VSG Maintenance Group
Ten Pounds from Goal!
Now that I'm 10.6 pounds from goal I need to start thinking about maintenance. I'm pretty sure I know what to do and how to do it, but wanted to join this group for extra, added support.
My weight is the lowest it's been in over 35 years, so this is all so new to me. It's been quite a ride, and life is so great now that I can do so much more than ever before. Thank you for all of your advice over the last year. VSG is one of the greatest things I've ever done for myself, and I will do my best to make sure that I don't squander this opportunity to be and stay healthy.
5' 5" tall. VSG on August 4, 2015/ Starting weight 239.9/ Surgery weight 210.9/ Current weight 137.4/ Goal weight 140/ No longer overweight, now a NORMAL weight. Now that I'm at goal, it's time to move on to maintenance!!!!!!!!
Welcome, Nessie ! You have come to the right place ! Shel, Paula and I found our way here in the last couple of months, and we are eagerly exploring the early stages of life at maintenance. The other active members are lively veterans, dedicated to healthy living in maintenance. The common thread is that each individual values the gift we have worked so hard for, and we are committed to making the healthy life choices to maintain and enhance our hard earned health, moving forward.
Diane
Age: 64; 5' 5"; High weight: 345; Start weight: 271 (01/05/15); Surgery weight: 218 (05/27/15); Pre-Op (-53); M 1 (-18); M 2 (-1.5); M 3 (-13.5 ); M 4 (-13); M 5 (- 8); M 6 (-12) M 7 (-5, Xmas); M 8 (- 9) Under surgeon's goal and REACHED HEALTHY BMI 12/07/15!! (Six months and one week.) AT GOAL month 8. Maintaining at goal range (139- 144) ~ four (4) years !!
Welcome Nessie! So glad you found us! I think you will love it here - great group of supportive maintainers - both newbies and veterans!
5' 4" tall, HW: 242, SW:215.4 Weight Loss - pre-op: - 26.6, M1: -15.4, M2: -16, M3: -11.4, M4: -11.2, M5: -12.2, M6: -7.4, M7: -7.8, M8: -2.0 Goal of 130 lbs. reached at 8 months, 2 days post-op!
Hi Nessie,
Great to have you here! Transitioning to maintenance is a delicate dance. Read here daily. I recommend you watch how Paula, Shel, and Ocean Diane are navigating the transition. There are a few of us (like me) that are working their way back to goal after a bit of regain. I think you'll gain insight from all that you read.
The biggest ah ha I had about maintenance was that there are really no food rules because everyone is different in what they can tolerate, However, a huge factor in successful maintenance is continued tracking and faithful monitoring of weight and food intake.
Congratulations on being so close to goal! That's simply awesome.
on 2/1/16 9:54 am - NJ
I, too, am new to this group. I had VSG 6/24/14 and for the past 3 months, my body has been adjusting itself to maintenance, because I have not been working as hard as I was. My weight has been fluctuating 5 lbs. during this time. I am almost back down to 182, so I am kicking it up to try to get the last 12 lbs. and possibly 23 lbs. off. 23 lbs. would put me at a normal BMI, which would be nice, but I understand that I have a lot of loose skin, a lot of muscle, etc., but I cannot imagine I'd be emaciated at 5' 7" and 159 lbs. And there may be the dreaded bounce back, so here I am.
Welcome to the group and thanks for introducing yourself. Hopefully you will find good infor here to keep you on the path. A couple of comments for you to consider. Now is the time to get to the lowest weight possible for all kinds of good reasons, but personally I don't think the 'bounce back' theory applies to VSG. With RNY, bounce back can happen when calorie malabsorption lessens or disappears, which means that those folks can gain without any increase in calories. They then have to readjust their maintenance calories.
With VSG, people gain weight because they eat more calories over time. In my opinion, there's nothing magical about it, so it's important to learn exactly which calorie level supports which scale weight.
Right now, from what you're saying, you may have found the calorie level that supports your current weight, which means to lose a pound a week, you will likely need to reduce your calorie intake by about 3500 a week, which means 500 a day. And if you're not prepared to do that right now, that's okay. Instead, be sure you understand what your current calorie intake is and ensure you eat no more to maintain your current weight.
You and only you get to decide which path is right for you, but with that said, be sure to make a conscious choice about losing or maintaining!
LINDA
Ht: 5'2" | HW 225, BMI 41.2 | CW 115, BMI 21.0
JoeyJo, Welcome!!! Lots of questions as you near maintenance, right? I think this is a great place to help figure it out.
Shel
HW:361 SW:304 (VSG 12/04/2014)Mo 1:-32 Mo 2:-13.5 Mo 3: -13.5 Mo 4 -9.5 Mo 5: -15 Mo 6: -15 Mo 7: -13.5 Mo 8: -17 Mo 9: -13 Mo 10: -12.5 11/3/2015 Healthy BMI Reached! Mo 11: -9 Mo 12: -8 12/27/2015 Goal Weight Reached!
on 2/1/16 10:44 am - NJ
Thank you. I can do that and will do it now while I'm super motivated.
