What is normal? And where is the panic point?

I consider myself to be in maintenance phase at close to 19 months post surgery. Since the surgery, part of my accountability has been to weigh daily. I know that's not recommended by many people, but I have a fear that once I allow any accountability to slip that it will all go out the window as it has in the past. In fact, for most of my previous semi-successful weight loss attempts, I can still remember the specific day, I said "fuck it" and just went crazy with the eating again.

That said, as I weigh each morning I am seeing what seems like a large day-to-day fluctuation in my weight. Sometimes as much 3 to 4 pounds in a day. Sometimes the fluctuations are downward for as much as a week (I had dropped as low as 178) and then move back up for perhaps the next week or so (for example, up to about 185 within 2 weeks of the lowest of 178). I seem to land in the 182-184 range, which is very acceptable for me. But, being paranoid about long term failure, I'm wondering if this kind of weight swing is within the norm for successful post-RNY patients. I want to hold this loss forever and not just a few years, so I need to be certain that my responses to any change are appropriate. With past failures, I want to do whatever I can to change my thought process to one of success, so I need some guidance in where this successful thought process should be.

If weighing yourself daily works for you then go for it.  For the guy who is post WLS early on, it can really mess with their heads since they will go into many stalls throughtout their weightloss.  I will say this, last Monday I went to the local support group.  The ones who had kept much of their weight off were either very strict in their portion control or had a regular exercise program (or both).  You might want to ask that question on the RNY board..."Anyone 3 or more years out and within 20 pounds or less from goal...What is your secret??"  Others who I see at or below goal...Ones who hardly ever go down the simple carb road...Simple carbs (sugar, breads, pasta, cakes, candy, soft drinks, chips) stop the weight loss and cause the weight gain.  I wish I had never gone down that road.  But in the back of my mind was..."I want to try this again...what about that?  I miss Pepsi..."  That type of thought process is the downfall of most RNYers.  So, NOT EVEN TESTING SIMPLE CARBS AGAIN (along with some basic exercise) is the most important reminder I would give people.  Brian  PS  One last thing...Having simple carbs around the house is like an alcholic having booze in the house...Just doesn't mix!!

 Did you hit the nail on the head with "Having simple carbs around the house is like an alcoholic having booze in the house...  Just doesn't mix!!"   If I see a bag of chips or package of cookies on the counter then something clicks in my mind and I can't go by it.  It is really awful.  If it is put away in the cabinets then I won't bother with it but when left out in plain sight I am amazed at how little self control I have.  One little cookie or a handful of chips...  Grazing is a killer for RNY patients because it is too easy to do and a lot of empty calories that don't fill you up and leave you wanting more in a few minutes...

At 3 1/2 years out I weigh myself twice a week. I have a 5 or 6 pound weight range where I fluctuate.  My weight has been pretty stable, but I want to catch any weight gain when I only have to lose 5 pounds and not 20.

ditto that Brian.

I don't have the length of time in to even think that I have advise for a veteran like ken, but I echo your comment about the carbs and the head.
Someone that's been an alcoholic doesn't even have the right to "try " a single drink. He  gave that privilege up when he went over the edge way back. A try leads to more and the damage to everyone around is too much.
I'm looking at cheating on my food choices the same way. I've caused myself and my family too much crap to have the right to "just taste that cookie". I've forfeited that right forever. I can't do that ever again.
It's not just about me this time. It's also about preventing collateral damage.

Go get 'em Ken!

It seems all of us "Veterans" live in fear of gaining the weight back..  The new slim body and improved lifestyle that goes with it still seems like such a gift that I keep waiting for someone to snatch it back. I've lost weight before, by starving.. and was NEVER able to keep it off.  Now it seems effortless. I weigh myself daily and fluctuate in a 5 pound range.
I feel like a bit of an imposter, in that I eat anything I want. I've lost that preoccupation with food that I normally associated with diets.  I did have a period where I gained a pound a day. I was up 5 pounds and was thinking.. OK here I go... the "honeymoon" is over.. my body has stopped malobsorbing..   Then mysteriously the 5 pounds dropped  in 2 days.. I cut back on carb snacks  a bit,  It's a pretty easy solution for me because I just eat the protein first (cheese, yogurt,meat or eggs) and I have no room for "bad" snacks.

My pouch still very much limits the amount that I can eat. Even if I'm eating chips, I'm limited to a couple handfuls and then I'm full or the high fat content makes me feel slightly naseaus and I know I'm done.. I'm much more active although I don't do any "official exercise" but I'll run up and down the stairs without a thought whereas I used to collect things at the top or bottom of the stairs before enduring the climb.. or I'd send the kids to fetch something for me.  I'll walk over to the grocery store if we only need a few items. I park in the back of a parking lot, rather than circling for the closet to the door spot.. 

In many ways I feel like the alcoholic who IS able to have the occasional drink  and that makes me very nervous..   I'm having my gal bladder taken out in a couple weeks.(side effect of rapid weight loss) . I'm somewhat afraid that this surgery will affect this amazing metabolism that I'm enjoying.. but I haven't had a gal bladder attack in a couple months .. and I really think it's my RNY that is helping control my portions not any side affects of a bunch of gal stones.

I keep searching for experiences of other veterans who have lost ALL their weight and to see when or what triggered a regain but I seem to be "alone" in my ability to eat anything. Or maybe others (except Brian (cabin111) just won't admit to eating chips or drinking pepsi).  I attend a local support group and I hear members talk about the guilt they experienced because they had a bite of an ice cream bar.. Yet I eat  a whole Hagendaas ice cream bar every couple of weeks.

I went from a size 54 pants to size 34.. a 3xxl shirt to a medium(sometimes small)  I don't want to loose anymore weight. My hip bones and collar bones stick out.. If it weren't for some of the extra saggy skin I'd look skinny.. (some people now accuse me of being too thin.. who'd have thought I'd ever hear those comments directed at me)

I'll continue to weigh myself daily (even though that's frowned upon).. When I reach the higher end of my weight fluctuation I'll think twice about the snacks I choose but for now...dare I say... I am the alcoholic who can handle the occassional drink!
John

John, I seem to be much the same in that I can eat pretty much anything in small quantity. In fact, I have refused to "ban" anything I want to taste. My mindset will not allow me to "never" have something again. I feel that I need to control the portion and the frequency, but allow the freedom to make the right decisions within the framework of keeping the weight off.

Yes, that means that I had chocolate mousse for dessert last night an my office Christmas dinner, but I limited the amount and I made other adjustments to accommodate that treat.

You've really struck a cord with the "gift that can be taken away" metaphor. And perhaps my motivation needs to continue to include a bit of that fear and knowledge of past failures. I guess we'll see. But after going through what I have to get here, I'm not about to go back now.

And, by the way, good luck with the gall bladder surgery. Been there, done that. It was an easy surgery and was a great relief for me. I expect it will be for you as well. As someone told me, the gall bladder is an evil little organ.

Ken, I weighed myself daily while on maintenance until about 5 years post.  I did fluctuate about 5 pounds so I think you are probably right on.  My motivation was the same as yours, to catch a problem before it is one.  I would pay very close attention if I would be up or down 10# from my normal, that seemed to work for me.

Now I weigh myself when I think of it and my main problem is that I get to light, and have to force myself to eat more often.  Seems as I get busy, eating isn't important enough to me.  I know I need to stay on top of my nutrition and I should do a better job of it. 

Ken, you and I are very similar in how our bodies seem to react. I still weigh myself daily so I can spot an unhealthy trend.

But, I've found that I have to give myself a 5 lbs weight range. Sometimes the body will be right at the upper threshold and then the next day it drops off again.

My doc said my goal weight should be 200 lbs. My personal goal was 190 lbs. My body has stabilized at 180. It's dropped as low as 177 lbs but seems to go between 180-185 lbs. As long as I stay below 185 lbs I don't worry about the daily ups and downs.

FYI, on a forum hosted by my WLS clinic, the nurse said that with RNY the malabosorption issue doesn't go away. She said that weight regain is totally a result of taking up bad eatting habits again. She also said that weight loss can happen again even if we regain significant weight. However, that biggest problem to dropping that regained weight again is the mental state of mind.

The biggest thing the nurse said we need to control is our mind and avoid the head hunger / cravings. Like others said, they best way to avoid the carbs is not bring them into the house.