Okay, so I've overshot my final goal, and my wife is upset that I'm getting "too skinny". Now what? I'm still losing, slowly, but I really need to stop, and maybe even put 2-3 pounds back on. I guess I need to get out of ketosis. My doc suggested adding back carbs that you'd eat cooked with a meal (brown rice, sweet potatoes, whole wheat Pasta, etc. And I'm guessing quinoa, barley and oatmeal would probably be okay, too. Can any of you vets who have successfully transitioned to maintenance advise about how you did it? What can we do to stop the weight loss – and what shouldn't we do – in order to prevent weight gain? Thanks in advance!!!

Great topic I'd like to see what the vets have to say as well.

~LA

I so hope to get to this piont one day.

I am exactly where you are and do NOT want to lose anymore! I just want to keep getting stronger.

Thanks for starting this thread.

I received this email today from www.myfitnesspal.com . Basically, it says to avoid long-term weight gain we should:

1. Eat more Protein

2. Eat more healthy carbs (colored, high-Fiber veggies; fruits; whole grains)

3. Eat fewer highly processed "slider foods" (highly refined sweets, starches, chips, crackers, breads, white rice, white potatoes, white Pasta, etc.)

Duh, huh?

The emphasis was on both how much and what kind of foods we should eat. It made the point that every calorie doesn't count exactly like all other calories and described how high-glycemic foods cause the body to produce more insulin, which favors fat storage.

http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/2-science-backed-strategies-to-avoid-long-term-weight-gain/?utm_source=mfp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly20150504&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRokv6rBZKXonjHpfsX56e8rWaWyhIkz2EFye%2BLIHETpodcMTsZiN6%2BTFAwTG5toziV8R7DBLM153N8QXRTg

Great points, @VSGAnn2014. Thanks! That's what I've been reading too. So in order to stop losing and maintain, I'm going to try adding whole-grain carbs like quinoa, barley, bulgher, oats, brown rice, whole wheat Pasta, and maybe the occasional sweet potato or slice of "100% whole grain" bread (not "wheat bread"). And maybe some fruit, especially berries. Here's the link to an article (in 5 short parts) I found yesterday that answers most questions about carbs in understandable language. Good luck!! Since this subject seems to be pretty scarce in BP, let's keep sharing maintenance tips as we find them!

Oh! I can't wait to be where you are and need that link.

I'm telling you the truth.... If you can buckle down and follow all the rules, you'll get there. And getting slimmer is so much more rewarding than eating just another slice of..... whatever. There's no food I craved half as much as I craved the weight loss. And the on-scale and non-scale victories sustained me. I set TONS of mini goals, so I was hitting new milestones every few weeks (and sometimes days). Like, every 5 pounds down, every 10 pounds down, every round number on the scale, and even every 5 pounds less to goal, every 10 pounds less to goal, 1/10th of the way there, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, every pants size, every shirt size, every belt notch, every extra 5 minutes walked, every additional day of exercise in a row or in a week, every additional 100 steps on my Fitbit, every holiday/event that I controlled myself. I knew that it was totally ridiculous!!! But it made it a game of it, and it was great fun to be achieving those goals all the time. Good luck and try to have fun with this!

P.S. The link is in my last post. But just in case, here it is again. http://bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/03/bf-basics-carb-confusion.html

@@Rogofulm Making it a game totally sounds like something I can do! I'm competitive to the core, even with myself! Thank you for opening my eyes. It's not about what I can no longer have, it is about what I can now accomplish with what I do have. I am only a couple weeks out from surgery, so I have a ways to go, but you have inspired me today!

Wish I could help you but since I had to do hand to hand combat with each and every of the ast 40 or so I lost...this was not a.problem I faced. I had "unexplained " weight loss a year later and that was a whole different situation.

Okay, so I've overshot my final goal, and my wife is upset that I'm getting "too skinny". Now what? I'm still losing, slowly, but I really need to stop, and maybe even put 2-3 pounds back on. I guess I need to get out of ketosis. My doc suggested adding back carbs that you'd eat cooked with a meal (brown rice, sweet potatoes, whole wheat Pasta, etc. And I'm guessing quinoa, barley and oatmeal would probably be okay, too. Can any of you vets who have successfully transitioned to maintenance advise about how you did it? What can we do to stop the weight loss – and what shouldn't we do – in order to prevent weight gain? Thanks in advance!!!

I slowly added 100 calories in at a time to find my maintance calories. I still track my calories and keep a range in which my weight can flucuate so I don't drive myself crazy (135-140). When I let loose- read eat or drink whatever I want- the brakes get applied when I get to the top of my bounce range. I love maintenance because I can have a treat everyday as long as I eat well the rest of the day and keep up on my fluids.

Thanks so much, @@erp, that's a big help! It's interesting that we're both 5'6" men, and that your bounce range is about 10 pounds below mine. How did you come up with that, or is that just where your weight kind of stabilized on its own? Even though I've added some carbs back into my diet, I'm still losing tenths of a pound every few days. I wonder if it would stop by itself at some point?

I have added more fruit into my diet and eat about 150 calories more per day, but my weight is still dropping slowly. I am now at the very low end of normal and have been told by my doctor to stop losing. You'd think that would be easy. I have dieted and regained so much in the past and I have vowed that this time I would maintain my weight loss, so I am trying to remain careful about adding foods. I don't want to get back into the habit of eating without thinking, but I don't want to end up with a BMI of less than 19! I hope I can get this figured out.

I am at a similar point in my journey as you are. I've lost 20lbs more than my goal weight and now need to put the brakes on my weight loss. Since trying to stop loosing, this is now my second month of holding steady at 127-130lbs.

I have to track everything, everyday. Otherwise I just don't get enough calories in. My daily goal is 1500-1700 calories. I eat full fat mayo, butter, and milk. Whole wheat bread. cheese. I snack on cashews and pistachios. I still love my Cliff and Lara Bars. Pasta occasionally. salad w/ranch dressing.

It's only been two months, so hopefully I'm on the right track. It feels right.

Good luck!

OK, I'm edging into maintenance WTF?! territory, too.

I'm eating 1600-1700 cals a day (on average) and still losing weight. scale has dropped 2 pounds this week (after maintaining for several weeks). Damnit! And this is NOT a humble brag post. This morning when I got on the scale and saw another pound gone I literally cursed.

So here's a specific question for vets who are a few years out: Is this normal to go down "too low"? Do you then naturally / organically / gradually gain back 10 pounds? Any patterns out there you guys are aware of?

I'm not freaking out yet, but I am aware that I need to raise my caloric intake a bit more. My goal is to gain muscle, not fat. I seem to have plenty of fat under my excess skin. I hope some of you who have successfully negotiated this part of the journey will chime in.