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Thank you - -It's just disheartening I guess. I know they say you lose the most weight early on so I feel like a 3lb weight gain so soon = failure again.

Hey All. It's my first post. I was sleeved 5 weeks ago today. I've been weighing myself once a week. I lost fast the first three weeks then week four only 1/2 a lb but still a loss. Then today I get on the scale and I am up 3lbs!! It was very alarming as I've been following my diet to a T and trying to get between 600-800 calories a day (closer to 600 typically). I don't know what to think. I am at a loss -- a 3lb gain is not a 1lb fluctuation. Has anyone else had an early gain and it resolved itself or is this going to be it for me for weight loss and now I"m going to be fighting to keep even these few lbs off?

With the limited information you provided, would say yes, the increased calories has led to weight gain. The further we are out from surgery, it seems it becomes easier to gain, too. Medications can also cause weight gain, but since you didn't mention that, I'm assuming that's not it. Try decreasing back to 1200 to lose the weight, then gradually increase to see how many calories you can eat to maintain your desired weight. The other factor is activity. Try increasing activity and see what sort of impact that has, too. One last thing, I agree, it is very alarming to watch the pounds pile on when there has been a slight change (or even none) in your diet. I always say there is a reason I was so obese, and it has to do with a body that wanted it that way! However, we can beat this with hard work and diligence.

I'm certainly no expert but if you went from 1200 cal to 1600-1800 cal and gained weight then maybe that WOULD explain the gain... I'm no doctor or anything but the addition of calories and the weight gain seem to be linked,... Perhaps a trip to the nutritionist might be in order... Good luck mate...

Hi. I lost 125lbs I was sleeved on September 4th 2014. I never gained weight until now I track every calorie. I did go from eating 1200 to about 1600-1800 calories but would that explain the weight gain? I don't over eat at all o focus hard to make sure I don't over eat. I'm lost and scared I'm screwing up. Any help would be appreciated

What type of of Gastric bypass surgery did you have done? I had the Gastric bypass RNY done 15yrs ago and my stomach is only the size of a golf ball. I'm planning on going back to Weight Watcher's with my boyfriend and I did some research on the Internet this past week and I found several sites that talk about people that have had Weight loss surgery, and that are doing Weight Watcher's as well. My suggestion is to go on the Internet and look up the following :Bariatric Surgery Source: Weight regain after Bariatric surger-how to get back on track; Consumer Guide to Bariatric Surgery: Spotlight on: Weight Watcher's; Bariatric Surgery Source: Weight Gain After Bariatric Surgery & How to Avoid or Reverse it; Bariatric Surgery and Weight Loss Weight Watcher's:Bariatric Surgery and Weight Loss; Obesity:5 Ways To Prevent Stretching Your Stomach After Gastric Bypass; Bariatric Surgery Source: Regain of 35lbs after gastric bypass-getting back on track. I found a lot of these sites just by Google the simple question:How many calories are you supposed to to have after having weight loss surgery. I know for a fact that what you said that you were eating in one day is way too much food and its not only going to stretch your stomach back out but cause you to put the weight right back on that you are trying to get off. I know when I was on Weight Watcher's before I had my surgery that you are supposed to measure your foods, and keep track of the foods that you eat, and it doesn't look like you are doing any of that. I know for me that'll be to much food, and if I ate all of that in one day, I'll be in the bathroom with stomach problems. So, my suggestion is to cut way back on the foods that you eat, exercise, drink plenty of Water, and keep track of the foods you eat. Those are the main things that not only will help you loose weight, but are the basic requirements for weight watchers as well. I was and still am a Lifetime member of Weight Watcher's that's how I know so much about it and I'm going back to Weight watcher's with my boyfriend. Sent from my SM-G360T using the BariatricPal App

I am one month into my six-month medically supervised diet and have already accomplished so much. All that is left is my psych eval, to complete my six months, and to submit my application for pre-approval. That is it! I should feel elated at getting my checklist near-done, yet I am finding that I do not have much to focus my attention on now that I am as done as I can be for now. This deficit has left me feeling a little depressed and I worry a lot about being turned down by my insurance (HMA through PeaceHealth). I should be occupied with work and graduating this fall, yet that is not what is occupying my thoughts. What does everyone focus on during this time of waiting? How do you stay positive? I suppose I am used to instant gratification and should feel grateful to have this time to work on the problems that led to my weight gain to begin with. Where do you find your hope for a better tomorrow regardless of the uncertainty? How do you focus? Thank you all in advance for your advice. I appreciate it.

I go for my 6wk follow-up tomorrow and go back to work next Friday. As the title hints at I work 12hr night shifts and was wondering if anyone else on the forum works an unconventional schedule? There have been years of study concerning the detrimental effects of working against your circadian rhythm one of those is weight gain and cortisol levels. I'm hoping to hear from those folks who are willing to share tips, hints, and struggles. Ideally not working night shift is the best but not feasible for me nor do I want to work dayshift. Thanks in advance.

I also love hotdogs at a game since I am also a Season ticket holder for the Yankees. But then I remember that eating hotdogs and beers at a game is what started my weight gain . Take that into consideration since we all made a sacrifice to have a surgery for weight loss to change our habits from the past not to be looking forward to that hotdog. When I take my daughter to the games I look at a pic of me before surgery and it reminds me where I don't want to be again. Just a thought.

Oh Jill...sounds awful. Like he was thinking you were an experiment and let's see what else we can throw at her. I'm sure the methotrexate isn't doing anything for me. I have an appointment with the rheumatologist next week and I think I'm going to tell him I want off. I was doing very well on 60 mgs. of Cymbalta but the side effect of loss of libido was unacceptable to me. We tried Lyrica but I got nervous over the weight gain side effect so I stayed on it a short time and went off. So here I am again, on steroids. My family sort of understands especially with my mom going through very similar issues. Of course, I understand exactly what she's going through. Thanks for sharing. Liz.

Hi Jill. I'm at that 'arthritis of unknown origin' point. Have been for a few years now. The rheumatologist has tested me over and over and keeps an eye on my inflammatory markers. I take anti-inflammatory meds and methotrexate with folic acid. What are you prescribed now that you have a definitive diagnosis? I'm really curious to know as this chronic illness and the pain that goes along with it is draining at times...especially now that I'm in a flare and back on steroids. Hi gowalking: In regards to what I am prescribed now that I have a diagnosis, I have been on several things. I started out with methotrexate and he wanted me to take prednisone too but I told him no because of all the side effects especially weight gain with that. I only took methotrexate for a couple of months I didn't see any difference on that other than my hair breaking off. Next he had me try Emberel, that made my pain a 100 times worse and he wanted me to keep taking it for 6 months. After the 2nd month I had to stop, the pain from that was too intense. Then he had me try Humira, luckinly they gave it to me in his office the first time because within about 30 seconds after they gave it to me I started pouring down sweat, got extremely nauseous and my scalp was on fire. I was literally drenched within seconds, it was actually quite scary! No more bioligics for me n though he wanted me to try remicade to, but I said no after trying the other 2. He them had me try sulfazine, that killed my stomach and I couldn't kep taking that either. So now I am on arava, generic is leflunomide which is to help keep inflammation down. I also take hydrocodone, flexeril and some other pain meds as needed. I hate taking medicine and told my doctors I want to manage my health conditions with the least amount of meds a possible. I have been through some severe flares and I have to just tough through them as best I can. I try my best to keep my stress level down which is hard to do. if my doctor brings up any medicine that one of the first side effects is weight gain, I tell him don't even bother talking to me about it, that it cant be good for my joints to gain weight. In the beginning when he was changing so mch medicine I did gain like 30 pounds, I was so mad. I have also lost 2 inches in height in 3 years already, used to be 5' 10, now 5'8, not too happy about that either. Anytime some new symptom comes up I try to talk to him about it at the next apt, because I still think there are other things brewing. My problem is I don't know of anyone in my family that has anything like this, so I have no one to talk to about it, because they don't really understand the anything I go through on a daily basis. I think the worst thing for me is the fatigue that it causes. I work a lot and the fatigue really gets in the way. its nice to know that there are others out there that have similar things and we can all learn a little form each other....Jill

of course you can fail. Many people do. Cheating once in a while is not failure. But constantly cheating will lead you to failure and weight gain. Weight loss surgery is not a magic wand, it's not an easy thing to live with. It requires dedication and commitment. You have to eat right, be healthy, and exercise. Sure once in a while you can be a little naughty. But you have to make a LIFETIME commitment to be healthy, or you absolutely will regain weight

My hubby finds me attractive at 300, and since I don't think I'll ever look like "oh my gosh that girl needs a sammich" I don't see that changing. I agree that we need a lot of research into weight gain, especially in light of the research on the biggest loser contestants and their metabolic rates. I hope that my childrens' generation will have better options for weight control than surgery based on things they're learning about weight gain in our generation. Right now, we have to do the best with what we have. I think some things we never really gain a taste for. I was raised in a religion that doesn't eat seafood, and though I don't practice it anymore, I just can't develop a taste for it. (However, I have noted that I was raised not eating pork either, and I had no issues learning to eat ham and bacon!!) I don't expect to ever LOVE vegetables. I just want to get to a point where my body isn't revolting (gagging and throwing up) when I decide for whatever reason I am going to eat them.

I'm in the same boat. I didn't gain 20 lbs but did gain and feel terrible about it. I have decided to start from the beginning again. It's frustrating and depressing to see the weight gain but I know I can do this! I just have to get back in the right mind set. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I used to say to people that I could eat 1/2 pound of food and gain a pound. The biggest loser thing is nothing new to me. I kinda knew it all along. And if you apply it over a lifetime.....well, think about it........ You start off losing a bunch of weight real quick......so according to the new findings, your metabolism slows down...permanently ..then, of course you gain it all back. However, now you have that permanently slowed down metabolism working against you.......making you gain more with less food. A couple of years later, you go on another diet and lose alot of weight again....also really fast.....and further slow your already slow metabolism..........and yo and yo and yo....... get the idea now. Every time you lose you slow you metabolism down further. It's a exponentially increasing formula for failure and weight gain. So do I give up.?? No. My only shot is to obtain some restriction to limit food intake which will involuntarily counteract the bad habits, which developed over a lifetime of yo- yo dieting and gaining, mostly as a result of the metabolism thingy. Hey.....whatever it is....it is. It's all history now and whatever I gotta do to keep it off.....I'll suffer through it . Besides......with the help of my sleeve restriction, I still believe my brain is in charge and I can defeat that metabolism thingy. Or at best keep it in check.

Hey BabyNewYear, I'm also almost 4 months and doing great. What a fantastic experience I've been having all the way! Some things haven't changed: I still don't feel when I need to stop eating, so I pretty much overeat many times because my brain doesn't want to stop, so at least once a week I feel extremely sick because of course our stomachs can't handle the amount of food. As I mentioned you before I stopped losing weight after week 5, so I have decided to start a lchf/keto/banting lifestyle which is a lifestyle based on very low carbs, moderate Protein and high in fat; why this approach? I'm barely hungry when I eat fat, it allows me to fulfil my protein requirements and sugars (carbs) is what gave me the metabolic syndrome, weight gain and led me to surgery. I'm really happy with this approach and I really honestly hope that I can follow this the rest of my life. Many ask about my sugar and cholesterol levels with this diet and all of them are back to normal. I'm down 17 kg (37lbs 8oz or 2 stones 9.5lbs ) from 76 kg (167lbs 9oz or 11 stones 13.55lbs) to 59kg (130lbs 1oz or 9 stones 4 lbs) and I'm only 4 kg (8lbs 13 oz or 8.8 lbs) from my goal weight. Lately I've been losing between 0.5kg or less per week (around one pound or less). None of my clothes, underwear nor shoes fit. I've lost my ass, it's totally flat so sitting is painful because I'm sitting on my hips and training has it's ups and downs because I lost more weight from my right side of my body so my sneakers are loser on one side and I hurt my right knee quit often. I'm also trying to become stronger with weight lifting so that I can continue to lose fat. My stomach is still big compared to the rest of my body, but I can start seeing my neck, hands and hip bones. Lose skin on my ass, boobs and upper arms. hair loss, it's bad... but I've seen worst cases on instagram, so I still feel lucky about this, but there is hair absolutely EVERYWHERE! I'm taking Biotin for this. What an amazing journey!!! Looking forward to the next update! Cheers!

Having my surgery on the 18th of May... FREAKING OUT!!!!! food is my coping mechanism, so... Hello binging time! I just keep asking myself how I ever let it get this bad. Why did I let myself go? How did I get to this point? I'm a 20yr old needing bariatric surgery, who was about a 100 pounds lighter 2yrs ago. And I'm also having intense guilt... I did this to myself. Why am I taking the 'easy' way out? I know the weight gain was a consequence of the depression I went through, and still dealing with... And it's not entirely my fault, but gosh the guilt is almost crippling. Anyway. Anyone having theirs around that time too? Wanna be buddies ? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@Momcat, my surgeon told me the same thing in March. He said by their standards, I am considered a success and that not many people (he treats) reach 100% excess weight loss. I say poppycock! Yes, it is definately difficult but I do believe it can happen, it's clear from the many post on this site alone that it's possible. However,even though I believe it can happen, I'm trying to reconcile that this may be it. I know I shouldn't be disappointed because I can wear a size 10, I can shop at most clothing stores and my weight related health issues have resolved. Lots to be grateful for. I am just nervous because I hear about the weight gain years out and I really wanted a buffer. Oh and yes, 1200 calories for me too. However, my doctor did recommend at my next visit in June to repeat a metabolic test, to see if my metabolism has changed since surgery. Sorry don't have anything positive to report but just wanted you to know that you are not alone. I share your frustration.

I know that for me life's serious stresses and justifiable angst don't inspire me to overeat. But celebration, partying and being overserved certainly do. And then there's the simple power of a new *habit* -- eating and drinking in a new way over a month's time -- that can be either positive or dangerous for my weight maintenance. Consistency in one's behavior can be leveraged for good or evil. Examples: The holiday 8, the freshman 15, the newlywed 20, the quitting smoking 30, etc. Check out this interesting article about life events that contribute to weight gain: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/09/will-i-get-fat-15-signs-you-ll-gain-weight.html

I agree with the others ... find a replacement outlet for the emotions. Just following my surgery I went through a pretty rough patch with family illness and a (separate) death in the family. My normal go-to would have been food. However, someone here recommended that I find some other way to ease the emotion and I started to walk more and more. It was a GREAT outlet for me! I would put in my earphones and just go until I either physically couldn't (shorter distances closer to my surgery) or else I felt the weight start to lift off of me. Ultimately, the fear of weight gain or even making myself sick from eating too much after my new sleeve was enough to help me to re-focus on something other than food. Best of luck to you!

Hi All! My name is Jennifer. I am 44 years old. I am a wife and mother of 2 boys (24 and 16). I live outside of Houston, Texas and help run our family owned trucking company where I am a bookkeeper, sales manager, and A/R supervisor (we are that small LOL!). ​I had my VGS in October of 2011. I went from my highest weight of 308 (as far as I know - I don't know many who want to check the scale regularly at that weight ) to my lowest post surgery weight of 213 in 2012. I had hit a plateau in between and began training with a former college running back. I was doing well. Around 2013 I ran into a series of health setbacks. I was able to maintain my wait or close to it (didn't go over 217) for well over a year, perhaps 2. Within the past year I began gaining weight. I am currently struggling with this, and this is why I have come here. I am looking for advice, accountability, and to be a good WLS buddy to anyone who needs one. I am interested in what you guys are doing to meet your goals, what successes and what slip ups you may have dealt with, and how you are getting back on track now. Today is my first day here, and I can't wait to hear the journeys you have been on! I welcome any advice, shared experiences, or whatever you may have to offer! Thanks for having me! Jen

I saw the surgeon last Wednesday. He said he would do either the gastric bypass or sleeve on me but said that in both operations after three years the stomach stretches and weight gain is almost certain. Know two people who had the bypass who weighed over 350 lbs have both regained all their weight,even after one had loose skin removed. I'm not paying £10K for this and have decided to pursue other weight loss options. I'm pleased to hear that others with the sleeve are doing well and can only say-long may it last and best wishes.

Hello! I'm unable to find much about this online, so thought I'd see if anyone has had a similar experience post-removal. Long story short: I was banded about 11 years ago, lap band slipped, I was scheduled for removal. My original surgeon had moved to CA, so I went through Northwestern Hospital. (Sidenote: I HIGHLY recommend them! They went above and beyond when it came to ensuring my safety throughout the entire process). The surgery went very well and immediately afterwards, all of the side effects I'd been experiencing (horrendous acid reflux, pain, spitting up blood) were 100% gone. My doctor mentioned that he left the stitches in place that were holding my band in, explaining that this would give me a bit of restriction still and hopefully deter weight gain. It's now been almost exactly one month since surgery. I've been trying to watch how much I've been eating and signed up for a gluten free healthy food service. However, yesterday I celebrated my birthday and ate wayyyy too much. For the first time since before my surgery, I was spitting up food. Today, I have a weird sensation around the area where my band would have been - not pain per se, but it's not comfortable. Almost feels like gas pains. I'm back to the meal plan (i.e. smaller portions) today, but still regurgitating small bits of food a few hours after eating. My questions: - Has anyone who's had the band removed had their stitches left in place? - If so, has anyone else experienced this sensation? - Is it possible to rip these stitches from over-eating?! I'm an idiot and was *supposed* to have my follow-up appointment tomorrow, but rescheduled for next week. Now, I'm kicking myself and worried that perhaps I ripped the stitches or something.

Thanks for the article. I still have so many questions about obesity and surgery. I would like to think surgery studies would be different from the biggest looser weight loss program. I don't see many surgery patients 6+ years out. I think for many reasons. Life turn to normal..You don't Identify with weight loss mode and some experience weight gain. Patients in my area don't keep follow up appointments for 5 years. The studies at my surgeons office are not correct due to the lack of continued participation. This Leave me with more questions than answers. I still depend on all the senior surgery patients. I follow what keeps them successful. I wish I met more people long term out.

@@Barry W Thanks for the article. I still have so many questions about obesity and surgery. I don't meet many surgery patients 6+ years out. I think for many reasons. Life turn to normal..You don't Identify with weight loss mode and some experience weight gain. Patients in my area don't keep follow up appointments for 5 years. The studies at my surgeons office are not correct due to the lack of continued participation. My metabolism was messed up before surgery. I wish I knew what is now at two years out. I don't fit the normal statistics. I lost over the 60% average. I am older. I eat healthy. I took on competitive sports and I consume more food. Weight gain is still a big fear for me. I am vigilant to keep maintaining my weight. Anyone of us can gain. This Leave me with more questions than answers. I still depend on all the senior surgery patients. I follow what keeps them successful. Again, I wish I met more people long term out.