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I really don't buy this whole "the body knows what it wants to weigh" meme. I'm a scientist and have an affection for the concept of cause / effect. As in ... you do X, Y is more likely to happen; you don't do X, Y is less likely to happen. That doesn't mean I presume that I know all the factors involved in weight loss and their relative strengths. In the last 20 months, I've learned much about nutrition, behavior change, emotional factors that influence eating behaviors, etc. So I expect there's a lot more for me to learn. Nor do I assume that everyone's metabolism or set points are exactly the same or governed by exactly the same calories / macronutrients / Water / exercise / etc. So I certainly think there are many individual differences in terms of how our bodies perform. But I don't think there's some magical point your body reaches where it simply won't lose any more weight, no matter what you do. Losing weight, gaining muscle mass, building endurance and other ways we're trying to change our bodies takes time. Losing one pound a month may seem like the end of the weight loss journey to some. But that's about the rate at which I lost the last 15 pounds of my fat ass. And now I'm looking at the possibility of gaining at least 5 pounds of muscle this summer. Doing that will be a real challenge for me, but I think it'll make me significantly healthier. Boy, this journey just goes on and on and on and ....

Just checking in, really trying to stay consistent on the forums here seems to help me stay accountable. I am 22 months post op and was doing great at my lowest (although still not my goal), then i gained 10 lbs during a SUPER stressful two semesters of grad school and starting a new job, and switching that job from days to nights, and just life in general. Because I haven't seen my surgeon in about 9 months and didn't have the option to see my usual nutrition clinician (new insurance doesn't cover their services), I took the steps today to make an appointment with my surgeon in June AND called for a NUT appointment with the bariatric clinic in a nearby town that my insurance covers. I had every intention of starting a 5 day pouch test too, but having just accepted a huge promotion in my new job, my coworkers are giving me a big giant potluck tomorrow night and even though I'll eat healthy, i didn't want to stand there with a shake and turn my nose up at their efforts. So, 5 day pouch reset starting sunday night... I would love any input as far as pouch test success, getting back on track, etc. I currently have 10 lbs to get back to my lowest, and about 25 to my goal!! I CAN DO THIS.

I'm on my third Mirena. No weight gain associated, zero acne, lighter periods, less mood swings than the pill. Removal hurts like a biatch, though!

I'm on my 2nd one but didn't experience weight gain or any other stuff. In fact, this one is actually caused my period to almost disappear which is great because it used to be so heavy. I will say that having it removed was pretty painful, more than I expected it to be. Good luck!

I met my husband in 2002, I was around 260 then. We moved in together before we got married and we both started to gain weight together. He was a very healthy weight when we met so his weight gain was about 30-40lbs over the course of 8yrs, my weight gain was 100lbs to 370 by 2013. At a yearly check up with a new PCP she looked at me astounded that all of my blood work was fine, no hyperglycemia, I was still very mobile, only a slightly high BP. She behooved us to try the DASH diet for weight loss telling me my good numbers would not last. So my husband and I did and very successfully lost weight with diet and exercise. My husband lost down to a BMI of 25 and I lost 93lbs to 277. Then last summer we planned a Caribbean getaway and fell off the wagon starting in June. It was slow, but I did start gaining back and by November had gained back 25lbs. I tried again the reset method from the DASH diet of no carbs/sugars for two weeks and only lost 4lbs... Discouraged I went to a seminar with a coworker who was loud and proud about having it done. I was always a naysayer about WLS thinking if you can eat like that after surgery why can't you do it now? I was uneducated!! My husband is very supportive of me and has loved me unconditionally at all sizes that I've been. I decided to make this change so I can travel comfortably in an airplane seat and see the world. My kids are grown and my main focus can be me for a change. My husband was scared about surgery and he, in a moment of complete honesty, said he was happy right now with the way things were which included planning a place to eat out on the days we were off together. I told him it was the simple things he takes for granted, like running into Walmart and buying a cheap Tshirt (I know Walmart has plus size, but plus size belly shirts, they're so short!), not thinking twice about a booth in a restaurant hoping the table wasn't bolted to the floor, not worrying not having your elderly dad say "sit in that chair right there, I think it will hold you"....Those things!

Because I am 68 it could be the case that I will be refused the surgery as one surgeon has already said he will not do the sleeve or bypass on me due to this. I am seeing a surgeon on 27th April so hope he will give me the go ahead. If not as a diabetic I can try Forxiga which aids weight loss or there is Byetta or Eraglatide which are anorectics. These drugs are only used in type 2 diabetes. I know the surgery is risky but so is being very obese as my BMI is 38 and rising. My gastric band was in for 15 years and a lot changed in Bariatric surgery during this time. If there had been a revision say 7 years ago there would be no problem re my age so my advice is if you are fit and well and have a BMI over 37 and a chronic weight gain problem WLS is the way forward.

Hi March Sleevers 2016, I finally had my Sleeve done on March 8th 2016. Had to wait 8 months for it, as my surgeon and his team found out in July 2015 that I had Graves Disease (Hyper thyroid), so I had to stabilise my thyroid first ..... I had rapid weight gain between 2014 and February 2016 of 41 kg ( 90.2 pounds ) ! Awful time in my life. I was so disappointed that I had to have a long delay, but it had to be done. My surgeon was very concerned re possible thyroid storm doing the op, that possibly could be fatal ..... Anyway, it is great to connect with March 2016 Sleevers. I am in my 6th week post op, and had my first stall, still on soft foods at this stage, and keep going slowly forward. Best wishes to everyone

on runs longer than 5 miles, I make sure to fuel during. I tried numerous things and found that Clif shot bloks work best for me. I take 1 blok every 2 miles. Each blok is 33 calories and I find that it leads to a steady stream of energy in my system. When I run 1/2 marathons I add in a mid run snack of either teddy grahams or pretzel sticks (both surgeon and NUT approved) The teddy grahams also deliver a quick jolt of energy since they're mainly carbs, but they do have a few grams of Protein in them. They also basically dissolve in your mouth and are easy to eat. They've never made me sick. I sometimes have trouble with cramping during longer runs, and the pretzel sticks work for me. Again, mainly carb, but the salt helps ME with my runs. I ran the Hollywood Half Marathon this past weekend and brought teddy grahams with me. I wish I had the pretzels because I had a cramping issue after the race. I found it is all finding what works for you. Some people swear by Gu . . . but it makes me want to hurl. I found the main thing is making sure I have a steady stream of energy and liquid during the race so I don't die or dehydrate. I was given permission by my surgeon to ignore the no eating and drinking at the same time rule during a run since the shot bloks need the Water to properly break down in your system. Good luck finding what works for you. Oh, and you can carb load . . . I worked with my surgeon (who is a runner) to develop a plan. I increase my carbs 203 days before a race. I typically stay under 50g a day, but the week of a run, I increase to 80 or so. I don't go crazy eating plate fulls of Pasta or loaves of bread, but I will add in some potato, oats, etc. and I've never had a problem. It doesn't make me crave carbs, nor does it lead to out of control weight gain.

Hello. I'm new here. I'm going from band to bypass. Band removal is scheduled for April 25th. I have to wait 3 months and then revision to gastric bypass. I'm looking forward to this. The band has slipped and GERD is really bad now. My highest weight was 340. My lowest weight was 280 before additional diabetes medications caused some weight gain. I've been lurking on the forums for awhile and just wanted to say Hi.

Hi - all good questions. :-) While some people struggle with the balloon, most do not for the "first few weeks" ... it's more like the first few days. I did not feel great for the first few days, but I was not horribly miserable, either (and after a week - maybe less - I was fine). I ended up throwing up three times in first two days, but that's it. If you are properly prepared (with meds, nutrition, etc.), it's not that bad ... certainly not as bad as I expected. Having said that, different people react differently. I know three people who had it within a week of me - two did better than I did (not throwing up in those first few days at all, although one did later) and one did worse (she was really miserable). Just like with surgery, you don't know how your body will respond. In terms of why the balloon rather than surgery, the balloon is much less invasive, has fewer risks and, despite those first few yucky days, has a faster recovery time. I was always too chicken to permanently alter my anatomy, so this was a good option for me, despite not being covered by insurance (it is ~ $5000-$8500 for the insertion, removal and a year of doctor/dietitian support ... some places even offer exercise physiologist and therapy support). Having said that, I would not be surprised if insurance starts to cover it soon (it's so new that I just don't think the insurance companies have had a chance to process it yet). I talked to the gentleman who lost 77 pounds after he had his balloon removed and he was doing well. He was VERY motivated to lose more, so I would be surprised if he's gained anything back (he only had it removed a few weeks ago). Please note that 77 pounds is not typical. Most people report 25-50 pounds in the six months. Please also note that you cannot get the balloon in the US if your BMI is over 40 ... so most people who get it have less to lose than people who have surgery. Do people gain the weight back ... some do and some don't, and some just gain some of it back. It all depends on whether or not they treat the six months as an opportunity to change their habits and commit to a lifestyle change. It also depends on whether or not they take advantage of the additional six months of support that are included in the package. In other words, the balloon is just a tool than can be used to kick-start weight loss ... it's not a magic bullet. (However, I would say the same thing about surgery - unfortunately most of the people I know who have had surgery have not lost as much as they had hoped [some not at all!] and/or gained some weight back after an initial loss because they had not made necessary lifestyle changes.) Having said all of that, in balloon studies, people who had had balloons did a better job of maintaining than people who did not. In summary, the decision to get a balloon or to have surgery is a big one - no one should take it lightly. I highly recommend doing a lot of research, reading the studies and meeting with more than one doctor. But at the end of the day, whatever someone decides, it is just a tool - it's not the answer. As my doctor said, his job was the easy part - the hard work was mine to do. No matter how you approach weight loss (even if you just do a diet) it requires planning, commitment and diligence ... forever. And if you do it with the balloon, that six months should be used to not only drop the pounds, but also to get counseling and support to work through the issues that caused the weight gain in the first place. I hope that helps. Please feel free to reach out with any other questions. Regardless, best of luck to you and your friend!

Why don't people share? I guess everyone has their reasons. I think some are embarrassed that they could not defeat the battle on their own. I have also had that feeling myself. But I realized that is nothing to be embarrassed about! I am proud of myself for doing something about this as I have many medical conditions I didn't have 2 years ago as a result of my weight gain. I am going to have a healthy life. I am the type of person that is a pretty open book so for me I will tell anyone that stays still for 5 minutes, I am not a private person. Not that I share absolutely everything about my life to everyone. I still believe the main reason is embarrassment. It is within our human nature to try to not have the feeling of embarrassment which is why I think people keep certain information to themselves. Just my opinion :-) Why don't people share? I guess everyone has their reasons. I think some are embarrassed that they could not defeat the battle on their own. I have also had that feeling myself. But I realized that is nothing to be embarrassed about! I am proud of myself for doing something about this as I have many medical conditions I didn't have 2 years ago as a result of my weight gain. I am going to have a healthy life. I am the type of person that is a pretty open book so for me I will tell anyone that stays still for 5 minutes, I am not a private person. Not that I share absolutely everything about my life to everyone. I still believe the main reason is embarrassment. It is within our human nature to try to not have the feeling of embarrassment which is why I think people keep certain information to themselves. Just my opinion :-)

Found this post... http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/334396-aetna-and-weight-gain-during-3-month-multi-disciplinary-program/

hi all. proudgrammy, thats 20 lbs post-op. Maybe I am being too hard on myself. I think, staying off the scales is a good idea. My mom, who is a great inspiration to me agrees. I probably am not getting enough Protein or fluids because I can't keep from being nauseous. It feels like it is "right there" and it wont go anywhere, up or down. So I end up throwing up a lot of spit. I was 239 when I started and would LOVE to get down to 130. That would exceed my expectations. I feel like I wish I could have had the bypass but there are some medications that I will never get off of, like my psych meds. And, I know one of them does cause weight gain so I know I am fighting upstream with that one. But with all this being said, I do feel better already. There are some things that most people take for granted that I couldn't do 3 weeks ago that I can do now. I have severe RA but am determined to walk as much as I can. I am embracing my treadmill because I know if I just cant go any further, I can just step off of it and I am home near a seat. I have had a total left knee and my right one needs to be replaced. I really felt it yesterday when I was on the treadmill, but am determined not to have it replaced until one year post-op. I am so glad I found this site. I live out in the middle of nowhere where the nearest support group is 60 miles away. Even then, I plan on attending as many as I can. Thanks all for your wise thoughts.

@@trishrnyoung you lost 20 lbs pre & post op?? that's wonderful there ARE certain medications that can rub the wrong way concerning weight loss some might cause weight gain this issue is something to talk to NUT or doc about an official stall, plateau is when you haven't lost any weight for at least 2-3 weeks not 2-3 days many times newbies et al have unrealistic expectations it took months and years to gain weight it's not gonna melt off overnight mom called the day after i came home from hospital she told me to stand up then she said "did your underwear fall down?" i told her it doesn't work that way!!! she said something like "Oh, I thought it did"!!! i'm sure you are following all the basic rules Water, Protein, portions, carbs, veggies etc please DON'T be discouraged!! "GOD Grant Me Patience Just Hurry Up About It" good luck kathy

So I had my mirena put in 6 months pre op and put on a significant amount of weight. I'm 4 months post op and just don't feel like I'm where I need to be and feel like my mirena might be contributing to the issue. On top of weight gain I have dealt with crazy moody swings, terrible acne breakouts, and bad cramping. Has anybody else had this issue? I have an appointment to have it removed Monday. Really hoping removing it will help. I had the band to bypass revision in December and felt so much better about having one piece of foreign crap removed from my body, hoping this will be the same way

Gosh, some people love to judge, offer unwanted advice, trombone their own opinions ..... To hell with them. Opinions are Not facts, and I usually stay clear from super judgemental people as they really annoy me. "Thank you", "Thanks for sharing", "I do not wish to discuss it", even "so you think you are God?" are some of my answers. I mainly copped few judgements (not from friends or family) when I had a rapid weight gain due to my thyroid disease. Such as " OMG, you need to get back to your size, need to go to Gym, need to diet" etc .... Consequently, I do not see these people anymore. Now, I look forward to get back to health and slimmer me. Frankly, this is my business, and if anyone would keep on annoying me, I'd quickly nip it in the bud. "What you think of me is None of My business", is a title of a book. I've even said it to some people, and watched their brains doing cartwheels, trying to process it .....

AT 5+ years, I am still a work in progress. I still maintain at 55% EWL. I gained over 35 pounds in the last year+. Easy as pie. Literally. I can eat anything, and in large amounts if spread over time. I still do not drink with meals unless I have breakfast out which is not often. I reach for food when emotional or stressful situations come up. I know it... I watch it, I work on it. I mostly write down what I eat, and watch Protein, but those weeks that I don't, I gain. It is not easy to get off. Yes the sleeve still works. I eat less at any sitting... protein first really makes me feel full faster. I continue exercise, and recommitted again.... just finished the 5 day "pouch" test with a 5 pound loss and a lowering of the Carb addiction. One step at a time. The head has to be in the game, just like before weight loss surgery. The sleeve helps... it is a tool, just like they say, and has helped me to maintain at least 50 pound loss for 5 years. I had a weight gain at 2+ years and worked to get to goal after that... so I know I can do it. I think for me, this is something I need to watch and plan every day.... when I don't I gain. I am very happy I got the sleeve though.... VERY HAPPY. Kindle, so true! I didn't see that. @@feedyoureye - Is putting on the weight post-op much easier than it was pre-op? During the week I'm pretty structured but on the weekends I tend to be a little more relax. I normally eat whatever I want, but I still have been losing weight. I think it's because I walk an hour each day. I'm still in the pre-op stage but I was recently approved for the Bypass. I'm thinking of having the approval changed to the VSG because the RNY scares me. I can gain weight like I did before surgery at the same rate as I did after losing weight after dieting. It is easier to eat less now though... when I set my mind to it.

I have such a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with prednisone. At times, taking it was the only way I could function during a flare. But the weight gain was horrible. I hope I can encourage you. I'm down 40 lbs at 6 weeks post op. My mobility has greatly improved. I'm walking an hour four times a week. I've yet to determine if the flares will be fewer, but I didn't have a working treatment plan for my Ankylosing Spondylitis prior to surgery. First I tried Humira. Now Cimzia. My rheumy is talking Remicade. I'm currently on sick leave. When I'm not, I have to go into the office 10 hrs/wk. I mostly work from home because of my immune system and chronic fatigue. Best of luck to you! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

AT 5+ years, I am still a work in progress. I still maintain at 55% EWL. I gained over 35 pounds in the last year+. Easy as pie. Literally. I can eat anything, and in large amounts if spread over time. I still do not drink with meals unless I have breakfast out which is not often. I reach for food when emotional or stressful situations come up. I know it... I watch it, I work on it. I mostly write down what I eat, and watch Protein, but those weeks that I don't, I gain. It is not easy to get off. Yes the sleeve still works. I eat less at any sitting... protein first really makes me feel full faster. I continue exercise, and recommitted again.... just finished the 5 day "pouch" test with a 5 pound loss and a lowering of the Carb addiction. One step at a time. The head has to be in the game, just like before weight loss surgery. The sleeve helps... it is a tool, just like they say, and has helped me to maintain at least 50 pound loss for 5 years. I had a weight gain at 2+ years and worked to get to goal after that... so I know I can do it. I think for me, this is something I need to watch and plan every day.... when I don't I gain. I am very happy I got the sleeve though.... VERY HAPPY. Kindle, so true! I didn't see that. @@feedyoureye - Is putting on the weight post-op much easier than it was pre-op? During the week I'm pretty structured but on the weekends I tend to be a little more relax. I normally eat whatever I want, but I still have been losing weight. I think it's because I walk an hour each day. I'm still in the pre-op stage but I was recently approved for the Bypass. I'm thinking of having the approval changed to the VSG because the RNY scares me.

AT 5+ years, I am still a work in progress. I still maintain at 55% EWL. I gained over 35 pounds in the last year+. Easy as pie. Literally. I can eat anything, and in large amounts if spread over time. I still do not drink with meals unless I have Breakfast out which is not often. I reach for food when emotional or stressful situations come up. I know it... I watch it, I work on it. I mostly write down what I eat, and watch Protein, but those weeks that I don't, I gain. It is not easy to get off. Yes the sleeve still works. I eat less at any sitting... protein first really makes me feel full faster. I continue exercise, and recommitted again.... just finished the 5 day "pouch" test with a 5 pound loss and a lowering of the Carb addiction. One step at a time. The head has to be in the game, just like before weight loss surgery. The sleeve helps... it is a tool, just like they say, and has helped me to maintain at least 50 pound loss for 5 years. I had a weight gain at 2+ years and worked to get to goal after that... so I know I can do it. I think for me, this is something I need to watch and plan every day.... when I don't I gain. I am very happy I got the sleeve though.... VERY HAPPY. Kindle, so true! I didn't see that.

My "railing" is against Almanza. He is a narcissistic A**hole who cares only about money. He is a terrible surgeon as well as a horrible person. I have been accused of all sorts of crap on this message board.. working for another doctor, not following my original lifestyle changes. I dont even care anymore, I certainly do not have to explain myself. I was simply wanting to WARN people about Almanza. I dont have to do that anymore, His name is all over the news, the interned for putting people in comas, dropping off a near dead man at the border. My slow weight gain came 7 years after my wt loss from Mexicali Bariatric Hospital ((((WONDERFUL))) .. oh and NO i dont work for them, LOL. I am self employed living now in NorCal Tending to my ageing mother. My lifestyle really changed when I moved here, not much to do, no bike trails, I didnt know anyone and I became very depressed. It took about a year but I climbed about 40 pounds up the scale. Desperation and insufficient research led me to almanza. I knew there was something very wrong about him within 10 minutes of meeting him. red flags were popping like fireworks. I should have trusted my feeling and FLED. MY BAD. I own that. He cut me and created the worst adhesions, and he ran out of time before doing any resleeve. (all of this is documented at his strip mall "clinic", in spanish of course but I got one of the staff to run a copy of my 'eyes only' notes and its wasnt difficult to have it translated.) So he sloppily sewed me back up NEVER having so much as touched my stomach. I ended up going BACK to Mexicali Bariatric and they had much work to do to cut down and cut out some of large adhesions, one of which had attached to my bowel. They performed a duodinal switch (did i spell that right) and chose not to re-cut my stomach. I wish they would have but I trust their decision making. I am 15 - 20 pounds from my goal, getting a handle on the depression, making friends, finding bike trails and parks, waking in the mornings and all in all things are looking up. So go ahead and speculate, blame, accuse ... there are certainly a few of you on here. For the most part those who i have corresponded with personally from here have been absolutely delightful. And the fact that THIS website will do anything to avoid association with almanza should speak volumes. Best of luck to everyone, even my detractors. I'm pretty much done here, but I wish you all the best. OH i actually WISH i worked from one of the DOCS, haha, I would have some extra skin removed!!!!! baahaaahaa

Kindle you are spot on! Thank you for the candor that we all need! I am 2 years post op starting out at 240 and was losing successfully until the following year where I hit a wall at 180. All my fault. As I was able to eat more, I began to make unhealthy choices and now for the first time , I am seeing weight gain creep up which is my call to action and need to get back to the behaviors my sleeve had started to give. I took it for granted and my success will expire if I don't act soon. As you pointed, I am responsible and accountable for my behavior so we need to control ourselves and stop looking for something else to drive us-or worse something else to blame.

Well first off, yikes. I did not expect someone to imply that I am so stupid I should die. Maybe I have misunderstood. At any rate, Valentina: I like you. I think we're both perhaps sensitive to an extent that other people don't always appreciate a good quality. I've always had very high empathy for others. I appreciate you stepping in when people seem to be attacking me. For the record I had full sodium chicken broth, AFTER talking with my Dr about how I'm routinely exceeding my Water goals. But I shouldn't have to defend myself to others. Especially not when I made my original post with the thought that maybe somebody else could relate and share their experience/struggles as well. Human connection. Relating to one another. We all need this. Instead I feel that I've been condemned by strangers who were quick to judge me based on little information. I hold no grudge, but I certainly feel less than welcome here. Edit: Misspelled Valentina. Whoops 0_0 Marie, that's crazy that full sodium broth caused a weight gain. I didn't realize our new bodies were so sensitive to sodium changes, especially when we so much of our early diets is liquid. You would think just the pure amount of liquid going in would cause your kidneys to kick out excess water. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Which surgery are you having? Glad you passed the psych eval... I am one of them shrink types and felt like I had fooled them, too! About the doubt... normal for most of us. For me, after decades of failure, it is unreal to even contemplate that I could lose this weight. But, I did. Now that the rapid loss period is over for me, I am facing the reality of having to be very careful. But, the good news is that my pouch is small, I literally can't overeat. The bypass part of the surgery is there always, helping cut nutrient absorbing, and honestly, it is easier to avoid weight gain and with careful eating and good activity, the pounds are still coming off. I still am shocked when I look in the mirror or see myself in a window reflection... but I deserve this new body.

Do you know what she eats? I don't think she mentioned it actually. Any number of things could cause weight gain that has absolutely nothing to do with eating. I was put on thyroid medicine a year ago and started gaining - it was only 5 pounds but still it was in a short amount of time with absolutely no change in my normal healthy low carb eating