"They" said I'd gain it all back.... are "they" right?

I think that is the big deal. Some people seem to think that it's just simple.

I'm motivated to follow the rules. I'm motivated to never drink with my meals (and I throw up if I do, so that's REALLY good behavior modification tool if I needed one)...

I think too.... sometimes it's uncomfortable to hear of someone who is doing the same as they've always done, but suddenly not getting the same result they've always gotten. There's a cynicism that the person who is gaining is doing something wrong. "Cut your carbs. Cut your fat..." blah blah blah

I was going up an ounce or two every week or two. I dropped my calories - particularly carbs - and I gained weight.

I'm not deviating from my plan. MY body seems to be deviating from the plan.

Just out of curiosity -- and I know that I knew this at one time because we talked about our similar body types -- how tall are you?

Lora

I'm 5'4" and 3/4 I think that if my legs weren't messed up, perhaps I'd be 5'6" or taller.

I got totally frustrated preop when I was tracking everything I ate and not eating over 1,200 calories but not losing plus the constant problems with the band.   I'd lower my calories to 800 and get ill so up my calories.  I tried a number of food combinations without success.  I was doing water aerobics but it wasn't enough.  I didn't know till post op that the body loses a lot of it's malabsorption ability so I've been wondering what will be my future.  So much so that I have hesitated getting rid of my clothes.   I am not one that can do the exercise that I once did.   I just do my best to do remain positive and take it one bite at a time.  I truly hope that you find your sweet spot again.

I'll admit here and now that I never was much for the whole exercise thing. I've been trying this summer, but a number of health issues got in my way. (I could have done more though, to be fully honest) 

I remain hopeful that I'll be able to lose weight once I'm teaching again a week from tomorrow. Last year I'd hoped for that, but ultimately with class sizes swelling to insane sizes (for ten days [I typed years first, and that's how it felt] for ten days I had two back-to-back 90-minute classes with 52 kids in each. I was hopeful to eliminate 4 of teh desks from my classroom. Last year I ended up kicking some desks out (ten desks) but I did have 42 kids in one class each semester.... I was hopeful when I saw my max class size was 36... two under my "mental max" of 38. Alas, now it's 37, 39, 41 in my classes. I was looking forward to a few more square feet of floor space. But not now. *drat*

I think that made me more anxious. The one specific thing I hoped to change "passively" has been blown to smithereens unless I get a lot of kids who don't belong in the class and I can get it to be smaller. Now that I know I won't have the freedom of 4-desks worth of "pacing in front of class in a frenzy of dynamic teaching" I'll have to figure something else out. I've been considering a couple of options. I have a couple of tables that are essential at the front of my classroom, I might see if someone else in the math department with half-width tables will change with me, I might regain a few precious inches enough to do some hybridization of what I lost last school year.

BUT.... having come to the realization that this was one of the "issues" that affected my weight in the last year or so....well now I have a beginning point to work on. Hopefully realization of the issue will help me. I can work on that. Plus I have a few minor goals for the first month, and some more detailed goals for next month once I reach the "easy" goals for the first month. I'm going to do my best to make those EASY goals.... have some success... some REAL success... and then work from there.

I know this might sound stupid, but I bought this beautiful dress that I so want to wear again (I'm frightened to try it on).... I want to wear it for dress up dinners on my cruise in DEcember and February, and I want to be THAT thin..... thin enough to wear it (I wore it about 6 pounds ago). I don't even care if I gain ten pounds... if I fit that dress, I'm where I want to be.

For me.... just admitting it's an issue, just ccoming here and sharing my struggle, and my goals, and my plans.... I'm more responsible for the plans, and I feel better. I try to give a lot of support, but this just seems to be one of those times when I need the help.

FYI, some of those people who predicted (wished) regain on you are themselves in denial about their own "bounce back" into the over the 200 lb range, basically morbidly obese but still less then they had been.  Believe me, I am here to say you can out eat any surgery.  I have seen it done and I have done it.  I have also seen people regain weight without changing a thing.  Last March, about the time my headaches started I gained 5 lbs eating the exact same way I always did.  It was welcome but also scary because there is always the fear of "When will it stop?  Where will it stop?"  And now those 5 lbs have left me again.  And I was the one who had a revision to stop the malabsorption.  I wasn't supposed to lose any weight.  I just wanted to stop the rapid upward spiral.  Now I look like I have cancer and that is not a good thing.  And I barely exercise a lick.
I have had RH and the only thing I have done is make sure I eat protein often, every 2 or 3 hours.  I haven't had it since May, thankfully, and I was getting readings in the 30s.  I keep a protein bar with me at all times and that seems to do the trick.  My magic combination is protein and carbs like fruit.  I eat healthy fats freely.  My only dietary restrictions are no sugar and no gluten.  I indulge in a lot of sugar free things.  Lately I have been having a nightly sugar free hot fudge sundae.  I was using protein ice cream but I decided to splurge and use sugar free ice cream for a bit.  I have sandwiches with gluten free bread and gluten free crackers.  For snacks I've been making gluten free pancakes with eggs and cream cheese.  I still don't eat a lot but more then before.  I still don't get hungry but I eat on schedule.  Since I am only 2 years out I fully except that I will have more regain to come.  My diet will certainly change as it has in the last few years, the amount I can eat will change.  I hope the only thing that doesn't change is my not eating gluten.  I don't worry about sugar because I am a dumper and that is a good deterrent but I also think that a lot of my gastrointestinal issues from before were from my unrestrained eating of white carbs and since I am unable to eat things with gluten in moderation it is for the best that I avoid it all together.

"When will it stop?" and "Will it stop?" and "where will it stop if it does?"

The truth behind my issue. If someone said "You're going to settle at 25 over your self-declared optimum"...and they knew whereof they spoke.... well I could handle that.

You know the naysayers of whom I speak, so you know where I'm coming from. I wish them well on their journey. I really do. I wish I had a big old river Nile to swim in. But I have this issue of disallowing self-deception for very long.

I've been eating a couple of peanut or almond M&Ms at night along with another fatty/proteiny snack. I might buy some of teh Extend bars and/or other snacks to see how those help me keep the RH at bay and focus on eating less fats. Because the fats just eliminated the RH for me

Dumping didn't used to deter me from eating too much, but I'm often so caught up in making sure that I can do that food for the RH I forget to check that it's safe for the dumping. I've had a couple of really nasty dumping episodes this summer. RH keeps me in line far more than dumping ever did.

As always, I really appreciate your help and support. Thank you for chiming in.

 I'm the opposite. I could live with the RH more then the dumping but I would rather live without either if I could.
Isn't it funny that when I was gaining uncontrolably I didn't seem to care but now if I put on a few pounds it strikes fear in my heart? I wonder what the difference is now and when I was gaining my way up so many times before? I mean, I would like to weigh more. I just don't want to watch the scale go up. It goes against everything I have ever believed in. I wish I had just stopped losing weight when I was supposed to and just stayed there. I guess I never gave much thought to maintenance and I assumed that was how it worked. That was what always happened in the past when I lost weight. I just stopped losing without doing anything different and stayed the same until I started over eating again like I always did.

 No advice but I wonder that too. Hugs!

All we can EVER do is our best.

I'm giving it all I can.

I'm pretty proud of me... I was feeling down earlier, so I splurged for some "comfort food" .....

DIET root beer. I'm not fond of diet sodas.... but I hefted a bottle of REAL rootbeer and I looked at it, and I looked at it and I selected the diet.

Not sure I'll LIKE the diet RB, but temptation still doesn't tempt me.

zero hunger helps.

Going back to my "normal" schedule will help too... I have less chance to eat, more chance to drink, and I'll be on my feet. Busy busy busy