VSG and gain

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I had vsg in September 2019 and maintained for 5 years. This last few months I've experienced gain and I am freaking out. I don't want to gain any more and am looking everywhere for tips. I am 58 and have a sedentary job. Any help is appreciated.

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  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 2,036 Member

    By 5 years it is common to experience weight gain. By this point your stomach has stretched out, allowing you to eat more food again. Your best bet in my opinion is start getting serious right now about tracking all your food and making sure you stick to your calorie limit. If not, you risk regaining most, if not all, of the weight you lost.

  • Strudders67
    Strudders67 Posts: 991 Member

    Are you logging everything you eat and drink in MFP? Are you weighing and measuring everything? If not, start. Make sure the entries are accurate (per the packaging of anything you've bought) as things change but entries in the database don't always get updated. Then, look at where the bulk of your calories are coming from and see if you can make any substitutions. Start with making small changes that you can sustain.

    Do you eat enough protein? The recommendation is 0.8 to 1g per kg of body weight / 0.36 to 0.45g per lb of body weight and will help you feel fuller, which may curb any desire to snack.

    Can you have a smaller portion of pasta / rice / potatoes? It won't work for everyone, but (at home) I've pretty much swapped them for a plateful of veg instead. 200g of finely sliced white cabbage, sauted in a little oil or butter and seasoned with black pepper, is far fewer calories (and much more filling as there's more fibre) than a portion of pasta (75g dried weight). It's similar calories to a very small portion of new potatoes or a miniscule portion of rice, but I'd look at the 3 tiny potatoes I'd allocated myself and immediately want to empty the entire bowlful onto my plate.

    I'm sure those who are far more knowledgeable than me will chime in with more ideas, but elsewhere on this site are suggestions for movements that you can make (such tapping your feet whilst at your desk) to increase calorie burn. Look at the 'Must Read' points at the top of this branch of the forum and read the NEAT Improvement Strategies thread for more ideas.