There comes a time...

...when shedding the pounds from a few days of not so great eating becomes difficult. The will be a time when "dialing back" or going back to basics does not yield the results those methods once did. There will come a time when going back to basics takes extreme mental effort, too. This holds true for EVERY WLS PATIENT! 

This does not mean that after a certain point in time you will not be able to lose weight, but it does mean that losing weight will take a greater focus and a longer commitment. 

I wanted to write about this today because I have been seeing myself in some of the posts from the early maintenance peeps. Mind you, I'm not judging. I just want to share a bit about my early maintenance behavior and thinking.

I made goal on July 18, 2012. I maintained easily for many, many months. In October 2012 I was hired to work a dog show in Pennsylvania with a professional handler and his team. I worked 14 and 15 hour days and ate nothing but dog show food (crap) and restaurant food for 6 days. By the end of the job I chose to eat a doughnut for breakfast because it was handy. I also had the foamies that lasted 3 hours because I over ate crap at the end of the day, but hadn't eaten in 10 hours and didn't monitor. Worst experience of my post WLS life! I gained 7 pounds during that week. Sure, some of it was water weight, but still - 7 pounds. I got home and dialed back for a few days and on day three home I was back to my goal weight. 

This easy weight loss gave me a false sense of security and honestly, an arrogance about being able to take off the weight quickly. I think you all know my story. This type of thinking played a part in my disordered eating and it is the thinking that gradually allowed old behaviors slowly and without notice, back in to my everyday life and eating. 

It may start with a bit of frozen yogurt to stop the weight loss (me), or a cookie here and there, or having high carb days, and the consequences aren't there, so this looser eating behavior becomes okay. Eventually the regular, looser eating will have consequences. As the consequences came for me, I was already steeped in a food program that included a much higher carb and sugar level than was healthy for my body and weight. To get back to a "decent weight" I began the vicious cycle of the diet mentality and the rest is history, as they say. 

There is a reason most WLS docs, nutritionists, and even Weigh****chers recommend a 4 pound window on goal weight - 2 pounds over and 2 pounds under. Weigh****chers even makes lifetime members pay a fee if they are over their goal weight - financial incentive to maintain the window! This small window forces a less liberal approach to maintenance. 

Anyhow, I don't mean to preach, but if I can share some of my history on the road to regain and that information can help someone else avoid regain, and it sounds "preachy", so be it. 

Word. 

My experience was not at a dog show...lol  What matters is I felt like could start eating like a "normal" person and it's just not true.  The sooner my inner "fat girl"  finally realizes that I can NOT eat like I did in the past, the sooner I will lose this re-gain!!!!  She is kicking and screaming every step of the way.  I will shut her up!  The weight came off easily at first and it just does not now.  I have to fight for every pound.  I gain so easily and do not lose that way anymore.  My advice is to lose below goal weight and stay compliant and committed. 

Thanks for posting!

You don't sound preachy and I appreciate the advise. 

On the main boards, my brain takes eager note when a long term maintenance person comments that they can eat this or that because they know how to handle it.  On some level, I think of it as an accomplishment to strive for like a higher level of a game. 

But, really, I think I should try to stay very structured although I know others may see it as "too structured" like they viewed my diet when losing weight.  If structure works, why wouldn't I want to keep it?

  Since that cookie wasn't in the freezer, I still haven't had a cookie since VSG.  But, I really appreciate the reminder of slippery slope because my brain certainly would like to rejoin the food party!  My more rationale side is ok (tho sad) with dropping calories if 1200 a day really is too much.

Also, didn't realize about the 4 pound window many recommend.  For myself, I was thinking a somewhat arbitrary 121-128. Perhaps I should tighten that up?  I have always had a fair amount of weight fluctuation that I didn't worry about in the weight loss phase because it always passes.  (Lymphedema in one arm that is a wild card, fluid retention in lower legs that I will eventually see a vascular guy for.)  I had decided to never count it as gain  unless I had been off plan.  And, I was never truly off plan.  (Not always perfect, but so structured that anything extra was still within plan) 

Now in maintenance, I'm not sure yet how to view these fluctuations yet except as data collection.  I am also mindful that my disordered brain is perfectly willing to make lots of straw-man reasons for weight gain. 

So, maybe I need to adjust my thinking about my window....just not quite sure how, when or what. 

And again, advise ALWAYS welcome!  I frequently can't objectively "hear" myself so appreciate outside ears.

With your medical issues I can certainly understand a wider goal range. But if you're goal weight is still 125, why not make the range anything up to 128 (or even 129, if you carry that much fluid at times). Below goal is a safe zone, so if you go below 123 it won't be cause for alarm, just a time to be aware. 

I agree entirely.  I had a much more liberal approach to weightloss, and to maintenance.  I never officially made my goal weight, but I was pretty comfortable maintaining around 151.5-153.5.  But now at 162 I'm not happy about it any more.  And it is taking a lot of commitment and healthy eating just to maintain my weight--much less lose it.  I feel myself starting to get caught up in the vicious dieting cycle again.  The trouble is that I don't really want to go on a diet because all those years of dieting meant the counter-force of pre-diet food funeral.  I know I've been too liberal with my food choices.  Not every day can be a cheat day, and now without my new tight sleeve to protect me, those food choices have bad consequences.  However, on the other side, I don't want to be so militant that I force myself into a binge-diet cycle.  I don't know where that comfort level is.  Unfortunately I think it will take some work and some soul-searching.  I cannot eat what I want whenever I want it.  That is an equation for weight gain.  I need to eat small portions, focus on protein, reduce my carbs.  By the same token, this is for life.  I'm ok with an occasional indulgence SO LONG AS it is something that doesn't get too slippery slope.  Right now everything is slippery slope for me and I'm going in the wrong direction, so I think I may have to relearn and reintroduce those foods slowly.

Yep, which is exactly why I posted my intentions today! I was noticing that more then 1/2 of my day's calories were from the "snack" category on MFP. Not okay, even if some of those snacks are protein shakes or "healthy" choices. My surgeon's office doesn't condone snacking at all except for 2-3 protein shakes a day and they want meals to be no more then 300 calories each. I was noticing my meals being closer to 150-250 calories and then my snacks added up to the rest of the allowable calories for the day. This was leading to grazing and getting in more calories then I need. I have not suffered from the repercussions of this as of yet (still below goal weight) but I know if I keep it up I am heading for trouble. So far I have been doing pretty good today with one unplanned "treat". Making my husband dark chocolate walnut clusters which are not a temptation for me because I am not a fan of walnuts, but I did make myself a little mound of the melted dark chocolate with about a tsp. of peanut butter in the middle - a homemade peanut butter cup I guess. Only made one and I won't eat the walnut clusters so I'm safe the rest of the day.

Thank you all for your candidness I needed to hear what each if you have said. Lorna

Oh yeah. It gets a lot harder to lose. A few moments on the lips for a lot longer on the hips ;-).