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Yes, thank you for sharing your experience. I'm so sorry you went through all of that. My first two pregnancies I threw up around the clock for 40 weeks and it was miserable. I am concerned about the nutrients for the baby and weight gain. I have an appointment with my bariatric surgeon next week to talk about my specific situation. Were hit able to eat enough before you got pregnant and then it stopped? Or were you not getting enough yet even before getting pregnant?

Yep same thing here and I was devastated. It is coming back off. As long as you are following the rules - Protein, Water, etc. - you couldn't have done anything to actually cause a real weight gain. Your body is just adjusting. It will come back off.

Thanks for this post! I am almost 6 years out and just this past year I have started gaining weight again....7 lbs in one year! And although, like you , I didn't have terrible eating habits; it was just a slow gain over a number of years before my surgery, this weight gain is due to bad habits and I must get control over it. Thanks for inspiring me. I am not in the US either , and went from learning about the sleeve to having it done within a month. (Self pay). I was early on in the Sleeve game....so wrote a book about it. Where are you? In Europe? I'm in Amsterdam, but I'm American.

I Have PCOS. Sleeved 7/1. My only real issues weight gain and irregular periods. Still no period but I'm not looking forward to it either. I didn't take Metformin consistently therefore i didn't take it. I've lost about 13lbs most of which happened 5-6 days post op. I've stalled since then. I fear that PCOS makes my body recognize weight loss sooner and then my body panics and holds on. Other than that I'm just continuing to do what I'm supposed to and I'm certain things will keep moving right along.

I had my gallbladder removed before my surgery. My gallbladder was only working at 12% (any dysfunction under 35% is abnormal). The gallbladder can fail from rapid weight gain and rapid weight loss. Rapid weight loss may cause an imbalance of bile and cholesterol in the body, as well, which can lead to the formation of gallstones. I had a feeling my gallbladder wasn't functioning correctly. The main indicators were, a Charlie Horse feeling in my sides and major indigestion.

Hello Sleevers, I weighed myself in the am and was 238. Yay!! 10 pounds in 8 days. Now I weigh myself this evening and I'm 240. I'm only drinking Protein shakes and a half cup of Soup for lunch. Total calories is about 470. I'm also walking at a brisk pace for an hour for exercise. It's not the calories. The only thing diffrent today was that I managed to get about 58 ounces of Water down. So, I think this could be just water weight and it will all work it's way out eventually. Has anyone else had or seen this?

Hello fellow sleevers, I was sleeved march 15th 2012 and it was the best decision i made in my life. I lost weight and felt great about myself. Most of all i got pregnant and now have an angelic baby girl. After my pregnancy i gained weight and its now a year in and it's proving to be rather difficult to lose the weight. Currently i'm at 78 kilo's. Pre pregnancy i was at 72 and my goal weight in life is 60. Will i ever get there. Is there any advice any one who has been in my position can give me?

my surgery date is October the 6th. I have been waiting for about 4 months now and I did also read and watched a lot about the band. I am looking forward to that. I know I am the one to blame for all the weight gain but you know there are a lot of factors that made me gain weight. Like miscarriages, depression and so on so I look at it as a second chance to make my life better and to be able to move around more without hurting my back or my knees. That alone makes me look forward to it. I hope you will feel better about it.

Hi all!!! I was sleeved on 6/10 and recently began ursodiol 300mg twice a day. Although I shouldn't since I'm still in the early stages and fluctuating, I weigh myself usually everyday...my first weigh in after the medication I fluctuated 3lbs up..did anyone else notice if their gallbladder meds changed their weight or slowed the progress of their weight loss? A few people have expressed bloating and weight gain while others have said it helps to aid in weight loss as your gallbladder can breakdown cholesterol etc. perhaps my weight is attributed to the fact that I had about 680 cals compared to my average of 400-500. Thanks all!!! -Mike

I am a newbie here, lots of great info thanks. I have cigna, I started my 6 months of nutrition counsel teo months a go, my BMI was about 37-38 in the two months I put on about ten lbs, the nutritionist says that it won't bear well if I gain weight during the six months of eval. I don't want to disqualify myself. I do have co morbidities, HBP. Will the small weight gain make me lose my insurance coverage? Thanks for the help

Trying to find women like me who had surgery to regain their fertility.. I have secondary infertility due to pregnancy induced Hypothyroid with an underlying of PCOS. Basically before baby 1 I was healthy & fit with no issues. That pregnancy caused my thyroid to crap out, causing the imbalance of hormones (pcos), causing the weight gain... Here I am 3 years later & 180lbs heavier getting surgery in two weeks as an RE (reproductive endocrinologist) recommendation to hopefully conceive naturally when I am cleared to do so. I am 23, reach out with your story if you are or were in the same boat!!

I have been on depo shots for a year when I first started I asked about weight gain. My doc put me on a diet not really to get weight off just so that I didn't gain weight. So I have uhc and I have to do a 6 month supervised diet. I called them today and asked about the 6 month diet and they said It didn't have to be a monthly weight ( I called twice). But I didn't think about the gyno till now. So I typed all this to ask do u think I can use the year for the 6 month supervised diet?

Whatever you decide cook WAY less. If you eat out, eat off some one elses plate. You will be able to eat mashed potatoes or candied yams. Getting it done just before the holidays might sound tough, but look at the bright side- no holiday season weight gain this year. Also, I started to feel a lot better with more energy about the 1 month, so although the food experience will be much different, you should still be able to enjoy good company. Good luck!

I'm suffering from several symptoms of PCOs: weight gain, hirsutism (increased hair growth on the face, arms and belly), irregular and often nonexistent menses, "spotting" and Patches of darker, velvety skin on the legs. I read that the surgery might solve it. Mine is due in less than 2 weeks (yay!). However I am still worried that my eating habits caused some permanent, irreversible damage to my body. For instance, ovarian cysts, which tend to evolve into tumors sometimes. If I lose weight and kiss the other PCOs symptoms goodbye, do the cysts disappear or do they stay for good? If you could tell from your own experiences, I'd love to hear.

Goal weight is an artificial number. I think my surgeon told me that I could reach 190 pounds. I was happy with that. But in the end I dropped almost down to 140. As far as a goal, I would shoot for the high side of normal BMI. Normal BMI 18.5-24.9. So for your height of 5 foot 2 inch that would correspond to a goal weight of around 135 pounds. The reason why I would select that as a goal is because individuals on the high side of normal live the longest. It is important to keep a little fat in your body because when you have a very, very serious illness or accident, you need that reservoir of fat to keep you alive until your body recovers. It is O.K. to drop below that level for a little while to compensate for a small amount of weight gain as you progress in Maintenance phase.

Hello All, My name is Asmaa, I am 40 years old, married, mother of 3 daughters, age 19, 12, and 10. I currently live in Philadelphia but am originally from DC/NoVA. I have been on my weight loss journey for 19 years, right after I had my first child. I was always pretty slim growing up and only picked up weight after having kids. Over the last 10 years my weight has skyrocketed and before I knew it I was 328 pounds. It wasn't until I saw myself in a family picture that I realized how big I had gotten. Along with they weight gain I suffer from high blood pressure and sleep apnea. I am being treated medically for the HBP and have to sleep with a C-PAP mask for the apnea I have lower back problems and I plantar fasciitis. I have been on every fad diet that anyone could mention, the weight drops but then it comes right back. I had considered weight loss surgery years ago but I felt that I was cheating and taking the easy way out. I felt that I could do i t on my own, and I did. I lost 80lbs by changing my eating habits and exercising. Then I injured my knee and had to have surgery. This slowed down my exercise routine and I returned to disordered eating and the weight came back. I exercise 3-5 times a week but it hasn't been enough. I needed a change and so I decided to look into weight loss surgery. After attending the information session, I felt confident that this option was right for me at this time in my life. The surgeons and staff are terrific. They are very kind and compassionate and care about each and every patient that they treat. And as the months have gone by in preparation for the surgery, I grow even more confident that this is the best choice in my journey. So with that being said...... My vertical sleeve surgery is scheduled for this coming Monday, October 14. I am so happy to be beginning my journey to weight loss and a more permanent healthy state. Well that's my intro, I look forward to getting to know everyone!

Oh, so that's where the big ass photo came from! Cool. But, DeLarla, I don't see that weight gain you talked about. You look way skinny.

DJmohr, Congratulations on your NSV. Honestly, I treasure these more than the number on the scales! Way to go- looking forward to hearing more of these from you and others on this journey. I am 12 weeks out from my VSG surgery and a slow loser ( but at 61 I didn't expect it to be an overnight thing anyway). Today since its in the 100 degree range in Dallas, I was scrounging through a box of old, pre-weight gain clothes for some shorts in a size 14 or 16. While looking I saw a dress I wore about 4 years ago, a size 12. Just on a lark I decided to try it on and to my amazement it fit , not even tight at all! I did a happy dance right then and there. Like you, I did this for health, but the improvement of self image is an important part of the recovery process and keeping the motivation in high gear. Although I wasn't seeing the weight loss everyone congratulated me on, today it finally registered. I'll second the Woot !

@@rachelr28, welcome and congrats on your decision. Fellow Garden Stater here. This will be a very different experience in countless ways. Without getting too technical, basically, the idea is that in the past, we have attempted to lose weight by reducing caloric intake which results in two physiological effects: 1) reduction in metabolism by the body in an attempt to prevent weight loss and 2) dramatic increase in hunger caused by the stomach sending a hunger hormone to the brain to demand compensatory eating until the body is back to the weight it was before you started the diet. The sleeve prevents the latter from happening. You will have a stomach that is about 15% of the volume of your current stomach, meaning you will become full much faster, and on far less food. However, your body would need the volume of food you consumed before to maintain weight with all your activities and energy output, so the result will be dramatic weight loss. Your metabolism will slow, but it can't slow enough to keep up with the huge disparity between the calories you need and the calories you can intake. The surgery's most important effect is that the hunger hormone is produced in the part of your stomach that is removed irreversibly during surgery. So you wind up with a double protection against weight gain...you just can't fit very much in, nor do you want to because there's much less signaling going up to you brain telling you that you are hungry (but there's just enough from other places to get you to eat to keep you healthy). There is even some evidence that the sleeve changes the bacteria in your stomach that results by some unknown mechanism to automatically reset your "set point" down to a healthy weight, whereas right now, it is fixed at a high weight, and your body is programmed to defend obesity in any way it can. So the way the previous poster described it, with you instead of against you, is exactly right. Best of luck!

This post highlights the fears so many of us have on the physical and emotional side of this journey. Your surgeon and his/her office should be able to assist you with the fears of surgery (especially those with other health complications). I do not have much data on the chances of becoming anorexic. Since anorexia is an eating disorder that is not about food - it is about someone's coping with emotional problems by losing weight/increasing exercise - I think the probability of developing that is extremely low. Saying that, it is very true that people replace some bad habits with others so it is important to consider the emotional consequences before undergoing this surgery. I would encourage anyone who is considering this surgery or scheduled for surgery to ask upfront for information on coping with this new lifestyle and its challenges. That would include asking about all area support groups, online options, psychologists/counselors, mentors, etc. Putting a plan in place to assist you with this part of the journey - the emotional one - is a smart move. If you have a good support network or can build one, I encourage that for after the surgery. As many of us are finding - this surgery does not take place in a vacuum - life goes on. People face challenges and dark times - many not anticipated - following this surgery and I recommend having a plan in place in case life hands you lemons. That being said - most people are not facing their biggest fears - loss of income, job, spouse, loved one. But life happens - so being prepared to face life after is critical. Having doubts is normal and a very healthy way to approach this surgery. This process of critical thinking is a good one. If your gut instincts tell you this is not the right choice for you - then follow them. You know what is best for you. We tend to focus a great deal on the weight loss and a little less on the positives that come with the weight loss. We celebrate the pounds off - many of us with the assumption that people understand what less weight means. I encourage people who are concerned about moving forward to dig through these postigs and see the results people are getting beyond the pounds. (Not to say that the reduction in pounds is not also fun to look at). What have I seen by other posters - MORE self esteem from achieving goals - fitting in the airplane seatbelt, onederland, shopping in the regular size department, having doors opened for you, getting a family portrait taken, finally able to stand looking at yourself in a mirror...... MORE energy - Many people remark that they finally "FEEL ALIVE" again. COMPLETE recovery from co-morbidities, including Type 2 diabetes, high BP, sleep apnea to name a few MORE active lives - from exercise to just being out of the house more MORE happiness enjoying time with family and friends, getting rid of the self-hate, removing the guilt associated with their weight gain Dig deep....the results are there beyond the pounds. Have a well thought out plan for emotional support if you go forward. Trust your instincts. Deciding not to go forward with this surgery now or ever may be in your best interests. This is not for everyone. Either way - take good care of yourself.

I wouldn't tell anyone before. You'll get negative Nancys (including my cardiologist for my pre-check who said that I wasn't super heavy and should just diet). I've started to tell folks afterwards, one, because they were worried about me, and perhaps more importantly for accountability. As the motivational speaker Zig Zigler said, you want to share your "Give Up" goals with the as many people as possible to keep you honest. I'm only 2 weeks into this sleeve, and I'm already pretty sure that I know how to beat it with milkshakes and ice cream if I wanted to (thankfully I don't have those cravings). But I think that by telling more people, I'll have more support. I told my boss over the weekend and he was EXTREMELY supportive, since he had started razzing me about my weight gain. I'm not sure that he would have been as supportive beforehand. But after it's done, you can't go back!

Your friends situation is what I'm afraid of. I've gained about 60 pounds since having kids. My skin wasn't really loose considering but I got a ton of stretch marks from pregnancy. Luckily I haven't gotten anymore from this weight gain. So I'm worried about if everything else will bounce back. Getting extra plastic surgery for those would take a while to save up for. I hope I end up like you!

I'm now experiencing heartburn with many foods at this heightened weight. I'm wondering if its a symptom of weight gain or age?

Okay so I have Aetna insurance and I am doing the three month program. I am currently on month 2 (about to be on month 3). In November (first month) my nutritionist weighed me in at 270lbs. I have also been seeing an exercise therapist that also weighs me and in November she weighed me in at 271lbs. At the very beginning of December my exercise therapist weighed me in at 271lbs. I just had my second nutritionist appointment today 12-22-10 and she weighed me in at 280lbs! I've gained 9lbs in December! Yes, I am definitely going to blame it on the holidays. I have been to SO many Christmas parties and it's just hard. Now, I know I can lose that 9lbs by my next and final nutritionist appointment which will be in January. However, I am just a little worried that my insurance company (aetna) will see that 9lbs weight gain and deny me. I mean, I AM going to lose it by my next nutritionist visit and be at my original 270lbs. I am just worried about insurance. So my question is, has anyone gained weight during their weight-loss program but then lost it to be back down to their original level and still got approved? Thanks!