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When I asked my nutritionist, why some people who undergo surgery, lose a lot of weight then regain some or all the weight back. Her response was grazing. Grazing means to eat small portions of food, as appetizers or the like, in place of a full-sized meal or to snack during the course of the day in place of regular meals. A regain of 70 pounds is a lot. It will be hard to lose that much weight again. Some causes of weight gain are associated with medication. Some of the prescription medicine that can cause uncontrollable weight gain are: Anti-Depressants Birth control pills Hormones for hormone therapy Steroids Beta-blockers Anti-seizure medication Tamoxifen Some treatments for rheumatoid arthritis Treatments for migraines Heartburn medications Some medical conditions that can also cause weight gain are: Hypothyroidism Cushing's Syndrome Not enough sleep Seasonal Affective Disorder Preganancy

Obesity is the symptom of underling issues. I am very thankful that I was able to have VSG almost a month ago. However, the surgery is just a medical intervention to a problem that is not solely medical. This post will discuss the emotional/psychological aspects of weight gain. If obesity was simply a medical issue then all WLS would work of 100% of the time. However, we know this is true. Yes the success rate of having surgery is greater than that of people who lost weight by diet and exercise alone. This post is not about the success rate or failure of VSG or any other procedure. If we look at obesity as merely the outcome of inactivity and too high calorie consumption we are not looking at the root cause. How many of us would say this is true of us: *I grow up in a food insecure household and as a result I would either hoard food overeat at meals? *My was physically/sexually/or severely neglected as a child? *I was never thought how to deal with my emotions as a child, so as an adult I dealt with them through what I ate? *I eat when I am hungry *There are indicators in my life that I binge eat I could go on, but I think you are starting to get my point. If we have been misusing food then we must learn what compels us to do so. It is my strongest belief that until we deal with the underlining issues of our emotional eating long term success will be more of struggle and for some it will be impossible. Please know that I am by no means mastered this area of me life, but I am aware it needs to mastered. However, I have read books, I journal, and next month I want to start counseling. I will confess I emotionally eat. I eat to reward myself. I overeat in social settings. I was sexually abused as a child. I started become heavy shortly there after. I view my extra weight as a mark in my physical being of that abuse. I have carried around this mark for close to 30 years. It is my belief that surgery will allow me to remove this mark from my person. Regardless of where you are in the journey if you have not taken the time to exam the emotion/psychological aspects of your obesity I would suggest you do. Exercising-- good. Changing eating habits-- good. Taking the time to heal old wounds-- the best. There is a song with the line, "Lord make me over." I want to be "made over" in my own being not just physically. May the Lord make you over in your entirety.

I've heard about Dr. Scott a friend of mine had him, said he was very pleased and lost a lot too! I'm currently seeing Dr. Wheeler at DePaul Ssm weight loss institute I've had a good experience with him so far. I had my last appointment of the 6 month wait on 1/7/16 so I'm just waiting for submission and approval! Only problem is on my first initial appointment they recorded my weight wrong, they had me weighing about 35 lbs less then I actually did so it looks like I gained 35lbs in 6 weeks on paper! My insurance advocate said it won't be an issue but I think it will because my in my policy it says no net weight gain so now I'm just hoping and praying everything works in my favor and fast too because I'm ready to start this journey!!

The first 6 months I raised my endurance level by walking. I decided to step it up a notch and I've been spinning 4 times this past week and I just noticed I've gained 4lbs. Please tell me it is temporary!

Oh man, that sounds frustrating. It's so easy to beat ourselves up about weight gains. Yes, parts of it are within our control but so much of weight loss is a biological and psychological mind field. In other words - it's tough. Kudos to you for staring over and not giving up. Break your goals down into small chunks to help them become more attainable. Be kind to yourself and take your time losing weight the right way. The band should help you feel full with less food, rather than physically restrict you from eating. Good luck as you continue your journey!

Oh, boy, does regain happen. The "long-term" research on WLS reveals that three to five years after WLS half of the people who had WLS are "successful" -- and that's defined as having regained no more than half of the weight they lost. That means half of the people who have WLS in three to five years post-op have regained MORE than half of the weight they lost. Obviously, some of those have regained all (or even more) of the weight they lost. So that's why we hear over and over and over again from our surgeons, at support groups and on online forums aphorisms like these: * WLS is only a tool - you have to build other tools to be successful long-term. * They operate on your stomach, not on your head. * Losing weight in the first 6-12 months is easy for almost everyone. After that, if you haven't built new eating / exercise habits and lifestyles you will very likely be struggling again with food and weight issues. Of course, some people are very successful -- and some of them are long-term members of this forum. They have dealt with their eating and weight-gaining issues. They are disciplined. They've built new lifestyles that support normal weight and good health. Many of them are people some newbies make fun of for being "so rigid."

Bariatric Eating FaceBook group seems to have great ideas regarding the weight gain 2 years post surgery.

I totally agree with @Bufflehead. It's hard. It's my reality, and I can choose. I know that I have to do all the things she listed, including eat under 1000 calories a day to lose. I think people may sometimes overestimate the amount of calories it takes to maintain weight. I know I sure did, and WLS is the only reason I was able to figure it out. During my weight loss, I was able to eat 400 calories at first, and eventually worked my way up to 800. Once I got over 1000, my weight loss stopped. Grazing is the other thing that is a killer for me. It takes a lot of will power not to do that, and the sleeve does not help with it. And if I graze, I sure do get up over 1000 calories in a hurry. In other words, it takes lots of energy on my part to prevent weight gain. All of this is to say you can do something about this. Start counting your calories and follow the general rules of bariatric surgery. While exercise is great for lots, I agree that it contributes about only 20%(from what I've read) and in my case, it contributes 0%. It's up to you. Now how empowering is that?

I went back and forth with the idea of getting surgery for years. I finally decided why not. Nothing has been effective for me and thousands of dollars have been wasted and more weight gained. I decided that's it's for me to finally move forward with surgery. My only regret at this point is not doing it sooner.

Yes, people can gain all their weight back. I see it all the time. The amount you can eat now won't be the amount you will be able to eat a year or two or five down the road. Some post ops can eat the equivalent of a small dinner plate of food years down the road. Why that happens is debatable, but it naturally happens with time. So a small dinner plate of high calorie fried food and mashed potatoes and gravy will have the same effect post op as it did pre op...weight gain. Grazing and drinking our calories is also a culprit of weight gain. Sure we may not be able to eat a lot in one sitting, but how easy is it to gulp down those 400 calorie coffees from Starbucks or eat a bag of chips through out the day? Heck, if you gave me enough time, I could probably polish off a whole pizza in a day

I'm with you. There are many that stay to a very very low carb diet, for me it would I feel backfire for me and trigger weight gain in the future. My system would be shocked and gain weight out of shock. Moderation for me and where the carbs are coming from is key. But to write them off as the Anti-Christ would backfire for me... As far as weight loss I am losing great but the no or almost non existent carb people are 20% faster at losing. I say we are still in the honeymoon phase so I am looking for longevity... Maybe I'm right, maybe im wrong, just my 2 cents....

Andrew0929, Good for you for nipping the regain in the bud! I doubt if the cereal per se is actually causing the weight gain if you’re truly staying within your calorie goals, but I agree with some of the others that maybe it is an unhealthy habit if you’re depending on it and it’s driving you to make other unhealthy decisions. I love some of these ideas! As you think of some more, I’d also try to think about why the cereal is so attractive. Part of it may be the sweetness and crunch, but part of it may just be its convenience. It’s there, and it’s ready to eat. Maybe if you make sure that it’s not there, and that other, healthier, Snacks are ready to eat, you’ll go for the healthier snacks without another thought. Maybe the trick is to have ready to eat foods on hand, so some ideas are carrot sticks and other cut veggies, peeled oranges, washed grapes and other fruit, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, and other prepared foods. I also like seaweed snacks for a low-calorie crunch.

Has anyone heard of or tried Sclerotheraphy to help with the regain??

I agree, something here does not make sense at all. I wonder if you either have a serious medical condition or a serious eating disorder. You are the only person that can actually make yourself eat and timely. It has to become your priority if you want to stay healthy in the long term. With RNY you really do get your hunger back, I am not sure why that hasn't happened for you but I am guessing when you are hungry, you are ignoring it because you are busy. If you don't want to keep dropping weight you need to pay attention and act on it. It sounds like you can pretty much eat whatever you want without the repercussions of weight gain. The only issue is some foods you dump on and others that would likely make you dump, you don't. I will say that I have met many RNY patients who still dump many many years later so I am not convinced at all that ever stops completely. They just learn how to live with it differently. The same is true about the malabsorption factor. I met a guy that had RNY 15 years ago. He eats small meals all day long because his body still malabsorbs. He looks great, still has a lot of restriction which requires that he eats small amounts all day long. I know my pouch is definitely on the small side which means to get to my Protein count and about 1000 calories a day, I have to eat 3 good meals a day and snack in between. I have to really concentrate when I eat or I might just eat a tiny amount and be hungry a short time later.

I had never gone to a spa until about one week before my sleeve surgery, a little over 2 1/2 years ago. My friend and I were on a girls weekend in Vegas and she wanted to treat me to a massage. I was absolutely against it. Embarrassed and ashamed of my body. She told me it would be one of the best pleasures I would ever know. "Besides," she said, "nobody knows you, they will never see you again." So, reluctantly, I agreed. When we first arrived and they took us into the back to change, they told me I could go full nude if I wanted to, but--at the most--I had to strip down to my underwear and bra. I think I turned beet red. As they gave us a tour of the facility and its amenities, so many women were in the nude! Sitting in the sauna, steam room and hot tubs. Ugh! The movies were not so far off. I was so uncomfortable and I felt like I did not belong. I was surrounded by women who were comfortable in their bodies. I was not. But alas, there I was, so I stripped down to my underwear and bra, put on my robe, wrapped it around me and held onto it for dear life. I was offered some wine...which I gladly accepted to calm my nerves, and when I was called back into my massage room to meet my masseuse, I was MORTIFIED! The masseuse was a GUY, and I wanted to die. He told me he was going to step out of the room and allow me to take off my robe and get onto the massage table, under the sheets. When he shut the door, I seriously contemplated leaving. However, my friends words echoed in my head: I would never see this person again. I did as I was told and got under the sheets (and trust me when I say that I wrapped them tight, like a human burrito). He came in and talked to me in a very soothing voice. However, he noticed that I was fidgety and avoiding eye contact. He asked me if I was nervous. I admitted that I was, and I even confessed that it was my first time and that I was very insecure about my weight. He graciously told me, "Sweetie, every woman is beautiful. No matter her shape or size. This is going to be a relaxing and enjoyable experience, and I do not want you ruining it with such nonsense." Oh my goodness! What a wonderful and beautiful thing to say. I loved him from that moment on. My nerves and reluctance melted away and I REALLY enjoyed the experience! My-oh-my, that 80 minutes felt like 20 minutes! I wished it lasted longer (actually, I think he added on an extra 10 minutes; tipped him big too!). So, here I am. 30 months post-op. Learned to work my sleeve, eat right, religiously spending 8-10 hours in the gym a week, lost all of my excess weight, completed plastics, and loving my body. So, the girls and I had a spa day over the holidays and I decided to go fully nude in the hot tub, in the steam room and on the massage table. I wasn't uncomfortable. Totally owned it. I even had one of the girls who joined us (mind you, she is 10 years younger than me) say, "Jeez...what I would do for your body." [Mind you, yes I had the sleeve. Yes, I had plastics; but, I work my butt off in the gym lifting weights and sticking to an eating regime that is healthy 90-95% of the time. Some people love to say that I cheated to get this body, but I say all the sleeve did was give me QUANTITY control. The sleeve does not control QUALITY and it does not dictate my fitness. After 4 kids, major weight gain, rapid weight loss, there was no way that my skin was going to put itself back together. I am not ashamed of my plastics and praise my doctor for helping complete my weight loss journey.] Okay, mini rant over. So, anyway, I felt AWESOME. I have never, EVER, had the confidence that I do now. And my ability to confidently lounge around in the nude was my biggest NSV yet. For the first time I realized I was just like those women in that Vegas spa.

Hi! I'm hoping to learn a lot of information as I begin this process. I had my first appointment at the surgeon's office this week. I'm having the required tests completed as I wait for my March appointment to speak with the surgeon directly, but the nurse practitioner seemed to think I am a candidate for the surgery. I'm excited and slightly terrified. I'm primarily considering the sleeve because I'm concerned about malabsorption along with the restricted caloric intake. I'll consider whatever options the surgeon offers, if any, but will make my decision based on what I feel is right for me. I've been working hard this year to lose weight. It's more difficult with each passing year. I've been a yo-yo dieter all of my adult life. I'm hoping this surgery will be the tool I can use to stop that cycle forever. I've always been an active person and the gradual weight gain over the past 15-20 years has really slowed me down. I just want to feel like me again. When I topped out at 320 pounds, I cried for two days. Fortunately, my blood work at that visit showed my thyroid that had been barely functional for years had decided to stop working altogether. The addition of a thyroid medication has helped my energy level and so many other issues. It's also helped me lose some weight since starting it. I have no desire to be a Barbie doll. I'll be happy to be healthier. I just want to feel better and have my life back...to not feel like I'm judged when I go out to eat...to not hear other people's comments behind my back...for people to stop asking me if I've ever tried losing weight. (Why didn't I think of that!?!) I had a patient recently tell me "You're such a pretty girl if you weren't so fat." She honestly thought she was giving me a compliment. I cried in the restroom after she left. In the past few years, I've been diagnosed with several co-morbidities- diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, high cholesterol and triglycerides. Depression and anxiety have been sneaking in as well. I don't want to die too young. I want to see my kids begin their adult lives and maybe be a grandmother some day. So....I've told a lot of my story. Probably more than many of you wanted to know, and most likely similar to many here. I'm looking forward to gaining some insight from the posts here. Thanks for your time.

First post.. I'm frustrated and need a place to vent. I've been browsing these forums for the past week reading up on the gastric sleeve procedure, success stories, and complications. Here's some history on me: Last week, I went through the bariatric workup program at a very prominent, high profile, good reputation clinic. My goal was to meet with the physician and his team to help me lose weight non-surgically. I'm 34, just weighed in at 295 (my absolute highest, I was mortified), and have tried several attempts at low carb resulting in 20, 40, or 60 lbs lost. I was able to keep off the weight for about two years with maintaining a low carb lifestyle and running in the mornings until I injured my knee at my old job. I regained the weight quickly and have been discouraged many times since. The really discouraging part, though, happened during my appointments. I met with the nutritionist and she listened carefully; we mapped out a diet program for me and I left the office feeling positive about making smaller, incremental changes instead of drastic 'no sugar ever' changes that I've fallen from before. Next was the psychologist. The first question that the psychologist asked was, "So, what kind of surgery are you contemplating?" I told her politely that I hadn't been interested in surgery, that I was coming for a doctor-guided weight loss program since I've until now just worked on my own. That's when the appt went downhill.. From there on, she told me that I would not ever be able to break the cycle of weight loss/frustration/weight gain. She said my body would always want to be 295 now that I'd topped out at this weight, and that nothing would work for me except for biological intervention (cutting out that hunger center in the stomach) through surgery. She said choosing not to do surgery would be choosing to be morbidly obese for the rest of my life, and spent the rest of the appointment going over the two kinds of surgery they provide (bypass and sleeve). I left that appointment feeling miserable. I'm a very rebellious person, so my tendency is to want to prove her wrong and double down on my weight loss attempts. The other part of me is miserable and worrisome, and concerned that she's just telling me a hard truth that I don't want to swallow. I don't know what to do. I'm conflicted, sad, and frustrated. That appointment has left me an emotional mess as I try to sort out the truths and fallacies in her statements towards me. I'm open to the concept of having surgery, but I have avoided serious consideration until now because it seems like such a drastic intervention.. but now I feel like I've been punched in the gut saying that I can't do this through dieting and never will be able to. I'm 34 and I've been heavy since I was a teenager. I've failed multiple attempts at diets. But does that really mean I'll never be able to do it? Would love to hear your thoughts

Hi all, I am dealing with a condition of lymphedema that has caused me to gain weight since I started my program almost 2 years ago. My bariatric team typically does not do the surgery if there is weight gain, but this is a condition I have no control over... I am wrapping my legs (which seems to help some, but there is no getting rid of lymphedema). Tomorrow I will be calling my insurance coordinator at the surgeon's office and my insurance company to see what I can do and where I am at as far as getting approved for surgery. I have done the 6 mo (2 years) supervised diet, and from the nutritionist standpoint I was ok to do surgery in March 2015. It has taken me so long, because I have had job/insurance changes, and finally am at a point where I have the right coverage, and I am no longer on probation as a new employee. I guess my question here is, Has anyone had experience with lymphedema causing weight gain after starting the program and still get approved?

I'm 10 months post-op and 11 weeks pregnant. You will just have to be monitored more closely. At least that's what they told me. More doctor's visits, more sonograms, and make sure to get plenty of Proteins. Don't freak out about weight gain and maintain a healthy diet. I have heard some people who could not get enough nutrients during pregnancy had to receive them intravenously, but I guess that would be a worst case scenario type situation. My bariatric doctor said not to worry though. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Hey everyone. Its been a while since Ive been on here. Been hiding my head in the sand for a long, long time. Well, Im pulling myself out of the sand now. Been watching the scales go up slowly. They hit 180 last week. Was 150 last year. That was it. My aha moment. Haven't felt like I even had a sleeve lately. While I still eat small meals, I can snack endlessly. And yes, I know thats not good to do so. Just becuz I can doesn't mean I should. I know all that.. As I said, Im pulling myself back up. Been back on track for 4 days now. Focusing on Protein (but Im not afraid of small amts of carbs either), drinking Water, not drinking with meals, and moving more. I need to lose 40 lbs. Sounds like a daunting task right now, but Ive done it before, I can do it again. ANy pointers out there from people who have been where I am? High protein, low calorie Snacks? I appreciate any support I can get. Ive had my sleeve for 2 1/2 yrs and Ive never made it to goal. This time I will!

I am so nervous about my 1st appt tomorrow with the surgeon. I have always been borderline the required BMI of 40 (The only health issue I have been diagnosed with is obesity and pcos) . I have been over 40 since September. Before that I have hovered around 38 and 39 with no health issues except pcos. I attended the required seminar over a month ago. Shortly after, I had my first Nutrition visit. Im thinking I should have held off with the NUT visit until after I met with the surgeon but I was in a hurry and didnt know how many months of those visits Blue Sheild/CA would require me to do so I thought Id give myself a head start. I was even told by the staff at the surgery center to go ahead and start the NUT visit but they advised me not to loose any weight because that would take me under the required BMI. WELL I ended up gaining 3 lbs over the holidays. If the Surgeon wants to go by the weight from my first nutrition appt, im hoping she doesn't disqualify me from the weight gain. I guess im not asking for anything here...just some encouragement for tomorrow visit. Is anyone else going through this with no family support?

@@tracy amanda. Eating the occasional treats vary from person to person, so the decision to occasionally eat unhealthy choices is up to you. What has worked for me: I ate very strictly while I was in the "losing phase". I never had any treats or even the occasional cracker, rice, bread. However, once I entered my maintenance phase I incorporated some healthy carbs such as whole grain rice, sweet potatoes, beets, more fruit, etc. I also will eat the occasional treats such as cookies, chocolate, doughnuts, etc. I have always logged my food so I have been able to see patterns and identify how many calories and carbs I can safely eat before the weight gain starts. For some eating unhealthy carbs can be a trigger to go down a slippery slope. However, if you are able to eat them and immediately get back on your normal plan then the occasional treat isn't bad.

Seroquel was actually the only thing that helped me sleep through the night. Unfortunately, it does cause weight gain. It made me crave carbs like crazy. I hate to start taking it again because it's quite a powerful drug. The same goes for Trazodone. I think I'll be weighing the benefits against the risks if I continue feeling like a walking zombie during the day. I have gotten a little better about what I choose to eat at night. It's usually cucumbers or lettuce with vinegar. It is possible for me to eat a whole head of lettuce throughout the night. When I confessed these habits at my OA meeting, everyone looked at me like I was crazy or needed professional help. If my weight is still stable, despite these habits, then why is it such a big deal? I do tend to eat less during the day when I eat at night. My recent labs were nearly perfect. I'm questioning the OA abstinence program because its just a big ball of guilt for me.

I had my thyroid out last year after my PCP and I fought with know-it-all ENT doctors for seven years. My PCP knew something was wrong. I knew something was wrong. The insurance-authorized ENTs only saw a fat woman "looking for an excuse." Argh. I want to say it took two or three weeks for my levels to be acceptable. Well, they're actually high because turned out my little butterfly gland had turned into Mothra and was cancerous. (Thyroid cancer is probably the "best" cancer you can get because it seldom ever spreads.) I'm sorry about your surgery, but the thyroid governs a ton of different things in your body. Bad levels can cause insomnia, depression, weight gain (or loss)--all kinds of stuff! So do make sure you follow up and find out just why your levels are off. Your surgeon is looking out for you even though I know it must not feel that way. You will get it under control soon and then on to surgery.