find myself thinking my old fat girl way " You have done so well! you are almost to goal - go ahead and have that XYZ... what would it hurt??" So far i have been lucky i didn't gain but the times i did that, mainly over the Holidays, it put me in some pretty impressive stalls. It does make sense that what we do now we must always do - thanks for the advice :-)

[erp 2,016]

I have been feeling like maintenence means I get to stop- to stop tracking, stop dieting, stop exercising. It is so surreal to know that I am now just at the end of the beginning and that I will always have to do the things I am doing now.

[erp 2,016]

As I think about, I guess what is bothering me about being close to goal is the feeling of "ok, so now what?".

[Wags 549]

Me too! I am 8 pounds from goal. I also have the "what then?" question running through my mind. Please help vets - I feel like I don't want to stop the 700 - 800 calorie plan because then I will gain.

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

You really have to experiement to see where you will settle on your calorie range. If you continue to lose, You add back healthy fats such as nuts and avacados. If you aren't eating bread, you can have half a sandwich on whole grain bread.

Maintenance is tricky.

[lsereno 2,525]

I've been at goal two years next month. As for the "what's next" question, for me it's been more of the same! I have more treats at goal, but not a huge amount of them and not every day. I still weigh daily, exercise about every other day, take my Vitamins, and am grateful to be living life at goal. I have an entire wardrobe of goal weight clothes. Each season, I bought a few items. Just this last Christmas, I replaced my winter robe. I reset my bounce range to just two pounds because I found that a five pound bounce let me eat too much crap before climbing back on the wagon.

I stay here to give back and to keep my focus on staying at goal. I'm never gonna be the person who can just ignore what I eat.

Lynda

[playlikeworldchamps 595]

I am a little over a year out and lost over 120 from my highest ever and 101 since surgery. I am 7 pounds from the goal weight I set for myself of 187. I am 5-10 and a normal BMI would be 173 but I was that 25 years ago and I added some to account for age and stretched skin.

Lately to get the scale moving I have dedicated myself to be a more regimented eater and am working on eliminating grazing. It seems to be helping. If it helps to speed up loss which is about a pound every other week now perhaps I can get lower than 187. But I am good with the180s. It helps to be tall.

I am also working with a personal trainer to improve my lean weight. It was 36% fat in January. Trying to get it down to 30%. I wish I could keep the PT indefinitely but it is pricey. Maybe I will do 3 more months or maybe just try body pump classes etc. I just don't know what to do for strength training without being told. I wonder if there any good apps or videos to truth at are not impossible for a beginner like me!

I don't think eating less is the way to get to a final goal. That seems a temporary diet mentality type think where the weight will come back when adding back calories. Sometimes I think maintenance for me will be the same 1300 calories as now but maybe a treat or glass or wine occaissinally. Really don't think I will have problem stopping loss. My body does that quite well if I don't focus one very crumb!

Interested to hear how others got the final pounds off and keep them off most importantly.

[Seela 1,187]

I still have about 35lbs to goal but I'm curious. .. when you try to stop losing do most of you gain a little in the beginning before you find the sweet spot? Maintenance scares me.

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

I don't think that is the reason people gain. I think that it's because it's so easy to pick up little bites of this and that during the day, or eating in front of the tv, etc.

Maintenance is still 3 meals and a snack. Life is so much more fun with socializing etc, when we are thin, it's so easy to lose track of extra calories.

[joatsaint 2,814]

I'm at 15 months post-op and I am at my goal weight - not the weight I want to be, but the weight my doc said to expect. I've little trouble staying where I am or losing the extra lbs I gained over the holidays. I've never been one to write down my intake, but I've learned through trial and error how much to eat and what to eat during the day to maintain my weight. So it's an unconscious automatic habit and I'll catch myself saying to myself, "200 calories for Breakfast, 180 calories 9am snack....lunch...dinner... getting close to 1400 calories for the day, gotta be careful."

And then there are days at work where I'll walk past the birthday cake in the break-room and suddenly, "I HAVE TO HAVE A PIECE OF CAKE!!!!!!!!!!!" And I let myself have 1/2 coffee cup (the 6oz cup, not those Grandes from Starbucks!) size scoop of cake.

The problem is getting to and staying below 230. I seem to have gotten to a sticking point at this weight and it's really tough to eat any less than I currently am. I'm really happy with my weight and health right now, but like everyone, I feel I need to lose a few more lbs.