Bounce-back/weight regain after 2 year mark...

For all those @ or around the 2 year mark...question: have you heard about a "bounce-back" or slight weight regain expectation after surgery 2 yr mark? Just wondering if anyone is experiencing it now and if so, about how much have you regained? Is there an expectation that we gain "some" due to increasing our absorption of calories, & being able to eat more??? I was expecting some gain I suppose--preparing myself at least. But each day I get on the scales it seems that the numbers are slowly rising. I don't feel that I'm eating more calories than I'm burning. I exercises daily. I've cranked up my walking even and the pounds are still going up; 1 lb here and another there. I weighed yesterday and I'm about 10 lbs up (@143) from my lowest weight after surgery at (132/133). UGH....hate to see that. SOOOO DEPRESSING to be in the 140's when I was in the low 130's. Oh well. Expecting some lbs to come back on my frame, but I'm finding my clothing is getting tight and I'm just not as comfortable in some of my clothing as I used to be say 3-5 months ago. Don't know what else to do other than continue to CUT BACK on my food and INCREASE my exercising...walking as much as I can each day. What else is there??? I just don't want the extra weight gain to turn into the "runaway train"...and the numbers get higher and higher and higher and before I know it---I've got 20 or 30 extra lbs on my frame. Go**** happens soooo easily too. Guess all I can do is try my best, but it sure helps to hear comments/stories from others of you out there in my same shoes at the 2 year mark & what you're experiencing as well. Please share--if you've had similar issues or if you're experiencing the same issues now. THANKS!!!

 Don't know what else to do other than continue to CUT BACK on my food and INCREASE my exercising

 

 

This is exactly what you need to do.  Are you also drinking enough and taking your supplements?

Yes, I take my supplements daily. I am drinking but I suppose I could drink more water and that would help some. I haven't tried that yet so perhaps that would make a big difference. Thanks for the suggestion. I do appreciate it!

Sorry it really is Eat Less Exercise More, or if you aren't an exerciser eat even less.  To maintain at 137lbs I eat around 1000 calories Monday-Friday (my diet days) and on weekends around 1500 calories give or take depending upon if it is a special occasion or whatever.  If you want to weigh a certain weight you need to figure out how many calories it takes to keep you there and sorry to say it is probably way few then you want to hear.  Sad but true.

Good Luck!

I am 4 years out and have not regained.  As a matter of fact, I'm wearing today a denim skirt I bought about the time I finished losing.

The key is you must burn what you consume each day to maintain, and burn more than you consume CONSISTENTLY to lose.   Around the 2 year mark is when malabsorption begins to wane.  So now you have to do what "regular" people do.......and hopefully you've instilled some great new lifestyle changes that will make the process doable.

Are you tracking your food intake?  Use a tool like myfitnesspal or the health tracker on OH. 

Exercise:  you are walking.  Is that all you do?  Walking is good exercise, but unless you are power walking (under 15 min mile), you really wont burn much with just walking.  Try to incorporate muscle strengthening exercises (think weights or resistance training) to build muscle tissue.  The more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you need to support it, which allows you to eat more without gaining.  Additional muscle tissue also ramps up the metabolism.........it is a win/win!

Whatever you do, DO NOT HAVE A DEFEATIST ATTITUDE AND ACCEPT WEIGHT GAIN.  YOU are in control of your body, and have full control to either gain, lose or maintain weight.  It is really simple, BUT IT AINT EASY!!

Let us know how you are doing.

Thanks for the confidence booster. I appreciate the advice and suggestions. You're right--it isn't easy but nothing usually is. I will press on and I will experiment with some weight training. Sounds like good advice! Thanks again!

I very much echo what Kim said..... the mechanics of our surgeries are fairly consistent and predictable, but mentality is not inevitable, is not unchangeable. 

In my first year after surgery, I started walking and progressed to running. Approaching my 2nd year, I decided that I would have to step it up and keep running if I wanted to maintain my weightloss - so I did. I ran my first Half-marathon, then a 2nd, now my 3rd in 2 weeks. I'm training for a full marathon this October. LOTS of exercise is what it takes for me to keep bounce-back at bay, mindfulness of keeping my eating habits in check, and HONESTLY logging my food intake in MyFitnessPal daily. These things have worked for me so far, and kept me only 5-10lbs above my lowest (116lbs).

People often find that they have to eat less (or move more) once the caloric malabsorption ends in order not to regain.

 

Lora

Yep--that just about covers it doesn't it. Eat less/move more. Thanks!

Never count on remaining at the lowest weight you got to during the malabsorption period. At 18 to 30 months post op, the malabsorption has come to an end. This is when you will need to really adjust your intake of calories for maintaining your weight (whatever weight you feel is healthy for you). It takes a lot of trial and error. You are in control. Your body does not have a mind of it's own. You can still lose weight after the malabsorption ends.