The Maintenance Thread

[JennieJuniper 110]

That’s great!! I wonder how it will work for WLS patients.. I may have to bite the bullet and pay for it

[ms.sss 14,634]

6 hours ago, JennieJuniper said:

Anyone else gain weight since quarantine? Sorry if this is already been discussed, but I gained 12 pounds over the last 2 months and feel awful. I’m closer to 200 now than I’d like. I’ve been working from home for two months so I’ve been sitting at my desk all day with little to no exercise. I’m also a “bored eater” so that hasn’t helped.

Anyone try Noom? I just got let go so not sure if I should pay for that right now...

Ty for listening!

I gained about 6 lbs over about 2 months...but is started just before quarantine, so I can't really blame it solely on that. It was basically due to eating more & being less active (which I suppose is the same reason for quarantine-gains).

The gain took me over my "upper limit" so I stated to eat less and went back to running (which I haven't done regularly since plastics back in December due to recovery and all that).

It took 2-3 weeks, but I lost those 6lbs as of last week and am back down to my "lower limit" (which btw, was a wake up call because historically I would have been able to lose those 6 lbs in a week with a real effort!).

I haven't tried Noom*, but do what you can to address those 12 lbs if that is important to you! Addressing 12 lbs now is much more manageable than 50 or 60 later. It's a good that you recognize the contributing factors to your weight gain, because at least YOU KNOW what you need to address. Get up from the desk every hour or so and move around; try to stick in maybe 30 mins of dedicated exercise every day (maybe start at 15 mins if it helps to kick start yourself); figure out something else to do when you are bored other than eating, or keep off-plan foods out of the house & replace with better choices.

I admit, I indulge with not-the-best choices every once in while...this is what I do when I recognize I am getting out of hand: If I want something that isn't the best choice, I'll get something to drink, and/or wait out 30 mins or an hour to reconsider. If after those 30-60 mins I still really want it, then fine, I'll have it. But more often than not, I won't want it anymore. This works for me, buy your mileage may vary.

*Noom, from what I read is a food tracker + food idea provider + "personalized coach", which encourages healthy food and lifestyle habits with words of encouragement & a points "reward system", as well as an online community for further support. At $50 a month, the convenience of getting all this in one place *may* be worth it. BUT you could also get all the above for free from different sources if you are willing to make the effort (I use MyFitnessPal for food tracking...I signed up for the premium version for $50 a YEAR, because I wanted access to the macros, food analysis and export features, but you could probably get away with just the free version if you aren't anal like me, LOL.)

Good Luck!

Edited May 8, 2020 by ms.sss

[ms.sss 14,634]

@JennieJuniper : Hey! I just realized we were both sleeved in Oct 2018! Yay, sister ❤️

[JennieJuniper 110]

On 05/08/2020 at 08:26, ms.sss said:

@JennieJuniper : Hey! I just realized we were both sleeved in Oct 2018! Yay, sister ❤️

Awesome!! How much did you lose overall? Mine slowed down at about 9 month to a year so I’m worried getting this off now will be so hard!

[ms.sss 14,634]

I've been told I am one of those "faster losers", so I got to goal at around 7 months (127lbs, 108lbs lost at the time). I lost a little bit more after that, gained after a vacation in september, lost it, gained these recent 6lbs, lost it again. I went as low as 109 lbs (too small!!) and as high as 121 lbs (over my acceptable limit!!) in that time period.

Today I am at 115 (total 120 lbs lost). 115-120 is my happy place.

It does get a little bit more challenging the further out we are. I mean, losing 10 lbs off a 230 lb body is waaaaaayyyy easier than losing 10 lbs off a 130 lb body. Just keep on going, it will be slower yes, but if you make an honest effort ad stick to it, it will come off a little by little. It does get discouraging when the visible results are not as dramatic, so I get it. Maybe keep track of your body measurements? Sometimes you'll lose inches and not lbs. Also, I find that looking at old pictures of myself and seeing how far I've come to be a great motivator.

[JennieJuniper 110]

14 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

I've been told I am one of those "faster losers", so I got to goal at around 7 months (127lbs, 108lbs lost at the time). I lost a little bit more after that, gained after a vacation in september, lost it, gained these recent 6lbs, lost it again. I went as low as 109 lbs (too small!!) and as high as 121 lbs (over my acceptable limit!!) in that time period.

Today I am at 115 (total 120 lbs lost). 115-120 is my happy place.

It does get a little bit more challenging the further out we are. I mean, losing 10 lbs off a 230 lb body is waaaaaayyyy easier than losing 10 lbs off a 130 lb body. Just keep on going, it will be slower yes, but if you make an honest effort ad stick to it, it will come off a little by little. It does get discouraging when the visible results are not as dramatic, so I get it. Maybe keep track of your body measurements? Sometimes you'll lose inches and not lbs. Also, I find that looking at old pictures of myself and seeing how far I've come to be a great motivator.

That's awesome for you, I'm so happy for you! Can I ask how tall you are?

My sister had the sleeve in July of 2019 and she has gotten to the point where I consider her too small. She obsesses about everything she eats. If she has "the munchies" she'll eat a lemon drop to get a different taste in her mouth so she won't want to eat. I'm worried she has gone too far and may have an eating disorder.

[ms.sss 14,634]

46 minutes ago, JennieJuniper said:

That's awesome for you, I'm so happy for you! Can I ask how tall you are?

My sister had the sleeve in July of 2019 and she has gotten to the point where I consider her too small. She obsesses about everything she eats. If she has "the munchies" she'll eat a lemon drop to get a different taste in her mouth so she won't want to eat. I'm worried she has gone too far and may have an eating disorder.

5'2"

RE: your sister. People would say I obsessed about everything I ate too during weight loss phase. They would tell me they were worried about me, that I lost too much weight, that I was anorexic, that I must stop losing weight immediately. They would comment on how little I ate, and constantly offer me food. They would give side-wise glances to each other if I declined a piece of cake. They would say/do this to my face, and behind my back.

But not once did my weight go below what is "normal" for my height and age. At all my follow-ups and appointments, not once did my Dr. tell me I was not the picture of health. I think "they" just weren't used to seeing me at a normal weight, they weren't used to seeing me turn down food and eat less, and the change in me was so rapid and so different that it was just so in-your-face, they couldn't help but feel the need to worry.

During weight loss phase when I get the "munchies" I ignored them (and was successful maybe 95% of the time, lol). I mean, they were just munchies, not actual hunger. And giving into munchies is one of the things that got me to morbid obesity.

Unless your sister has health problems as identified by her team, is underweight, or has developed behavior problems that are negatively impacting her quality of life, then I think she is just being determined. But I'm not her Dr....has she seen them recently?

Edited to add: Now that I'm 1.5 years out, the comments and concern have effectively stopped. Me, my weight, and my eating habits are old news, and everyone is used to my new normal. ❤️

Edited May 8, 2020 by ms.sss

[catwoman7 10,845]

28 minutes ago, JennieJuniper said:

That's awesome for you, I'm so happy for you! Can I ask how tall you are?

My sister had the sleeve in July of 2019 and she has gotten to the point where I consider her too small. She obsesses about everything she eats. If she has "the munchies" she'll eat a lemon drop to get a different taste in her mouth so she won't want to eat. I'm worried she has gone too far and may have an eating disorder.

I'm five years out and I still obsess over everything I eat - plus my weight. The dietitian at my clinic says I'm obsessing about my weight and calories too much and keeps suggesting I look into "intuitive eating", but I know myself too well. "Intuitive eating" for me would put me right back up to 300+ lbs. I am not "normal" and probably never will be. So the only way to keep my weight where it is is to weigh myself several times a week and track everything I eat.

I spent a month in India last fall and, although I certainly was no where near stuffing myself silly, I was eating normal-people-sized portions, plus Snacks. I wasn't tracking and of course, I didn't have access to a scale. And then I came back just in time for the holidays (I didn't gain any more then - but I certainly didn't lose it, either, with all the holiday events). So I ended up six lbs heavier which have been a BEAR to get off. So I think I'm just one of those who has to be obsessive about weight and calories or I'm going to naturally gain weight. People are all different...so they have to do what they have to do.

re: getting too small: many WLS'ers never get all the way to goal - studies say about 10-15% of us get to a normal BMI. But for those of us who do, our lowest weight usually isn't our "permanent" weight - the majority gain 10-20 lbs after hitting bottom (actually, the majority of ALL WLS'ers gain 10-20 lbs during years 2 or 3 - not just those who make it to normal BMI). So I wouldn't worry too much about your sister at this point. Yes there are some who do develop eating disorders - but getting "too small" and obsessing about food can also be normal behavior for some of us, and it's not necessarily indicative of any eating disorder. And she may very well bounce up 10-20 lbs in the near future - it happens to an awful lot of us.

[Cheeseburgh 3,075]

13 hours ago, ms.sss said:

Noom, from what I read is a food tracker + food idea provider + "personalized coach", which encourages healthy food and lifestyle habits with words of encouragement & a points "reward system", as well as an online community for further support.

My son said you also get put in a group and you track along with each other. It was funny, he said he was in a group with almost all women old enough to be his mother but he’s such a charmer he didn’t care. Because of his age etc.. he lost weight quicker and was very careful not to make anyone in his group feel bad.

He felt like it helped change his relationship with food and he works out and runs everyday now. Something clicked.

[JessLess 1,163]

Well, I just realized that I have been at my goal weight for a year. While I briefly dipped about 12 lbs. lower, I think this may be it unless I put a lot more effort into losing, which I am not doing right now. If I go one pound over, I do make sure to address it. So yay? I'd like to lose a bit more, but where I am now is just fine for my age (50) and lifestyle right now.

[Cheeseburgh 3,075]

We decided to sell our house since the housing market here is hot. We found a beautiful house to rent. My husband is considering retiring and we want the freedom to move when the time comes. Might even be living near you @ms.sss in a few years!

Anyway, this process has been crazy stressful and I’m losing weight that I shouldn’t. I’m going to up my calories and resist the temptation to fill up with junk. However, today I am indulging in Culver’s. (Midwest burger chain)

Anyone have advice or ideas on getting my weight back to stable without just eating carbs and fat?

We move at the end of the month, our house didn’t even hit the market and we got full asking price in one day. We’ve had to do everything so fast and have 3 weeks to go, I’ve lost 4-5 pounds and don’t want to lose any more and need to gain a few!

[catwoman7 10,845]

37 minutes ago, Cheeseburgh said:

and fat?

We move at the end of the month, our house didn’t even hit the market and we got full asking price in one day. We’ve had to do everything so fast and have 3 weeks to go, I’ve lost 4-5 pounds and don’t want to lose any more and need to gain a few!

you might want to hold off on trying to gain weight and maybe just try to stabilize. It seems like most people put on 10-20 lbs during year 3 with little to no effort... I got too thin at one point and figured I'd never have the bounce back weight people talk about, but I did...

[AZhiker 2,251]

6 hours ago, Cheeseburgh said:

We decided to sell our house since the housing market here is hot. We found a beautiful house to rent. My husband is considering retiring and we want the freedom to move when the time comes. Might even be living near you @ms.sss in a few years!

Anyway, this process has been crazy stressful and I’m losing weight that I shouldn’t. I’m going to up my calories and resist the temptation to fill up with junk. However, today I am indulging in Culver’s. (Midwest burger chain)

Anyone have advice or ideas on getting my weight back to stable without just eating carbs and fat?

We move at the end of the month, our house didn’t even hit the market and we got full asking price in one day. We’ve had to do everything so fast and have 3 weeks to go, I’ve lost 4-5 pounds and don’t want to lose any more and need to gain a few!

You can try adding some healthy, whole food carbs like sweet potato, butternut squash, and whole grains (oats, quinoa, brown rice, teff, millet, buckwheat, amaranth.) A few nuts and seeds will also add some calories and have great nutritional value. These are the things I added when I needed to slow down weight loss, and these are things I start to limit if I gain a few.

[Cheeseburgh 3,075]

My face looks sunken in. I look like I weigh less than 120, I’m a pretty dense human. (In more ways than one) My Doctor really doesn’t want me this low. I think it’s because I’m almost 60, (3 weeks) had cancer and COVID is lurking about. I don’t think I’ll have trouble gaining weight normally, but I have zero appetite right now.

[GreenTealael 24,850]

10 hours ago, Cheeseburgh said:

My face looks sunken in. I look like I weigh less than 120, I’m a pretty dense human. (In more ways than one) My Doctor really doesn’t want me this low. I think it’s because I’m almost 60, (3 weeks) had cancer and COVID is lurking about. I don’t think I’ll have trouble gaining weight normally, but I have zero appetite right now.

My face is also the first place I notice a loss or gain. Too much of a loss and I look sickly so I totally empathize. I bet the weight/look will stabilizer on it's own as soon as the stressor is removed. Congratulations on getting full asking price and a quick sale!