Let's Shake The Tree!! Hey Vets, Maintaining is All About The Rules...Right?

[FluffyChix 17,418]

8 hours ago, jess9395 said:

That totally makes sense to me!

MUAH! Thanks for "getting me". You complete me.

[Newme17 3,444]

On 2/4/2018 at 9:45 PM, FluffyChix said:

@Newme17 Thanks so much for the calculator! What you say makes a lot of sense! The numbers were only a hypothetical--although you hear it here all the time of people living 1 year out on 1000-1200 cals/day.

You're welcome! Those folks have that miracle metabolism energy gene...hopefully they don't go off the rails, cause then it will pile back on, unfortunately.

[blizair09 3,250]

I'm 16 months post-op, met goal of 180 at 1 year and 4 days post-op (October 2, 2017) and have been at 173 for several months now.

I am incredibly particular about what I eat and drink, and, in my opinion, that has been the key to my success. I've worked my way up to around 1900-2000 calories per day, but I never go over 2000. I keep my carbs below 25 grams per day. I follow a Keto way of eating. This is sustainable for me, and it's how I am going to live. I haven't had any sugar, bread, starch, etc. in almost 2 years. It's no thing now. food is fuel to me, and nothing else. It's quite freeing, and provides for a much better quality of life for me.

I'm treating carbs like an alcoholic treats booze. I feel like they are a slippery slope for me, so I eradicated them from my life, and I have no plan or desire to bring them back. Being this size, being healthy, and having a happy life is SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT TO ME than any food or drink.

I'm technically not a vet in the eyes of BP for another couple of months, but I have been doing this for a long time, been successful, and been on and off of these boards for 2 years. I've seen a lot, and lived a lot, and accepted a very long time ago that this journey is for the rest of my life. I'll be damned if I gain anything back after I permanently changed my body and put it through all of that trauma...

Edited February 6, 2018 by blizair09
typo

[FluffyChix 17,418]

33 minutes ago, blizair09 said:

I'm 16 months post-op, met goal of 180 at 1 year and 4 days post-op (October 2, 2017) and have been at 173 for several months now.

I am incredibly particular about what I eat and drink, and, in my opinion, that has been the key to my success. I've worked my way up to around 1900-2000 calories per day, but I never go over 2000. I keep my carbs below 25 grams per day. I follow a Keto way of eating. This is sustainable for me, and it's how I am going to live. I haven't had any sugar, bread, starch, etc. in almost 2 years. It's no thing now. food is fuel to me, and nothing else. It's quite freeing, and provides for a much better quality of life for me.

I'm treating carbs like an alcoholic treats booze. I feel like they are a slippery slope for me, so I eradicated them from my life, and I have to plan or desire to bring them back. Being this size, being healthy, and having a happy life is SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT TO ME than any food or drink.

I'm technically not a vet in the eyes of BP for another couple of months, but I have been doing this for a long time, been successful, and been on and off of these boards for 2 years. I've seen a lot, and lived a lot, and accepted a very long time ago that this journey is for the rest of my life. I'll be damned if I gain anything back after I permanently changed my body and put it through all of that trauma...

Thanks so much for this dude! I'd call you a success and a role model. Have you hit any caloric walls where you feel like you're going up inexplicably?

I do have to face the reality and did a long time ago, that "carbs" are not my friend. Pre-surg, I really can't eat legumes, or have too big of a serving of yogurt or fruit without my bgs going up and being crazy hungry within 2hours. That's how I know if something (or a meal) had too much glycemic load for my particular body to handle. Before I met my RD, I was averaging loosely between 20-40g per day of net carbs with a crap ton of that from Fiber. It's where I feel best.

[blizair09 3,250]

2 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

Thanks so much for this dude! I'd call you a success and a role model. Have you hit any caloric walls where you feel like you're going up inexplicably?

I do have to face the reality and did a long time ago, that "carbs" are not my friend. Pre-surg, I really can't eat legumes, or have too big of a serving of yogurt or fruit without my bgs going up and being crazy hungry within 2hours. That's how I know if something (or a meal) had too much glycemic load for my particular body to handle. Before I met my RD, I was averaging loosely between 20-40g per day of net carbs with a crap ton of that from Fiber. It's where I feel best.

Aww. Thank you. I appreciate that. Until the last couple of weeks, I took a break from BP. It really is designed more for pre-op folks and recent post-ops, so there isn't much for me here anymore. (That, plus most of the people I talked with are long gone by now.) I'm glad to be back, though. I don't respond to a lot of posts these days, but I do sometimes when I feel that I can contribute (or that people might listen...).

I had to really work to get my calories in the 1900-2000 range. And I eat every 2 hours all day long to get there. I was in the 1600-1750 range for a long time, but I wouldn't stop losing weight. My doctor doesn't want me to go below 170, so I knew I had to get the calories closer to 2000. (I think a person my size needs about 2100 to maintain, so I really should try to get it up a little more, but I've stayed at 173 for a while now, so I think I'm good at the moment.)

Some people eat carbs and are fine, but my body is just really sensitive to them. And getting my mindset around food to where it is took a lot of work. Trust me, a few months with carbs would put that in jeopardy (just like booze with an alcoholic), and that is why I am how I am. And I have seen so many people have one surgery or the other and then gain most or all of their weight back (including my mom, dad and brother). I just don't want to be one of those people.

[FluffyChix 17,418]

@blizair09 I understand the need for a break from BP--especially as vet or even someone post surgery who's doing well and living life! But selfishly, I'm glad you're back and hope you will stick it out here. Maybe you guys will rally and get some vet action going on your board?!

Thanks for responding here. It's very beneficial for us pre-ops and noobs. I do appreciate that it takes something from you to participate (and to participate on the same damn questions ad nauseum. LOL.)! Your weight loss is pretty phenomenal. Super congrats on your continued success. Tell me, do you work out? I think @BigViffer also eats really dense nutrition every 2 hours maybe? I can't remember if any females do that same thing? I know @jess9395 and @jenn1 are intensely active, but wonder if the same rules apply across gender?

Honestly Bliz, I am in the terrified camp. It's hard to imagine how the surgery will truly help take my capacity for eating away. But I'm ready to embrace the idea of food as fuel, rather than entertainment or a drug. I don't want to become a statistic--so I feel I need to get as educated as possible so that I can recognize the traps and pitfalls that exist post-surgery. How much of regain is under our control? It sounds like quite a lot of it is? But I am certain there's not a hard-fast, elegant solution. I think probably many many things come into play--some under our control, and others outside of our control.

Thanks again for participating!

[jess9395 5,450]

Oh gosh yes! I need to eat small meals every couple of hours to get in all my macros and calorie needs!

I mean if I ate sliders it wouldn’t be that way, but when it’s the good foods then yeah!

[FluffyChix 17,418]

Thanks @jess9395!

[summerset 5,265]

On 5. Februar 2018 at 2:06 PM, FluffyChix said:

Or is the massiveness of the wall determined by how abstemious you have been up to that point.

When I read this line I had to think about something I read in a book about normal eating some years ago. It was something like "every restricting phase has its counterbinge phase" or "every diet has its counterbinge".

At least it might be something to think about when talking about the very strict diet of some WLS patients and all the struggling vets a few years down the road, too.

[summerset 5,265]

On 6. Februar 2018 at 6:39 PM, FluffyChix said:

But I'm ready to embrace the idea of food as fuel, rather than entertainment or a drug. I don't want to become a statistic--so I feel I need to get as educated as possible so that I can recognize the traps and pitfalls that exist post-surgery.

Relax a little. Don't set yourself up for failure from the beginning on by trying to be 110% perfect. This need to "be perfect" can be both terrifying and paralyzing.

[FluffyChix 17,418]

1 hour ago, summerset said:

When I read this line I had to think about something I read in a book about normal eating some years ago. It was something like "every restricting phase has its counterbinge phase" or "every diet has its counterbinge".

At least it might be something to think about when talking about the very strict diet of some WLS patients and all the struggling vets a few years down the road, too.

Very interesting point! And that's been illustrated with many of the starvation studies, if memory serves!

I'm not trying to be 100% perfect. At this point in my life my only goal is to be "just good enough". That's why I'm trying to understand the road I'm about to travel as much as anyone can before they travel it. I want to get a feel from people who've done it, just how good is good enough? Cuz I know I can't be abstemious. It gets me into trouble every time. But over the years I'm swell at 80/20 and even pretty awesome sauce at 90/10. The big question and fear for me is...is that enough? Cuz if maintaining down the road means 100% compliance, then I'd have to question why I'm gonna rearrange my innards just to gain it all back and a few pounds more. Right?

Thank you for your advice! I'm not brushing it off. It's all going into the "pondering" mill!

[jess9395 5,450]

When I read this line I had to think about something I read in a book about normal eating some years ago. It was something like "every restricting phase has its counterbinge phase" or "every diet has its counterbinge".
At least it might be something to think about when talking about the very strict diet of some WLS patients and all the struggling vets a few years down the road, too.

I get the worry about the restrict/binge thing. I probably could have been diagnosed with binge eating disorder pre op. BUT there is a chemistry change that happens with a lot of people with surgery. Gut bacteria, ghrelin, etc. so for SOME of us this is different. It changes our set point. One day research will hopefully be able to determine for whom that will be true.

I followed my post op extremely rigidly for a full year. Never had a rebound or a binge down the road. I’m four and a half years out and at goal and I eat about 80/20 now (20% off plan).

I also was one of those who ate extremely low calorie (six months to get above 600 cal) despite vigorous exercise and felt fine and energetic.

So while I totally agree it’s a great conversation to have, I don’t think the answer is one size fits all. We tend to set up camp on sides of the debate and decide ours is the “right” one because it’s the one we are invested in the success of. I think different things can work for different people. But I think we must all be careful not to camp fully on one side and say the other is wrong or to pick the side we want to believe in because it justifies our actions.

[FluffyChix 17,418]

Awesome and thoughtful answer @jess9395 ! Thanks so much Jess! Totally get it and agree 100%!

Hey, quick question. Do you remember about how many cals you got on your pre-op diet? The RD wants me around 1000cals. And so far I haven't figured out how to get anywhere near that and am usually 500-600 cals?

Edited February 10, 2018 by FluffyChix

[summerset 5,265]

6 hours ago, FluffyChix said:

But over the years I'm swell at 80/20 and even pretty awesome sauce at 90/10. The big question and fear for me is...is that enough?

If you are well aware that you won't be 100% compliant (are there people who are?) but "only" 80% or 90% it simply will have to be enough.

Yes, maybe you will end up with a higher BMI than someone with a 99.999% compliance rate. However, one has to wonder: is the additional work and hassle worth it? If you can maintain an e. g. BMI of 26 or 27 without much hassle is it really worth obsessing about food and exercise and whatsoever to get down to a BMI of 24 while being well aware that you're most likely feeling more miserable than you would need to and risking burnout on top and then maybe end up at a BMI of 50 again in the end?

Edited February 10, 2018 by summerset

[summerset 5,265]

43 minutes ago, jess9395 said:

So while I totally agree it’s a great conversation to have, I don’t think the answer is one size fits all. We tend to set up camp on sides of the debate and decide ours is the “right” one because it’s the one we are invested in the success of. I think different things can work for different people. But I think we must all be careful not to camp fully on one side and say the other is wrong or to pick the side we want to believe in because it justifies our actions.

True.

However, it breaks my heart to see that struggling people continue to listen to the "try harder" advice when obviously this didn't work for them because they're too afraid of trying a different road.