Do you fear "re-fatting"?

[Strangefruit 179]

I do. Constantly. I am 5 months out and 61.3 lbs down... When I Iron clothes, they look too small for me...I am still surprised when I put clothes on and they fit... I don't FEEL significantly smaller, yet when I stand next to people I used to consider "normal", I look the same. Weird.

But my bigggest fear is re-fatting. I exercise EVERYDAY because I am afraid not to. Some friends work out 3x or 5x a week...I am afraid to give myself a day off, because I am terrified I will re-fat. How do I get past this feeling? Or, maybe is this a good feeling to have because I won't take weight loss for granted? I don't know... I know that I have a really hard time buying new clothes and getting rid of too big clothes because of my fear of re-fatting. Everyone says to get rid of old baggy clothes because you will not need them... but everytime I have done that in the past, I have needed them..and didn't have them...because I re-fatted. *sigh*

[johnlatte 1,232]

I think that it is natural to fear regaining the weight. We all have been in the endless cycle of losing and gaining and losing and gaining again. I think you have to take a different approach this time with the sleeve. Sure there is a possiblity of gaining weight, IF you fall back into the habits that got you to point of needed the surgery to begin with. Learn those good habits early on in your process and you will have a better chance of success. We are very much like an former alcoholic that is just one drink away from going back to being an alcoholic. We have to focus a little bit more, work a little bit harder. That doesn't mean we can enjoy eating and eat the foods that we love, but use the sleeve as a guide. It will certainly tell you when you've done too much. Getting in the mindset that you will not return to your old ways is also key. I haven't done it yet, but I plan to cleaning out my closets and getting rid of anything that is too big now. I've been up and down the scale so many times, that I have clothes of every size. But no more. I didn't sprawl full out on a cold OR table and let a group of strangers cut out my stomach to go back to where I was. Keep a picture of your former self somewhere and look at it regularly to remind yourself of where you've been. I don't think that you'll go back to that person anytime soon. Hang in there!

[Pookeyism 1,143]

Yes. I am just focusing on more veggies and fruits, and less animal protien.

I know, I know - but no. A year later I am living a near-vegan lifestyle and I am fine without tons of animal protien. Better. Muscle mass is amping up. My pants size is smaller than my shirt size, due to my shoulders and across my chest (not boobs, chest). I have alot of excess skin, but you can see the definition below it now. The muscle counters the calories, and the balanced foods allow my body to use the vegtable protien optimally.