The Maintenance Thread

[Losebig 508]

2 minutes ago, rs said:

I noticed that most of these posts are about the struggles trying to increase calories to stop from continuing to lose weight. I find that interesting. I'm 9 months post sleeve and still have about 15 lbs to go to reach goal. This last month or two it's been real slow to come off. I just can't imagine getting to a point where I have to try to stop from losing.

I think part of it depends on body type, activity level and muscle mass. If you're very active or a larger body type / muscle mass getting calories can be hard with the restriction. I also think some people have more mal absorption than others with the sleeve, I can definitely tell I don't absorb stuff the way I used to. If I eat fatty stuff it goes right through me and isn't being absorbed, so much so that I need to be really careful or bad things happen (fried food is OFF the menu). Others don't have this issue. Not sure if its related to sleeve size, how the procedure was done or just the luck of the draw. I've had dumping with the sleeve a couple times (it was absolutely horrible), which is pretty unusual too

[ms.sss 14,654]

15 minutes ago, Losebig said:

I generally eat when I feel hungry and this works out to 3 meals and 3 Snacks per day. Here's an example of what I might eat on a normal day:

• Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 slice american cheese, 1 bagel thin with butter
• ~10am snack: Apple fritter (450 calories - yeah not the greatest...)
• lunch: 4 oz chicken salad with light mayo, 1 bagel thin with butter, sometimes 1 oz of crackers or pretzels
• ~3pm snack: 10 crackers and 3 oz of cheese slices
• Dinner: steak 4 oz (or 1 sausage or repeat lunch or breakfast)
• ~8pm snack: Plain popcorn with salt or bagel thin, or crackers and 3 oz of cheese or italian ice or if I worked out a lot or am starving repeat a meal
• I shoot for 64 - 100 oz of Water

I am so encouraged by how you maintainers show how you eat like "regular" people.

Yours looks carb heavy to me, but I understand that all your exercise/activity warrants it (like @Healthy_life2). Part of my long term maintenance plan is to get 2x a week of strength training in (which I have been avoiding, because, well, I hate it), so I am going to have to address my carb phobia eventually.

26 minutes ago, Losebig said:

and generally just eat when I'm hungry

Can't wait to be able to say this myself

[Losebig 508]

3 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

I am so encouraged by how you maintainers show how you eat like "regular" people.

Yours looks carb heavy to me, but I understand that all your exercise/activity warrants it (like @Healthy_life2). Part of my long term maintenance plan is to get 2x a week of strength training in (which I have been avoiding, because, well, I hate it), so I am going to have to address my carb phobia eventually.

Can't wait to be able to say this myself

Good point on the carbs. I used to do almost none, but when I would go for a run or other exercise I would get light headed and kind of shaky. The nutritionist had me start eating more carbs and that made a huge difference with energy level and endurance training exercise. I do try to have the carbs in the AM with the pastry being my largest carb intake of the day, usually i work out right after having that because it's an instant energy boost. If not working out I skip it

[ms.sss 14,654]

21 minutes ago, rs said:

I noticed that most of these posts are about the struggles trying to increase calories to stop from continuing to lose weight. I find that interesting. I'm 9 months post sleeve and still have about 15 lbs to go to reach goal. This last month or two it's been real slow to come off. I just can't imagine getting to a point where I have to try to stop from losing.

I guess for me, I sort of got into maintenance abruptly, as I decided to stop losing before I reached my original goal weight (I felt like I was getting too small for my liking), so I didn't have the opportunity to plan an ease into maintenance. I was eating very low calories (comparatively) and moving to a maintenance calorie level for me is quite a big jump...and I until I get there, I am going to assume that I will keep losing weight, and I really don't want to do that (given that think that I'm too small now).

But your are right in the sense that there are other struggles that those in maintenance experience besides this. Maybe we will hear more about these soon

[sleevin7 26]

Count me in. Great threads! It feels great to lose weight but people react so different, especially if they haven't seen you in awhile.

First they think you are sick and are scared to say anything.🤐

Then I got accused of having a sister. Some people don't think it's me.😜

Then some people (especially) friends and family go bat, ape poop, on how impressed they are, which is good but they tend to embarass me a little. 🤫

Now I have graduated to maintenance.... uh boy, but again, I'll take it.

[ms.sss 14,654]

7 minutes ago, sleevin7 said:

Then I got accused of having a sister. Some people don't think it's me.😜

Bha-hhahahahahahha 😂

[FluffyChix 17,409]

Back on the drinking while eating topic. I just saw a number of Dr. Matthew Weiner's most current YTs and he maintains that it's an archaic rule that isn't aligned with the newer surgeries. He says that drinking while eating won't wash your food through any quicker. It already moves out of your tool VERY quickly regardless--in any surgery (VSG, RNY, DS). He said only those people who feel sick when they add liquid to their mealtime should avoid it. But taking small sips while eating won't stretch out your tool.

I know he's not the Wizard, so he could be wrong. Just a different perspective.

[ms.sss 14,654]

57 minutes ago, sleevin7 said:

Then some people (especially) friends and family go bat, ape poop, on how impressed they are, which is good but they tend to embarass me a little. 🤫

Yeah...the (positive) attention was nice at first, but it has long since become irritating/embarrassing. I find myself enjoying the company of people I've recently met at my client site who didn't know me when I was obese, its just so refreshing to not have the topic of my weight loss dominate conversations. I'm just a regular, ordinary person around them

I am slightly dreading a wedding I have to go to this weekend, where I'm going to see extended family members and acquaintances whom I haven't seen since before my surgery. Omg, just the thought of all those aunts (you know those aunts...) that are going to be all up in my face makes me want to stay home.

57 minutes ago, sleevin7 said:

uh boy, but again, I'll take it.

Ya, me too.

Edited June 6, 2019 by ms.sss

[catwoman7 10,856]

2 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

Yeah...the (positive) attention was nice at first, but it has long since become irritating/embarrassing. I find myself enjoying the company of people I've recently met at my client site who didn't know me when I was obese, its just so refreshing to not have the topic of my weight loss dominate conversations. I'm just a regular, ordinary person around them

I am slightly dreading a wedding I have to go to this weekend, where I'm going to see extended family members and acquaintances whom I haven't seen since before my surgery. Omg, just thought of all those aunts (you know those aunts...) that are going to be all up in my face makes me want to stay home.

Ya, me too.

I can relate. Most people I interact with or bump into with now either have seen the "new" me, or never knew me as obese. Once in a great while I'll run into someone I knew a few years ago, though, who hasn't seen me since before surgery. I kind of dread that because of all the questions and comments. Luckily, it doesn't happen very often anymore.

[ms.sss 14,654]

58 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

Back on the drinking while eating topic. I just saw a number of Dr. Matthew Weiner's most current YTs and he maintains that it's an archaic rule that isn't aligned with the newer surgeries. He says that drinking while eating won't wash your food through any quicker. It already moves out of your tool VERY quickly regardless--in any surgery (VSG, RNY, DS). He said only those people who feel sick when they add liquid to their mealtime should avoid it. But taking small sips while eating won't stretch out your tool.

I know he's not the Wizard, so he could be wrong. Just a different perspective.

Yes. This is what I have been theorizing on. I get not drinking because its uncomfortable, but if one can drink and not get sick/full/barf then I would think this is ok.

Now, for me its not so much that I want to drink DURING meals/eating times (which i may do on occasion with small sips of wine like @sillykitty), but that I don't want to wait the requisite 30-45 mins AFTER to have a drink. All this just because I am finding I am spending too much time eating and not enough time drinking...and I am one of those water-is-king people.

Edited June 6, 2019 by ms.sss

[FluffyChix 17,409]

Just now, ms.sss said:

Yes. This is what I have been theorizing on. I get not drinking because its uncomfortable, but if one can drink and not get sick/full/barf then I would think this is ok.

Now, for me its not so much that I want to drink DURING meals/eating times (which i may do on occasion with small sips of wine like @sillykitty), but that I don't want to wait the requisite 30-45 mins AFTER to have a drink. All this just because I am find I am spending too much time eating and not enough time drinking...and I am one of those water-is-king people.

Agreed! And or if I feel like I'm dry, I might sip during. But for the most part I don't go completely drink free during the meal (I sip as others have said, at times) and then may not make a full 30-45 minutes after.

[GreenTealael 24,856]

On 6/3/2019 at 9:37 AM, ms.sss said:

So thought I'd start this thread for those who are currently in maintenance (or are trying to be ), there are not as many active maintenance-ers on here, but I'm hoping for the ones that are, they can chime in and impart their wisdom for those are trying to achieve that coveted balance of weight stability.

...or we can just chat about whatever. LOL.

I have bern in maintenance for around 6-7 months (maybe slightly longer IDK) and my body just did it all by itself. It wants 155lbs. Apparently despite what I do (intermittent fasting or feasting , exercise or not), eat (strict or indulge), illness,etc... It bounces up and down a little then centers itself right back around 155lbs. I'm ok with this so far.

I do not avoid carbs. Like at all. But i avoid processed carbs and refined sugar as much as possible. Dumping. But once in a while i will try a dessert with lower sugar/cal content. This seems to go fine.

I only consistently track when I think I'm running out of calories or not getting the proper macro ratio. But I will make better efforts to track for habitual purposes.

salad and IF are my jams. They are my long term plans.

[sillykitty 10,705]

1 hour ago, sleevin7 said:

Some people don't think it's me.😜

This is me ....

Professionally there are many people I only see once or twice a year, or sometimes less frequently. At least 75% don't even recognize me. I was at a big trade event last week & it was awkward.

[Liz The New Me 281]

On 6/4/2019 at 7:38 PM, Cheeseburgh said:

I was convinced I was going to be an outlier and lose weight very quickly since I had such a good metabolism most of my life. It took me at least 5 months to accept that is not the case with me. I’m happy for everyone that loses faster than average and happy for everyone that keeps plodding along. We are all in the same boat, some of you have motors and I have an oar. 😂

You have a motor if you compared yourself to me!!!!! LOL

[Cheeseburgh 3,075]

9 minutes ago, Liz The New Me said:

You have a motor if you compared yourself to me!!!!! LOL

I’m not sure about that. My surgery weight was 204 and I had surgery a month before you did. I’m down 64 pounds since surgery, I lost 20 something while I was qualifying for surgery. The side statistics next to our names can be misleading. Many of us post our highest weight vs. surgical weight because it all starts with your first appointment.

I’m not complaining, I’ve had to work hard for every pound the past few months and I believe that is going to help me in the long run.