This was me last year. I'm still losing my regain. Slowly but surely, it's coming off. Slowwwwly. 

bac527 I admire your honesty.

I had my surgery in Oct of 2013 and I had a goal of 185. I stayed at the same weight of 187-190 for a good year. In the last couple of months I've started losing again and this morning I'm down to 179. What I think changed for me is I've moved workplaces and currently don't have access to the amazing Apple cafeteria. I would get a lunch and basically snack on it all day. I also used to snack at night and I haven't been. Not super-interested in food these days. 

Once the super awesome malabsorption time is over, we become like everyone else and need to eat below maintenance to lose weight. Depending on who you talk to, WLS people either do or do not have a lower maintenance target than non WLS people. I for one believe that we're all pretty much the same as regular folks. 

You're tracking your intake, so I have a pretty high degree of confidence that you will continue to lose as long as you want to. :D

Jen

HI Mute:

Two things

1) I eat a LOT of nonstarchy vegetable. Like raw cucumbers, zucchini, and peppers are my favorite things. These things are at LEAST 1/2 cup on my plate.

2) The rest (i.e. 1/2 is meat). 

3) Are you exercising?  How about upping your steps or even jogging. Or HIIT training. I am not talking about doing something crazy (like running a marathon) but something little. Like 2, 10-minute walks per day.

:)

Thanks!

I eat veggies, meat, and cheese. Rarely I add some fruit. So I think 1 and 2 I'm doing pretty well on.

And 3 not so much. I have an under the desk elliptical I use. But that's it. I'm going to be honest and say that's not going to happen lol. I've tried multiple exercising attempts over the last year and a half and it doesn't work for me. No excuses - just doesn't work for me for a variety of reasons but really boils down to me hating being outside in Ohio weather, hating my YMCA, getting massive anxiety there, and not following through. So the under the desk elliptical was my compromise.

Stick with the basics, don't get too comfortable and decide I got this and no longer need to log foods, cut back on moving.  Don't get ****y 

Here is a list of basics stick with them and you will be fine

Planning/Preparing

Remember when we were preparing for surgery?  How many meetings, classes and such did we attend?  We were told the more prepared we were the better our chances were for success.  And they were right. Go through the house, car and work place and get rid of trigger foods.  Stock up on foods that will keep you on track. I removed every bad carb/sugar temptation and replaced it with lots of protein, veggies, grains and fruits.

Journaling

Get back to journaling.  This will help you identify when you feel like eating, stress factors and any triggers in your life.  Once you identify these factors, this will help you put tools in place to keep you from eating.  It became clear I was not taking time for me anymore. I worked my day job and then spent the rest of my time caring for my husband.  It was easy to reach for fast, prepackaged food.  Since I purged my home I have to eat clean as there are no other options LOL

Use a tool to track you're eating and exercise like Getting Started with Health Tracker.  Once I started to track ever bite and drink it became clear why I had gained.

Goals/Rewards

Make a list of goals for yourself.  Make them realistic and small.  Some of mine were move more, purge all junk from my home, eat more protein.

Food

In general, a long term post-weight loss surgery eating plan includes foods that are high in protein, and low in fat?, calories, and sugar. Important, vitamins and minerals are provided as supplements. (if you had a different surgery adjust this to your food plan).

Water

Water is our Best Friend. I have to say I never went back to pop or any bad drinks, however I was drinking tea like crazy. What is wrong with drinking tea?  I was either using sugar or 3 equals and 3 sweet n lows per 32 ounce glass.  So I was either pushing to be diabetic or get cancer.  I found once I started carrying a bottle of water around 24/7 (yes had one at my bedside) I lost the cravings for the sugar and I KNOW those artificial sweeteners are not good for me. Look I am old and if you add up all the artificial sweeteners I have consumed I am sure I am at the rat in the lab getting cancer threshold.

MOVE!

I can't say enough about how key this was for me. The reason I kept my weight off for almost 10 years was no matter what, I kept moving.  If I could not go to the gym I would walk. I loved Zumba, bootcamp workouts, lifting weights. When I stopped, the weight started coming back.  So for me I am starting slow to avoid injury by walking and using some of the workouts on my Demand TV.  Find something you love to do and it won't feel like a pain in the *** to do daily.

Support

If it's an option "run" don't walk to a support group.

You have done amazing but I totally get the wanting to stay focused. That's why we are here right?

i know we are all different on the weighing thing, but maybe give the daily weigh a try again. If you can get past your own Mind games- which isn't easy... It can be really helpful. We are constantly evaluating in our head what we are doing, and weighing daily is a tool. Too many days in the wrong direction and you look at what you've been doing. Only weighing once a week I'd have a hard time figuring it out...

Hmm. That's not a bad idea. Until you said it I hadn't thought about it. Let me see if I can get past my obsessiveness. I mean I would start freaking out if I hadn't lost daily and it was so unhealthy. I don't want to be freaking out daily you know? But I want to stay focused like you said and make these last few months count for every single pound I can get. I'm going to try that for the next 2 weeks and see how I do mentally.

I know it is hard to emotionally seperate from it. I think what broke me somewhat was when I had that 3 1/2 week stall starting after week 1 post op... I was comvinced this wasn't going to eork for me.

Do I subcumb to the scale frustration sometimes? Yes. But it usually makes me dig my heels in and fly straight.

I so remember my non-wLS friends  not understanding my drive to 'maximize the time'-... all they would say is - but you are doing so well.

After the one year mark weight loss definitely changed...it was like the switch would get turned on and off. Barely anything forever and then it would start up again. I am a believer in just changing things up...different food choices, more of a calorie range rather thzn exactly the same every day...and get some fat, we need that...

I paused at my dream goal weight - but realised that at 9-10 months out, I could stay on my drs WLS diet longer.  20 more gone - and a good thing because that 20 pounds made my knees feel better.  A difficult shoulder surgery etc and there went another 10.  Slowing goes not mean stopped - if you are losing 5 pounds a month that far out, you are still in homeymoon phase - stay on your drs WLS instructions.  See where you go - it is a science experiment to some extent.

My one secret weapon - weight training.   ~20-30% of your 202 loss has been muscle mass - only weight training can replace it - ie with a trainer to rebuild lost muscle mass.  No 5 pound weights - progressive - I lift 115 upper body and 220 on leg lifts (or I did a few months ago before another surgery) - but I will get back when cleared.  I use a program called SuperSlow you can google it to see if it is around you. (20 min once a week)

Only muscle burns calories.  Keep your protein up - if not your body will break down your muscles to get protein. (Why your dr says protein first)

You've done fantastically well - no reason it needs to stop suddenly.