Baconville

WOW 8 Years Post RNY! Good for you!! I am coming up on just two years in June. Maintenance is very hard - at least I am finding it hard. There are so many temptations and so many ways to fall back into bad habits. I have lost 210 pounds and am terrified about regaining. I am using MyFitnessPal.com to track what I eat and I find that tool to be invaluable. I still stick with my all beverages MUST be under 10 calories rule. This has done me well and still allows me to put a creamer in a cup of tea if I choose to. I also belong to the YMCA and am very active in classes like BodyPump and Zumba. Focusing on getting 10,000 steps EVERY day helps as well and I use a Fit Bit to make sure that I do. You have discovered the gain, you know where your problems are. Now you just need to put a plan in place to make the changes that will help you to get where you want to be. This you can do! You successfully lost 164 pounds - you CAN get rid of the 30! Find your focus and go for it! YOU ARE WORTH IT! Carol

I did continue to loose for the entire first year. At a year, I reached my goal (normal BMI) and have been working on maintenance since. I lost a total of 210 pounds, including 40 pounds prior to surgery. I believe I could have lost more if I had wanted to. It gets much harder in the second six months. Your hunger comes back and with it the desire to return to old habits. You CAN still loose weight, but you have to be willing to work harder for it. Be MORE committed to eating right and getting daily exercise. The first six month, you can make mistakes and you will still lose, the second six months are about vigilance and making permanent lifestyle changes. ITS UP TO YOU!! Carol

I make protein pancakes all the time. I use Greek Yogurt and egg beaters and unjury unflavored protein powder along with either Bisquick or whole wheat flour. I also use flax seed to add a bit of fiber. There are tons of recipes out there, look for one that is low in calories and high in protein.

40 above we will be out in shorts!

Now this topic I think we can ALL agree! We have wind chill warnings out for the next 24 hours. Wind chills will be in the -40 degree range! I don't plan on leaving the house!

I am only 20 months out, so you have a lot of time on me. That said, I would encourage you to make your health your priority. If you are not using a food tracking app, find one you like. I love MyFitnessPal.com, it's free and a great tool in maintaining my 210 pound weight loss. Join a gym and find a find a form of exercise that works for you. I belong to my local YMCA and do a variety of classes. I also walk at least 10,000 steps everyday. I turned 50 on Super Bowl Sunday. Celebrating that milestone at my ideal weight and feeling fantastic was a dream come true! If I can do it you can too! Carol

I think your doc is wrong. I am 5'2" and currently weight 121 pounds. I began my journey at 331. My BMI is in the normal range and I am working hard to keep it there. I am 20 months post RNY. My doc thinks I am just fine. I do have some zinc and B1 deficiency, and have added them to my vitamin routine. Originally, I was told I would bottom out at 180 pounds. I love where I am at and am determined to stay here. I feel terrific! Keep going until you reach your goal. Just my opinion, but it worked for me!

Good luck to both of you! I am only 20 months out and am successfully maintaining, but I can see just how easy it would be to fall back into old habits. One tool that helps me is MyFitnessPal.com. If you haven't looked at food tracking apps, check them out. Best tool I have ever found and its free.

Thank you for sharing! I hope you are seeing the scale move in the right direction and are feeling better about yourself. Surgery does not make our weight issues go away. I believe to be successful you have to commit to working on making healthier decisions every day. You don't have to do it all at once, but just one small change at a time makes all the difference over weeks, months and years. Keep at it! This is just another bump in the road that your journey has taken you on. Learn from it and you life will be better for it! Carol

Are you tracking what you eat? I am just over 18 months out. I had RNY on 6/25/13 and have lost 210 pounds. I have been maintaining between 120 - 125 since June. I use MyFitnessPal.com to track what I eat. I know that feeling of panic though! Last Sunday was my 50th Birthday. And I went off plan and really celebrated. My weight jumped to 126. I really got back on track, and this morning I am back at 122. MFP really helps me get back on track. It is so easy to think you are making all these good choices, but until you see it all added up, it is hard to know where you are at. Maintenance is a LOT of work and there is not much help out there. You are keeping track of your weight and focusing on what to do. The pounds will come back off. Have faith - the tool we have been given still works! Carol

Hi Cheryl, I am just over 18 months out - I had RNY surgery 6/25/2013. I started at 331 and now weigh 123 - I am 5'2". I have been working on maintenance (weight between 120 - 125) since June, 2014. Exercise and tracking what I eat are the two keys I have found to maintenance. I use MyFitnessPal to track what I eat. If you are not using a tracking App, I strongly encourage you to start. It will make all the difference. MFP is a free App and I strongly believe it is the best weight loss tool I have every found. Exercise is also key. I am learning that cardio is not enough. Weight work is equally, if not more, important. My goal this year is to begin working with a trainer to learn more about working with weights. I have learned that the more muscle we have on our body, the more calories we will burn naturally, allowing us to eat more without gaining weight - or helping you lose weight without increasing the time you need to workout. Keep us posted on how you are doing. It really is still a struggle for me - I am finding my way though and you will too! Carol

My first piece of advice is to get on MyFitnessPal.com and begin to actually start tracking what you are eating, the Water you are hopefully drinking, and the exercise that you are getting. I know that it is a hassle, but make yourself measure what you are eating. Be accountable to YOURSELF. If you cheat, you cheat, but knowing that you will have to write it down, should slow you down on the urge to over-indulge. I think of it as spending money if you know your checkbook is already overdrawn! You DO NOT need to be perfect, take it a step at a time. I think doing this will help you feel more in control and in reading your post I think it is the 'out of control' feeling that has you panicked more than anything. IT IS NEVER TOO LATE!!! Don't worry so much about the 1 cup or 3/4 cup of food per meal. It really will depend on what you are eating, one cup of yogurt and you might still be hungry, 1/2 cup of steak and you may be so full you can't eat another bite. Until you feel more in control, just concentrate on recording what you are eating (with honest measurements). Remember nobody is checking your journal but you, so if you do cheat in what you record, you are only cheating yourself! YOU CAN DO THIS!!! It is just part of the journey! Carol

I agree with the posters who have said their only regret is that they did not do it sooner... I wasted so many years of my life living in a morbidly obese body! I feel SO good now and am enjoying life in every way. I love being able to live an active lifestyle and it has been SO good for my family too. I am 18 months post surgery and have lost a total of 210 pounds. I think it is important that you immediate family is on board with your decision, but beyond that - let them think what they will. It is your life!

I am between 117-120 (with all the skin!). I also think I am too small and am looking to put on about five pounds. I just came from the mall where I tried on size 4 petite jeans at Christopher Banks and they were too big! Who would have thought! I agree with your doc, don't go back to work until you are really ready. You will only set yourself back and you won't be able to do your job they way you want to either. You are much better off taking the week. I am finally feeling better, but whatever I had seems to have re-adjusted my pouch and I am not able to eat as much as I was. Go figure! I am looking forward to returning to my normal workout routine next week! See you on fit bit!

iaswi, you did it right, and I accepted your invite! I have been down with the stomach flu since Sunday, and just tried to work out for the first time tonight. Got home and got sick again! My weight is WAY down, too low for my comfort zone. I just had some toast with PB 2 and some Greek Yogurt. Not something I would normally do right before bed, but I have to try to get something in my system. I took Immodium, called my clinic and they said it is safe for RNY patients to take. I think I may call again tomorrow and see if something else might be up. I am really miserable!

Switch up your exercise routine. Add something new or just more time to what you are already doing. If you don't have a Fit Bit or something similar, get one. It was a real reality check for me about how I was exercising every day, but still was not even close to 10000 steps. I am 18 months post RNY. I have lost 210 pounds. There are many stalls along the way, and what works for one person may not work for you, but there are a couple things that always worked for me. I use MyFitnessPal.com to track what I eat. This is a critical tool that can really make a difference. Make sure you are measuring what you are eating and recording everything you eat. Finally, increase the amount of water you are drinking. That can also help move the scale.

I have one and use it all the time. I am Baconville@q.com, look me up! Right now I have no friends since RJ quit on me. I would love to add this back in.

Egg Beaters were my go to. I love eggs and still make them quite frequently. Had I known at the time I would have made protein pancakes. I use unflavored Unsure protein powder. You can find a variety of recipes online. I still love this meal!

A caution on gummy vitamins, they do not contain iron. The pharmaceutical companies have not been able to find a way to get iron in a gummy. I use Flinstones Complete Chewables and Centrum Petites for calcium.

Stalls are part of the journey, and you will experience many. I did the opposite of the previous poster, I increased my water intake and my exercise, or I switched up what I was doing exercise wise. It always worked to break the stall. We are all different, it will take some trial and error to see what works for you.

I won the contest! I guess being brave enough to get out of your comfort zone really works!

I am having fun with clothes too! Tomorrow morning my turbo kick class is having a crazy pants party and I actually bought an outfit to wear! Now I just have to find the guts to pull it off - definitely outside my comfort zone!!

I am with you! I have dropped to 120, with a couple days at 119. I actually want to maintain closer to 125, so at least I am not worried about gaining over the next couple weeks!

Hi - I am a 49 year old female - 48 at the time of my RNY surgery on 6/25/13. I am 5' 2" and I weighed 292 pounds at surgery, putting my BMI in the severely morbidly obese category. I did try to prepare myself for surgery by exercising as much as possible, losing nearly 40 pounds in the three months leading up to surgery. My core morbidities included high blood pressure, severe sleep apnea, severe knee, back and neck joint pain. I had no problems with surgery. I entered the hospital on June 25th at 5:00 AM and was at home on June 26th at 2:30 PM. I have a desk job (secretary) and returned to work after two weeks. I probably could have returned to work earlier, I felt that good. I followed the doctors plan very carefully and was as active as my body would allow me to be - and I pushed myself to slowly increase the activity. Today (nearly 18 months post-op) I weigh 120 pounds - having lost a total of 210 pounds. My BMI is in the "normal" range. I have no sleep apnea, am joint pain free, and have normal blood pressure. I take no prescription medications. Everybody's journey will be different and there are many bumps in the road, but the results on the other side are so worth it! The original poster is correct - this is major surgery and should not be taken lightly, but it can also be life saving. It saved mine! Best of luck to all of you! Carol

I am 18 months post surgery. I have been using MFP since four months before surgery. I lost 40 pounds before surgery and I have lost a total of 210 pounds. I am at my goal weight and have a normal BMI. I strongly believe that I owe a good part of my success to using MFP. It is by far the best weight loss and weight maintenance tool I have ever found. I continue to use it every day and know that as long as I do, I will be able to maintain my current weight.