Maintenance Eating

I'm still pre-op but I had a question for the "rest of my life" part of this journey.

What does successful maintenance eating look like?  I'm not feeling the eat everything now because you'll never be able to eat again thing.  I've read how people tolerate foods differently.  I was just wondering what the future holds.

Thanks!  Dolly

I'm definitely not in the maintaining stage yet but I truly hope some of the lurking old timers that are SUPER successful will reply to you.

For me, it's about being able to eat everything in moderation. I even (shhh) eat a brownie almost every day! I analyze and reanalyze the bad food habits and made changes along the way... and enjoy food for its taste and texture, not it's ability to satisfy my boredom or other emotions.

Thanks Elena.  It sounds like being mindful every day is one of the new ways of life to adopt.  I've been amazed at how much I pay attention to what I eat since my first nutritionist appoinment.  I look at food a different way.  As fuel not fun.

I love your posts and your honesty about your journey.  You are helping in many ways by sharing your experiences.  Thanks.

Hi Dolly,

Elena is wise beyond her years!  Once again, everyone is different and has come from different places - both literally and in their heads.

Here's my story and I'm six years out and maintaining within 5 lbs up and down.  I've been dealing with weight since I was 9 years old when I joined my first TOPS club.  I'm nearly 46 now and am DONE with dieting.  I won't take you through 30-40 years of diet history...let's just say I'm now eating everything in moderation.  I can handle fats and sugar to a degree...however if I overdo it, I'm dumping in bed or with my head over the toilet.  And yes, I can still over-do it occasionally.  I'm not perfect, nor strive to be, I want to live in this world and enjoy food and still maintain my health and my weight.  So far I'm doing that.  When I've gotten lazy, the scale went up, but keep this in mind.  It CAN go back down.  I still weigh regularly, but I don't freak out if it goes up a bit.  If it goes into the next number...say from the 6's to 7's...etc...then I take notice.  I'm also faithful with my vitamins and my yearly checkups and labs.

Some of the permanent changes I've made when eating out is I never order a burger with a bun, I eat Subways and Jimmy Johns open faced.  I grab a take out box immediately at Chins Asia Fresh or Solos Pizza because I never can eat all my food.  I will leave so-so food to waste if I have to, I'm not forcing it in either now or later.  I'm into quality now, not quantity.  I'll go to a Chinese buffet with friends for the company....not the ability to get my money's worth.

So all in all I can "blend in" with the masses.  Sometimes people notice how I eat, but most of the time not.  The majority of people I run across now never knew me fat and most probably don't know I had WLS.  It's not the focus for them or myself anymore.  It's still a part of me, that's why I'm still on this board...but I'm not shouting it to the world.  And you know?  That's just fine with me.  Life does go on.

Good Luck and have a great ride!


 

Thanks Lori.  I appreciate hearing about the difference between quality and quantity.  And I was wondering what I'd do at the lunch buffet with the girls from work.  Thanks for the story and the specifics.  That's what I was hoping for.

Comgrats on your years worth of success.  I'm learning that it's always work, so yay you!!