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

I had VSG. I'd say the honeymoon was over when I lost my mindfulness. At 8 months out I'd lost from 285 to 215 and was feeling good and went on vacation where I allowed myself to have a few items I normally refused to allow for. That is when I lost was my full ability to say no again. I came back from vacation and went right into stress mode, my duck died, I had a flood in my house that took 4 months to repair, and I had to take a certification exam for work which kept me studying and on my butt not exercising even a little. I realized after the exam was passed and the house had no more contractors in it that I'd dropped down to 200 in those months but also went up to 205. So I tried to figure out what was going on... it was my damn head. I was allowing for a little bite here or there or a piece of something sugary which was not on my list of "I can eat" the first 8 months.

So It's now been 1.5years and I'm at 210 but its a pretty different body than ast 200lbs. I started working out and playing ice hockey. I can now see and feel muscles. Some people still think I'm loosing weight but I've not in 6 months, I've gained a few. However if you ask me if I'd like to get back to 200lbs... the answer is yes but I also realize that I was pretty flabby and unfit then and I didn't feel as good then so it's a yes but... type answer. Yes I do want to loose back to 200, but I also want to maintain tone and strength which is proving to be a little hard as hockey takes carbs to fuel and carbs have never been my friend so I've yet to find the perfect combo of weight loss while playing a few times a week.

That was a bit of a ramble but the answer is the honeymoon is over when you let your brain stop keeping track. It can stop as soon as you take a break from being diligent. If you keep a list of trouble foods that you must stay away from and keep an eye on the portions you can and will be fine for as long as you want to be.

Thank you! Yeah, I just had a long discussion with my NUT about fueling workouts without going off track.

#itscomplicated

I was in maintenance but I am going to go back to the heavy lifting in the fall which instantly puts 5 lbs on me and plays with my head. I have no idea why that happens so quickly in the first week but depression sets in and I go back to the lighter weights.I am going to drop 5 before the fall to compensate this time.

I think the calorie thing is going to have a lot to do with how much you want to weigh. A 200 lb young male will always be able to eat more calories than a 60 year old grandma who weighs 100 lbs and maintain. I have noticed that I am at my fluffiest on Monday mornings since it is rare for me to run on Saturdays and Sundays. I think we have to analyze everything because we are all so different.

I knew maintenance would be hard because I've witnessed both of my parents not get near their goal weight, and then gradually put it all back on. Both of them believed it was a quick fix. I learned early on that I'd be on a diet for the rest of my life. Seems bleak, but it's the truth. Last week a spin instructor said something like, "How ever hard you worked to get there...it's twice as hard to keep it." So true!

Perhaps considering maintenance as a challenge and a worthwhile lifestyle change might help. That's what I've been practicing- challenging myself to grow mentally as opposed to physically.

My Honeymoon Period ended when I let Life Get In The Way. I suffered some devastating losses, and I lost focus on my weight loss program. I had lost 160 pounds -but had not reached goal. At fist, I stopped losing, but maintained the loss for several months. Then, slowly, I started to gain weight. When I realized I had gained almost 30 pounds, I panicked. But I never gave up. I continued to come to OH daily to read, looking for inspiration. I started posting again and received tremendous support. With the support and advice I received here, I was able to get back on my program. I lost the weight I had gained, and am now working towards reaching goal.

So I'm very thankful to those *****ached goal and stuck around here to "pay it forward" while continuing to live their very happy and successful lives too. Didn't get any help from those that "flew the coop"!

I know "my program" is a lifelong program.... and I'll grow old on OH!

My mom also had RNY. I'll never forget that her surgeon's office told her that post op she needed to treat a 5lb gain like an emergency. He said something like... I know right now you can gain and lose 5lbs overnight and it doesn't mean anything, but after surgery, you have to treat gains seriously and get your act together or it will keep piling on, and once you start gaining it is hard to start losing again.

I took that so seriously, and that's why this week when I gained above my comfort range for the first time, I really freaked.

I am so impressed with people like you who are able to turn it around and get back on track. I know myself and I got fat because I haven't had the self-discipline to get myself back on track, so I am grateful that I heard that advice from my mom's surgeon about catching it early and treating it like an emergency. I couldn't agree more about the designation of this as a "lifetime program".

I don't really believe in a honey moon phase. I believe in hard work and owning up to your mistakes. I ate chips and salsa today (Bad mershmellow, bad!) I knew it was a bad choice before I even did it but damnit I wanted chips and salsa. It was a choice I made after a 12 hour clinical at a nursing home. Not a protein filled or nutritional choice but I can make up for it. I adjusted my meals and fit everything I needed in.

I came to realize that things aren't as easy as I thought they would be and that's okay. I am willing to make my mistakes and fix them. For me there is no honey moon. There is just the life I need to learn to live and the lessons I will learn along the way.

Also I am sitting here bitterly on my phone since my internet went out AS SOON as GoT came on. Are you kidding me comcast?

Comcast is indeed a ***** So are we with what we need to do.

Mershmellow, You really are nailing it: "I am willing to make my mistakes and fix them". I think that is one of the most important things we have to remember. I have a 3 pound range I feel comfortable in for maintenance. When I am near the bottom I allow a little more, but once I hit the top, I drop my calories down under 800 and eat like I did during active weight loss mode until I get back into the middle of the range. And, btw, it takes longer to get the extra couple of pounds off. And I definitely make mistakes some days and try to "fix" them immediately by cutting down the remainder of the day.