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My weight gain journey began in May, 2013. I was exposed to black mold a few months prior in our master bathroom of a house we had just purchased. Unaware of it of course. May 2013, I had to have half of my right lung removed. After the lung removal I was forced to take nine months of oral steroids. During this nine months I gained another person in weight. September 2014, I was well enough to finally have the sleeve done. I tried to lose the weight on my own but anyone who has been on steroids for that length of time knows it is nearly impossible. I have since lost that extra person I gained. And couldn't be happier. The first picture was taken by my surgeon the week before surgery. The second picture was taken last week. My starting weight at surgery time was 222. My current weight is 125, as of this morning. I am 5'4 1/2.

I know Im late. I feel your struggle. I got sleeved in 2012 also. June 14th was my surgerversary. I put on 50 pounds in last couple years so I know your frustration. I manned up and went to see my doctor this past monday 6/20/16. I was sure he was going to go in on me for the late visit and for the gain but it was totally different. He said that I carried the weight gain well but said my blood pressure was high. Im 36 and too young to have high blood pressure. High blood pressure does not go with my outfit. LOL I even had to go back to sleeping with my CPAP machine. I was very discouraged but he told me to come back to see the Nut'ist and he wanted to see me in six months instead waiting a year. So Im paying attention to my diet and I walk an hour everyday. It feels like an up hill battle but Im determined to get back to were I was. You can do this. just take it one day at a time and know that you are not the only one who has fallen. If you need someone to hold accountable from now on the let me know. Sometimes I need that myself. I was a sexy fother mucker at my goal weight. LOL! Now I just feel like blah! Thats real talk. My wife likes the smaller me and I did too. She doesn't complain but I want to be healthier to be around for my family so thats my motivation.

First off, I am considered a 'low BMI' patient and recall asking my doc over a decade ago about GB with insurance paying for it. She laughed and told me I'd qualify if I gained 40 pounds, kept it on for 2+ years while trying to lose weight, and developed co-morbidities. I was fairly trim until my 30s but have 2 problems contributing to consistent weight gain. First, I have really big boobs, and if that sounds silly try exercising with them. Second, I can eat the same amount as everyone around me but I gain weight while they lose or stay the same. I had anecdotally seen this for years when I discovered 'myfitnesspal' about 6 years ago and began tracking. I discovered I have to stay below 1000 calories per day not to gain weight, and drop to below 800 to lose. That is simply unsustainable. 5 years ago I went on phentermine and lost 35 pounds. While that was great, like most dieters I cannot sustain the weight loss. I stumble home exhausted, with no energy, and at night begin to crave food. That pretty much goes along with the research on those who have lost weight but not been able to keep it off; reduced metabolism by about 50% and the necessity to eat 500 fewer calories than a 'normal' weight person in order to sustain the weight loss. My weight has been climbing steadily for the past 3 years, and as I've gotten close to my highest weight my energy has returned and my weight leveled off. Still, though, I am frustrated at not being able to keep it off. After reading the latest articles on the inability of 99% of weight losers to successfully keep weight off, I began to think about bariatric surgery. I was considering India for its low cost, but English friends told me a lot of Brits have serious problems with their surgeries there. I have a cousin in Belgium, though, an American who married a Belgian man, and she has glowing things to say about medicine in Belgium. In looking around I discovered Dr. Bruno Dillemans and the International Surgery Group ('ISG' based in Ireland) and contacted them. Dr. Dillemans reviewed my information online and suggested a standard Rouen Y gastric bypass. He told me that in his experience this is the gold standard and patients who demand other surgeries such as the sleeve, which many of his international patients request, end up coming back for the full bypass. He asked several questions via email and the ISG. For reasons of cost and convenience I elected to have my pre-op tests and consult done the morning of my surgery. I know some people have an aversion to this, but I did my research, knew my general health was quite good, and didn't see much reason to have a consult one day and operation the next, as my mind was made up. My surgery was 3 days ago, June 21st - hard to believe it's been just about 70 hours! I checked in at 7:30 AM with clear and good instructions from ISG. First up was a series of 3 tests; bloodwork, lung xray, and EKG. As has been my experience in another European hospital the results were processed right away and the doctor had them by the time I met with him at noon. In my room as I waited for them to take me to surgery I thought to myself, "Why am I doing this to a perfectly healthy body?!" But I am a professor and researcher and have read all the literature and the reality is our chance of losing weight on our own is almost non-existent. Once one has gained weight the body will fight forever to return to that weight. We should tell every young person this basic fact and try to prevent them from gaining weight in the first place. When they came to roll me from my room to the surgical suite I said to the orderly, "oh now I am really nervous," and she smiled kindly and said, "Everyone is at this point, everyone, and some are quite terrified." That, plus the surgeon's record, were quite reassuring. The process itself was smooth and I remember little. I was interested in the side by side metallic operating room doors which opened as people went in and out - I could see another laparoscopic operation going on in mine. I was in a little bay outside the operating room and the anesthesiologist and a tech went over everything thoroughly. Interestingly, on the ceiling was a security camera dome - apparently they film everything that's going on so can review the tapes if there is a future problem. The very kind tech held a mask near my face and asked me to breathe deeply. I recall going under and saying, "Here I go, I'll see you on the other side..." I recall only a bit of the recovery room and asking several times if I could turn on my side as it hurt to breathe, but they would not let me. Finally I was taken back to my room and the Dr. and his resident came to check on me. My drain was bleeding a lot and they examined it. Dr. Dillemans explained that he had stretched the incision with the equipment and the edge was bleeding so they would need to put 2 more stitches in, which they did. The Resident commented that I was the "Stoic American" and, thank heavens, told me that I could (finally) roll onto my right side, I slept most of the rest of that day. I recall asking if I could get up and walk to the bathroom but the nurses wouldn't let me, saying it was too soon after surgery (I think in the US they try to get you up asap, so this was different). I finally called for a bedpan and that nurse was a bit short with me - I asked her to close the window blinds and she said "we will do it when we come in to check you," and I realized they were in the middle of rounds so simply told her, "Thank you, but I have no way of knowing that" and she seemed a bit chagrined. I only called for a nurse one other time and both times the response was within 2 minutes. Overall I am thus far happy that I went ahead with this. At least now I have 'a chance' where before I feeling pretty hopeless about sustaining weight loss. The Belgian hospital and procedures were stellar, super clean (they tested me for MERSA as well as 2 other common bacterial infections), cleaned my room 2x per day, were state of the art and efficient. I don't like nurses hovering around me and they didn't, but checked up on me every hour or so and came immediately when I called. Total cost of the medical portion was $9,981. Since I was already coming to Europe anyway there was no added expense other than the hotel, which I split with my cousin since she wanted to visit friends in Brugge. I weighed today, expecting my weight would be the same since I don't feel any smaller and they stuffed me full of IV drugs, but I've already lost nearly 10 pounds. I recommend this to anyone going through the same struggles and frustration with weight. I'm happy to share info or insights with anyone thinking of this route.

When I was a teenager I was in a relationship with a boyfriend, we were together nearly two years, and I hate to admit idiocy, but we were not as careful with birth control as we should've been. But because of this, it piqued my attention and realization that even though I had a regular cycle back then, that something was off. I never got pregnant, even though there were times where I should have gotten pregnant due to our negligence. I worried even back then that something was causing infertility, and I spoke about it with my mom and sister and they told me not to worry, it'd happen when it was meant to (obviously not as a teenager). It wasn't until age 19 that I started gaining the weight. I was always between 130 and 150lbs in high school, and for my height was normal, and I felt good. Then when I was 19, the pounds kept coming and wouldn't stop. I had a pretty physical job, so it wasn't like I was lazy. We didn't eat healthy 24/7, but we didn't eat horribly all the time. I never understood it. And then my periods would be few and far between. It worried me and stressed me, and just added to everything. So finally at the age of 21 when it only got worse and I decided to goolge symptoms, I learned about PCOS. I ticked nearly every single box, and was absolutely terrified. Sure enough, I got diagnosed. It explained the weight gain, and the infertility. At this point I'd been with my current boyfriend for 4 years. While we weren't trying to conceive, we weren't stopping it from happening either. Yet I never got pregnant, and this all explained it. I was told that to see any relief from the symptoms that I'd need to lose the weight, but then on the flip side, to lose weight having balanced hormones is important. I felt stuck and it wasn't fun. I even tried phentermine. I lost about 40lbs on my own, but then got severely sick and wound up gaining it all back once I was taken off the phentermine. Many other diets, regular exercise, etc. And I just couldn't seem to do it. Fast forward to now. I'm 26 years old, almost 2 weeks post-op, and I can already feel changes in my body. Ones that I'm hoping continue and will help me see positive results with regaining my menstruation, and ovulation, which can hopefully lead to pregnancy down the road. At this point I'd be entirely grateful just for one child. Reading along with this, I just kept nodding, because it all fits together and makes sense. It sucks, but I'm willing to work my butt off (literally) if it means regaining my period and someday having a child of my own.

@@glitterdaisies, it doesn't sound to me that your therapist is opposed to bariatric surgery, but is concerned that you learn to overcome the emotional eating you've described. Surgery isn't a 'cure' for it. Our own strategies and understanding what makes us tick are what matter. Jargon comes and goes. Don't get hung up on labels. Eating that causes weight gain and/or impedes weight loss is important to tackle. Whether it's a "disorder" or no, so what? Your best bet would be to ask the therapist what she had in mind.

2/18/2014 SW: 365 Lowest Weight: 226 CW: 243 (frustrated, WTF) I'd still do this again in a heart beat. Can't figure out the weight gain, though.

Has anyone out there, 18 most or longer post-op, seen any weight gain. I was at 365, then 330 or so day of surgery, and got down to 226. Which my physician was about dead on with (my goal was 190, he laughed and said 225 was more realistic due to my bone density). I floated between 226 and 229 for about a year. Then as if like entering the next stage or something, I've begun gaining weight. 230, 235, 240, 245... So I begin a walking regiment. I do about 3-4 miles a time 5 times a week (3mph, 3.5 incline). I dropped to 241 within a couple weeks, but today I'm up to 244 again. I'll be honest, after 2.5 years post op, my biggest issue isn't that I feel hungry, it's that I never truly feel full compare to a year ago.

Have you had your thyroid checked? Adrenals? Blood work? Vitamins? How many calories do you consume day? I would go get your thyroid checked... weight gain, mental fog, lethargy and feeling cold are classic symptoms I don't know why, but for some reason that medication i remember has an effect on thyroid.. i will try and remember where from though

Go back to basics Alf, under 40 carbs per day, low fat, high Protein foods. The weight gain is coming from the foods that you must be eating.. Watch what you put into your body, get an app like my fitness pal and monitor everything. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hello everyone, I have decided, after the hardest year of my life, that VSG might be the solution. I know my story sounds impossible and hard to believe, but allow me to explain what happened. In September of 2014, I began taking a medication called Aldactone to help with acne. I took a really strong dose for about 8 months. Around 4 months in, I started noticing that my clothes felt tighter, until one day my jeans didn't fit anymore. I started working out longer and harder, replacing my regular cardio days for more Insanity, HIIT and strength, until I was working out 6x per day instead of 4-5x, and at higher intensity than ever before. I have been eating clean and low carb for years, so the only thing I did in respect to that was to make sure I wasn't getting even any 'bites' here and there of someone else's cookie or chocolate -- ever. It didn't occur to me that the medication could be causing this. I kept working out harder, and restricting my diet more and more, while I kept gaining incontrolably. It didn't make sense -- I had maintained my weight of 130 for years, felt great, and had a normal relationship with food. I knew that as long as I put my effort in every day and ate sensibly, everything was fine. Fast forward to May 2015, nothing fits anymore, I look in the mirror and my face looks completely different -- I am NOT this person. I had gained 25 lbs while exercising like a mad woman and eating as healthy and restricted as I ever had. That's when it clicked: it had to be something more than what I was eating / how much I was exercising. I began to suspect about the medication. Sure enough, a quick google search turned up a thread with more than 200 posts with stories exactly like mine. I was devastated. Girls who were doing everything right, who started working out more, eating even more carefully, only to find that nothing they did stopped the weight gain. It's been more than a year since I stopped taking Aldactone, and I haven't gained any more weight, but I also haven't been able to lose a single pound. I do Insanity 3x per week, Body Pump 2x per week, and Power Yoga 1x per week. I bike everywhere I need to go. I walk a lot. I eat a high Protein / low carb diet. I never splurge. I'm even afraid of dark chocolate at this point. And yet, most of the time I'm in a room I'm the fattest girl around. If only people knew how much effort I put into my workouts and my diet EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I've decided to do the VSG, even though technically I'm a low BMI (currently 155lbs at 5'2). I know some may disagree, but nothing else I've done in the past year has worked. I'm out of options and I'm depressed. My major concern is regarding mental energy after surgery being on such a low amount of calories. Currently I'm taking some appetite suppressants, and although they do seem to reduce my hunger, I notice that I find it hard to think and concentrate (even though I'm not starving)... I feel lightheaded and with very little energy to think. How are you able to think hard and work when you're eating so little? I'm a researcher, so I constantly have to be reading papers, looking up protocols, doing mental math, and just thinking hard most of the time. It scares me that I'll be useless after surgery from eating so little. My second question is related: are you always cold / are your hands always cold after surgery? I notice also on the appetite suppressants that even though I'm not as hungry, so I can get away with eating less, my hands get really cold. I haven't lost nay weight on the appetite suppressants, either, in case you were wondering. Thanks in advance for your responses.

I'm in the same boat. Surgery 9/2012 260 down to 176 now 210 don't know how to stop the weight gain. Looking for help! Glad to see you have taken some steps in the right direction. Unfortunately most help is not covered by insurance ????

I can find studies to dispute anything from another study. For example... Weighing Yourself: Helpful Habit or Unhealthy Obsession? In a study that monitored the weighing practices of 1,900 young adults, Carly Pacanowski, PhD, RD, and her colleagues found that those who weighed themselves more often experienced higher levels of depression and weight concern (thinking a lot about being thinner and fear of gaining weight) and lower self-esteem and body satisfaction. Interestingly, more frequent weighing did not lead to better weight control. Weighing isn’t necessarily problematic for everyone. “There is evidence that self-weighing may be an effective strategy for some adults to prevent weight gain,” says Pacanowski. “However, that doesn’t mean that everyone should adopt this behavior.” Weighing yourself can lead to self-judgment and guilt, which can fuel a cycle of emotional eating. For some it can promote eating disorders and other unhealthy eating behaviors. With 89% of women unhappy with their weight and 39% worried about the number on the scale, millions are stuck in a counterproductive and potentially harmful cycle.

@@Valentina is right. If you didn't have some doubts, you wouldn't be normal. @@HanSolo1977 Mine started one I started the pre-op diet. I kept thinking about the fact that I could never go to a party and get a 'regular' plate of food. That I won't be able to finish a hamburger. That I couldn't ever be a real foodie like I've been and wanted to be. I grew up poor, and we barely had food on the table. My weight gain was thanks to me wanting to eat things I couldn't afford before + my PCOS. So all this swirled around in my head, and I really doubted that having an irreversible surgery was the right choice. I was terrified. But then I bit it all back, I took a deep breath, and I reminded myself WHY I was doing this. To ensure and hold myself responsible, so I could by the cute clothes without paying nearly twice as much. So I wouldn't cringe whenever someone wanted to take a picture of me, and so I could actually have the opportunity to have kids and be there for them as they grow up. Leading up to surgery, you're going to doubt it, second guess it, everything. What it comes down to is whether you can hold yourself to your current diet and keep it going and keep it off (I never could). Or if you need that insurance.

I was convinced that my obesity would end my life prematurely. do you feel like you can live a normal healthy life span at the weight you currently are? because honestly, most people who loose weight gain it back and more. this is a powerful tool to give you an edge with those odds. the thing I hear consistently is that people only wish they had done this sooner. You are at a fork in the road, and need to decide which way you want your life to go.

@@VSGAnn2014 Your initial comments were fine. The Oak Park OP said she's "depressed," and since that depression, is drinking more beer, ingesting more calories in beer than in food. Liking beer doesn't make one an alcoholic; regularly/frequently turning to it in depression, etc., warrants contemplation. To consider AA...legitimate query, if one is truly open to exploring all reasons and all possible remedies for the weight gain. [Ann, hope you're hubby is progressing well.]

Concerning long term weight management, daily weighing does help. This is from the study, "Consistent self-monitoring of weight: a key component of successful weight loss maintenance" found on US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health website. Consistent self-weighing may help individuals maintain their successful weight loss by allowing them to catch weight gains before they escalate and make behavior changes to prevent additional weight gain. While change in self-weighing frequency is a marker for changes in other parameters of weight control, decreasing self-weighing frequency is also independently associated with greater weight gain.

I had the band done in 08 and recently 10 months ago I had it emergency removed due to prolapse. I did have success in the very beginning, losing about 70lbs. I do have to admit it was not easy!! I was working out twice a day and watching every little calorie. I had 5 to 6 fills and became very sick do to restriction and had it emptied. After that it all went down hill as far as weight gain Today I weigh only 10lbs less then the day I had the band put in. I'm two weeks from my Gastric bypass surgery!!! I'm praying all goes well! Good Luck on your journey Sent from my SGH-T999L using the BariatricPal App

Aspire Assist is not Mechanical Bulimia it only takes a portion of food out of your stomach. If you use the device for binge and purge you will fail because you will gain weight. You still will absorb 2/3 of what you have eaten with each cycle of aspiration. Those calories will add up causing weight gain and if your stomach gets bigger it will strain the tube causing you discomfort if not out right pain. If you use the device too much it will not work because with over usage it will stop you from connecting to your body as well. The mind set of using the device for binge purge is setting you up for failure. I mindless eat at parties so I leave my device at home to prevent myself from flushing then 1or 2 hours later eating more. I know me so I leave it at home so not to set myself up for failure. Some people can flush at parties and will not eat more that is good for them they have better self management than me. I will say with any type of diet or lifestyle change you need the proper mind set. I never saw Aspire as Mechanical Bulimia I saw it as a tool to rid my body of waste.If you just see the device as a way to binge and purge it is not for you.

I guess I need to make this clear, the surgery I had had nothing at all to do with the fact that I run, I have had a myriad of foot troubles since childhood including a congenital deformity that has caused me no end of misery. When I was pre and post surgery, I really couldn't do anything, walking, biking, swimming, yoga, pilates, anything, so that is a lof of what contributed to my weight gain. Running seems to get such a bad rap. I love running for a host of reasons, it's not just that it is one of the best ways to burn calories, but it requires no special equipment, you can do it pretty much anywhere or any time you'd like and it really does let you just zone out/get into the zone (your choice!) in a way that not many other things do. I think people criticize running as "injury inducing" out of habit, I actually think that my years of running helped me avoid injuries because it is a fantastic way to strengthen not only big muscles like quads, but all those little muscles in an around the ankles. Running has never been my only form of exercise, but it is one of my favorite forms. Yeah, I have a bike, but I live in a very high density/high traffic area so riding it is not that much fun, you spend the whole time worrying about cars. The trails near Chicago are very dangerous for women, unfortunately and even so, you'd have to pack your bike onto the car and drive some distance to get to one. I'm back to running again and to yoga and to pilates and to doing my usual 5 miles a day of walking (I'm a fanatical fitbit tracker!). The point of my post was to say how hard it is to start again, especially with the additional pounds, but I appreciate your response nonetheless!

I hope none of this happens to you! From what I have searched, it is not typical? I am 6 days post surgery. I'm 54 years old and I must say that this surgery was far more difficult than I anticipated. I've read where other people go back to work after one week and I'm thinking NO WAY!!! My goal was to return in two weeks and I just don't see it happening. I was nauseated the first couple of days but that has subsided. I feel very tired, my incisions are very sore, I am experiencing gas pains in the chest and abdominal areas. I feel extremely bloated. There was a 10 lb weight gain post surgery that is starting to subside. I did not have a bowel movement for four days. Prayers would be appreciated! One positive note is that I do not feel hungry. That part is TRUE! I hope that I can move around more tomorrow to alleviate the gas. It's just not lady-like to even talk about that subject. Good luck to you!

Thank you for this post. I am nearly 3 years post-op and have experienced weight gain (just posted myself about it!) and didn't really consider the menopause aspect. Funny enough, it turned out one of my last regular periods was the day of my sleeve surgery. I was told to expect irregular periods post-op, so I didn't really think much of it until I was over two years out and had only had a handful of periods. I haven't had the blood tests to confirm it, but I'm guessing that I am well into it at this point. I have noticed that the weight gain has not been in the areas that have histocially been my problem areas--thighs and butt. I have always been an hourglass, but the new weight seems to be all in the belly and love handles, never something I had before. Thank you nature!

So a brief little summary about myself. last year I started going to see dr. corn. I was approximately 300 pounds 27 years old 5 foot 4. I was struggling and out of shape trying to raise three young children. I was tired of not being able to play with them, not being able to fit on rides at the Carnival's, being made fun of and stared at. I was tired of being told you have such a pretty face and that being all. After a Couple visits I decided I didn't want to do the surgery anymore. Not necessarily that I didn't want to do the surgery but was too scared to do the surgery. My partner didn't want me doing the surgery because she was scared that I would end up looking sick malnourished and I would be unhappy with myself even more. We had a lot of family members who have had the surgery and have lost too much weight they look unhealthy they're always sick. She was scared of that happening to me. And in return I was scared. I don't want to be the weight that the doctor say I should be. They say I'm supposed to be about a hundred and thirty pounds. I would be happy being a 180 to 200 pounds. I still want to have curves I still want to feel beautiful but I don't want to be super skinny. But I know that I need the help. I have PCOS and in the last year I've gained another 38 pounds. I'm really scared that I'm to the point where I'm going to die. I think I've developed sleep apnea, im having a harder time walking, lots of swelling, short of breath and the PCOS is getting out of control. I've developed rashes from the PCOS. I will miss my period for 3 months and then have a really heavy period where I can't even leave the house. I just know my situation is getting worse and I've got to do something. And I'm not even eating a lot more than what I was a year ago. In fact I feel like I'm missing a lot more meals. But I know that the PCOS is what is contributing to the weight gain. I met a lady last month who had just had the sleeve done. She suggested that I look into the sleeve because you lose weight not as fast and therefore you have less problems with the extra skin. And I thought maybe that might be the way I want to go. I called dr. Koren and scheduled an appointment again. I get started July 13th. I'm scared to death. How do I keep myself from being scared of doing the surgery. I know it's what I need. I'm just scared of all the bad things that could happen. I'm scared of hating the way I look even more after the surgery. I have a ton of extra skin already and I don't want to have to be tucking it all in and wearing all different kinds of undergarments to hold everything in place. That's not going to make me feel better about myself. Help I need some advice. Sent from my SM-G530T using the BariatricPal App

Had my sleeve done in August 2013. I reached my goal weight and stayed there thanks to regular daily exercise including running 25 miles a week, yoga and pilates. Last summer, I started having serious foot pain. By October 2015, doing any kind of exercise became almost impossible because of an entrapped nerve in my foot. I finally had surgery to release the nerve in April. I was unable to walk for almost a month and then had limited mobility until June. I am a homebrewer and a big craft beer fan. I was able to incorporate moderate beer consumption into my diet when I was very active. When I became very inactive all of a sudden, I didn't cut out the beer, in fact, the depression that accompanied the inability to be mobile actually made me drink more. So, while my food consumption has stayed pretty much the same as the first two years post-op, the beer has increased. Many of the beers I have are 800 calories in a single bottle. I am certain that my beer calories on a daily basis are more than the food I eat. As a result, I've gained back 40 pounds. Yes, 40 pounds. You have no idea how awful it is to write that down. I'm now trying to work my way back. I've started working out again, but it's tough given more than 6 months of inactivity. I am trying VERY hard not be depressed and discouraged by the backsliding, but it's very difficult when I cannot fit into most of my clothing any more. After a year at my goal weight, I gave away nearly all my "fat" clothes. I have a few things I can still squeeze into, but they are not flattering given the extra pounds. Please DON'T bother sending me messages reiterating what I already know. I know how to eat, I know that I have to cut out the beer. Knowing it and doing it are two different things! I'm here for support and commiseration, not for finger wagging. I know I 'm not the only person in this boat. Would love to connect with some people on the same road I am and supporting one another. This is incredibly difficult for me, but I am ready to put in the effort to get back to my hard-earned previous size. Anyone with me?

Final point- NOT eating enough will also put your body into starvation mode which can cause it to store any possible calorie it can for future use- thus leading to weight gain. We have all heard it- skipping meals is also bad for your metabolism!