VSG Maintenance Group
When to call the cavalry?
This morning I woke up to a new reality. I am no longer losing pounds as quickly and easily as I did even a few weeks ego. I have noticed a change in my body's ability to shed those unwanted pounds at a moments notice. It is not like I had not been warned that this time is coming. I distinctly remember Lizanne telling me that the ease I was experiencing in early maintenance was short lived. But there was always a quiet voice in the back of my head telling me that somehow I was different, I was immune from this change. WRONG!
I have allowed myself to reintroduce carbs and "gasp" frozen yogurt back into my daily foods. It didn't seem like a big deal since the scale was not really moving. Well, today I did a little checking and the scale HAS been moving, I just didn't notice it, because 1) i wanted to gain a little weight back when I was at 101 lbs. 2) It continued to move up but very slowly and I am not used to the scale moving slowly. In the past any regain was not subtle, I would gain 10 lbs. or more in just a few weeks. This time, it is just a few ounces every few weeks. First, my average weekly weight was around 102, then a few weeks later, 103, then 104 and now it is 105 lbs. Stealth weight gain is new to me.
What makes this especially dangerous, is that nobody would look at me right now and say that I need to lose weight. At 105 lbs. I look great. Only I know that there is a trend happening and it's not good.
What to do? Well the obvious thing to do is kick the carbs to the curb again, go back to basics and eat clean. I need to start journaling my calories again and see where I am today. I might need to rethink drinking on the weekends. Don't get me wrong, I am talking about 1-2 drinks once a week or so, but still that equals more calories and it is easy to get rid of them.
I can easily see myself continuing to gain like this, without even noticing, until I am 10 or more pounds heavier. I don't want this to happen. Is it time to call in the cavalry? Well, maybe not quite yet, but if this doesn't stop in the next few weeks, you can believe I am calling Dr. C and having him read me the riot act. That should terrify me into compliance like nothing else could. :) The few of you that are further out than me, have you noticed this creeping weight syndrome? When do you catch it? Have you needed to make changes to your maintenance program to keep on top of it?
I have allowed myself to reintroduce carbs and "gasp" frozen yogurt back into my daily foods. It didn't seem like a big deal since the scale was not really moving. Well, today I did a little checking and the scale HAS been moving, I just didn't notice it, because 1) i wanted to gain a little weight back when I was at 101 lbs. 2) It continued to move up but very slowly and I am not used to the scale moving slowly. In the past any regain was not subtle, I would gain 10 lbs. or more in just a few weeks. This time, it is just a few ounces every few weeks. First, my average weekly weight was around 102, then a few weeks later, 103, then 104 and now it is 105 lbs. Stealth weight gain is new to me.
What makes this especially dangerous, is that nobody would look at me right now and say that I need to lose weight. At 105 lbs. I look great. Only I know that there is a trend happening and it's not good.
What to do? Well the obvious thing to do is kick the carbs to the curb again, go back to basics and eat clean. I need to start journaling my calories again and see where I am today. I might need to rethink drinking on the weekends. Don't get me wrong, I am talking about 1-2 drinks once a week or so, but still that equals more calories and it is easy to get rid of them.
I can easily see myself continuing to gain like this, without even noticing, until I am 10 or more pounds heavier. I don't want this to happen. Is it time to call in the cavalry? Well, maybe not quite yet, but if this doesn't stop in the next few weeks, you can believe I am calling Dr. C and having him read me the riot act. That should terrify me into compliance like nothing else could. :) The few of you that are further out than me, have you noticed this creeping weight syndrome? When do you catch it? Have you needed to make changes to your maintenance program to keep on top of it?
Congratulations, and welcome to the club! I had the same picture in my mind- life was so easy. I ate anything I wanted and wasn't gaining. It was so easy to pull in the reins and lose whatever I would put on over the weekends. Then just after my 2 year mark,( and working hard at putting weight on after plastics) I saw that it wasn't coming off that easily. Now I had to work at it. But thanks to my sleeve, it still so doable. Weighing daily helps me stay accountable. I try to stay on program during the week, and give myself freedom for the weekends. There are weeks that I can do this, some I can't, but I try!
Drinking is my downfall. I never had the issue that I have with it now. I worry about cross addiction. I want to have my glass of wine more often( I used to have a glass or 2 on the weekends), but my body can't process it the way it used to so I get tipsy so quickly, that I think I'm not going to drink anymore. Maybe it will get easier as more time passes, but right now, I'm a one glass gal, and pay dearly if I go for that second one. So no more wine from now on!
You are wise to keep yourself aware of this, so that it doesn't sneak up on you and you realize it 30lbs from now. As time passes, you will be better at gaging what you need to do, and what you can splurge on, or how often. This is a new journey for all of us and there is not enough information out there for us to learn from. That's why I love OH. Everyone here gives me the support and encouragement I need, and reading their stories help me stay on point.
Adele
Drinking is my downfall. I never had the issue that I have with it now. I worry about cross addiction. I want to have my glass of wine more often( I used to have a glass or 2 on the weekends), but my body can't process it the way it used to so I get tipsy so quickly, that I think I'm not going to drink anymore. Maybe it will get easier as more time passes, but right now, I'm a one glass gal, and pay dearly if I go for that second one. So no more wine from now on!
You are wise to keep yourself aware of this, so that it doesn't sneak up on you and you realize it 30lbs from now. As time passes, you will be better at gaging what you need to do, and what you can splurge on, or how often. This is a new journey for all of us and there is not enough information out there for us to learn from. That's why I love OH. Everyone here gives me the support and encouragement I need, and reading their stories help me stay on point.
Adele
Adele,
Thank you for responding. I really think sometimes we are the guinea pigs of the WLS world. Every time I think I have this thing figured out, I find out that I have so much more to learn. It is so very helpful to have people like you who are further out to give me perspective and a glimpse into my future. It gives me great hope to see that you are still maintaining, even though it is not effortless anymore, three years out. I hope to follow in your footsteps.
Thank you for responding. I really think sometimes we are the guinea pigs of the WLS world. Every time I think I have this thing figured out, I find out that I have so much more to learn. It is so very helpful to have people like you who are further out to give me perspective and a glimpse into my future. It gives me great hope to see that you are still maintaining, even though it is not effortless anymore, three years out. I hope to follow in your footsteps.
I have honestly been wondering lately, and I have no answers really, why this whole journey seems different for me than for many. I am thinking maybe it is because I never ate a strict diet during my losing phase, there was nothing to reintroduce during maintenance perhaps... My weight has been steady for almost two years now.. 22 months.. and I still kinda just eat whatever I want. I do wonder when the other shoe is gonna drop though. As for you, what weight do you want to hold steady at? If you wanted to gain a few at 101 and are now at 105, is that where you want to be? I would say kick the daily frozen yogurt or the drinks.. one or two small things- to see if it steadies you out. You don't want to gain, but you don't want to start losing again either, right?
I am still loving life with my sleeve! Been maintaining at or below goal for over 4 years!
"People spend a lifetime searching for happiness; looking for peace. They chase idle dreams, addictions, religions, even other people, hoping to fill the emptiness that plagues them. The irony is the only place they ever needed to search was within." - Ramona L. Anderson
I want to stay around 103-105. What I have noticed is that the trend is to go up just a little bit every month. That needs to stop. I think you are wise to keep an eye on things. Even though it seems easy now, it is very likely to get a bit harder as you get further out and as you age. I am 40 years old now and I know that with age our metabolism slows down just a bit every year. Do you exercise? That might also be the big difference, as I don't. (I know all the reasons why I should, but I still can't get myself to do it).
I don't exercise.. I want to like it, want to do it, but I let life continuously get in my way.. I suck at exercise, lol. I guess age could play a role.. but at 31 with two kids.. I am no teenager, lol. I guess I will just keep waiting and seeing. I think I like tight clothing because it is an instant indicator every single morning that the status quo is stable. I would really just cut back on the snacking (probably on the carb ones in your case, since you seem to be sensitive to them) and maybe only one drink a week instead of a few. I would see what that does. Don't do anything radical unless you feel you are really out of control imo.
I am still loving life with my sleeve! Been maintaining at or below goal for over 4 years!
"People spend a lifetime searching for happiness; looking for peace. They chase idle dreams, addictions, religions, even other people, hoping to fill the emptiness that plagues them. The irony is the only place they ever needed to search was within." - Ramona L. Anderson
I've been thinking about this a lot lately as I've been experiencing some regain. I mentioned a while ago that I had put on 5 lbs over the holidays (and I wasn't going off the deep end eating bad stuff). Not only did they NOT drop off when I cut out the holiday treats, but I've recently gained another 5 lbs. And they weren't "stealth" pounds--they came on in a week or two (these last 5 lbs. may well be related to a new medication I'm taking, but still....) It's been horrifying for me. Oh, I've had to "watch it" over the years, but this is different and it's scary.
What I realized is that (obviously) just "cutting back" wasn't cutting it! So I decided on the following:
3 meals, protein first. No more than 2-3 oz. of protein, depending on sides.
2 planned snacks of protein or veggie.
No sweets.
No alcohol.
No grazing, even on healthy stuff.
In other words, back to basics. And here's where I made my ah-ha discovery:
It was really tough to start this back up.
I had thought my head was still in the game--and it was to the extent that I've stuck with protein first and haven't pigged out on chips and ice cream, etc. But I realized that I had kind of complacently gotten to the point where a bit of chocolate or a glass of wine were not once in a while celebratory treats but were pretty normal parts of my diet. And for a LONG time, that wasn't a problem--I wasn't gaining.
I really don't know WHY, after 3 years of no gain, that this is happening, but I suspect that it's a combination of needing/wanting to eat more because I'm hungrier coupled with these few bad habits. That's where the "stealth" part has been for me because it's not like I've suddenly badly downgraded my eating habits, but I think I let them erode a tiny bit at the same time that my metabolism decreased or the ghrelin increased...
So I've turned over a new leaf...now my birthday is next week and we're going out this weekend and our anniversary is later this month and we're going away for a couple of days, and I don't plan on being entirely on plan for those events. But they WILL be dealt with as special events and then, back on the plan. No more complacency or figuring that the pounds will just kind of disappear on their own...
And, like you said, Elina, it's the trend that's scary and dangerous. I'm still below goal, look fine, people say I'm too thin, etc. but I definitely have gotten the old wake up call because I want this weight back OFF.
So that's my plan! I always told myself I wouln't let myself gain more than 5 lbs., but I didn't take immediate strong steps to take them off when "cutting back" didn't work but it's still doable and I'm quite confident...
Lizanne
What I realized is that (obviously) just "cutting back" wasn't cutting it! So I decided on the following:
3 meals, protein first. No more than 2-3 oz. of protein, depending on sides.
2 planned snacks of protein or veggie.
No sweets.
No alcohol.
No grazing, even on healthy stuff.
In other words, back to basics. And here's where I made my ah-ha discovery:
It was really tough to start this back up.
I had thought my head was still in the game--and it was to the extent that I've stuck with protein first and haven't pigged out on chips and ice cream, etc. But I realized that I had kind of complacently gotten to the point where a bit of chocolate or a glass of wine were not once in a while celebratory treats but were pretty normal parts of my diet. And for a LONG time, that wasn't a problem--I wasn't gaining.
I really don't know WHY, after 3 years of no gain, that this is happening, but I suspect that it's a combination of needing/wanting to eat more because I'm hungrier coupled with these few bad habits. That's where the "stealth" part has been for me because it's not like I've suddenly badly downgraded my eating habits, but I think I let them erode a tiny bit at the same time that my metabolism decreased or the ghrelin increased...
So I've turned over a new leaf...now my birthday is next week and we're going out this weekend and our anniversary is later this month and we're going away for a couple of days, and I don't plan on being entirely on plan for those events. But they WILL be dealt with as special events and then, back on the plan. No more complacency or figuring that the pounds will just kind of disappear on their own...
And, like you said, Elina, it's the trend that's scary and dangerous. I'm still below goal, look fine, people say I'm too thin, etc. but I definitely have gotten the old wake up call because I want this weight back OFF.
So that's my plan! I always told myself I wouln't let myself gain more than 5 lbs., but I didn't take immediate strong steps to take them off when "cutting back" didn't work but it's still doable and I'm quite confident...
Lizanne
Lizanne,
When you speak, I listen. I can totally relate to you feeling horrified by the last 5 pounds of regain. I am sure you will get it under control, but I imagine they make you a bit nervous. I can relate to everything you said in your post. I mean everything. I too find it harder to keep my head in the game the further out I get. It is very easy to allow certain indulgences back into our diets when the scale does not punish you for doing it. I wonder about this in the long term. If and when the scale does begin to move in the wrong direction, how easy is it really to get back to basics. I, like you find it harder and harder to do. Once again I am grateful for Dr. C's advice to go as low as I could during the losing phase. When I was freaking out at 101 lbs., he was not at all worried. I am glad I listened to him and went down to the low end of my healthy range. I really think you and I will be OK in the end, mostly because we are staying aware and not hiding from the issues. Please keep letting me (us) know how you are doing with your desired weight loss. I am pulling for you and it is very informative and helpful to me to learn from your experiences. Thank you for being willing to share this very personal journey.
When you speak, I listen. I can totally relate to you feeling horrified by the last 5 pounds of regain. I am sure you will get it under control, but I imagine they make you a bit nervous. I can relate to everything you said in your post. I mean everything. I too find it harder to keep my head in the game the further out I get. It is very easy to allow certain indulgences back into our diets when the scale does not punish you for doing it. I wonder about this in the long term. If and when the scale does begin to move in the wrong direction, how easy is it really to get back to basics. I, like you find it harder and harder to do. Once again I am grateful for Dr. C's advice to go as low as I could during the losing phase. When I was freaking out at 101 lbs., he was not at all worried. I am glad I listened to him and went down to the low end of my healthy range. I really think you and I will be OK in the end, mostly because we are staying aware and not hiding from the issues. Please keep letting me (us) know how you are doing with your desired weight loss. I am pulling for you and it is very informative and helpful to me to learn from your experiences. Thank you for being willing to share this very personal journey.
The head stuff, the casual bringing in of the things and having amnesia about how much/what WAS REALLY going in my mouth are why, for me logging is going to be a forever deal.
Also for me takes out the question of the "what" because I can see it right in front of my face, and I gotta work too hard at denial on that one! :}
I am thankful you are still around Lizanne and sharing what you know/find to be true!
Also for me takes out the question of the "what" because I can see it right in front of my face, and I gotta work too hard at denial on that one! :}
I am thankful you are still around Lizanne and sharing what you know/find to be true!
Thanks, Brandilynn!
I don't think it's been amnesia for me entirely. I've been eating pretty much the same way in maintenance for 2 1/2 years or so. I did journal all food for a couple of weeks recently and confirmed that I haven't upped the "non-essentials," the treats and goodies. However, I am eating more healthy stuff and I think that tipped the scales, so to speak, along with whatever else is going on. I'm exercising a ton, not helping, so it's got to be a metabolism shift or this new osteo med I'm taking. But the interesting mind trip for me has been that I didn't want to give up my treats AT ALL. I really had the mentality that the world "owes" them to me, I "deserve" them. After all, I've been eating them all this time with no problem, so why should I have to stop now? It's not fair, etc.--a negative and self destructive thinking pattern I've had before. Well, duh, Lizanne--I have to stop because I've gained weight and my body can no longer handle the little extras, at least not right now. So, I've quit my internal whining (mostly) and reclaimed my control. I hope it lasts! I think I might get that 10 Thin
Commandments book for my Kindle too and see what it has to say..
Lizanne
I don't think it's been amnesia for me entirely. I've been eating pretty much the same way in maintenance for 2 1/2 years or so. I did journal all food for a couple of weeks recently and confirmed that I haven't upped the "non-essentials," the treats and goodies. However, I am eating more healthy stuff and I think that tipped the scales, so to speak, along with whatever else is going on. I'm exercising a ton, not helping, so it's got to be a metabolism shift or this new osteo med I'm taking. But the interesting mind trip for me has been that I didn't want to give up my treats AT ALL. I really had the mentality that the world "owes" them to me, I "deserve" them. After all, I've been eating them all this time with no problem, so why should I have to stop now? It's not fair, etc.--a negative and self destructive thinking pattern I've had before. Well, duh, Lizanne--I have to stop because I've gained weight and my body can no longer handle the little extras, at least not right now. So, I've quit my internal whining (mostly) and reclaimed my control. I hope it lasts! I think I might get that 10 Thin
Commandments book for my Kindle too and see what it has to say..
Lizanne
