Terrified !!!!

So I haven't been on here in a long while but I am doing well I am very close to goal and amazed at how life has changed.  I am loving the new me! I am active and not sluggish anymore. I am under 200 pounds which has not happened to me since I was 14 years old.  I still don't belive it even when I see it I have had days where I say the scale just isn't right. LOL Im super excited about it.  I am a busy busy girl nowadays so I am doing my best to make my new lifestyle a habit.  But I have experienced something truly terrifying.  I have just started a new job and I have met two women who both have had RNY.  One is 25 and the other woman is 60 both have gained ALL of their weight back plus more.  The 25 yr old had hers done in 2006 so its been 7 years but the other woman is only 2 years out.  Everyday since I have met them I think I have psyched myself into seeing my old self.  I cannot stay off of the scale and I am literally craving everything.  I have been running daily to try and counter the cravings.  For all of you veterans what are some of the things you do to maintain your weight loss? I do not want the old me to come back I am terrified of being that person again I was very unhealthy and on the verge of diabetes at 25 !!! No way !!

Thanks
Tiffany

Seeing people who have regained their weight is scary but it is also a reality.  I know, I regained 100 lbs with my first WLS.  You just need to use it as a cautionary tale.  It can happen to us.  No one is immune.  You can try to guess how or why but chances are they either didn't change their eating habits or they didn't stick with the changes.  It is very easy to go back to ingrained habits.  The surgery gives us a boost, an assist to make the changes but it is up to us to implement those changes on a daily basis.  I have found that when I make exceptions to my eating "just this one time" those one times become more frequent until I am back where I started.  No matter how long it's been or how hard I've worked I know I could easily go back to where I started.  I've done it before, although for me it was a matter of never making changes and letting the surgery do it for me, which was great when it worked but it didn't work forever and it caught up with me.  I used that experience to learn from and to do things differently this time.  So far it is working out but I just take it one day at a time.  I still see how easy it is to veer off the course I've set out for myself.  When I do get off track I jump back on immediately and don't let myself get sidetracked or use it as an excuse to go hog wild.  No one is perfect and I am only human.  But I hope I never quit trying.

I know not everyone can handle protein shakes but I'm convinced they help us maintain. Or, at least make it a little easier. If you watch Menus and Miles you'll see how some of our RNY vets eat who are maintaining....Roz, Linda, Price and other folks too. Try to keep the carbs around 50-70 grams a day and protein up around 100 grams. Limit grains and fruit as much as possible but get a very little of those in to satisfy your NUT but not too much. Make sure you're drinking 64+ ounces of fluids a day and taking all your vitamins and minerals. You'll win this war.

--gina

I understand.  I feel like I am just now trying to learn maintainance.  Everytime I stray from the path, the scale jumps 2 lbs.  I get  it back down but only because I am back on track immediately.  At least for me, it has to be a life long committment to eating healthy.  for me, that includes my protein shakes and low carb.  And it includes staying accountable here, posting on miles and menus and giving back like others did for me.  I don't really crave white carbs and that is good.  Losing was much easier for me than maintaining has been.  My low was 111 which I thought was too low.  I would like to stay 114-116.  I was 117 this morning.  Yes, it is just a pound, but it could be 2 or 3 and that scares the heck out of me.

The way it was explained to me was

Our "tool" (surgery type) will help us achieve our weight loss.  During that timeframe, we learn and ingrain new eating habits.  When our honeymoon period is over and we are truly in maintenance, our new eating habits are now daily habits. 

That's how we maintain.

It IS very easy to get on that slippery slope and regain weight.  I've done it myself.  Awareness is the key.  Perhaps seeing your 2 coworkers who have gained their weight back was actually good for you - because it made you very cognizant of what you DON'T want to go back to!

Like it was said above - visit Roz' Menus and Miles - good to see what the vets are eating.

I look on Menus and miles daily to keep track of what Roz and the veteran gang are eating. I also have an excellent calorie counter application that I can upload my vitamins to which helps me stay mindful. I think it just caught me off guard to see that its that simple to go right back and that is what scared me. I am actually able to exercise a lot more now and have been stalking the gym. You are right it was probably good to see those coworkers to make me aware. I think the main thing is making the new lifestyle a habit not a necessity for the stage we are in. Protein shakes have been my best friend in the morning but for other post op they stop them after that stage is done.

Tiff, of 4 people I know who had RNY, 2 put on all their weight again. One did it when her husband had a severe viral infection that landed him in intensive care for a couple weeks, and then a rehab center for 6 months at the same time her eldest daughter was diagnosed with MS. Her life was so crazy, she just ate what she could find when she could find it.

The other never dealt with her head issues and continued eating as she always had.

The other 2 had some bounce-back weight, but are vigilant in keeping things in check.

I'm modeling myself on the ones who kept it in check.

For me, shakes make a huge difference in keeping me satiated, although nothing stops cravings but a slap upside the head, or maybe two. Even so, DH convinced me that I would be "fine" if I stopped measuring and logging food. Yeah, right. I put on 10 pounds in 8 weeks.

I'm back to measuring/logging everything, and 4 of the pounds are gone. Now to work on the other 6. The difference from pre-op is that now I know that I CAN do it, and my tool will help me. I just need to keep my head under control.

Hi Tiffany,
Welcome back!!  Maintenance is a lot harder than losing the weight!!

I really think staying connected here helps me.  I do the Sunday weigh in that Liz posts and that gives me a guide from week to week.  If I have an increase I cut back and increase exercise.  I actually weigh everyday(it doesn't freak me out), but only count each Sunday's.  Hopefully catching a gain early on will help get it under control instead letting 5 turn to 10 and 10 to 20 and so on.

Posting on Menus and Miles helps with my accountability and it always gives me great ideas from others who are doing the same thing.  Drinking with meals is something that a lot of people start doing and that gets them off track and allows them to get hungry sooner and eat more. 

I don't think of this as a diet, but I have actually changed my lifestyle.  I used to eat out almost 3 times a day 5-7 times a week.  Now it is only maybe 1-2 times a week if any(unless out of town).
I have enjoyed getting in the kitchen and trying new things.

Protein Drinks - help me to have something in my hand/mouth most of the day and helps me get my fluids in.  They fill me up.  I know for some people they don't do that.  I do the 5-6 small meals a day(more with snacks).

Regain is a very scary thing for me.  I don't want to ever get back where I was at.

Did either one of them tell you what happened to them that got them side tracked and allowed them to gain the weight?

Sounds like you have done a great job!!  Keep it up.

Linda