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Bobby you are correct in your statement. The misconception that surgery is the easy way out for obesity is worldwide. I noticed that even some in my family have discounted my success because they assume it has been easy. I too had been on every weight loss program and gimmick on the market. if I had all the money I have spent on those things I would be extremely wealthy. In reference to the Big Fat Happy girl , Whitney, she knows she is obese and has tried to accept it but is actually trying to lose weight. I give her credit for dancing and trying to keep moving. I am not sure what her diet is like they do not show her eating so I wouldn't judge her. I do believe there are medical issues that cause weight gain. I went through menopause and hormone therapy in my late 40's and put on about 50 lbs in the process. But I still believe that limiting your intake and choosing healthier foods will get you where you need to be. this is the first time since I started trying to lose weight that I have been able to maintain . I am happy that I made the right decision for me. My health has improved drastically and I am enjoying life much more. We would all like that "pill" but I know from experience with pills that they don't work long term and do damage to your health.

Cowgirl, sorry about your knee. My knee spurs have not been too bad for a while... but I know its just one too many spins away... I really have to watch it. The Tylonol and ice pac really helps when it does flair. I wondered if anyone had read that 5:2 hunger link... I think its valuable info too. After so many failed "diet" experiences, shame and lower self worth have gotten me down too... and knowing that the weight gain problem is not just me failing. Being a (non)loser. Bests of luck to you, let us know how the 4:3 works for you.

Thanks for writing this ladies. In many ways its similar you your stories. In a nut shell: 1 year. slow but steady with a butt load of stalls thrown in for good measure. did not quite get to goal. 2 year. Get to within 5 pounds of goal, then lost my way and gained to 22 pounds above goal. HUGE sad face! I took my eye off the ball... I started acting "normal" (eating without being accountable) I had a big eating vacation, to NOLA, I had an injury that kept me down for a few months, I had my mom in law visit for 10 weeks with happy hour every single day. 3 year. Tried several methods to get the 22 pounds off and reach goal. Georgia turned me onto the 5:2, and I managed to get to goal in year 3. Took up birdwatching, walking, kayaking and continued bellydancing... loving a more active lifestyle. Really enjoying dressing up. Half way through year 3, mom got sick, and a pile of not so nice things moved into my life, job, home, relationships, sick and old dear dog.. then mom died. I fell back off the wagon, and just hung on the best I could. My weight started going up again.... and emotional eating and the holidays collided. I finally managed to get the weight gain to slow down and stop.. I started getting the good habits back on track... put my fitbit back on, started using myfitnesspal every day, every meal, every bite.... and started fasting two days a week again regularly. Still a few things I could tighten up... but not to bad. Unfortunately, the behavior that got me through the last push goal do not seem to be working the same way they did the first time.. but I am only 7 pounds from the high end of my goal range, so really thats not TOO bad all in all. My skinny jeans are tight. My cholesterol is up. My Dr says lose the weight, but its going really slow. I know stalls all too well and its not putting me off my task, but its a chore. I consider myself a success. Peoples eyes still bug out when they see me... even after 4 years. I hope I can go the rest of my life this close to goal... I really don't know how easy that will be. If it gets much harder than it is now, I don't know if I can pull it off, but so far so good (without saying it was easy) I just had my 4 year surgeversary on Jan 19th 2015.

Hi ladies! I agree that the refreshed mindset is important - I found myself stymied at my wight gain over the past few months...well I put the sleeve to the test and sure enough, just like everyone tells you - you will gain your weight back if you don't eat within the nutrition guidelines set out. Last year was ridiculous with the stress - and I think I let the hopelessness over issues I could not control at work spill over into my personal life in terms of identity and taking good care of myself. I am one that tends to isolate, hibernate, and eat to soothe - and that is just what I did. At least now, I seem to be able to get back on the horse much more quickly. Much of what has helped is the accounting taken along the way - journaling daily food intake and exercise, more personal journaling about the journey and happiness that had come from shedding so much weight, the pride that came from success. I am still working on reaching out and being part of a community - like with this group here. I mentioned it before on this board - I felt and still feel a lot of shame over back-sliding and gaining weight back. But the reality is that it looks like most of us who have the surgery have the same experience - I am not sure if I have read updates from any member who has not had a little or large weight gain bounce up after that first year or two. I saw 190 on the scale for a moment in December - like my lowest ticker weight I also saw only once - so I am calling those numbers the non-stickers lol. The weight on the scale this morning was 183.6 - and I have set a very doable goal of 4 lbs a month for the entire year until I hit that damned healthy BMI that for me lives at and under 140 lbs. Gonna do my best to stay positive and keep at it! I was really inspired by the 5:2 thread about hunger that I think it was Kim who posted - it looks like a lot of the ladies on that thread did 4:3 to lose and 5:2 to maintain - I was thinking of trying the same thing. I was having a great fast day on monday until late I was under 500 and then hubby shared a low carb tortilla with turkey with me - I suppose it could be worse - I will take being 7 down of the 27 bounce up I seem to be able to do okay with around 600 cals - 500 and under can be rough - how do you guys do it and what do you eat? Florinda - I looked at a lot of Amazon gigs as well went I resigned from my last gig. Decided against it after reading a few of the job descriptions - a few of which seemed to rival my masters thesis in wordiness lol. Want simple and happy and kind the older I get. Peace to all who are struggling. Keep up the good fight.

That's my biggest fear! I'm one week postop and I discussed this with my surgeon after surgery. He stated that after a year or two it's common and normal to see weight gain. Some of the reasons are: relaxed exercise regimen after losing the weight and stretching of the pouch by overeating. His advice was if weight gain occurs, pump up your exercise regimen, make sure your getting enough protein, vitamins and sleep and lastly, as already suggested go back to the post op diet for a week. Good luck!

The Doc: “What made you decide to have Weight Loss Surgery at this particular time in your life?” I ask every patient I see for a pre-surgical psychological evaluation. The responses to this question nearly always revolve around health. “I want to get off so many medications.” “I need to get rid of this diabetes.” “I want to be healthy enough to see my children/grandkids grow up.” “I want to be able to do things I can’t now because of my weight.” “I want to be healthy enough to walk/go places with my family/ride amusement park rides/not have to use a seat belt extender on an airplane.” The vast majority of the time, when people make the decision to have weight loss surgery, their health has become an issue that interferes in their quality of life. Sure, some people are interested in the benefits of being able to wear smaller clothing, many are interested in being less discriminated against, and most are enthusiastic about seeing the scale show a much lower number. It is safe, however, from my experience of having completed over 3000 pre-surgical evaluations, to summarize people’s reasons for wanting to have weight loss as being 1) seeking improved health and 2) seeking an improved quality of life. The Post Op: All I know is, by the time I dragged my size 30 behind into the doctor’s office to talk about getting the weight off, I was sick…and I was tired…and I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. It sounds trite, but it was true. My obesity was mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting, and every day represented weight gained and battles lost. At 320 pounds, I was Alice, and I’d been stuck down the rabbit hole of obesity and poor health for so long, I was willing to do anything to get out – yes, even take a swig from that bottle on the table with the “drink me” tag. In my mind, weight loss surgery was a magic potion and I was about to get really small. I didn’t know how it would feel when I got there, but I knew I’d be set free. I believed my life would get better and I’d be healthier if I could just get…smaller. The Doc: Fast-forward two years after surgery. The weight has melted off! The scale, of, course, never seems to reflect a low enough number. No matter – people are taking many fewer medications than they had to prior to surgery. And they are riding roller coasters and Ferris wheels and they are going on airplanes and not needing seatbelt extenders. They are going bike riding and hiking and playing with their children and grandkids like they have dreamed of doing. In other words, the majority of post-ops at around the two-year mark, do have improved health and do have a better quality of life. The Post Op: Losing large amounts of weight in a short period of time really messes with your head. One day, you’re buying double-digit stretchy pants and tops in the plus-size section, and the next, you’re venturing into the foreign world of single-digit labels on non-spandex jeans and fitted suits. Yesterday, you couldn’t find a single “before” photo but today you’ve got a thousand “after selfies” and attention from people you aren’t even sure you like. It’s exciting and new… and confusing… Somewhere along the way, you lost the plot, stopped focusing on your health and started focusing on your image. Like so many post-ops, you’ve learned that losing weight doesn’t guarantee happiness, hopefulness or health. So, with that said, can you refocus your focus and choose to live in Recovery From Obesity? What do you think, Doc? The Doc: It’s been really interesting observing the journey of post-ops, two of whom are my closest friends. After the initial weight loss and the joys of experiencing many of the NSV’s (non-scale victories, on the off chance you don’t know what NSV stands for, many people start whingeing (pronounced win – jing), a term the Post Op and I learned on our trip to work with bariatric folks in New Zealand. It means whining! “I don’t want to exercise.” “I’m tired of restricting myself.” “But sometimes I just need chocolate.” And then there’s the gossiping. “Have you seen so-and-so? She’s regained so much weight.” “Do you think I look smaller that that woman?” And, of course, there’s a continued? new? renewed? obsession with numbers! ““If I could only fit into a size smaller.” “Just ten more pounds and I would be satisfied. Really.” And what I actually find the saddest is the addiction to food… “I watch all of the shows on the Food Network.” “Look at the ‘bad’ food I ate… I posted it on Facebook!” My, how the focus changes! No longer do people seem to remember the reasons they had surgery… they appear to overlook the fact that their health is improved and the quality of their lives is vastly improved. All of a sudden the numbers on the scale, the size of the clothing and how they compare in size to other people are the focus. And maybe the saddest part from my perspective is that no matter how much weight they’ve lost, so many people are dissatisfied. They either want to lose more weight, hate their body just as much as before weight loss, or find some other thing(s) to focus on that were never mentioned as being important prior to surgery. The Post Op: I’ve seen this play out a thousand times, Doc, and it makes me so sad to realize that many people who desperately want to be free from the prison of obesity actually imprison themselves by the tyranny of numbers, the scale and their clothing size! As you sagely point out, far from living a life in Recovery, many post-ops lose sight of what they said matters most and focus on the food, the food and the food! You call it an unhealthy obsession – I call it addiction, but either way, it’s not the goal of life after weight loss surgery…at least, not in my book. What’s missing from the equation? The Doc: Where’s the gratitude? Somehow, the life-saving, life-enhancing weight loss surgery that was done to improve one’s health and improve their quality of life, and that DID exactly those things, often morphs into what we believe are simply manifestations of that same disease of obesity. Because, as Cari often points out, “obesity is all about the food but not at all about the food.” And she’s right! Obesity includes a mindset, an attitude, an obsessiveness on food, size, and weight. Perhaps most tragically, there is a self-defeating component that lives on when one becomes obsessed with their eating, their weight, their sizes and/or what others are eating, what others weigh and what size others are wearing. Again, I ask, “Where’s the gratitude?” The Post Op: In my case, genuine gratitude was a mystery. I mean, I’d spent a lifetime focusing on my compromised health, physical limitations, poor quality of life, disappointments, shame and failures. Clearly, going to the doctor wasn’t a reason to celebrate, because I believed I’d be “blamed” for my condition, then blithely be told to “move more and eat less.” And I know I’m not alone – I talk to many post-ops who share my misunderstanding about the power of gratitude and the importance of practicing it in everyday recovery. Of course, when the focus is on the negative, it doesn’t even occur to you to consider something positive! Maybe that’s why I view gratitude as the unsung gift of Recovery and work hard to work on it every day. The Doc: Maintaining what is commonly referred to as “an attitude of gratitude” can have a positive overall affect on your life. By focusing on the ways your health has improved, you feel pleased and grateful for the changes in your life, regardless of the weight your body has settled at. Focusing on the ways the quality of your life has improved after weight loss results in being grateful for being able to participate more actively and fully in your own life! Take the time and literally make a list of the things your weight loss has resulted in regarding your health and quality of your life. The Post Op: I get it. Lists are usually filled with work you have to accomplish before the day ends (things to do today), or before you die (bucket list), but they aren’t usually things you look at to feel good. I say it’s time to change that paradigm and start making lists of things you’ve already done (or, get to look forward to!) Your gratitude list doesn’t have to be a thing of literary genius (which means it doesn’t have to rhyme, be written in haiku or iambic pentameter, and doesn’t even have to include complete sentences!) Your list can include positive words, pictures, names of people you love – whatever – but it has to be a real list…so why not start now by considering some of the things The Doc mentioned? In case you’re wondering my list starts like this: 1. I’m eternally grateful for the opportunity to work with an amazing and compassionate friend to help others find the joy of Recovery From Obesity. How about you? ACTION STEP: Download a GRATITUDE APP (any one will do) for your smart phone and make a practice of typing in a minimum of three things each day that represent your improved health and/or the improvements in your quality of life. If you’re open to it, you will experience an overall improvement in your daily attitude.

I *love* my Mirena! After about 5 years of HEAVY periodic bleeding due to peri-menopause, finally found an OBGYN who didn't just pooh pooh my symptoms with "well, everyone's different, yes, things can get heavy or light, you just have to put up with it till it's over..." -- sorry for TMI, but weeks of passing major blood clots, being terrified to even stand up for fear of "flooding", always putting towels underneath me, etc -- ugh, don't want to remember all that -- but got the Mirena about 2 years ago and it literally changed my life - for the better! Don't know how/if it affected weight gain, but at least the **&&^^ bleeding STOPPED.

Weight Loss Plateau / Stall = Stalemate Written by: Brendaliz Roldán When we started the journey to lose weight, we measure our success or failure on a scale. Like everything usually happens at the beginning, we see happend we want fast and are happy until the scale no longer changes the way we want and that the questions begin ... Part of this process is the "weight loss plateau (WLP) or weight loss stall", what we know as stagnant weight. It is at this moment that we're frustrated, we doubt we surrender and not seeing the results you want on the scale. The first thing to do is understood to mean the WLP and understand their possible causes. According to Dr. Debra Fulghum "It's hard to imagine that for weeks in your weight loss program suddenly the scales do not give an ounce. The WLP during weight loss is normal. No matter how diligent be to follow a good diet, occasionally you'll fall off the wagon. The key to continue losing weight, experts say, is to acquire the skills and knowledge itself. This is what will allow you to recover after a relapse. " THE Dr. Troy Lamar, bariatric surgeon explains that "even if you're doing everything perfectly well, it is normal that you stop losing weight at some point. What is recommended when this happens, take note of what is consumed and ensure that their foods are low in fat, carbohydrates, sugar and high in protein and exercise mild to moderate. " According AWR (2011) weight can be represented by other things besides just fat. You may be losing fat, but that weight is being offset by the gain in weight otherwise. For example, weight loss and weight gain can occur as a result of: ü Grasaü Músculoü Aguaü Glycogen (explained below) ü Estreñimientoü All of the above There is a possibility that a pound of fat lost successfully has been compensated in the same period, it seems to have reached the WLP although some fat is lost. This is why it is a good idea to monitor your progress using more than your body weight (eg measurements, body fat percentage, pictures, mirrors, etc.) What causes WLP? The first thing to do is understand our body and understand that no two people are alike. We are all different and we all go through the process in a different way. Part of the process is to know your body! Body changes and Metabolism After some time they started losing weight, body composition changes, like nutritional needs. The metabolism tends to self-regulate and adjust to their new needs in a lower weight at this point is that it is more common than WLP (Riverside Surgical and Weight Loss Center, 2013) occurs. As you lose weight, it is estimated that 25% of lost body tissue is muscle since muscle is critical to keep the metabolism running, lose muscle mass and reduces the metabolic rate slows weight loss. Strength training can help strengthen the muscles and helps speed up metabolism. The theory is that the body adjusts naturally tries to keep the weight where you feel more comfortable, therefore, if you look at the same weight for a long time, you might have come to that comfort zone. Suffice it to add that you face a battle between what your body wants and what you want to achieve. It is possible that at this point need fewer calories and more physical activity to keep losing weight. This is one of the main reasons for the WLP, although there are other factors influencing such problems in the thyroid or adrenal gland, medicine, menopause, hormonal problems, anxiety, ect. Portion Control It is very likely that the WLP is because it has stopped carrying portion control and a decrease occurred in physical activity. Furthermore, it can affect whether high-calorie foods are consumed frequently. It is a reality that people drop their guard when an initial weight loss and it is perfectly natural. The important thing here is to understand that portion control is essential for weight loss. (WebMD, 2015). Glycogen Our bodies use energy storage glycogen short term. Glycogen is not very soluble, but is stored in the muscles for quick energy. Glycogen requires one pound of 4 pounds of water to keep it soluble, and the mean glycogen storage capacity is approximately 2 pounds. So when a bariatric patient is not getting enough food in the body, which consume is first converted to stored glycogen, which is easily broken for energy. Then when two pounds of glycogen are used the person will also lose 8 pounds of water, which were used to store two pounds of glycogen. There are the "easy" 10 pounds that most people lose in the first week of a diet. However, when the body remains in a state of calorie deficit, the body begins to realize that this is not a short-term problem. Then, the body begins to mobilize fat from adipose tissue and the burning of fat for energy. But the body also realizes that fat can not be used for short bursts of energy. Thus, the conversion of fat into glycogen and rebuilding glycogen starts. As put back the two pounds of muscle glycogen, 8 pounds of water must be stored with it to keep it soluble. Thus, although the patient still may be losing energy content in your body but the weight does not drop and may even gain weight as water retention dissolved glycogen that is reforming and stored (DS Facts, 2014). Note that: 1. the more you lose weight, the weight loss slows and 2. losing weight is harder when you are reaching the ideal weight as the body adjusts to the weight that is most comfortable. How can we leave the WLP? ü Keep a food diary : It is important to take daily meals, that way you can see your true eating habits, see if it is complying with the suggested servings, always remember to read the nutritional labels on the foods you eat. ü Consult a diet change: Ask your dietitian if you need a change in your diet to help the metabolism. Remember to focus on eating foods low in carbohydrates and high in protein and is essential to follow the recommendations suggested by your dietitian food. ü Consume 64 ounces of water a day. ü Exercise and start strength training. ü Get enough sleep and manage stress: Lack of sleep and anxiety is strongly linked to weight gain. Seek professional help and join a bariatric support group. ü Weigh yourself once a week: Weigh yourself every day can be counterproductive. Use other measures of progress. ü Most importantly :. Focus on the benefits already obtained with the weight you have lost Make a list of all the things you can do since losing weight, put a photo when I was overweight so you can recognize how far it has come to serve him motivation to continue (Ridgeview Medical Center, 2015). My motto: If others have been, I do not know why? If you can! Note: The shared information is obtained from various sources on the Internet, remember to always check first with your doctor, health professional and nutritionist.

Yes, my revision was done all in one surgery. My surgeon said it was the most common surgery she does. @@giugiu37 my insurance paid for the revision because when my band slipped I regained most of the weight I had lost, so I had to get it out either way and the weight gain showed that I would not be successful without restriction.

I guess I look at my overweight being that I was always more willing to take the easy route and that led me to more weight gain. Even at my thinnest, I was still looking for an easy way to cheat the system. My cheating and falling for the easy way led me to gaining even more weight over the years. I will be honest and tell you, I am also one who chose not to tell many people about my WLS. I chose only a few people I knew would hold me accountable as well as give me positive feedback on choices I make for my new life ahead of me. I have a very encouraging group of honest friends and family that I trust will not share my journey, as for the rest, I will not lie, I will tell them I have decided to make better food choices and exercise more! You are right! There are so many people that will snub their noses at you for the mere fact of thinking of having a WLS, but the way I look at it is "It's not taking the easy way out"! I once read a book with a terrific truth to those who say by having WLS you are just taking the easy route. NO, there is nothing easy about preperation for the surgery, having the surgery, nor life after the surgery. I can say there are times that because we eat less and have been encouraged to exercise more the weight will come off faster but there isn't anything easy about it. The book made a suggestive: When there is negative feedback, or derrogotory comments, remind those by asking; "Do you still go out back and beat your laundry with rocks to wash?" "Do you have still hand wash all your dishes?" "Do you still hang your clothes out to dry?" I am quite positive the answer to at least two of these questions is NO. Well, does that mean they took the easy route out? NO, they found a more efficeint way to wash clothes and dishes so they aren't slaves to chores, they found help. Well, we found a way to help us not be victim to food addiction with a little help! Honestly, I chose to weed out the negative people in my life. I do not like to be involved with people like that! I think they are just envious. What we choose to do with our bodies is our choice, nobody else matters!!! As far as me, I am in my three week stall and I dislike it! I thought I would shed the weight faster, and I did the first two weeks, and then there is this nice hill to climb, "Three Week Stall". I've read much about it and I will do all I can to stay motivated and positive about moving through and climbing up out of the valley! I want to be on the top of the mountain, not in the foothills!! =) Wishing you a fast next few months!! Keep in touch! Christie

Last week on Friday I moved to "soft foods", since then I feel like I'm gaining weight. Is this the normal feeling? I'm still eating way way less than before, any advice wld be great, thx

No, that's not how a loving marriage is. When I met my husband, I weighed less than 100 pounds. Due to a hormonal disorder, I gained up to a high of 278. On a five foot body. Was everything always perfect? No. Sometimes he got angry at the cause of the weight gain and the fact that it seemed there was nothing we could do. He was there for me then and he's been there for me all through this RNY process. And he's my biggest cheerleader post-op. And I'm his. That's what a loving marriage is.

..except she blames the PCOS for her weight gain. When she says later on that she makes some poor choices, we don't know if she means volume, or the type of food she's consuming, or something else. I knew I had to shut the program off last night and change the channel when I started talking back to the TV.

I have a friend who had a band (like me) and it failed (like mine). So she transitioned to a sleeve (like me) and she lost a lot of weight, but then she got pregnant, ate whatever she wanted, gained more weight than she lost on the sleeve and then gained back the weight she lost on the band. She transitioned to a DS about a month before my sleeve surgery. For months, she pressured me to get the DS. Because she is long distance, I couldn't see what she was eating, so I had no way of knowing if this was a true failure of her surgeries. So because 8 years with a failed band made me paranoid that I was the failure, not the band really took a toll, I just started thinking the sleeve would fail, and that I really needed a DS (even though my BMI was 36.1). When I brought it up to my NP at a pre-op visit, she demanded to see the texts from my friend. With her experience, she was able to tell right away what was going on. "This is behavioral. Your friend has a lot of excuses, I can't believe her surgeon is doing a third surgery. Look at all of the excuses she has for her weight gain! I've known you for almost 10 years, and you don't do this. You are honest about your failings." My NP was right, my friend had excuse after excuse. When I feel tempted to eat a cookie, or ice cream, I pull out my phone and read her texts. I do eat junk food sometimes (I had half an Oreo last night), but the threat of a DS is enough to keep me from doing something stupid over and over and over until it becomes a pattern.

I don't know about you, but I've lost and gained weight in my long life more times than I could count right now. The behaviors that accompanied my earlier weight gains include: * "Celebrating" after losing weight * NOT having a weight maintenance plan. AT ALL! * NEVER weighing myself * Eating LOTS of sweets and carbs * NOT tracking / recording / being mindful of how much I'm eating * NOT exercising * Feeling like a regain 5-10 pounds is so awful I can't deal with it. Ha! Needless to say, I didn't have the benefit of a smaller tummy's restriction during all those prior times. But I also am no longer counting on that saving me this time. My long-term success is going to have to rely on ALL the tools I'm building now. Everyone's entitled to their own personal version of weight loss salvation. I currently belong to the Church of Righteous Daily food Tracking and Weighing. P.S. I shouldn't even be posting on this thread; I'm not even 5-1/2 months post-op. Sorry.

February 2012 i had gastric bypass...I lost 95 lb...was very close to my goal wight. I wasn't able to get on track after surgery due to neck pain...and that turned into 2 neck surgery's...the first neck surgery was 4 months after gbp...the second neck surgery a year later...I was on different meds (including morphine) for 1 1/2 years...Then last February 2014 I spent a week in ICU with blood clots in my lungs. Well, it's now 2015. I've been off all pain medication and meds that caused 70lbs of weight gain. I feel I let my family down..but mostly myself. Is it to late?

TLC is doing alot of stories on larger folk today and tonight. I watched the story about the guy who lost 400 lbs. 'the natural way' by dieting and exercising. He was training with the biggest loser guy..Chris something or other. Anyway, definitely a put down of those who have bariatric surgery so once I realized this was an old program, I Googled the guy, and what do you know?? He gained back 300 of the 400 lbs. he lost. Now I take no pleasure in his weight gain but it shows once again that losing it is the easy part. It's the maintenance that's hard. The 600 lb. people next week has the woman who in the promo says that she could easily be back at 600 lbs. again but that she chooses not to. That's the reality of our lives. Even with bariatric surgery, we can gain it back. I know...I see folks on this forum all the time struggling with regaining. I just wish, as many of you also do, that the general public stops seeing WLS as the easy way out...or even as cheating. Oh..and one more thing as long as I'm posting stuff about these types of shows. What's with the woman on My Big Fat Life? Is she supposed to make us think she's fat and happy? If so, she's not. She reminds me of myself...very self-depricating in order to shield herself from just how unhappy she truly is. Or she's just delusional. She's a very large woman and no one that big can be happy at that size. Not in this society anyway. Smaller is beautiful and anyone who says otherwise is rationalizing. Did you see the guy she met who was a chubby chaser? He didn't care about her...only about her body. That's probably what extraordinary beautiful women experience as well, but it's just an assumption on my part. Anyway, just some random thoughts while I sit here and watch our mayor again tell us that the city will shut down tonight while the blizzard is upon us.

It sounds like abuse to me. I'm currently doing therapy. Once I had the surgery my tolerance for unacceptable behavior became less than zero. I hadn't been bothered by it before. And now I don't have over eating to cover up with. Now I look and say watch your mouth or watch me pack. I'm not a guaranteed thing in not a possession. This is after less than a month. I even am making a single life fund. My ex loved me when my body was beautiful every time he would see me during my weight gain he would bring up how he should of married me. And how beautiful our kids would of been. Now he's married and I picked poorly.

I had the surgery fall 2012... The first year was great... The end of the second year, I have gained 18lbs and went through menopause... I am wondering if this is common... I still average about 1300 calories a day, but cannot seem to shake this weight gain... On 1/15, I started doing the 5:2 Intermittent Fast Diet... One week out, I am finally down 3.6lbs... I am committed to doing this 5:2 plan for at least a month to see if this gives me the results I need... I have read that a weight gain after menopause is not uncommon, but I thought 18lbs was quite a bit for one year. ????

Thank you for all your replies about hospital weight gain. That makes me feel a lot better, another 5 disappeared today, fingers crossed the last 5 will be gone tomorrow. Jkpizano5, glad to hear you made it through fine and are feeling OK. I'm still gassy too but the Gas-X strips do seem to help. My doc said I could take them but he didn't think they would make a difference. Maybe it's all in my head, but it feels like they do.

I had a radical hysterectomy 10 years ago. I was already overweight but the hormonal changes seem to speed up my weight gain. I gained nearly 100 lbs since my hysterectomy. I wasn't put on hormone replacement therapy since I had uterine cancer. As far as effecting my sleeve, I don't think it has. I didn't go through any emotional changes post sleeve. In comparison I'd say the hysterectomy surgery was a more difficult recovery.

Its such a long time since I posted on here, I cant even remember just when it was. Everyone seems to be losing loads of weight, well done all of you. Unfortunately I'm back where I started almost. I know its not an excuse but 3 years ago I developed breast cancer, and for the surgery I needed to have most of the saline taken out. Then 2 weeks later I had further surgery to remove my Lymph Nodes under my arm. I had given up smoking 6 months earlier, I dont know if that triggered the weight gain or not. I also lost my Mother just before I got cancer, but not once have I wanted those nasty old ciggies. I have had a few fills, since the surgery but I still cant get rid of the 2 stone I put on. I cant eat a great deal and I get dreadful acid reflux. It makes me wonder if my body has grown used to accepting less food and has slowed my metabolism down. Hope this doesnt depress anyone. Keep smiling and carry on losing xxx

Cathy, Im going to have to look it up... I don't eat meat, but for beans and such Im sure it would work a treat! I do use my crock pot for lots of things.... and have a rice steamer as well that is awesome (I also make irish oats and other grains in it...) Here is a link any of you doing 5:2 might want to read..... about weight gain at 2 years..... sound like us! https://forum.fastday.com/benefits-side-effects-f28/does-prolonged-fasting-change-us-in-ways-that-lead-to-regain-t13735.html

I just thought I would share some of my story for those of you who are struggling with getting to the green zone as I am. I was banded in July. I lost 15 lbs in 14 days on the pre op diet. My first fill was 2 CC and I was primed with 1CC during my procedure. I had 5 fills in between then and now. I only lost another 15 and gained 5 back even though I felt like I was eating way less. I realized i had been misleading my Dr., unintentionally. I had been telling them what I was eating. Not what I was capable of eating. When I was discouraged, my portions became larger as I started to give up and not watch what I was putting in my mouth. Had I been more forthcoming with what I was able to eat, he most likely would have been giving me larger fills. I was also discouraged right after a fill. The first week I would be tight and feeling like I was in the green zone and by week 2 I could eat almost anything again. I was embarrassed that I had gained those 5 lbs back and finally worked up the courage to make another fill appointment and get back on track. I went to my fill appointment and waited until my dr came in, fully expecting to be scolded or frowned upon for my weight gain. I explained to him everything that I was experiencing and he gave me a larger fill of .75 CC. I believe my band has just over 5CC now. He also wrote me a prescription for a new drug called contrave. At first I was resistant to try it. I just had weight loss surgery and now it's back to the pills that have never worked for me in the past? He told me it was only temporary and it was a way to jump start my weight loss as the scale was moving in the wrong direction. I agreed. Filled the prescription and waited two days before I started taking it. I read some reviews online and found very few positive ones. I decided to give it a shot anyway despite the negative side effects I read about online. Turns out, it is working for me. I have lost 9 lbs in a very short period of time and the scale is moving in the right direction again. I have my motivation back, however I am experiencing some side effects but very mild and they have lessoned as time went on. So the moral of this story is.. Communicate with your surgeon and be extremely honest. And DON'T give up

I'm 3 yrs out. My start weight was 442lbs. and now I'm 160-165. It was a loong journey but was well worth it. I would do it all over again. At the moment I'm on a stand still due to Spine surgery but I am recovering slowly & have gained 15 lbs. in the past 8 months. I'm sad & soo disappointed in myself for the weight gain though I have no control on my lack of exercise. Although, my recovery has been long I've still managed to eat Healthy & try to walk in my home. It's something but still very disappointing.. Eating Healthy, drinking plenty of water & exercise is the Key