Two Years in Maintenance... An update

jubjub
on 11/8/14 5:51 am - Palm Desert, CA
VSG on 06/25/12

Hi All - I had my surgery with Dr. Aceves (Rest in Peace!) in June of 2012.  November of 2012 I hit my goal and entered maintenance.

One of my favorite things about this site as I approached surgery and then worked toward goal was reading about the experiences (good and bad) of others... So here goes...

At start of journey:

Surgery was a non-event, really.  I was very lucky - I had no pain, no complications, no issues of any kind.  I've had dental cleanings that were more traumatic than my VSG.  I realize this is not everyone's experience, but that was mine.

My weight loss phase went equally well.  I set a goal weight based roughly on getting into the normal BMI range - when I was close, I had my body fat tested, and ended up sticking to the high end of the range.  

I hit my initial goal weight (120 pounds lost) in about six months. Again, I was very very lucky - I didn't hit a significant stall during my WL phase.  This is not typical, and I don't know why I got lucky.  What I did do was comply with my diet pretty rigidly, and:

 - started very slowly with exercise, but ramped it up as time went along, and I focused a lot on walking at the beginning, switching to cycling toward the end.

 - I kept carbs very low, but used the "net carbs" approach and deducted fiber from the carb count

 - got my fluids in

 - tracked every food item that went in, and all exercise

 - weighed every day

Really nothing magical - just the basic program i was given by the surgeon, and followed by many here.

After 6 months, and hitting my goal, I transitioned slowly to maintenance.  I continued to track everything and did a lot of experimenting - I noticed that my weight remained pretty stable in a +/- 5 lb range, with occasional excursions above or below.  I really ramped up my exercise, beginning a cycling coaching program that readied me for a series of 100 mile and longer events, and I rode 5 of those last year, ending with a 200km event.  During this time my weight drifted up slightly as I packed on leg muscle.  Body fat checks showed I maintained a low level of body fat, and in fact I dropped a shirt size from L to M early in maintenance.  

I'm now maintaining 180 +/- 3 lbs which seems pretty stable for me.  My original goal was 175, but I did have to raise that as I added muscle.  My maintenance goal is more about body fat % - keeping it around 10-13% - considered "athletic" for a male of my age (56).

In Maintenance I do the following:

- Exercise!  I ride about 150 miles/week with a goal of 7,000 miles for this year (5,000 last yr) - I just hit 5200 miles for the year so I need to get after it to hit 7,000...

- Some resistance exercise - especially around my core - mostly in the winter months

- Net calories (after exercise) goal of 1200 per day - that seems to keep me stable - I've recently raised this as I'm training for some races and just seem to need more calories

- Carb-wise I'm much more balanced now.  And at this lower weight and exercise level the "natural" carbs from fruit and veg don't seem to cause cravings - I'm eating more carbs for training now.  So far I haven't lost control, but it is something I am concerned about.

  - breakfast is typically a fruit smoothie with Kefir, Strawberry and Banana and pro-biotics

  - lunch is typically a salad, with some  meat, cheese, nuts and a yogurt based dressing

 - dinner is often half a baked potato with a marinara/meat sauce, taco meat, etc on top

 - if burning lots of calories (say in a bike event over 3 hours) i eat whatever I can get in that will sustain me - sports drinks, bars, etc. that are pure carbs.  If it gets burned immediately, it doesn't cause any issues.

 - snacks: mostly 85+ % dark chocolate and almonds

 - supplements: calcium, krill oil, zinc, b-12, k2, liver, d3, amazing grass, potato starch and a rotating mix of high-potency pro-biotics

Graph of my WL journey:

I try to eat "boring" and stick with the same routine as much as possible.  So far so good.  

My weight has increased a bit this summer as I've kicked up my training and apparently put on more muscle. I was concerned, however I had a DEXA scan this summer that showed me at about 11% Body fat, even though according to BMI standards i'm technically slightly overweight.  I cross checked the DEXA with BodPod and MRI and while they're all a bit different, they all show a pretty low and acceptable level.  So BMI is of no concern, really.  I recently had a full-blown physical and everything looks hunky dory - low cholesterol, low triglycerides, good glucose, etc. absolutely nothing of concern - every blood test done was within the normal range.

In August I participated as one of a four-person team that raced 400 miles in 19 hours and set a new course record....

Next Saturday I'll be racing in a Time Trial race in California, trying to ride over 200 miles in 12 hours.  The Saturday after that I'll be riding in El Tour de Tucson for 106 miles.  Pretty good for age 57... Considering I couldn't ride 10 miles 3 years ago, I'm pretty proud of the accomplishment.  Some of my teammates and I are planning to do Race Across the West (San Diego, CA to Durango, CO) in June 2016, so 2015 will mean a lot of training.  It's 858 miles and we need to cover it in about 48 hours to be competitive.

It's been an amazing journey, and I'm so glad I did it - I went from couch-potato to athlete!  

What would I change? Nothing that I can think of - everything went just about textbook perfect for me. I would have done it sooner... 

Many thanks to all on OH who supported me with their advice and kind words along the way.

-Tom

Heaviest: 313/VSG Pre: 295/Surgery: 260/Maintenance target:190 - Recent: 195 (08/15/19)

1st 2015&2016 12-Hour Time Trial UMCA 50-59 Age Group
1st 2017 Race Across the West 4-Person 50-59 Age Group
4th 2019 Race Across America 8 Person Team

Gwen M.
on 11/8/14 5:58 am
VSG on 03/13/14

You are super amazing.  Congratulations to you on ALL of your successes, you've earned them!

VSG with Dr. Salameh - 3/13/2014
Diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder and started Vyvanse - 7/22/2016
Reconstructive Surgeries with Dr. Michaels - 6/5/2017 (LBL & brachioplasty), 8/14/2017 (UBL & mastopexy), 11/6/2017 (medial leg lift)

Age 42 Height 5'4" HW 319 (1/3/2014) SW 293 (3/13/2014) CW 149 (7/16/2017)
Next Goal 145 - normal BMI | Total Weight Lost 170

TrendWeight | Food Blog (sort of functional) | Journal (down for maintenance)

Miss150
on 11/8/14 6:02 am

Tom, you know you're the man (and a true WLS poster child!)  So very well done! May many many good years follow.  bonnie

  goal!!! August 20, 2013   age: 59  High weight: 345 (June, 2011)  Consult weight: 293 (June, 2012)  Pre-Op: 253 (Nov., 2012) Surgery weight: 235 (Dec. 12, 2012) Current weight: 145

 TOTAL POUNDS LOST- 200 (110 pounds lost before surgery, 90 pounds lost Post Op.diabetes in remission-blood pressure normal-cholesterol and triglyceride levels normal!  BMI from 55.6  supermorbidly obese to 23.6  normal!!!!  

 

 

November18
on 11/8/14 6:25 am
VSG on 11/18/14

Congratulations! Great story! Continued success!

Bonnie

    

            

    
TexasTerritory
on 11/8/14 6:26 am
VSG on 07/22/13
So impressed.

  

MegZorar
on 11/8/14 7:09 am

love the graph

     

frisco
on 11/8/14 7:24 am

Congrats Tom !!!

You set the bar to an unreachable level for most of us both intellectually and physically.

Your approach was/is like a space shuttle engineer that left nothing to chance or error.

Tom's WL graph is incredibly linear..... he claims luck, but it was skill all the way !!!!

If I remember correctly Tom traveled to many different countries for work during WL and still remained rock solid in WL.

I was happy with my 12 mile ride just now, but after reading your post I may have to do another loop in an hour or so !!!!

Great work !!!!

frisco

SW 338lbs. GW 175lbs. Goal in 11 months. CW 148lbs. WL 190lbs.

          " To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art "

                                      VSG Maintenance Group Forum
                  
 http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/VSGM/discussion/

                                           CAFE FRISCO at LapSF.com

                                                      Dr. Paul Cirangle

jubjub
on 11/8/14 7:29 am - Palm Desert, CA
VSG on 06/25/12

Thanks!

12 miles can be a fine ride if it's all uphill :)

 

Heaviest: 313/VSG Pre: 295/Surgery: 260/Maintenance target:190 - Recent: 195 (08/15/19)

1st 2015&2016 12-Hour Time Trial UMCA 50-59 Age Group
1st 2017 Race Across the West 4-Person 50-59 Age Group
4th 2019 Race Across America 8 Person Team

frisco
on 11/8/14 8:03 am

How about flat and against a little wind....

We don't have any hills here in San Fran.... cough cough...

frisco

SW 338lbs. GW 175lbs. Goal in 11 months. CW 148lbs. WL 190lbs.

          " To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art "

                                      VSG Maintenance Group Forum
                  
 http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/VSGM/discussion/

                                           CAFE FRISCO at LapSF.com

                                                      Dr. Paul Cirangle

jubjub
on 11/8/14 8:19 am - Palm Desert, CA
VSG on 06/25/12

I'll be riding in the desert next Saturday down by Palm Springs... nice and flat... 6am to 6pm non-stop.  New bike too...

 

 

Heaviest: 313/VSG Pre: 295/Surgery: 260/Maintenance target:190 - Recent: 195 (08/15/19)

1st 2015&2016 12-Hour Time Trial UMCA 50-59 Age Group
1st 2017 Race Across the West 4-Person 50-59 Age Group
4th 2019 Race Across America 8 Person Team

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