Well, SS, sounds like it's near unanimous, never stop worrying,  N---E---V---E---R.  I consider myself a professional worry-wart, so it works for me. 

And you are quite humorous. Perhaps Margie's only comedian?

I heard someone say Margie is a suburb of Big Falls; now that's humorous.

Multimom is the only person I have ever seen post on here that they never had Bounceback.  To me Bounceback is the particular period when the malabsorption stops working.  It happened to me at 30 months.  I was eating and exercising the same, but had hidden the scale and only weighing at the doctor's office.

That summer I was going to the doctor monthly for some reason.  I laughed about the first five pound regain, felt a bit concerned when it turned to eight pounds  tand panicked when it got to fourteen. 

For me, the only way to control weight is to count calories, weigh myself daily and always be very aware of my weight.   When I have some pounds creep on I subtract 500 calories a day from my normal 1400.

Regain can happen anytime, but Bounceback happens in year three for almost everyone.

Bounceback is supposed to happen.  The body is smart enough to figure out how to recover from the surgical starvation  it has been enduring.  It creates more of the little fingerlike structures in the intestines that grab onto food and hold it against the walls of the intestines so that more calories can be absorbed.  It is the body's way of healing itself.

I weigh every day (except when I'm traveling).  I want to be able to get a grip on any bounceback before it gets out of control.  Years of denial got me obese.  I'm facing this head on now.

Never is the absolute correct answer.  For the first 24 months (honeymoon) things just move right a long...you may stall, but gaining "usually" doesn't happen.  Notice, I say usually.  This is not an easy task.  I am 11.5 years out and have had bouts with regain, but for the most part, I've maintained my 100 lbs WL.  When I gained, like everyone said, it was because I made bad food choices.  Calories in calories out; however, sugar and carb calories burn off a lot slower.

I tell anyone who is considering this journey to be sure to get your "head fixed" before you get your tummy fixed.  I still see a therapist, who had a gastric bypass 16 yrs ago, and he keeps me on the straight and narrow.

JA

I've lost a little over 200 lbs.  We had our surgery on the same day, we are the same height and weigh about the same (I range from 138 to 142) -- my lowest being 134 for approximately 7 minutes.  Since neither of us has ever gotten to the "skinny" or "gaunt" phase -- and neither of us has been "too thin" -- I think that we have to be especially careful about bounce back.  

The sad truth is that at 147 you were 3 pounds away from an overweight BMI. 

I would say we will likely need to "worry" the rest of our lives.

"Since neither of us has ever gotten to the "skinny" or "gaunt" phase -- and neither of us has been "too thin" -- I think that we have to be especially careful about bounce back.  ..."

"I had to respond because I think when we talk about "getting as high as 147" we can unintentionally hurt others feelings.  I mean, I was 344 lbs and 147 would have been a dream -- I try always to keep that in mind."

Kat, these two posts cause a lot of mixed feelings in me. Part of it is down right anger-"What do you mean I am not skinny?  I wear a small, sometimes and extra small" and one of the other feelings is " YOU ARE RIGHT".  !42-147 lbs is dangerously close to the overweight range and I didnt go through surgery, all the hoops that come with it, and the amount of exercising I did TO BE OVERWEIGHT.

 I think your post on as high as 147, and it being a dream, is right on too. I have friends that I consider "normal" sized that weighed much less than me when I was 300. They have never told me their weights but now they are heavier than me and they have made some tense remarks about it.

So in summary, some of remarks made me angry and I dont know why (?maybe I am insulted?). Some of them are right on...and more than a few gave me incentive to think and rethink

I'm interested in knowing more about why you felt insulted. Was skinny your goal going into this process? I know it can be a controversial question, but I think when we pay attention to those seemingly random feelings we can learn a lot!

"Was skinny your goal going into this process? I know it can be a controversial question, but I think when we pay attention to those seemingly random feelings we can learn a lot!"

Skinny wasnt my goal. I didn't find that reasonable then. IN highschool, I was 145-150 lbs so I felt that was reasonable. I weigh less now.  When I was 139, I DID get the skinny/gaunt comment from colleagues.

Maybe I am insulted because that comment was made and I incorrectly feel that it belittles my fitness accomplishments? For example, I  CAN WALK AGAIN (at one time I couldn't do to disc herniation and obesity**** skate, jogged/ran a half marathon, and became a certified tae bo instructor.

The poster didn't intend for the interpretation I gave it which is:  You did all of those fitness things but it really doesn't matter because you are still fat. Certainly NOT SKINNY.

She didnt say the first sentence, but did say something along the second (I.e NOT SKINNY which I interpret as "still fat").

And I think, that is my issue.

Oh yes, while I didnt expect to be hungry looking, I wouldnt have minded being too thin. Dont get me wrong, I am tremendously pleased with where I am, how I look (actually, I wish I was a natural blonde..but otherwise...), and what I can do.

It just brought up a lot of emotion.