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No it's not causing weight gain for me..but I stopped losing for a long time now and about junk food I noticed that I can eat more of it easier than other food ..still the sleeve stops me at some point ofcourse..thats why I really need to be more careful..I started to write down everything I have during the day,something like food diary..hope it'll help..

Weight gain immediately following surgery is quite common and absolutely nothing to worry about. It can and does happen but it won't last. Focus all of your attention on following the protocol to the letter and stay away from the scales for at least a week, two would be even better. You're gonna love the new you!!

120 grams of protein a day plus food intake is exactly what body builders do to bulk up. That is where the weight gain came from... That has been corrected The problem here lies in the fact she feels no restriction since day one and not only no restriction but she has not become ill from eating a normal size meal. She has been posting from the beginning that something was different with her intake levels and recovery. It's one thing to have head hunger and eat and you regret it because you're vomiting or have the slimes with pain in your stomach. She has not had adverse reactions to consumption. I'm positive the reduction in protein intake will help her weight gain but when you have a surgery for restriction then by god you deserve to have that restriction. Restriction is exactly what saves all of us from ourselves.

I just want to step in and say to Frumpy, regardless of the weight gain, please take the GERD seriously. I am just a month out from revision to bypass that was necessary because of multiple ulcers and inflammation that occurred despite me taking nexium since my surgery in 2013 and never actually feeling heartburn. We don't have much stomach left after sleeve and we can't afford for GERD to damage it. Gastric bypass makes GERD practically impossible because the bile duct is in a different part of the system from the esophagus and stomach after the bypass. I'm not saying you need bypass but you need to be monitoring the situation with your doctor.

I am in a similar situation. I had my band placed in July 2012 and it slipped at some point and was repaired Nov 2013. By the time of the repair I had lost 100lbs. Since then I have gained 80lbs, developed a hiatal hernia and a host of other physical complications from the weight gain. To say I am frustrated is an understatement. My last two visits my Dr has removed fluid from my band because I am experiencing shortness of breath. Contrast and endoscopy confirmed band placement was fine. I am having mixed feelings about the band since the hernia developed after placement. I have been seriously considering a revision and having the gastric sleeve. I don't know what to expect since the placement is fine but there's the shortness of breath and now he's removed 5ccs from the band, I feel my appetite increasing. Trying not to get completely discouraged and remain positive but I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle.

I'll never forget when I was listening to a podcast by Jillian Michaels (I know some hate her, but I love her).. and she said, the muscle makes you gain myth is total bunk.. its something people to say to make someone feel better and that its really, really hard to gain that much muscle. People are explaining it wrong. Jillian is right. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weight exactly the same. A pound. A pound of muscle looks better than a pound of fat because fat takes up a lot more space. Muscle makes you look leaner and harder. Plus, the MORE lean muscle you have, the more calories your body burns. You can weigh the same if you are muscular and look significantly smaller than the person of the same height and weight standing next to you who has half the lean muscle you do. The part about gaining "muscle" weight while weight lifting being really hard to do is completely true. It takes significant effort to become jacked up or bulked up. Like eat 2 pounds of chicken, 2 pounds of potatoes, etc per day while following a crazy workout schedule. It's like having an extra job. A very thin person who starts weight training would experience a small weight gain without trying to become bulked up, but anyone else, not really. You would get an increase in blood volume and muscle gain but that would be offset by a much more significant fat loss.

To be fair, my highest weight was recorded back in October 2009. I started seeing a nutritionist and lost 60lbs over the next 7 months thru diet & exercise. Like most of us, I just couldn't keep it off once the hunger monster got hold of me. I regained 40lbs by March 2011 and got to 235lbs on my surgery date after exercising my booty off at the Y and keeping my calories below 1600. I'm thankful every day to have had the opportunity to have this surgery. It's wonderful to be free of the chains of hunger & cravings! Now if I could find a chocolate Protein drink that doesn't make me wanna puke... I've had horrible reflux ever since I was pregnant with my youngest child. I had it when I carried my first, too, but it went away as soon as I delivered her. My son wrecked by body in many ways - heartburn, the weight gain, stretched ab muscles - but he's cute so I guess I'll keep him!

hi bedhead, - strong possibility that i could have been in a room near me - don't remember the room #, i will try and look it up, sounds interesting we might have been at SUNY when you were there. whats the infection you had - all better now i hope. Any comment about your electrolites, did they get them in order? every thing else going well i hope. curious on your opinions on the younger residents and nurses. Just wondering there service etc . actually since i've been home, i still am not feeling well with my whole drinking of problm. i feel again. i'm going on the road towards dehydration again - i don't understand why, but i seem like have a lot of trouble geting all my liquid (H20) I really don't want to end up at the SUNY Hotel again they continuelly stuffed me with various Vitamins, magnisium i mean, phosforus (msp) at thed hospitaland some say that stuff could help you gain weight. I'm trying to reasure myself that this is rational - i don't want to think i actually gained 6 lbs like i did, doing every properly, even througing up - throwing up dictionary - Webster new addition Then i get on the scale instead of not losing, or even remaining the same weight, I gained 6 lbs. not to cool Under most situations, i wouldn't be too upset about a little weight gain or no loss - but to have gained weight, thats beyound my understanding. I am raising my right hand that # i swear I will promise to drink, and drink more liquids. Cold is now on overtime from 24 hr flu to maybe at least 48 hours. Oh well, nice to hear from you Bedhead best wishes kathy

[i think links are not working on the iPhone and ipad apps. Also, not sure if others will see this, but there are a lot of HTML tags appearing in posts. I think lipstick lady copied the text from the link, but on my ipad app, it's unreadable because the HTML tags.. QUOTE=LipstickLady] How to Be a Good Ally to Fat People Who Appear to Have Lost Weight <div style="font-size:14px;margin:0px 0px 15px;color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:'proxima-nova', sans-serif;background-color:rgb(233,246,254);"><span>November 14, 2013</span> | by <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://everydayfeminism.com/author/bevinb/'>Bevin Branlandingham</a> <div style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:'proxima-nova', sans-serif;font-size:16px;background-color:rgb(233,246,254);"> <div style="background-color:rgb(245,245,245);text-align:center;"><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://everydayfeminism.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/10079750784_0fc03ca2c1_z.jpg'><img height="199" src="http://everydayfeminism.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/10079750784_0fc03ca2c1_z-300x199.jpg" width="300" alt="10079750784_0fc03ca2c1_z-300x199.jpg"></a> <p class="" style="color:rgb(170,170,170);font-size:12px;">Source: <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.flickr.com/photos/bevin/10079750784/'>Flickr</a> <p style="font-size:16px;"> <p style="font-size:16px;"><i>Originally published on </i><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://queerfatfemme.com/2013/10/04/how-to-be-a-good-ally-to-fat-people-who-appear-to-have-lost-weight/'><i>***** Fat Femme</i></a><i> and cross-posted here with their permission.</i> <p style="font-size:16px;">Our culture normalizes talking about bodies all the time. <p style="font-size:16px;">There is especially a lot of value placed on weight gain or loss. <p style="font-size:16px;">Turn on a television and just listen to diet chatter. It’s pervasive, obnoxious, and well-meaning individuals perpetuate it in our personal lives all the time. <p style="font-size:16px;"><b>I like to create an environment in my life that is about substance over small talk, where compliments are genuine and weight is value-neutral.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;"><i>“Oh, but Bevin,”</i> you may be saying. <i>“I really mean it as a compliment when I notice you’ve lost weight!”</i> <p style="font-size:16px;">But, well-intentioned friend, <b>just because you’re well-intentioned doesn’t mean what you say doesn’t have a harmful impact.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">Weight loss doesn’t mean I look good. <p style="font-size:16px;">I believe I look good at all of my weights – all bodies are good bodies. <p style="font-size:16px;">And I know your perception of me might have changed because you are socialized to believe smaller is better, but I would like to gently invite you to do something different with your non-pliments of <i>“You look so good!”</i> when someone has lost weight. <p style="font-size:16px;">It’s also important to remember that the well-intentioned friends come in all shapes and sizes, fat, thin, and in-between. <b>1. How About Don’t Talk About It?</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">I strongly subscribe to the philosophy that <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://queerfatfemme.com/2013/10/04/how-to-be-a-good-ally-to-fat-people-who-appear-to-have-lost-weight/%E2%80%9Dhttp:/queerfatfemme.com/2013/06/24/my-bodys-nobodys-business-but-my-own/%E2%80%9D'>my body is nobody’s business but my own</a>. If I want to talk about it with someone, I will and I do. <p style="font-size:16px;"><b>I completely understand the inclination to ask questions about an obvious change.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">I am a naturally inquisitive person. My friends call me the ***** Oprah because of my tendency to really like to get into the meat of people’s stories. <p style="font-size:16px;">But as I’ve learned how to become a more sensitive and compassionate person, I have had to learn that <b>sometimes you <i>just don’t ask</i> and you stay in the dark.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">It feels kind of impossible not to be nosy about it, but I do it anyway because it’s not my business. <p style="font-size:16px;">Also, <i>what if you’re wrong?</i> <p style="font-size:16px;">A friend of mine just said she gets asked all the time if she lost weight when she puts her hair down! <p style="font-size:16px;">Being nosy and being inquisitive are natural things that I am still working on curtailing. But I think it’s worth it to do the work to be sensitive because I don’t want to hurt people’s feelings. <p style="font-size:16px;">I want my friends to feel like they can be their most vibrant and awesome selves around me. <b>2. Wait for the Person to Bring It Up</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">Have you ever noticed that lots of straight people will out themselves to you within about ten minutes of conversation? Sometimes as short as two. <p style="font-size:16px;">Straight people in a heteropatriarchy are reaffirmed all the time about how great, normal, and important their straightness is. Therefore, they have likely not had the experience of having to hide or code their sexuality to people. <p style="font-size:16px;">They don’t really play the <i>“pronoun” </i>game and affirm their heterosexuality without thinking about it. <p style="font-size:16px;"><b>The same is true for lots of people who have lost weight.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">In a diet-obsessed culture, it is super normalized that weight loss is a good thing. People who are excited about their weight loss will probably bring it up because it is normalized to talk about people’s bodies whether that is right or wrong. <p style="font-size:16px;">So <b>let it happen if it will organically.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">People don’t stop to think about whether or not weight loss might be a sign of someone’s increased health or not. I know many people who have had cancer that lost a lot of weight rapidly. <p style="font-size:16px;"><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://queerfatfemme.com/2013/10/04/how-to-be-a-good-ally-to-fat-people-who-appear-to-have-lost-weight/%E2%80%9Dhttp:/www.candyekane.com/%E2%80%9D'>Candye Kane</a> (an amazing blues singer) said on stage once, <i>“I don’t recommend the cancer diet.”</i> <p style="font-size:16px;">Maybe just <b>ask them what’s going on in their life and talk to them</b> organically. <p style="font-size:16px;">The core questions you have about them may just come to light. But, again, their body is none of your business unless they bring it up. <p style="font-size:16px;">If they do bring up their weight loss in a positive manner, you can do the work of someone working in solidarity with fat people by saying, <i>“I think you look great at any weight, but I’m really glad you feel good in your body right now.”</i> <b>3. Mention a General Compliment That Is More Neutral</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">If you <i>really</i> want to compliment someone because you genuinely think they look good, there are lots of things about someone’s appearance you can go for. <p style="font-size:16px;"><b>Instead of mentioning weight loss thing, if you want to compliment someone, you can go for something else.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;"><i>“Your hair looks great!”</i> Or maybe: <i>“I love this outfit!”</i> <p style="font-size:16px;"><b>There are a bunch of different ways to express positivity to someone that don’t take into account weight loss and reinforce that weight loss is the only way to look good.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">I can see friends who come at me when I’ve lost weight sort of looking for a way to talk about my appearance without going down the wrong road because they know I loved myself X number of pounds ago and they don’t want to bury themselves in the wrong kind of compliment. <b>4. Comment on the Self</b> <p style="font-size:16px;"><i>“You seem particularly present tonight. I don’t know what it is, but you just seem extra YOU today. I love it!”</i> <p style="font-size:16px;">If you must say something to the person, I suggest the foregoing. Kris Ford gave me this quote. <p style="font-size:16px;">I think it’s really great! <p style="font-size:16px;">What a remarkable way to get to the essence of what your weight loss compliment is really about. <p style="font-size:16px;">When we stop to think about what we really mean when we’re talking to people, we might be able to clearly communicate without hurting them. <b>5. Absolutely Don’t Ask Someone What They’re Doing</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">Oh my God, my family is so into this discussion. <p style="font-size:16px;">I zone out when I start to hear diet talk, Weight Watchers, walking the track, whatever new thing they’re doing. <p style="font-size:16px;">I truly believe in <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://queerfatfemme.com/tag/health-at-every-size/'>health at every size</a> and will totally pipe into discussions of fitness, feeling good in your body, and other things from an <i>“All Bodies Are Good Bodies</i>” perspective. <p style="font-size:16px;"><b>But I have <i>heard “What are you doing?”</i> question so many times, and I just absolutely hate it.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">Again, often folks will offer it if they want to. But in general, the<i> “what you’re doing” </i>question is such a standard thing people think is okay to ask, but it’s actually really personal! <p style="font-size:16px;">I have a super close friend I asked this question of because I genuinely had no idea how she had lost weight and wondered. But I’m close enough to her that when she dropped that it was an eating disorder, it was a safe® space to talk about it. <p style="font-size:16px;">I also learned from that moment to <b>tread even a little more lightly with that stuff, to open those kinds of conversations with gentle warnings, or to open slowly.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">Because people who are just hanging out or going about their life maybe don’t want to just talk about their traumas out of the blue because you want to comment on their bodies. <p style="font-size:16px;text-align:center;">*** <p style="font-size:16px;"><b>I struggle with what to say to people when they comment about changes to my weight.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">True fact about me: I tend to be an emotional non-eater. <p style="font-size:16px;">If I am going through a rough time, I will likely lose some weight. I lost sixty pounds when my fiance left me. And every time someone commented on my weight, I would say, <i>“Bad break-up.”</i> I would kind of grumpily respond to a nonpliment with snark. <p style="font-size:16px;">I don’t always want to do that, but I really leave it up to how I am feeling in that moment. <p style="font-size:16px;">Sometimes I go with, <i>“I think I look great at any size.”</i> <p style="font-size:16px;">Often, especially if it is a friend or loved one, I go with a very long explanation of what lead to my recent weight loss so that they understand what I’m going through, that it’s been a real struggle, and that the weight loss is a byproduct of a larger initiative to resolve a chronic condition I have. <p style="font-size:16px;">Sometimes, I just respond to weight loss nonpliments graciously because it’s not worth the fight. <p style="font-size:16px;">I learned to respond to compliments I didn’t agree with back when I was still self-hating. <p style="font-size:16px;">I would do things like respond to compliments with, <i>“Oh, I don’t look good. I still have xyz wrong with me.”</i> And I replaced that with a simple <i>“thank you”</i> until I was ready to really hear and absorb good things about myself. <p style="font-size:16px;">A friend told me once, <i>“Hi skinny,”</i> in response to weight loss. <p style="font-size:16px;">My response was, <i>“Um, I don’t identify as skinny.”</i> Because anytime I’ve ever lost weight in my life (as someone who has a lifetime of fat experience), I have always been fat. <p style="font-size:16px;">And, in the case of my beloved Grandmother, I accept her compliments graciously and deeply appreciate when my mom pipes in with, <i>“But we love you at any size.”</i> <p style="font-size:16px;">Because sometimes it’s not worth the fight. <p style="font-size:16px;">But it is amazing to have my mom acting in solidarity with my politics and values around all bodies being good bodies at any size. <p style="font-size:16px;">This was not always the case, but working with her in love, respect and compassion through the last twelve years of my participation in body liberation activism, has actually been really rewarding.

I sure hope so!! I have had sasquatch feet my whole life, and with my last 100 lb weight gain I have gone up a shoe size. Therefore, what goes up, must come down!

Good info. But to clarify, I didn't say it was true - I said that other people use it that way. I do not think this will cause weight gain as part of a normal bariatric diet.

I started this thread 11 months ago. I am back to report that in May of last year I started gradually falling off my wagon mostly due to the expectations of others and because so many (not here but in real life) mocked my WOL and guilted me and I fell for it. My own fault but it is hard to stay strong and put self first. When you fall off besides weight gain I find that I get depressed eating carbs and sugar and am just not happy at all! It is like a deep dark hole that you don’t know how to get out of it and the vortex of eating for comfort and carbs just keep sucking you in. I gained about 25 back of the 35 I had lost last spring. I am re reading what I wrote above to get myself back on track with baby steps. I never read some of these comments before so will comment now that I never had experience with met forum as was never diabetic (though close). When I am a carb eater I do get shakes and ravenous however and “need” a fix or feel nauseous. I did not want to advertise my “failure” but decided to do so to let anyone reading to feel they are not alone if they also struggle. Only seeing success stories can be depressing when you are struggling so wanted to let everyone to know to keep fighting the good fight and never give up!

Finally it's almost a month away. When I started this process it was a bit overwhelming. But, I'm glad I chose to stick with it. I played college football and the weight gain and lose set me up for failure I'm now down 30lbs from my highest weight and can't wait to have this tool help me reach my goal and start my new life

The longer I stay on this site the more I convinced I am that the norm is for a lower weight at year 2 with a regain in during year 2-3 to a stable weight. So many people are posting about 5-20 pound gains in that time. Makes the slooth in me wonder. *dear Internet, I'm not saying this is true for everyone* I stay really active and any dip in that activity brings weight gain. It's a trade off 6 days a week in the gym or weight gain. I can not control with diet alone. For me that's okay. I love the workout. I've just had several surgeries since maintenance and I've experienced what sedentary does to my body. Anyway, I take probiotic, fish oil, multivitamin (gummy), b12 (gummy), Vit D with Calcium, and Vit C. Hope you find what works for your body. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm having my pre op assessment today at 1:30pm. I have read so many posts some for this op and some against. I also read some lap band posts too. I have a lap band since 2007 and it never worked. Now after so many years of waiting I'm going to have the sleeve op on the 24th August.. I was so excited until I read the posts about weight gain.. Although I know this op is not a miracle cure I'm going to give it my best. I really believe it's down to you as a person to be strong and stay on plan and make te right choices. I wish everyone who is about to take on this journey the best of luck..

I strictly avoid processed sugars. I have a sweet tooth and that is one of the major causes that contributed to my weight gain over my lifetime. I limit myself to artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda and sugar alcohols), to natural low calorie sweeteners (such as Stevia) and to the natural sugars found in fruits and milk. I had diabetes. That went into remission when I left the hospital two days after surgery and I have not taken any diabetic medicine ever since and my blood sugar levels are good. I test my blood sugar levels periodically. I read the labels of all food that I consume. I look at the grams of sugar per serving. If it is above 5 grams, I look at the ingredients. The ingredients are listed in order by highest percentage, and if the first 5 ingredients contain processed sugar (in any of its many forms), then I avoid this food, like a plague.

I had a bypass earlier this year and so far zero regrets. My weight loss, even with bypass, has been slower than average due to a screwed-up metabolism from years and years of dieting. I know if I had gotten a sleeve I may have had slower weight loss and more stalls, so I am happy with my choice to get the bypass. Since the surgery, I have a really strong sensation of restriction, next to no hunger, food aversions (sweet and fried foods) and I can taste things way more intensely. I can eat very small portions of junk foods like ice cream (1 or 2 tablespoons). Anything more than that and I just feel icky so I just avoid them. I lost my sugar cravings, which was the cause of my weight gain in the past. I hope those sugar cravings are gone for good because not having them will help a lot with maintenance. The only struggle so far, however, is dehydration. I have to be so focused every day on meeting my water goals. If I don't, I wake up in the middle of the night with the most awful dry mouth. Other than that, all is good.

I did the samething you are doing, researched like crazy. Then my brother, whom is a surgical nurse, had the sleeve done. It was a breeze for him. I had SIPS. We both had our surgeries in 2015. He is now gaining again. I am steady at 148-150lbs. Zero weight gain. I have no regrets! In fact, I wish I had it earlier. Feel great. Have any questions, just ask.

OK, I'm pulling out all my Heart CDs and rocking out the rest of the 4th. Photonut and Diva, loved your posts that took me back to college and my favorite group. Ann Wilson really didn't get heavy till 1980. The video "Alone" was the first to only show her head and not full body. Still she was beautiful!! Heather, if you don't know the music, get a greatest hits CD. It empowers women and is great storytelling. Nancy Wilson is married to Cameron Crowe, who was the subject of "Almost Famous" and "Elizabethtown" -- both autobiographical. Ann is at menopause now, so that could be part of the recent weight gain -- if she isn't exercising. Ann adopted her daughter Marie in 1991 and her son Dustin in 1998. The lapband surgery came around in 2002. As a singer, I could understand removing the band because of reflux. Her voice is her paycheck.

I'm 63 and my dr. has suggested lap banding because it will help my heart. I have had 5-way-bypass surgery and quit smoking. When I quit smoking is when I gained all the weight. It's kind of a vicious circle, because I've once more put myself in danger with my heart with the weight gain. Someone told me that over 55 bandsters don't do well. Does anyone have an opinion on this and is there anyone out there that is banded and older? I'd love to hear their opinions and whether the surgery was more difficult for them. Perhaps I'll find there are no older bandsters and that should answer my question about whether to do it or not. Any feedband is appreciated.

OP: Have you tried therapy to address your emotional/overeating tendencies? And is your “hunger” actual physical hunger OR could it be head hunger, due to GERD, or are you still chasing the full feeling you had with the band? Relying on appetite suppressants after so many WLS procedures will also not address the root cause(s) of your weight gain. One’s pouch or sleeve is just a tool and long term success must include healthy eating and portion control. Good luck!

I totally relate to the frustration of stalls and even periods of weight gain that this graph shows. I found something that helped me deal with it the last time I was losing weight. There’s an app called a Happy Scale that uses statistical averaging to show you what your weight loss would be if you factored out the bloated days, etc. It gives you a smooth curve on the graph. It helped me a lot.

198.8 today. Doing a 5 mile walk/run on Thanksgiving day really helped stave off the weight gain! Didn't over-eat, but I did indulge a bit.

Ive ALWAYS carried the majority of my weight in my thighs. I think this had a lot to do with my image issues when I was younger. I always felt fat, even when I wasn't. At one point I was so super thin, I would faint and get sick... this is NOT good. My doctor wanted my Mom to send me to a psychiatrist. It was a really weird time for me. I went to a few appointments but never went back. I was able to break out of that terrible cycle but that's when the weight gain began. Then the long story begins... Anyway once I got thinned out right now, I noticed that I was still carrying a whole heckuva lot of fat in my thighs. The terrible thing was looking at my face and upper body made me not want to continue to lose because I was (still am) boney skinny up there. It made me feel really lopsided and un attractive. So that's why I chose to have the liposuction procedure performed. I knew I couldn't keep trying to lose weight anymore. I was able to put on some very small sized pants but they would always fit really weird. Really tight in the knees and thighs but loose around the waist. My lipos were the only way I was able to fix this problem. NOT to say you will have to go through this too! I'm just sharing my personal experience. Good luck!!! Everyone loses differently. It is my hope that you will lose evenly. Merry Christmas!

I can SO relate. I have had many ups and downs in my lapband journey....between chronic abdominal pain....that still is left undiagnosed because GI said it's not GI related, band doctor said it's not band related and GYN says its not GYN related....real nice...I have had colonoscopy, EGD, flouroscopy, gallbladder removed w/exploratory while they were in there...and nothing. Then, I broke my ankle which required two surgeries. That REALLY set me back. So, now, being about 30lbs away from my goal I was left in a plateua w/some occasional weight gain. I just started the Ketogenic diet.... high Protein, high fat (like 65% of your caloric intake) and VERY low carb. It's similar to Adkins, but I am doing the carb cycling where you eat little to no carbs for 6 days and you have one carb up day where you can eat literally anything you want and all the carbs you want, then the next day you go back to the strict no carbs. It's a little confusing, but a lot of body builders and people who want to drop weight fast and still keep their muscle mass do this diet. A close friend of mine swears by it along with a lot of his friends, so I figured I'd try it. I'm only 4 days in, but I've already hit ketosis (which means my body is burning fat). Doing a 2-3 week trial to see where I'm at. My suggestion to you is to shock your body! When I am in a rut, I do a crazy "fad" diet to shock my body into losing weight and then gradually go back into the normal healthy lifestyle. Best of luck!