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Don't do it! The number one driver of weight gain is juice and sugared drinks. You need to find something that works for you. Try Water with fruit infused in it if you don't like crystal lite. Used lemons, limes, cucumbers, raspberries, strawberries and leave your water sit in the refrigerator with the fruit. It will not be sweet but it should quench your thirst. Honestly I cannot do any of those non sweetener drinks either so I had to get very used to drinking water. It is all I drink and is the most important thing in your diet besides Protein. I would hate to see you sabotage yourself. Try doing things to get your mind off of it. I crave chocolate a lot and have to entertain myself or convince myself that I would rather have nuts or Jerky. If I do that often enough my brain believes it and I can move past it. Good luck to you!

apologies for re-posting this, but I think I posted it in the wrong forum initially Hi everyone, first time poster here! I am scheduled for a gastric sleeve on 10/19. I am currently 184 lbs, 5'4, bmi 31. After I first met with the surgeon and scheduled the surgery I was very sure this was the right thing to do. I have battled my weight for almost 10 years (I'm 30) and have tried every diet and drug under the sun with no success. My only success has ever come from a combination of medically supervised protein-sparing diet combined with phentermine. But even that 30 lb loss came back on pretty quickly. Now I'm starting to question this choice. It just seems so completely elective -- I'm healthy and young, I even completed a triathlon this weekend! But the choice goes beyond vanity, I struggle with significant depression that I never dealt with prior to the weight gain, I feel constantly exhausted (possibly from sleep apnea) and just generally feel that I'm living my life in someone else's body under a cloud of failure. I'd love to hear from others who had the surgery at a low BMI - are you happy with your choice? I'd especially love to hear from anyone who went on to have healthy pregnancies afterwards, the concern about pregnancy at my current weight has led me to hold off on having kids! Any other thoughts would be much appreciated, I do think this is the right choice for me but I struggle with feeling selfish to put my loved ones through the stress of worrying about the outcome when I'm not facing an immediate health crisis. And God forbid something happened, I wouldn't blame them for hating me for putting them through that.

Hello all and Happy Surgiversary. I have made it down to 189 without gaining weight. That is good but I have been stalling ..that would be because I have not been as Not that I have lied but have not told everything. to make an appointment with the psychologist as food has been the culprit of weight gain when making healthy choices. I will keep you all informed of this outcome.

Hi everyone, I had the sleeve gastrectomy surgery performed back in 2009. Unfortunately, I have gained my weight back. Admittedly, I did not adhere to the diet and exercise plan and once I started gaining, I was embarrassed and stopped going to the doctor. Add a divorce into the mix and I gained even more weight. I take complete responsibility for the weight gain, and I am now considering the DS as an option, since my original surgeon had mentioned that this could be the 2nd step of my sleeve surgery back in 2009. I meet with the office next week and am very nervous. I was hoping someone could tell me some of your high Protein food secrets, as I am trying to start the 90 plus grams of protein and 75 or fewer carb diet now. I am allergic to tree nuts, so the only nuts I can eat are peanuts and I don't like tuna fish or salmon, but like mild fish. Thank you for reading my post! Have a great day! Christy

I didn't do the food funeral thing and I don't regret it at all. I figured I had eaten my share of food in my life (and the share of several other people) and I didn't want to have to re-lose any weight I gained by doing so. For me, a yummy meal brings thirty minutes or so of "joy" and weight gain brings days/weeks/months of misery trying to re-lose it.

September 21st Current Stats: Nationality: Canadian Age: 26 Height: 5'3 Weight: 195 lbs BMI: 30+ Surgery: Gastric Sleeve Date: Jan 5th, 2016 Reasons why I am being sleeved 1. Digestive issues: IBS like symptoms 2. Fertility: TTC 5 years 3. Intolerances: Wheat, Dairy: Hard to avoid, so I figure if stomach is smaller I would eat smaller amounts so it may cause less havoc on my system. Reasons for my weight gain: I always been small all through school age, ate like a bird. Once high school hit a total different story. I don't over eat, I just eat the wrong foods, mainly fast foods and restaurants. I do not like a whole lot of fruits and veggies, I am obsessed with pasta; especially mac n cheese. And I am not active, And my thyroid is low. Now balanced with meds. When TTC I was put on a lot of meds because I been through 4 IVFs in 2 years. That also caused weight gain. It started to increase over the past 5 years. I was in the 150's 5 years ago, now in the 190's. It may not seem much but it shows. Especially since I am short. My mother was really overweight my whole life, Got the sleeve last year and lost 110 lbs . My sister is also doing the sleeve with me in Jan. When its my turn I hope you will follow along with my journey, and hope to inspire others to take charge of their health. I do not have the attitude that this is "The Easy Way Out" because its not! It is just as much as struggle as anything else. This surgery is a tool to assist, we still got to put in the work of eating healthy, eating the right amount, and exercising. I will continue this blog in January

I did a little research. This can be caused by pressure on the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, and can result from tight clothing, weight gain or injury. I wonder if it might have something to do with having your abdomen filled up with CO2 during surgery. This could create pressure on the nerve that causes the condition. It could also be the swollen/distended sleeve that is pushing on the nerve. I'm going to ask my surgeon during my follow up next week to get his opinion as well.

Hi my date is the 29th for surgery. Kinda nervous same time just want it done n over with... Reasons why im doing it is that i have chronic back pain that 4 of my doctors have told me that the surgery will improve the pain.. Not to mention the polyneuropathy i have and the crazy pain that is caused by it. That has been my downfall with weight gain i hurt to much to move... So im crossing fingers that my 310 weight will drop along with pain levels. Huggs to everyone that already went and those that are prepping!!

Ok so it's been a while since I last blogged but a lot has been going on. I'm from Iceland. An island way up north. So I just came back from travelling to Spain, a Mediterranean country and let me tell you, things there are different from what I'm used to. I've been to Spain 3 times before and never thought that much about food. I just ate what ever and loved it. But having the lap band is more difficult. The town I was staying at didn't have that many restaurants but when I went to them, they carried BREAD BREAD BREAD. They loved serving bread or huge dishes! I love tabas mmmm but it's served on bread, thick slices of bread. I can only eat thin slices. So when out eating, I ended up eating fries, omelette and lasange. But only found one restaurant carrying lasagne. But I tried cooking at home as well, so I wouldn't starve and didn't really want omelette or fries for every meal. The temperature! Gosh it was HOT. That mean that my polar body was swollen ever day with extra fluid and that also meant that my stomach opening was a lot smaller. I had to make a lot of trips to the bathroom spit out food that got stuck in the opening. The Productive burping was terrible! No matter what I ate. My worst case was a tomato!! Hello!! A tomato, a very well chewed tomato! I just had terrible time with it. That's why I was afraid to eat what ever was on the menu. But fries, I know they are deep fried and not that healthy, but I could chew them into baby food! What does a hot woman need in a hot weather??? ice cream. mmmm love some good ice cream. And I had a lot of it. It was a guilty pleasure. But it was so good in the hot weather. Alcohol. I was very very careful with that. I wanted a cold beer very badly but I stuck to cocktails with no carbonated liquids in it and yes that was just fine. And never got drunk or tipsy or what ever. Did not want to add hangover and throwing up to the PB!! I even at once point thought that it would be best to finish the trip off by eating only chocolate and ice cream because that went down very well haha. Also the company I was with. They were so nice and understanding but I was giving myself hard time for making them wait for me while I ate really really really slowly. We could never eat anywhere in hurry, ever. I came with a solution though, I sometimes grabbed a banana because that's easy to eat on a go. Now at home, I'm still swollen from the travel but I couldn't wait stepping on the scale and no weight gain!! to my surprise! I'll see how it went after my body has adjusted after the travel. I have to tell you though that for the first time in my life, I had lots of left overs at the restaurants I ate at. I felt like apologizing for it to the waiters, for not finishing my food. I've always finished everything at a restaurant but I was very careful, even though the portions were big, that I would only eat until I was satisfied (not full) and I'm proud of that. Overall, I did enjoy my trip very much and Spain is a fantastic country. And I've always enjoyed the food there before the lap band. But this was a difficult trip food wise and not that healthy I'm glad it didn't set me back tough. I'm happy to be home and on Monday hopefully my body has recovered and that I will not have any extra fluid.

I have seen this issue brought up here. Seems many of us are colder at a lower calorie intake and or lower weight. Enjoy summer! Fall is approaching, and I have heating pads in several spots at my house and an electric blanket just for the foot of my bed!! (My feet seem to be the coldest part of me.... )I have resorted to running a hair dryer into my boots to heat things up! Best of luck! Sad to say that even a small weight gain made me warmer Sigh

You will be alright. Although for future reference, remember to stop after you initially make a bad choice. That thinking of "I might as well eat all that I want, since I've already blown it" will get you into trouble. One bad food choice shouldn't have too much of an effect on your weight loss. It is the continuation of bad choices after the initial one that will lead to weight gain. Think about it, when you run a red light, do you decide to go ahead and run red lights for the rest of the day? No, that would be silly. It is the same for food choices. If you make a small slip up, own up to it and move on with your bariatric diet.

From https://asmbs.org/patients/life-after-bariatric-surgery Q: Which medications should I avoid after weight loss surgery? A: Your surgeon or bariatric physician can offer guidance on this topic. One clear class of medications to avoid after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the “Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs” (NSAIDs), which can cause ulcers or stomach irritation in anyone but are especially linked to a kind of ulcer called “marginal ulcer” after gastric bypass. Marginal ulcers can bleed or perforate. Usually they are not fatal, but they can cause a lot of months or years of misery, and are a common cause of re-operation, and even (rarely) reversal of gastric bypass. Some surgeons advise limiting the use of NSAIDs after sleeve gastrectomy and adjustable gastric banding as well. Corticosteroids (such as prednisone) can also cause ulcers and poor healing but may be necessary in some situations. Some long-acting, extended-release, or enteric coated medications may not be absorbed as well after bariatric surgery, so it is important that you work with your surgeon and primary care physician to monitor how well your medications are working. Your doctor may choose an immediate-release medication in some cases if the concern is high enough. Finally, some prescription medications can be associated with weight gain, so you and your doctor can weigh the risk of weight gain versus the benefit of that medication. There may be alternative medications in some cases with less weight gain as a side effect.

Signs and symptom hypothyroidism may include: Fatigue Increased sensitivity to cold Constipation Dry skin Unexplained weight gain Puffy face Hoarseness Muscle weakness Elevated blood cholesterol level Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods Thinning hair Slowed heart rate Depression Impaired memory It could account for some of your recent weight gain. It appears to be testable and treatable. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothyroidism/basics/definition/con-20021179

Has anyone had issues with weight gain during the 90 day nutrition and getting denied? My weight has been crazy with going back and forth and I have my final visit weigh in tomorrow and know I'm 3-4lbs higher than my previous weight. Of course I had thought my previous weigh in was my final one so I didn't follow my eating plan as closely as I should have since birthday and all going on.

My candid advice? Keep them. I know that sounds like a deadweight loss and a lost opportunity to be charitable, but I honestly think that getting rid of them is a jinx. I never gave anything away, but when I lost weight without surgery a few years ago, I stored them away in a place I would really never go to for any reason (my gross attic). Alas, I needed most of them back within about a year and needed to wear them until surgery. My solution this time? Keep them around, and have them there to think of how much you never want to wear them again. Weight gain after surgery is real and happens for many people, but I think it is far more within our control than maintaining non-surgical weight loss.

Hi this doesn't have to do with your weight gain but I am waiting for my approval. I am having my band removed as well and they are doing the sleeve. How are you feeling, compared to the band?

@Doubletruble - I hope they can get your levels in control! I am sure they will level out by the time they submit. 2 days of liquid diet only ? wow your surgeon is being good to you lol I will have a week! I don't know how some others have to do 2 weeks, that's craziness!!! @@auntitraci - I can understand how frustrating it is. One of the side effects of Steroids are weight gain. The NUT has no idea about medication side effects. I am sorry that it was a waste of time. It sounds like she has the mentatlity like most when their comments are what you mentioned. Will you be off of them before time for surgery? What does your surgeon say?

I am getting so frustrated. I am taking steroids for an eye issue. Been in them since March and doing a slow taper off if them. But I keep gaining weight. 40 lbs so far. Made a special appt with the NUT and that was a waste of time. Drink more water. Stop all soda and caffeine. Eat smaller portions. Duh!!!! My mind is working overtime on the weight gain that I can't focus on redirecting towards better choices. Uu Ok thanks for letting me vent

The thing that people early out from WLS seem to forget or not even realize (and I consider myself still early out) is that restriction isn't forever. There's going to come a time where you will be able to eat a normal sized portion of food, albeit smaller than the humongous portions most Americans eat. Either way, more than we can now. So what you're choosing to put in your mouth will be that much more important when the time comes to maintain the weight you've lost. So I guess my point is lean protien and veggies should still make up most of the bulk of our meals in order to maintain. You start making carbs and sugar the priority--which I've seen happen when people start getting lax with them because they are addicting--THAT'S when weight gain happens. Don't believe me? Ask my husband who had an RNY 9 years ago and got lax with drinking empty calories, sugar and carbs and started packing on the pounds. It wasn't until he went back to the basics of very limited carbs and protien first and then veggies did he get it back under control. Does he indulge occasionally? Sure, but VERY occasionally. Otherwise, he will be right back to square one. You all are fooling yourselves if you think you can moderate those things and live happily ever after. Sorry, but I speak the truth. We have the disease of obesity, and the only ongoing treatment is moderation and even avoidance of certain foods for the rest of our lives, or weight will be regained.

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!