3ish years post op, seemingly sudden weight gain.

I don't want to be the type of person wrapped up in the number in weight issues because I'm happy with myself in general. However, I'm having concerns over what feels like sudden weight gain over the past few months. I've been eating more organic whole foods, cooking at home more, using less sugar, incorporating home made vegetable and fruit juice in my diet and yet I've been gaining weight. A year after surgery I got down to 17**** my bounce back point and I'd been maintaining around 185 for nearing two years, but I'm up to 207 this morning. It's strange and concerning to say the least. 

Advice,  support or any comments from people who have experienced this issue, I welcome it all. 

Also,  I've lost the link to the post op vsg forum, would someone remind me? 

Your food choices do sound healthy. I would suggest tracking your food somewhere like myfitnesspal and weighing or measuring your portions. We tend to forget what a real serving size looks like.

You may be eating more calories.  Fruit juice is loaded with calories.  My best guess is that you should return to basics- protein, veggies and fruits.  Hit the dense protein first and see how you feel. You may need to just tweak what you are doing. Start logging your food again and try to be accurate. Limit any high sugar veggies or fruits until you get your weight back down.

Nancy

Great job on the healthy choices there!  Back to basics is what I would recommend.

1. Protein first, then green leafy veggies.

2. Don't drink your calories.

3. Weigh and track everything.

4. Go to support group.

5. Exercise

6. Set a caloric goal for the day, and plan out what you will eat to avoid getting caught somewhere and consequently eating a crap choice.

7.  If carbs are an issue, manage them.

8. Detox from sweets if applicable (my personal demise)

Get a handle on this now, so you don't wake up in a year with a 50 pound regain.  The weather is finally warming up so enjoy some nice long walks!

http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/VSGM/discussion/    is the VSG maintenance group.

It does sound like you are doing too much of a good thing - we still need to work within a caloric budget. The juicing isn't necessarily a bad thing, particularly home made and with the majority of the whole fruit/veg included, but it is drinking calories along with that good nutrition, so it is a form of eating around our sleeve and that is where some caution needs to be applied. I eat around my sleeve (as opposed to "under eating your sleeve" a la Frisco,) all the time in order to get the calories and nutrition in that I need, but I am also working within a caloric budget that keeps me weight stable; if I need to adjust that budget downward, then I move more toward our classic loss mode techniques like protein first, etc. and reduce the slider component of my diet, even though they are mostly nutritious fruits and veg.

The good news is that you are well within the range of getting back to where you want to be by straightforward dieting like a "normal" person - cutting back the calories and being mindful of what's going inside (which it sounds like you already have a pretty good handle on!) Over the years, I have seen many "wake up" to regains of around 30 lb and successfully bring it back in line over a few months (the regain usually didn't happen overnight!) of being mindful of how we lost the weight in the first place and what may have brought it back; 50lb or more of regain is a lot tougher and many are looking at surgical revision at that point, so while earlier action is always better, it's good that you have picked up on this now rather than later.

Good luck on this next chapter!

 good thoughts I need to keep in mind- too much of a good thing is still too much.  thanks.

Hey Jenn! I rarely ever post anymore, but wanted to say a quick hello. You sound much like me, sans the juice. I cook at home a lot- live a fairly grain free life and have been maintaining at my initial bounce back (w/i 5-7lbs).. but juicing is the only "healthy" thing that never appealed to me. Once you strip the fiber from the veggies (and fruit) you are ingesting basically sugar water. I would, if it were me, eliminate that and any added sugars (natural too, honey, maple) and see where that leads over a few months. I am not one to ever undereat intentionally, nor drop back to a VLCD to drop excess as (for me) it's mentally not a great thing, nor does my thyroid/metabolism really appreciate it.. but my cal goals aren't particularly low to maintain either, despite being somewhat lazy by nature.