After 2-years post surgery I am 7 pounds away from my target goal of 173 pounds. It has been an easy two years.

I've kept religiously to a 1440 calorie a day diet. I am a slow looser. I've gone from highest weight of 309 pounds surgery weight of 274 pounds and today 180 pounds.

I haven't used the BP app. I use 'Loose -It" because it converts my steps to calories (I have an iPhone) which subtracts my exercise calories from my calories consumed. I keep my net calories at 1440 and the pounds come off. No stress , no thinking, it's become routine.

I am on target to hit it or be near my goal when I have my two year appointment with my Bariatric surgeon on June 16th three days before my 53rd birthday.

The 173 pounds is important to me because for my height and age my BMI would be normal not overweight.

This would be the best birthday present. I've never been normal on the BMI index.

My question is how do you break a routine that has been so helpful.

I have several other doctors who have expressed concern over my calorie intake. They say as a man my intake should be 2,300 calories a day. Being on 1440 calories for two years 2,300 calories seems like a lot of food. I don't want to be the biggest looser and see my work go down the drain.

Has anyone else been in the situation I am in. That is being comfortable with their routine and being uncomfortable making a big switch.

If so what is your new calorie intake.

I'm only 9 months post op and not really anywhere near my goal weight yet but I just had to pop in and first say congratulations! You've done really well. Second, do you have loose skin? It's possible that you have 10-20 pounds of lose skin, maybe more depending on your age and genetics, so you may even be approaching being underweight. How do you feel? Do you have enough energy to go about your day, exercise, etc without being exhausted? Are you hair/nails/skin healthy? I'm just curious, as this is something I've been thinking about a lot as I approach the low 200s and eventually into the 100s. My goal is 170, but I'm wondering if I can even get that low without first getting skin removed, especially considering my high starting weight.

Congratulations on your weight loss thus far. I am 3 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. This is my approach to the Maintenance phase. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf

I, my NUT and my exercise consultant all did the math and agreed that 1700 cals/day would be my maintenance calorie budget. (I'm a 70 year old woman.) So over a period of a couple or three months I very gradually raised my dieting calories (1,200/day) up to 1,700 cals. Then, surprisingly, during the next eight months I continued to lose another 15 pounds.

Today I'm at 135 pounds and have been maintaining easily for the last 5 months at 1700 - 1800 cals/day.

I kept my macronutrients (Protein, carbs, fats) at the same percentages as when I was dieting. I can give you more details if you like, but that's basically what I did.

Congratulations! And best wishes on maintenance. This is when it gets *interesting*.

are you still losing? if so yeah u have to change your caloric intake if you want to maintain.. but if your at goal weight and you feel good about what you are eating than why fix something that is not broken. Just saying..

oh by the way CONGRATULATIONS!!!!