skinnyjeansatlast

Hi everyone - I had gastric sleeve surgery 18 months ago and lost 80+ pounds. Life is terrific. However, lately I have really been struggling with my weight, and I am up six pounds from my lowest point. Obviously, I want to nip this in the bud immediately and get my weight back down. I never really adopted regular exercise (I was the girl who failed high school gym; I hate it). My food habits are pretty good - I eat primarily protein, vegetables, fruit and nuts (no sugar or refined carbs) and for the most part, limit myself to three meals and two protein shakes per day. I don't eat large quantities. Why is my weight creeping up? How can I reverse this? I know that metabolism slows after 18 months, but I am very concerned about gaining more weight and ruining the achievement that I have worked so hard for. All help welcomed, here. Thank you.

Thank you, both. I really appreciate the input!

I had an incredible moment last week that I wanted to share here. My lovely, exquisite, slim daughter, who is the only one in the family who does not struggle with her weight, pulled on my jeans and - they did not fit her! She could not button them! I guess that I really have succeeded in doing something truly spectacular for myself over the past nine months, when I started this journey at 205 pounds. For the record, she is as thrilled as I am.

So fabulous - yay, you! Here's to many years of celebration :-).

Hi everyone, I am eight-and-a-half months post-sleeve surgery, and I guess that I have reached my goal - down 70 lbs, from 203 to 133, and from a size 16-18 to a size 6-8. Of course, I am thrilled, but terror is beginning to set in about being able to maintain my new weight. I understand that there is a 'honeymoon period', after which food may become more difficult again. I am scared petrified of gaining weight back. I am focused on protein, vegetables and fruit (primarily protein - meat, fish, eggs, cheese, yogurt, etc., and smaller quantities of vegetables and fruit). I still drink two Premier Protein shakes a day as mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks, which I find that I really need. I avoid all refined carbs and sugar/desserts and don't really plan to re-introduce them, at all, as they are trigger foods for me. What tips have helped others in keeping their weight off? I am elated to be successful and at goal, with a normal BMI and feeling so good about myself for the first time in forever, but what steps can I take to ensure that I will remain at this weight for the long-term? I weigh myself daily and am very particular about my food. I'm not a real exerciser, except for walking. I would be most grateful for any tips that you all could share with me. Thank you in advance.

They also have Premier on Amazon, at great prices.

Try the ready-made kind - much, much better than the powder. I like Premier Protein the best - especially the chocolate, and also the salted caramel.

It definitely will get easier - your success will make you not want all the things that you used to love before. I am a flat-out sugar addict, but I no longer crave any of it. You'll see - you will emerge victorious. Good luck to you on your journey.

I am feeling very grateful this morning, toward my medical team, this community and most of all, toward my amazing husband, who has been so supportive of my journey. I am just over five months out, and the scale showed 146 pounds this morning. I'm planning on wearing a pair of 29-inch waist jeans today. Yes, jeans (!) - something I never allowed myself before. For the most part, I am wearing size 8 clothing, down from a 16/18. Sometimes a 6 and occasionally a 10. Best of all, in my mid-50's, I like myself and am proud of myself. I no longer avoid being seen in public, as I have in the past. While I would not mind losing another 10 pounds, I think it more important that I stay at a weight that I can hopefully maintain for the long-term - for me, the point of the surgery was to stop struggling and being on a perpetual yo-yo of weight gain and loss, as I have been for my entire life. So, what are your BEST maintenance tips? I have been weak on exercise, but excellent at staying away from grains, sugar and carbs that don't come in the form of fresh fruit and vegetables. Please help me to succeed by sharing what is working for you. Thank you!

You can do it! I wish you every success. Follow the instructions and you will be at the top of the world, feeling terrific about yourself within a short period of time. It may not seem that way initially, but you will quickly come to the conclusion that this is the best thing that you ever did. Give yourself some time to adjust, and then reap the reams of benefits. Good luck to you - believe in yourself!

Oh, and I was the queen of gorgeous scarves and handbags before surgery (they always fit!) and generally wore multiples of the same, black outfit almost all the time. So great to be out of that rut - and you will be, too. Sooner than you think, you will feel great about what you wear, and great about yourself. Be strong! Be determined! You will get there before you know it.

Never underestimate the power of a great tailor - but remember that you DESERVE some fabulous, new things that will make you feel your best, as well. I'm finally at the point where almost all of the "skinny" clothes in my closet fit, but they fit in different ways than they did before. Be ruthless in getting rid of things, but treat yourself to some truly amazing clothes that will remind you why you did all of this, in the first place. Good luck!

I think we the more we limit our food choices, the more successful we are. Yes, those foods have some carbs - just like many foods have natural sugars. That is a given. But personally, i would rather have real butter or full-fat yogurt or cheese or a (small) succulent steak - and I think that the reason I can is because I eliminated the (real) carbs and all added sugar. I'm not saying that it works for everyone, but it is working for me, so far. While I don't think that any food (except maybe for sugar, alas!) is inherently bad, there is a fear factor in reintroducing carbs that I would rather avoid. Since my capacity is limited, why not focus on food with real value?

You will be more successful without them, in my opinion. There are excellent substitutes - cauliflower for mashed potatoes, for example, and countless others. I am only five months out, but have lost almost all of my weight (maybe another 10-15 pounds until I am truly happy). What do you need carbs for, really? They are just a slippery slope back to WWW (where we were) before. Frankly, I am as afraid of them as I am of sugar. There are enough truly yummy things that you can eat, without carbs.

You are beautiful - and have a beautiful family, too. Surgery will almost definitely increase your quality of life and your ability to be a great mom to your gorgeous kids. I am four months out, with almost 50 pounds down and maybe 15-20 more to go. Life has improved exponentially for me, and I know that it will for you, too. Have the courage to follow through and to do this for yourself, for your husband (to whom I wish good health!) and for your children. You can do this!

I went in at just over 200 lbs., at the end of August. I am three months out and down 40+ lbs. REALLY nothing to be afraid of! There is some discomfort and nausea initially, but it will pass quickly. I was traveling internationally at 3 weeks out and shopped this past weekend for sizes 8 and 10. I am wearing a small in some clothing, and feeling fantastic about myself in the first time in, well, forever. I still have 20-25 lbs to go, but am confident that I will get there in due time. You can do it, without fear. Go, girl!

I am seven weeks out but only 26 pounds down (out of a total 75 pounds that I need to lose). I'm frustrated - the weight is crawling off at a very slow pace. I am happy that I am moving in the right direction, but definitely thought that I would have lost more weight by now. I have an important event coming up in a couple of weeks and would like to do whatever is safely possible to accelerate my weight loss. Does anyone have any suggestions/recommendations/insights? Thank you very much.

Surgery date - I was fortunate in that my surgeon did not require the two week pre-op period - only 24 hours before surgery. Thank you!

I took a very long international flight three weeks after surgery. I was fine. Listen to your doctor and make sure to get up and walk. My best advice is to get a wheelchair at the airport, even if you do not think that you will need one. You CANNOT carry heavy bags. Another helpful thing is to get a letter from your doctor for TSA, allowing you to take ready-made protein drinks on the flight. Have a wonderful trip!

Thank you to everyone for your insights and encouragement! Much appreciated :-).

Wishing you a speedy and complete recovery! It will be a little rough in the beginning, but you will be amazed at how quickly you will heal and bounce back - this is the start of a better life for you!

Tomorrow I will be six weeks out - and I am 23 pounds down. I am wondering whether I should have lost more weight by now. I have a total of about 75 pounds of excess weight to lose. I feel mostly good - I have been walking a lot over the past few weeks. Some days, I still struggle to get in as many liquids as I should be. I eat small quantities and am amazed by the fact that a few forkfuls are generally enough for me. Protein shakes are still my friends - generally twice a day. Should I have lost more by now? In your experience, what can I do to further accelerate my weight loss? Thank you for your insights and recommendations.

I had my surgery almost five weeks ago and was doing beautifully - almost 20 pounds down after 3 weeks. I just weighed myself for the first time in two weeks, and to my shock, I am up FIFTEEN POUNDS. I have been fastidious in following my food and protein plans since the surgery and have been walking a lot during the past two weeks. How could such a thing happen? I was expecting to get on the scale and rejoice - instead, I am in shock and am doubting the entire procedure. Has this happened to anyone else? Does anyone have any insights? I need help ,please.

Hi everyone, I had my surgery on Tuesday, so am just four days out. My biggest challenge at the moment is ingesting sufficient liquids. Sometimes I feel that it is hard to get the liquid down my throat, but mostly I feel discomfort when it hits my stomach. sugar-free ice pops and ice chips help, but I know that it is important to be able to drink increasing quantities. I have Protein shakes and Isopure iced tea with lots of protein that I want to start today, but am having so much trouble with actual drinking. Has anyone else experienced this and how did you deal? The other thing is that I have a bizarre sense of actually feeling my internal organs, which seem heavy. Before surgery, they were anonymous entities, while now they are actually making their presence known. Many thanks for your input.

I'm going in tomorrow, and would like a realistic idea of the aftermath of surgery and what to expect. My surgeon operates mostly on an outpatient basis and I should be home by early afternoon. What am I really in for, based on your experience?