RNY'ers that are Maintaining! CHECK-IN

Since there is a 200 Club and those Under 200 but not yet to goal club, I think those that are maintaining need a club. As you know, this is the hardest part of the journey and we need the same support that we had while losing. I posted a few topics down that Im not getting enough support for me!  Well, probably need to just start my own topics and *hope* that there are some others out there needing the same kind of support.  Talk about anything thats going on with you while 'maintaining.' 

So, I've been bouncing between 142-144.   Going for weight training 3 nights/week on top of my 40 hrs/week on my feet job.  Weight is always up a pound the day after training (WATER)! 

My question is, in your weight loss, whether it be 100 or 200 or 300 pds, how much muscle do you think you lost?  I know mine is significant.  I waited pretty late in my game to start the weight training.  Wish I hadn't.  Cardio at this point is not as important since I live a very active lifestyle already.  Baby steps, right?

Last question...those of you who are maintaining, have you significantly upped your carbs to make the weight loss stop?  It seems when my carbs get low on my already high protein lifestyle, the weight will start dropping again.  If you track, what are your net carbs on a day to day basis?

I'm in this club!  My 2 year anniversary was 3/16/09.

I haven't significantly increased my carbs, although I do probably eat more now than I did when I was losing just because I can. 

I, too, have lost significant muscle, but I couldn't guess at percentage.  I seriously need to build some muscle!  I have not started weight training, but have had a lot of encouragement to do so from my nutritionist (I still follow up yearly with surgeon & nuritionist with my program).  I have no excuses, just pure and simple hate of exercise.  I have a Wii Fit, too, so I really have NO EXCUSE!

Maybe a new kind of support here like this will make me do it ...

Dena congrats on your 2 yrs!

I have that hate of exercise.  I really do.  People that run on a treadmill for an hour just make me sick!  :)  What was starting to bother me were mildly light-weight things becoming impossible for me to lift.  I was always a 'strong' girl as an obese person.  I swear I lost 50% of my muscle.  Now I cant do more than 15 pds on an arm machine at the gym.  Sad.  I swear the whole training mindset isnt easy to get into, but I have seen some results in the last month I've started.

I wish I had a Wii Fit!  I turned hubby down on buying me one in March and he hasnt offered again. :)

I had surgery in April of 08. I went from 255 to 133. I bounce from 130-135, though my lowest was 128. I still don't work out ... though I did turn my garage into a gym and swear I'll start next week... ahem.. anyhow I don't think I lost muscle because I never had any to begin with.. just a big ole tub of jello. My fat was the ugly jiggly kind, not the firm/still looks OK kind.
I guess the biggest changes for me are the amount of food I eat (obviously) and the type. I don't drink soda at all and most of my liquids come from hot tea, black coffee  or room temp h20. I have reduced the amount of gluten in my diet .. gluten free crackers with cheese is a common snack for me... and almost eliminated breads and bleached, enriched flours from my diet. Bean soup is my favorite meal these days. Everything is in moderation though.. I'll still have a pack of peanut m-n-ms some days.

Bean soup.......Mmmmmmmm.  I just ate some Lentil Soup.  Do you live by a Panera Bread?  They have the best Black Bean Soup.

I have heard about 'gluten free' diets, what is gluten?  And why is it bothering so many people?

Turned your garage into a gym and still not working out! :)  I understand...really I do.  I had a brand new eliptical machine sit in my house for years without ever putting more than an hour on it...total!

I use bush black beans, diced tomatoes, a little asian hot sauce, chicken broth, cilantro and squirt some sour cream on top.. lts of protein and uber yummy.
Gluten is something to do with wheat. The dude I work with grew up on a farm and he said they never fed their pigs wheat because it made the pigs have white jiggly fat and corn made the pigs have muscle and hard yellow fat.. he said all pig farmers know this. I don't know about all that but those gluten free crackers from costco just sit on my stomach better.. if that makes sense.. and they are more filling and taste better.

Whhhhhooooo Crystal...great post!!!!!

Okay, I did my walk this morning with my walking buddy here at work at 10am. Her name is Juli and she is approved for her RNY, just has to wait those 6 months and then it's surgery time. Her job at the hospital is billing stuff. I'm the volunteer coordinator (paid position)

I never weigh myself. Go by my clothes (size 6/8)
I eat carbs, just stay away from the white stuff.

I chose exercise as my "transfer addiction"
I don't journal foods anymore, just do it in my head. It all falls into place for me when I reach for protein first then fresh veggies/fruits.
Have a tendency to eat/snack at night in front of the TV so I try to take a walk or bike ride in the evening.

My workout and it varies: I walk everyday, do water aerobics, spin class, weight lifting class, did a few all ball classes but I'm short and darn it, it's hard to balance on that great big ball!!!!
Might start kick boxing soon. Now that it's summer I will go to the lake with the grand kids and hell yes...I'm wearing a suit without a damn skirt on it and will show off my improving by the day shar-pai thighs!!! Too bad if I gross out someone. And I will let my "angle-wings fly" too!! My fat suit is off, I'm living among the strangers and I don't care what they think of me.

Wow, I am jealous of all your classes!  My new gym offers them.  Im so worried I will fall out and not be able to keep up!  I was thinking of martial arts myself.  The lake sounds like so much fun.  I miss living in AZ, my parents have a boat, and my brother does too...we went all the time.  I actually water-skied as a fat person, but havent tried it since losing all this weight.

I eat more at night, so I totally relate.

I lived on a lake for 25 years and never did water ski. Too sceered! LOL
Now I'm remarried to a wonderful man, my soulmate (Just got married Dec. 28th so my 6 mth. anniversary is coming up)...I now live in the country. My country block is 4 miles. I can run around naked and I don't have neighbors!! I love it!! Okay...I would scare the neighbors if they saw me naked!!! LOL

I was always active as a fat person. Even taught line dancing and couples dancing. On my last cruise I taught line dancing at the pool in my bathing suit. Never thought anything about my weight cuz if I was fat, I wasn't going to let my fat hold me back on anything (excep****er skiing). One old ***** told me "I was brave" and I said "what"??? and she said "you taught line dancing in your bathing suit, I could never do that"...oh hell...forgot my size, I was about 280 then. I had just lost 20 pds and thought I felt and looked great. Ooops...I always thought I was a size 16 in my mind!!

Now I'm a size 6/8 and sometimes think I'm a size 28. My brain is catching up with me. Sometimes I look in the mirror and don't recongize myself. Who knew what cheekbones, hipbones were? Hell...where did my butt go??????

I am saying the same thing - where did my butt go!  That is part of my weight training, to build this butt back up!

I was the same way...size 24 and thought I looked like a 12.  Now Im a 4/6 and feel like Im a 16 some days - I think everyone is smaller than me sometimes!  Might be me actually towering over certain people being 5'8.5" and that making me feel big.