Weight Gain/C25k Meltdown

[Jewelgirl04 106]

Hi, everyone. I haven't posted for a while, but I'm just coming up on my two year anniversary of being sleeved. I've generally maintained really well at around my goal weight of 145. I really loved that number.

Around October, I started noticing that the scale kept creeping up to 148 and it was getting difficult to take it back down. I will admit to snacking/grazing here and there, but nothing more than I'd done in the year before that. We went on vacation on a cruise in November and I came back at 152, but was able to get it back down in about 10 days by just eating right and normal, since my habits were so vastly different on the ship.

In the last month, I've seen my weight bounce between 148-9. It's been a struggle and I can't get it down. So I decided to really commit right in time for the new year (not because of it).

Things I will admit I'm also not great about, unlike when I started: taking my Vitamins, making sure I hit my liquids. In fact, when I have tried to recommit to increasing my liquid intake, I gain like CRAZY.

On Monday of this week, I started C25k after a long absence from the gym since September. I was around 148.5. I am now at 152.6 and having a meltdown. I know my liquids increased due to the workouts (yay?) and I have been trying to intermittent fast (and on non-fast days, doing 16:8 for the first time). I've been keeping a food diary the past two days of every bite. (I also started TOM this month -- sorry guys -- but I have NEVER put on this much weight and it usually comes off after day 1 hits)

So why am I suddenly gaining? To say that I'm frustrated is an understatement. I don't know what to do. I could deal with bouncing around 2-3 pounds. But SEVEN from my goal weight that I maintained for 9 months is killing me to the point where I just want to sit down and cry.

I'm recommitting to my fitness. I will be better about my Vitamins and liquids. but it feels like it's all for naught.

Maybe I should go back to strength training, which did seem to help me burn? I don't know, but I am at the absolute end of my rope.

[305mconnect 4]

Seems to me that u know exactly what to do. Just apply. Try going on full liquid diet for a week to jump start it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using the BariatricPal App

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

No one really post-op from the sleeve should do liquids to get back on track. Liquids offer zero restriction or satisfaction. If you need a reset just dense Protein is best and it will remind you of your restriction.

Whenever you start working out from an absense, you are going to gain because your muscles that you haven't been using are swelling and breaking up and rebuilding.

If you aren't over eating and tracking your food. There is no reason to freak about your weight.

[Babbs 14,681]

First, and I know this is going to piss people off, but I think anyone who hasn't been maintaining their weight for any amount of time should reply. Period. They can't possibly understand the struggles of maintenance and regain post surgery. Things are just....different after a couple of years.

I could have written this post. Our stats are very similar, as is our experience. Last spring, after comfortably maintaining for 10 months or so at 144-145, I suddenly started gaining. I wasn't eating differently, but I was busy with work and wasn't exercising like I should. The scale kept creeping up until I got to almost 150. And it seemed to happen in a matter of weeks!

I buckled down and it WOULD NOT COME OFF until I decided to do intermittent fasting, or 5:2 (you can Google it). On my non fast days I would eat 1000 calories of Protein, veggies, and very low carb. I also went back to my normal exercise routine of a little running, stair machine and weights. It took 3 months, but I finally got it off.

After we maintain for a while, our metabolisms change, and ANY change in our routine can cause gain. Then if we don't jump start our metabolisms again, the regain is damn hard to get back off. That's what the intermittent fasting seemed to do is boost my metabolism. I suspect part of your gain is from the new exercise routine, so I wouldn't stress too much about that. Keep that up, track your intake and eat at least 90 grams of Protein, low carb, low sugar, and try the intermittent fasting to get the rest off.

Good luck to you! I'm rooting for you!

[Bufflehead 6,358]

Completely agree with the advice from Babbs and OutsideMatch. One thing I will add is that if you are trying to calculate the calories you burn from exercise and give yourself permission to "eat back" those calories, stop. Most calculations of calories burned turn out to be wildly optimistic, and there is even some evidence that when people start exercising, they start gaining weight because they eat more. So, keep exercising, it is great for your health, but do not count on it to either help with weight loss or let you eat more. That is accomplished by being incredibly strict with what you eat and accounting for every calorie.

I have been in the process of losing what I gained over the holidays and at 3+ years out it is hard work. I am restricting my eating to unprocessed meat, eggs, green veggies, and small amounts of dairy. I would fail miserably on a liquid diet and I don't recommend it. Good luck!

[emk101009 18]

I have gained 20 since sept. I am always hungry no matter what I eat. I feel like I'll never lose it again. I know what you're going through.

[fancypants67 162]

148-152 and you recently started working out? sounds like a) you are holding onto Water because your muscles are repairing themselves from the exercise or you are BUILDING more muscle which weighs more than fat. Just keep on track and STAY OFF THE scale. At least for a while. The scale messes your brain up.

[Jewelgirl04 106]

Hi everyone. Thank you so much for your replies.

The first day after this post, I drank a shake as replacements for Breakfast and lunch, but then ate a regular dinner of pot roast. It really seemed to make a difference on the scale and I went down to 149.

Based on others' suggestions, I then started the 5:2 intermittent fast plan. However, my fast days? I seem to actually be gaining. Even eating 800 calories on my non-fast day, high in Protein, but still the scale is going up. I'm really confused and really frustrated.

I decided to stop C25k because a) I actually hate running and my body doesn't seem to be responding well to it. I'm thinking about just going back to strength training instead, which worked for me this past fall.

*sighs* It's all just very, very disheartening and upsetting. I know some have said to throw away the scale, but I need it to hold myself accountable. That's the only way I've kept myself accountable for the past two years. Sometimes, I just want to sit down and cry.

[Cape Crooner 589]

I'm 15 months out and after 8 months of 185-190 (my goal was 190). Thanksgiving came, parties, Christmas, etc.

I started exercising more (bike and walk) about 2 months ago. I'm exercising about 2 hours/day, but suddenly, I'm up to 190-195. My pants seem to fit the same, but I'm kind of freaking out.

I've been following my post opt (1000 calorie/day) diet during the week and hitting 190 on Friday, but over the weekend, I'm coming back at 194/195.

My old brain says it's the holiday Cookies, but my new brain is wondering if the extra 45 minutes a day of exercise might be adding muscle.

I guess time will tell.

[Jewelgirl04 106]

So I've been sticking to Protein shakes and high Protein for a week now. I stopped doing C25k because it was just really hard on my legs and I didn't like how much Water I was retaining.

And yet, NOTHING is changing. I get down to 150.6 and then just spike back up. I'm leaving on vacation on Saturday on a cruise where I know I'll indulge and I'm just so horribly depressed at the thought that I'm going to come back having gained even MORE weight. I'm just so upset and heartbroken and it feels like just a downward spiral. If I've spiked like this and can't go down, I feel like I'm just going to keep gaining. And I don't know what to do.

[TinyLittleFractures 33]

I wasn't going to respond because I agree with the person who said maintainers only should be offering advice. No, advice, just encouragement. Don't let this ruin your vacation. The cruise will offer a lot of opportunities to have fun while being active. You're going to have a blast and focus again when you get home.

[erp 2,016]

So I've been sticking to Protein Shakes and high Protein for a week now. I stopped doing C25k because it was just really hard on my legs and I didn't like how much Water I was retaining.

And yet, NOTHING is changing. I get down to 150.6 and then just spike back up. I'm leaving on vacation on Saturday on a cruise where I know I'll indulge and I'm just so horribly depressed at the thought that I'm going to come back having gained even MORE weight. I'm just so upset and heartbroken and it feels like just a downward spiral. If I've spiked like this and can't go down, I feel like I'm just going to keep gaining. And I don't know what to do.

It's hard to know what's working when you keep changing several of the variables (food, exercise and meal timing). One week is not a longtime and depending on how far out you are, we lose much slower now. To shed Water weight, I go ketogenic (less than 20 g of

carbs a day). I can drop 5 pounds of water weight that way. Long term though I struggle to stay Keto, I feel better at around 30-40 g of carbs. Slower loss but more doable.

I have to remind myself that there was a time when weighing 150 lbs (or anything under 200 lbs) seemed like an unattainable fantasy. Being a few pounds above goal? I have had worse problems and I was ecstatic to be at this weight during my first year post op. Enjoy your cruise.