The Maintenance Thread

[FluffyChix 17,415]

25 minutes ago, Sheribear68 said:

I have to admit that as I’m sitting here sipping my morning coffee, I have zero plans to add in any kind of starch today and I don’t know how I feel about it.
I’m seriously considering contacting my insurance and seeing if I can get approved for a few sessions with my bariatric therapist.
Right when I had gotten to my 16 weeks with her, my insurance deductible reset and the cost was going to make me choose between that or Pilates.
I’ve got some more $$$ in my HSA account now (surgery in February drained the account) and I’m thinking I can now afford the $400/month for at least a couple of months before the account is drained again.
I’m thinking I really need help in this transition.

I thoroughly encourage you to do this! Also, find a local support group. I LOVE my group (run by my RD) and the women in the group have all become friends--we help each other work through things!

[Sheribear68 3,201]

On 10/15/2019 at 10:32, FluffyChix said:

I thoroughly encourage you to do this! Also, find a local support group. I LOVE my group (run by my RD) and the women in the group have all become friends--we help each other work through things!

What stinks about my local group is meeting times only 2x monthly and right now they’re during work shifts that I can’t get out of.
Every now and then my schedule rotates, but I can only get to support group 2-3 months out of every year.
Also, they ( understandably) cater to pre-surgery patients and about 95% of the program isn’t what I need for it to be now.

I’m admittedly looking hard for a local support group bc this is getting more and more difficult.

[ms.sss 15,725]

10 hours ago, Sheribear68 said:

Wow!
So this really gives me a much- needed lift today.
My mood today has been kinda “meh” bc after posting my planned calories for the day, I couldn’t finish all of my Protein Shake or even half my p3.
In fact, I was so disgusted that I couldn’t get my calories in that I took a pity pic.

lol, there it is at my work station—- the sad remainders of food I couldn’t eat.
At least I did go with the cottage cheese first and finished it.

Anyways, I’m starting to think that my body really isn’t ready to stop losing yet, which is kinda disappointing (yes, you read that right) because my mind is really over losing and I’m very happy with how I look and I’d love to be able to just get to maintenance, ya know?

You'll get there. It took me a couple months (and a further 10+ lbs loss after deciding to stop losing weight) of trial and error to find my maintenance calories AND be comfortable eating higher calorie foods, which I think is the key to stop losing. Volume will always be an issue for us, so what you can manage to get in your stomach needs to pack a bigger caloric punch.

Congrats on all your hard work...now enjoy the ride!

[ms.sss 15,725]

3 hours ago, Healthy_life2 said:

I indulge within reason. I know my body and trigger foods. If I have a slight gain from food choices, I go back to weight loss calories to get them back off.

Pre surgery, I could lose weight but not maintain it long term.

It took time to change from weight loss “rules” into maintaining. I had to work on my fear of regain and find my own balance. I now trust myself to maintain ten pounds up and down the scale.< /span>

Yep. What @Healthy_life2 said!

[FluffyChix 17,415]

26 minutes ago, Sheribear68 said:

What stinks about my local group is meeting times only 2x monthly and right now they’re during work shifts that I can’t get out of.
Every now and then my schedule rotates, but I can only get to support group 2-3 months out of every year.
Also, they ( understandably) cater to pre-surgery patients and about 95% of the program isn’t what I need for it to be now.

I’m admittedly looking hard for a local support group bc this is getting more and more difficult.

It doesn't have to be your surgeon's support group. Look for one that is mainly dealing with post-ops. Mine meets on 1 Saturday a month.

Part of you not being able to eat is the fasting. If you take it too far, then you lose all appetite and your brain clicks into full mode before it would if you were eating more each day. I really am encouraging you to begin reframing how you think of food to include the maintenance perspective rather than the WLM perspective. They are two totally different realities for us. And it's not easy making that switch!

Also, cottage cheese is hugely filling for me! Dunno why. It always has been, especially if it's full fat. I would eat the slider foods first if it were me. So peaches first. Then your meat Protein (if it's less filling than the cottage cheese). You know?

You'll figure it out. You are analytical and know how to do this girl!!!

Edited October 15, 2019 by FluffyChix

[ms.sss 15,725]

2 hours ago, Cheeseburgh said:

@ms.sss Your trip sounds like a trip of a lifetime. (No kids lol) It is awesome you have the knowledge and tools to navigate and motivate yourself to adapt your diet and lifestyle and still have fun!

*Holy run on sentence Batman.

Yeah man, I never realized until now how much kids cramp my style. LOL.

😎

(Though we already promised her that she's coming along for the next one...at least for part of it, hahaha)

[FluffyChix 17,415]

@ms.sss Welcome back!!! Your trip sounded amazing. So happy for you and am so happy with how you sprang back. With each new experience, you gain new understanding about your new reality!!!! Wooohooo. You are a rockstar and inspire me!!!

@Healthy_life2 I tend to have a different perspective. Although maintenance for me is a little more relaxed (especially on the weekend), I still go back after the weekend into WLM. Cuz over the weekend I will have gained. So I have a feast/famine cycle with the IF. Although I'm not as hard core IF as I was trying to lose my last 5-10lbs.

This morning I'm 132.4lbs. which is down from a weekend high of 136lbs. I cut carbs down low, but not out. And take out the high glycemic carbs. And try to get as many veggies and a tiny bit of fruit down as I can while hitting Protein goals. I still keep fats low when in WLM. Nothin is off-limits, but it has to be calorie/macro worthy. If it isn't, it doesn't go down my pie hole.

I don't do rice, or regular Pasta. It's just too high glycemic for me and causes my insulin to spike hugely still which means RH in 2 hours. I still have to watch sugars, and have to watch root veg as well for the same reason.

I stay away from triggers. I spent so long (3 years) rewiring my lizard brain to my gut. That it seems self-defeating and pointless to go back to the old behaviors with food that led me to the point of obesity in the first place. It's like, "Hmmmm, tell me again, why did I just have 80% of my stomach bissected and my bowels rerouted, again?" It has little to do with weight loss or maintenance and has everything to do with managing the underlying hormones that promote longevity rather than brevity. Every bite is either prolonging your life, or shortening it.

Because we're human, there is no need to plan treats. Trust me, treats are gonna happen. Way too frequently. So plan for 100% compliance, knowing the reality is that if you are super-achieving, you might hit that 80% of your time. That's a massive improvement towards healthy living.

That's just how I tend to approach maintenance. I know I'm an outlier. It's not that I wouldn't eat rice or that it gives me digestive issues. It's just not worth the insulin spike (which drives disease), and the RH issue.

[Sheribear68 3,201]

On 10/15/2019 at 11:04, FluffyChix said:

It doesn't have to be your surgeon's support group. Look for one that is mainly dealing with post-ops. Mine meets on 1 Saturday a month.

Part of you not being able to eat is the fasting. If you take it too far, then you lose all appetite and your brain clicks into full mode before it would if you were eating more each day. I really am encouraging you to begin reframing how you think of food to include the maintenance perspective rather than the WLM perspective. They are two totally different realities for us. And it's not easy making that switch!

Also, cottage cheese is hugely filling for me! Dunno why. It always has been, especially if it's full fat. I would eat the slider foods first if it were me. So peaches first. Then your meat Protein (if it's less filling than the cottage cheese). You know?

You'll figure it out. You are analytical and know how to do this girl!!!

Thanks everyone for the advice! I’m storing away all of the tidbits and will get through this transition.
Reached out to my former therapist and we are staring the process to go through my insurance. Hopefully we will be able to work together again soon.
She did text me and tell my my pre-therapy assignment is to focus more on quantity rather than quality of food for a few days and see what that looks like.

My biggest fear right now are all of those triggers. I know I need a plan to live with these demons and I’m working on it.
One day at a time

[GreenTealael 25,439]

4 hours ago, Sheribear68 said:

I have to admit that as I’m sitting here sipping my morning coffee, I have zero plans to add in any kind of starch today and I don’t know how I feel about it.
I’m seriously considering contacting my insurance and seeing if I can get approved for a few sessions with my bariatric therapist.
Right when I had gotten to my 16 weeks with her, my insurance deductible reset and the cost was going to make me choose between that or Pilates.
I’ve got some more $$$ in my HSA account now (surgery in February drained the account) and I’m thinking I can now afford the $400/month for at least a couple of months before the account is drained again.
I’m thinking I really need help in this transition.

This sounds like a tough but wise choice 💙

[rs 1,473]

Back from vacay with Mr. a few days ago (BEST. VACATION. EVER. Thinking that we should leave the Kid at home more often!)
So all the unnecessary worrying about food and carbs pre-trip was just that: unnecessary.
I let myself eat whatever, there was nothing off limits. Though I did make sure not to eat to a stuffed feeling (failed a couple times, though I admit...damn you eating and drinking at same time!). For the most part, I figured if I couldn't eat something cuz I was already satisfied, I could always try it another time. No biggie.
I had Pasta, bread and rice for the first time since surgery, all of which I tolerated well. I found that while I still enjoy pasta (they must put crack or something in the pasta over there, cuz I just couldn't get enough), I don't really care for bread nor rice anymore. Which is surprising because bread and rice were every-meal-staples for me pre-WLS.
Drank wine like Water. Developed a loving relationship with amaretto. I suspect 80% of the carbs I consumed while away came from liquor.
The morning we left, I weighed 115.6 with 16.5% body fat.
Despite all the food and drink (and the fact that I did not go to the hotel gym once, nor go for a single run the entire time), the morning after the day we came back (2 weeks, 3 days later), I was only up to 119.9 with 17.7% body fat. I was totally prepared to see a 10 lb increase! Now I sort of wish that I tracked my food (I didn't use MFP at all, as I was giving myself a vacay from that as well) because I really would like to know what my average daily calorie/macro intake was. I would guess that it was probably in the 3000-3500 range, though (some days probably double that...specifically the days when I had TWO double scoop gelatos instead of one)
Now for the good part:
I wanted to get back to my day-before-vacay- weight, so I (easily!) went back to my running routine, and ate lower-carb, and kept my cals to about 1000-1300. I track everything I put in my mouth, and weigh myself every day at the same time. And this morning, I clocked in at 115.2 with 16.3% body fat. *drops mic*.
Moral of (my) story is that for those in maintenance, the chances to indulge will come along, take it and enjoy within reason (life is short!), and trust yourself that you will be able to work off any gains, so long as you put in the effort. I am now officially confident that I will be a successful long-term maintainer!
Life is Good.

Wow, that's fantastic! Thanks for sharing!

[GreenTealael 25,439]

19 hours ago, Sheribear68 said:

Thanks everyone for the advice! I’m storing away all of the tidbits and will get through this transition.
Reached out to my former therapist and we are staring the process to go through my insurance. Hopefully we will be able to work together again soon.
She did text me and tell my my pre-therapy assignment is to focus more on quantity rather than quality of food for a few days and see what that looks like.

My biggest fear right now are all of those triggers. I know I need a plan to live with these demons and I’m working on it.
One day at a time

Also question: Are you still fasting?

[Cheeseburgh 3,080]

23 hours ago, Sheribear68 said:

I’m admittedly looking hard for a local support group bc this is getting more and more difficult.

Can you talk to your clinic or hospital and get assistance starting a post op group?

[Sheribear68 3,201]

10/16/2019 09:54 AM, GreenTealael said:

Also question: Are you still fasting?

Nothing except for TRE
The main reason I do TRE is because even now it’s tough to get in Water if I start eating before noon.
From when I wake til noon, I drink 2/3 of my Water for the day bc once that first meal hits, I can’t hold both.
As I continued TRE, the structure of it provided me with emotional support. It really empowers me to make better choices when I have a set eating window

For now I’m going to stick with the TRE only and we will see what the next few weeks bring

[Sheribear68 3,201]

On 10/16/2019 at 09:57, Cheeseburgh said:

Can you talk to your clinic or hospital and get assistance starting a post op group?

I’m thinking about it.
There’s another clinic actually closer to me that I didn’t use bc they weren’t on my insurance.
My goal between now and the end of the month is to try my hardest to find a local group

[ms.sss 15,725]

3 hours ago, Sheribear68 said:

Nothing except for TRE
The main reason I do TRE is because even now it’s tough to get in Water if I start eating before noon.
From when I wake til noon, I drink 2/3 of my Water for the day bc once that first meal hits, I can’t hold both.
As I continued TRE, the structure of it provided me with emotional support. It really empowers me to make better choices when I have a set eating window

For now I’m going to stick with the TRE only and we will see what the next few weeks bring

My first meal of the day is usually around noon (or after) as well. Always has been, even pre-op.

Edited October 16, 2019 by ms.sss