[Perfesser]

Sign in if you are currently maintaining and not actively seeking to lose more weight. If you'd like to regain a few, you're obviously past the active loss phase!

Also, how long did it take to get to the maintenance phase and how long have you been there?

It took me 7 months post-op to lose what I have, and I've been maintaining +/- 2 pounds now for 5 months.

CT

[DianeB]

I've been maintaining now, I was at 130-131 for the longest time, then I went down to 122. We had a tragedy last month in my family so I think that had alot to do with it. I think I will be happy between 130 - 140. I am 21 months out.

[Kenyar]

depends on what you mean my intention is to maintain but everytime you turn around i drop in weight. im headed back down for some strange reason...working on it though.

[A new me]

I was maintaining for a good 5-6 months or maybe more. But I gained a bit before my recent surgery ( hernias ) and then I lost about 15 more right after surgery. Wanst hungry. I also am not allowed to work out right now due to my surgery but God willing I am hoping to get clearance next week when I go back on Jan. 8th.

So yes to answer your question Ive pretty much been maintaining.

[Kenyar]

can i just ask a stupid question?? i mean, HOW do you maintain?? just eat more than you were when you were losing? i never got the memo on this one from my surgeon's office

[A new me]

Either did I.

I just try to use my own judgement. My scale is my help in maintaining. If it goes up a bit I go back to the very basics and that is how Ive been doing it. My surgeons office has not really given me anything on maitaining but I did hear that with the
newer patients they are working with them more.

[Perfesser]

Originally Posted by Kenyar

can i just ask a stupid question?? i mean, HOW do you maintain?? just eat more than you were when you were losing? i never got the memo on this one from my surgeon's office

I musta missed that one,too!! If we could come up with an answer to that question, I think we would do the whole list a great service. It'd be nice to have some long-termers weigh in on this, too, to add their wisdom to us second-year students!

Basically, I'm eating a better choice of food than I did prior. No fast food, no refined sugars, more fruits (lots more fruits!), obsessive amounts of water, and a lot less fats than before. I haven't the capacity to gorge as I once did. That was demonstrated yesterday when I brought home a rotisserie chicken. Usually it would have been one meal for us. Peanut likes white meat, I like dark, so we've never competed for our favorite parts. Peanut is cutting back as she prepares for her operation and tries to lose some weight pre-op. She got two meals out of that bird, and I got three! So I eat way less than before.

Because I am eating less, and eating better, I don't really worry about how much I eat. I know when I've had too much, and it shows up on the scales, so I tone it back, and that shows up on the scales too. The only exception since August when I shifted to maintenance has been this week, after my hernia surgery. Sitting quietly and unable to do any meaningful amount of work, bored out of my mind and snacking a bit (on healthy stuff, mind you!) I picked up two pounds I shouldn't have. They're gone now, though. Doesn't take long if you don't let it get ahead of you. But I'm not counting calories or grams. I'm just using my judgment to do what I think works, and it pretty much does.

Maybe that's how it's done. We'll see. I do know that my weight has been better controlled this way than anything else I have ever tried, including Atkins maintenance phase.

How are the rest of you handling the challenge? I figure a common fear among us is putting on too much ever again, so it's got to be a delicate juggling act. It'd be interesting to hear what others are doing.

CT

NOTE: A new me used the word "judgment", and so did I, as something we use to keep us stable. Before you can use judgment, you have to develop judgment. That comes from being informed and going through a conscious educational process of trial and error. You have to know how you (not me, not someone else) respond to this or that before you can rely on that knowledge as a foundation for maintenance, or anything else. Work on LEARNING as you work on losing.

Without this major change in your thought and behavior patterns, there is no major change in your response patterns. The true test comes in the years after you stop losing. The thrilling part of this ride is the weight loss, we can all agree on that. The true success, though, comes when you look in the mirror a year or ten post-op and have to decide if you like what (and who!) you see. So work on that, along with all your other homework!!

[SarJen01]

I'm anxious to hear more about this.

[angelmolly20]

I am 4 yrs, 4 mo out. I didnt stop losing weight for about the first 3 yrs. then I hit a stand still, actually gained about 13lbs. Started to get alittle harder. I had to pick myself up by the boot straps and get back on track. I have recently lost 8 lbs. So I am happy to say my tool still works. I think our body tells us when we are maintaining. We will get to a point when what we once ate to lose weight will just maintain us. And if we gain a few, sometimes thats our bodies way of telling us we are a bit to low. I was down to 134 (which is to low for me) and thats when i went up 13lbs. So if we listen to our bodies and eat properly thats maintaining.... This is just my explanation, I was never told either....

[not quite Barbie]

I've been trying to stop losing for over a month now. I've increased my calories somewhat, and am trying to eat slightly larger meals - as much as the pouch will allow. I eat 6 times a day.

I went home for Christmas and did have some cookies or cake every day and thought for sure I'd be up a few pounds but Nooooo, I lost another 1.5 lbs.

How do you stop losing???? I really want to maintain where I'm at. I'm getting so bony it scares me.