Here we are.... now what?!

[Rogofulm 2,440]

Okay, so here we are at (or slightly below) our goal weight. Now what? We've been existing on Protein and green veggies for a long time, but now we need (or want) to stop losing, stabilize our weight, and start maintaining.

So many questions come to mind, but let's start with these:

1. If we just keep eating the same way, will our bodies find their "set point" weight and remain there, or will we continue to lose until we're too thin?
2. If we need to add some variety (uh... carbs) back into the picture, which ones are a good idea and which are a bad idea. I mean, some choices are obvious: good = quinoa, barley, oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat Pasta, and sweet potatoes. And bad = white bread, white rice, white Pasta, white potatoes, and anything containing refined sugar, right? But what else should we think about? What about corn and peas? What else works or doesn't work?
3. As long as we stayed in ketosis, fat and calories didn't seem to have much of an effect on our weight loss. But now, if we knock ourselves out of ketosis by adding in more carbs, will those fat calories start to work against us and cause weight gain? In other words, if we've been eating tons of nuts, cheese, and butter and still losing, if we keep eating them the same way in maintenance will they start causing weight gain?
4. The tricky (but wonderful) part of this is our permanent restriction. How do we make room for new foods, while still taking in enough Protein?
5. Eventually we do start to get more hungry. What do we do about an increasing appetite that makes us want to eat between meals?

Who's been there, who's there now, and do you have any tips for the maintenance newbies?

Thanks, and congratulations to everyone who is beginning or succeeding in maintenance!!!

Rog

[Stevehud 1,790]

First , great questions, ones id like to know as well. and secondly, great job getting there man, every success in achieving goal, helps me get one step closer.

[KateP 359]

My way is not necessarily a sensible or good way, but it is MY way and has worked, with a couple of blips, since I got to below my goal weight way back in 2007.

First of all, a lot of what you ask never applied to me. I didn't eat low carb, I was never in ketosis. I made healthy choices but from all food groups, I didn't totally cut out any foods. I didn't even really count calories apart from a monthly reality check.

When I reached my goal, for many years, I relaxed totally but watched the scales like a hawk. If they went up by 5lbs, I went back to basics until they went. Basically I ate like all my friends who have never had weight problems eat. I ate without thought for four or five weeks, I dieted for a week. And that is all it took.

Over the last couple of years (I am now 9 years post-op) I have let it slip a bit and I am currently working at losing a 20lb gain - most of it has gone.

[Rogofulm 2,440]

My way is not necessarily a sensible or good way, but it is MY way and has worked, with a couple of blips, since I got to below my goal weight way back in 2007.

Thanks for your response! Anybody who successfully maintains their weight loss for 8+ years deserves to be applauded!!!

[KateP 359]

My way is not necessarily a sensible or good way, but it is MY way and has worked, with a couple of blips, since I got to below my goal weight way back in 2007.

Thanks for your response! Anybody who successfully maintains their weight loss for 8+ years deserves to be applauded!!!

Not totally successfully! And it's not quite 8 years yet. I do worry I may lose control some day. But going OK so far!

But I do feel surprised when people post it is easy to maintain loss and that the pounds have gone forever. It gets harder over the years IMO.

[Kindle 8,667]

I'm more along the lines of KateP. I never limited myself to just Protein and veggies while losing, so ketosis didn't play a factor with me. I was eating MORE Protein and fat than carbs, but I always tried to eat a balanced diet of protein, veggies, fruits, whole grains and nuts. I started adding in more fruit, more grains and more fat once I hit my surgeon's goal. But like you mentioned above, i still continued to lose another 20 pounds until my body found its new set point.....10 pounds below my personal goal.

Yes, I can eat much more than I could once I hit goal and I my hunger returned in full force at around 10 months. I just had to find things to distract me from eating too much. I drink a lot of Water and tea, I clean my house a lot, I go outside and do whatever to get away from the kitchen. I don't buy stuff I shouldn't eat (resisting temptation once in the store is easier than resisting over and over if it was actually in the house).

I basically just feel I'm eating like a "normal" thin person with no weird rules to follow. I choose protein over other options most of the time, but I don't hesitate to indulge in Desserts, candy, alcohol, or other "bad" carbs in moderation. Too much restriction would just piss me off and make me want it more. I have a 5 pound bounce range that I stick with. If I pop even 1 pound above, I will limit my carbs for However long it takes to get back into range. I'm only 17 months out, but have been maintaining this way for 9 of them.

[Rogofulm 2,440]

9 months within 5 pounds of goal? That's fantastic! I'm a little more of an "all or nothing" person, so I have to work my way back to "normal" and find my footing more gradually.

[Kindle 8,667]

I actually hit surgeon's goal (160) at 6 1/2 months. That's when I started using full fat dairy (milk, cottage cheese, yogurt) instead of fat free, eating more fruit and replacing some of my Protein bars with whole grain bars. I then hit my personal goal (150) at 7 1/2 months and got even more relaxed by eating a few more Desserts, potatoes, sushi, bread, etc. I finally hit my "new normal" (138-142) around 9 months. Good, healthy food choices 80% of the time and total crap the other 20% . Definitely a lifestyle I can live with!

But you are right, we all have to form our own individual maintenance plans. Just do what works and feels good and comfortable for you. It's definitely scary venturing into maintenance, but after awhile it's actually rather boring.

[jess9395 5,449]

I hit my new normal at 12 months. Didn't really have a goal, more of an I knew it when I'd get there and I did. BMI of 22 body fat % of 18. I have been working on finding maintenance for six months now.

Like the others I was never a ketosis person. I was probably in and out at certain points but it was never a goal, I ate fruit all along and some good carbs (no bread rice white potato).

I def had to add it calories to stop losing. I eat more small meals during the day. Went from 4-5 to 6-8, but my "meal" is very small--Greek yogurt w fruit, turkey and cheese roll ups, Peanut Butter and celery, tuna w mayo and green onions, beef Jerky, a kind bar, a Quest bar, half a cup of oatmeal w half scoop of Protein powder, half a turkey burger patty w/mustard and avocado, etc.

I also run, a lot. Marathon next weekend. I do yoga 2-3 times a week. So I need my calories.

I aim for good clean choices 80% of the time and the other 20% I chose what I like (yeah a cookie or a few French fries or popcorn, whatever). Then I don't feel deprived. I feel normal.

It's working for me so far!

[ProjectMe 909]

I just want to say how much I appreciate everyone's responses. I'm approaching my goal in little less than 6 months & Im finding myself to be anxious and nervous. It didn't help that my surgeons are over the moon happy with my progress and don't want to see me until my 1 yr anniversary in December. So I kind of feel like I'm on my own for the first time since I started this process...

[kickboxlvr 23]

Be wary of this honeymoon phase we are in. It can still creep back from what I am reading in other groups. I reached goal at around 8m (7-28-14) and now sitting @ 133-135 . I run, Kickboxing, karate, and go on long hikes. I would say I am 90/10 my idea of being naughty is the Creamer for my coffee and sweet tea.. Oh and Tomato basil wheat thins... If you ever need good advise visit www.bariatriceating.com amazing tips and recipes to help stay on track. As well as a back on track plan that helps with regain. I have seen amazing reviews on their FB page.

Edited May 18, 2015 by kickboxlvr

[Wendyfm 494]

I'm ten months out and 10 to thirty pounds from my personal goal. I will never make"normal" weight for my height as I feel it's too thin. I eat lower carbs higher Protein, my weight loss has slowed down a lot ,but I'll get there. Figure will make ten pounds loss by July.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I was never a ketosis kid either. I was very intent on avoiding post-bariatric reactive hypoglycemia, so I always tried to eat at least as many carbs as Proteins (grams).

I reached goal (150 pounds at 5'5" and 69 years old) at 8-1/2 months post-op. And now I'm 3 pounds below that while trying to stop losing. I'm averaging about 1400 calories/day the last few weeks. But still losing very slowly.

I eat extremely healthy -- lots of good veggies and fruits, typically 100 grams of Protein daily, whole grains, very little refined sugar and other refined carbs. Always take my vits/mins, and my big four-page blood panel results found everything was normal and good. Feeling good. Looking good. All going good here.

So here's my challenge of the moment: It's a challenge for me to mentally *agree* to stop losing. Seeing the scale go down, even 0.2 pounds, is definitely a more positive feeling than seeing it stand still. Honestly, I'm a little worried about that. The idea that I could become anorexic is ridiculous to me. But I do realize that I've got to change my attitude into one that feels rewarded by seeing my weight stabilize.

Anybody got any thoughts on that front?

BTW, many thanks to @@Rogofulm for lobbying Alex to open this maintenance forum. Thank you, Rog.

[Kindle 8,667]

@@VSGAnn2014 I found maintenance to be a bit anticlimactic and then downright boring. My focus had been on weight loss and "new habits" for So long, once I hit my new normal I was like "now what? What can I get excited about now?". But then I came to realize there's so much more to life than my weight and my eating habits. I just began focusing on other stuff.... work, home improvement projects, my pets, fund raisers for the local animal shelter, etc. Even so, I do get a little rush when I step on the scale and see it didn't go UP at least.

After losing my friend last month, other things have become MUCH more important than my WLS journey. basically just trying to get through any given day is struggle enough and makes all of my WLS stuff seem very insignificant. Not that I'd recommend that anyone experience this kind of loss, but changing your focus seems to be a good way to better handle the mental aspect of maintenance.

[Rogofulm 2,440]

You bet, @@VSGAnn2014! As for the challenge, I'm with ya sister! I promised my wife that I'd quit losing and try to gain back a few pounds. So now I'm yo-yoing, but it's only two pounds, and it's all below my goal. I want to gain back about 4-5 pounds. But I'm trying to be so careful that it's not happening very quickly. I consider that a good thing. And I agree with you that every time the scale goes up, it's really hard to accept. But when it goes down again, that feels better. My wife worries that I'm obsessed with continuing to lose, but I'm not. As I keep saying, I'm completely happy with my weight for the first time since childhood. I'm used to eating this way now, and don't crave "slippery" foods, so why would I want to open that door? I'm experimenting with quinoa and brown rice to see what effect it has, and eating more fruit. And You know what? If it takes me a month or two to gain 4 pounds, I'll be thrilled with that!