Question for those of you that are 2 or more years out.

YES.  I gained and normally within a few days to a week it would be gone...NOW...it's totally different.  It could be my body, getting old, metabolism, any other number of factors but none-the-less it is what it is.

Thank you Miss Shell for answering.  Can I just say how much I hate this up front.  It really really sucks.  OK, I feel a little better.  What is still working?  What do I need to watch out for?  Any advice is really appreciated. 

I see the masses have spoken....MOVE your body...lift weights...as you know we women as we age our bones and stuff so weights are important now...so get some water bottles and do some arm lifts between responding to posts =)

YES, YES, YES.   I have to work really hard to get each pound off plus really watch it to keep them off.  But then again, I am a lot older than you ladies and not nearly as active.  

Dee, did this come on around the two year mark?  Was it different before then? 

I don't either, but like Brandi, my bounce around is more than yours.  Meaning that my low number is 134 and I bounce up to 136 or so about 2 weeks out of the months but I always float back down to 134 without changing food intake.  So for me it's hormonal/fluid I believe.  I do not eat a large variety of food...probably because I'm too lazy and don't have a good cook hubby like you.  So I stick to shakes, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, 3 ounce beef patties that I make and keep in the freezer, frozen skinless chicken tenders, Ostrim sticks and of course frozen veggies.  You get the picture...things I can whip up quickly.  There are a few more things I eat but I can't think of them off the top of my head...oh..small salads and string cheese/lunch meat.  But honestly, I think working out is my salvation. 

Laura

Well I am only 18 months out so I don't really have an answer. But of course I have an opinion (as I do on practically everything!!!)  Seems I remember doctor saying that for vsg weight regain occurs between years two and three and he doesnt get too concerned about a few pounds. Don't know why this is and I am not saying you shouldn't be concerned - just reporting what the guru said.

My inclination would be to say don't worry about it as long as you are tracking your food and staying withing your guides, which I assume you are doing.  But I know thats not an answer for you because I know what it feels like to see an extra pound and not be able to attribute it to anything you have done or not done.  We all tend to live and die by those morning scale numbers and maybe need to accept that while its important to weigh daily to make sure nothing gets out of hand, the real question is not what does the scale say but have I been eating properly for this past week. When a pound or two shows up and there is no way you ate 3500 extra calories in one day then you know it must be other issues or effects of some things that occurred over a period of weeks. Our bodies do not do a calorie audit at midnight every night. We tend to get into a mindset that if we see an extra pound we should be able to run out and do various things in a day and have it gone in the next day or two. But I think our bodies are much more complex and don't work that way.

You might graph out a weight chart over a period of time since you met goal and also chart your calorie consumption with it if you have these records. I keep all this info for myself just in case I need to do analysis. (and also to show doctor in case I get in trouble). Looking at some long term trends might be useful for all of us.

And thats something we all on this group can do. Seems like you are not the first person who says it gets a little harder after two years and at 18 months I am starting to want to eat a little more and am feeling like I have to watch it more than ever. I was eating a round of low carb bread daily (even though its 20 g) and this may be something I should skip. I think I am one of those who has got to keep the carbs really down and you may be too. Keep in mind that because you are so petite, it doesn't take much to make a change.

It seems like we all may be doing yoyo dieting only its with 3 pounds rather than 50 like before. Maybe normal people do this. Might be a question to ask the dietician or doc.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. I suspect you are right that it does get harder at 2 years. Does it get harder every year? I dunno, hope not. All I do know is the best chance we have of figuring this out is to share our experiences with this.   Diane

 Well Elina, if you punch exercise in the face repeatedly and kick it a little as well you're kind of doing a cardio kick-boxing routine so perhaps you've answered your own exercise question?  

Thank you for posting this thread - as a new to maintenance but yet already freaking out person reading these discussions are very helpful.  I've said this before but I started my weight loss with the end in mind- the end being maintenance.  I think I need to start my maintenance as I'd like to "end" it, with good tracking habits, good planning habits, and hopefully ongoing exercise.  Note I'm typing this while sucking on a coffee (haven't had water yet), skipping the gym (it's a long weekend!) and having tracked 1 of the 4 things I've eaten today.  SIGH!!  Usually I'm much more exemplary.  Really.  Pay no attention to the little man behind the curtain!

Year 2-3, eh?  Hmmm, good to know.

From the discussions I am having with friends who have had this surgery for a while, that seems to be the consensus.  The years 2-3 is when the rubber hits the road or maintenance really hits you in the face.  That seems to be when most of u**** our reality or reality hits us.  I think it is great that you are getting prepared for it now.  It was really easy for me until about 5-6 months ego, things have changed in this past half year.  I can really appreciate more and more why Dr. C pushed me to get to my lower weight.  I thought I looked good at 115lbs. and he told me to keep going.  I am so thankful that he did that now. 

 Hmmm, lower weight.  I have been focusing on holding the weight and not lowering it.  Also my surgeon was sort of telling me I wouldn't get to my current weight.  At the time I was asking about getting to 150 and he was like, "Nope.  Maybe 170."  I wonder if he was thinking more around where I would end up, if you know what I mean.  

All of that to say I just hadn't considered getting to a lower weight now as a way of maintaining my now current weight in the future.  Even thinking about that is giving me high school math chills ("If one person loses 103 pounds but in 5 years has a 70% chance of regaining 55% what % weight should the person lose to equal the square root of 42?").  

Lots to think about.  Therefore I will curl up with Joplin and some s. comfort...nah, not true but I secretly kinda wish....