The Maintenance Thread

[ms.sss 14,633]

Some observations surrounding eating today, which may be hampering my efforts:

1. In an effort to get more calories in, I am eating when I am not hungry. This goes against so much of what I think I should be doing and messing with my mind. I mean I am already full (-ish)..why am I putting more food into my mouth?!?! Isn't this what got me to my pre-op weight in the first place?!?!

2. I do not like the feeling of fullness. I realize I much rather prefer the feeling of an empty (or near empty) stomach. I just spent the last 1.5 hours eating my first meal of day (albeit at my desk while doing some work) and I am definitely full. Not so full that I am in pain or need to barf, but enough that I know if I take another bite I will. Its almost as if my entire body is full (chest, arms, legs, head), not just my stomach. And I don't particularly like how it feels. I feel almost sluggish and bloated/swollen. The fact that I need to keep doing this all day, and as a consequence feel like this all day has got me bummed.

3. When I first started upping my calories, I went from an average of 600-650 to 1000. I think this may have been too fast (and contributing to my ickiness). I scheduled myself to go to 1100 tomorrow, but will wait another week instead. I'm even contemplating going back down to 850-900 for a while? What do you think, maintenance-ers?

4. (Off-tangent) For some reason, the last meal I have each day, whenever and whatever it happens to be, seems to be the easiest to get down and not feel yuck after. I wonder if there is some causal effect in there somewhere...

[catwoman7 10,845]

1 minute ago, ms.sss said:

3. When I first started upping my calories, I went from an average of 600-650 to 1000. I think this may have been too fast (and contributing to my ickiness). I scheduled myself to go to 1100 tomorrow, but will wait another week instead. I'm even contemplating going back down to 850-900 for a while? What do you think, maintenance-ers?

that's a pretty radical jump. I think I went up about 100 calories at a time

[ms.sss 14,633]

5 minutes ago, catwoman7 said:

that's a pretty radical jump. I think I went up about 100 calories at a time

yeah that was my plan also, but I went up to 800 on on the second day due to a party and figured I could do it. I've been at 1000 (not consistently, though) for over a week now and its honestly tiring (and the fact that I'm losing weight is not helping).

That's it. I'm going back down to 800 for sanity's sake.

[Healthy_life2 8,319]

50 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

1 hour ago, ms.sss said:

Some observations surrounding eating today, which may be hampering my efforts:

1. In an effort to get more calories in, I am eating when I am not hungry. This goes against so much of what I think I should be doing and messing with my mind. I mean I am already full (-ish)..why am I putting more food into my mouth?!?! Isn't this what got me to my pre-op weight in the first place?!?!

2. I do not like the feeling of fullness. I realize I much rather prefer the feeling of an empty (or near empty) stomach. I just spent the last 1.5 hours eating my first meal of day (albeit at my desk while doing some work) and I am definitely full. Not so full that I am in pain or need to barf, but enough that I know if I take another bite I will. Its almost as if my entire body is full (chest, arms, legs, head), not just my stomach. And I don't particularly like how it feels. I feel almost sluggish and bloated/swollen. The fact that I need to keep doing this all day, and as a consequence feel like this all day has got me bummed.

3. When I first started upping my calories, I went from an average of 600-650 to 1000. I think this may have been too fast (and contributing to my ickiness). I scheduled myself to go to 1100 tomorrow, but will wait another week instead. I'm even contemplating going back down to 850-900 for a while? What do you think, maintenance-ers?

4. (Off-tangent) For some reason, the last meal I have each day, whenever and whatever it happens to be, seems to be the easiest to get down and not feel yuck after. I wonder if there is some causal effect in there somewhere...

Currently you are at a healthy 125 BMI 22 . At your height, underweight is 104 pounds BMI 18. You have some wiggle room while you work on increasing calories

Think back on how hard it was to eat in your first month after surgery. It’s also hard increasing your calories for maintaining. Your ickiness feeling is due to the change in calories and volume of food. You and your body are not used to eating like this. 100 calories at a time is a good way to do this. Baby steps.😉

[sillykitty 10,704]

Hello ... maintainer here, checking in ....

I'm 16 months post op. I hit goal at 10 months (24.8 BMI), then dropped below it, and have maintained there (22-23 BMI) for nearly 3 months now.

I agree it is a total mind f*ck to switch gears from being very disciplined with your diet, to having to eat more often and less strictly. I was freaking out a little as I dropped below goal, especially considering I'm less happy with my naked self at a lower weight .

But my stomach capacity has gradually increased, so that makes it easier to get more cals in. But it is significantly restricted vs. pre WLS. So it feels like a good balance.

I'm going to have ps at the end of this year. Until then I'd like to stay at in the 22-23 BMI range. After plastics I'll have to reevalute and see at what weight I'm physically happiest with.

[ms.sss 14,633]

30 minutes ago, sillykitty said:

Hello ... maintainer here, checking in ...

...well that's a way better word than the one i have been using ("maintenance-er"). Duh.

[ms.sss 14,633]

33 minutes ago, sillykitty said:

But my stomach capacity has gradually increased, so that makes it easier to get more cals in

How many daily calories on average do you maintain at? (and does your exercise level affect that?)

Edited June 4, 2019 by ms.sss

[sillykitty 10,704]

Just now, ms.sss said:

How many daily calories on average do you maintain at?

I have no idea how ... but around 2000 😮

[ms.sss 14,633]

26 minutes ago, sillykitty said:

I have no idea how ... but around 2000 😮

OMG. there would be no way I could get 2000 in...unless I eat pure sugar and chase it down with some olive oil (and even then, my body would probably barf it up).

[catwoman7 10,845]

2 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

OMG. there would be no way I could get 2000 in...unless I eat pure sugar and chase it down with some olive oil (and even then, my body would probably barf it up).

ahem....i used to say that, too, back when I was in weight loss mode. I couldn't *imagine* eating that many calories. Now that I've been in maintenance for 3+ years, sadly, eating 2000 kcal is not hard to do (sadly because if I go over 1700 more than once or twice a week, my weight starts heading north)

[sillykitty 10,704]

3 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

OMG. there would be no way I could get 2000 in...unless I eat pure sugar and chase it down with some olive oil (and even then, my body would probably barf it up).

Yeah, I'm sure!

You have a lot more restriction at 7.5 months out than I do at 16.

That's why I dropped below my goal weight, I had a hard time getting enough calories in at first. But now I manage just fine. It will actually take me finding some discipline again when the seemingly inevitable regain happens.

[ms.sss 14,633]

7 minutes ago, catwoman7 said:

ahem....i used to say that, too, back when I was in weight loss mode. I couldn't *imagine* eating that many calories. Now that I've been in maintenance for 3+ years, sadly, eating 2000 kcal is not hard to do (sadly because if I go over 1700 more than once or twice a week, my weight starts heading north)

5 minutes ago, sillykitty said:

That's why I dropped below my goal weight, I had a hard time getting enough calories in at first. But now I manage just fine. It will actually take me finding some discipline again when the seemingly inevitable regain happens.

You are both right. My mindset is still in transition from weight loss to maintenance. The idea of doing something so different from what I've been doing for the past several months is just head shaking to me.

This really is a mind f*ck.

Do you ladies find you eat more food overall (lots of healthier options), or just eat more foods with higher calories (adding more treats and off-plan items)? Or a combination of both?

[Wickedwinner 140]

MS- when my dr wanted me to up my calorie intake, she suggested eating a handful of nuts. Very caloric and good fats! I can easily add 200 calories without getting really full feeling.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[sillykitty 10,704]

4 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

Do you ladies find you eat more food overall (lots of healthier options), or just eat more foods with higher calories (adding more treats and off-plan items)? Or a combination of both?

Right now I just eat pretty freely. The only things I do that are "bariatric" is weigh myself everyday I'm home, and log everything. I also inadvertently IF a lot of days because I don't get around to eating until later in the day.

*Required disclaimer

I appear to an outlier. I had an easier surgery, easier recovery, lost weight quickly despite being "off plan" frequently and rarely exercising. I totally recognize I've been incredibly lucky. I don't post a lot about it on here because I don't want people to hate me 😂. I am also fully prepared to adjust my diet and exercise when I start to regain. I believe I'm still in my honeymoon period, and this can't last forever.

[catwoman7 10,845]

1 minute ago, ms.sss said:

You are both right. My mindset is still in transition from weight loss to maintenance. The idea of doing something so different from what I've been doing for the past several months is just head shaking to me.

This really is a mind f*ck.

Do you ladies find you eat more food overall (lots of healthier options), or just eat more foods with higher calories (adding more treats and off-plan items)? Or a combination of both?

just speaking for myself here, I eat more volume now, and I eat some things that I wouldn't have eaten before - like the occasional dessert. But I don't really eat things off plan very much - as in I usually avoid crap. When I go out to eat, I still order non-fried meats with vegetables, for example. I might eat a tortilla with my taco now and then (before, I'd just eat the innards), but I wouldn't get a Pasta dish - nor would I order something fried or something with a heavy cream sauce.

as an example, today I had Protein pancakes for Breakfast with a homemade apple/cinnamon compote on top. I put oat flour in my pancakes. I would not have eaten oats when I was in weight loss mode. I stuck mostly to protein and veggies back then. I did, however, make the compote I had today with Splenda, because I still avoid sugar.

for a morning snack I had a Protein Bar. I did eat those occasionally while in weight loss mode.

for lunch I had a cup of cottage cheese with a tablespoon of tahini mixed in (healthy fat - keeps me full longer) and a homemade blueberry sauce. I would not have had the tahini while in weight loss mode - nor would I have had a second serving of fruit in one day (although I did make the blueberry sauce with Splenda - again, no sugar). I probably would not have eaten a full cup of cottage cheese, either - maybe just half a cup.

I had Light & Fit yogurt for an afternoon snack, with some raspberries on top. L&F I would have eaten during weight loss mode - but I would have ditched the raspberries back then because that makes three fruit servings in one day.

for dinner I'm thinking of having half a burger, on half a bun, with a half a piece cheese, one piece of bacon, a tablespoon of avocado, and a little aioli (it's left over from the other night). During weight loss mode, I would not have had the bun. The other stuff would have been OK, but depending on how many calories I was eating at the time, I probably would not have had all those - maybe just one or two of them instead of four.

SOOOO to answer your question, kind of a combination of both. But I still avoid sugar and crap food most of the time, and I try to average 1700 calories/day