NtvTxn

I am 7.5 lbs from my doctors goal and I'll continue to lose another 5 - 7 lbs. My question is how do I stop losing and maintain? I've asked Tiffikins because she's the expert around here, but I thought maybe others would have some idea about adding in some more healthy calories. Right now my protein is great, all food.....55 - 70 grams per day. Calories are low, 500 - 700. I am never hungry, I do get an "empty" feeling though. More food is not really an option I don't think....I don't have room. Thanks!

Cold for 3.5 years now!!! Beats the heck out of being hot I guess!!! LoL

Pray that good restriction continues. At 3.5 years, I am still amazed at how good mine is, and I HOPE that it never changes!!! Congrats on your decision to become a loser!!!

I've never heard this, I was told by my doctor that he doesn't want his patients to EVER eat more than a cup of food at one sitting. At 3.5 years, I still cannot eat a cup of food at one sitting!!! I track everything, every day. I also weigh daily and weigh and/or measure my food when I'm at home. Our stomach relaxes and I think mine was at full capacity and hasn't changed since about one year out. I hope it never does. I was at a support group meeting last night and this PhD doctor that speaks to us monthly said that we CAN stretch our sleeve but it isn't easy to do. I've never heard a 'limit' as far as how big it can stretch to. I have met people at meetings that have gained a large portion of their weight back, but they had started or rather stopped doing things we need to continue for ever. Be careful over the holidays, enjoy, but track your calories. A year ago I gained about 6 pounds over a 2 month period, I was still within two pounds of my doctor's goal, but six pounds over MY goal. I knew I was up, I was still doing everything I should as far as tracking my food and all that, but my calories went up eating slider foods.....easy on, not as easy coming off. About double the time getting rid of it. NOT FUN, but possible. I am not doing a repeat this year!!!

Hey there! I am 3.5 years out and believe it or not, I do not find it challenging, at least not yet. I still try and under eat my sleeve, meaning, I know how much it can hold and I TRY and eat a little less. If I ever feel full, it's too late, I'm miserable. I have not gained any weight back, my doctor's goal was 150, I wanted to be at 145 so I could have that 5 lb "pad". I feel good and find it easy to bounce DAILY between 142 and 145.5. I am still doing what I started doing in the beginning....I weigh every morning, it's a control issue, I'm sure. I am finally in control, food is not. I weigh and/or measure my food when I'm at home. I log it all on my fitness pal and last but not least, I attend support group meetings. All of this is my new life, as natural to me as breathing. I know there is no end date, this is forever and I had to incorporate things into my life that I could/would do forever. As far as eating smaller portions, I cannot eat more than a cup of food at one sitting, actually, I cannot eat a full cup, probably 2/3 - 3/4 cup, depending on what I'm eating. At 3.5 years out, I can eat a LOT more than I could in the beginning, so making choices and keeping track of my calories is imperative, I cannot become complacent. Good luck to you, you won't believe what your life is like on your one year anniversary!!!

I was told the reason was because it could be painful with the possibility of taking in air. I did not experience any pain, less air if anything. I 'confessed' when I went in for my three month visit and it was no big deal, i still only sipped, sipped, sipped in the beginning. The further out you get, the bigger your sips until you can eventually drink just like before. I was really worried about getting enough liquids in, the straw helped.

Drinking through a straw was the only 'rule' I broke - and I did it early on. I can drink much more through a straw, so it was week two when I started. It helped me a lot and I didn't get as much air as I did drinking without one. I use a LOT of ice and I was taking in quite a few air bubbles, I think it was because of the amount of ice I use. Anyway, I have never had any issues using one.

It is not correct, it tells me I should have 1500'ish, (slightly over) and at 1500 calories per day, I'd gain. I need LESS than 1300 really....more like 1225 - 1250 to maintain. I manually enter my caloric and Protein numbers. MFP is not taking into consideration we are WLS patients. I've been maintaining successfully for 3 years, you'll get the hang of it!!!!

23

Skinny - the string bean we all know or have known in the past, but I guess everyone's definition is different. There is always somebody skinnier and always someone richer, right???!!!!! If you figure out how to "feel" normal sized, share that with the rest of us.

Unfortunately our surgeons operate on our tummy and don't finish up with our head. I have been at goal for 3 years, maintaining for 2.5 years and STILL do NOT see myself like others do. I've been in size 4's and 6's for a few years now and I still will hold a pair of jeans up, fresh out of the dryer and think "NO DAMN WAY can I get my fat @$$ in these" and then I do.....I never have to lay down on the bed to button and zip them. I'm called skinny, tiny, thin and still, the fat girl inside giggles and wants to ask, "Are you talking to ME??" I don't know if it will ever change and I don't know if the fear of waking up 25 lbs heavier will ever go away. A doctor told me though "A little paranoia is good" It's nice being normal sized, even if we don't feel like it, we can look around and in our head, we know we aren't the biggest girl in the room. You are not alone, I think the head games are something we all struggle with. We are women, we critique ourselves and focus on the thing (s) that bother us. Others don't even notice and that's all we see. Take heart, you are more than likely the ONLY one seeing what you do!!! Good luck and happy Thanksgiving!

I made the decision at 2 AM, literally. I got up to go to the bathroom and decided then. That was Dec 2009, I started researching the lapband the following morning, I couldn't wait to start reading. It didn't take long for me to change my mind on WHAT surgery to have. The sleeve, forced portion control, that is what I needed. I wanted to read everything I could and I was cash pay, so I had to deal with that. I had to find a doctor in Texas and make arrangements. Everything fell into place and I had surgery six months later. I really was ready in four months, but I already had a beach house rented for recovery.....but that's ok, it was worth the wait and I was more than prepared.

They WANT everything to go smoothly so insurance will cover your surgery. Wear jeans, layer a shirt under a sweater or sweatshirt. Keep your shoes on. I have a friend who works in a hospital, HER doctor told her to wear her heaviest stuff. Eat something salty the night before, that should ensure you retain some water!! Good luck!

Yes i did go through this....my daughters and husband were all freaking out - people don't know what to say, and if they're use to seeing you big, then to you, you're pencil thin. In my case, I WAS and did not see it until I needed to gain a little back. Say "thank you, I'm almost there" or "I'm finished" unless of course you want to talk about it.

Laughed out loud!!!! They're are all funny, but the ammo shortage really cracked me up!! To entertain myself I thought up bad answers to frequently asked questions posed to WLS people: "Is the food OK?" (asked because you ate so little) Oh, yes, I haven't had food this good since the Turkish prison. "Isn't weight loss surgery the easy way out?" Yes, it is. I was going to shoot everyone smaller than me to make myself look average but there is an ammo shortage. You wise guys got any?

I can't remember how far out I was when all of a sudden I could drink a full glass of water normally.....not sip, sip, sip....but it does happen. Drinking while I'm eating, I thought would be HUGE, but it is totally a non-issue. I use to drink two - four glasses of ice tea with dinner. I tried to practice prior to surgery, and it was soooo hard. I'd have never guessed it would be so simple.

I'm almost 3.5 years out and I've been maintaining for almost three years. Life is 'normal'. I just finished ice cream, this is the most "normal" I've ever been....I THINK!! No guilt about anything I eat, maintenance is easy for me. Everything I eat is logged and I stay within the calories I need every day. Today I had a half cup of 1% cottage cheese for breakfast. I wanted Protein because I knew I was meeting friends for lunch at a pizza/Italian restaurant. I had three small pieces of Canadian bacon and mushroom pizza. This is an oval pizza cut into small squares. For dinner I had 3 oz of round steak cooked in 98% FF cream of mushroom Soup. The soup, plus a can of Water, makes GREAT gravy!!! I had .25 cup of my cottage cheese, a fourth cup of 'gravy' and and eighth of a cup of green Beans. I just had a 1 serving of home made ice cream. All this will come to less than 1300 calories. Before bed I'll have 1 cup of skim milk to make sure my protein is 60 or above. This is great 'ice cream'. A little mini hand crank maker, we use skim milk, although my recipe calls for whipping cream. It whips up good, nice and thick and tastes delish. Calls for a half cup of sugar, I use a little less, egg beaters rather then 2 whole eggs. vanilla. Love it.....what is life like. It's good!!! I've just made lifestyle changes that I can live with forever. It's as simple as that. Just wait, you won't believe what your life is like a year from now!!

I do not eat with meals, I wait 30 minutes, at least, as instructed. I DO drink coffee when I'm eating a piece of pumpkin bread or a scone at Starbucks. We always split a piece, and I have to be careful or it will be uncomfortable. Half a piece is fine with coffee, but any more than a half, it doesn't feel good. I drink with something like this because in MY mind, I figure the quicker I push it out of my tummy, the better! LoL

does she KNOW you've had surgery??!!! I have a couple of family member, both who should ask for my doctor's name and phone number......who don't even acknowledge that I have lost 85 lbs. ONE of them has never said a word, the other did at first, then stopped. I FELT bigger than either of them, but I suspect, even though we are all built a little different, we were all three about the same size. I don't care, but I find it amusing! Have fun!!

I'm a month shy of being 3.5 years out. Still no hunger, not real hunger. I get and empty feeling, but not hunger. It's amazing. I hope it will always be like this!!!

My scale was going up and down four or five pounds daily for about 10 days, and I knew it couldn't be accurate. I changed the battery and it went back to normal.

Update: The last time I posted on this thread was Dec. 2010, almost three years ago. I had reached MY goal a few weeks earlier, I'd reached my doctor's goal a month earlier. Wow, time flies when you're having fun. I've been maintaining for going on three years, no problems, no issues. Nothing. It's all pretty easy for me, so far. I have what I call my "dashboard" and it keeps me on top of everything. I do not ever want to be complacent. I never thought I'd have surgery and make no changes, so I've made changes that I can live with forever.Everything I do is as natural to me as breathing. Old age, a twisted ankle nor boredom will prevent me from doing what I'm going to list below!! 1) I weigh every morning 2) I weight and/or measure my food 3 I log all my food on my fitness pal and last but not least, I attend a support group with real live people! I maintain on 1300 calories per day. It's a fine line between maintenance, gaining and losing. My 'comfort zone' is 142 - 145.5. If I weigh 146 at my morning weigh in, I cut back calories by 100 - 150 and within a few days, I'm back down to the lower end of where I like to be. I still have good restriction and i still try and under eat my sleeve. If I get to "full" it's too late, I'm miserable. No buyer's remorse, EVER!!!! Love my sleeve!

go back to basics, what you did to lose that 75 pounds. This is what I do that works for me. I cal it my dashboard, the numbers tell me if something needs to be changed. 1) I weigh every morning 2) I weigh and/or measure my food 3) I log my food on my fitness pal 4) I attend a real live support group I'm almost 3.5 years out and I've been maintaining for almost 3 years. I can't imagine not doing these things. They're as natural to me as breathing. My new normal, my new life. For me, there is a fine line between maintenance, gaining and losing. I must never become complacent. I have a comfort zone, a 3.5 pound comfort zone. If I'm up about the high end of that zone, I just cut back calories by 100 - 150 for a few days and it's gone. You can do this!

I'd say no. What does your doctor say? Remember, you have a gut full of staples. You are swollen and healing. The first week I was on Clear liquids, week 2 & three, full liquids. Dr. D said "nothing that won't go through a straw"