Worried about maintenance

[ReneK 107]

I haven't posted in a really long time. I had my bypass on 1/6/16. I started at 275 (253 on day of surgery) and I'm down to 178. I took my measurements this morning and realized that I have lost 8 inches from my bust, waist and hips. I feel good and I'm only 20-ish pounds from my goal!

I do constantly worry about gaining the weight back. That seems to be the most common story that you hear "so and so had that surgery and lost a bunch of weight but gained it all back." UGH. I do understand what I need to do. I have completely changed my lifestyle and the way I look at food and exercise. But this has been a life long struggle for me and I'm terrified that I'll slip into old habits.

I think I'll hit my goal around the beginning of the year. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to get my head on straight about this?

Thanks!

[ladypoohbear 123]

Dont freak out. Relax. Breathe..

O.k. so ive heard about all kinds of problems that could happen. Every person has different journeys. Ive had mine june 2016 and pretty much have no complicatiins. Just little things. Im loving my 144 pound weight loss and lits of clothes. Im just saying relax and enjoy. Your journey. Its such an anazing world..????

kat

[Diva Taunia 198]

The toughest part of the journey is the emotional and mental part of it. Worrying, we're always worrying...aren't we?

I'm almost nine years out and I've maintained almost all of my weight loss. I started at 320 and I maintain my weight between 160-165. Today I'm at 165. Some weeks I'm at 160. One summer a couple years ago, I got up to 191 again. I freaked out. FREAKED OUT. But I took a look at what I was doing and got honest with myself: I was drinking coke again, I was eating at night again, and I wasn't exercising. I changed those three things and I lost 30 lbs in 4 months.

The surgery is a tool, and it's a gift. It makes being honest (above) a LOT easier as a post-op, but you still do have to keep an eye on things. But what I've found in these nine years is that the way I live my life is dramatically different now. Before I had surgery, my life was take-out and frozen foods and there was barely a fruit or vegetable in sight. Now, I cook EVERYTHING and I LOVE TO COOK! I also LOVE fruits and vegetables and my fridge is packed with them. I dance, swim, and walk my dog now. Life just changes a lot post-op and maintenance becomes easier because of the changes in your life. You're not the same person you were before.

So while you may have heard stories of people gaining weight back, I hope my story of maintaining for almost a decade (ok, I'm pushing it a little bit...lol) gives you something positive to look forward too. And believe me, my story is just one of MANY! I promise!

[ReneK 107]

The toughest part of the journey is the emotional and mental part of it. Worrying, we're always worrying...aren't we?

I'm almost nine years out and I've maintained almost all of my weight loss. I started at 320 and I maintain my weight between 160-165. Today I'm at 165. Some weeks I'm at 160. One summer a couple years ago, I got up to 191 again. I freaked out. FREAKED OUT. But I took a look at what I was doing and got honest with myself: I was drinking coke again, I was eating at night again, and I wasn't exercising. I changed those three things and I lost 30 lbs in 4 months.

The surgery is a tool, and it's a gift. It makes being honest (above) a LOT easier as a post-op, but you still do have to keep an eye on things. But what I've found in these nine years is that the way I live my life is dramatically different now. Before I had surgery, my life was take-out and frozen foods and there was barely a fruit or vegetable in sight. Now, I cook EVERYTHING and I LOVE TO COOK! I also LOVE fruits and vegetables and my fridge is packed with them. I dance, swim, and walk my dog now. Life just changes a lot post-op and maintenance becomes easier because of the changes in your life. You're not the same person you were before.

So while you may have heard stories of people gaining weight back, I hope my story of maintaining for almost a decade (ok, I'm pushing it a little bit...lol) gives you something positive to look forward too. And believe me, my story is just one of MANY! I promise!

@taunia Thank you so much! That's exactly the type of thing I needed to hear. I have completely changed and don't intend to go back!

[DeletedMember 715]

Man, I can totally relate to this topic. I had surgery in March, and have surpassed my original goal weight (185), and now am less than 10 lbs away from my revised goal weight (165). Who knows, I may revise my goal again just to avoid maintenance, LOL.

It is such a mental game. Yeah, I know what I need to do, but I'm afraid I'll slip into old habits. Even after losing FAR more weight than I ever have, even after changing the way I approach food, and maintaining that approach for almost 8 months, I STILL doubt myself. With good reason - I have lost so much weight (never this much), so many times, and always regained. Failure, after failure, after failure. I know it's different know, but I still fear it. I have been successful at losing weight many times, but have NEVER been successful at keeping it off.

[MaryCatherine 173]

Don't start maintenance until you are about three years out from surgery. Until then do what you have been doing. Give your body time to adjust to being smaller.

The reason people gain their weight back is because they think they have been cured and can go back to eating what they did before. And that will work for a while, then they start regaining after the second year.

Accept the fact that you can never go back to eating like before unless you want to weigh what you weighed before. I have been on a diet for nine years. If I go off that diet I will start gaining. As long as I weigh my food, track my eating and keep my calories at the right amount, I stay at my goal.

[KristenLe 5,979]

@ will disappear by 3 years if he continues as is! Maintenance is different from going back to eating the way they did before.

[MaryCatherine 173]

@ will disappear by 3 years if he continues as is! Maintenance is different from going back to eating the way they did before.

By three years the body recovers from the surgery and learns how to absorb calories and gain weight again. Nobody disappears, but many people find their lost weight again. A good goal is to try to be 10 or 20 or 30 pounds under your lifetime goal, because rebound is usually about 20 pounds.