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HI all! Just wanted to give an update on this as it seems there is definitely some commonality here with unfills and getting back to the "green zone"..I don't know if we can ever really achieve where we were before. I think the initial fill series and weight loss is our chance to do it. From there the band, for me, was a tool to keep the weight off..and it did that for quite a few years. Turned out I lived with being too tight, stretched my esophagus..but my weight was maintained. Who knows what my caloric intake was at that time. I did get food and drinks in and didn't count calories..but I stayed within a 5lb range usually. Now I am approaching almost a year since my unfill..it was September of last year. So 10 months later I am still up 40lbs. I got my last fill a few months ago..I was up 50, but my boyfriend of over a year unexpectedly left me in May. I lost almost 10lbs on the "heartbreak" diet..wouldn't recommend it, but it finally pushed the lbs down. Now..I am maintaining that loss. What I will need to do to kickstart the rest of it...not sure. I don't think I want to get any tighter. I don't want to go back to where I was. I was talking to someone about this last night..explaining my journey over the last year of rapid gain even though I was severely restricting calories. I think I am back to almost "mere mortal" status where I really have to restrict low, exercise my rear off and work harder to get off these 40lbs..and THEN..let the band do its job of keeping it off. I don't think these last 40lbs will come off solely relying on the band. My hunger has dimished to back where it was pre-unfill..of course the stress and heartache also help curb the hunger..I have lost interest in food, but still eat and maintain. For now..letting myself heal from the breakup and other things going on before I start full force to lose again. I also am kinda waiting for track season to wind down as my larger motorcycle suit I got to replace the one that no longer fit will be dangerously too big if I lose another 10-20lbs now and it is too costly to have it altered again and again..so waiting until I am back to my normal weight before I alter it one last time..so torn about losing too much before November comes....ahhh priorities!! Keep sharing stories..I don't think the surgeons REALLY understand what isgoing on with the unfill process. They assume we are all gorging on the things we couldn't eat when we were filled. Sheesh I gained 5lbs on air!! Seriously..the initial few weeks were scary fast weight gain..even on nothing!!!

1. General practitioner weight loss appointment 1 x every month for 5 months. Never gained but showed a loss. Dr had me on phentermine for 3 of the months so I wouldn't gain during this time period. Btw this was a new Dr that I had just obtained last October so no two year weight history was necessary. 2. Nutritionist 1 x every month for 3 months. 3. Psych doc approval. Already had been seeing him for 1 1/2 yr. So only 1 visit was necessary. 4. 1 overnight sleep test to establish sleep apnea. + Established knee problems + Meds for bi-polar cause weight gain. Make me extra hungry! I was approved in 4 days after paper work submitted. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Did anyone else gain weight after starting soft foods? and then go into a stall??

Even though I'm banded Tessa, I'm responding because I can understand your concerns. Let me assure you that after introducing food after what I presume has so far been a liquid diet will absolutely cause a weight gain. Please remember that this is a lifetime change and gains and stalls are just part of it. You didn't gain the weight overnight and you won't lose it that way either. You should pay attention to sodium and sugar as too much can cause weight gain. But some salt and sugar won't derail you. The only thing that will derail you is worrying about every loss and gain. Do yourself a favor and stay away from the scale. Just pay attention to what you are eating. Choose wisely...protein first and watch the carbs, sugar, and sodium. Exercise. Move around. It will make you feel like you accomplished something and will improve your mood. Pay attention to how your clothes fit and those non scale victories. Before you know it, you will notice that you are looking and feeling better. Take it from me...you'll get there. I was banded 2 1/2 years ago and my journey was also not linear. Yet, I still managed to lose an amazing amount of weight and have a normal life as well. Good luck and keep us posted on your status.

Hello. My name is Tessa and I am a newbie to BariatricPal. My sleeve was 6/12/15. So I am currently 4 weeks post op. Things were going great until I introduced soft foods this week. I'm up 5 pounds since my weigh in Thursday. I don't understand. I'm eating SMALLER. Why am I gaining? I understand that eating and drinking to together will do that. I wait 20 minutes after drinking and wait 30 after eating to drink again. Could it be the sodium? Not all of my food is low in sodium. I have been so hungry that I haven't cared to check. Could it be sugar? I drink 98% water but will have organic lemonade every once in a while. Please help. I am having major regrets about this surgery. I didn't have it to still gain weight. It is so depressing. Thanks, Tessa

My surgeon didn't even care. ( no he is not a hack, actually awarded a Bariatric Super Doctor award in Texas) Just said to try and start quitting smoking. I think it has to do with insurance sometimes . I have private insurance and they don't cover WLS. My hiatal hernia was bad enough they approved it and he said I'm a go. I smoked until the week before. I didn't know crap about the smoking deal until I started reading this forum. I wish you the best and beating the Beast (nicotine) is rough. Keep us updated. Thank you! I'm on day 3 of the chantix today. The only thing I've noticed is I don't sleep very well. Normally, it doesn't take me long to go to sleep, and I sleep well all night long. Not so much with this stuff. I either dream more, or remember them more? Not any nightmares, just strange dreams. ANYWAY, I have to keep my eye on the prize. The same center that does the surgery also has a weight management program. I'm going to join that so I can hopefully keep any weight gain from stopping the cigs to a minimum. I wish you the best too! Your outcome makes me very hopeful.

There are about 1001 methods of birth control and most are healthier than depo which can also contribute to weight gain. Depo seriously depletes your bones of calcium and if you are under 29 years old it can prevent your bones from EVER maxing out your bone density. You should discuss the benefits and risks of each with your doctor. There are several low dose birth control pills, iuds, and many other methods. I believe there is also a low dose weekly patch version of "the pill." If you are capable of getting a period you can conceive. You can also be fertile for several weeks before you actually get a period if you are coming off depo. So please consider one hormonal method (patch, ring, pill) and one barrier method (condoms, diaphragm, etc), and/or an iud. IUDs are THE most effective form of birth control out there. Of course consult with your Dr. for what is best for you.

My doctor told me it is really hard to stretch out your stomach. He said it will stretch out but usually not a huge amount. He said the weight gain is usually what you are eating and how often you are eating. Go back to the basics. There is a "5 day pouch test" you can do, it is supposed to kick start you again. Good Luck! You can do this!

I was never athletic, but I have always been pretty active. I lost weight on WW years ago, and got to be pretty regular at the gym. Unfortunately I got out of the habit, and then lost my mom and generally wasn't taking very good care of myself. It was harder to get started because of my weight gain. I walked after surgery and then joined the Y about a month ago (8 weeks post op.) Now I've added strength training and I'm starting to see results. I don't have the same aches and pains with working out that I used to. I look forward to my trips to the gym. It seems to me that if you have a history of exercise, it will make it easier for you to return to it after surgery. I think it is harder for people who haven't been in the habit of being active. Good luck!

You are not a failure! You just need to find alternate ways to deal with your emotional ups and downs by trying to soothe them with stuff like soda. I was a big soda drinker too (coke zero) but I had to give it up. It's like alcohol to an alcoholic. It's all or nothing. If I go back to it I know it's a just a slippery slope to weight gain. Good luck!

I am 7 years post op from my gastric bypass surgery. I am able to consume much more than I was able to in the begining. I see my surgery team regularly (2-3 times a year) to keep on track, be reminded of the correct way to live as a gastric bypass patient, and to make sure my vitamins ect are all where they need to be. I was told the pouch does not stretch, however there are many causes to weight gain (I have gained about 60lbs in the past 7 years) and prevent weight loss after surgery so I work closley with my surgery team. Grazing is a huge no-no and I am guilty of it. Eating ANYTHING that is not on the perscribed list of foods is a no-no and just sends you right back to old habits and ways of eating. Drinking fluid to soon after your meal or with your meal is not a good thing, the fluid pushes the food out of your pouch where you get the satisfied full feeling and leaves you being able to put more food into your body. Not eating protein first everytime you eat will leave you feeling unsatisfied and will not keep you full until the next time you eat (it takes 3-4hrs to proccess protien in your body). You have to keep good habits and follow the rules even if you don't have dumping like most of us do when we eat foods our pouch doesn't like. Just because you can eat it doesn't mean that you should. If you want to loose the rest of your weight to reach your goal you need to instill a new way of eating and relationship with food.

Thanks for the help. Im getting really depressed. Do you ever eat oatmeal? The weight gain started around the time I started eating oatmeal. I also was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had brain surgery around the same time so I dont know what did it. I will try to reduce my portions. Thanks again

@@Inner Surfer Girl I agree with what you're saying in part. Insurance in relation to weight loss surgery definitely needs a total rehaul. In my "track" composed of the people I was grouped with also seeking surgery, for six months of classes, I personally know of two who ran into insurance firewalls even "after" having jumped through all of their mandated hoops. One was laid off a week after graduating and lost her coverage. The other was told in JULY just before she was to get her date, that her husband hadn't worked enough hours in May & June to cover the premiums, so her insurance was deemed inactive. During class one gentlemen had to drop out because his company was changing insurance. And another had to postpone hers because she couldn't arrange time off for the endless pre op appts and surgery recovery time. In a very real sense they're hoping to wait us out. Make us give up before we ever even make it to the OR. We, the obese, aren't treated as second class citizens. We're treated as disgusting blights on society. That premise is what has to change first. When I was growing up, smoking was still in fashion. They unabashedly showed cigarette commercials on TV, and they were even sold openly in vending machines. It took decades before worldwide change came about, when lung cancer was undeniably linked with tobacco use. Initially there was a lot of push back though. Change never happens without a fight, without sacrifice, especially when bottom line profit and big money is involved. It took a very long time before big corporate tobacco was made to bear the brunt of blame and reform. Only then did things start to noticeably change. Well the same thing is happening now, with the so called "obesity epidemic." And in the exact fashion that tobacco head honchos tried to shift the blame to the smoker, saying their product wasn't addictive, today, fast food, sugar additives, and the like, along with the diet industry would rather zero in entirely on the fat person for being fat, as opposed to accepting any part of the blame themselves. They produce addictive products that are scientifically proven to cause weight gain. Then they price it low enough to keep you coming back for more. And after you're completely hooked, then they try and sell you a cure all in the form of Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers. It's the very definition of an endless cycle. I'm not saying that everyone's obesity is solely caused by junk food, as we know better. Genetics is a major factor as well, among others. But it being our fault entirely is the prevalent outside notion, isn't it? If we'd all just eat less and exercise more we'd all be thin right? Well, that's the misconception that has to be changed first, before we'll ever have widespread reform on more easily obtaining WLS. If WE, the obese are entirely at fault, than why should other people, thin people, have to put their insurance or tax dollars towards our fat? Personally, I think we need more and more obese people to come out of the shadows and demand WLS, not less. We need more medical studies done showing the medicinal cost savings between patient care pre and post op surgery too. In the same way that all those who began the process before us, by first seeking out a surgical option, who underwent the experimental procedures in the past with less than desirable results - we have to keep it alive too. In this forum and in other places. Only then will the proof that the demand far exceeds the supply of knowledgable surgeons and center of excellence facilities. Only then will real changes begin to be made. Our surgical wait time today can be measured in long arduous months, sometimes years, before we ever even get a bypass, sleeve, band, or whichever procedure chosen. But the fact that the numbers, the obese people, who are seeking it out are growing exponentially gives me infinite hope that those who will come after us will benefit from what we've done today to further promote the monumental need.

I'm with Aetna as well. From my understanding you have to provide a 2 year weight history as well as follow a doctor's supervised diet program for 3 months. I'm unsure if you're able to follow a program that's not your surgeon. During the 3 months, there can be no weight gain or you'll be denied. Not sure if this info is helpful.

I think you answered your own question. Perhaps some Miralax is in order. Your weight will vary a bit from day to day but you aren't going to have a sustained weight gain at that calorie intake level.

Help! I had my gastric sleeve surgery September 24. I started at 264 pounds. I was down to 200 pounds at the beginning of February then found out I had a cavernous malformation on my brain stem and had to have surgery to remove it. During that time I managed to gain back 20 pounds. Some of that was due to prednisone but some was due to not being in control of my own cooking. Now I cant seem to start losing again. Im definitely eating larger portions than right after my surgery. Any suggestions?

Here is one very popular post that was started by sleve4me.... perhaps you will remember her from this: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/194493-weight-gained-since-having-gastric-sleeve-surgery/ This little group really helps me to just be honest... touch base, feel safe and not alone in this thing. I love you guys and really wish the best for you all. It helps me whether I'm gaining, losing or staying the same....

Banded in 2009. Slippage in 2013. Unfilled and weight gain. Revision surgery scheduled for August 31. Thank goodness for insurance. I so loved the band and lost a 100 pounds. Gained about half that back. Surgeon is doing by-pass instead of the sleeve because of what he figures is erosion to the esophagus. I am ready for this.

Hubby likes to eat out a lot and over a 20plus year marriage it has added to the weight gaining for me. Not now. He orders ala carte grilled shrimp at longhorn (I get the veggie he doesn't want or we share), or I order soup or we share his meal. I have been blessed with NOT having a waiter/waitress make a big deal about me not ordering. Last night I decided to quit getting water for my drink, I got a look. I explained when she made sure I didn't want anything to drink that I am not suppose to drink because I had WLS. If I have a drink I tend to sip - when my mouth gets dry from chewing some foods. To stop over drinking before and after I will just NOT get a drink. I will steal a sip (if desperate) from hubbys drink ;D

This is such a timely post for me. I am, I think, 20-30 from goal (still not sure what goal is but somewhere in there seems reasonable for a 5'7" frame). The truth is I have no idea where I'll feel comfortable and finished with losing. Meanwhile, I am so happy with what I have lost that I also stopped losing and even gained several back. But it's not complacency; it's much deeper than that. There is a "don't look at me, don't look at me" voice inside, leftover, obviously from all those years of feeling embarrassed about my weight. Since dropping weight I have received uncomfortable attention and have been trying to sort through that (my boss, so some one with financial power over me), but it's not just that. I am enjoying how much more "normal" I feel and how my introversion over the years is now shifting and I am so much more at ease out in the world. I like to dress up and have fun, talk to strangers and laugh loudly (actually despite being one of those very soft spoken people I have always had a really big laugh, which should be a clue that I was just hiding before and the real me, the laughing one, doesn't mind being out there, quirky, funny and enjoying herself). On biology, I'm adopted and when I met my birth family I immediately understood that not only was my weight gain due to personal issues in my life but clearly genetics played a big role, eeek. Lately I have thought that I may have put myself on pause because I wanted to let not only myself but the people around me and new people in my life catch up with where I am, who I am, how I look at this point in my life. Not 70 pound heavier me, and not 100 pound lighter me, the "me" now. But I am not yet where I want to be and I know that. I am enjoying being able to buy a size 12 suit off the rack and just go to Maine and out it in and look/feel fine. What? But I still have a paunch -- not the Mrs. Winnie-the-Pooh of yore but a belly. I want that gone. And I want to wear the size 10 linen pants I greedily scooped up at a sale and out in my closet as motivation (one pair in purple, one in red -- nice and long so no high waters but they are way too tight), I want to be able to stretch and bend with less stuff in the way. I have arthritis and still hold out hope that less weight on my frame will mean less pain. I wrote myself a letter to be opened at goal and I want to see what I wrote then. It was a thank-you letter. Maybe I will go back to my posts here and see what I wrote two years ago at this time while I was waiting to go to the mandatory information session and start my process. I will be two years out in November and would like to start next winter at goal. I'd like to be someone who can monitor a small gain and catch it. Right now being some one with 20-30 to lose feels like such a luxury, especially in our society where people are heavier and heavier, but I want to take it to the next stage. By now I know how to do it. My dimmed appetite allows me to have a regime which before I coukd do but it was so hard I woukd bounce right back afterward. This my third day of a fast. I'm doing it to try to clear out congestion in my joints and see if I can identify any triggers for the increased inflammation of late (probably more related to the barometer; will it ever stop raining?). But I'm also doing it to get on course. I tend to gravitate toward grazing. An ongoing wine and cheese party is not doing my waistline any favors. So a fast nips that in the bud. I like the idea of intermittent fasting -- a couple of days a week. It simplifies things for me and I think I have he right body type for it. So here I am at day three about to do the Epsom routine with olive oil and grapefruit tonight. It's hard core but I gravitate in that direction and realize I need to do that for my health. A liver cleanse, like the French (back to wine and cheese party issues). I don't know how long I will go. I have done three weeks in the past and it wasn't that long ago I was in pre-op liver shrinking mode for the surgery. I've recently increased my exercise, although mine is walking outdoors so the rain harshes that groove. Still, when I work out I am working so much harder now. My body likes/needs that. So now the brain needs to be on board. No secret folds of self-sabotage -- everything out in the open. If being thinner makes me anxious, what is that about? No longer being able to tamp down anxiety with food means that any anxiety (and there is plenty) is coming to the surface. Well that's good,I'm guess, though it can be messy. We had to pull over the car on the way home from the coast as I was so anxious. Fortunately my new remedy for that is walking it off, not eating it down. So, a therapist? Probably a good idea! I saw one to prep for the WLS surgery and for a little while after while I found my way. Maybe time for another round. But meanwhile very thankful for this place where I can tap out my thoughts freely, knowing that there are people who so get it. Thank you!

Like coops I read every single day, many threads, but I don't always post. The weight gain has zapped my confidence a d I feel like I'm back on the gain, lose, gain lose roller coaster but the gains are exceeding the losses so it is going up. I wish re were a bit closer to each other coops then we could meet up and we accountable to each other with direct eye contact. You off work coops? I pulled my back a bit when my trainer was here last week so I stopped the exercise for a few days, back is fine now but I'm finding it hard to get back into it. I know I'm making excuses to myself and I too need a kick up the bum. Lipstick lady writes as she sees it and it doesn't go down well with some people. I don't recall the other person. It's true we are not a 5:2 follower group anymore, some try others have stopped but I do think we are a support group. People have shared a lot and I do think we have to be careful who we allow in. If it became confrontational some of those who do post (even now and then) might stop. I do wish we could get hold of some of the people who stopped, Brown etc.. It's going to be the hottest July day for 9 years so I had best go and slap on some sun cream before work.

Good Morning Fellow Canadians !! I am so very glad this thread was started. I am from Edmonton. My surgery is booked for September 10th. Flying into San Diego on the 9th and back home on the 14th. I am then taking the rest of the month off for a full recovery. I have applied for short term disability through my insurance company so I can at least get paid while I am off for 3 weeks. I look forward to chatting with everyone soon ! Robin. My BMI is 34.1 on a bad day. I know its not SUPER SUPER high, but its way too high for me. I suffer from bulemia nervousa and I feel that this is going to be the remedy to kick it. My doctor is super supportive of my decision as he knows how hard I have tried to change my lifestyle and battle with weight gain and loss. I see my dietitian (NOT a nutritionist) next month. I am very excited to get some extra information and a pre-op diet ready for August. As well as a diet plan for post op. I have been doing alot of research on post bariatric Vitamins and not sure with brands, online vs. a health food store. So much information out there.

Please forgive my comparisons to war or combat. I mean in no way, shape, or form to dishonor the real warfare that our brave military members combat for real. Their real world actions provide the freedoms that I have enjoyed my whole life. It is the overanjoyment of these freedoms where I have failed. I live in a military town and am surrounded by returning vets. I see them in my PT sessions....and I see them in public and I work with them in the civilian world. I respect and honor them deeply. I have learned much from them. Please know this. My use of the terms war and fighting on simply how I feel on a personal level. At war and fighting with my internal, self generated enemies that I've let me not exert the control of the calorie war throughout my life. Most of us have had a few runs at losing on our own and had some serious success. I've done so....huge amount off.....then let it creep back on. ARGHHHGHHGHH !!!! The battles and skirmishes I've been through with my weight have not been tossed aside as failures, though. When I've gone back recently and relived those times....really thought about them......I've gained some insight into where things went well.....and why the weight loss stalled and returned. This new weapon, the bypass, though.....will help sustain the loss.....stay on the horse...and keep riding hard towards whatever BMI my body seems to level out at. I don't know of point, since birth, where I've been in line with my exact numbers on the "standard height & weight chart". Not one day. Big baby at birth, big kid.....hyooooge adult. :fofl: The really cool thing is that with this surgery and sticking with the new way of living.........I can see a point where I may be much closer to the "old standard chert numbers". Here's what I really take comfort from. This is knowledge and insight I gained from once losing over 100lbs on my own just a few years back. Even though it was short lived in terms of staying at that low weight...here it it is: My ability to loose the weight at my current state is limited due to physical limitations that limit exercise....thus I'm only able to exert control over one side of the "calorie equation" = on the calories consumed side. I struggle when this is the only side of the equation I can work on. It's almost like being in the boxing ring with one hand tied behind my back. As I loose weight, I am confident that my physical limitations will improve. Currently it's a back injury that has required 6 cycles of steriods, muscle relaxers and pain meds.....for the last 3 months. On the last day of the current steroid prescription today. Scared, too, as the next day or two are when the symptoms have often returned. The Fluid gain and weight gain from the use of these steroids has been unwanted.....but the relief necessary to be able to attend my job duties. I know that significant weight loss will ease the strains on my back and lead to healing. I know that the knees that are in need of knee replacements will be eased up, too. As I loose weight, I will become more and more mobile. Increased mobility will allow steady use of treadmill....controlled safe soft walking surface. I'll be able to walk so much further on my job every day, too. This activity will give me both hands to fight with while in the proverbial boxing ring. I'll be better able to work both sides of the calorie equation.....consumption AND burning them. This, my friends, will lead to much faster weight loss that will FEEL great. This is the state I want to be in over the time remaining before my surgery. This time is unclear as my first NUT appointment is over a week away. This is the what starts my 6 month timeline to surgery as I understand it. I've got a lot of headroom in my BMI to burn off on my own prior to 6 months. i am really looking forward to the first NUT appointment and getting a better gameplan from them. I'm hoping for a more specific gameplan to follow. Less freelance work on my own...but a factual & actual battle plan to follow. Good news is that I'm taking tomorrow and Thursday as vacation days. Tomorrow is my first appointment with my bypass / umbilical hernia surgeon. Thursday is the next appointment with my spine surgeon. There are a number of things I'll be hoping to gain from them but of primary concern is finding a way to get leverage over my mobility and off the meds that I'm needing for the back. *Is there an epidural injection process that I can get for my back to ease things off so I can get off the meds and mobile as I burn off weight during the next 6 months leading up to surgery? *Is there some type of hernia girdle or wrap that I can wear on workdays to keep this hernia from protruding from my umbilical area? This will help keep my core supported which will have to benefit my back, too. Ideas, insight and questions you think I should be asking my doctors: * * Gotta run and get ready for a 14 hr shift.......but will be checking back in later tonight. Poking around this forum and seeing the progress of the members here is something that I take great comfort and confidence from. I can't wait to get the very best results I can over the next 6 months......get this hernia repaired in the same procedure as the bypass.......and then recover.......but while recovering from the hernia (been through this twice before).....I'll be losing weight bigtime.....not simply laid up for a few weeks trying to just heal a hernia repair. As I recover from the hernia.....and the weight loss continues.......return to the job.......gain more and more mobility.......I'll be walking so much more than I can even conceive of. The future calories that I'll burn over a daily basis will be unreal. The bypass will be a huge tool on the consumption side of the equation. I can look at the old height & weight chart and now say....,"Hmmmmmnnnn"......who knows. At 46, I can easily see weighing what I did when I was 21. I've seen my beautiful younger sister go through all this 15 years ago with her bypass. She's been at her "standard chart numbers" for the past 12-13 years and is fit and trim as anyone I've ever known. She's amazing and has and will be a tremendous source of encouragement. Have a great day, folks. Let's do this thing !!!!!!!!

I had "stomach stapling" in the early '80's and after getting to my goal of losing 100 lbs. I gained all of it back over the past 15 years. I'm thinking of a bypass but wonder if anyone has the same story as I and what the result was. Thanks

Keep your head up. Never know it could be water weight gain. Also maybe their scales are different that your wls office too. All 3 of my Drs say I weigh a different amount