Are you one of these people ?

[AussieSam 234]

Either losing weight or gaining weight. I find myself either losing weight or putting it on. Any good advise to break this cycle.

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

From what I gather, the closer to goal, the more challenging it is to get rid of those last few pounds. I think it becomes trial and error. Try upping your calories and increasing your Water intake.

[CowgirlJane 14,261]

You didn't provide alot of detail. If we are talking few pounds here and there.. that is the normal ups and downs.... as long as the trend remains downward, it's all good.

If you are talking about gaining 5-10 or more and then relosing it...well, I suspect you are finding yourself "falling off plan" and then getting back on plan.

That is tough, it is really hard to break a lifetime habit and stay consistent in healthy habits. do you have support such as counseling, family, support groups etc?

[AussieSam 234]

Some part of the year for about 4 months I am extremely busy at work and spend about 16 to 18 hours a day. I sort of slip off the wagon at this time and gain about 20 pounds during this period. I don't exercise at this time and sugar sneaks up to me unknowingly. Once this period is over I find the wagon again

[lisacaron 5,075]

@@AussieSam I can commiserate with you on this. I get myself bogged into the same loop and @@CowgirlJane is right we are falling back into bad habits because it's what we know and it's easy when our minds are so tangled in other things. It's easier to resort to what we know.

In my way I know it's also a psychological game I play with myself. You see I am not an unhappy fat person. I don't think I look bad, I don't feel the need to be rail thin. In fact I don't find that physique at all attractive on a man or woman. So for me..when my clothes start to look baggy and my rings start sliding around I had a hard time accepting that it was time to just get new clothes that fit better vs. making myself fit better in the clothes I was wearing.

I need to be a healthy person and that means I need to be a slimmer person, and so once I was able to change some of my thinking I have been able to stay on the wagon even though I'm doing 101 diverse things at once, I now make sure to find the time to schedule in what I need to keep me healthy and that means eating right and going to the gym and that also means not falling into the quick fix sugar trap for me. That's my "go to" when I'm sluggish, and peckish it doesn't sustain for long, and sometimes I have to argue with myself to not grab the easy fix pretzel rods on the desk top so I can keep plugging away, but to get up and make a shake or flavor some Water and drink that..or just go take a walk get some air and come back to it. Worst case I'll pop a piece of sugar free gum.

Like Nike says you just have to "do it". Some days it's a battle in my head with myself and I like to win, though I will admit there are days the pretzel rods win.

[KateP 359]

That's how I am now. Not in the losing stages or in the first few years of maintenance, but several years later.

In the losing stages, I never went up more than a couple of pounds and the monthly trend was always down.

I got too thin and deliberately put some on!

Then at first I maintained by very regular weighing; I wouid relax, gain maybe 5lbs, lose them, gain them etc.. It sort of worked out at relaxing for a month or so, dieting for a week or so. Worked for about four years.

But in years 6, 7, 8 post-op, I didn't pull back fast enough and I twice gained just under 30lbs. Lost them again though!

Now, coming up to my ninth anniversary, I am working at losing my 3rd regain - 20lbs this time. 15 gone, 5 more to go!

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Old habits are so hard to break. Those ruts are deep.

For many work warriors (we can do ANYTHING -- just ask us!), IMO our lives are way out of balance.

If we were to change our daily schedules and were to re-allocate our sleeping periods and our exercise activities and time budgets (those could be allocated to walking several miles to work or going to the gym daily) as un-negotiable, I think our work/life balance could exist.

The power of "No!" is tremendous. But a lot of us simply haven't had any experience or practice saying, "No!"

It's hard to do new things.

Let's try something new.

[AussieSam 234]

Doctor says it's common when highly stressed and I need to make sure I keep all sugary things out of the house during this time. It's true old habits are hard to break but all we can do is try.

[B-52 7,113]

No....I developed a new lifestyle, with new eating habits and limited portions, along with new foods and giving up certain foods, all because of the band (not me)

The weight slowly came off until there was nothing left to loose...in other words my found found that "normal" state...good healthy body fat %....ever since then it has held constant (with the exception of the same 5 lb swings) and will stay that way for the rest of my life, as long as the band remains a constant in my life, and I remain diligent with my daily Protein intake......

There is a end goal to all this, a destination...not a life long diet.

[KateP 359]

@@B-52 Good for you! I haven't your strength - I managed without too much difficulty as you do for about six years post-op but since then it has got ever harder. I am still in control. But as many find, it gets harder every year! I really thought I had cracked it! But I guess the old food-addict still lurks inside me.

[Julie norton 2,850]

@@B-52 Good for you! I haven't your strength - I managed without too much difficulty as you do for about six years post-op but since then it has got ever harder. I am still in control. But as many find, it gets harder every year! I really thought I had cracked it! But I guess the old food-addict still lurks inside me.

boy... Just when some of us real-long-timers think we got this covered....along comes a hungry couple of days?

Generally. ...Back to regular normal pattern, but it does take me by surprise on occasion...don't see rhyme or reason. ie. stress, imbibing,

Etc. Just more hungry for a few days. Don't know if I'm the only one who feels this sparingly?