Getting scared.

I am 18 mos out and getting scared of gaining the weight back. I mean scared to a point that some days I will only drink protein drinks and maybe a protein bar. My weight shifts from 3 to 5 pounds but I dont want to see it go beyond that. I dont weigh myself often but I think maybe it is just a mental thing of gaining the weight back. Any suggestions or am I just losing it. Ms. Willie

I think it's safe to say that most, if not all, of us are going through the same feelings and thoughts lately. I find that I can easily shift weight from 1-5 pounds overnight, for no identifiable reason...so it gets tedious to keep watching it too closely. If you have a window of acceptable weight limits for yourself, I think that really helps to keep the calm and not freak out. For instance, my lower limit is 140, the upper limit is 145...so anything in between I have to call normal and maintaining. If I pop above the upper limit, it's time to analyze my diet and movement for the last couple of weeks. If I slip below (hasn't happened yet )...same thing is in order. Then, make adjustments as necessary....but those are easy as long as we can catch it within a couple of pounds, and not a couple of dozen pounds as we tried to do pre-op! ~Suz

Thanks Suzanne, It really does make you feel better when you know you are not struggling with certain issues alone. I have allowed myself that 5 pound window but I guess going from 250 to where I am now makes me overly cautious. So as long as I dont go over my 5 pounds I wont stress so hard. Thanks again. Mz. Willie

Hi there - I'm w/ Suz on this one. We all know where we've come from and how easy it could be to go back. I think the fear of gaining the weight and looking like I used to is what keeps me on track (most of the time!) I also try to stay within a 5 lb range, When I'm nearing that 5 lb mark, I know it's time to cut back on the carbs, more water and exercise. So, you are not losing it (unless we all are). It's going to eventual become a lifestyle to us, we'll get used to it and maybe not focus so much on "how much do I weigh today", but we'll just be so used to eating more healthy and won't deal w/ the issues of the scale and gaining weight. I hope at least!

Sounds normal to me- I am living proof that it WILL come back if we aren't careful. I am up 12 pounds from my lowest and am 1 pound over my extra large 10 pound window. It's important to be careful and I think- WISE!!!! Holly

Thanks everyone for the input. I feel better knowing that I am not losing it. And I will continue to watch my 5 lb gain. Mz. Willie