How hard is Maintenance?
Very likely you will start feeling hungry before you get to maintenance. Hunger seems to come back for most people between three and six months post op.
I think it's much easier to keep the weight off now than it was pre op because I get full on small amounts of food. However, I have to make good food choice and I still need to watch my portion size, and that's still difficult for me.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
I started getting hungry around 6 - 8 months. I get hungry now sometimes so much so I have to add protein shakes and that seems to help. I find its typically when I am working out heavy. I think I just cant absorb the amount of calories and protien needed for some workouts. I find adding an extra protein shake seems to balance that some
HW - 297 start of Pre-op - 290.2 SW- 279.2 GW - 145
A middle aged over the hump and over what "I'm suppose to do" woman, with the wild spirit and a nasty case of depression and anxiety!
A favourite saying here is they operate on your stomach not your head. Maintenance for me is all about the head hunger and cravings. Now I know what being thinner feels like I am more motivated to stick to the plan. I do not want to go back to the joint pain or diabetes of before. But some days are easier than others
Its bloody difficult....and like H.A.L.A said...it sucks....however....I feel so lucky to have restriction to assist my efforts....and so lucky to have a chance to get the weight off in the first place
I can only speak for me....but I have to be mindful every day...with every bite.....or I will go back "there".....
Yes, I was scared I would never lose it all, but I did. And 5.75 years later I still fight hard everyday to keep it all off. It is possible to stay at goal, but you can never think you are "cured" from obesity.
I read all the regain posts. They keep me mindful.
Laura in Texas
53 years old; 5'7" tall; HW: 339 (BMI=53); GW: 140 CW: 170 (BMI=27)
RNY: 09-17-08 Dr. Garth Davis
brachioplasty: 12-18-09 Dr. Wainwright; lbl/bl: 06-28-11 Dr. LoMonaco
"May your choices reflect your hopes and not your fears."
I'm surprised each day that at 4.5 months I'm down 80 lbs. I can't imagine going further but each week I follow plan and a bit more comes off. I thought I might be 50 down by his stage and here I am at 80!
5'4" SW=285 PreOp=-13 (surgery @272#,1/14/14), 2week=-12 (260#), 1M=-20 (252#), 2M=-9.5(242.5#), 3M=-18 (224#), 4 M =-10 (214#), 5 M=-11 (202#) 6 M=-11(190.5), 7M=-7.5 (183), 8 M=-6 lbs (177) 9M=-5 (172) 10M=-7.5 (164.5#)
I was terrified surgery would not work for me and I would not lose weight. And then I did! Now I am worried about maintenance as well. I am 20 months out and have been maintaining for 10 months. I am early in the game here so I don't have any big advice. But I think being worried is very normal. I agree with Kelly, I find this much easier than maintaining pre-surgery. But it is hard. All the issues that got me here (poor planning, emotional hunger, binging...) all come back. I do find that it is easier to deal with it now.
