Limits to my positive attitude...
I think that it's okay to be fearful of re-gain -- in fact, it's probably wise to ponder it frequently. We've all been here before... losing away, and feeling good about ourselves, really feeling like our demons had been slayed, and then... well... things happened and back it all came.
My opinion is that maintenance is a set of behaviors, just like losing is a set of behaviors. We tell people who are stalled that you can't control the number on the scale every morning, but you can control your behaviors, and if you are consistent in your losing behaviors, the scale will eventually move.
In the past, when I lost a lot of weight and maintained it for 5 or so years, it started coming back when I stopped engaging in the behaviors that were responsible for losing and maintaining.
I'm not saying that maintenance is easier than losing or is a sure thing, but I am saying that if you are aware of and committed to your healthy behaviors, and are able to recognize that maintenance isn't luck or magic, you will be more likely to maintain your loss over time.
I have a set of behaviors that I know will keep me successful -- weighing every day, tracking my food every day, exercising intensely 3-4 times a week, taking time for me at least once a week, and the five rules for life that make up my surgeon's program (protein first, 64 oz of water and the 30/20/30 rule, vitamins daily, daily activity, no unplanned eating). I know that if I engage in these behaviors, I will be successful and if I stop engaging in them, I will likely fail at this weight loss attempt.
It is scary and empowering to break this down into behaviors that I control. I know that being fat or thin is within my control, thanks to my sleeve, so it's all me from here on out. The difference this time is that I believe in myself and know that I have the power to make important choices in my life.
Life isn't something that magically or tragically happens to me anymore -- it is something that I choose every day.
My opinion is that maintenance is a set of behaviors, just like losing is a set of behaviors. We tell people who are stalled that you can't control the number on the scale every morning, but you can control your behaviors, and if you are consistent in your losing behaviors, the scale will eventually move.
In the past, when I lost a lot of weight and maintained it for 5 or so years, it started coming back when I stopped engaging in the behaviors that were responsible for losing and maintaining.
I'm not saying that maintenance is easier than losing or is a sure thing, but I am saying that if you are aware of and committed to your healthy behaviors, and are able to recognize that maintenance isn't luck or magic, you will be more likely to maintain your loss over time.
I have a set of behaviors that I know will keep me successful -- weighing every day, tracking my food every day, exercising intensely 3-4 times a week, taking time for me at least once a week, and the five rules for life that make up my surgeon's program (protein first, 64 oz of water and the 30/20/30 rule, vitamins daily, daily activity, no unplanned eating). I know that if I engage in these behaviors, I will be successful and if I stop engaging in them, I will likely fail at this weight loss attempt.
It is scary and empowering to break this down into behaviors that I control. I know that being fat or thin is within my control, thanks to my sleeve, so it's all me from here on out. The difference this time is that I believe in myself and know that I have the power to make important choices in my life.
Life isn't something that magically or tragically happens to me anymore -- it is something that I choose every day.
" I am not at all concerned with appearing to be consistent. In my pursuit after Truth I have discarded many ideas and learnt many new things." Ghandi 
The only reason I am NOT scared of maintenence, is that I am a slow loser. I have taken breaks and maintained along the way...just to see if I had limits. I do have limits!!!
I say that to say that you will all be fine. Our sleeves will keep us in check. Before the sleeve, I would have spiraled and continue to eat myslef sick. My limits are in place, thanks God!
Fay
I say that to say that you will all be fine. Our sleeves will keep us in check. Before the sleeve, I would have spiraled and continue to eat myslef sick. My limits are in place, thanks God!
Fay
46yrs old 5'4'' HW 306 AW 288 SW 276 CW 192 205 Next goal <199
Look at your beautiful, thin face, Fay! Love that picture!
I agree with you -- even at the times I really wanted to go off plan, my sleeve has kept me in check. I definitely have faith in my sleeve and know it is the difference between every other time I tried to lose and maintain vs. this time.
I agree with you -- even at the times I really wanted to go off plan, my sleeve has kept me in check. I definitely have faith in my sleeve and know it is the difference between every other time I tried to lose and maintain vs. this time.
" I am not at all concerned with appearing to be consistent. In my pursuit after Truth I have discarded many ideas and learnt many new things." Ghandi
Maintenance can be a scary concept especially since its for life and not just for a year or so like weight loss phase. We started the maintenance group because of this.
I too am scared to death of regain even though i have maintained for over a year. My surgeon says it can take as long as five years for people to get comfortable with the idea that they are not going to regain this weight. the most sucessful maintainers still weigh regularly, still track food , keep to high protein, and have some exercise plan which doctor says is more important in maintenance phase than in losing phase.
If you can boil it all down to a few concrete habits that you must commit to, it makes it all less frightening than the generalized regain anxiety that we all have. We made it through the surgery. We lost our weight or are in the process of doing it. We are successful so far. We can do the rest. Remind yourself of these truths to get out of that worry thing. Its bad enough to have worries about work and other aspects of life without adding weight to it. We are programmed to think we will fail at weight loss because we have before and we are taught that it was our own fault because we didn't have the discipline to follow the diet and exercise plans. The fact is that nearly everybody fails at traditional weight loss and thats why we took this step of getting a recognized medical treatment that works. So we now have the power to make this work and we will.
Diane
I too am scared to death of regain even though i have maintained for over a year. My surgeon says it can take as long as five years for people to get comfortable with the idea that they are not going to regain this weight. the most sucessful maintainers still weigh regularly, still track food , keep to high protein, and have some exercise plan which doctor says is more important in maintenance phase than in losing phase.
If you can boil it all down to a few concrete habits that you must commit to, it makes it all less frightening than the generalized regain anxiety that we all have. We made it through the surgery. We lost our weight or are in the process of doing it. We are successful so far. We can do the rest. Remind yourself of these truths to get out of that worry thing. Its bad enough to have worries about work and other aspects of life without adding weight to it. We are programmed to think we will fail at weight loss because we have before and we are taught that it was our own fault because we didn't have the discipline to follow the diet and exercise plans. The fact is that nearly everybody fails at traditional weight loss and thats why we took this step of getting a recognized medical treatment that works. So we now have the power to make this work and we will.
Diane
Join US On The VSG Maintenance Group Forum!!
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/VSGM/discussion/
Maintenance is a series of decisions. We decide to drink water and eat protein and exercise rather than eat sugar and bread etc. We decided to take control of our lives by having WLS and complying with our postop plan. So maintenance is a continuation of those decisions. Will they all be right? No. But we got ourselves here. I don't think we're gonna say "screw all that hard work" and eat our way back to 300 pounds.
Open yourself to possibility and possibility will present itself.
Thanks Beth! I think this is kind of the issue. I *have* said "screw it" before and gained the weight back. It's not as simple as all that, but I feel like I was not able to maintain before, without surgery. I am more hopeful now, it's 90% of the reason I had surgery. Time will tell!
:) Happy
53 yrs old, 5'6" HW: 293 ConsW: 273 SW: 263 CW: 206 
Right now I'm in my "I'm so happy the weight is melting away" mode, but I have been right where you are. I was terrified of regain before I had surgery. I actually semi convinced myself that I would be one of the people that would regain my weight, so I should probably just give up on the WLS and just stick to what I know.
It was at that point during my pre op phase - doing well on my diet, losing weight, feeling good, and thinking I could do this without medical intervention - that one day while driving home something just kicked me in the head and said, "Hey Stupid, doing what you know is what got you here in the first place!" I realized that doing what I was doing over and over and failing again and again wasn't an answer. Suddenly I knew that since I was taking a new approach to WL, I would need to take a new approach to maintaining my WL, too.
I have been toying with the idea of going to an FA meeting with a friend and have been reading The Beck Diet Solution (can highly recommend it!) I have also done a lot of research and truly believe that I will never be able to eat like my normie friends. I will always have to monitor my intake closely and am coming to terms that I will never again eat a 2200 calorie a day diet to maintain my weight because I gain on that many calories.
My dad taught me many years ago a phrase that I say to myself quite often - "Don't borrow trouble from the future." The phrase has served me well.
I decided for now I'm focusing only on WL and I will deal with maintaining my WL once I get there. I suspect I will need more help with maintaining because maintaining seems to require some artistry to make it work successfully. But for now I'll deal with today. I'll deal with tomorrow when it comes.
It was at that point during my pre op phase - doing well on my diet, losing weight, feeling good, and thinking I could do this without medical intervention - that one day while driving home something just kicked me in the head and said, "Hey Stupid, doing what you know is what got you here in the first place!" I realized that doing what I was doing over and over and failing again and again wasn't an answer. Suddenly I knew that since I was taking a new approach to WL, I would need to take a new approach to maintaining my WL, too.
I have been toying with the idea of going to an FA meeting with a friend and have been reading The Beck Diet Solution (can highly recommend it!) I have also done a lot of research and truly believe that I will never be able to eat like my normie friends. I will always have to monitor my intake closely and am coming to terms that I will never again eat a 2200 calorie a day diet to maintain my weight because I gain on that many calories.
My dad taught me many years ago a phrase that I say to myself quite often - "Don't borrow trouble from the future." The phrase has served me well.
I decided for now I'm focusing only on WL and I will deal with maintaining my WL once I get there. I suspect I will need more help with maintaining because maintaining seems to require some artistry to make it work successfully. But for now I'll deal with today. I'll deal with tomorrow when it comes.
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