Winter is Coming - when did you realize the honeymoon phase was over?

For my two cents, I do NOT see you as a whiner! I do take the warning seriously and I appreciate the feedback. I take awhile to internalize information, I mull things over, look for common threads, look for science, look for "indicators" I can use to build an internal warning system.

I've never thought of you as a whiner, ever. Honest yes, but never a whiner.

Not sure if the future is "dark" at least for me its not. I find it to be challenging and it took work for me to find my "magic" numbers and what works for me, note everyone is different. We all started at different weights, are different heights, male versus female. So I can only speak to my experience so far at almost 4 years post RNY.

I was at my goal weight under a year. I was laser focused in the losing phase, nothing was off plan. I think I found my "hunger" came back close to 18 mos - 24 mos, that is when I really noticed I wanted more food and could eat larger quantities. I have played around with numbers and what works for me is 900 - 1000 calories a day, but I prefer to keep it at around 950, 120 grams of protein and keep my carbs under 40. I am crazy carb sensitive. I just look at a slice of bread and gain weight. I just can't do white carbs (cereal, crackers, bread, rice, granola) if I do I gain weight immediately. I can do fruit & veggie carbs but in small quantities, my body just loves carbs and sucks it up like a vacuum and it shows the next day on the scale.

You asked how did this impact my life experience, increased hunger, yes. Decreased energy, complete opposite, full energy. Loss of feeling full, no not at all, I get "full" on dense protein 4-5oz is all I can do. Gaining weight even when calories were below 1000/day, I gain on over a 1000 calories, but maintain great under a 1000 a day.

Don't discount how much our vitamin regime also factors into all this. I had alarmingly low ferritin and I felt like crap for months, iron infusions have since fixed it but I have to be vigilant on all my vitamins levels.

For me personally, the eating is routine now. I am routine driven and this suits me. I have no problem sticking with high protein, low carb, taking my vitamins (patches) and drinking all my liquids, no drinking for 30 mins after eating. What I struggle with is the mental aspect. I have poor body image. I crave sugar and its work for me to stay away from cake, cookies, pastries. Mentally I still see a fat girl in the mirror.

So is my future "dark & difficult," no not at all and yours should not be either. Its amazing the life I lead now that WLS has given me and I am happy & healthy. When I was MO my life was "dark & difficult," now its the life I always wanted.

Put away the flashlight and get laser focused for the next 6 -9 months and this will be easy peasy for you, best of luck!

I was writing mostly with tongue in cheek but I think it didn't come across quite as intended. I do want to understand the long term challenges and I really appreciate your thoughtful response! My greatest concern was that maybe this "Just you WAIT" warning I was hearing meant that it would be harder, that our bodies would adapt and our metabolisms shift and hunger would come roaring back and it would be basically the same as when I last lost weight the old fashioned way.

What I'm hearing is reassuring. Yeah, it's not the NUT and Surgeon telling me I'll be able to maintain at 1500 calories a day... I look at your 2 hours of working out and yet you gain on more than 1000 calories, that is scary sh#!!!

One of the reasons we all had such a hard time maintaining weight loss before WLS was that obesity messed up our metabolisms. It was one of the many silent ways we messed ourselves up. All of that has been well researched medically.

WLS is Metabolic and Bariatric. It helps restore our metabolism. I think it does a better job of that for some than others.

People obsess about calorie numbers. There is a lot of anger that some can eat 1800 calories and maintain, but they need to eat 1000. I get the anger. Everyone would like to eat more and suffer no repercussions. That's why most people who choose DS decide to go that route.

But whatever the number, we need to work our WLS to get the results we want. Someone may find it really easy to maintain an 80 pound loss, but find it incredibly hard work to eat enough less to lose 40 more. Some are very happy at the 80 pound loss. Others are constantly angry and upset at the 40 they still have to lose.

It's a complicated journey.

Dark and gloomy. Rather negative view of things.

Pessimist see glass half empty, optimist see glass half full, engineer see the glass is twice as big as it needs to be for that liquid.

I had and still have my challenges. I would ***** and complain. I had a few break downs when I screamed and cried in frustration. Then I got over myself and my gloomy look at things, and took actions to correct what was wrong, or learned to live with some of the limitations life throws at me.

See the future as a challenge. Strive to be the best you can be, and do as well as can.

My intent was a tongue in cheek play on Game of Thrones with the hope of better understanding what I'm going to be up against. I ran three miles last night. I have never in my life been able to run two miles without stopping. I can't believe how much better I feel today, just shy of 50, than I did the last time I weighed 165lbs. I am generally hopeful and working hard to build a healthy active lifestyle that will protect me from the post honeymoon phase.

Popping my medications, continuing on my vitamins, always logging my food, building activity into my life, these are things that feel very doable. I've been logging the good, bad, ugly of my food for almost a decade, so I know I can continue to do that. I see value in logging my food intake that goes well beyond weight loss.

Hala makes a great point. OH is like therapy for most of us.

Does anyone who goes to a therapist do so to talk about all of the many happy, wonderful things in their lives? No. They go to talk about their struggles.

Similar things happen here. I think our lives are as happy outside of OH as everyone else's. There's mostly good, but always a little crap.

But we come here to talk about our struggles. We NEED to do it here, where people really understand. If we always talk about our food struggles with friends, they would get pretty tired of it, and wouldn't stay friends very long.

Aint no one out there that wants to talk about a protein shake.

I'm almost 13 years out and have never regretted having the surgery. I lost all my excess weight in just under six months and didn't face the end of the honeymoon period until 4 years out, when I suddenly couldn't do what I was doing and not gain weight. I've gained and lost 20lbs countless times over the last 9 years. What I've not done is regained 120lbs and I put that down to staying here and not going off to "live life"

Most of the people who still come here regularly are extremely successful because they know they can never live life without accountability. It's a choice.