Hit my "fatty" rule-

"Am I right [to worry]"...

I think an entire thread could be dedicated to this idea.  Before you read my response, please know that I have VERY STRONG OPINIONS on this and none of it is backed up by research.  Not sayng it isn't out there, I have just not done my homework on it.  

What do you get from worrying?  It is not proactive, it is not positive, it is not an "actionable" response that furthers you to your goal, etc.  Now, there is a very small role for worry IMHO.  It should be that initial red flag, that gut feeling that triggers an awareness that one is deviating from the path to your goal.  But that is it.  It should not be obsessive in anyway, nor should it be critical of oneself  In short, I do not believe that you should allow a negatie mindset in, period. 

Why do I believe so strongly in this?   Prior to surgery I would absolutely beat myself up for deviating from a diet- even a tiny amount.  Did this help? Absolutely not, and in fact it always served to derail me.  I worried a lot, and the only thing that happened as a result was getting super fat.  Then I had surgery.  For the first two months I worried like crazy and I was pretty much obsessive about it (not clinically so, but not in a healthy way).  There were a couple of posters here constantly berating me for eating carbs and not following "the plan" of under 800 cals, under 40 carbs.  I was so doubtful of my ability to lose weight, and these folks had done an excellent job of getting to goal... so I tried mightily to follow.  It makes sense- follow successful vets, right?  But, the level of worry was instense. I think many newly sleeved folks are very, very vulnerable those first two months or so.  It just takes a lot of time to adjust.  Anyway by the end of the 2nd month and many episodes of low sugar incidents (hypoglycemics should  NOT follow under 40 carbs) I finally woke up one morning and realized how absurd my behavior was.  I started listening to my NUT, incorporated my balanced approach, felt better immedieatly, and then started to work on the mental part of it.  The very first thing I committed to as far as making head changes was to throw worry out the door.  I had a poster way back then read one of my posts where the level of worry was sky high because I had a "cheat"... her simple message of just crawl back on the wagon/not worth beating yourself up was exacty what I needed.  It made me think about how worrying so negatively impacted me.  It triggered an awareness of my needing to really, really work on the skill of making a poor choice, but not allowing that choice pattern to continue... to develop the skill of crawling back on the wagon. 

So now? I just flat out don't do it- worry.  It does not serve me well at all.  It sets me up for failure.  That energy that I chose not to devote to worrying is instead used to follow my plan.  Instead of worrying, I take the time to note the positive shifts and minor changes that I do make to get back to where I want to be- to acknowledge the little things.  

This journey of mine is not about absolutes.  It is about consistency.  I completely trust myself now.  It doesn't mean that I do not experience a bit of regain here and there- I do.  But I have a clear plan that thus far has worked extremely well, has always resulted in getting back off those few pounds, and is done without agonizing and constant worry.  Maintenance, as a result, has thus far been very easy.  And this is despite multiple cancer diagnosis, a slew of surgeries... all thngs that previously wold have triggered terrible emotional eating.  I have come a long way, but I also know that there may be a time where I derail and this approach may not work.  If that happens, I trust myself to recognize it and adjust.  I am just not going to worry about it :) 

Good for you!  Thanks for sharing and continuing to inspire and teach those of us following.