Dealing with maintenance (long term vets jump in please)

I feel your pain! I guess sometimes I too get a little grumpy and think "are they even able to read the information?"

I just can't read through the 5000 word paragraph.

c u agin suon

Martha

What a great analogy.  You offer lots of thought and support here, it's a joy reading your threads.

 

Happy Birthday!

BRAVO!

I always tell the cautionary tale of "be prepared to set new goals" because after you hit the weight loss goal there is that "NOW WHAT"?!?!? moment......

Personally, I kind of liked when the balloons and confetti portion of the journey was over....I didn't necessarily like everyone eyeballing me to see how well I'd done....I do like just being a "normal person" now, if that makes sense?

Recently I attended a reunion breakfast for a company I previously worked for.  A few of the folks eyed me head to toe and said "well, I see you still look good"...........AS IF THEY JUST KNEW IT WOULD BE TEMPORARY!! I just shrugged it off and grinned...but really?  How many people are waiting in the wings to see if we'll fail???

One of the biggest things I credit for keeping me grounded and plugged in is OH.  I remember when I was researching WLS.  No one, I mean no one around me could help.  This is the only place I felt accepted, understood and where I knew I could get the answers I needed.  Along the way I've built some wonderful friendships.  I even got to meet one of my OH peeps last week for a run while she was in town visiting family!

Support is critical to long term success.  This is my support.  I can let it all hang out here and get some honest feedback, and a smack on the hiney when I need it.

Hugs, and here's to a wonderful new year!

I'm gonna start a New Year's thread to see what commitments folks want to make!

I personally know that there were a few hoping that I regained! There was one woman who I know that had the same surgery as me and gained all the weight back. She actually said to me "come see me in a year, you will be gaining by then". That was over 3 years ago. I see her at least 2 or 3 times a year but I don't say anything about it because my lack of regain says it all!!

Thanks for your input Kim.

Martha

Thanks for this post.  I try to explain this to the newbies as well.  I often see posts from newbies with "I'm never going to eat THIS ever again" (insert any food there - cookies, cakes, chips, whatever....).  Whoa - things sure change past your first few years.

No one really warned me about regain or the challenge of maintenance so it really threw me for a big loop at year 2-3.  It was devastating to me.  It was like "what the heck do I do now?".  The numbers on the scale stopped moving - and then they eventually went up. This was something no one really warned me much about and when it happened it sent me into a tailspin!  It seemed back in the day that "regain" was the dirty word that could not be spoken.  (like Lord Voldemorte lol).

Maintenance is a monkey on my back. I was a binge eater before surgery and didn't really realize it until it became clear post surgery that it was a struggle for me.  The binges were small initially, got bigger and downright scary.  Eventually up 27 lbs over my goal. Scary.

Now in year 6, I'm getting more a grip on maintenance and my eating disorder. 12 lbs to go back to goal.  Feeling more control and that things are no longer hopeless.

For me, exercise really helps keeps things under control and keeps allowing me to set new goals so that I don't give up on me completely.  A number on a scale weighs heavy on my mind.  I have body image issues still. Never goes away as far as I can tell for me. 

I'm looking forward to 2013 for setting my goal and achieving the one goal I want: to rid myself of the regain.

Thanks for opening the discussion!

Dawn

Congrats Dawn on working through your weight gain and losing most of it back.  Keep up the awesome work, you'll get there!

I felt like it was sink or swim time for me when I was done losing. The reality of all those times that I had lost before and gained it all back was a very scary thought. I choose to "swim" and I am swimming still!

If I could remember the Disney movie Finding Nemo better I would quote Dory (?) here.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience!

Martha

Martha, I agree with you. 

I remember when I reached goal and the excitement of everything had leveled off.  I did go through a period at that time when I felt "empty"; I always called it a "void I couldn't figure out or fill".  There is definitely an adjustment and refocus related to maintenance. 

I also have remained active on OH because it's something that I feel I need and I also want to support others (keeps me honest and learning).  I personally feel for many of the vets at goal still, remaining active in the WLS community has given them an additional tool (my opinion).  Many that come back asking for help have left the community......I understand life gets in the way.  I make a commitment to myself to come to the boards at least every day or two if not daily.  I may not post every time but I'm reading and offer what I can, when I can.

I do go off track sometimes whether it's eating correctly, taking all my vitamins or drinking enough liquids.  Coming to the boards and seeing others struggles reminds me that I'm not normal or invisible and if I don't take care of myself I can do some serious damage to my health.

I absolutely agree that coming here is another tool for me. Part of why I come is to pay it forward, but the other BIG part is to keep my head in the game!

Thank you for joining in!

Martha

I must say I am confused by the new trend of setting an arbitrary goal and then moving into "maintenance" when you get there.?   

I had a very fluid "goal" of getting to a normal BMI but I never discussed it with my surgeon or anyone else to be honest.   I certainly didn't suddenly decide one day that I was done losing and that I should somehow change my lifestyle to accommodate "maintenance".   It was a very organic process of losing until my body was done and then continuing with what I had learned during that time ...

I have gained and lost a few pounds over the last 8 years, but I have always stuck with the basic principles that I signed up for on surgery day ...  culminating in a healthy lifestyle.

I really enjoy sitting here on December 28th, looking forward to my NYE ball in Austin, (woo hoo) with a friend I met here on OH,  and NOT worrying whether I will fit into the dress I bought a few weeks ago and not dreading the diet I will have to go on after New Year!