Search the Community

Hey Girlie- We're surgery sisters having been sleeved on the same day. So, I am literally right where you are. And, I can say that I honestly go through the same thing as you. I can blame mine on a mulitude of issues. Here's a quick run-down: 1. I killed my best friend when I was sleeved. Sounds nuts I know, but I turned to food for all of my emotional comfort. Sometimes, I feel sad that it had to come to this to get healthy. And, it's taking my awhile to make new "friends". 2. I'm surrounded my social eaters. Everywhere I turn my friends, family and co-workers mark life by what we're serving and who's bringing what dish. When you can't eat a lot and focus on Protein and no carbs this can get depressing. 3. I'm realizing that I blamed a lot of issues in my life on my weight and that simple isn't true. I can't blame my weight for things like my marriage hitting the skids anymore so I have to figure out how to fix it now. It's depressing to realize that I was lazy and blamed my weight and it's depressing sometimes to wade through the crap necessary to fix it all. 4. My mind is ahead of my body. I'm ready for the journey to be over and to begin living life in a normal BMI body. Even though I'm losing weight at warp speed it still doesn't seem fast enough some days. On those less rational days when I see that I haven't come as far as I want, it bums me out. I think the best thing we can do is take a deep breath and face our personal challenges head on so we can begin to sort them out and ensure a future without food and weight gain as a crutch. For me, that means journaling, talking with the BFF, an occasional therapist visit and venting on here. It's nice to know this group is here help. Best of luck to you! Amanda

Update for my August revision: I had my revision earlier this month and although it feels the same as VSG physically, it is different in that I am just not hungry at all. After 1 oz of unsweetened applesauce for dinner last night, I just didn't want another bite. Some people got that with their VSG, I never did. It's hard to eat if one has zero appetite. This week my average calories was 296. I have no idea what my goal is for this stage. My surgery water weight gain is finally coming off then I can see where my weight is at but at 296 average a day, I know I lost quite a bit. Luckily, so far, it's been a pretty easy recovery. I do not have any nausea, and have not vomited. I do have off and on diarrhea. I took an Equate equivalent of Imodium, that fixed it. I still have a stitch feeling on the left side though, maybe due to CO2 still in there. I drink with no problem but I still try to sip slowly because if I do drink fast, I just know I will get nauseated. I've slept better than ever because no Gerd. I have good energy due to good sleep. Of course, I'm always worried about future complications though since it is a more serious operation compared to my sleeve.

I went for my check up and my doctor realized that after several blood tests over the last year that my TSH levels were high. I didn't know what that meant but I realized that I am almost 7 weeks out and I am so tired that I can't even get up and walk around without feeling like I did a 5K run. I know my vit-D levels are low. I now have to take a 50,000 IU's of Vit-D once a week. My B-12 came back up to normal, now I have to take a B-12 shot. I have to also continue to take Calcium and Iron and I still feel very week. I was put on an anti-depressant which helps a little. The doctor then checks my last blood test and said to me " I think you have a thyroid problem. I replied " I thought high levels of TSH means high functioning thyroid. However, high TSH means low functioning thyroid. After the doctor goes back into my record and realizes that all my blood test from last year showed a problem with my thyroid I had to take another blood test to see if the TSH levels are still high. High TSH levels leads to the following You may experience chilliness or sluggishness or feel weak, depressed and tired, symptoms often labeled as chronic fatigue syndrome. You may have problems thinking and with cognitive functions, have difficulty breathing or experience muscle cramps with vague or specific joint pain. You may be plagued with uncontrollable weight gain, dry skin, constipation, menstrual problems, hot flashes, PMS, increased menstrual flow or have a miscarriage or be diagnosed with infertility. The list of common symptoms of high TSH levels includes weakness, fatigue, difficulty waking up, difficulty losing weight and/or weight gain, roughening of the hair and skin, hair loss, a pale or yellow tinge to skin, brittle nails, intolerance to cold, constipation, depression, mood swings, abnormal menstruation, decreased sex drive and memory loss. High TSH levels can affect a person's overall outlook and mentality. I had all these problems pre surgery. Now I thinking did I have to do this surgery at all. I hope this test confirms my worst fears so I can finally feel normal again. I don't have any energy. Read more: Symptoms of High TSH Levels | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/...l#ixzz23woxuHNH Read more: http://www.livestron.../#ixzz23woj9MJF

Carbonated drinks (sodas, beer, etc.) is a real no-no. It's not the calories that are a problem, but rather the carbonation. The carbonation swells and stretches the pouch. Do that enough times and stretch the pouch, then it takes more food to fill you up and make you feel full. Eat more to fill you up = eventual weight gain.

It is common to have some limited weight gain after gastric bypass surgery. They call it a 20 pound bounce. The important thing is not let go beyond it. According to my nutritionist, meals should consist of equal parts of protein, fats and carbs after the first couple years post-op. Snacks should be limited to primarily whole food options: nuts, natural nut butters, fruits, veggies, boiled eggs, string cheese, yogurt with berries and almonds, tuna pouches. Avoid processed packaged foods as much as possible. So I guess my advise is to document what you eat in a food journal and figure out what is the cause. I had RNY gastric bypass whereas you had the sleeve. I am 5 years post-op and this is the approach that I use. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf

I have always been so pale that I am pretty much fish belly blue. A lovely aristocratic skin tone to have at one time but summertime was always a humiliation for me. I hated lurking in the shade and I hated hearing the same old comments about my lack of colour. Ugh! And my skin has interfered with a number of activities which my mate and I could have shared. I had to drop out of our sailing class because my skin couldn't deal with it. And when we spend time in the tropics I often lock myself up in our hotel room for a sizeable chunk of the day. Snorkeling, something which we both love to do, is complicated for me. I have got to be dressed in order to go snorkeling. And the truth is that while a plump individual with a warm skin colour can look absolutely lovely women who are as white as the moon will never look pretty. The payoff which I am now experiencing is that my skin looks awful good for my age. Oh well.... It seems that good things sometimes come to those who live long enough. As for pregnancy and permanent weight gain, this seems to be how it works for most women. I have run across the occasional individual who can produce babies and remain as thin as a whippet but this is rare. (I knew one woman who had 7 kids and weighed about a buck ten. I was a very envious Green.) Most men and women begin to gain weight as we edge into middle age. Our hips widen - yep, men's hips, too - and our waists grow much thicker. Our proportions change and this is why a slim middle-aged individual will not have the same shape as a slim teenager. And much of our personal futures are hooked into our genetics. I figured I would escape my mother's exceedingly strange post-menopausal figure. I had never been pregnant and she, on the other hand, had undergone three pregnancies during her 30s where she carried enormous babies to term. (I was the lightest at 9.25 lbs.) Nevertheless, I found myself stuck with exactly the same disasterous weight gain as my mum once I hit menopause. And exactly the same thing happened to a friend of mine, a tall and willowy young woman; she is now a stocky overweight post-menopausal woman, one who has also never had children. Her weight history exactly parrallels that of her mum. The weight issue is such an extremely complex subject, isn't it? There are the cultural attitudes to which NanaR and others have referred, there is this very complicated biz of genetics, and there is the question of the natural weight gain associated with ageing, childbearing, etc. And psychological and social issues also play their part. Ugh! It is a fine thing that we are able to cyber-meet and discuss this stuff.

Oh my g-d, I thought the same thing, I'll succeed. I totally understand the horror of weight gain, but you do NOT look 20# heavier in the 265# pic than you did in the 245# pic. Seriously. I would bet that your lean-muscle-mass has increased, and your total percentage of body fat decreased overall. So definitely the 20# weight gain is not reflected in the photos we see. And yes there is tons of overall improvement from the pre-op pic, which I'm sure you can see. Happy Band And Life Journeys To All...

Well, after a week of having my 2nd fill, I finally called the doctor and told them that I was miserable. I was burping constantly and vomiting after every meal. I couldn't hold anything down until late at night. I would find myself not eating all day and then by 9pm starving b/c I could finally hold down food. I even gained a couple of pounds. They said I had too much of a fill and took out 0.4 cc's today. What a difference! I am on all liquids and having broth for lunch and no discomfort or burping!! I am hoping this might be my sweet spot. She had mentioned that this could be it due to the fact that I was slightly over filled this time and underfilled last time. :blushing: Anyone else had to go through this??? I am not going to get discouraged b/c of the weight gain b/c It happens. Today is a new day and going to just keep moving along!!! :w00t:

all great advice up above. You said you have a hard time getting in your protein. Just a little side note. You get more bang for buck with protein. Not only does your body need it but it takes twice as much calories to break down protein than it does carbs. I was a huge carbie before surgery so I understand how hard it can be to get in the protein. At Christmas all rules went out the window and I ate all kinds of carbs, especially See's Candy and my own peanut brittle. I can honestly say what a huge negative affect it had on my body. Not only from weight gain, but I was so tired it was crazy! So get your mind in the game again and start following the rules! You lost 36 pounds, you CAN lose the other 87!

Good job getting the fill out. Sounds like a pretty bad PB episode and your band and body needed the rest. You weight gain can be avoided if you'll do the work of eating well, eating less, drinking your Water and exercise. If you get another fill, cutting back your eating will be much easier. However, you must must get your head around the idea of slowing down, chewing well, and taking smaller bites. This is the only way to avoid another PB episode when you are properly restricted. It's a dance with the band. If you want the band to work for you, you have to work with it by 1)getting the right fill level 2)slowing down, chewing well, taking smaller bites 3) making the right food and exercise choices. In some ways it's simple, but in other ways, it isn't always easy. Go back in your mind to when you got banded and use your band to start over fresh. Don't gain back that 50 pounds! It isn't worth it! Get your spunk back...it's in there somewhere!

Beka, As someone else said, healthy and standard weight loss with the band is 1-2 lbs per week. It seems slow, but it adds up. The worst part of banding is that first few weeks when your post op, trying to understand what you've done and what you're supposed to be doing. It's this learning period when you have to pay attention to your body and learn to read it's signals. When are you really hungry versus when do you think you're hungry, etc, etc. You want the weight to fall off, it doesn't always. This is commonly referred to as "Bandster Hell." Remember that once you begin solid foods, your body will often stop losing weight and in fact, gain a few pounds because it literally holds onto the bulk of the solids in your intestines. It's not a true weight gain, it's the way our digestive system works. When you're on liquids or even very soft foods, there's not enough bulk in that food and it literally goes right through you. Be patient with yourself and your body and don't miss your appointments. Follow your doctor's orders, he understands this process better than you do at this point and is there to help guide your journey. If you REALLY feel like you're not on track, log your intake and make a note of your output. Make sure you're getting enough Protein and calories. Inadequate caloric intake will actually sabotage your weight loss by slowing your metabolism even more. Good Luck,

Just go and face the music. I'm sure a little tough love never hurt anyone :blushing: I know the doctor is probably not going to be happy with me either. I had a fun filled weekend of lots of beer, Dairy Queen, mexican food, and even a fried gas station burrito at 3AM last weekend. Thanks to all that, My 6lbs came back and then some! RIDICULOUS! My total weight gain is 7lbs since unfill but I have until Friday to work out and eat right again so maybe I'll only be up a few pounds. I've been thinking though, if I didn't gain a lb with being unfilled, they might not want to put any back in soooo showing a few lbs weight gain might not be such a bad thing. I've almost got myself talked into buying a Gold's Gym Stride Trainer 595. Anyone have any experience with ellipticals? When I was 300lbs, I tried to get on one and definitely thought I was going to die/have a heart attack after 30 seconds.

First is to remember that the scale measures your entire body mass, not just your body fat. A main culprit of unexpected weight gain is Water retention. This can happen for no apprent reason, or one of several that are more apparent: PMS/menstruation, eating salty foods, hot weather, etc. You don't mention an exercise routine. If you eat 1000 calories, and your daily routine burns 1000 calories, you won't lose weight.

I am a month out as of today and i had a stall for 2.5 weeks but it just broke. I actually gained 2 lbs (my NUT warned me this might happen) but i weighed in this morning and I am down 1.5 lbs from the lowest I was before the 2 lb weight gain. In total since surgery I have lost 13lbs and compared to others that is slow! I will take 13 to 15lbs a month though which is ALOT more than I was losing before. Everyone is different and it all depends on your age, metabolism, starting weight and how much you lost prior to surgery. As for the stall your having at week 4...thats normal. For some people it lasts up to 3 weeks but then your body readjusts and starts losing weight. Make sure you take your measurements!! This will help you during the whole process to see your losing inches but maybe not seeing it on the scale.

Katydotrn - especially with an increase in weight and reps, your weight gain was probably new muscle mass. Formation of muscle mass is a little more straightforward than fat loss. You damage the msucle, new muscle comes in place. It happens, period. Breaking down and metabolizing fat reserves, and then getting that change accurately reflected on the scale, is a much more mysterious (aka random) beast.

Out of curiosity, is it causing weight gain for you? Also, do you find that you can eat a lot of junk or does the sleeve stop you from gorging?

I was convinced that my obesity would end my life prematurely. do you feel like you can live a normal healthy life span at the weight you currently are? because honestly, most people who loose weight gain it back and more. this is a powerful tool to give you an edge with those odds. the thing I hear consistently is that people only wish they had done this sooner. You are at a fork in the road, and need to decide which way you want your life to go.

I had a BMI of 52 and did not have to do a preop diet. I was clear liquids the day before but that was it. Definetly call your doctor and let him know. Also have you lost any weight preop dispite not adhering to the diet? My doctor warn me not to gain anymore weight before surgery because if I had a significant weight gain, then they would not do the surgery. Good Luck, I hope it works out. I do warn you that the lapband takes alot of work and you will not lose weight if you continue to eat bad things and not exercise. Its definetly a lifestyle change.

Anyone who is in maintenance - how long did it take for your body to get past the ups and downs of carb weight gain when you added them back in at maintenance? I am where I would like to maintain but as soon as I add in carbs, even staying well within my calories for maintenance I gain 3-4 lbs! I am sure this is a blip but it completely freaks me out and sends me straight back to a strict low carb diet.

Hey everybody, I have to get something off my chest, my story towards WLS is this, 5 years ago i was not at all obese, i weighed 65-70 kgs, I actually started college at around 2011 and then moved to Australia to continue my education, but ever since I moved to Australia, I was starving myself, as I did not have enough money to buy myself food etc, then at 2014 I finished my college and moved to Canada for about 4-5 years, there it got even worse, since my field was really hard to get a job (audio engineering), I was starving myself there as well, ever since 2012 i was moving to different countries, in total 4 countries Dubai, India, Canada and Australia, but was eating well here and there, parents were sending some money, at the brink of 2016, I became homeless in Canada, for almost 8months, at that period I was eating like 1 meal a day, surprisingly I was still about 65kgs by the end of that phase, but then I committed a crime while I was in the streets and they sent me a psychiatric hospital, that's when things took a turn for the worst, after about 3 months of staying in the hospital, they started me on psychiatric meds (aripiperzole abilify) but in about 20 days I saw my weight rise from 65 to 75, then about 10 days later it rose to 85, then slowly 95, then about 6 months later I was at 110, I thought I maxed out but I gained another 7kgs in the next 6 months, also the food was rich in the hospital but very tiny portions, then they switched me to clopixol, did not help, infact caused infertility and sexual problems, I have one question for all of you, does bariatric surgery work for person like me? Does weight gain from psychiatric meds happen in like 15 days? If so that is big problem. Since I have a bad history with nutrition and my metabolism is in really bad shape, but I got out a year and 6 months ago, and i started eating a lot once I got out due to all the deprivation, I was never even planning on doing bariatric surgery, did not even know what it was, so guys please share your experience with starvation, metabolism, weight gain, psychiatric meds. Oh I did mention this to the doctor and he said that's nothing to worry about. But what do you guys think? I really want answers guys, this has been in my chest for a long time now. Thank you all for listening. Oh and I have finished my surgery , it's been 19 days, I have lost about 12kgs. Things are going well, but I don't want it stall all of a sudden and then one fine day it never moves again. That would be a nightmare, I just want some clarity on this topic. Thanks again.

@emk101009 wonderful weight loss how do you know hungry you "should" be???? "it" varies for all of us some of us might never have lost their hunger issues others maybe at 3 months others at.............. stalls happen to most all of us Get Over It must be patient - it will pass (like gas ) time periods/stalls will vary from 3 weeks to.............. God Grant Me Patience, Just Hurry Up About It!!! We're all different we lose amount of weight in different time periods we lose inches at the beginning from different areas ie less boobs or less tushy!!! yogurt is not that filling but it is great, and has lots of Protein too you can never have too much protein during the day dense protein like chicken is wonderful - very filling you didn't chew thoroughly?? means you probably ate too fast too!!!! KNOCK IT OFF slow down with your eating and chew better that wouldn't cause you to stretch your sleeve after each bite, put your utensil down for a few seconds too use a baby spoon - that helps too i "think" many people at one time or another worry that they might have stretched their new little tummies as far as "stretching" your tummy eat wayyyy too much food, too fast all morning, noon, afternoon, evening & night in other words 24/7 grazing ALL day (like you/me did in the good 'ol days this will cause weight gain but as far as stretching the sleeve - don't "think"it happens follow all the rules and things should be good you'll get wrinkles if you worry toooo much good luck 43 lbs down!!! kathy congrats

I'm scheduled for April 7. I'm nervous wreck. I keep going back and forth about it. If I should have it done or I can lose the weight another way. I had the lap band 2 yrs. then it slipped. so here i am again. weight gained back plus 10 more, since Nov. of 2013. Im afraid I won't take care of myself as I schould and end up worse. I can focus on everyone else but me. I pray I make it thru and dont back out. thanks for listening oceanswaves

For the past 6 weeks I have been very ill with the flu, sinus infection, Upper RI, etc My doctor put me on Penisone and I have gained 7 lbs in 10 days. My 5th of 6 NUT visit is tomorrow. What happens if I gain weight?

If this type of exercise is not what you are used to doing. I would say that 5 lbs gain from building muscle is very realistic. It does vary per individual. Most people will see an initial weight gain within the first 4-5 weeks of intense training and then will drop the pounds and inches within the next 4-6 weeks. Again depending upon their body and what level of training they are participating in. When I started interval bike training sessions, I gained 5 pounds within 3 weeks and did not see weight loss / inches lost until week 6-8. From various reading, research and observations of other's trials and challenges, there is not one way that will work for any one person...You have to experiment to see what type of changes (dietary, exersising) works for your body. Some folks increase / decrease their carb intake, some their fat, and some their Protein, some their overall calorie count is increased or decreased. For myself, I have found that carbs are not my friends and exercise is to be experimented with. For my loss to continue...I have to exercise at minimum 90 minutes for at least 5 days/week of some type of vigorous exercise and then walk for the other two days of the week. I increased my fat and protein intake and keep my carb g down to approx. 60g give or take a 10g lee-way and maintain (for me) between 1,000 - 1,100 cal / day intake. Anything higher and I stop losing weight. Good luck John.

This is INFURIATING to me! The first endocrinologist I was referred to in my new insurance network upon moving to OR last year told me that "if I can't lose the weight on my own, surgery won't help." This is a man who deals with obese people with diabetes all day long...and he knows damn well that insulin and other drugs make it even harder to lose weight. For him to tell me that my problems are because of will power makes me sick. When I was a fat four year old, what was the problem then? What was my personality flaw then, Mr Biased!?? Then, then! I go for my annual pap and the guy wants to give me a hysterectomy because I have a soggy uterus from adenomyosis - no pain, nothing, he just wants to cut but is worried about how fat I am. He tells me I'm so obese that I have to worry about cancer at this point. I mention having the bypass and he literally guffawed. He said that "there's no such thing as magic." I wanted to punch him in the face. Did I say it was magic? No. Did I say I wasn't willing to remove my uterus on his nine second whim even though the last time I saw him, he said he wouldn't do any testing on me to insure a HPV stage 1 cancer scare hadn't reared its ugly head again after a lot of weight gain in a recent pregnancy? - - he said even though the LEEP procedure I had to get rid of it was 10 years ago, I'd be "silly" to think I'd actually be the 1 in 15 million who would test positive again (even though his statistic was for over a five year period). AAARGH. You know, there was a time in this country where doctors deserved to be revered - or heck, maybe we were all just blind sheep without the power of the internet and they never deserved it - but I tell you what. You sound like you care WAAAAAY too much about what this doctor thinks. The only people you should be discussing weight loss surgery options with is a weight loss center of excellence staff member and/or surgeon. If you want positive encouragement (or honest feedback), go to a support group. But to allow people who don't support your endeavor to get healthy rock your confidence to the point of seeking advice on a website for it....? This doctor needs to be cut from your life. She had the nurse call? Are you sure you have a great relationship? We cannot have it both ways. We cannot change without changing everything, including the people we surround ourselves with who can't support us (and who are usually in relationships with us because we're obese to some degree because it makes them feel better about their own insecurities), and then be surprised or concerned and get upset when these people who keep us - fat, self doubting, depressed, confused - reveal their biases. When I found another endo, by the way, she said gastric bypass is the closest thing in the world to a cure for diabetes and that she was utterly floored by the PA who spoke to me so unprofessionally. She was so angry, she is taking action in her own office and is going to be a stronger advocate for her patients on this issue. Progress somewhere is better than haters who have no specialization or true knowledge of the surgery/process/outcomes/etc. I don't mean to sound insensitive to YOU or cynical, but I have just HAD it, especially with male doctors, who feel it's their right to put me down no matter what I do.