Question for the vets: Fear of regain

(deactivated member)
on 12/7/17 10:36 am, edited 12/7/17 10:50 am
VSG on 03/28/17

Do you live with fear of regain? Does this constant fear go away eventually? Do you ever stop feeling like you are a fraud and destined to regain?

pammieanne
on 12/7/17 11:36 am - OK
RNY on 05/16/16

So, I'm by no means a Vet... just a newbie with a little time under her loose skin (ha).

I've been at my goal weight since about June or so... I am in constant fear of everything you mentioned above... I'm a fraud, I'm obsessed with food, and normies don't act like that, right? I sometimes look at the scale and still read it wrong (138 will register in my head as 178, or 208... it's crazy).

From what I've learned from the Vets, this is all 'normal' for us 'less than normal' folks - whatever normal is, anyway...

I don't think there are very many people with the confidence that they will never regain their weight... but maybe that's something that would happen to ANY individual that has lost a lot of weight... I don't know. I have lost a good amount in the past, swore I'd never gain it back, but I wasn't afraid... and I gained it back... maybe now that I'm afraid of regain, maybe that's the difference?

I'm curious to see some responses, but questions like this have been asked in the past, and it appears the fear is real... for a long long time anyway...

I am trying to turn the fear into just a constant 'eye' on things... to be successful at anything takes a lot of hard work and vigilance... this is nothing different than the top flutist practicing every day... we are practicing our work every day. That's nothing to fear, just something to commit to.

Height 5'5" HW 260 SW 251 CW 141.6 (2/27/18)

RNY 5-16-16 Pre-Op 9lbs, M1-18.5lbs, M2-18.1lbs, M3-14.8lbs, M4-10.4lbs, M5-9.2lbs, M6-7lbs, M7-6.2lbs, M8-8.8lbs,M9-7.8lbs, M10-1 lb, M11-.6lbs, M12-4.4lbs

CC C.
on 12/7/17 11:51 am

On the subject of reading the scale wrong, I mentally make note of my weight before I record it in the morning. Inevitably I think 2?? instead of 1?? This morning I thought "263.8" instead of "163.8"... It's not until I start to type it that I know to correct myself.

Insert Fitness
on 12/7/17 12:00 pm

Yes to this! i often have to correct myself when i record my weekly weigh-in.

RNY Sept 8, 2016

M1:23, M2 :18, M3 :11, M4 :19, M5: 13, M6: 12, M7: 17, M8: 11, M9: 11.5, M10: 13, M11: 10, M12: 10 M13 : 7.6, M14: 6.9, M15: 6.7

Instagram:InsertFitness

Travelher
on 12/8/17 9:23 pm
Revision on 10/04/16

Me three on that. My husband always corrects me when I step off the scale and I'm like...I'm 163 instead of 136. Or something like that.

Band-RNY revision age 50 5'4" HW 260 SW: 244 (bf healthy range 23-35%) bf 23.7% (at 137lbs) cw range 135-138.lbl with butt lift and mastoplexy March 23, 2018...2.5lbs removed.

Pre-op-16lbs (size 18/20...244) M1-16lbs (size 18...228) M2-15.6lbs (size 16/18...212.4) M3-10lbs (size 16..202.4) M4-11.4lbs (size 14...191) M5-10.8lbs (size 12...180.2) M6-8.4 (size 8/10...171.8) M7-6.4 (size 8...165.4 lbs) M8-11.6 (size 6...153.8) M9-5.6 (size 4/6...148.2) M10-5.8 (size 4....142.4) M11-4 (size 2/4...138.4) Surgiversary -1 (size 2/4...137.4) M13-2.6 (size 2/4...134.8) M14 (size 2/4...134.8) M15 (size 2...135) M16 (size 2...131.4) M17 (size 2...135) M18 (size 2...135) M19 (size 2...138) M20 (size 2...135) M21 (size 2...138)

Au_Contraire
on 12/8/17 9:57 pm

Strangely, I'm the opposite: though I'm still well in the 200s, I always read that number as beginning with a 1 instead of a 2.

sweetpotato1959
on 12/14/17 8:36 am

For me it was not the fear of regain, and some of that is healthy and keeps us accountable to our own self..

My issue was recognizing the loss and looking for cothes in the wrong section and sizes. I am picky about the fit of my clothes, if I am not they show way too much skin. My response has to be to find a style i like and take 2 or three sizes in to try on to find the one which I like the fit of better.

I also try to dress part of the time in front of a mirror. I need to remind myself how far I have come. and simply seeing my entire body reflected in a mirror does that for me...( I used to not fit all in a door mirror).. during my times of fast weight loss I did as much exercise as I tolerated and also wore a panty girdle.(not an instant fix)..it seemed to reduce the bagginess.(wore it for 7 years).with the exercise for toning the skin and muscles underneath. I still have some problem areas for baggy skin, but PS is not an option for me, until it becomes a medical necessity. Hope these comments are able to help you on your journey and continue to think outside the box for solutions to the problems we all face.

Denise
Sparklekitty, Science-Loving Derby Hag
on 12/7/17 12:03 pm
RNY on 08/05/19

I think it's really important to understand that the most successful vets out there, who've lost a lot and maintain it all, keep a laser focus on their habits after hitting the maintenance phase. I know of several posters here who have 5+ year streaks on MFP, because that's what it takes for us to stay at a healthy weight.

Fear of regain is good. The people who lose it are likely the same ~40% of patients with significant regain after surgery.

Sparklekitty / Julie / Nerdy Little Secret (#42)
Roller derby - cycling - triathlon
VSG 2013, RNY conversion 2019 due to GERD. Trendweight here!

Gwen M.
on 12/7/17 1:22 pm
VSG on 03/13/14

I'm not a vet. I'm not at my final goal. After my dad died I gained about 20 pounds. But, even with all of that, I still don't live in fear of regain. Why? Because I know that I can do this. I have a track record of success. I lost the weight after my dad died. I've continued losing weight. I know I'll reach my goal. I know I'll maintain my weight where I want it to be. I know these things because of everything I've done, everything I've changed, and everything I've accomplished in the last 4 years.

I assume that the mental work I've done throughout this entire process has some impact on my confidence.

VSG with Dr. Salameh - 3/13/2014
Diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder and started Vyvanse - 7/22/2016
Reconstructive Surgeries with Dr. Michaels - 6/5/2017 (LBL & brachioplasty), 8/14/2017 (UBL & mastopexy), 11/6/2017 (medial leg lift)

Age 42 Height 5'4" HW 319 (1/3/2014) SW 293 (3/13/2014) CW 149 (7/16/2017)
Next Goal 145 - normal BMI | Total Weight Lost 170

TrendWeight | Food Blog (sort of functional) | Journal (down for maintenance)

Gwen M.
on 12/7/17 1:25 pm, edited 12/7/17 5:27 am
VSG on 03/13/14

I assume that I will gain weight occasionally throughout the rest of my life. But I don't fear that because I also know that I'll be able to lose it.

To me, living my life in fear of regain would be like living life in fear of.. tripping. Like, it's something that's going to happen, and it's something I'll recover from.

(Go figure, though, I still have major imposter syndrome when it comes to college even though I've maintained a 4.0 since I started back in 2015.)

VSG with Dr. Salameh - 3/13/2014
Diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder and started Vyvanse - 7/22/2016
Reconstructive Surgeries with Dr. Michaels - 6/5/2017 (LBL & brachioplasty), 8/14/2017 (UBL & mastopexy), 11/6/2017 (medial leg lift)

Age 42 Height 5'4" HW 319 (1/3/2014) SW 293 (3/13/2014) CW 149 (7/16/2017)
Next Goal 145 - normal BMI | Total Weight Lost 170

TrendWeight | Food Blog (sort of functional) | Journal (down for maintenance)

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