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I am so glad to see this topic posted... I'll try to be brief. My husband and I have been together for 13 years, married for 10. When we met, I was about 380 (I'm 5'5''). When we got married I was 330 and then after having my daughter gained all the way up to 435. He loves me and never cared much about my weight as long as I was healthy. He is 6'4'' and when we met he was 215, now 290. He was very supportive of my decision to have wls and continues to support and compliment me all the time. I've always been larger than him, so I think he feels "safe" in his weight gain. Odd as it seems, I find myself increasingly frustrated with his food choices even though mine obviously weren't the best if I was 400+ pounds! He eats A LOT and when I'm not around makes terrible food choices. I feel like I have no room to talk because I'm still much heavier than he is, but I wonder if that will change as I continue to lose. Once I weigh less than he does, I'm not sure how I'll feel because in some ways, I feel like I SHOULD weight less than my husband, but at the same time I don't want him to be as large as he his (it's all belly). Plus I'm always worried about his health because he keeps having minor issues that I keep telling him are the warnings before the big stuff comes (like diabetes and high blood pressure), but he keeps on eating crap. Ok I'm rambling... I guess my point is that at some point, I feel like I will become super judgmental of his size and eating habits, and I feel bad about it because he NEVER judged me.

Even if you are preparing for bariatric surgery, you can start exercising (so long as you are cleared by your doctor) and lose a surprising number of pounds even before your gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy or revision bariatric surgery. In addition, the better cardiovascular condition you are in before surgery, the fewer complications you’ll face during and after surgery. Not sure where to start? Here are instructions I offer to my own weight loss surgery patients here in Freehold, NJ: Bariatric Preoperative Stage Patients who start an exercise strategy before surgery have an easier time adjusting to exercising after surgery, according to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). But, admittedly, exercise is challenging for people who carry a lot of extra weight. For this reason, starting slow is imperative. If you are morbidly obese, talk with your bariatric surgeon about fitness guidelines for your current health situation. Generally speaking, these are reasonable goals to target: · Focus on cardiovascular exercise, even if it’s just a walk around the neighborhood for 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your health and doctor’s recommendation. · Start walking for 10 minutes, twice a day and add 5 minutes each day, up to 30 minutes per day. · Realize that empowerment that fitness gives you over your body and your overall health. · Appreciate how good you feel after exercising—even for 10 minutes! Weight Loss Surgery Postoperative Stage For the first two weeks after surgery, focus on flexibility exercises, deep breathing and getting back into performing normal daily activities. · At your first post-op visit with your surgeon, he or she will carefully go over your customized exercise plan based upon your health, age and the procedure you had. · With your doctor’s approval, three weeks after your operation, begin to gradually incorporate low-intensity aerobic exercise (walking or swimming are my preferred choices at this stage). · If you feel prolonged pain or discomfort, you are doing too much too soon. · During the first six weeks after surgery, do not lift more than 15 pounds. One Month and Beyond Now your goal is to increase range of motion so you can easily take off your shoes and pick things up off the ground and move around more. · Strength-training (light weights) exercises are rebuilding muscle. · Work toward 30 minutes of continuous exercise five days per week. · Avoid abdominal exercises for the first eight to 12 weeks (allow the incision to heal). This also helps to alleviate abdominal hernias near or around the incision. · Change-up your workouts so your body is constantly challenged (walk around the park today, lift weights at the gym tomorrow and use the elliptical machine) · Introduce a wider variety of bariatric fitness options: biking, yoga, dancing, aerobics, Pilates, kickboxing. A year after weight loss surgery, you should be able to perform 45 minutes to an hour of exercise five times a week. Exercise is Insurance Against Future Weight Gain A lifelong exercise program is critical to a weight loss surgery patient’s long-term success. If a physically active lifestyle has not been adopted, weight gain will likely result. (Sadly, I have seen this firsthand on more than one occasion). Exercise is insurance for long-term weight-loss. If you have a slip, an extra 5 to 10 minutes spent working out will ensure that your metabolism stays elevated and this extra effort will burn more calories. Working out will not, however, save you if you overeat regularly—bariatric surgery or not. By sticking close to your daily calorie requirements most days, drinking plenty of water and focusing on fitness, you’ll look great, feel even better and be the healthiest person you can be. And that’s worth just 30 minutes out of your day, isn’t it? Photo Credit: Woman Exercising by Witthaya Phonsawat -FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Whether you are pre-op, a recent post-op or already well on your way to weight loss, exercise plays a starring role in the speed and longevity of your overall weight management after bariatric surgery. Even if you are preparing for bariatric surgery, you can start exercising (so long as you are cleared by your doctor) and lose a surprising number of pounds even before your gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy or revision bariatric surgery. In addition, the better cardiovascular condition you are in before surgery, the fewer complications you’ll face during and after surgery. Not sure where to start? Here are instructions I offer to my own weight loss surgery patients here in Freehold, NJ: Bariatric Preoperative Stage Patients who start an exercise strategy before surgery have an easier time adjusting to exercising after surgery, according to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). But, admittedly, exercise is challenging for people who carry a lot of extra weight. For this reason, starting slow is imperative. If you are morbidly obese, talk with your bariatric surgeon about fitness guidelines for your current health situation. Generally speaking, these are reasonable goals to target: · Focus on cardiovascular exercise, even if it’s just a walk around the neighborhood for 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your health and doctor’s recommendation. · Start walking for 10 minutes, twice a day and add 5 minutes each day, up to 30 minutes per day. · Realize that empowerment that fitness gives you over your body and your overall health. · Appreciate how good you feel after exercising—even for 10 minutes! Weight Loss Surgery Postoperative Stage For the first two weeks after surgery, focus on flexibility exercises, deep breathing and getting back into performing normal daily activities. · At your first post-op visit with your surgeon, he or she will carefully go over your customized exercise plan based upon your health, age and the procedure you had. · With your doctor’s approval, three weeks after your operation, begin to gradually incorporate low-intensity aerobic exercise (walking or swimming are my preferred choices at this stage). · If you feel prolonged pain or discomfort, you are doing too much too soon. · During the first six weeks after surgery, do not lift more than 15 pounds. One Month and Beyond Now your goal is to increase range of motion so you can easily take off your shoes and pick things up off the ground and move around more. · Strength-training (light weights) exercises are rebuilding muscle. · Work toward 30 minutes of continuous exercise five days per week. · Avoid abdominal exercises for the first eight to 12 weeks (allow the incision to heal). This also helps to alleviate abdominal hernias near or around the incision. · Change-up your workouts so your body is constantly challenged (walk around the park today, lift weights at the gym tomorrow and use the elliptical machine) · Introduce a wider variety of bariatric fitness options: biking, yoga, dancing, aerobics, Pilates, kickboxing. A year after weight loss surgery, you should be able to perform 45 minutes to an hour of exercise five times a week. Exercise is Insurance Against Future Weight Gain A lifelong exercise program is critical to a weight loss surgery patient’s long-term success. If a physically active lifestyle has not been adopted, weight gain will likely result. (Sadly, I have seen this firsthand on more than one occasion). Exercise is insurance for long-term weight-loss. If you have a slip, an extra 5 to 10 minutes spent working out will ensure that your metabolism stays elevated and this extra effort will burn more calories. Working out will not, however, save you if you overeat regularly—bariatric surgery or not. By sticking close to your daily calorie requirements most days, drinking plenty of water and focusing on fitness, you’ll look great, feel even better and be the healthiest person you can be. And that’s worth just 30 minutes out of your day, isn’t it? Photo Credit: Woman Exercising by Witthaya Phonsawat -FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Weight gain is a trap, and surgery is often the only permanent way out. Set point theory is a really awful thing to think about, especially when it is suggested that set point in the human body can only go up. Asking a morbidly obese person to resist hunger and stay thin after being large is like telling somebody not to breathe. Your body is smarter than your brain, and it will find a way to return to obesity. The brightest, most determined dieter in the world could not truly defeat obesity for life with just diet and exercise. We may have made mistakes to get here, but we are not weak-willed because we couldn't escape without arresting our bodies' ability to defend obesity. For some people, surgery may not even do it. And even then it is not evidence of something wrong with our heads.

Congratulations on your weight loss! I am so sorry you are unhappy with your weight gain and hope you find a workable solution. Are you still tracking your food, especially your Protein? Have you talked with your NUT lately? I hope the porch test works for you (even though you have a sleeve and not a pouch) but would think that going back to basics would help. Keep us posted on how you are doing. Best of luck.

Most of what your saying is very common post-op, even the weight gain. I encourage you to go your doctor visit and get some answers straight from the horse's mouth. Good luck!

I relate to what your saying. Having been in a bad marriage which largely contributed to my weight gain, feeling depressed and the lowest ugliest most difficult time of my life- getting out of that and losing weight was like getting out of jail. The relationship I was in smothered the hell out of me and it felt so good to get free. When I started dating again I went a little crazy. I did eventually end up with a boyfriend- not hard to do looking like this. But I haven't been a very good girlfriend. I crave men's attention. It makes me feel so powerful,so wonderful. When I was overweight I felt invisible to men which was crushing. Especially because I'd only been overweight for five years and I was used to being much more attractive. So to have that back now feels awesome!!! I don't play with men's emotions but I do enjoy letting them take me on a date and getting their appreciation. I think their are lines you can't cross here. Enjoy the attention of men, that's fine- but keep it professional. You don't need to sleep with everyone you meet. Look for one you actually want to be with, or keep it casual with all of them. You can enjoy sexy and your body, but make it clear to them where your at if your not looking for a relationship. There is nothing shallow about enjoying your sexuality, your beauty, and your freedom. I am woman hear me roar!! But whatever you do, don't forget about or screw over your female friends. They are the ones we need the most in life!!! Don't chose men over them or let men become a bigger priority.

Ok so I started the 5 day pouch test yesterday. Surprisingly it wasn't that hard in terms of hunger but have had a headache this morning which I think is a withdrawal symptom from all of the sugar. That's ok with me. I ate or more accurately drank 4 cups of Soup yesterday which added up to a lot of carbs for the day (I had tomato soup and split pea). Ironically I got a letter in the mail from my bariatric surgeon that its time to schedule an appointment. This I took as a sign that its time to conquer this weight gain. I would dread to go back a failure. Going for a nice long walk now. Will check back again soon.

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

There's no weight gain with the Mirena and it is a IUD. My surgeon recommend it to me.

I have a Mirena (on 2nd one) and I love it! I didn't really notice any weight gain after having it put in.

I am on Depo too and have never had weight gain from it. I dont have a TOM either, but caution you that several people I know had a hard time getting pregnant after being on it. Was told that if you plan to have children then the implant is a better 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.

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen! My name is Brenda and on September 2nd I had the gastric bypass surgery. It took me a few years to get myself to admit I needed this, and I am happy I made this decision.My surgery took longer than the surgeon anticipated due to scar tissue from a previous surgery. The surgeon was still able to do the surgery laparoscopic after cleaning up the scar tissue. After one setback due to diarrhea and dehydration I pray I am on the right path now. Discouraged at first because of an 8 lb weight gain(which the surgeon said was due to all the intravenous fluids I was given) I am happy to say in a week I've lost 10 lbs! Prayers for great success for all of you on this weight loss journey. Here's to a happier and healthier lifestyle ????????

If WLS is something you REALLY feel you need to take control of your life, then don't let anyone stand in your way. When I made up my mind to go for it, no one was going to talk me out of it. I knew from 47 years of experience that I needed the extra help WLS offered. I had been overweight since childhood and could never control my weight gain. If my primary physician had discouraged me from WLS, I would have found another. My first call was to my insurance company to get a list of approved WLS doctors. I never went to a general practitioner, went straight to the WLS doctor and started the process. Get my free eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt!

Hi everyone, I am 6 months out and have lost 57 lbs so far. (229 to 172) I have been on the mini pill for about 18 months, and it was great my periods had stopped completely. But now they have come back with a vengeance ... So I was looking at other options like the implant or injection... The only thing is I have read a side effect is weight gain. Had anyone any experience of this? I'm after a contraception with stops my period and hopefully doesn't make me pike on the pounds :-(

She wrote an article for Glamour. She definitely had bypass, not the band. But she had heart surgery in 2010 and her weight gain has been since that surgery. Maybe she's on steroids or other meds affecting her weight regain.

Im 30 yrs of age, never had any major issues with health , but with the weight gain after losing my.mother 5 years ago (part due to obesity )i now have high blood pressure..i have surgery in 2days.and my emotions and fears are all over the place...

I really wish the media would use common sense before saying stuff like this. We all remember what Starr Jones looked like before. She still looks great! She may have regained a little but 80 pounds. I think not. Our bodies adjust to what's comfortable and that may not be a size 5. Honestly, for most of us we're happy just being out of the plus sizes and not shopping at specialty stores. Weight gain is preventable but you definitely have to figure out a plan that works for you and for some that may mean a little weight gain to learn what not to do.

The article I found on her weight gain claimed she had the gastric band, not the gastric bypass. While we all know that the weight can be put back on after any weight loss surgery, if she has the band it is very possible that she had it unfilled/removed/etc.

Out of the blue I looked up Star Jones to see how she was doing, since her successful gastric bypass. First news headline I see " Disaster after weight loss surgery" picture of Star from every angle wearing a white one piece bathing suit. I guess she had gained back 80 lbs and many articles ridiculed her for her weight gain. Now, I am not a fan nor hater... I just wanted to see how WLS can be maintained. I am 80% committed to having the gastric sleeve and my worst nightmare is gaining the weight back few years down the road and for people to make snarky comments. I feel bad for Star since she was so successful with her procedure and I am not completely sure why the restriction is eliminated with WLS after couple of years. Anybody else share the same fear?

Greetings Gastric Sleevers! My name is Jay. I am 45 years old and I have been Morbidly Obese my entire Life. Here is my story. I had a Work Physical in December 2006. When I stepped on the scale I weighed 326lbs. That was the most Obese I had ever been, and enough was enough. I had had it. I needed to do something drastic to stop the weight gain. I decided to have a Lab Band. At the time I didnt want to have any physical changes to my body, and people were having very good weight loss success on the Band. In February of 2007, I had my surgery. From February 2007 to September 2007 the band worked great!!! I weighed in at 207lbs. I was extremely happy!!! But sometime in September the tubing to the band developed a kink and then the tubing cracked and the band was worthless. March of 2008 I underwent my second surgery, this time it was a port and tubing replacement. Everything seemed fine until I went in for my first fill. When they tried to fill the band they werent able to. The tubing was kinked again!!! Are you F'ing kidding me? I had enough and was just going to do my best on what the surgeon had put in the band ( I think it was 9cc's). It wasnt enough, I started to gradually put on weight. In 2012 I had enough again. I went in to have the band filled under X-Ray Fluroscopy. For whatever reason the band took in 15 cc's The band I had was only supposed to hold 12. Needless to say the band was closed off, and I couldnt eat or drink anything. Two days later I had emergency surgery to release the band. The surgery went well, but the Surgeon didnt replace the band. When I went in for a fill they put in the Max CC's of 12. Guess what? No restriction. Yup in was stretched out so much it was ineffective again! I had had enough with the Lap Band, it was nothing but a big giant headache for me. I decided to have a Gastric Sleeve in 2015. I had my surgery on June 24th 2015. The day of the surgery I weighed in at 275lbs. Today is September 11th and I am down to 240lbs. I am very happy with my Sleeve, but the adjustment to the new diet was very hard for me. I am doing 3 Protein shakes a day and I added 1 KETO OS drink a day to my diet. It has made a huge difference. My energy levels are through the roof and I feel absolutely Fantastic!!! The weight is coming off twice as fast for me ( from 2 pounds a week to 4) I took the time to research this product and it is the best decision I have made in a long time. Check it out for yourself: http://C7W6R4.pruvitnow.com

I started with a 45 BMI and ended up with a 39 BMI and was still approved. Unfortunately there is no standardization among different insurance companies, so whether the slight weight gain will hurt you or not you'd had to find out directly from your carrier. I hope you get approved! Good luck!

I was 6 months post op when I found out I was pregnant with my first. I had an iUD at the time but it failed. Now I am 16 weeks pregnant, still down 10 pounds from when I found out I was pregnant and not showing. How long did it take others to show and what was the weight gain time line for you guys?