Hello, I'm 3+ years post-op and I've been maintaining for about a year and a half. I can't promise to have all the answers but I'm willing to share anything that might help you or anyone else with maintaining their weight loss. I've learned so much from others that it's important for me to do my part and pay it forward. Sent you a friend request.

Most days I continue to eat exactly the same as I did during the weight loss phase. I'm still using food scales and still getting my 10k steps in per day. I have to try to keep my calories below 1200 per day. If I go over I have to exercise off the surplus calories.

I do gain and lose the same 5 pounds over and over. My thought is if I wasn't losing the 5 pounds I would continue to gain. It is surprising how quickly weight can be gained if I get off plan for just a few days and it seems to happen to everyone. I've joined a gym and I'm working on trying to gain just a few pounds of muscle mass, hoping it will improve my metabolism.

To lose the 5 pounds I have to go back to the basics, back to the 800 calories per day I ate during the weight loss phase. That means being really careful about every bite that passes my lips. My go-to meal is a tuna pouch and 4 ounces of steamed veggies. That meal totals about 150 calories. Breakfast is steamed spinach, a poached egg, and salsa or 1/2 tablespoon of tomato pesto (Classico brand). Dinner is either fish and a small salad or baked chicken with a small salad. I just repeat that meal over and over until the 5 pounds are gone. It isn't fun but it works. If I have a snack it's a few ounces of yogurt. If I go over the 800 calories I exercise it off.

Also in my head I have the voice of a really mean lady telling me I would never keep the weight off. Maybe I'm working harder just to spite her, which isn't a good reason but I have to use what works and making her eat her words everytime I see her is worth it. Revenge isn't good for anybody's soul so I don't suggest using it as your passion to get but on track but you have to find something.