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Hi Guys- I am about 2.6 yrs post vsg surgery. I had my baby 3/7/18...,.... 9 months ago. During the pregnancy I lost quite a bit of weight...which is typical for me...I lost about 25lbs with my earlier 2 pregnancies as well so this time around was no different, its just how my body reacts to being pregnant. I loose weight during the pregnancy and gain weight after. This time around the weight gain seems to be worse. At the beginning of my pregnancy I weighed in at 156. A month after I had baby, I was 143. I am now 173!!!! A little history. The day of my vsg surgery, I weighed in at 229. My lowest weight, 143 was right after I gave birth. Has anyone experienced this or any weight gain at all? I keep hearing "Oh its just your horomones!" My baby is 9 months, though im still nursing, I don't think my hormones have as much to do with this. I am hungry ALL the time!, I crave junk. I feel extremely heavy to where I am uncomfortable all the time. I HATE looking in the mirror and at photos because I feel as though I look the same way I did prior to surgery even though I am still about 55 lbs less...I don't see it. My husband argues that's its all in my head. I argue back that I don't think the tight clothes are lying to me. I cant even fit the clothes I wore during pregnancy. After I had baby and was at my lowest weight I felt great! My family thought I didn't look well and said I had lost too much. I on the other hand was very happy inside and out. This is really taking an emotional toll on me physically, mentally, I am scared that I will be back at 229 in no time if I keep this up. Ive tried dieting (keto, low carb, intermittent fasting etc etc) I cant seem to kick the hunger. I can also eat ALMOST a normal size plate of food. I don't feel any restriction unless I'm eating meat. Thoughts? Ideas? Pleeeeaaaase :)

Generally when we undergo an operation in a hospital we are treated with antibiotics to protect us from harmful bacteria present in a hospital. This kills not only the bad bacteria but also the good gut bacteria in our colons. As a result, many of us take probiotics to reestablish the colonies of good bacteria in our gut. I came across research of gut flora this morning that seemed interesting. Our body’s microbiome, the bacteria living in symbiotic harmony in our gut provides us with a source of wellness. Two small, exploratory studies, analyzed microblome in terms of change and resilience. Influence of Geographical Change In the first study, researchers looked at the diversity of our gut flora as individuals immigrated and assimilated, changing diet and geography. The inspiration may have been the finding that immigrants to the US often develop weight gain and Western diseases - obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and coronary artery disease. While refeeding of individuals who came from food challenged areas is felt to be part of the issue, changing diet has also been implicated. The authors collected stool samples, 24-hour food recall surveys and demographics from two distinct Thai populations, the Hmong and Karen. Individuals included those still living in Thailand as well as immigrants (1st generation) and their children (2nd generation). Thai immigrants were chosen because the study was conducted in Minnesota a central site for their immigration; women formed the predominant research population because they were more frequently the immigrants. Americans of European ancestry served as the control. * Microbiologic richness and diversity were greatest in current Thai residents. * 30% of that diversity was lost in the first generation immigrants, and the diversity continued to decline and resemble that of the control group as time in the US increased and in the 2nd generation, American born Thai children. * Bacteroides strains replaced Prevotella strains among immigrants, the extent of that shift again associated with length of residence in the US. * The loss of Prevotella was felt to be the driving force behind a decreasing functional ability of the microbiome to degrade dietary fibers indigenous to the native Thai diet. Think of it as use it or lose it. * Dietary shifts to a Western diet was felt to account for only about 16% of total variation. * Westernization of the microbiome began within nine months of arrival. Resilience A second, "proof of concept" like study, looked at 12 healthy men treated for four days with an antibiotic cocktail meant to mimic common first-line choices for intensive care patients. [1] The outcome was the effect on the gut microbiome over a subsequent six month period, again measured by stool cultures taken at various time intervals. It is no surprise, at least to clinicians, that the antibiotics did not sterilize the gut, but it did bring about changes. * There was an immediate drop in the diversity and richness of the microbiologic populations, but by Day 8 diversity was returning although it never reached baseline values. * By Day 8, the relative abundance of about 50 species changed, some increasing and others decreasing – clearly, the ecology was different. And while some bacterial species were still absent after six months, by Day 42, the ecology had, for the most part, returned to its baseline. * Antibiotic resistance was only one of many virulence factors enhanced by the antibiotic exposure that lead to an early increase in pathologic bacteria. But over time the pathologic bacteria were again overrun by more symbiotic species. Virulence factors * Interestingly, Clostridium species which had not been seen initially were now present – this is a species that forms spores as protection in an unhealthy environment and then returns to its other form when “the coast is clear;” it is the source of antibiotic-related hospital-acquired morbidity, C. difficile diarrhea. Source: I Sing The Body's Microbiome So what are some of the takeaways? First, antibiotic treatment does not sterilize the gut microbiome. But it does reduce the diversity and richness of gut bacteria. Recovery of the colonies of good gut bacteria begins about 8 days after the antibiotic treatment end. So a patient is more vulnerable to pathologic bacteria during that time. For example - it is the source of antibiotic-related hospital-acquired morbidity, C. difficile diarrhea. Therefore using probiotics after the antibiotic treatment ends and you leave the hospital is a good approach in order to quickly reestablish the diversity of good gut bacteria.

Only slow down when both you and your surgeon are completely comfortable. Alot of people experience a bounce back of weight gain for various reasons once they are far enough out. You may want to go as low as possible to give yourself some room to grow... That's my plan...

It's been a long time, but there was a thread about this once. If I recall correctly, they said their tattoos on their legs looked a little wrinkled after a huge weight loss. A huge weight gain will make them spread apart so you can't tell what it was. They used pregnancy with an abdominal tattoo as their reference to the spreading. Most peoples legs tend to be fine on their calf after losing weight they guess because of the exercise you get with a lot of walking. Good luck! Joan

Peace with food and weight loss that lasts are possible. Here are some common traps that even the smartest women fall for and the success strategies you can use to avoid them: Peace with food and weight loss that lasts are possible, and yet, these aren’t the places where most women who struggle with overeating end up. Emotional eating and overeating can feel like a never-ending battle and a roller coaster ride of diets, gimmicks, and “new” approaches that don’t take you where you want to go. It doesn’t have to be this way. Here are some common traps that even the smartest women fall for and the success strategies you can use to avoid them: 1. Getting too focused on what to eat. Cycles of overeating and weight gain are rarely fixed by focusing only on the food. A focus on what to eat doesn’t address or fix the situations, feelings, or relationships that may be triggering overeating. Yes, portion size matters and sometimes food intolerances or metabolic difficulties cause weight gain. However, even these situations become clearer and easier to sort out when you start listening to yourself and paying attention to how you feel, instead of focusing your attention on every bite, calorie, or fat gram that you put into your mouth. 2. Disregarding what you really need. You know yourself better than anyone. Instead of focusing on what “should” work and what you “should” do, take this bold step that many high-achieving women skip: Ask yourself what you really need to be successful—and then give it to yourself. You’re likely to spend less time, energy, heartache and even money in the long run when you trust your inner wisdom. Do you need the help of an expert? Be honest about that. Better tools to deal with stress or difficult emotions? Do you need some one-on-one mentoring or support? Don’t cheat yourself. Investing in what you know to be true and getting the targeted help you need will likely make more of a difference than all the self-help books you can’t figure out how to make work for you. Too many women spend too much money on solutions that aren’t comprehensive or individualized enough and don’t really meet their needs. Not only does this lead to failure, it burns up your hope and your sense of effectiveness. Do you feel like you know what you need but it isn’t possible? Don’t let that stop you. Ask yourself what it would take to make it happen and ask what is do-able that would start allowing you to have more of what you need. Start believing that you deserve to get what you need and start asking for it. You might be surprised what shows up. 3. Refusing to ask for help. High-achievers can fall into the trap of believing that lifestyle change has to happen solo. Many women who are successful in other areas of their lives feel embarrassed and even ashamed of their struggles with overeating. They feel like they are alone in their struggles. Unfortunately, not reaching out for help increases the sense of isolation and decreases your potential effectiveness. Asking for help might be the scariest step you take in order to make peace with food, but stepping outside of your own head, your own mindset, beliefs, and traps, can start change happening—and quickly. 4. Not addressing time issues. My heart almost broke when I heard an outwardly successful professional woman tell me that given the hectic state of her life, she believed that she wouldn’t be able to focus on her own goals for the next ten years. Really? What kind of life is that and what kind of example are you living? Change requires a commitment to making it happen. Whether it’s taking the time to attend a class, listen to audios, create a plan for healthy meals, or meet with a coach, if you don’t create the time, it isn’t really a priority. Honest truth. If you need help learning how to make or find the time, or how to put yourself first, make this your first action step. Coaching Challenge: What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to making peace with food? Where do you get stuck or thrown off course? Please join the conversation by sharing a comment. I’d love to hear from you. Then, be bold and share one step you will take to start doing it differently. Peace with food is possible. I challenge you to go for it.

Thanks @@scrapbasket, I will definitely get a folder started today, I have a couple documents from my PCP. I really do hope they count the time I've put into this. That would be fantastic! I'll add to my notes to talk to the coordinator at the surgeons office. I talked to my PCP about getting my records from previous visits to her. I don't think she wants to do all that. She gave me "you don't really need to do all that. That's why I put this and this in the letter". To me the letter seemed vary vague. But I guess, that's another thing to bring up with the coordinator. I don't think I have any qualifying co-morbidities. I'm borderline diabetic. I have crazy heartburn, but not sure If it qualifies as GERD and I noticed on a few post, gerd isn't really being considered a comorbidity as much. I'll find out if I have sleep apnea. My husband says I snore really loud and make crazy noises. I didn't used to snore before all this weight gain. so, well see. I'm seeing I need to be a bit more organized. Thanks again!

The depo definitely is not a good choice since we struggle with weight issues I used it for only 3 months and I went with out my period 4 years and weight gain got out of control and anxiety it was a really bad time and also my obgyn told me it wasnt the best choice for me but I had a stillbirth and I was traumatized and refused to get pregnat and it has been almost 8 years since and after that I struggled with my weight and now I am on microgestin and had no side effects and my weight was the same for almost a whole year make sure you ask obgyn whats the best choice

I've been on Depo for 10 years. I never have a time of the month and I have been both thin and fat on it. I don't feel that it causes weight gain and I have been happy with it.

Judyd, I think what you are asking is after your band was removed 3 years ago and your upcoming sleeve surgery, will you still have slow weight loss with the sleeve or is the slow weight loss because you get both surgeries done at the same time or closer to each other. A very good question. The little I've read and understand is that a WL surgery patient's metabolism changes in time, thus, weight loss slows down. Because you had this time gap between surgeries and have also gained weight you may be a normal weight loss candidate as if you were getting WL surgery for the first time and I say this because your metabolism again has changed since the band was removal and the weight gain. Now, I'm just completely guessing this and am now curious. Please, anyone out there correct me or does anyone have the correct information on this. I'm super curious now. jake

Dear Buddy, Thanks for the information. I agree with you on the point that weighting Everyday lets you know if your weight has increased and take actions before it is out of control. I think the reason for not weighting Everyday is more of the mental perspective. Some will get stress over a pound gain and start to panic which is what I experienced and it back fired, I increase my exercise up till a point my body cannot take it and just break down. Only during my resting period I realised why the weight gain and it will stop at a point ( gaining back water ). So I think weighting Everyday has its advantage but we also need to keep a cool mind once we see a gain in weight and really understand the reason before going into increasing exercise. One could also measure weight and waist to confirm.

I am in no way complaining here nor do I worry about something being wrong. I'd been warned about this happening. I just find the phenomenon to be interesting. I weighed this morning, my 3rd day after surgery. The scales read 6 pounds higher than on the morning of my surgery. I've been getting 2-3 Protein shakes plus 60-120 ounces of Water down each day. I'm trying to get my water intake elevated today (40 ounces already at 7:00am) as well have more mobility than yesterday. I'm sure once my body adjusts and the abdominal swelling goes down so will my weight. Do you remember how much, if any, that you picked up from the surgery? How long before you body flushed the fluids out ? I'm guessing that at some point during his coming weekend I'll have that breakthrough and see a big drop on the scale.

I will say coming from someone who has had PCOS for 20+ years it is it’s own can of worms as far as trying to get it under control. I have a great doctor who realizes the struggle with it. Since starting on my pre-op weight loss I have realized how much it affects our weight. I can literally get 10-20 g more of carbohydrates per day and cause a weight gain. And I don’t necessarily mean “bad carbs” I mean even starchy vegetables, etc. There are some great PCOS resources out there for eating specifically for that disorder. Hoping you can find a plan or doctor who understands and can better help and treat you. I know the frustration it causes.

Hi Kristie, i think your comment is for me, please forgive my responding if not. Thank you, for your kindness; this whole thread has frankly made me quite sad tonight and your post was a ray of hope. I felt pretty misunderstood. I really appreciate you reaching out and taking the time to post; affinity groups have been very helpful to me in the past and I did hope that I would be able to discuss these intersections of experiences/backgrounds as it relates to my original weight gain, my decision to have WLS, and my plan to keep on track with weight loss and weight stability. Thanks again. Look forward to reading more posts in this forum and trust that I will learn a lot from those who are further in their health paths than I. Good night.

Did you make a LGBTQ community here?👀😍🥰  I would love to be part of it. My weight gain was partially due to challenges I faced in my sexual orientation journey in my early 20s for sure.

I’m almost 2 months post op and after surgery I was losing weight but now on my normal diet and even following my doctors instructions I’ve gained 8 pounds in a week and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I exercise 60 minutes a day and I’m eating what my doctor suggested. I don’t know if it’s stress because I am very much stressed out but I don’t feel the need to eat away my emotions anymore. I'm just discouraged and wasn’t expecting to gain 8 pounds in a week. I also was told I need to take a probiotic due to chronic constipation now. I’ve tried 2 different types so far. the first was a chewable but it tasted nasty and made me gag. I already take calcium chewables and I can barely tolerate those but the calcium pills are too big for me and cutting them doesn’t help. I then switched to ProCare with the 3 in 1 basically. But I’ve found it hard to take the capsules. Before my surgery I took 8 capsules a day of a medicine called Diamox but stopped after surgery so I don’t know if it’s just the thought of taking capsules that big again or what but I can’t and it sucks. my question is: has anyone found any probiotic that works for you that is small like smaller or the same size of a Tylenol pill? And has anyone experienced rapid weight gain or what has helped you lose weight after surgery?

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

Careful with the trazodone! One of its major side effects is weight gain:(

I am 25 years old, 5ft 4inches, just under 16 stone. I do have alot of stretch marks on my tummy and my thighs are fairly large although not stretch marked to the extent of my tummy (the marks on my thighs are left over from growth spurts as a teen and not as result of weight gain). I am currently a UK 18/20 (US 14/16 i think) I and want to be no less than a UK 10 (US 6). I like curves and I don't want to be stick thin. I would possible even be happy with myself at a size 12. Anyways I am going to be going to the gym at uni and might do a couple of classes like boxercise and pilates. When I have dropped a couple of dress sizesI will probs also start swimming. Anyways what do you think? Will it be a big problem for me? and does it tighten up with exercise? Thanks Anna xxx

Fear of weight gain should not get in the way of your surgeons’ instructions. Follow them to stay healthy during this process. All dieticians’ plans are different. Do I understand this correctly? Your plan says to eat 600-800 for your entire weight loss phase? Most plans are 1000 to 1200 in weight loss mode. Try upping your calories if that is what your dietician suggests. I would not stress about maintenance phase until you reach your goal.

I had to have my gallbladder out in early 2001. I had lost 40 measly pounds in 3 or 4 months on Weight Watchers. My youngest daughter was 3 at the time and I remember telling the surgeon I had experienced a lot of heartburn with her (my fourth pregnancy) He said I probably had gallstones even back then. I gained a lot of weight through 4 pregnancies in 6 years. Anyway, like most of us yo yo dieters I did gain the 40 pounds back, and then some, but I don't think lack of a gallbladder causes weight gain. I did have diarrhea for years off and on after the surgery, but it was better than the churning and burning in my stomach caused by gallstones. Avoiding heavy or fatty foods helped, but WLS people should be doing that anyway. Sent from my Nexus 6P using the BariatricPal App

Yep, and tap is right: above all, do not mention her weight gain to her.

I absolutely understand I don't take it offensively ! Lol there is a motivate behind the madness. When I am ready I think I'll change it but since I'm still pre op I feel like I need to remember why I'm starting this. I was 200 lbs at 18 went up to 385 by my age now which is 26. My mom died when I was 18 and I just gained like crazy and I think because I was on my own right out of high school with everything no one wanted to tell me. I felt like no one would hold me accountable for my weight gain when they should of. So I feel like the other fat person that you say it's okay because of this or you have a pretty face so it doesn't matter. when in reality it really did matter and I need to hold myself accountable. There is a motivation in there lol but I do appreciate the suggestion and am not offended at all.

I've gained 10lbs in 2 months. Not what I wanted to do. My BMI is a little over the limit my doctor sets for laparoscopic surgery with the weight gain. He suggested I do the liquid diet for longer :confused: I don't have a date yet so I'm trying to watch calories and get it off. It doesn't help that I had my period both times I went back in to see him!!!! Next visit I hope not to have it, so maybe some pounds will be gone!

Hello All: I was banded in March of 2011 and had great success, I lost 240lbs. Back in December of 2013 I started getting this weird feeling near my port, not pain, just a weird feeling. I didn't think much of it and thought maybe some scar tissue was forming. A few weeks went by and pain started to creep up on me and get worse each day. I went to see my primary care doctor who ordered an xray. I was told that I just had a backup in my intestines and needed to add some Fiber into my diet. I did as the doctor instructed and noticed a slight increase in my bowel movements however the pain was not getting any better. I was a little reluctant to see my lab band surgeon because I had gained a few pounds since my last visit and didn't want to disappoint him since I had such great success overall. The pain got even worse so I thought I would face the music so I went and saw him in mid January 2014. Of course the dr confronted me on the few pounds I had gained and performed a fill. I think expressed my true purpose for seeing him which was the pain not necessarily my weight gain or need for a fill. He ordered a CT scan and sent me on my way. Over the next few days absolute hell broke loose on me. The area he inserted the needle to fill my band turned blochy red almost looked like a rash was forming. A swollen bubble started to form over that area as well that looked like a blister full of liquid. I called his office and got some receptionist telling me he had no openings for two weeks. The instant I mentioned the rash and bubble the told me to come in immediately. I went in to see him and the results from the CT scan were in as well. I was sadly informed that my band had eroded into my stomach. There was a nasty infection brewing inside me around the band and my stomach as well as all down the tubing and around the port. The band was removed the next morning where I then spent the next week in the hosptial on IV antibiotics. For two months i was out of work on hardcore antibiotics. I also had to see a dr specializing in infectious disease and had a home care nurse come to my house twice a week to clean out the wound from where the port was removed. Here I am a year later having gained about 30lbs back and so mad that the band failed me. I was doing so well, people were looking at me differently, and it was all taken away in an instant. Has anyone else gone through this? What could have caused the erosion? I asked the dr and he said it just happens to about 2% of people.

I have taken anti-depressents for 10 years. True, I did gain weight but in hindsight I don't think the meds are responsible at all. The fact that my diet was not balanced, I aged 10 years and didn't exercise is much more likely that I gained about 10 pounds a year, doesn't everyone agree? People with anxiety/depression, even when controlled with meds, tend to be less energetic, which is another factor that contributes to weight gain. I am still taking my meds and still losing weight so my advice, try the meds if you think you need to, they might help. But have a psychiatrist prescribe them, Family Practice MD's don't know enough about mental health meds and might end up giving you a dosage too high or not the best med for you. Good Luck!