Creeping Up & I don't Like It - Just Looking for Encouragement & Some Questions

Let me say that no I do not regret my surgery.  For the most part it has been pretty smooth sailing for me.

I am getting married in the fall, in school full time (yep getting my doctorate at 40 lol) also getting an additional doctorate in Metaphysics, became a Reiki practitioner and Hypnotherapist.

My Qualm,

I never lost weight and got down to 120's like I hoped.  I am 16 months out now.  My lowest was 145 for ummmm about a WEEK now I am steadily remaining in the 150's UGH UGH UGH

I know part of it is income related and the foods we have in the house although I still do not eat CLOSE to what I used to. I doubt I malabsorb anymore either.  I do try most days to get a 30-60 minute walk in but the truth is I do that 5xms a week, I hate exercising I can't help it and have not found anything I really love to do yet so walking is my thing for now.

Questions

Did any of you go up before going to the final 'lowest' weight?
Did any of you find yourself slowly creeping up, catch it and for GOOD?
Did it take anyone more time than 16 months to really get to their 'prime' goal?

How many calories do you take in a day?

ANY OTHER ADVICE encouragement is MOST appreciative but not to be rude, I don't want the 'buzz words and phrases' lolol

I just had my surgery 2 months ago but, my good friend is 4 years out and she said it took her 2 and a half years to get to her goal weight. Good luck and congrats on the school and doctorate.

I took me 2.5 years to get to my goal of 138, I maintained there and got down to 135 or lower, then at year 4 realized the same amount of food made me gain.  I try to keep my weight gain to no more then 10lbs before I catch myself and get back on track.  I eat between 800-1000 calories to try to lose some of the weight I had gained.  I am at 142 currently at 7+ years out.

I know you say your goal is to be in the 120s, but---is that realistic? Your profile says you have a BMI of 25.4, which sounds really good to me. Also, what about your actual SIZE? Most people who've been obese for a long time have developed denser, heavier bones (a good thing), which means we're actually smaller at a given weight than is someone who's never been obese. Same thing with muscles---a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat.

I can't offer you good dietary advice---all my experience is with the DS, and you don't want to know how many calories I take in in a day. (*grin*)

Let's see.  It took me 18 months to get down to 122.  I stayed there for about a year, then was prescribed an antidepressant that tends to cause weight gain and went back up to 145.  Changed meds, and am currently 135, at 3.5 years post op.

I eat about 1500 calories a day.

How is your regain income related?  I live on a pretty limited income and I don't feel my income affects my weight, really.

If it's related to the foods you have in the house, can you keep the things you have trouble resisting out of the house?  That's why I don't buy Cheezits anymore - I cannot eat them in moderation.

 Hi !  what really helped me control my appetite ( and therefor my calories )  and also grow tons of strong  HAIR    was  protein shakes ( i use mine as coffee and chai tea creamer ..  I personally use isopure Banana Cream  because its zero carb, whey protein and virtually no fat ) 

Two  protein coffees or protein chai teas in the morning  keep me lean. 

I also have learned to choose  hi volume hi fiber choices in my foods .  They are often NOT what is most atractive to me (  I never knew I had a taste  for nuts and fried foods and mickey D;s and CHEESE  until AFTER my surgery ) .  I can equally well get filled up on rice n beans and homegrown vegetables but sometimes i don't WANT To .

WLS is not a magic bullet -  staying lean requires daily discipline in the food choices we make .  

AND  daily exercise .

(((())))))) 

Posting what we eat every day and our exercise totals on the Lightweights board  or the back on track board really helps many here 

Hello Ready -

I'm right at 7 yrs post-op and can still remember what I was feeling when I started to see increases on the scale instead of status quo or losing, so I can relate to your fears about having a little creep so early in the "rest of your life" post op process...

I can only offer my experience...Reached docs goal at 13 months, lost for another 6 months while trying to figure out maintenance, reset my personal goal once I settled into the maintenance phase...Stayed there 2 yrs, then started to see regain...For the last 2 yrs I have maintained within 5 lbs of my original surgeons goal of 138, right now I feel like I've "caught it" for good but *****ally knows, what I do know is that when my scale shows the top end of 5lbs, I get my butt back into gear and buckle down to eating like I should be as a post-op - because reality for me is that now for the most part I don't just eat lowfat, lowcarb, low sugar ALL the time...

To help myself stay in line I post to the BOTT board @ this site...And I found and fell in love with ZUMBA as my primary "exercise" (in addition to walking with my dogs daily), it feels more like fun and less like a commitment


In the end this surgery & the tool it gives you is a blessing only you can work

I see you've asked for help several times and then seem to disappear. People have given you good advice each time. Have you tried following any of it? I hope you stick around. I find it helps me stay motivated when I stay active on the boards here.

Good luck to you.

Laura