Is it ever going to stop?! xpost

I got on the scale today and saw a number I never thought I'd see ... 136. I'm now lower than what my surgeon considers to be my 'ideal' weight. I'm honestly trying to maintain my weight, but I'm finding it hard. I never thought that I'd have to 'fight' to keep my weight up. I know it's not dangerously low by any stretch of the imagination, but I really don't like the result of my current weight. Even I think I'm getting too thin. My face is sagging now, not to mention just about every other bodypart ... neck, chest, abs, legs, arms, butt.

I know that when you are at the other end of this journey, this probably sounds like whining ... maybe it is, but I want the WEIGHT LOSS to STOP! I've increased my caloric intake to 1800 - 2000 calories a day and I honestly can't see how I can get in much more than that. My protien/carb/fat intake is percentage distribution is approximately 30/40/30. I'm frustrated and I don't know what to do. 

Barb

Me too on this.

But the surgeon told me 125 and I'm sitting around 122. I think this weight is growing on me. I'm feeling better about staying right here since I've gotten up to the same 1800-2000 calories a day and my weight is staying the same...Now if I was to put on some muscle, my size would stay the same but the number on the scale would go up...I sort of like that idea so that's the way I'm headed.

Oh gee, I'm so sorry you're getting too skinny.  My 2-year anniversary is Thursday and I've leveled off at about 130 pounds. I got to 125 for a while and I can get back down there if I try, but I feel best at 130 and so far it hasn't been too hard to stay here. I used to worry about getting too skinny, but I abruptly stopped losing weight at 16 months. Surely you won't lose much more, and you can probably expect a little rebound too. That gaunt look will get better too. I looked like a hollow-eyed scarecrow for a while but it got better.

Hi Wanda,

I appreciate your note. Hopefully, I'll stop soon since I'm almost 15 months post op and maybe even rebound a bit.

Thanks again,

Barb

I had the same problem. And I know how hurtful it is when people say "I wish I had your problem." because personally I found losing without trying just as scary as gaining without control pre-op. When I made the decision to add lots of whole grain carbs to my diet, many of the other grads criticized me for adapting what they felt were bad habits that would lead to regain, but I've been maintaining at 15 lbs. below my goal weight for a year and a half now.
To maintain keep my weight up, I've had to cut my workouts from 4-5x/week to 0-2x/week. I've increased my intake and maintain a diet that my co-workers call "the all day buffet". Here's a typical day for me:

breakfast: 2 pieces of string cheese and a protein bar
morning snack: 6 cheese and whole wheat crackers
lunch: sometimes it's as little as a protein bar, sometimes I get a snack wrap at McDonald's or a cup of chili from the local deli. It varies depending on my mood and workload.
afternoon snacks: 6 cheese and whole wheat crackers, a couple handfuls of almonds, a Kashi granola bar, and pretty much anything else I want (today, I had a bag of Doritos from the vending machine). If I'm working out after work, I add a protein bar while I'm driving home so I'll have the stamina I need.
dinner: usually shrimp or chicken with a bite or two of whatever carby side dish my husband makes.
after dinner: multigrain pita chips, almonds, or anything else I'm in the mood for. I don't take food to bed with me, but I eat right up until it's time to go upstairs.

The only restrictions I place on my diet is that I don't eat anything that makes me physically ill. Otherwise, all foods are OK in moderation. When I'm traveling, if I don't put a lot of effort into planning my food, I can still lose 5-7 lbs. in 4 days which is a really bad look for me.

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for your note. I really hope I don't drop anymore. I'm hoping that I'll level off soon. Like you, I've added stuff that others might scoff at, but without it I'm still losing and I'm not able to get enough of the 'good stuff' in to keep my calorie counts up. I'm trying to be careful. I  hope it levels out soon.

Thanks again for the support and commiseration,

Barb

Hi Barb,
I'm there too.  At 119 I'm about 20 pounds below where my surgeon and GP want me.  I've struggled to maintain and can finally do it between 118 and 123.  I begin to panic when I'm at 123 so don't let myself get there.  I'm eating roughly 1200 calories a day ~ right now I'm eating Edy's NSA cookie dough ice cream and I'm LOVING IT!!!!  Ate too much today but I feel good.  I had to cut out my lunch-time walk and add about 200 calories in order to maintain.  I still walk at lunch occasionally just to clear my head.  I also have a horse so am responsible for "barn duty" 3 days a week & I ride on most of those days as well.  I can't bring myself to give it up.
This is such a backwards way of thinking...go maintain weight rather than struggle to get it off. 
Just know there are others in your shoes and we are struggling.  Makes it a little easier knowing someone else is in the boat with you.

Stephanie,

Thanks for your note. I appreciate knowing that I'm not the only one. Maybe it won't always be that way. I have to say that I never thought that I'd have this problem ... I guess it's not a 'bad' one to have, it's just frustrating right now.

Thanks again,

Barb

I had this on my blog about a week or so ago. Hope it helps.

Moving to Maintenance Mode

You’ve spent months possibly years in obtaining your personal weight loss goal. Now you find yourself at a time of altering, change, and adding food back to your diet regime. You have to re-evaluate your goals, set new ones, and it can be frightening because you are entering uncharted territory! One thing you do know very well at this point: how to eat for the purpose of losing weight. You’ve settled into a routine that works best for you, and now those routines now need to be altered in order for you to put the brakes on your weight loss.

 

There is an overall feeling of fear and anxiety that can grip a person who must add food to their diet. Considering the amount of sacrifice, money, time and effort put into losing a massive amount of weight, it’s of little wonder that to ADD food to one’s diet would cause stress. Even normal people would be concerned at the question “What if I eat too much or the wrong food and gain weight back?” But the gastric bypass patient has other legitimate stressors that normal people do not, such as “What if I stretch my pouch?” or “What if I become addicted to carbohydrates, spiraling out of control?” Last, “What if I gain all my weight back?”

 

The key to maintenance is to add calories very slowly. Adding too much too soon is the quickest way to weight regain. A few short days after I reached my weight loss goal, I contacted my nutritionist who instructed me to add “whole grain breads, low carbohydrates wraps, rice, and milk” to my diet. I began with milk every few days in my protein shakes. I also started to add higher calorie items such as salad dressing, whipped cream and peanut butter. I bought some whole wheat bread (the lowest carb version I could find) and within 3 weeks, I had gained 5 lbs! I was devastated! It didn’t take too long for me to realize that my body could not handle these new additions all at once. (Too much of a good thing can become a bad thing!)

 

There are some people who continue to lose rapidly and must take drastic measures to stop their body from losing. If not, their weight could fall to an unhealthy level which could cause other problems for them. I never faced this as my weight loss slowed to a crawl toward the end anyway. So I did not need to increase the calories much to end all weight loss.

 

Continue to journal all food intake. Start with adding a few calories each day. One example would be to add whipped cream to your protein drink. Or, add a higher calorie salad dressing or mayonnaise to your salad, chicken or tuna. Closely monitor your daily caloric intake and the scales to make sure they are not declining. As you add a certain item, and see the scales stop, you will be able to know how many calories it takes for your body to no longer shed weight. However, if the scale jumps a pound or two, you will know just exactly what your daily calories should not exceed. Every weight loss journey person must go through this phase at one point or other. It cannot be avoided! We have to know at what level our bodies stop or gain.

 

Plan all of your food. Prepare a menu and do not turn to mindless snacking. Something occurred within two months of my “goal”. I thought “Wow, I can treat myself now and have some things that I have not been able to.” Rightly so, I had earned the right to have a taste of pie again. But, this is dangerous because it can get away from you before you realize what has happened and your scales are on the climb!

 

Realize that it’s OK to obsess over the scale and continue to follow your gastric guidelines. You are as normal as normal can be considering that you are a gastric bypass patient. You will continue to watch your eating throughout your life in order to be a long term success. We have heard too often of those *****gained because they wanted to return to “normal” as quickly as possible, and they never altered their eating lifestyles during weight loss mode. Always embrace and hold dear those new routines and habits that you learned so soon after your surgery: protein first, low/moderate carbohydrates in vegetables second, staying clear from simple carbohydrates.

 

When you do treat yourself to the occasional bite (or three) of a dessert, don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed or burdened with guilt. You had this surgery to be happy and healthy! You did not have the surgery to be chained to the scales, and live in fear of food. Develop a healthy relationship with your protein filled foods and frequent them often, while enjoy the treats rarely but savoring every bite.

 

Be cognizant of eating patterns or tendencies such as snacking or eating poor choices. Ask yourself, “Why am I eating this food?” One example is eating when under stress. If you find that you want food for comfort when upset, try to find other healthier ways to deal with problems. You may need a counselor’s assistance. Treat yourself with a massage, pedicure or manicure, buy a new pair of earrings, give yourself a bubble bath. Read a book, look at a magazine, go for a walk, buy great smelling lotions or candles to enjoy. The possibilities are endless.

 

Many of us view “Maintenance” as the finish line to our weight loss journeys. In many ways, it’s actually just a resting place where we gain our composure, grab a drink for a time of refreshing, and then start chugging along again in the journey. The next phase is almost just as, if not tougher, than the actual first phase! We are forced to come face to face with the reasons we became obese in the first place, and correct those emotional, mental and psychological dependencies to ensure our success.

 

It’s also a wonderful time because our weight has finally stabilized and we can buy clothes which will remain a permanent fixture in our wardrobe. We now know what we will look like in our bodies: where the loose skin is, what areas will need plastic surgery, etc. However, we continue to struggle for the next six months to two years in accepting and seeing ourselves as “thin” instead of “obese”. The unwanted pounds have been shed; the obese mentality, however, has not. It takes time to change this.

 

Mel,

Thanks so very much for your response. It provides just the kinds of information (and support) I was hoping for when I posted.

I appreciate it more than you know.

Barb