Why is maintenance harder?

First off I want to say I'm still in the losing phase. I'm almost 10 months post op a VSG. I'm very close to onederland, and I'm hoping in the next week or two I will have broken into the 100s.

I'm still aways from maintenance, I think 40 to 50 is about the max amount of weight I'm looking to lose now, but will see.

Having read post over the last year or so, I have constantly read how hard maintenance is. I hear commonly that the losing phase is easier than maintenace, which if I hadn't read all these different posts about the subjects or comments, I wouldn't believe it.

I'm really curious from people who are in maintenance and find this to be true for themselves, if they can share their own insight to why its harder. For me, I wouldn't say the losing phase has been easy at all, so when I hear this constantly, it concerns me. I would love to hear people on this issue, and any advice or suggestions to make maintenance manageable.

I also would love to know when you decided that you were done losing weight, how easy or difficult was it to find your calorie range/level where you maintained at. Love to hear too what you do maintain at. I've been told averages by my center, but would be curious to hear from all willing to share.

I appreciate any insight. Thanks.

Great questions Manda. I would like to know about maintenance as well.

I am just over 3 months out myself and so far I have not found this journey difficult at all. We are all different, but if life for me can just go as it has been, I'm sure I will be ok. I don't think I will be that lucky though!! lol!

Barb

I'm not a vet, but am 3.5 years post-op. Maintenance for me is difficult because:

You can definitely eat more than when you were newly post-op. I would say that you can eat the volume that a normal person can eat depending on the density.

Old cravings come back and you have to be diligent and not give into the foods that made you obese in the first place. It's like being an ex-smoker. You can't go back to smoking every now and then. There's a part of your brain that says "Oh I remember that. I want more of that" Even when you know it's not good for you.

Your body becomes more efficient. After major weightloss your metabolism slows down. Read the "Biggest Loser" study. If you regain, it may take you a month to lose 1-2 pounds even though you are working hard. Also you maintain at usually very low calories. Some maintain at only 1,000/day.

You get diet fatigue, and stop weighing, measuring, drinking min. 30 minutes after your meal, watching the carbs and not getting enough dense protein. You feel thinner and want to just eat like all of the other thinner people.

You stop exercising. For one reason or another - no time, injury, just don't feel like it.

Failing to keep yourself in check will bring you regain. And regain is much harder to lose.

I don't want to say to myself in a few years "Why did I go through surgery and all of this just to end up the same as I was before surgery" That thought scares the hell out of me. I'm not judging anyone, this is just me and how I feel. I finally have a new, stronger version of my life. It's not perfect but it's so much better than what I had before. No treat is worth giving that up.

Um....you're a vet! Lol

I haven't even had surgery but I think I recall reading somewhere that malabsorption was one reason for weight loss following surgery. Eventually the malabsorption aspect ends and if not careful you can regain.

Thanks for saying it's like giving up smoking. I was s very heavy smoker till 30 yrs ago so I know how it works to know I can't have just one. I hope to rely on knowing my stomach will only hold so much and always starting with protein. I've never been much of a snacked so I plan on keeping that up. However it's aleaus been hard for me to ignore sweets or to draw on them for comfort so. It's rasy to just keep the crap out of the house and my husband supports that fully. But there's always the corner store, or potlucks where people bring stuff I shouldn't have. So to maintain I will have to be very strict.

in the past I've always gotten diet fatigue after three months, but the healing and losing process will force me to get way beyond that. I assume it will take me a year to get to goal. Diet fatigue is what really scares me.

cravingchange above pretty much touched all the points I would write at but I'm also going to add that MOST patients have a natural regain or "bounceback" of around 20 lbs. this is pretty common. Some may not have had that 20 lbs but may not have gotten so low on the scale either.

So that 20 lbs is usually the body readjusting - possibly to the loss of lamalabsorption If you are reading this you will likely experience that 20 lbs Even those of us who were super star patients experienced this

What I can tell you is that REGAIN I EASY. EASY. It will be easy to gain, extremely hard to lose

One thing I do want to acknowledge too though are eating disorders Most but not all of us, having underlying eating issues that we will still have to deal with post op

When we hear the line "100 lbs off forever" Most of us old folks tend to cringe Forever is a long time Forever is easier said then done!