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My sleeve saved my life. Due to prostate cancer treatment drugs I had put on much weight. A cancer doctor told me the weight gain from the drugs was permanent, I would never get it off. I had to crawl up the stairs to the bedroom. I knew I didn't have long to live. My wife coerced me into a bariatric surgeon lecture. He told me he could take the weight off! He did. A year later I was 120 pounds lighter and running like an athlete. That was years ago. Today I am 38 pounds over goal. What happened? My sleeve always told me when to stop. I stopped listening. Distractions! TV, conversations at the table and in restaurants, nervousness, all dulled my sensitivity to the feeling my sleeve gave me when I'm full. I am on my way back down. Eating is a time of concentration again. I separate it from my other activities. I eat slow and savor my small portions. The sleeve is still talking but now I am listening. Sleeve talks, fat walks.

Surgery scheduled 12/2014. My plan was a great steak dinner out. That dinner turned into several one being Chinese. I never was a food junkie but since I would never eat just anything again I bought chips, ice cream and mini chocolate bars. Gained 15lbs. Surgery was canceled 36 hours prior due to the hospital & insurance parting ways and no follow up set up. So, I was hooked on ice cream. I've gained another 8lbs and I'm sure more in between. I say don't over do it cause you never know if something will cause surgery to be put off. My new Dr is awesome. Hoped for June, then July and now I know it will be September. He's going on vacation and never does surgeries 2 weeks prior in case patients have any issues. Very commendable. I was 148 now 164. I'm 5'4 and all stomach. I'm sick over what I did w/food. I'll now be a few months from being 57 when it's finally done. I became severely ill in 2000 & no dr of any kind knew what was wrong. They put me on everything. They never told me all those drugs caused weight gain. I would have refused. And I didn't expect a pre surgery diet others talked about. I've talked to patients in the waiting room who are twice my size, one had surgery a year ago. I called later & the nurse just poured out info. She said everyone's insides are different. The machine they use doesn't turn corners. They need as much room around the liver as possible. Said larger people can have less liver fat. Go figure? like working in a shoebox. At least it's not 2 weeks of liquids, I'd be flat on my back. 2 Protein shakes & one meal per day. Already super weak but? I'll do whatever I have to. I want to cross my legs again, get out the car not roll out. I had to buy a hand held shower head which I'd keep anyway it's awesome. My knee's have been so bad I couldn't walk at times. My fault, always sat Indian style at work. Dr's secretary had surgery and said her knee's were the worst but after she lost the weight no more pain at all. I'm banking on that. And now low back pain gets really bad due to bone loss. Have to use the scooter at Walmart & it's demeaning. I'm broken down and shouldn't be at my age. I have no help, so if I'm going to be able to do for myself I must have this surgery. I don't really cook, could care less about food unless I eat out and still don't stuff myself. Got the book, for dummies. I've glanced at it and it used some great, simple recipes. Hoping eating like we have to will make food go way further.

Hi All, I haven't been on this app in years. I was sleeved (after having my lap band removed) in 2013. It's been a while. I've had to reconnect bc of weight gain, oh yeah it's real. I'm 5' 9" HW: 259...left: 170 cw:201....when I saw that number over 200 I almost passed out. I just came back from my nutritionist and that was hard bc I've had to relive my worst fear. I will not go back. I've signed up for several 5ks, 10k's and half marathon over the next year. I'm currently walking on an incline on the treadmill bc that burns the calories the fastest. I've paid for weight training and hot yoga, which I will implement over the next few weeks. I will not go back. I've come way too far. But I need support. So if anyone has advice, pls share. My motivation is here bc of fear but I'd like it to stay bc I'm comfortable with how I'm challenging myself. Please join me MyFitnessPal: treciagesq99 Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

We are certainly all different, but I've done several n=1 experiments, and I have learned much about my body and metabolism. I have learned that anything beyond a small to moderate amount of cheese will stall my weight loss totally. So the many delicious and low carb cheese recipes come with the added knowledge that the scale will not budge. Starches are my Achilles' tendon. My blood sugar is impacted much more by bread than by sugar itself. The effect is longer and more pronounced, and thus anything made with wheat flour (whole grain or otherwise) will promote Water weight retention and weight gain besides. There is no moderate amount of starch for me, it has to be cut out totally. Corn products, be it through sugar or tortillas or whatever will make me crave more of the same to an almost unbearable extent. I will literally dream about tacos and wake up unsure if it was all a dream (nightmare) or I really ate like 12 tacos. Corn syrup is so ubiquitous in North America that it basically means eating real foods only to avoid them. No amount of time seems to improve my cravings for corn based foods, so I have to accept the reality that I can NEVER indulge that disastrous addiction. No different than a heroin addict having to swear the stuff off totally, lest they be dragged back into the life.

My insurance didnt care about weight gain between appts but between your initial weight and final weight before submitting you could not show a gain-ie no net gain. Be sure you know what your ins stance is. Aetna is who i have and they would have denied coverage.

I'm embarrassed to admit I gained 25 pounds between the initial consultation appointment (October 2014) and the month of surgery (April 2015). The weight gain was due to food funerals, a.k.a. eating my favorite foods one last time before saying "goodbye." I also couldn't control my ravenous appetite. Luckily, my surgeon and insurance company were very lenient and didn't care whether I gained or lost weight during the pre-op phase as long as my BMI remained greater than 35.

Congratulations on getting to where you are. I so get the "confer happiness" thing. Though I feel better having lost a significant amount of weight after VST, the truth is that it started another whole grieving process for me because I realized that unconsciously, I'd connected the weight gain with being diagnosed with MS, and therefore, weight loss is the "cure" for MS. Not. Though generally positive and optimistic about life, I've really struggled the past few weeks with coming to grips with the reality that while MS may have caused the weight gain, being some ideal weight won't cure it. It'll take a little time to adjust my thinking to reflect the truth, and in the meantime, I read your blog entry and it totally resonated. "Weight loss is NOT a fairy tale prince..." -or a fairy godmother with a magic wand. Here's to continued adventures, indeed.

Yes. I did not have very many physical symptoms of PCOS like facial hair, or acanthosis nigrican it was mostly the irregular or absence of my menstrual cycle, infertility, mood swings, elevated hgb a1c therefore I would get hypoglycemic and of course the weight gain and PCOS belly. I am DELIVERT!!!! at 171.8 My belly is about a 28 inches I'd like it to go down to about a 24, 25. Hgb a1c is like 5.2, No mood swings although I do have periods of restlessness and anxiety that come and go. Cycles are coming like clockwork and they are fairly normal and weight loss remains steady. So yes I would say my PCOS symptoms have most certainly improved. I am 6 months post op.

I had gastric sleeve in 2011. Lowest weight was 148. I now weigh 195 lbs. Where am I going wrong. I heard that I can reset my sleeve is this true. If so what do I do. And does the sleeve stretch itself out. My highest weight was 275. And for those who say this surgery is cheating I've worked harder at keeping my weight down with this than if I just pitched a tent in the gym and lived there. Lol Sent from my SM-J327T using BariatricPal mobile app

never heard of insurance being affeccted by weight gain during the process - but have seen elsewhere on this site where particular surgeons have refused to do the surgery if the patient gained "x" or more pounds during the process - that is rare from what i've seen you should be fine - just get back on the wagon....

@@nprcowboy First of all - you should not worry about disappointing anyone! This is a difficult journey and no one is perfect! I'm sorry you've had such a rough time emotionally. Maybe a different medication would help your mental health while not causing weight gain. There's so many different meds and combinations. In the meantime, hopefully you are in therapy to deal with your depression and emotional state. In terms of weight loss and your sleeve - it's still there - and will be ready to help you. Try going back to basics - cut out Pasta, bread, rice, sweets, soda, etc. Once you detox from carbs - you'll feel much better all around. High Protein, low carbs - focusing on protein first. Try adding a little exercise - release those endorphins. Stay strong - you can do this!!!

Pre op weight 189 Op day weight 5/31 183 Current weight 163 A week from today I start solids! So excited, I miss chewing food ! But I am scared as well. Afraid of food intolerances, weight gain, and if eating solid Protein will be enough to meet my protein requirements daily- and if not what are easy ways to make that up

Your attitude will help you lose the weight faster. Why? Stress slows weight loss. Stressing over stalls helps them hang on longer. Dump the stress, dump the stall. Your wisdom serves you well. http://www.caloriesecrets.net/can-stress-cause-weight-gain-or-weight-loss/

Hi I just got banded last week, prior to that I bought a Schwinn adult tricycle. It's blue and I bought a more comfortable seat. It has a basket in the rear and I'm adding one to the front. Can't wait till I can ride it again. I stopped because of my left knee, I have arthritis in it and with the weight loss to come, I will be better. Right now getting over the shock of the "weight gain" after surgery LOL. Mostly bloating and air and liquid. It will go down soon. Just starting to feel decent.

I had the Mirena IUD done. It will last 5 years. No problems so far. I don't have a period no weight gain for me. Everything seems to be good. I have had it for 3 months now.

Maur, Don't worry about the weight gain right now as it is fluid from surgery. You are in the healing stage right now not the losing stage so just get rest and the losing will start soon. Welcome to LBT.

Hi All! Its been a while since I posted anything or been active. I found out in November that I was pregnant. I was 8 months out of surgery when I got pregnant. My fiance and I had just gotten engaged a few months before and were planning our wedding. So it was definitely a surprise! I was really nervous about proceeding with the pregnancy. I just knew I would be ready in just one more year (I've been saying that for the last 5 years!) BUT I was pregnant now, 33, in a great relationship, with a stable income, healthier then Ive been in a while and all out of excuses not to start my family. So my journey began... I am currently 23 weeks pregnant! This is my first pregnancy so I have nothing to compare it with but this has been my experience in case any of you find yourself in my situation. Its hard to find doctors who understand how VSG affects my pregnancy. They understand that I need to be monitored more but don't really get the nuances. One example; I was given this HUGE jug to collect my urine over 24 hours. When I returned it, I was told that they need AT LEAST 4X more urine than I had collected. They were convinced I didn't collect all my urine. I told them that was everything I had to give! They told me to drink more water. Now this community knows how hard that task is. I still can not eat and drink at the same time. I also cant just drink a gallon of water in one go. It feels like a herculean task. I have tried 3 times and have still not filled this jug! I've learned that drinking tea increases my urine output so I have hope for my next attempt. I was really sick throughout my first and second trimester. I already had bad acid reflux before and after surgery and was taking omeprazole to relieve it. Turns out you can't take anything stronger than Tums while pregnant. So on top of the normal nausea, I felt the need to throw up to relieve my indigestion and heartburn. I started really hating food when everyone else kept trying to feed me more! I've been feeling better now though. I was allowed to take pepcid and it actually helps. Now, I have the desire to eat more but still cant eat more than a few bites of anything in one sitting. My food also takes forever to digest so I have to be really picky about what I eat. Fruits are my best friend! I kept my surgery a secret. My fiance and sister are the only ones I told about my VSG. So no one really gets why Im having a hard time eating more. They also keep wanting to see my belly but Im not sure how to explain my incisions. It feels too late to say anything now... so its awkward and more isolating than it could have been. But my family can be SUPER judgy so I think they would just find a way to make me feel bad about it and I don't need the added stress. I get to do more sonograms than your average mom to be. Because of my VSG and previous hypertension, I'm monitored more and have more doctor visits. I really don't mind! I love getting to see whats going on in there! So far so good... mostly. I keep expecting the docs to say my baby isn't growing or Im malnourished but that doesn't seem to be the case. Everything is progressing normally and baby looks good. They did mention that one of babys kidneys is not eliminating waste as it should. The other kidney is fine but they want to keep an eye on it. Of course we are worried but its actually pretty common and generally resolves itself. If it doesn't, there is a small procedure to fix it after birth (if necessary) so we are trying not to sweat it. I got Covid. I'm a teacher and as soon as the mask mandate was removed, I got COVID. Never mind that Ive been vaccinated, boosted and was still wearing my mask! Im actually recovering now. (SIDE NOTE: We seem to be having a second surge at my school. I wonder if any other teachers (or parents) have noticed that?) I was EXTREMELY sick the first week. I was lightheaded, coughing, full of mucus, achy and just couldn't get out of bed. I also couldn't take any medicines because of the pregnancy. My mom kept sending me home remedies but when I looked them up, there was always a warning for pregnant people. I just had to ride it out. Baby seems ok but I'll know more at my appointment next week. As far as my VSG goals... I was 195-200 lbs when I found out I was pregnant (SW:267) and had been stalled there for almost 2 months. I was getting a bit discouraged because my whole weight loss process had been so slow and felt harder for me than it seemed like it was for some people here. I also had a friend who had her VSG after me and had lost almost twice as much weight as I had so I knew it wasn't in my head. I started drinking again and sneaking in more cheat snacks. When I found out I was pregnant, I cut out all alcohol and was really strict about making sure the little food I ate was good for baby. I dropped 20-25 more pounds. Im currently 175 lbs. I havent really gained any weight. Part of me is happy about that and still trying to get to my goal of 155 while pregnant. But I know I have to put on weight for baby. It's really a mind f**k. Doctors say the baby is growing normally so there isn't much to worry about... yet. Technically I'm still overweight and they don't recommend as much weight gain for overweight moms. Im entering my third trimester now and am supposed to put on 1-2 lbs a week. We'll see how that goes. Im still trending downwards... If you made it to the end, thanks for reading through this entire post. I hope it helps. I hope to update you with only good news in the weeks to come! Last note, I'm having a girl! So exciting!!! My VSG has definitely complicated things but I think we made the right decision and I am really excited about entering this next chapter of my life healthier than I have been in years!

My highest weight is on my profile, 207. That was after I had decided to get surgery and before pre-op diet, and I had kind of gone on a, I'm going to eat whatever I like and not worry about weight gain, rampage, and gained probably 8-10 lbs. I lost that weight and then some on my pre-op diet. I did have my surgery in the US, I'm from alabama and I had my surgery with dr schmitt in birmingham. I did have issues with adjusting to the right portion sizes and learning what I could tolerate. Before surgery, I don't think I had massive issues with overeating, or eating unhealthy foods. I probably ate more than I should have, but I have a very slow metabolism and thyroid issues, so the sleeve has helped me be satisfied with much smaller portions and control my cravings. Before surgery I didn't really eat many processed foods, I cooked my own meals and didn't snack a lot, but I did have rice pretty much every day with my dinner, and some sort of carb for lunch. After surgery, I barely eat carbs. I can hardly fit them in with all the Protein and Water requirements! I have tried to eat a little rice, and protein Pasta but they didn't settle right with me. I'll probably try again closer to my goal weight. I live by myself, and my family is states away, so for me the hardest part of life after surgery was feeling alone and without support. I told one friend who lives states away that I was having surgery, and my parents. No one else, not even my siblings, know I've had surgery. Adjusting to the restriction was hard, but I quickly figured out that I could have yogurt for lunch, add protein to my coffee in the mornings, eat chicken for dinner, and beans/cheese/salsa as a snack. I follow the same routine pretty much every day, and I'm really comfortable with it. I track all my food, I bought a kitchen scale (HIGHLY recommend, helped me with portions a LOT). So I might have "given up" rice, and carby lunches on a daily basis, but if I am out socially then I don't feel too bad about indulging in a few fries or bread. I can still eat anything I want. I just don't feel the need to, and some things settle better than others. I no longer feel the need to finish the whole plate of fries (I physically can't), I'm good after having 2 or 3. Not feeling hunger is great. I do get "head hungry" at times but usually it passes. I no longer feel like the whale in the room. I might still be the biggest in the room at times, but I don't feel unhealthy, and I know that in time I'll be out of the overweight BMI category.

So I'm going on eight years since my rny lost 164lbs but now I've gained 30lbs trying to go baby steps again to loose the pounds back don't want to go back. Have been keeping track of what I've been doing wrong it's not hunger but just I see munching and I join in. The good thing is that when I do eat solids I get full fast and sneeze from being full and u stop eating sadly it doesn't happen with liquids

Hi !! so its been a while !! my story is like this - i had gastric sleeve surgery in dec 2017 and i lost about 30kg in the first year . since then i have stalled but haven't gained which i guess is good . I do have an additional 12kg to lose and and i don't know how to go about it - ive tried everything . About a year ago i started having abdominal pain sometimes which recently got much worse so i went to check it out and was diagnosed with gallstones . I'm having my gallbladder removed in two days and obviously i've been googling how this effects your weight , some people say it causes weight loss but many also claim it causes weight gain and i'm really freaking out because i cannot put back on any weight i've just worked too hard . Any advice ???

Congrats on the weight loss. Well, my first instinct was to 'get an adjustment'. Seems like it's time. You haven't mentioned weight gain...that's good news! I gained a few pounds over the past few weeks.... Valentines Day I had 5 pieces of Russel Stovers chocolate and a Coke. Yep, I lost 3 pounds! Crazy as it sounds, time to time I will eat a Krispey Kreme donught and sodapop or some chocolate...just a tad. That seems to get the weight off me. You can try it...if it works...you'll know to do this a few times a year. If you gain....don't do it ever again! :wub:

Help! Has anyone been denied by their insurance for gaining weight during the 6mo diet? I've gained around 20lbs! My doctor took me off of phentermine that was somewhat helping me with my eating habits. I only have this month and September left for the 6mo diet and have everything else done. I'm just really nervous about the weight gain. Has this happened to anyone else? Thanks!!!

Oh I bet it has been a "battle " and omg I totally gave in to cravings lol and then some... I'm trying to make mostly healthier choices but not always successful.. How about you? I used to be a thin person 10yrs ago, I wish I could claim pregnancy but being a guy that's not possible lol... My weight gain stems from stress and depression ???? I'm on the mend now so willing to change ????

So glad to see this topic. I'm very curious how I'll be effected. I have PCOS...symptoms include weight gain, some acne, some facial hair (waxing fixes it), and painful cysts etc. I had an IUD implanted in March 2012 but my periods have not gotten any lighter or regular. I'm kinda frustrated with that. I had my sleeve done a week ago today. Weighed yesterday & I've lost 14 lbs so far. Had to lose 30 lbs before surgery. That was hard! I started my period the day before surgery but by the time I was out of surgery...it stopped. Then started again on Sunday. It has been ridiculously heavy. I'm not sure what to make of it. Hoping for light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm 30 years and I have tried everything to get pregnant but nothing. I even did 3 IVF with no success. My symptoms besides the weight gain is hair loss. Did you get a lot of hair loss. Is there anything you did to make it better.