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I am 23. And I have had everything tested. Everything is normal. I think more than being a binge-eater, I am a volume eater. I just eat so much because I always loved to eat since I was little. I just tend to eat large amounts of anything. But I dont eat any of the foods most have mentioned. I don't binge on sweets or ice cream, or chips or crackers. Its more like if I'm out eating sushi, other people will just eat like 12 pieces, but i'll need to eat 24. or like when my friends are eating a 3 egg omelet i'll eat like a 6egg omelet LOL And then I start feeling extremely guilty and stressed that I ate so much that I'll try to relieve the stress by eating more (a vicious cycle!!!) which causes more weight gain and more stress. My life has been controlled by dieting ever since sophomore year in high school. I know that you all might think that i'm sounding a little anorexic here for wanting to stay thin, but really, 110-115 is considered a normal weight for height. Even my doctor (who is not my surgeon) approves. ahh if i could explain everything so that you guys can get a clearer picture of my situation I want to. but a post will lack the space to do so. Anyways. My surgeon has had a lot of success with low BMI patients like me (i'm not the only low bmi patient getting a vsg!!). Even patients with binge-eating and bulimia etc have had success with great reviews! I'm not going into this on a whim. Even lower bmi patients who were thinner than me have done well and were able to maintain a healthy weight. The reason im asking on this forum is because I understand that no matter if i feel 100% confident about my decision, its always smart to listen to other people's thoughts too. Again, thank you all for your guy's input. Its good to see what other people think about my choice

@@iloveorganicmilk What sort of foods do you binge on? You mentioned watermelon (a whole one), yes it is fruit and healthy, but is full of sugar, so I can understand the cravings to have more. You also mentioned you can eat 2 large steaks. If you have a large steak, do you then have a diabolical craving for another, straight away? What other foods create cravings for you, like once you start, you have to have more and can't stop? For me, ice-cream is like that, even 7 months post sleeve. I really have to watch it, and over-indulge 1-2 per month, then I am good and just have fruit for dessert. Have you had your hormones tested, and your thyroid, as abnormalities there can create cravings and weight-gain. I don't know how old you are, but my guess is 20s to 30s. If after 40+, then hormones definitely should be tested, although thyroid disease can occur at any age. So, please let us know what type of foods create cravings for you. Thank you.

I don't quite understand though... if the sleeve does not stretch much (or so i have heard) how will I be able to binge? it just doesn't seem physically possible Slider foods can be eaten in large quantities, such as ice-cream, chocolate, cakes, biscuits, chips etc. Also,even though the sleeve does not stretch, after it is completely healed (6 months) the hunger and capacity to eat more returns. If this is not controlled through strict portion sizes, like 1/2 to 1 cup max at a meal, the weight will come back on. Put "Weight gain" or "Regain" in the Search button, and you will read stories of people who gained or even regained weight. Another slider food/drink is Alcohol, full of sugar and calories. I can't give you scientific explanation why people can eat more after the sleeve, but it does happen if they stray from the diet guidelines. As someone mentioned earlier, yes you can eat around the sleeve. I can have a big bowl of ice-cream now, being 7 months post op. I can certainly eat more now. Some foods I had issues with early post op, I am fine now. I choose to eat healthy, because I want to reach my goal, and maintain it. Show me a person who binges on Protein ..... As far as I know, the binge foods are sugary, fatty, sweet and salty carb processed foods. Easy to binge on after sleeve as well.

I am 9 wks pregnant and 41. I was sleeved 9/10/15. My tubes have been tied 12 years now I got pregnant 7 years ago and carried her to 29 wks and delivered her( stillborn) they tested my tubes said there wasn't a pin hole leak. I have lost 112 pounds and freaking out about weight gain and something happening with the baby Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I started my 1-week pre-op diet at 237 and I went into surgery at 228 on Sep 9, 2013. By Christmas of that year I was 195- 200 pounds...so I lost 28-33ish pounds between surgery and Christmas (4 months). I then dropped again from January to May, at which point I was stuck at 177 for WEEKS. I added more exercise, improved my diet, and by September 2014, I was at 158 pounds. I averaged about 6.5 pounds a month for the first year, of which some of that time I barely lost anything. I then had my first plastics procedure, after which I couldn't workout, so I lost some muscle and I went into my second plastics procedure in November at 143ish. By the second Christmas post-sleeve I was 134, where I then stayed until April of the next year, which means it took me exactly 18 months to get to goal of 129, which was 108 pounds and works out to 6 pounds a month. It was NOT a speedy process. I am now at 37 months post-op and I have been at goal (I fluctuate up and down about 3 pounds, so I hit 132.8 and I drop to 126 throughout the month) this entire time. Last Halloween I ate to much crap and I woke up November first at 137. It took almost 6 weeks to get back into my goal range again, so had I not been very cognizant of even a little weight gain, it would have taken forever to lose more than that. Since that time, November 2015, I have stayed within my 126-133 range, and I'm usually between 129-132. Once I get even a little over 132, that day I start making changes. I've been drinking a lot of coffee the last few weeks which involved milk and caramel and I noticed that my weight was getting very close to that 132.8. I cut out the coffee (and sugar and milk) and this morning I'm back at 130. Although this is a long post, from the perspective of being over 3 months out, losing weight was not easy and it was not fast. It required waking up every single day and focusing on an end goal that didn't seem like it would happen. That doesn't change when you hit goal. I still weigh myself every morning and when my weight starts to creep up a pound or three, I login to MyFitnessPal and I am very careful for a few days until I get back into my goal range. If you want to be thin the rest of your life will be about being aware of what you eat and what you weigh, because if it's hard to lose now, it is an absolute B to lose weight a year or two out from surgery. Once you lose it, keep it off! Slow and steady may not legitimately win the race, but it has worked well for me. Good luck!

I was hopeful that losing weight would help to reduce the amount of facial hair I have, but I'm down to a size two and still dealing with it. I had been taking 200mg of spironolactone ever since being diagnosed with PCOS at age 19, but over time it had become much less effective and caused numerous undesirable side effects like depression, fatigue, and weight gain due to the increased appetite it gave me. I slowly tapered off of it, and finally stopped taking it all together. This has meant that I've seen more facial hair growth, but am not contemplating going back on it because I'd rather deal with one problem than multiple ones caused by this medicine. I just started taking birth control again on Sunday to help with facial hair, but am going to discontinue it because it's causing severe insomnia, nausea, and hot flashes (I'm 20 years too young for menopause). I was also given a prescription for Vaniqa at my recent doctor's appointment, which is a cream that helps to retard hair growth. It takes about 8 weeks to see any results, and the 1 ounce tube was $169. o.O I bought it anyway because desperate measures and all...... In reviews of it I read some women called it a holy grail product that had changed their life for the better, and others said it was not only ineffective but caused breakouts. I am hopeful that a method I've just started trying will be effective, and the medicine and cream won't be necessary. I recently started having it removed with sugaring and have been fortunate to not have any breakouts as a result. It's painful, but not excruciatingly so. I live in Los Angeles, and the woman who did it for me came highly recommended on Yelp and only charged $6 for the chin (I was trying one area at a time). I don't know how much it cost elsewhere, but it's definitely less than electrolysis and laser (which I was told wouldn't work for me because my hair is blonde). Ladies on another forum, Soul Cysters, had recommended a product from Amazon that you apply immediately after removing facial hair (whether by waxing, shaving, threading, etc) to prevent ingrown hairs and acne, and it's been really helpful. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C4YJL96/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I'd felt trapped in a cycle where removing hair caused breakouts, which made me want to hermit as much as possible (which is dismaying because I want to show off the weight loss and go out there and have fun), but the facial hair made me want to hermit as well. I've only been using this product for a few weeks, but thus far it's been a huge relief. You can have higher androgen levels without having PCOS, and that will cause excessive facial hair growth too. PCOS can also be tricky to diagnose because the name is a bit of a misnomer. My endocrinologist said that many women with it do not actually have cysts, so they look at other criteria like your hormone levels and symptoms. Women who are not obese can also have PCOS and facial hair. I'm a young professor, and because of that my students tend to confide in me more than they would older professors. One of my 19-year-old students was telling me how depressed she was due to facial hair and acne caused by PCOS, and she's very slim. If she lost any weight she'd be medically underweight.

Kudos to you for being concerned. Obviously you care for your friend therefore you care for her daughter just the same!!! Don't let a few people's insensitivities deter you or infuriate you either. Just actively ignore them-- don't even respond... Anyways your friend may need either a 2nd opinion by a alternative pediatrician, or request a referral to a Pediatric Endocrinologist to be further evaluated. As a health care professional I cannot urge the importance of advocating in you and your loved ones health care. Dr.s are so overwhelmed they hardly have time to truly evaluate you especially if you're not half dead. I have had patients who have had Cancer diagnosis overlooked because their Dr just kept prescribing antibiotics and diagnosing with pneumonia when they in fact had LUNG cancer. Trust your gut. Other areas will have to be looked at such as her diet. Meeting with a dietician to come up with a healthy meal plan for her may be just the start she needs. However endocrine disorders also need to be ruled out. Just because she's vegan does not mean she's not carb overloading. Many vegans have this issue and can easily become overweight. Good Luck to you and your friend and her daughter. I have PCOS, developed at age 28. They say it can be hereditary but my mom does not have it nor does her sisters. I think either my weight gain during nursing school triggered it or years of yo yo dieting to keep my weight in check. My grandmother could have had it-- she wasn't real big but always looked pregnant to me. She is deceased now. Anyways My daughter was picking up weight and like 25 lbs a year sooooo I was concerned for PCOS. Before taking her to the Dr. I looked closely at her diet and made some changes she has since lost 15 lbs and still going.

It's tough, I know lots of people that struggled with their relationships or marriages after weight loss or gain. My SO and I were on a plan from day one to be 'healthy' together. He was severely underweight and I was overweight, he supported the surgery and has worked with me to adjust our diet (since we live together) to make it easier for me to continue my journey. He has gained 50 lbs and I have lost 90 and we've happy; but we planned to love each other and support the change. My ex though was an enabler that helped my weight gain before, he was skinny and loved to eat, lots of junk food, fast food, etc. Of course you imitate and crave by association and bam, 60 lbs I gained in the course of 4 years. Sometimes misery loves company and when we're overweight or unattractive feeling, we settle for whomever we think will take us at our worst. Truth is, we should strive to find someone that makes us better and we give back and allow them to be the best version of themselves. Grow together in a relationship and support the change; if he wants you unhealthy and unhappy (because YOUR happiness should come first) then you should consider discussing with him how that is most definitely not okay and part ways. You don't need toxic in your life and having that negativity in your life will lead to depression and back to the poor food and lifestyle changes you made to get here.

Wow, this is a tough one for me to respond to, but, I am going to be honest. It can be a very slippery slope. As many have already said, I too became a total lightweight after surgery. But, my real problem came in that I began substituting alcohol, White Russians, to be exact, as my choice of "comfort" instead of food. Unfortunately, that led to some major weight gain for me, nearly 40 pounds,which I am now working very hard to take back off. At six years out, it doesn't come off as easily as it did in the beginning. I am lucky now to lose a pound a week, which is quite frustrating. Now, I am drinking mostly Water 24/7. I will have an occasional drink, but for me, I have learned it is just not worth it.

Deffanatly get your band checked there have been many bad side affects from it and many revisions to the sleeve or rny due to weight gain and your body not tolerating it. The only able to take 2 bites at a time sounds like that. I am currently going for a revision to rny cause I have gained back all my weight and now have GERD from the band. I have an intolerance to the band as well regular PBing no fun. Good luck and msg me if you have any questions. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

Enjoy your holidays and just make your first appt Jan 2nd....And enjoy the BMI 40! Just kidding... Sort of?? Well I remember getting so frustrated with what seemed to be an unstoppable gain about 2 1/2 years ago. PCOS and hypothyroidism were taking a toll. Tried a dr supervised plan, WW several times and medifast. Each time I lost and re-gained. I Remember wishing I was heavy enough for lapband (remember the hungry lion Commercials). I wasn't. Fast forward prob another year the local bariatric office had a new dr/nut supervised plan. No surgery and no Phentermine (another failed attempt I didn't want to repeat) and I was pretty sure my insurance would pay. So I go for the introduction and get weighed and the coordinator asked, "so are you interested in surgical or non surgical?" I said non surgical I am not heavy enough for WLS. Oh your a BMI 42 and with bcbs it would be covered. Whoa I did a double take. I was totally disgusted with getting that big and shocked I was even considering it. But I had really tried HARD since I had my son 5 years ago and was just getting bigger. Fast forward I had the sleeve 9 Months ago and I am at my personal goal and a Normal BMI. My point is you are so close... Just normal progression of weight gain you eventually qualify without doing anything to qualify on purpose. That is just how obesity goes.

Hi! I am going to celebrate my 2 yr post op anniversary. I am about 15-20 lbs from Goal. I am very disappointed in myself. I gave up, And gave in to my old ways. For months now, it's been that way. However, my body is getting pudgy and soft. Same weight up and down a few lbs but, soft. I need to get back to the gym and eating right. I get my protein but am clueless in how to eat again. Sounds silly, but it's the truth. Any help or criticism appreciated Tracy Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I don't know why it works for some and not for others. All I know is that so far, it works great for me...no band complications and as long as I do my part, no serious weight gain since hitting goal. I'm hoping to one day get to the same marks as our founder Alex, who has his band for around ten years now. I'm not far from my four year anniversary so I've a ways to go yet.

I'm in Portland, surgery tomorrow! Revision from sleeve to bypass due to acid reflux and weight gain. Dr Patterson is the surgeon, what about you guys?

Hi wl fam! Hows everyone's mending going? Im still getting some swelling at the top of my belly. Still feels weird around my belly button sometimes, a little pain. I tried putting a marble in to shape it but it bothered me. Hopefully it doesn't close up. Sometimes i get an itchy sensation around area but when i go to scratch it doesn't help because the area still has some numbness. Maybe its a ghost pannus itch[emoji3] Feeling a little down tho. Along with the swelling and some weight gain i have to wear some of my old bigger clothes. Its disheartening. But i will get it together. And hopefully the swelling will subside. Hope everyone is feeling better!

Good afternoon everyone! I'm brand new to this forum and I'm happy to be part of this community. I know I may ramble on for a bit, so I apologize. I had my surgery Wednesday 9/28/2016, so I'm 4 days out; and I have a few things on my mind. If anyone has any input or advice on anything, I greatly appreciate it!! A little history about myself..I'm a 27 year old female, starting weight at 340 pounds before surgery (I haven't weighed myself since 9/28). I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder which is controlled by generic Lexapro 20mg once daily. Some people have attributed by massive weight gain in the past year or so to my medication, but it has helped me so much, that I wouldn't dare stop it. I've had PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome since 12 years old, and I've been extremely overweight since I was a child. I weighed in at 232 pounds when I was 11, and I've been a yo-yo dieter since I was 15. I hit 300 pounds at 14, dropped to 180 by 17. Shot back up to 290 around age 21, dropped to 210 by 23/24. And since 2013 I steadily gained to be at my highest at 348 pounds. I've been seeing a psychologist for my OCD since 2013, but I have not seen him for a coupe of months. I plan on going back to discuss my weight loss journey. With being a new sleever and a natural worrier, (with anxiety) there are, of course, many things I'm concerned and curious about. Again, I apologize for the long post, and I'll list some things that are on my mind: 1. I'm tired and lazy. I've been sitting on my aunt's recliner since I left the hospital Friday (today is Sunday). I get up and walk around a few times a day. My urine is fine and I had my first bowel movement today (sorry, TMI). But I mostly want to lay around and close my eyes. I'm not hungry, but the smell of the delicious fried chicken that my aunt is making for her kids is bringing back memories lol. I'm getting off topic! Bottom line is, is this tiredness and laziness normal? I feel bad and almost obligated to be more active, but I just wanna rest! 2. I was never told that I had a food addiction, and my therapist told me he doesn't believe I compulsively eat. However, I do know that I am an emotional eater. And usually that emotion is happiness. I used food to reward myself all the time. I hated when people were around me when I was eating something delicious and watching TV. I wanted to be alone and enjoy my private time..which always included a good TV show and delicious food. Food always made me happy. I never really used food to self medicate when I was sad, but always ate when I was happy. And bored. I'm such a boredom eater. I don't have any hobbies, I live by myself, I'm an only child. So I'm always alone...and often times bored. And the eating would begin. I planned meals like they were major rewards. For the finale of Breaking Bad, I ordered pizza to have it delivered to my home right on time...I loaded up on Snacks and Desserts. I shut my phone off and didn't want to see or talk to anyone while I enjoyed my show and my food. I foresee that this will be a problem. Has anyone felt the same way? And if so, were you able to control it? 3. I worry about addiction transfer. I've heard of people resorting to alcoholism, drug addiction and/or gambling after weight loss surgery, and with my anxiety issues this scares me. My friend told me to become addicted to exercise and health, but who's to say that will happen? 4. Feeling like your old self? Just a general inquiry...how long did it take you guys to feel back to "normal" in terms of recovering from the surgery? Thanks so much for reading this! I hope to interact with you guys! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Unfortunately some of us made a bad decision and moved to Louisiana.... LOL I miss it (downtown queen at heart) Blame my weight gain on moving out of the city. Did a lot of walking and hanging in NYC. Hate the driving and not walking aspect of being in the city. Sent from my SM-G900H using the BariatricPal App

@@Boudala Don't worry about the weight gain from your period. The liquid diet is to shrink your leaking surgery safer- not really about weight loss. It'll go back down quickly. The stairs may be a little difficult but hold a pillow to your abdomen and take them slowly. Good luck.

@@rydersmama, congratulations on developing all of these new problems! And thanks for this great thread. Yes, being cold without 100 lbs of fat to insulate is definitely a problem that didn’t exist before weight loss surgery! It’s nice that I can fit into the extra layers of clothing that I need, though! Another one is the annoyance of people telling me that I don’t need to… “You don’t need to watch what you eat.” “You don’t need to skip dessert.” “You don’t need to work out so much.” Well, yes, actually, I DO need to! That’s how I am able to maintain my weight loss! It is so flattering that people see me as someone without a weight problem, but it is annoying when they think I can maintain my weight without any effort – almost nobody can, even most people who have never been overweight work really hard to prevent weight gain! All these “skinny people problems” are such beautiful reminders of how far I have come, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

I agree that it's not too young for her to check out possible hormonal disorders. I started to gain a little around that age (going through puberty). I was diagnosed with PCOS at 14 when I ended up in the emergency room due to abdominal pain; I had so many issues with cysts that one of my ovaries was removed. But being young, I never took the time or effort to research what PCOS meant. My weight gain increased in my mid teens when I became a vegetarian and ate primarily processed carbs like breads, rices, and pastas. With insulin resistance this was not smart, but again I was clueless and never followed up with my doctor. 20 plus years later I'm finally getting my health under control. I sincerely regret not learning more about this disorder back then. It wouldn't hurt to see an endocrinologist in my opinion!

I was thin until puberty. It was then that I started packing on pounds. I was a size 16 captain of the cheerleaders. My mom cooked healthy due to my dad's heart condition, and I worked out every single day. When I stopped eating that healthy and working out when I went to college, the result was a size 24/26 20-something. I was diagnosed with PCOS pretty soon after I got married as I had never been to a gyno before that. Looking back, the signs were all there. 11 is certainly old enough to start the weight gain. It's worth checking out. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using the BariatricPal App

Weight loss surgery success takes a lot of work and it’s nearly a full-time job, especially in the beginning. However, you can soon see the results of your efforts as you lose weight, gain energy, and watch the scale drop. What do you find most freeing about WLS and weight loss? Is it getting to shop at regular-sized clothing stores? Is it feeling free to say “No, thank you” to foods that you used to feel compelled to eat? Is it being small and energetic enough to go on airplanes, to movie theaters and restaurants, and on amusement park rides with your family without giving it a second thought? Is it being able to spend less time managing your medications, doctor’s appointments, and CPAP machine? Share what you find most freeing about WLS surgery success!

I'm sure this won't be a popular opinion here but it's also possible she's just a larger person. Not all fat people are unhealthy. If a person is eating healthy, is active, and the doctor can find no medical reasons that explain the weight gain then it's possibly just her natural body shape. Seriously, just being fat isn't a death sentence.

Hit send accidentally. LolShe said that there may be a little tweaking of the dosage but there should be no reason why I can't continue my meds. We tweak my meds every now and then anyways. I also have been going to therapy for 4 years. I highly recommend that you start some form of group or one on one therapy. It really helps. I also think that you are probably going through withdrawal. On top of everything else. I'd definitely talk to your bariatric team. Tell them your struggles. You have to get back on track. This is the window you have to lose the most weight. Yes you're challenged. Don't use it as a way to rationalize why you are not on plan. Use it as an extra boost to get THIS DONE. I'm struggling with losing weight to get surgery. I have a whole list of reasons why. Some legit and some excuses. Talking with my therapist she pointed this out to me. I've been working on my mental part of this journey. Identify the excuses, realize I am in control. Figure how to overcome my legit problems. Example. I have asthma the air quality where I live sucks right now because of the harvesting of almonds. I can't get outside much. But I can take my rescue inhailer and get my butt to the gym. Please get back on plan and don't let this chance slip by. As someone who has depression, anxiety and bipolar II I'm wondering why on earth they'd take you off meds like that. I'm assuming you're in a withdrawal state - there are a lot of newer antidepressants that aren't bad with the weight gain. As stated above, a good therapist really helps. I see one every week. But, I'm not surprised you're having a hard time if they took you off meda like that cold turkey. I'd definitely see a psychiatrist and a therapist for help. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using the BariatricPal App

You are only a few days out of surgery. I was in the hospital myself for 3 days before coming home, to find out that I had gained a few pounds. From what I have read, a large majority of people were in the same boat. After surgery you were most likely being pumped full of fluids. You have just had a major surgery and your body is dealing with a lot at this point. The Fluid retention will go down soon. I saw the first weight loss about 4 days after returning home (on top of the Water weight gained).