If you are over 3 years post op and have kept your weight off. What’s your top tips!

I had the Loop DS, but my stomach is a VSG stomach, if that counts? And, I'll be 3 years post op next month so I don't know if I count, but... my tip is to take the weight loss phase and use it to learn how to eat in a better and more sustainable way. Make healthier choices, but allow yourself the freedom to eat the things you want in moderation (i.e not all the time). If you start to put on weight then monitor your calories (though in year 2 you WILL put on anywhere between 5-20 pounds back on average, or so I've been told by my surgeons office. I originally put 21 pounds on due to a med I was taking and once I stopped taking the med I worked on getting the weight off and was able to lose half the weight I'd gained, but I can't get under 186 pounds no matter what I do. I'm okay with it though as long as I stay in the 180's, but if my weight creeps into the 190's I start monitoring my calories closely to see if I'm eating too much. Which I usually am lol. I cut back and the weight comes back off, but stalls once again at 186 ?).

I still track my food intake at 7.5 years out. I make healthy choices - although I don't beat myself over the head if I happen to have a splurge day (esp on a holiday). I just get right back to it. I also exercise most days of the week.

At 5yrs out, I still mostly choose meals with lower calories when eating at restaurants even if I want the higher calorie meal more. Having calories displayed on menus is a game changer for me. Also I rarely have drinks with calories and when I do they are usually 60 calories or under and once per day.

4+ years out for me.

i still track all my calories and weigh myself every morning. if my scale shows an upward trend for an extended period of time, i make adjustments in calorie intake for a while....though i haven't had to do these "adjustments" since i upped my personal acceptable weight limit by 5lbs over a year ago. i found that the effort to maintain a lower weight was just not worth it. yes its a small amount, but not having to worry about those extra 5 lbs and being able to maintain my current weight with little extra effort with my current eating habits and activity level is golden to me.

p.s. i do dedicated exercise about 3-4 times a week

p.p.s. not sure if it's worth noting that i also inadvertently practice 16:8 IF (i don't normally eat until after noon out of years habit; and i generally stop eating around 7-8 so i sleep on an empty stomach..habit created after wls to avoid nighttime regurgitation.)

Edited December 21, 20223 yr by ms.sss

I’m three yrs 7 months post surgery. I’m about 3lbs heavier then my lowest weight (2 of which are above from where I initially settled). I eat about 1400 calories a day & don’t really exercise apart from from resistance exercises, sit ups & stretches (wouldn’t burn 30 calories ?).

I am pretty careful with what I eat & there are certain foods I don’t eat or eat very rarely. Some are foods that don’t sit well in my tummy like bread, pasta, rice, quinoa, cous cous & starchy vegetables. Others are things I’ve realised I feel better without like sweet foods. I don’t eat fast food like burgers & rarely eat takeaway like Chinese, Japanese or Thai - only with others & make careful choices. I don’t consider this a diet but just how I eat. Some may think I’m fairly restricted in what I eat but it’s only with certain things & I don’t feel I’m missing out on anything.

I still have cravings - salty foods are my challenge - but I understand the why & the when behind them like craving salt after I eat yoghurt (??‍♀️). Sometimes I surrender though I’ll have some salted macadamia nuts, a couple of multigrain rice crackers (carefully as they’re a slider food) or roll some cucumber in salt.

I changed some of my cooking styles & use have incorporated some alternative ingredients & more if others. Like I use an air fryer or oven more & incorporate more lentils, pearl barley & beans than I did before.

I don’t track as such but I do random checks of portions, calories & nutrients. I still keep a close eye on protein, because I have an absorption issue, & on my water intake. I weigh myself a couple of times a week just to keep myself on track & honest.

A lot of how you manage your maintenance into the future is a personal thing. My body, how it works & what it needs, is different to yours. My lifestyle will be different. How I want to live my life & the demands on it is likely different too. And you may be more or less active than me. Health, age, etc. are a considerations too. So how I choose to eat may not work for you or for anyone else. Same with the other changes & choices I’ve made. Best advice is to experiment with different eating styles & cooking styles, introduce new foods, reintroduce old favourites, etc. & see how you go. It just need to be sustainable, complementary to your lifestyle & you’re happy & healthy.

I am just starting maintenance. I'm being pretty rigorous about tracking calories, and I weigh every day. I think, for me, it's the only way to stay within maintenance guardrails. I know that otherwise, I'm prone to calorie drift and weight creep.

My concern is that even though I'm no longer trying to lose weight, planning and accounting for food still takes up massive amounts of brain space and attention. I feel like I'm thinking about food all the time. Does it get better? I really don't want to go through the rest of my life obsessed with food intake. I also don't want to regain the weight.

Edited December 22, 20223 yr by losinglosinglosing

On 12/22/2022 at 2:11 AM, losinglosinglosing said:

I really don't want to go through the rest of my life obsessed with food intake

The word "obsession", used in this context, implies a negative connotation, which insinuates that the referenced behaviour is undesirable, and that the actor of this behaviour is somehow wrong or damaged.

Maybe......you can look at it as accepting that for our particular demographic, we may need to put a little more extra effort to maintain our weights than the "normies". Maybe, instead of looking at it with angst as an "obsession", it can be be kindly looked on as a HABIT. Like the way brushing your teeth is a habit, or how washing your hands before eating is a habit, or putting food/dishes away after meals is a habit, or checking your blind spot when you change lanes while driving, or petting your cats each time you walk by them....etc etc. Maybe keeping an eye on your food intake could be just another thing on a long list of things you do everyday with minimal thought or effort.

Maybe?

P.S. Of course, the word "obsessed" could also be used in a more positive-leaning take, like when the Kid says "OMG, i am OBSESSED with the shade of lip gloss!". lolololzzzz.

Edited December 24, 20223 yr by ms.sss

@ms.sss, This is really lovely. Thank you for taking the time to write such a caring and thoughtful response. It is very helpful, and I will return to it often. My favorite Christmas gift. ❤️

1 year 4 months after revision to rny for gerd but before that, I maintained over 120 lb weight loss since 2008. So I'm a noobie with the rny but not weight loss surgery. The only consistent thing I've done is I track everything I eat, every meal, every day. I weigh myself almost daily and I follow the basic rules, like no drinking liquids until 30 minutes after a meal. I think it is about consistency and what works for your lifestyle.

I am more than a dozen years out from my VSG. I started at 5'3" and 320 pounds. I had surgery in my mid 50's ! I am now 66 years old. I won't ever be thin. I have not had and will not have plastic surgery to remove the saggy baggy parts. My insurance and my general health are not going to work for that. But my doctor's consider me to be in great health, and are more than pleased where I am at right now.

I did gain back weight over about 8 years. My lowest weight was about 165 - at two years post VSG. I gained 220 - some was health related, most of it was life.... and not self regulating. About three years ago I decided to lose 10 pounds in a year. But I realized losing weight was not the biggest problem, but learning how to maintain what I lost was the issue for me. So after losing 10 pounds I PURPOSELY stopped losing weight, and maintained the 10 pound loss for 3 months. I learned what I could eat, and how to eat to maintain my weight. Then I decided to lose some more. Three years later I am close to that lowest weight I had been ( and what I weighed when I was in my 20's ) I actually stopped losing weight and maintained at 173 to 175 for about a year. A few months ago I decided to try to lose a bit more. I have no "goal" right now, except that I just bought size 14 petite jeans - and haven't worn that size for 10 years and would like to try for that 165 and stay there.

My PCP let me know two important things.... once you hit about 63 or so one should use "Smart BMI" as we age, we are graciously given a few extra pounds ... so my smart BMI is actually under the one here. and we also shrink in height.

I keep simple protein as the focus of what I eat. I raise my own backyard hens that produce incredible eggs for breakfast - or I eat oatmeal and fruit. Lunches and Dinners are proteins and fresh veggies and fruit. I eat some carbs - maybe a low carb spinach wrap or thin slice bread. Snacks are healthful, and I insist on a treat every day. Sometimes just one small dove candy.... maybe a cookie or small serving of something sweet. For me, it is balance and yes, I weigh myself a few times a week - just to make sure I am on track.

Edited December 26, 20223 yr by BriarRose

On 12/21/2022 at 8:55 AM, catwoman7 said:

I still track my food intake at 7.5 years out.

Can I ask how you track? I am a veteran calorie counter and used many apps before my surgery. Initially I went back to my favorite app after surgery but I’m starting to think it’s working against me.

12 hours ago, mzulli said:

Can I ask how you track? I am a veteran calorie counter and used many apps before my surgery. Initially I went back to my favorite app after surgery but I’m starting to think it’s working against me.

I use MyFitnessPal (although a lot of people on here use Bariastic)

On 12/26/2022 at 12:17 AM, BriarRose said:

My PCP let me know two important things.... once you hit about 63 or so one should use "Smart BMI" as we age, we are graciously given a few extra pounds ... so my smart BMI is actually under the one here. and we also shrink in height.

I'm in my 60s and just did the Smart BMI calculator. I'd never heard of this - but I love it!!

I think it is very important to understand where we "are" in life, and where we have come from. Although the "goal weight" for my height and when I started my weight loss journey was to be 145 pounds, I KNEW i would never ever get to that weight. First of all, I have had enough necessary surgeries that plastic surgery and tummy tucks and fat and skin removal was not on the horizon, ever. My surgeon, after looking at my history agreed. But said that MEDICALLY he had to use that number. FINE. WHATEVER. My goal that I used in my own head was 175. I started at 320. I lost 20 pounds before I went to the doctor and asked about WLS, I was so embarrassed.... to weigh that much.

I really love my PCP now. She out right told me that IF I had an all around - abdominal - that I would probably lose about 10 to 15 or more pounds. But since I need two knee replacements and I do not do well with anesthesia - she agreed that since I do not have a hanging panus; that it wouldn't qualify for insurance anyway....

I hope to get down to about 162 this go around. But according to my SBMI I am at a 29 - Something I never thought I could accomplish. I LOVE buying regular sized clothing. I LOVE not being the biggest human in the crowd. I will be 67 in a couple months and I am so comfortable in my own skin - no matter how saggy it is !

I think I must be the only one here who doesn't count calories or watch what I eat anymore. I'm 3.5yrs post sleeve and I've lost 10 stone. My weight has stayed the same for a year now, and I only weigh myself once a month, it never changes regardless of what I eat. I have gone back to eating a lot of crisps and cakes and chocolate, my addiction is back full time. I just can't eat a lot of it. I suffer with depression a lot and this is when I eat. I live alone, am disabled and just don't get out so I eat. I don't have take alway meals and my meals are very small but I snack constantly. It doesn't bother me now, I don't think I will ever be able to not eat sweet stuff, the extra skin left from weight loss is soul destroying and I hate my body as much now as when I was fat, if not even more.

Losing weight to me, has not been as good as I expected.