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Just asking, but have you two had your thyroid levels checked recently? An underactive (hypothyroidism) thyroid often presents itself like you're describing. I've had it since 1995. Other symptoms include (not everyone, but these are typical) hair loss, weight gain (!!!!!), feeling cold. I've had all of them, and when my medication is not quite right, or the thyroid gets a little worse (stops functioning to the level it previously was), these symptoms creep back into the picture. In fact just 2 days ago, my dietician told me my thyroid number was down again (this time from too strong medication). I have less energy, and I'm sure my hair loss is not just from the weight loss(!). So back to changing the meds again. The medication (Synthroid or generic equivalent) works great, at the right dosage - just a tiny pill every morning. Feel better soon....

Thank you all for great suggestions, reminders and a few firm kicks in the butt. Much needed! I am so glad to be a part of this wonderful support group! Combining all the suggestions and applying my logical Project Manager mind to it, I jotted down the sequence of events that led to this sudden onset of insanity. I just came back from, staying away from home for 4 weeks, 2 big family weddings and said no to almost ALL the food while I was there. I am proud of that! Being human, I think I had said "No" enough times in the last few weeks. My brain was rebelling! A few weeks outside my environment with EVERYONE pushing rich, yummy food at me was not easy! And I could not get my exercise. Exercise and the resulting soreness keeps me motivated and happy. Slipping into old habits is easy when the guard is down. I guess I was tired of saying NO! So, last evening, I gave myself this pep talk in front of the mirror (felt a little silly but how cares?) Pep talk begin: In the last week, I started to slip a little. Started testing the waters. NOT GOOD!! I over-indulge, weigh myself daily and find out that I had not gained. So, what do I do? Keep repeating the behavior thinking I am invincible! Until the weight gain actually occurs? Who am I kidding? I know it will come and come quickly, without the warning. The habits will be back before I can say “habit”. I cannot go back to thinking that I can fix it without taking drastic action! I WILL NOT be able to just stop eating!! When has that ever worked in the past? Create a plan. Revise it! Pep talk end. So, I created a plan. Organized the house. Threw away the Snacks. Passed a hard test: A boy from the neighborhood brought a cheesecake my husband had ordered from him while I was out. I threw it in the back of the freezer right away! I went to the gym this morning. I tried on my size 6 clothes and let myself feel the wonderful feeling. I drank 120 oz of Water and am chugging away today! I looked at my before and after pictures and I tried to remember all the wonderful compliments and attention I got at the weddings! Here is what I learnt from this small slip up: - I will not be cured! I am an addict and always need to have a plan. - Desperate times call for desperate measures! Get help quickly! Do not think you can do it by having the same thinking that you had before the surgery. Your tummy was cut, not your brain! It stills thinks the same way! - I did not have this big surgery to fail. I will adjust my habits and create as many plans I have to and be successful! For those here that posted about going through the same thing, create a list of things you can make better today and then act on it. DON'T WAIT! Thank you all!

I also think the surgeons who perform these surgeries need to catch up to obesity research, in many cases. Most, if not all, bariatric surgeons were general surgeons at one point who jumped on the bariatric bandwagon when insurance started paying for these procedures. I'm not sure what extra training they received but I think many of them are undereducated on the factors that result in obesity as well as realistic weight loss goals and weight gain after surgery. Obesity is a disease but is not treated as such by many in the medical profession and certainly not by the media or public. Blame the victim.

I think it will take normalizing the surgical process to do that. I didn't have anything remotely like what the OP has in her procure. Both at the seminar and during my meetings with nutritionist & psychologist they talked about emotional eating. Part of what they share in the support groups almost always deals with the external factors that play into weight gain.

Hello.... Newbie here. I just found this forum and was glad to see some responses that answered some of my questions from other sleevers. My scary issue is that I don't feel full?!! I had my sleeve performed on 3/2/15. My original Weight was 249, pre op 239 and now currently at 225. I'm not complaining about my weight loss as I think this is awesome!!! My concern is that I don't feel full. I am on my 3rd week of full liquids and when I drink my fluids and can't tell when to stop. Obviously I follow the measurements but my concern is that this was the reason of my weight gain. I keep eating!!! Am I doing this wrong, how do you know when to stop?

Hi All September will see my 5 year sleeve surgiversary, and I am battling old demons. I was 4lb from goal weight and two years out when I fell pregnant, and used that as an excuse to to eat like an idiot and I gained 3 stone. I managed to lose just over 2 stone of that within a year of having my daughter. However I have been hovering at 11 stone (my goal is 10 st 4) for almost a year now, and I have gotten into some bad grazing habits which I don't seem able to kick. I also worry that my capacity is more than I am comfortable with. I find myelf at a point where I could very easily start to gain weight again, and the thought terrifies me. I am running 10 miles a week which helps stop the grazing from causing weight gain, but when I fell ill and couldnt run I noticed how quickly my clothes felt tight... Basically I need to regain control, and I dont know where to start! I have read about the 5 day pouch test but worry that might be more for bypass patients, and I might be too far out from surgery for it to work anyway? I know I should do more Protein, more Water, less carby Snacks... But I just can't seem to do it! If I have a Protein shake for Breakfast I am hungry again by 9am. And I comfort eat too and am starting to have bulimia thoughts which was an issue when I was a teenager ???? Any advice would be gratefully appreciated. I really need some help.

119 this morning. I better take a look at my intake and make adjustments if I'm going to make goal. (But I'm not changing my ticker until I weigh that amount twice in a row - usually weight gain goes away after a day or two.)

@@deb1327 .. Hi Deb, I have medicare and they require 3months following a diet your surgeon sets up for you with NO WEIGHT GAIN.. and I mean NONE.. not an ounce. I am 5'1, weigh 210 and they qualified me. So, good luck.

It's been 6 months and I've lost over 30 lbs. I was only required to lose 18 and my surgery probably won't be until May. I hope I'm still losing as weight gain might be a deal breaker for them. I'm trying.

I'm on my second band, so my advice would be to go with either the sleeve or the bypass. I was actually successful with my first band, too, lost 90 pounds and achieved a normal BMI (around 23). The problem was that in order to do it, I had to have quite a bit of restriction, which meant that although I was unable to eat the things that got me fat (carb addict), I also couldn't eat a lot of foods that were actually good for me. Fresh fruits, fresh veggies, lean meats? Nope, stuck 75%+ of the time, sliming and regurgitation. I lived with it until the good didn't outweigh the issues anymore. I was having to literally sleep sitting upright because of the acid reflux, and even then I was still waking up choking because I'd inhale acid. My chest and throat hurt constantly. I finally had to go in for an emergency unfill, which of course then lead to weight gain because I'd never learned how to eat a properly balanced meal, just the stuff that would go down. Several months after being unfilled, I moved across country, and wasn't able to find a new surgeon for a while. When I did, the first thing he did was do a fluoroscopy, which revealed that I'd had a massive slip. Even mostly unfilled, there was only a space about the size of a pencil eraser for food to pass through. I had to have my band replaced. I wanted to revise at that point, but even though I'd gained quite a bit of weight, I no longer fit the requirements for conversion to another surgery. Ironically, if I'd NOT been successful with the first band, I would have been able to convert, but since I was initially successful, I didn't have two straight years of 35+ BMI anymore. With the new band, I've never been able to reach "the sweet spot." It's either too loose or too tight, and usually both in the same day (too tight in the morning to eat anything, but am an empty pit later in the day). I'm now hopefully able to be approved for a conversion, but I'm having to jump through hoops to do so. Yes, there are some oldies out there that still have their original bands, but they are getting fewer and farther between. I honestly don't understand why people would willingly subject themselves to the band anymore, when there's more than enough evidence at this point to show that it's not the best option anymore. There's a really high complication rate, you're almost guaranteed to need surgery again down the road (removal, repositioning, etc.), and the excess weight loss statistics aren't nearly as good as the sleeve or the bypass. You have to constantly worry about getting sick, food poisoning, etc., because vomiting can lead to a slip. To be honest, even though I'm looking into both the sleeve and the bypass, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the bypass. The band taught me that I shouldn't just blindly trust what the future outcomes are projected to be. When I was originally banded, it was being said that the band would have better long-term outcomes than the bypass, fewer severe complications, etc. Most of us know how that turned out. I don't trust projections anymore. And to be honest, after living with the severe acid reflux for so long with my first band, I'm really scared of the possibility of reflux with the sleeve.

Weight gain. I was 345lb day of surgery. Six months later was pregnant. Six months later had a baby girl. Abbey. She turns 8 march 29th. Then a year later had a son. Yes surgery for me was weight as well as the gift to a family. Now I am back up by 90pounds. Scared. Any thoughts.

Thought it was about time for an update! Long rant...Heads up! Completed ins requirements Dec 2014 & approved by ins the first week of January. Wooo hoooo! NOT! Surgeon changed hospitals so he is currently doing ZERO surgeries. My luck, right?! I waited and waited.. Now, 2.5 months after approval still no surgery. I went to another surgeon. Their office submitted all of my documents again under their name. Insurance cannot just change their info over to another DR.. They have to open an entirely new case. Its okay.. The first go around only took approx 3-4 days to get approved- cross your fingers that its the same this time too! In the mean time, I got started on buying Protein drinks. I tried some powder stuff. GROSS! I am sooooooo bad with textures of foods / drinks. I tried mixing it with greek yogurt. Nope. Gross. Tried super cold Water. Nope. Tastes like old milk-literally. Thats a sure way for me to lose weight though-- I will throw that crap up with a quickness. I did find Isopure through GNC. At our local store it was $5.50 per 20oz bottle (zero carbs, 40G protein) OR $40 a 12 pack. There are a few different flavors to choose from too. I poured half of the bottle into a water bottle and mixed it up. To me it tasted like kool-aid without sugar & super watered down. I can actually stomach it. I suggest trying a single bottle if you are afraid of spending $$ and not liking the product. I wasted $$ on powered stuff and I'm glad I found this Isopure stuff! Oh! I have also read a few posts lately about commodities (or lack of) and weight gain during supervised diet. Let me give you my advice as I should have listened to other people when they were telling me the same thing.. Every insurance is different. Call and speak to a rep from the insurance company. I found that sometimes they are very vague with requirements though. But your DR knows what will and will not work to get you approved (typically). My insurance normally denies people if they gain so much as 1/2 lb. HOWEVER, per somebody here's suggestion, I found a loop-hole. If your Dr documents a reason for a small gain you should be okay. For instance, I could not exercise at a normal rate for awhile due to my foot pain. Then my GYNO put me on the Depo Shot for my endometriosis. Gained weight then too. Documented. Then I had a hysterectomy and was out of commission for exercising all together. Documented. I gained 6lbs roughly during the 6 month period. Still approved.. But like I said I made sure the DR noted it all on the surgery paperwork. As far as commodities go... Some insurance companies have OTHER comorbs aside from sleep apnea, high bp, diabetes, high collest, etc. I fact, there could be as many as 30+ that could qualify you. I dont have ANY of those typical commodities. I was just pre-diabetic with a few other medical probs but not the typical that qualify for surgery. I only just recently ( after 1st ins approval ) was diagnosed with having edema. Aside from that, I am perfectly healthy for being so over weight. When I spoke to my ins company I specifically asked if those typical conditions were the ONLY ones they accepted and they said yes.. However, I did have those and still got approved. Anyway.................. Hope this has helped some of you!

Well, just touching base, I finally lost a full 100 pounds, My band still isn't tight, due to weather I haven't made it back to the Dr. Since Feb 8 I think, I'm doing fairly well, but I'm a little bummed mostly because without the band being tight enough I feel like I have been on a DIET for 10 months, and today I broke down and ate some of my sons Jango bars (blondies basically) Now this is the first really bad cheat I've done since November I am just getting a bit frustrated and since I am low carbing it, any time I indulge in something a little carbier (he he is that a word?) than usual there will be a weight gain sometimes as much as 4 lbs for one little cheat. I see my Dr. on the 23rd and because he reacted badly to my last cheat I don't know how honest I can be whenever it happens.

Hi, protein, protein, protein! Gets metabolism on track. Drink 1 cup of water(8oz) every 2hrs in between meals. I love greek yougurt. I eat 1/2 cup twice daily with one including a full fruit, apple, pear, dried cranberries, etc. this makes for a very large bowl full that you could even use a 1 full meal. Its filling and satisfying. For Breakfast I have whole grain bread 1 slice toasted with 1 tbl peanut butter spread on it and 1 full banana sliced into rounds on top. So good, and it looks like alot so its really satisfying. When I crave something sweet, I slice 1 full apple and dip it in 1 tbl peanut butter, Or. sprinkle the apple with cinnamon and honey or splenda and eat it in a bowl.................. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Also I love hot green tea (liptons) with 2 bags in cup with refill of boiling water added for 2 more cups, really fights the bloating feeling you can get with eating yougurt or gluten.(carbs,foods with flour). Hope this helps all! Its been 1month with me and I've been post op 7+ yrs with weight gain of 40lbs. I knew I was heading to stretching my little pouch to a point of NO Return. So I'am so glad to have bucked up with a diet change to feeling healthy and to loose that 40lb gain. Good luck to me and anyone who reads this for advice from a 7yr veteran of gastric bypass surgery.xxoo Sincerely yours, Sharowna

AS I type this post, I'm thinking about what kind of responses I'm hoping to get from the BP community. For me, accountability is everything. I'm open to hearing suggestions/feedback and also hoping to get some support from others to keep moving! I am 11 months out from gastric sleeve surgery and am still struggling to implement a consistent exercise routine. I wouldn't consider myself nonactive by any means. I have been hiking 6-12+ mile hikes since before surgery. Problem is there is NO consistency. I will go walking for 1-1.5 hours one day and then not walk or exercise for five days. I have really only "exercised" a handful of times since my surgery 11 months ago. I recently purchased a Fitbit last week and discovered that I am more active on a daily basis than I'm giving myself credit for. I typically walk 6,000 steps a day on what I would consider a "non-active" day. So I realized I'm possibly farther along in being active than others on here. SInce getting my fitbit a week ago, I have been walking a minimum of 10,000 steps a day/5 miles/20 stairs. (Why didn't I get one of these little buggers sooner?!?) I do feel I have payed the price by not prioritizing exercise since surgery. I wasn't always overweight, so I have a pretty good idea what my body "should" look like at a certain weight. At 5'7" tall, I reached my surgeon's goal of 160 several months ago. I am now down to 154 and would like to get to 140-145. I look in the mirror and my body composition is VERY different from it was when I used to weigh this amount. (Note: I weighed between 150-163 from ages 14 through 31.) I appear more "flabby." I keep wondering how this may have been different if I had exercised more during this process. I do have genetics on my side. I naturally have an athletic body type. I was a competitive athlete when I was a child/teen. Later on in my 20's and 30's I power walked every single day for an hour to keep my weight in check. Unfortunately exercise was one of things to go when my work/life balance got out of whack when I had children. Some history on me - I've never liked "formal" exercise. Gyms still scare me. Maybe it's the whole "I don't have 3 hours in my day to drive-workout-shower before work" excuse I have always used. Regardless, fast paced walking is an exercise I can do anywhere, doesn't require any equipment and (for now) most likely the exercise I will consistency stick with. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my new Fit bit as it is providing the accountability I need. SO what's the problem you may be asking? I have been gaining weight the last two weeks since implementing daily exercise. SInce surgery, I haven't had a problem with regain at all. Once I lose it, it rarely if ever fluctuates. SInce exercising I have GAINED 3 pounds. Intellectually, I "Get" what's going on. My body is adjusting to this new "curve" ball I've introduced. I may have to tweak my caloric intact. My body is also likely building muscle, which weighs more. Muscle burns more than fat, so long term having more muscle will make maintaining easier. I know intellectually I just need to keep plugging along and keep exercising! In a few short weeks I will experience a drop in weight, I will jump up and down and Celebrate. Right now, I need my BP pals to talk me off the ledge (Kidding, sort of ) Here's where I have to be honest though — and before I do, I want to say, DO NOT DO WHAT I DID. I noticed very early on after surgery that I would stall every time after I exercised. If I exercised, the scale wouldn't move. If I stopped exercising, the scale would move. There was so much focus on what the scale reported verses what my body looked like, that I stopped implementing a formal exercise routine all together. Old habits are hard to change and my old thinking right now is telling me to STOP exercising. Over the past year, there have been several times on the BP website I have read others talking about stalls and people commenting about how they exercised daily and wonder what their weight loss would be like if they didn't exercise. So many times I wanted to tell them to just stop exercising and they would lose weight! I wanted to type this.... yet I never did. You know why? Because I always knew exercise was key to long-term maintaince. I knew I may possibly be able to lose the weight without exercise, but it would be very difficult to maintain it without it. I also knew bodies with more muscle mass burn calories more easy. I knew I was screwed if I didn't eventually address this key issue that played a huge role in me neglecting this area of self-care. So here's what I need from my my BP buddies today. Encouragement that this 2-4 pound gain I have seen on the scale the past few weeks since implementing daily exercise is temporary and to hang in there. Seriously, I wish I could just stop obsessing over what that darn scale reports! I am in the home stretch here! I am less than 10 pounds away from my stretch goal of what I want to weigh. Problem is I want to look good NAKED. The only way that's going to happen is if I keep on moving!

I have the Nexplanon implant. I have not had children yet and my Dr said that Mirena is not recommended unless you have already had kids. I have had no weight gain with Nexplanon. It lasts for 3 years and it has also stopped my periods like the Depo shot used to. It is about the size of a match and gets implanted in the inside upper arm (near the bicep). My arm looked bruised for a week after insertion but it didn't hurt. Insertion was uncomfortable but if you have had a tattoo you can handle the pain. Now they say that it can be less effective in Obese women...but I've found it to be very effective.

It does have to do in part with your body adjusting and catching up. As "generic" as that may sound it's human physiology and your DR should know that maybe he didn't feel like explaining the human body, I don't know. I've been in college for going on 8 years to learn it so I wouldn't have time to explain it all either . There can be a million reasons why someone has a "stall" even when they are doing everything right. Just one example:Water weight can affect your total weight anywhere from 1-5 pounds and sometimes even more. It is important to understand what kinds of dietary factors can make these Fluid shifts happen. To start, many of the high Protein, low carbohydrate diets can cause a dramatic shift in your water weight. This is because as you cut back carbohydrate intake, your body starts breaking down the stored carbohydrates (glycogen) to use as energy and this breakdown causes the body to excrete large amounts of water. Once the body begins to use stored fat for energy, weight loss slows. This is the reason why most people lose a significant amount of weight right away on a low carb, high protein diet. (Which many of us do) When a person following a low carb plan eats a carbohydrate-rich food they can easily gain 1-3 pounds. However, this weight gain can be misleading because it is usually your body replenishing the fluid it lost and not gained fat. This 3 pound fluctuation becomes frustrating for many people and they end up yo-yoing back and forth with fluid weight thinking that it must be the half cup of rice they had the night before that caused them to gain that 3 pounds when in fact eating the rice just allowed them to regain some of the fluid they had lost from following a strict low carb plan. The fact is, carbohydrates do not affect your weight quite that simply. Excess carbohydrates can strongly stimulate insulin production, which may promote fat storage and increases appetite. This kind of weight gain will happen gradually, not dramatically overnight. Sodium is another dietary component that can lead to fluid gain. Sodium can cause the body to retain fluid, leading to these frustrating daily weight fluctuations. Some people are more sensitive to sodium than others.....blah blah blah. Now, see why it's easier for people to just call it a "stall" especially if they aren't medical experts or understand how the body works? That's just a few examples (still all body adjustments). Take it for what it's worth call it what you will the majority of people would just call it a stall....or AKA the part of the weigh loss journey that "sucks"

​I won't be generic comments....so I will say this.....Your body can be referred to as a city. If one thing breaks down or changes it causes the whole city to turn into ciaos. So if he thinks that it is possible for you to lose 11 lbs. every week, something in your city is going to shut down to protect itself from keeping things running smoothly. It is impossible to lose that much weight every week. It is recommended that to keep weight off we should lose between 1.5 to 2.5 lbs a week. To keep things balanced. Our bodies go into a kind of shock when we dramatically change it and weight gain or loss can bring that on. This is due to the surgery and the honeymoon period. But it won't last forever. Depending on how much we have to lose each one of us lose at a rate our own bodies see fit. If you stay on course you will lose the weight.... Call it a stall, plateaue or body at rest. But we need that to keep healthy. Going into starvation mode which will eventually give you the chance for your body to eat its self is a prelude to much worse things or conditions such as Anorexia..... Is it his thing to have all the star losers on his watch or is he just being a dick head....It does not even make sense that he should say that.......what a dipwad thing to say!

Think about it: Don’t you have a recipe for success? How about a recipe for the perfect day? …A recipe for family fun? …A recipe for a natural spot remover? …A recipe for composting? What the…composting?! Remember, the Post-Op is from Southern California, where recycling is the law. Well – you may or may not be into recycling, but we’re pretty sure you’re into living fully. If you really want to live fully during and after the process of weight loss, then the RECIPE FOR RECOVERY is something you need! Over the course of the year, we are looking at ways you can combine the ingredients for the recipe (AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE, COMMITMENT, ATTITUDE, ACCOUNTABILITY, and EFFORT) to create your very own, personal, healthy life in RECOVERY – from…whatever (obesity, unhealthy relationships, habits, and behaviors)! In last month’s article (Six Simple Ingredients to Get the Weight Off and Keep it Off) we introduced you to each of the ingredients in the RECIPE, and briefly discussed the how each is required to live fully in Recovery From Obesity. This month is all about the “essential” ingredient: AWARENESS. We refer to awareness as being “essential” because you have to become aware of problems (food and non-food related) needing attention in order to work on them…which can be tricky… After all, some things we are aware of and some things we might not be… AWARENESS of things we don’t like A food-related example: eating simple carbs usually results in weight gain [*]AWARENESS of things we may be powerless to stop A food-related example: what other people serve in their homes when we’re invited to a large dinner party A non-food-related example: how others react to our weight loss [*]AWARENESS of things that are scary A food-related example: knowing that many holidays mean tempting foods will be prevalent in the media, at work, etc. A non-food-related example: experiencing the feelings that accompany significant weight loss [*]AWARENESS of things that seem overwhelming A food-related example: avoiding unhealthy “treats” in the work break room A non-food-related example: beginning and maintaining a regular exercise program Fortunately, the RECIPE FOR RECOVERY is perfect for addressing all of those “things” – you know, those thoughts, feelings and behaviors that can distract us from making healthy changes in our lives. That’s precisely why we are presenting the recipe for you to follow! Note: We are deliberately using the verb phrase “to follow” in relation to the Recipe for Recovery because the success of the recipe in creating what it is intended to create requires your ACTION. In this case, the recipe is intended to help you create a healthy life that allows you to live fully at a healthy weight. Just how much “action” is required depends on what you say you want for your life! For example, You decide how much and what type of exercise you’ll do, depending on how physically fit you want to be. You decide how much and what type of food you’ll eat each day to manage the healthy weight you desire. You decide who you associate with and how much time you spend with those people to live as healthy an emotional life as you want to live. You get it! So, we’re clear that AWARENESS is the essential ingredient in the Recipe for Recovery because, well… nothing can be changed if you’re not AWARE that it needs to be changed. If you’re not aware that starches have little nutritional value, then you won’t reduce the number of starches you eat so you can maintain a healthy weight. If you aren’t aware that you have a habit of talking negatively about yourself and/or others, you can’t change it. If someone brings that negative habit to your attention, then you can make a decision about the type of person you want to be and put forth the effort and action needed to make those changes! Awareness IS the first step and the essential ingredient for change. AWARENESS without ACTION, however, is like a treadmill with a bunch of clothes hanging on it – you’re aware that the treadmill is there, but you aren’t using it. We are providing you with the ingredients to include awareness, but it’s up to you to put them into action. We know that being aware of things can be difficult and uncomfortable. This may be the reason so many people focus so much time and energy being aware of things in others rather than focusing on their own problematic behaviors! How often do we know what others must do to change? How much time to do we spend telling others how to fix their problems? We are aware that the neighbors need to mow and water their lawn, but happily ignore our own weeds! Hmm, that might be why one of the main tenets in the 12-Step Recovery world is: Sweep your own side of the street (mind your own business). If you’re more worried about what others are doing wrong, the first step is to become aware of your own “stuff.” To do that, turn those binoculars you’ve pointed at the neighbors directly around and look at yourself. You know, like the “selfie” button on your camera phone…uh, but this time, you don’t have to post your “self-examination” on Facebook! How do you begin to USE the essential ingredient, awareness? Well, if you’ve decided that you want to live fully in Recovery and want to follow the Recipe, we suggest you start by paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors – especially when you eat. Start writing down the circumstances surrounding your eating and see if you spot trends. Remember to focus on yourself and what you need to do to live fully. Let others follow the recipe for themselves! Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll be posting some questions on our Facebook wall to help you identify areas of your life that will benefit from healthy change, so be sure to check in regularly to A Post-Op & A Doc on Facebook. And join us on March 18th for our March APODCast, which will be all about AWARENESS. Be sure to RSVP…it’s totally free (http://www.spreecast.com/events/apodcast-awareness-essential-ingredient)!

It’s not about the food, but it’s all about the food. Wait a minute -- if it’s not about the food, then why do we (the Post-Op & the Doc) keep talking about the RECIPE for Recovery? Don’t recipes involve food? Not always… Think about it: Don’t you have a recipe for success? How about a recipe for the perfect day? …A recipe for family fun? …A recipe for a natural spot remover? …A recipe for composting? What the…composting?! Remember, the Post-Op is from Southern California, where recycling is the law. Well – you may or may not be into recycling, but we’re pretty sure you’re into living fully. If you really want to live fully during and after the process of weight loss, then the RECIPE FOR RECOVERY is something you need! Over the course of the year, we are looking at ways you can combine the ingredients for the recipe (AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE, COMMITMENT, ATTITUDE, ACCOUNTABILITY, and EFFORT) to create your very own, personal, healthy life in RECOVERY – from…whatever (obesity, unhealthy relationships, habits, and behaviors)! In last month’s article (Six Simple Ingredients to Get the Weight Off and Keep it Off) we introduced you to each of the ingredients in the RECIPE, and briefly discussed the how each is required to live fully in Recovery From Obesity. This month is all about the “essential” ingredient: AWARENESS. We refer to awareness as being “essential” because you have to become aware of problems (food and non-food related) needing attention in order to work on them…which can be tricky… After all, some things we are aware of and some things we might not be… AWARENESS of things we don’t like A food-related example: eating simple carbs usually results in weight gain [*]AWARENESS of things we may be powerless to stop A food-related example: what other people serve in their homes when we’re invited to a large dinner party A non-food-related example: how others react to our weight loss [*]AWARENESS of things that are scary A food-related example: knowing that many holidays mean tempting foods will be prevalent in the media, at work, etc. A non-food-related example: experiencing the feelings that accompany significant weight loss [*]AWARENESS of things that seem overwhelming A food-related example: avoiding unhealthy “treats” in the work break room A non-food-related example: beginning and maintaining a regular exercise program Fortunately, the RECIPE FOR RECOVERY is perfect for addressing all of those “things” – you know, those thoughts, feelings and behaviors that can distract us from making healthy changes in our lives. That’s precisely why we are presenting the recipe for you to follow! Note: We are deliberately using the verb phrase “to follow” in relation to the Recipe for Recovery because the success of the recipe in creating what it is intended to create requires your ACTION. In this case, the recipe is intended to help you create a healthy life that allows you to live fully at a healthy weight. Just how much “action” is required depends on what you say you want for your life! For example, You decide how much and what type of exercise you’ll do, depending on how physically fit you want to be. You decide how much and what type of food you’ll eat each day to manage the healthy weight you desire. You decide who you associate with and how much time you spend with those people to live as healthy an emotional life as you want to live. You get it! So, we’re clear that AWARENESS is the essential ingredient in the Recipe for Recovery because, well… nothing can be changed if you’re not AWARE that it needs to be changed. If you’re not aware that starches have little nutritional value, then you won’t reduce the number of starches you eat so you can maintain a healthy weight. If you aren’t aware that you have a habit of talking negatively about yourself and/or others, you can’t change it. If someone brings that negative habit to your attention, then you can make a decision about the type of person you want to be and put forth the effort and action needed to make those changes! Awareness IS the first step and the essential ingredient for change. AWARENESS without ACTION, however, is like a treadmill with a bunch of clothes hanging on it – you’re aware that the treadmill is there, but you aren’t using it. We are providing you with the ingredients to include awareness, but it’s up to you to put them into action. We know that being aware of things can be difficult and uncomfortable. This may be the reason so many people focus so much time and energy being aware of things in others rather than focusing on their own problematic behaviors! How often do we know what others must do to change? How much time to do we spend telling others how to fix their problems? We are aware that the neighbors need to mow and water their lawn, but happily ignore our own weeds! Hmm, that might be why one of the main tenets in the 12-Step Recovery world is: Sweep your own side of the street (mind your own business). If you’re more worried about what others are doing wrong, the first step is to become aware of your own “stuff.” To do that, turn those binoculars you’ve pointed at the neighbors directly around and look at yourself. You know, like the “selfie” button on your camera phone…uh, but this time, you don’t have to post your “self-examination” on Facebook! How do you begin to USE the essential ingredient, awareness? Well, if you’ve decided that you want to live fully in Recovery and want to follow the Recipe, we suggest you start by paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors – especially when you eat. Start writing down the circumstances surrounding your eating and see if you spot trends. Remember to focus on yourself and what you need to do to live fully. Let others follow the recipe for themselves! Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll be posting some questions on our Facebook wall to help you identify areas of your life that will benefit from healthy change, so be sure to check in regularly to A Post-Op & A Doc on Facebook. And join us on March 18th for our March APODCast, which will be all about AWARENESS. Be sure to RSVP…it’s totally free (http://www.spreecast.com/events/apodcast-awareness-essential-ingredient)!

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.

For those that say they can eat what they want when they want (with bypass) is it without getting sick? I ask because I'm trying to decide on which surgery and the my reason for leaning toward bypass is because I don't want to worry about regain in the future. I want to not be able to eat anything HOWEVER I do not want to feel sick or weak all the time. I would also like to eat certain foods from time to time in very small portion if I choose to. Do you feel your weight gain is from no reaction to certain foods when you eat or have you just learned to eat through the "pain"?

Worried surgery was 2/16 lost 26 lbs the first 2 weeks then stall went to the nut and she was mad that I only lost 2 more lbs total 28 lbs now I'm 3.5 weeks and gaining weight! What is going on? Gained 3 lbs! Trying very hard the last week to get more protein in is that causing the weight gain?

I have had 22 surgeries to date, thus LOTS of incisions. And lots and lots (thousands) of stitches.... One thing I have noticed is that not all wounds heal the same. I have had 3 surgeries through my belly button, and NOT the sleeve (too much scar tissue). I have had holes develop, and I think the reason is the scarring pushing up from underneath makes it look like the "hole" is getting larger, when in fact it is actually healing from underneath. Scar tissue is thicker, denser material than the tissue that was originally there, so misshapen formation is not uncommon, and eventually the scar will smooth out with a little ridging over the area where the scalpel was used. The skin on the body is not necessarily the same in one area that is is in another area. Skin that has been stretched from weight gain will not be of the same thickness necessarily as skin in an area the hasn't been stretched so much. So it seems reasonable that scarring will heal differently and may even look different on different parts of body. One thing to look for as a danger sign would be draining. Redness is common, to a degree, because the skin is angry it has been disrupted and it is in pain. Now it has to heal, and it wasn't planning on that! Just keep an eye on it, it will be painful for awhile, it is a deep scar. Always contact your Dr.s, even if they say the same thing over and over again, if you have concerns - it's what you've paid them for! Good luck to you, And keep us informed!

No problem anytime specially when I can relate so closely to you. I can't really tell you if i gained weight because of the depo cause there were so many factors that could've contributed to my weight gain so i can't say it was the depo or the pcos or bad eating habits. Ehat i can say is that the weight gain was probably a combination of many many things. I to want to have a family as I'm 30 and haven't had children and yes i too was told that it will be easier to conceive after surgery but not safe for either of us so soon. And i was also told that we can't use birth control pills anymore after bypass as we wont absorb them properly so they won't work. Hope everything works out for you and things start to clear up. Get a blood pregnancy test just to be 100 % sure