Post-op Anxiety

[Original Cyn 0]

Hello!
So I had surgery last June and have just about made my goal weight. However, I am suddenly VERY anxious about re-gain post op. I just don’t want to have lost all this weight and then regain it! Is there any tips, help anyone can give me in terms of how they successfully maintained their weight loss post-op?

[catwoman7 11,212]

I still track everything I eat at 6.5 years out. I also exercise regularly - cardio 4x a week, weights 2x a week.

[Arabesque 7,258]

Congrats on your surgery.

I’m pretty much a newbie when it comes to maintaining weight - almost 2 1/2 years since surgery - but choosing a way of eating that is sustainable has been key for me so far. That is a way of eating that allows me to be healthy, make nutritious food choices, maintain my weight & still be able to live my life the way I want to. If the food choices you make & the amount of exercise you have to do to maintain your weight is so restrictive your lifestyle is compromised you won’t be successful simply because you can’t keep doing it forever.

I watch what I eat pretty carefully. I don’t track everyday but do random checks. I watch portion size, cook most of my own food & carefully read the nutrition panels of any food I do purchase.

I’m realistic to know I can’t predict what the future will bring. I may make some changes to what I eat in time. Sometimes life throws a pile of crap at you & I may put on some weight but I hope I can manage to keep a weight that is still reasonable & healthy. But I don’t let what ifs & maybes compromise or undermine what I’m doing.

Stay positive & embrace all the opportunities this surgery affords you.

[lizonaplane 1,612]

I think that's pretty normal. I'm just a few weeks out from surgery, but I am already nervous about this. Have you considered talking to a bariatric therapist? Also, agree with above posters about tracking your intake and keeping up with exercise. While exercise does not have much role in losing weight, it's been shown to be pretty effective at keeping weight off - provided your eating is in check.

[ms.sss 15,609]

I'm 3 years out, and over 2 years in maintenance.

Like some above, I weigh myself every morning (to make sure i'm not leaning to far above or below my happy weight range); I track everything I eat (to keep eye on caloric intake), get some exercise in (run min 5K 2-3 times a week, plus other random activities here and there: dancing, hiking, swimming).

I've figured out that at my current activity level, i can maintain my current weight at around 1800 cals a day.

Other random things I do that I *think* contribute to MY maintenance (or could just be habit now and may not actually be making a lick of difference, lol):

• I try to keep bread, rice, Pasta intake low. I don't completely avoid them, but they don't have main billing in my diet, or even supporting cast. More like nameless extras with non-speaking roles, lol
• I make it a point to never eat to full. I may not always succeed, but I try.
• I wear tight pants. Don't laugh, but having tight pants on when I go out for dinner helps to ensure that I won't overeat to over-fullness, when it's easier to do so cuz I'm just sitting around a table for hours with food, you know?
• I always share Desserts (or get a mini/micro one) cuz I know dessert is my downfall.
• I don't eat before noon if I can help it.
• If my weight goes above my happy weight range, I cut some calories until I until I'm at the bottom of said range (luckily this hasn't happened in over a year...knock on wood)
• I do my running in the morning so its done and i don't get a chance to procrastinate throughout the day.

That's all i can think of at the moment, but I'm sure there are a whole bunch of other things I do....