a new realization

I think you are right Frisco, I think my body is way more efficient now at burning fuel than it ever was before.  I wonder why that is.  You would think, and research supports the idea that at a higher weight I would have needed more calories, but that does not seem to be true.  I am convinced that something happened to rev me up like this.  It is both awesome and a bit scary because it does not feel like I have total control over it.   I'm guessing it is temporary, just like it was for Lizanne.

 
Well, I also think from the brief time I have been a "student" of maintenance.......

The one thing I have learned....

It is a total "work in progress"

Most of us are not "normal" and are sensitive to different things and react differently to just about everything. Our bodies don't have an established "set point" like a person that has been the same weight for many years and doesn't have watch there weight.....they just weigh the same all the time no matter what they eat.

The other thing is that (I can't believe I'm reminding you of this) woman have the hormone variance that can change things up.

Another thing is that if you have 100 pounds of excess fat and you burn 2000 calories off of that it is a much lower percentage/change than if you burn 2000 calories off of 10 pounds of excess fat.

I guess in the spirit of maintenance we have to look and learn about all things that may effect us.

frisco

Maybe  you aren't moving more in the form of exercise, but I'll bet you are moving more, just in general.  I know I do.  I'm not as much of a slug anymore.  I jump up and do things when prior to the weight loss, I would just let it go  because I just didn't have the energy to do it.  Just a few minutes ago, I went into my bathroom to change into my comfy clothes and saw that the trash can needed emptied and my counter top tidied up a bit, so I just did it.  Small things.  But I wouldn't have done that 129 pounds ago.  My house really is neater and cleaner, so I know I'm moving more.  I sure hope I have the same problem as you do!  Although I don't think I'll get as small as you.  It's a nice thought, but I'm afraid I'll look like an old hag if I lose too much more.  LOL

Hey you know what? This is sort of how I thought "normal" people are. When they get stressed out they lose a couple of pounds. They get busy and don't eat so much. They get a cold and lose a pound or two. It seems counterintuitive but I agree with others on this thread that somehow when you get a bunch of extra weight off you sort of become a more normal calorie burner and not a conserver like we all were. I noticed that my rate of weight loss speeded up at about 6 months even though i was doing the same thing. Part is that i became more active though not in the sense of more exercise. More like what Wanda said in her post - just more busy picking up stuff, finishing chores faster and better, getting more art pieces made and falling into bed more tired than I used to. Also noticed that a couple of times when i have taken trips and think i am eating well but don't weigh, i come home and find i have lost a couple and lost a couple when i had a cold. Used to be that ANYTHING would make me gain weight. Even an active ski vacation, the work of moving to a new house, major stress at work or whatever - always added some pounds. No longer true. Yeah, the new eating habits are the big factor but i swear that lack of mean old grehlin and some as yet unidentified factors make a difference. Will have see what the guru (cirangle) says when i see him in 2 weeks. 
meanwhile had a great time at aikibojitsu today. took my husband and my houseguest and we all did great. i am now a lethal weapon.     diane

My experience has been very much like Lizanne's.  Stress used to make me lose weight post-VSG for the first couple of years.  Not so much anymore.  And those few extra lbs. that used to come off so easily don't disappear too readily anymore.

I've heard reports from individuals that say they've gained weight at the 2 yr point, and again around 4 yrs.  It seems to level off at that point and stay pretty stable.  I'm hoping that will be my own experience also.

Thank you for responding Rana.  This seems to your account and Lizanne's seem to confirm my earlier hunch that something metabolic has changed and will most probably, from what both of you report, change again.  I wish there was more research into what is different right at reaching maintenance and two to four years later.  Diane, if you read this response, would you consider asking Dr. Cirangle about it when you see him later this month?  I would love to know what his research is showing.  He seemed to imply at the last support group that major weight regain happens (if it is going to happen at all) right after reaching goal, I am not so sure that is the only time it happens.  The two and four year marks are interesting.  I will be more on guard for the shift.  Knowledge is really power, thank you for sharing your experiences with us.

yep, i will ask this question but want to make sure i understand the question. is the question at what point is weight regain most likely to occur and why? is there a metabolic shift at about two years or is it just ability to eat, renewed ghrelin or something else that happens at that time? i really wanna know this stuff too since i live in fear of regain. up 2 lbs after my super busy exercise day. go figure. gonna not sweat it however. diane

Yup.  It is all of the above.   I can't wait to hear what he says about all this.  Your 2 lbs. gain is nothing bu****er, it takes longer to build muscle than just one day.  I bet tomorrow or the day after you will be two pounds down mysteriously.  This stuff is so annoying sometimes.  No real rhyme or reason to the small fluctuations.  Funny how I can be so reasonable when it's you and not me.  :)

indeed. i was up 2 pounds today. now in three days i have not eaten more than 3500 calories and i don't mean excess, i mean total. so no way is it fat and i am pretty sure its not muscle. go figure. my metabolism didn't read the book.   diane

My metabolism is definitely faster than it was pre-op. It's because my body fat is so much lower and my lean muscle mass is higher.

Also, when some people are stressed, they do eat less and don't realize it, but they also move more and don't realize it. They fidget more or pace more or decided to clean out some shelves to keep busy. It's all very subtle, so unless you track like crazy, you won't notice it.

I have this pedometer I wear for a program at work and I am often shocked by how little I move some days compared to others when both days "feel" the same to me.

Plus, water weight doesn't just come and go because of that TOM. It can also because of something you ate, because of a change in exercise, because of how much you are drinking, etc.