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I have no side effects or weight gain. and much calmer so maybe you just need to find what WORKS for your body. There are some newer drugs that are time released and less side effects. Aren't Xanax habit forming and addictive? My son loves them. . I've never taken them so not sure about them. For me, it's easier to just take my one small dose a day.

Yesterday was suppose to be fast day for me and I crashed and burned. I was doing good until I went to meet with my daughter's new daycare to drop off my schedule. She asked me if I wanted anything to drink, and I said no, but they ended up bringing me a glass of orange Tang, I think anyways. I didn't want to be rude, so I drank it, and it all went down hill. I have been feeling very overwhelmed lately. My husband has be gone for 2 weeks out of the last 3 (which I am not used to at all, watching my children by myself) and I am going back to work in just over a week after being at home for almost 7 years with my kiddos. I just feel very down and feel like crying. I have struggled with depression in the past (this weight gain that I am dealing with was from switching medications). I have been doing well not being on anything, its just been as of late. I started taking St. John's Wort, but only recently. And my eating habits are still very tied to my emotions. So as of late, I have not been doing well. I have been sticking to the fasting twice a week, but on days when I don't, I feel out of control. I know I have to get my head back in the game, but I am really struggling. I was happy where I was maintaining and I am frustrated that I feel like I have to diet to get these pounds back off. Ugh Sorry for my rambling. I am just feeling lonely and frustrated and, and, and. I am going to try and fast today to make up for the day yesterday. But right now it is only 8:20am, so I have a long day ahead of me!

Sheryl, I know exactly how you feel. I love hiking and there are so many gorgeous trails in Oregon. Now I can barely walk to my bedroom. I love the gym. I loved lifting weights and feeling strong. I loved having my thighs so toned. Now I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to the gym. I loved to dance too! I loved my ballroom classes. Like I said, now I can barely walk. The scary part is I could end up worse than I am now. They are talking about putting in a plate and screws and cadaver bone and a cage around it all. The risk for infection is a lot higher for people who have had a previous infection. oh great. They said I am looking at a year of recovery. Plus all my post op appointments are now 100 miles away. I've made appointments with a rhuematologist and my Hep C doctor and both are also 100 miles away. I don't even know if I can get to either of these doctors because if my ins. approves my back surgery, I am not sure if I'll be able to ride in a car. I did have a longer period of being thin and fit before I fell apart but I am still not readyt to give it up. I've decided to stop taking gabapentin to see if it will stop my weight gain. I can't keep gaining weight. i will not be able to deal with the depression.

Eating some extras today, had carrot cake from whole foods, and some stuff from their salad bar... so yum! Luckily I went kayaking today for 2 hours, and then will have dance class this evening. That should cover the calories, but its strange sitting here eating cake! EDIT next day- no weight gain, but the cake made me feel so yuck! When will I learn!?

Brown, don't lose hope! I know you say you are not THAT woman! As CGJ said, all body types are different. But just know that many, including Feed Your Eye, Coops, M2G, and others have never reached goal. They are close now and WILL but many were in very long term stalls or had gained upwards of 25-30 pounds since their lowest. Yes, I did reach goal very easily the FIRST TIME. Then I relaxed, fell into bad eating habits of junk and I'll be honest, it was not until I was facing a close to 30 pound weight gain that I truly got scared. I tried low carb for several months with no success and if you look back at posts from me around March or so of last year I truly sounded just like you! It was not until I hit on 5:2 that I found an answer for ME. And I kicked it around for about a month or so before really committing. The. I hit it with vengeance. It HAS to be if you really want something I feel really sure you will find what works for you. I would ask that you REALLY commit to 5:2 for another few weeks. And REALLY HIT IT HARD. What I found is that I had to drastically cut my feast day carbs and cals as well to KEEP the weight lost and move further down. Our bodies are metabolically altered and we cannot eat like others. That's what I think anyway All said to say, I believe in you! I know you want to be HEALTHY first and sexy second! . Go after it!!!!!

@@M2G so nice to hear from you! The group is not so active anymore, so checking in weekly would be a short read. I have to say, a desk job ( which I have!) is killer. It is killer on your back and it encourages weight gain. You need to fight it extra hard. My year in review: Weight: I got 10# over goal this summer, now back to goal! Fitness: Not so hot. I got out of all my routines due to some physical issue and I now longer have those defined muscles I loved! Health: A year of challenges, right breast implant had to be removed after a very scary several month period of trying to figure out if I had some dreadful cancer or something (I don't). Hip is bad but I found a better doctor and am rehabbing it well. He guesses I have another 3-4 years before replacement. Emotional: I finally decided to go on wellbutrin for my anxiety. In GENERAL it is so much improved. I still have 'bouts of problems but it is like a burden lifted that has allowed me to progress on on other areas of my life. Home: remodel mostly done. New countertops remain. I love the new look/new floorplan Work: I hate it, but assigned to a new project in 2016 so hopefully re-energized Horses: Sold my young mare as she was too aggressive on the ground and other people couldn't handle her. I need easy. Living situation: Boys are rent paying roomies now. I fear I am holding them back from moving on in life, my counselor fears I am being held back. Dating: After a very discouraging time dating Scott from late Feb to end of May who turned out to be crazy and (side note, no sex!). I wasn;t in love, but this failure, this realization of how someone could seem so sane and even fooled my friends really discouraged me. Since then, I have had a lot of fun casually dating - not serious about anyone. I turned down two date requests for New Years Eve and doing stuff with girlfriends instead. I hate to admit it, but I feel myself giving up hope on EVER finding a good, serious, healthy long term relationship. I don't know why this bothers me, I don't know why I can't just let go and accept spinsterhood (haha) but so far it is something I still want. Plans for 2016: Reduce my body fat %, get a few pounds under goal, get my hip rehabbed enough I can hike again, keep trying to learn to dance, give golf a try. with the help of wellbutrin I have been able to address many lingering nagging things in life, but 2016 is the year I really want to figure out my retirement/next steps in life ideas. Wellbutrin can give a person impulsive thoughts and I just increased the dose.... so last night I thought about "selling everything and becoming a vagabond" - keeping my job, which is portable, but really, see more of the country, maybe even of the world while still working. The thing that holds me back is I fear I will become lonely not having my social network around me.... so, probably wont do that, but it is fun to dream, isn't it?

Hi ladies! I agree that the refreshed mindset is important - I found myself stymied at my wight gain over the past few months...well I put the sleeve to the test and sure enough, just like everyone tells you - you will gain your weight back if you don't eat within the nutrition guidelines set out. Last year was ridiculous with the stress - and I think I let the hopelessness over issues I could not control at work spill over into my personal life in terms of identity and taking good care of myself. I am one that tends to isolate, hibernate, and eat to soothe - and that is just what I did. At least now, I seem to be able to get back on the horse much more quickly. Much of what has helped is the accounting taken along the way - journaling daily food intake and exercise, more personal journaling about the journey and happiness that had come from shedding so much weight, the pride that came from success. I am still working on reaching out and being part of a community - like with this group here. I mentioned it before on this board - I felt and still feel a lot of shame over back-sliding and gaining weight back. But the reality is that it looks like most of us who have the surgery have the same experience - I am not sure if I have read updates from any member who has not had a little or large weight gain bounce up after that first year or two. I saw 190 on the scale for a moment in December - like my lowest ticker weight I also saw only once - so I am calling those numbers the non-stickers lol. The weight on the scale this morning was 183.6 - and I have set a very doable goal of 4 lbs a month for the entire year until I hit that damned healthy BMI that for me lives at and under 140 lbs. Gonna do my best to stay positive and keep at it! I was really inspired by the 5:2 thread about hunger that I think it was Kim who posted - it looks like a lot of the ladies on that thread did 4:3 to lose and 5:2 to maintain - I was thinking of trying the same thing. I was having a great fast day on monday until late I was under 500 and then hubby shared a low carb tortilla with turkey with me - I suppose it could be worse - I will take being 7 down of the 27 bounce up I seem to be able to do okay with around 600 cals - 500 and under can be rough - how do you guys do it and what do you eat? Florinda - I looked at a lot of Amazon gigs as well went I resigned from my last gig. Decided against it after reading a few of the job descriptions - a few of which seemed to rival my masters thesis in wordiness lol. Want simple and happy and kind the older I get. Peace to all who are struggling. Keep up the good fight.

Being a vegetarian... I would have to say yes. some days not.... not sure what does it! I need to go through the underware again for sure! I remember seeing a study that showed a chart where gurd and weight gain went hand in hand after three years...not for everyone.

So great to hear. I've been worried about weight gain. My doctor just started me on Lyrica and I went home and started reading reviews.Lots of people complaining about weight gain kinda off putting. Helps ease me a little hearing real people not gaining

Andrew0929, Good for you for nipping the regain in the bud! I doubt if the cereal per se is actually causing the weight gain if you’re truly staying within your calorie goals, but I agree with some of the others that maybe it is an unhealthy habit if you’re depending on it and it’s driving you to make other unhealthy decisions. I love some of these ideas! As you think of some more, I’d also try to think about why the cereal is so attractive. Part of it may be the sweetness and crunch, but part of it may just be its convenience. It’s there, and it’s ready to eat. Maybe if you make sure that it’s not there, and that other, healthier, Snacks are ready to eat, you’ll go for the healthier snacks without another thought. Maybe the trick is to have ready to eat foods on hand, so some ideas are carrot sticks and other cut veggies, peeled oranges, washed grapes and other fruit, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, and other prepared foods. I also like seaweed snacks for a low-calorie crunch.

I am approaching the 1 year mark after surgery and I am in the maintenance stage. I don't obsess with my weight. I have an accurate scale, good for increments of 0.2 pounds. I weigh myself each morning when I get up and record my weight. I reached my bottom weight 7 months after RNY gastric bypass surgery. My weight generally falls within the 160.0 to 162.0 range. There were several times when my weight was below this figure and a few times above. Generally I look at the scale as an instantaneous feedback tool. I do a lot of experimentation. If I see a weight gain outside the range, I return to my basic meal plan and the weight falls back in line. So far some of the items that I have to stay away from by using this method are: bread, sweet corn, sweet cherries. On the other side, some of the things that appear to drive my weight below the limit is when I pick up a cold or when I eat out at restaurants.

Hi...I am having the Lap-Band surgery on March 27th at Magee. Dr. Carol McCloskey is the surgeon. On March 10th., I go to Magee for pre-op tests. I don't know what they will consist of since I had so many tests already. When I questioned the need for more testing, I was told that the tests can be no more than 30 days pre-op. In July of 08, I attended an informational meeting about bariatric surgery at Magee. On Aug. 4th was the Pre-Operative Lifestyle Classes first meeting. The fee was $395.00 which could be paid in three installments of $145.00 each------the last one at the end of the six month life style classes. Also, I was instructed to keep a food/activity log for one week prior to the initial class. A nutritionist ran the class which had about thirty people gathered in the waiting room area of Suite 5600. I noticed that most of the people interested in the surgery were accompanied by another person. I went alone. The Nutritionist passed out several informational booklets which were about nutrition, behavioral basics, lifestyle changes and physical activity. One has the choice of either attending monthly classes at Magee or going to one's Primary Care Physician monthly. I chose to go to my PCP. The monthly PCP visit consisted of me bringing in my food and activity logs for each month. My PCP is closer than Magee and the parking is free, plus there was not the hassle of the drive on the Parkway East. Also, Magee had a list of the dates for the monthly classes. I was unable to attend any of the meetings scheduled in Oct. Thus, I had to schedule with my PCP at my convienience. It is imperative to attend a meeting each and every month. It makes no difference if your PCP meeting is one month and the next time you could meet is the next month only two weeks after the previous meeting. This was important to me and something I did not understand at first. It happened that I did have to schedule an appt. for Jan. 21st and the next one for Feb. 2nd. I had little to add to the activity log due to the pain in my knees but I did attempt to take more steps each day. Of course, there was the dreaded weigh-in. My PCP filled out the required After Visit Summary and faxed it to Magee after each visit. My weight at Magee was 243. My first weigh-in with my PCP on Sept. 3rd was 237. My last weigh in with my PCP on Feb. 2,09 was 217. I had a twenty dollar co-pay at each PCP visit. I am in my 60's so I had a ton of tests.......EGK, stress test, echocardiogram, Chest x-ray, blood work, sleep study(which showed I have sleep apnea so I had to have a second study). I have a minor blood disorder so I was also required to see a hematolgist. He sent me for more tests. It was a lot of testing but I did it all in Feb., and got it done quickly. I see a therapist, so I only had to take in the form for him to fill out and fax to Magee. That was the easy part since he was the one who first suggested that I consider the Lap-Band surgery. Before I scheduled all my tests, I spent hours on the phone with my insurer making sure that all the tests and the doctors were covered by my insurance. At the first meeting with the surgeon, I got all the scripts for each test to be done. After the six month program ended with the appt. with the nutritionist, all my records were sent to the insurance company. About ten days later, I got a call from Magee that my insurer wanted my PCP to send in a two year record of my weights. Only a week later........Feb. 27th., I was called by Magee to tell me that my surgery was approved. I have a confession that after my last PCP visit, I did lose my focus and start to eat badly again. I went on a three week vacation and fell into the same bad habits of overeating. I knew that I was not going to get approved for the surgery if I had any weight gain during the six months. That fear keep my on the straight and narrow.....well, mostly. I also knew that if I really stuck to a 1500 calorie plan that I would lose too much and get denied. There is a fine line to be walked. I attended one Magee Bariatric support group meeting and the person running the meeting said that someone had just gotten rejected because she lost 50 pounds on her own. I gained 7 pounds. I feel badly, but if I did not have a history of losing and gaining, I would not be having the surgery in the first place. I know this is long, but I thought it just may answer some questions for one or two people. I have been in the health field for over 35 years, but I found this process to be a bit confusing and complicated at times. Wish me luck.......this is my last chance.

HHib

My husband and I enjoy eating out quite often, hence the weight gain. Now I’ve learned to deconstruct meals to take in protein first, then non starches, starches, then fruit. Wish food establishments wouldn’t charge for a full meal when you’ve taken out a good portion of the no-no foods.

Hi Cari yum, a donut! Look at it this way, at least it wasn't a half dozen that you ate. Right? Thanks for letting me know that Dr. Phil switched networks where you are. I need to check it out because I refuse to think I wont be able to watch him anymore :biggrin: Kat-ouch! I hope your leg is OK today. So, being a city girl I am not sure how much wood that is but I'll take your word that it is alot! lol Jenn-where the devil are you? I miss you sista! Hopefuly you are somewhere having so much fun that we are the last people on your mind...well, second to last! Suzanne-what is on your agenda today? I hope R&R after yesterday! Hope you are not sore this morning! Love the pics! I am so proud of you! Jane-you talk too much! lol Just joking, it is great to hear from you. What do you have planned today? Josie-how are things with you? Did you say you are in New York? Was wondering when you are coming back to Texas? It is hard to believe fall is almost here. The summer here has not been as bad this year as it normally is. Makes me wonder what the winter will be like. Well, I have a dr. appt tomorrow to see if maybe he can put me in some happy pills. I am so worried about getting something that will assist in weight gain :biggrin:. I have heard that some make you gain and there are some that you lose with (due to bathroom issues). I would rather deal with the bathroom issues and lose and be a happy camper. :blushing: So, what is a parent to do when the teenager in the house is deleting the browsing history on the computer after every use? My stepdaughter seems to have something to hide (again). I guess I am gonna have to maybe get some spyware. Lord, probably expensive but...if that is what it takes, so be it. I am truly about to pull my hair out. A frogs hair from sending her back to her momma...sad ain't it? But my mental health is starting to wear down along with my physical health. I have gained 20 pounds since she moved in with us in June. Ugh, so sorry to burden you all with this. Have a great day everyone!

Dang Mamacita!!! How did I miss this post?!!! Amazing transformation in 1 year and so far out. What an inspiration and you give me hope that weight gain is NOT inevitable and if we encounter it, then we just TCB, like you did this year. CONGRATS!!!!

I didn't manage the insomnia very well. I honestly think the insomnia contributed to my continuing weight gain through my 50s and 60s. There's all kinds of research that links insomnia and weight gain. Here's what I'm doing these days that's helping a lot: * Post-WLS I'm drinking less coffee than I did before -- no more than a cup a day. That is helping. * I'm exercising a lot more than I did 100 pounds ago -- and that physically "wears me out" and lets me rest better at night. * About 50% of the nights I take either a Melatonin or half an Ambien. It helps. Sometimes. * Since WLS I go to bed when my husband goes to bed, in other words -- at the same time every night. Following that sleep schedule rule really does help. * I manage my reflux a lot better since WLS -- meaning that I actually take my H2 blocker antacid (Ranitadine) every day and on time. * Since losing 100 pounds, I don't have stress incontinence and don't have to get up during the night to pee anymore. Not a single time. * Finally, I'm just a lot less stressed at 100 pounds less than I used to weigh than I used to be. I fall asleep easier and generally sleep better throughout the night. However, one thing I have NOT conquered that still messes with my sleep is to deal with the damned cat who always wants out when I'm sleeping soundly; I then have trouble getting back to sleep. I think the cat and I are going to have a serious discussion. I think he's going to have to spend the whole night outside from now on. Thanks for making me focus on this a little better. The cat won't appreciate it, but I do.

Thanks for that information. I'm hoping I miss the insomnia because one thing I couldn't live without is constant coffee throughout the day and night. Menopause is something I Guess I will bring up at my 3 year appointment with my surgeon. What I can expect and what I can do to minimise any weight gain. Better to be prepared I think. That's one think I can add to my list of things I am great full to the sleeve for I am now so Organised and always planning ahead. So different from my previous lifestyle. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

My doctor is recommended I have a bypass revision done (currently 5 years put on my sleeve) as I have severe GERD and weight gain. For those that have had this done….. which bypass did they do? Full ? Mini? Or? and did it help? Thanks in advance.

I think you have to look at your history. Do you feel you're pretty much "doomed" to weigh more? Tried diets? Have a strong genetic tendency toward weight gain? If you're pretty sure that *without* this surgery, you'll one day have a BMI of 40 or more...then why wait? Youll just have more to lose, a potentially harder recovery, and maybe co-morbidities. I know it's not an easy decision. I'm a bander to sleeve, too. In some ways, deciding to get the band was easier. BMI of 40 and absolutely miserable. I kind of felt like I had no choice. My BMI is 32 or 33 now (got down to 26 BMI) and I KNOW, without something, I'll be back to a 40 BMI. So once I knew the band needed to come out, the decision was pretty much made. Still not easy though...putting myself through a surgery and everything while still feeling mostly normal...kind of hard. So look at where you think you'll be in 5 yrs. Is it worth confronting your weight now or later?

Hello ! sorry to hear your concern about the scale. Keep in mind all the liquids that you intake that can cause weight gain, I gained 10 pounds while in the hospital because of all the liquids they were giving me and the gas that I had . Don’t get discouraged ! Remember this wasn’t an immediate fix, it’s a tool to help us in the long run. Also the fact that you are incorporating weights you can be gaining MUSCLE as opposed to FAT . Don’t let the scale bring you down because it could be a good thing. More muscle = better fat loss 🙂 You got this ! Don’t give up, you’ve come this far !

Hey everyone, Happy Holidays. Sorry to see everyone is struggling. UGH i am too. This time of yr is really hard. I made a goal to lose 40 lbs for Thanksgiving and I came really close. I was at like 38. Someone at work told me to load up on Activia and be done with it.. LOL Well I saw my family for the first time since surgery and EVERYONE noticed. I've dropped down two sizes and even that size is loose! :thumbup: But that's about it, it's all gone downhill since there.. The holidays are stressing me out, ok maybe it's just my in-laws but I find myself eating. Eating a lot and all the wrong things. I'm going food shopping and determined to lose the 7lbs I've gained by new yr. Paige you cracked me up with your scale story. I thought I was the only one that thought a warped floor MIGHT be the cause for my weight gain! LMAO Heidi, I too am making a ton of excuses. Easy to do when you are exhausted with kids and the last thing you want to do is exercise. I hope to join a gym in Jan. I'm at 4 cc's and can eat ANYTHING, had one moment this morning, where my toast just didn't want to move, no pain or anything but it did and all is fine I should call and schedule another fill soon. :thumbup:

Wow.... offended much? And what exactly makes YOU an expert? LMAO The whole point of my post was to encourage the original poster to seek guidance from her HEALTH team. THEY are the experts And in my reply to you I said your doc SEEMS to be more of the exception than the rule. And exactly what AUTHORITATIVE comments did I make? I didn't tell anyone to do anything... but I did say in my posts (there were 3 of them... that the OP should consult their medical team. LMAO "Yeah, I keep hearing this. From people who were so good at consuming calories they had to have weight loss surgery " I especially love this sentence... I mean... Pot Calling the Kettle Black???? LMAO BTW.... my weight gain was caused by prolonged severe sleep apnea which caused a log of health issues... I took care of the sleep apnea and had weight loss surgery so I could regain my heart health. but go on making assumptions about people you have never met before!

I had a cold this week so I never made it to the gym which kind of bums me out because I enjoy going. However, I stuck to my eating plan, which I decided would be keto, and I lost 7lbs. This came after a 3 week stall. I’ve noticed that some people noticed weight gain during their stall. I just sat at 251 for 3 weeks. I wonder what causes to see weight gain.

Interesting read. I can't help though but think about how much weight people gain during a time period of 11 years who never were obese in their whole life, maybe not even overweight. I just need to look at colleagues and friends. Weight gain (sometimes really significant) between the age of 35-50 seems to be quite common. So while I definitely don't want to dismiss weight regain over a time span that long, one should maybe also take a look outside the realm of the bariatric world and be careful what to label as "failure" or not (though this usually seems to be more of a patient-problem than a doctor-problem). If "goal" is BMI 24.9 or less you're definitely right. Now I'm going to talk about something that is really rarely talked about in the WLS community (we seem to have exactly one moderately active thread about this): eating disorders or disordered eating. When one takes a look at "failure rates" of treatment of patients suffering from eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia, bariatric patients don't seem to have worse outcomes so we don't seem to be exceptionally "bad patients". Too many patients seem to only change gear and develop overly restrictive eating habits, starve themselves and compulsively exercise, all too often encouraged not only by the scales showing less weight, but also by their environment and even their treatment teams.