maintaining Kate-style

I quite often get PMs from people asking for my experience of this, so I thought I would share. I am linking the points to questions I have specifically been asked.

Please note - this is my way. I am, and have been thoughout, a very relaxed bandster. My way doesn't work for everyone.

The context - I got to goal and just kept going. At 139 I felt fabulous and ignored those who told me I had gone too far. Then I saw a film of me in a swimming pool with my grandson and took a few moments to realise that little, gaunt old lady was me! They were right, I was too thin! So I deliberately regained about 7lbs.

So maintaining. I never even considered taking any saline out of my band. Without a good level, I would not maintain!

I still eat band sized portions. But whereas in the losing phases I made healthy choices about 80% of the time, now it is (guesstimate) about 60%. I have butter on my veggies, I sometimes have cake after my coffee in Starbucks, and I often have just one pump of syrup in my latte. I eat the sauces on my meat in restaurants, I eat desserts! If chocolates are being handed round, I have a couple. Not to mention alcohol!

I tend to be fairly sensible at home, more relaxed when out (we eat out a lot).

But the key is, i weigh every single day. I have my comfort zone and if I go out of it, I go back to my 80% rule. If i do this straightaway, I find the few pounds excess go very fast, usually in about a week. BUT if I let them linger, or even grow, it it is harder. Last year, I let them linger AND grow! I went up 27lbs. The first 15 or so were lousy eating patterns, then I found I had a leak and as soon as I got a repair date, i went crazy! Eating for ten people! That took a bit longer to shirft again but I had a major incentive and it went in 9 weeks of 100% compliance and (unusually for me) fanatical exercise.

So basically I relax, monitor, diet. And you know what? I look round all my friends who don't appear to have a weight problem - and that is exactly what they do!

At times when food is going to feature largely in my life, I try to make sure I am at the lower end of my comfort zone beforehand. I have  just lost down to 146 in preparation for Xmas!

I have always been able to lose weight but never been able to keep it off. Thanks to my band, I now can (over four years below goal now - even my big gain last year only took me up to my original goal, not higher!).

If anyone getting near this stage has any questions, feel free to PM me.

Kate

Thanks Kate!
I have been maintaining about a year and do similar to what you are.  I weigh in everyday, keeping within a 3 pound range.  I haven't even thought about Christmas yet, I'm working on loosing a few pounds before Thanksgiving.  Your post made me feel like I'm on the right track.

Kate,

Even though I wasn't (as you well know) a relaxed bandster during my weight loss phase, my approach to maintenance is the same as yours. I like living this way because I rarely feel deprived of anything, except time (I don't seem to have enough time to do all the things I want to do nowadays!).

Jean

Great post. We all know that getting it off and keeping it off are 2 entirely different things. Easier to do something for awhile that to continuously keep it ups.

I guess I would be in "maintanance mode". Though I never got near goal.......I now weight about what I did before I gained all the weight about 20 years ago, and I'm in a size 12.

I haven't lost any in about 6 months........but then I admit I am completely to blame for the end of the weight loss. I have been very lax in my eathing habits. I have been eating a lot of things I limited before **** cream). I have been bringing things in the house I shouldn't (egg nog). But my weight is fairly consistant. I yoyo back and forth about 5 pounds, so I am ok with that. I still do high protein. Still don't drink with meals or at least 30 mins. after. And most days I do lower sugar, carbs and fat.

Great post and great advise!  I am a Bobber and this is what I did with my gastric.  Somewhere it got away,,,,I refused to give up lived by the rules , but just kept gaining. My dr was no longer part of my plan embarrassed to go to another and convinced I could lose again by myself,  Well finally saw a dr.....stoma tooo large.  Now banded and doing well.  Slow and steady but thats OK. Biggest regret ...wish I went to Dr sooner.  So I willl weigh everyday and your advise is so great.  Thx and Have a GREAT thanksgiving!!!  Cathy

 No Thanksgiving over here. A very American holiday!  To do with surviving  getting away from us Brits!!

very interesting post, I AM PRETIFIE OF GETTING TO MY GOAL WEIGHT AND THEN GOING BACK TO MY OLD WAYS :/ like many i know how to lose the weight its just keeping it off thats tricky. so now i eat small portions and try and keep it healthy and exercise but im afraid once i hit my goal its all going to go to hell :( ... anyways i love my band and whenever i get lazy i remind myself i had surgery to lose weight!!!! looking foward to the holidays i can still eat some of my favorite foods just in really tiny sizes :)

haha    ..didn't see UK.....well have a good Thursday anyway !!!