Questions for those of you longer term sleevers

[CowgirlJane 14,261]

I am really curious to hear from those of you that are long time sleevers and had regains.

I am very very very very very aware that this could and likely WILL happen to many of us, including me. My boss is a knockout georgous hot woman, was never obese, but can get to be about 30# overweight - and she is short so it really shows up. I have known her for 15+ years so have seen it repeatedly. What she does, is go on Jenny Craig and get slim again. She is close to 60 now and i am definately noticing she is having a harder time knocking that weight back off. She used to gain the weight pretty evenly now it is definately the mid section. joy oh joy - what we have to look forward to...I am 49....anyhoo...

I have my own ways of being diligent - I weigh daily, or nearly so. I write it down - if i bounce outside of my bounce zone I jump on it and go back to basics or ... start 5:2 (that did happen to me this summer - too many first dates packed on about 5# - being wined and dined is my excuse!). I exercise - maybe not at the gym, but I push my body to MOVE.

I do NOT track food. I know that many of you don't agree with that approach and can't live with it, but, tracking food is a lifetime of dieting practice - I think my first food tracking diet was when I was 8. Trust me, it is NOT part of MY secret to success. I did it the first 3 months post op and the NUT I was working with could see that it did not suit me... she challenged me to find a different way and dang it if she wasn't right. I mentally count Protein and carbs - that's it. No calories - they carry too much emotional baggage for me. My fast days, I sorta figured out "about" what to eat to stay under 500 calories and I just follow that plan rather then counting calories.

Anyway, I am nearly 2 years out and my doc told me in January that year 2 and 3 are just about as important as year one because that is when he sees the regains - especially from people like me who were... lets face it HUGE. My BMI was over 50. He gave me a very loving but firm talk about not slacking, don't get cocky that i needed YEARS to create a new normal weight for myself after spending so much time in the super obese weight class.

so, I am feeling good... I think I am going to make it to the end of year 2 still at goal.

but, too early to declare victory. In fact, I see maintenance as a forever focus or I won't maintain. I am at peace with it. I made changes like - i don't hang out with foodies...haha. I hang out with skinny people who actually don't care that much about food. That has made a HUGE difference! i hang out with people who want to get out and GO. I don't feel anger like I used to over not being able to eat "freely" - I right now, feel just "over it".

I in fact chose to not date a guy (back when I was going on first dates) for the primary reason that he loves wonderful restaurants... and it just isn't the way I can live and maintain weight. My "boyfriend" is a picky eater, has a problem with getting too skinny since he is an active athlete and doesn't really like to eat much. He has to force himself to eat enough to keep from wasting away actually - it is a strange thing in my book... Not much fun on the wining and dining front, but he makes up for it elsewhere.

I don't see my siblings very much these days because they are all food centered people...gee...how come I was one of the ones that got so big? Drew the unlucky straw I guess... they, as a group, are overweight not hugely obese, but are developing type II diabetes etc... so the chips are being cashed as we speak.

What I would like to hear is what advice would you give to those of us who have not YET had the rebound? I think the obvious is exactly what you all are doing RIGHT NOW. Being part of this support, trying 5:2 as a lifestyle etc. Stay active. What else do you think could have prevented or minimized a regain?

My plastic surgery is actually part of my strategy. I will be damned if I am going to ruin it by gaining a bunch of weight...LOL

Anyway, I would love to hear the "lessons learned" if you are willing to share them.

For background, when I was 21-22 I got to a normal weight and had an emotional meltdown... didn't know how to even ask for help so regained the weight as an emotional defense. I am over that. Age does have a few benefits.

[Globetrotter 1,340]

I'm surprised this isn't a hot topic ...

I have regained from my lowest, even though my lowest still wasn't at goal. Advice I would give to someone who has yet to experience the regain is - don't. Don't let yourself regain. Don't let your habits change because what you see in the mirror looks so good and you are so grateful to just not be what you were. Stay tracking the food, stay weighing/measuring, stay away from all processed junk food, and never stop exercising.

And don't get lulled into a sense of comfort by the term "bounce range" JMPO, but I really hate that phrase, it get's used a lot around here and I feel that, especially for the "younger" sleevers/ not vets, because it lets you think oh, those 4 pounds I just gained (that haven't gone away yet) are just my bounce range. And then you are saying, oh Im at the top of my bounce range so Im okay ... then it's I just have to get disciplined again and I'll be back in my bounce range, etc. etc. etc.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

For me, the loss and gain cycle were such a fragile thing (not quite as much now, but yes, it could be) Injury, long term guests-change in company, travel, emotional cycling... after I had gained the 16 pounds (factors were the above) I started doing things "right" back on the scale, writing all food down, and gained 6 more pounds. I was trying different eating plans, looking for something that would work...the first being TDEE eating with added weight lifting... thats where i gained the 6 pounds, freaked out and then tried phase one Southbeach... I lost 4-5 pounds there, not quickly.... then I started the 5:2 and finally got the numbers going in the right direction again....it also took staying away from the gym for 4 months, going to sports medicine docs and physical therapests for a while to get me back to the gym.... I find I am doing OK with a week or 10 days of "vacation" eating patterns, with a reduced fasting sched, and back on the wagon right away... Thank goodness!!!!! but it has been a very fragile thing, this weight loss........