almost one year out- need help please

so i'm almost at my one year anniversary (march 16) and i've gone from size 28 to size 14/16. i weighed 375 and now i weigh 223. i have fluctuated between 219-225 for about a month now. 

i am noticing my appetite has somewhat increased especially as of lately and it scares me. i'm also eating more sugar- but the doctor knows about it and said its okay for now because its little enough and i'm still working out. 

i just feel like the increase in appetite is going to be really bad and i want to stop it before it gets worse. is there a way you guys manage yours? some tips maybe?

i might just be paranoid but i'm freaking out and i just need some advice/moral support. there is nothing i am more scared of than gaining and the fact i'm actually really hungry more often than i should be is scaring me.

I have found that eating starchy carbs, including sugary things, ends up actually making me hungrier.  If I stick to stuff high in protein and really limit the starchy stuff, I get full faster and stay full longer.

I also find that for me, eating about every three hours works best.  I do get hungry, usually, that often, but I'm only a little hungry, I'm not starving.  So when I eat, I'm not tempted to eat really big amounts.  It also keeps my blood sugar pretty even, which helps me.

 Thought I'd contribute, since I've been a lurker here forever, and nobody's posted so far!

My hunger returned after about 6-12 months (sorry, I can't remember a more precise date since it's been awhile) but I can't eat as much as before the RXY surgery. Yes, I get hungry, but it's so quickly satisfied, that I feel like I'm okay. 

The main focus from here on out is to eat dense protein, and not get crazy on slider foods and try not to constantly snack. Cottage cheese is always good, because you really can't eat that much of it and you can measure it out to see what your capacity is. About 1/2-3/4 a cup and I'm DONE. But if you start eating chips, candy and bread, well, obviously you can eat more of that and not feel as full and you'll crave more quickly thereafter.   Now and days, I can eat a "healthy choice" meal in one sitting, but that is PUSHING it (usually I try to throw away the last few bites, otherwise...if I'm 'cheating' I'll finish the rest of the meal over the course of an hour or so at my desk). 

I do struggle with my appetite. But it's nothing like it was before the surgery (granted, I'm one year and nine months out, so I still have to be careful going forward). But I weigh myself every monday, during the week, I try and keep track of my calorie intake on an average day, and try to get to the gym regularly. 

I'm 5'6 and a half. Went into surgery at 231 on 6/1/10 (size 18-20) and have stayed at a steady 135-138 lbs (size 4-6) for the past 5 months. (I include this info, since it always drove me crazy when I was surfing these boards and nobody posted their full stats on height/weight/size so I could compare).

I think the biggest thing I need to worry about is not what's happening right now....but making sure you are vigilant about what you are doing for the next few years. You are pretty much guaranteed to lose weight until about 2 years out. The hard part starts at 3 years out! 

I get nuts too that people don't include their height and clothing sizes here on OH.I'm 5ft 6 and was a size 20 in pants and 2x 3x in tops. I'm about a 10, 12 now at 155. Was a 6, 8 when i was 125 back in the day, at age 32. I'm 45 now. Do you find that there is a lot of vanity sizing going on? Bye the way i was 250 when I went to m y surgeon

My appetite returned with a vengence at about 15 months post-op. I also reached my goal weight at this time. I had only been eating 3 meals a day up to this point. I started eating more calories and adding high protein snacks with a simple carbohydrate (fruits) or complex carbohydrate (vegetables, whole grains). I gradually increased my calories until I found where I could maintain without losing more. For me this is 1800 calories a day eating 3 high protein meals a day and 3-4 high protein snacks. The hunger will usually return for most of us. The RNY tool helps in giving me a sensation of fullness with smaller amounts of food versus prior to RNY when my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Before RNY I could eat large quantities of food at one sitting. Since this is a lifestyle change, I have learned to listen to my body a lot closer and determine what is real hunger versus head hunger. I also educate myself about nutrition, emotional triggers, etc. to stay on track and give me life-long success.

Congratulations on your great success so far! Yes it is very scary when you notice the return of your appetite. Gaining back my lost lbs, is my biggest fear also! In my experience, staying away from sugar and carby white foods like bread, pasta, rice, crackers, etc. is the best way to stay on track. I started adding too many of those over and since the holidays, but have recently gotten  back on track with high protein and low carb which has stopped the excessive hunger and cravings, especially the return of my old enemy- night time snacking!

I had been able to do this quickly before, as soon as I saw a problem developing and went up a couple of lbs, I would go back to this way of eating and be fine. But this last time I couldn't seem to get a handle on it. I'd promise myself I'd do better and then I'd continue on the same path, especially the night eating. I am a stress eater and I think that was part of the problem. But also, I started to think it was okay to eat one of those tiny, 3 bags/dollar chips a few times a week, lots of crackers with my chili (& alone), and other carby things. For me, this is NOT okay, as it triggers exactly the eating patterns that got me to the point of needing WLS. Some people can handle those foods fine, I am not one of them.

Try cutting out that sugar you have added and replace with other higher protein options. See how that works for you. Hopefully it will help you to get back the early satiety and lack of hunger that you had before. If not, experiment and find what does work for you. This life after WLS is a never-ending journey, and we have to adjust course every now and then to stay on track.

I wish you much success as you continue on your journey!