Does anyone else have an EXTREMELY hard time maintaining?

I have been at goal for 2 1/2 years, but it requires constant vigilance!

EVERY morning I do 20 minutes recumbant bike at 4 mph and 20 minutes treadmill at 303 mph/8.5% incline

In the evening I do 15 minutes of each. This is SEVEN days a week!!

I have disabilities, so this is the maximum I can push without hurting myself

My diet needs to be extremely controlled, also.

I limit fat, avoid carbs and mainly eat fat free/lean Protein and non-starchy veggies.

I usually start my day with an EAS AdvanEdge while on my recumbant bike

Mid morning is usually egg beaters, with veggies, and fat free cheese or laughing cow wedges, maybe some turkey bacon or sausage

Lunch: salad with lean meat, non-starchy veggies and vinegar and/or light mayo or fat free dressing (I only use about 1/2 a serving)

Dinner: lean meat, non-starchy veggies

2 Snacks: fat free sugar free Greek yogurt, or a handful of Quest chips (not the whole bag), or baby carrots, occasionally a rice cake etc....

My nightly indulgence is 1/3 cup unsalted peanuts measured with the shell

I should be skin & bones!!

Why do I need to be so HYPER vigilant to maintain? If I skip ONE workout or eat a piece of bread (which rarely want) I am a pound or two he

Is there anyone else with such a low/non-metabolism?? Oh and btw, my doctor says I have a HYPER-active thyroid! WHHHHAAATTT???!!

I also limit salt where I can by buying low-sodium foods and rarely adding salt at the table or when cooking

My surgeon always says that *everyone* over 30 in our culture who has a normal body weight has to work for it. And for those of us prone to obesity, we are always going to have to work even harder. It sucks but it sounds like you are doing a great job being vigilant about maintenance.

I know of some people who have been able to raise their BMR by very gradually raising the number of calories they take in each day. Obviously that is something that you would want to approach with great caution if you decided to try it.

I feel for you as I am in a similar situation...in fact I once wrote on my blog that I was a 'medical miracle'! because I was born without a metabolism! HAH. It is one more reason I am so thankful for the sleeve; without it people like us would never have lost the weight. The food plan on the WW, Nutrisystems, etc never worked for me...too many calories and made me feel like a failure over and over again.

So these are the cards we have been dealt; at least we now know and we have a fighting chance. You are actually much more diligent than I am but I am fortunate that even at age 61 I can have a good workout at the gym, and since I live in Amsterdam I walk or bike everywhere. If I didn't, I would be gaining again. But I have to be very careful as well.

You're doing great, and I have heard about the adding calories before, sounds weird but it might work for you. Good luck!

I know just what you mean. I'm five years and unless I'm super vigilant also I will gain. With that said, I HAVE gained because of wrong food choices and junk/sliders. ????. I am losing it now but, ultimately, I still can eat a max of about 1300-1350 cals a day CLEANLY but at least I still have great restriction IF I follow the rules ????. And I'm 61 also so I'm not as active as I could or should be.

everyones differant thats for sure..I have hashis..Im on armour for thyroid. 1 side of thyroid is dead and shriveled up the other is enlarged..I was going back on forth from hypo to hyper...now stable on ty med..increasing my calories with non ff items and mainly proteins have worked for me. my plan is more ketogenic with high protein...so far so good. I feel for us with sluggish metabolisms . the ff/low fat/sf diet is what got myself where I was but this isn't the case for everyone though. have you had a complete thyroid panel done lately? I get mine done throughout the yr...just throwing this out there not for sure it'll help or not. I understand the physical limitations I struggle with several autoimmune diseases including fibro it can be brutal some days. I noticed you said a sf/ff greek yogurt? I have been settling for the chobani greek it was the lowest on sugar per serving organic and I eat the kroger carbmaster brands their really good. the chobani is what I make the hubs protein shakes/smoothies out of. I'll have one here and there but barely theres to much sugar for me. the only fruit I keep on hand handy is the green grapes their easy to have. Do you use MFP? maybe start using it again to add up everything and kinda see where your at? maybe? IDK...Im sure you are...just throwing that out there..do you think maybe cutting out the rice cakes even though you dont eat often might make a differance in not such a struggle? I can't have grains or white processed items they were my worst enemy for me. another suggestion thats all...congrats on maintaining I hope I'm as successful as you are! thats wonderful! keep us posted

Thanks everyone, it's good to know I'm not the only one that has to work THIS hard at it

You aren't, we all have to work at it after the honeymoon period. Just like a marriage, it takes a lot of work.

I also have to remain hypervigilant. I have to eat very little to maintain, and even less to lose. That also explains for me why weight watchers was marginally successful. I don't think I (or any of us) caused this phenomenon of a slow metabolism by being obese and yo-yo dieting. I think we had this problem to start with, and that caused us to gain weight easily, which drove us to attempt to lose the weight any way we could. At least we have a fighting chance with the sleeve. While maintenance is HARD, I still think it's easier and better to work hard and be thin than it was to work hard and stay fat.

so true MichiganChic! Working hard and not having the reward of being thin was DEFINITELY worse!! Thank you!

I would echo others...that sounds pretty normal to me. One thing I try to do is be very active in addition to exercise.

I like to keep constantly moving and hate sitting still. Living alone, I run out of things to do, though, and pacing around the house gets old, lol. I would do the treadmill and bike more often, like hop on for ten minutes 2-3 more times a day, but that means ten minutes, each time, of putting on/taking off leg braces, a PIA! In warm weather (I have severe Reynaud's and can't tolerate temps below 70 or 80) I'll be able to go for walks, also.

Edited March 25, 201511 yr by TheRealMeIsHere!

@TheRealMeIsHere! I wish you were my neighbor. I'd totally find stuff for you to do at my house I have never, ever, not even once, run out of things to do!

@TheRealMeIsHere! I wish you were my neighbor. I'd totally find stuff for you to do at my house I have never, ever, not even once, run out of things to do!

Well, now I wish I was your neighbor, too!

I love to clean, cook, coupon, etc.....LOL

We would have fun! Because when all that was done we could go shopping or sit on the back porch and do nothing - my other favorite pastime that I never get to do!

My metabolism is very slow as well. I had a resting metabolic rate test done. Just sitting around or sleeping I burn 1200 calories a day.

The farther we are out from surgery, the harder it is to lose regain. I will gain if I eat anything what so ever that brings me over 30 grams of carbs per day.

Dannon Fit and Light has 8 carbs for most of them and they are really good. Chiboni is really good, but at least 20 carbs.