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True confession time: I actually *gained* two pounds back. Or that's what the scale says. I'm probably just retaining water because I've been cheating with salty snacks and not getting enough to drink to flush it through. So anyway, I had a heart-to-heart with myself today. "Self," I asked myself, "what gives with all the crazy wrong eating? The bag of jaw breakers you bought the other day, the popcorn and chips at work, the TWO cookies?! What--are you *trying* not to lose weight?!" ... and the answer came to me crystal clear. "Of course." I think something snapped when everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY from the hair dresser to the check-out lady at the grocery store, to the housekeeping staff at work comments on my weight loss. No matter how nice or supportive it is, it's flipping overwhelming. Then there's the trip to the Cities last weekend (that's Minneapolis/St Paul for you non-midwesterners) and hitting four consignment/Savers type stores and loading up on clothes, some of which already feel loose (yes, even with the 2-lb weight gain). And finally, I'm sure taking all my "fat clothes" to a resale shop here was the last straw. I'm "shrinking" as one coworker put it, and I just want it to stop for a while. I want to catch my breath and get used to being this size before I get smaller. I look at my poor daughter, 15, who weighs what I did a year ago, and it's shocking. Was I *really* that big? I was! And now I'm tiny compared to her, and I could shop from the regular women's sizes at the store, and I ran two miles with no pain or shortness of breath, and the whole thing is just a little bit too much. This realization has put me back on track somewhat. I've bought my own high-protein snacks for work so I'm not tempted by the starches (which, BTW, make me nauseously gassy) and I'm indulging in canned fruit when I want to get my fill of sweets, but I need support. I need you all to reassure me that we will get through this together, because going from a size 22 to fitting --tight, but zipping up!-- into a pair of Misses size 16 pants in just two months is making me a little crazy. Love you all, and hope to hear from you. If you're experiencing anything like this, please share!

I bet it's not a real weight gain. Probably water from salt. Drink lots of water and lighten up on startchy carbs and I bet it comes right off.

Hello everyone. I’m so glad to see this forum. I’m planning a revision to the mini bypass as well. I was originally sleeved in 2013. As with everyone else, I’m plagued with heartburn and weight gain. I’m planning to self pay and return to my original surgeon. I’m hoping to have my surgery sometime this summer.

Awesome !!!!! You done did it !!!!! Well done. The sipping has become easier for me every day. Now I have to make sure I keep the glass filled with ice and topped off with Water or else I tend to gulp it down (old habits). It's become second nature to have the glass beside me. I hope you progress well. You probably already know this, but stay away from the scale for a while. It seems there is a predictable weight gain during our surgeries and hospital stay (IV fluids doing their thing, inflammation Fluid gain, etc). Just stay strict on the diet and know that it'll all flush out in due time. Great job. You've taken a big step towards becoming healthy. Doing so at a young age is outstanding. Your life will be fun and exiting and HEALTHY. Awesome !!!!

How funny. I just came home and started my period. I bet this is due to water weight gain. I am going to wait and see if it gets better before I remove any fluid.

I really hope my sleep apnea goes away! I have had terrible sleep quality for friggin ever, and while the CPAP helps me sleep better, it still interrupts my sleep and doesn't get me to 100%. Plus, I hate not being able to fall asleep anywhere but in my bed (and taking it on travel... ugh, takes up so much room!) What I was wondering is did anyone have to have CPAP adjustments while actively losing because their CPAP pressure was now too strong? I just had to have my CPAP pressure upped after a few years and about 35 lbs weight gain, so I am wondering if after losing that weight if I'll need to drop it back down again. Luckily, I was right there when they adjusted it in the office so I know I can do it at home (no special anything required other than knowing what buttons to press.) Just wondering what experiences everyone has had, and if there are any helpful clues or signs that your pressure is too high.

I love the NSV's - digging through my closet and pulling out the size 16 clothes and knowing they fit perfectly now and are even getting too big - throwing out the clothes from size 18 to 2 XL (that was even getting tight) knowing I will never be that size again - knowing that for the first time in my diet history, I don't have to worry about regaining the weight - gaining only a pound or two if I am really bad for a while then getting back on a healthy track and it comes off - getting compliments on how great I look - not having to worry about fitting into places like amusement rides, theatre seats - wearing clothes that fit my new body and show it off instead of hiding under loose baggy clothes - having a waist again I LOVE MY BAND! It is the best thing I ever did for myself.:rolleyes2:

Dianne, don't worry over the prednisone. My daughter had walking pneumonia (at age 6!) last month and the doc gave her the antibiotic and liquid pred. She was much better in just a few days! It really helps. Take it like the doc ordered, and please don't stop now! You have 11 people at your house over the weekend...you need to feel your best! Throw out the scales until you have been on and then off the pred for a week. You will pee like a racehorse for a few days after the pred is done and then you will know it's safe to get on the scale. Your weight loss journey is for the long haul. A little temporary Water weight gain won't hurt you...really!!!!! Warning: long and complicated plans ahead... I got a call today from my sister-in-law from Texas. Shhhh...it's a surprise! She, my brother and my 16yo niece are driving in to Charlotte late tomarrow night! Yay! Our Christmas is complete! So noone knows but me. Geez! Talk about pressure! I have my dad coming over for coffee tomorrow night, then I gave hubby the heads up that me and dad need to go out and do something secret after 11pm. Please don't freak out...we'll be back. Fine. So I'll wait for the call, load up dad, stop and get my sis, and meet them at the Cracker Barrel on Billy Graham. They will be so happy! We will get my bro and bring him back to my house. He'll go home with my dad and stay there with him. My SIL and niece will drive on to her sisters house in South Charlotte for the weekend. THEN! My Mom and her fiance (yes, drama at our house this Chistmas...lets just add the new fiance to the family pic this year, huh? sigh. Wish I didn't like him so much, right? He's a great guy.) Anyhow, Mom still doesn't know. I called her today and said..."I just talked with Cathy. Her Mom is coming into town from Tx with our gifts so she doesn't have to ship them. Can you come have hamburgers Friday night and stop by the sister's house to pick up our gifts? We'll send ours back with her when she goes back after Christmas...they'll be late but it's okay" blah, blah, yada, yada, yada. So Mom will go to the sister's house and find her Daughter-in-law and Granddaughter there...Get in her car and come up for burgers. Surprise! And we'll all be together Friday night. With the new fiance. Let's just add to the plate! Then we'll be together again on Christmas day here. That's 14 people Friday night and Christmas day. Time to go grocery shopping? Karen: I'm so glad your Christmas musical is going so well. God is so faithful, I love to see His Spirit move. Bless you for using your talents. Angie: I posted about your surgery on the other thread...keep us updated! Melissa: you sound like me with appoinyments. It's a busy time of year to be scheduling these things! But, they are important. I wish I had a nutritionist following along with me. Ya'll all be thankful for your insurance! Me and Sherrie will ride your coat tails, okay? Kim, I really hope your back feels better. Yuck. Do you like the Chiro? I have always wanted to get adjusted several times over a month and see if I can just get a better feeling of well-being. They say so many things can be out of whack and cause problems all over...sinuses, allergies, digestive system issues, foot pain, etc. I hope that works for you. If I were desperate enough, I'd drink an adult dose of the liquid and wash wash wash it through with plenty of water to keep it off the stoma, ya know? I wonder if your doc would allow that? You don't need it everyday, right? Might be worth it? Pat, that sounds so nice...even just one night away at the beach with the girls would be worth the drive! How fun! How far is it to the Outer Banks from here...isn't it an 8-9 hour drive? Yowza! I'd love to do it. It doesn't even have to be summer! Okay, I need to wrap one gift tonight...then I'm hitting the sack! Night all!!!

As you get further out, you might find you do a little better with dry food. But I totally had to laugh about it the rules being like being Catholic. So true! As a born and bred Catholic, that's probably why the rules and following them feel a little non-negotiable to me! I try to follow them best I can, and I feel so guilty when I don't. I guess if breaking the rules equals sinning, then the subsequent weight gain from breaking rules equals the purgatory/hell from sinning, lol! Don't know about you, but morbid obesity felt like hell on earth, to me. I really hated it.

Hi Photo, I am one of those bandsters that made reference to the honeymoon stage. None of my remarks were meant to be discouraging to new bandsters. The point was some of the things Paul said are true, but they are not the Ten Commandments. All fast food is not bad for you. But if HIS addiction focused on eating too much fast food, then HE needs to stay away from it and not prostelytize about the merits of staying away from fast food joints and suggest all of it is crap because it is not. My problem is NOT fast food but the fact that I have a satiety disorder so I guess that would mean I should never go grocery shopping again. Not all bandsters exercise daily. Some have knee problems or need hip replacements or edema or other physical ailments that prevent them from moving around. Great advice to new bandsters would be to exercise, but what about the ones who cant? One of the most successful bandsters I know who is a nurse has not exercised at all through her whole journey and has been at goal almost one year and weighs 150 down from 290. She now has the gift of mobility and has the choice of whether she wants to exercise, but telling her that she needs to exercise to be successful longterm is a moot point. She has been maintaining her present weight for more than a year now and who am I to lecture her about what works or doesnt work? And what works for one, does not necessarily work for others. When the honeymoon is over (which is true for all WLS procedures) things do change and when you lose your restriction, dont have any restriction or lose your band all the demons come knocking at the door and even the folks who have been totally compliant, followed good bandster protocol and exercise daily find that they need far less calories to move around a person half the size. Weight gain for WLS patients whether it be band, RNY or any other procedure happens. If you find it demotivating for me to point out that perception changes, then that is your perrogative. I am thrilled that Paul has been so successful with his regimen. I too lost 120 lbs my first year of banding and busted my ass to achieve this success. In my second year, I lost an additional 34 pounds and then plateaued for 6 months. I quit smoking, gained about 12 pounds, had plastic surgery and all my fill removed and many of the food demons come back with the missing saline. My whole point is for those who have not reached a sweet spot or have never had one, the tool is a lot less effective and it could be very discouraging for those newbies who are not losing for those reasons to think that they are not trying hard enough. And just think how hard it would be for someone who really tries and is not seeing the results that Paul is seeing? Also for you to say that you can only think of one reason why someone would point out that there is a honeymoon period this instead of offering words of encouragement and WOOHOO!!! s and GREAT JOB! and its not a pleasant conclusion (paraphrased) is really off the mark. I do find it a little confusing that someone would think that I am trying to be hurtful by pointing out that things really change radically through this journey. Somebody once told me that there is a big difference between truth and perception. I have more or less maintained my weight give or take 5-8 lbs. Now that the honeymoon is over, it is a huge struggle to maintain this weight. 3-4 hours of exercise and a 1300 calorie a day eating plan of mostly meat and veggies and some limited carbs just aint cutting it to keep the weight off. Theres only so far you can go with restriction ( I dont barf very often 2 or 3 times a year) and the tool does become less effective several years out for lots of reasons like dwindling satiety, the fact you get used to restriction and find ways to eat around the band even though I said I would NEVER do this. I dont drink when I eat, but a pre meal cup of warm tea helps to get that little bit of extra meat down. A little more Sauce for my meat acts as extra lube and before you know it, I ate an extra two ounces of steak. OOPS! Sometimes your portions get bigger just a 1/4 oz more of this and a little of that and you dont notice until you are now eating a cup of food once again. And its easy to get complacent once the weight is off. So although many of the things Paul are saying are true, they are more easily said when you are losing 20 lbs a month. I recall when I was first doing research on the band that I went to obesityhelp lapband forum and posted and got one reply 3 days later to my posting. I remember "SouthernBandgal" Michelle was the only person to reply to my questions. THere was very little information available about the lapband three years ago, so all the protocol Paul so kindly outlined in his posting wasnt available at all and most of us back then stuck with our docs protocol and winged the rest. As said here by an earlier poster, obesity is a managed addiction. I love my band but there are limitations regarding this tool and there really is a HONEYMOON period where one should maximize losses and try their best to be as compliant as possible. I understand what Paul was doing and he has a big heart, but his guidelines work for him, not for all of us. I went to a nutritionist, a psychologist (pre and post banding), hired a personal trainer, worked out daily and posted religiously my first two years of banding. Things do change at year 3, 4, 5, so if this bothers you that I point this out, then so be it. THeres nothing I can do to make you feel differently. Babs in TX 334/180 ish Size 14 -16 Dont weigh myself anymore but my clothes still fit!!

What factors do you think are behind his weight gain?

I hear ya. My alcohol consumption had increased dramatically since March, which also happened to coincide with my early-covid weight gain.

It could just be your PCOS, unfortunately. I just read another post of someone who had unexplained weight gain with it the other day. Try not to feel defeated or give up though. Even if you didn’t lose another pound which hopefully you will you are still better off than you were before surgery. Or at least that’s what I try to tell myself (I have bipolar and it’s similarly difficult for me to lose it all and keep it off because of the meds and depression). I would keep asking the drs and nutritionist for advice and try what they are suggesting (hopefully something does work for you) but don’t be too hard on yourself if it doesn’t. I know that for me that if I hadn’t done surgery a year and a half ago I would probably be even heavier now than I was before I started all this (I was gaining about ten pounds a year) so the fact that I am somewhat smaller instead of even bigger is certainly better than nothing. I may not fit into my skinny jeans but at least my knees don’t hurt when I exercise like they were beginning to pre surgery. Trust me, I know it doesn’t seem fair and it gets to me some days too but I just try my best to maintain what I have lost because I know that every pound I can keep off is better for my health. You are currently down 57 pounds!! That is definitely something you should be proud of and if I were you I would celebrate that loss. Don’t just give up on losing the rest by any means, but at the same time don’t be too hard on yourself either. Our bodies and circumstances are all different. Try to focus on the non scale victories that I’m sure you have already seen with a 57 pound loss when it starts to get you down.

Are is it to just nod and agree? No, which is exactly why I commented What does the fact that i'm a two-time WLS patient have to do with my question As I wrote in my first post, most WLS patients have a long history of being asked questions similar to the ones in your original post. "Why don't you just eat better? Why don't you just exercise more?" I would think as a two time WLS patient you would know that those comments are condescending and offensive. Weight gain and reasons are a legitimate question They are. But you didn't pose this as a legitimate question. You posted it in the Rants and Raves section and you said "Trust that i know i will get flack for this...." I am left to draw one of two conclusions: You are completely unaware of the thousands of articles that have been written about pandemic related lifestyle changes and its effects. You are also oblivious to the common sense impact of gyms/parks/trails closures, poverty's effect on one's diet, mental health consequences of social isolation etc.. The option I find easier to believe is this was not a sincere question. Instead it's an opportunity for you to congratulate yourself for having more fortitude than all these weak willed people who when faced with a life altering pandemic and economic shut down and didn't plant a garden, meal plan or pick up milk jugs filled with sand.

Hey everyone! I'm back on here, looking for motivation and advice. Long story short, I've just had my first surgery following my final cancer treatment and the biopsy came back all clear! Looks like I beat the odds and tackled esophageal cancer in 16 months. I did not go through chemo, therefore the stress of the situation drove me back into bad eating habits and I put on 30 pounds. I'm 4 years and 3 months post-bypass. I've maintained at 200 pounds (down from 369 at my biggest) and was very proud of myself until recently. I have packed this weight on over the last 4 months. Winter. Holidays. Cancer. COVID. It all conspired to make for a rough patch, but I'm on the other side of the mountain now and determined to get back down to 200 which is where I'm happy and looking healthy. Thoughts? Advice? Words of encouragement?

Hi Chel, Sorry to hear about the allergic reaction to the glue, I hope you are feeling better. I know you already found out about the weight gain being attributed to surgery. I am 15 months post gastric sleeve and I had my gallbladder out about 7 weeks ago. I was pretty surprised that my weight went up almost 9 lbs two weeks after gallbladder removal. After I kinda freaked out about it, I calmed down and thought to myself that the surgery was probably the culprit, and it was...you know, fluid retention etc. Hope you have a speedy recovery!

I'm bipolar II but haven't had my surgery yet. The mania has relapsed a tiny bit but it's manageable minus the lack of sleep. I take lamictal for mood. Mania relapsed because I had to stop seroquel after it made me gain 100 lbs. If you need to reduce your appetite a bit you can try metformin. It's an old school diabetes II med that greatly reduces my appetite. I don't have diabetes but started it to aid in weight loss. Speak to your psychiatrist. Antipsychotics have a huge affect on weight gain and seroquel in particular makes you gain a ton and makes you extremely hungry. I don't know if you take it. It basically ruined my life. (Being a little dramatic). I have my surgery end of July assuming everything goes according to plan. I've already met all the requirements. I think it would be good for us bipolar people to continue checking in with each other. I'm extremely nervous about meds post op. My bipolar is usually suicidal depression with occasional mania.

When I was still losing & exceeding my goal, my surgeon said he thought I’d lost enough & needed to up my intake. I said I’m not deliberately trying to lose more but I could only eat what I could eat at that time & I thought the extra loss would help if I did have a regain - some wriggle room. Of course I kept losing & they stopped commenting as my surgeon & his colleague realised I was actually more finely built & my weight was okay. They prefer me to be a little more than I am currently (more 50kg) but I weigh what I weigh. I slowly started adding snacks to my intake to slow my loss as I was able. In time though I was able to eat more for a meal so I reduced my snacks until I found that balance/sweet spot to maintain. I’ll always need to snack because I generally eat pretty cleanly & therefore lower calories. Over time I’ve worked out what foods I’m better off avoiding & what foods I can only have occasionally. I’m not a calorie counter or food tracker but do random checks - it works for me. Watching what I eat & being aware of portion sizes will be a lifelong behaviour. As others have said it wouldn’t take much to start down the weight gain path. To me it comes down to what weight you feel most comfortable at, is easy to maintain & working out a way of eating to support that weight that is sustainable & doesn't restrict or affect your life/lifestyle. All the best.

I knew it would happen. I was totally prepared to gain weight from the IV fluids. They weighed me 2 days post surgery and I was up nearly all of the weight that I had lost on the pre-op diet. I weighed this morning, a week post surgery, and I am still up 2-3 lbs. What gives? I can see that I have lost weight. When will it show up on the scale? Grumble. I know patience ... something that I don't have. Mary

so should i be alarmed if the protein powder i am buying says its for weight GAIN? like i said, i'm just trying to verify if its true. does it make a difference which protein powder you buy that will make you gain weight??? is that the main purpose for them? lets dismiss whey, soy etc for a minute here. are there different TYPES of powder for weight gain, body builders and people that just want to get some protein in, like us??? (that was hard to get out!!! lol)

No, the Protein powders are not for "weight gain" they are to help "bulk up" weightlifters. They will cause you to gain weight if you eat your regular diet and include them. However if you are using them as Meal Replacements (which we basically are) you will not have an issue with them. I highly recommend IsoPure liquid. It comes in 20 fl oz bottles and comes in different flavors (Grape Frost is my fav). It is the consistency of Water and tastes like Crystal Light. If the flavor isn't strong enough for you, you can even add a little Crystal Light to it but I like it just as it is. Each bottle has 40gm of protein in it so even if you do 1 bottle a day, you'll be all set. It is very important to get all your protein in. Especially for your hair.

Again, I'm not a nutritionist, but it looks like the GNC product you listed is NOT focused on weight gain, and is probably a reasonable Protein source. I found this on BodyBuildingForYou.com: "So What's The Big Difference Between Whey Protein Isolate and Concentrate? Most of the whey protein powders you find will contain mostly whey protein concentrate with some whey protein isolate mixed in. You'll also find a lot of pure whey protein concentrate, and some whey protein isolate. Comparing the two, whey protein isolate is more expensive than concentrate - because it's of higher quality(more pure), and have a higher biological value (BV). Whey protein isolate contains more protein with less fat and lactose per serving. Usually, isolate contains 90-98% protein while whey concentrate contains 70-85%. Whey protein isolate is the highest yield of protein currently available, and it comes from milk. Because of its chemical properties, whey protein is the easiest to absorb into your muscles. Obviously, with its high concentration, whey protein isolate 'would' be the best to use, but like all great things, there's always a downside. It's more expensive, and just because it's more pure, doesn't mean it'll give you more muscle and size. Its extra concentration may not justify the extra costs for you." So...my nutrionists strongly recommend whey isolate, but what I'm seeing is that there may not be that big a difference. Whey protein appears to be better than soy or collagenic for absorption.

The sad truth. Is that it is a complete lottery, I'm mixed race and had hair for days, started losing about 3 months out and has only just started to slow, I've had to have it cut as it was dramatically thinner - the shortest it's been since 1986! I had my Protein intake and all the suitable Vitamins and started taking Biotin too and it just happened. Am I traumatised? hell yes, am I going to get over it? hell yes Would I trade 6.5 stone lost for the hair? Honestly, I would say there were moments, if your hair has been your trademark for your entire life, longer than any weight gain, then it's hard but it's growing again and my "thin" hair, as with most non-Caucasian hair, is still thick

Help!!!! i had my band fitted July 09 and managed to lose 3st (42lbs) I have had 2 fills (5mls) and the last one of those was back in Oct 09, unfortunately I have regained 1st and am feeling really depressed about. I know what i need to do as far as the eating is concerned but struggle to find foods and the time to consider my menu. I have an office job which obviously means i am sat all day which doesnt help with the exercise side of things. I invested in a cross trainer recently and am trying to increase my exercise although the going is slow. I am getting another fill done on Mar 8th and am hoping this will quick start my weight lose again. basically what i want to know is has any one else experianced this problem and found that having another fill helped. I am so worried that it wont and just need a bit of encouragement....:rolleyes2:

Ok so I see what your saying.....I need to look at the overall benefit that I gain from it and talk to my doctor to see if we feel as if is a hindrance to my weight loss. I know that when I went in to get my Mirena I was 202 with the lapband, and after 4months I ballooned to 230, and from that point on I could not get the weight off. That then lead me to struggles with my band and I ended considering RNY, and I was approved then shortly after went through the process. The only thing is that I never thought that the weight gain could have come from the Mirena until recently. So I'm gonna google this topic some more. Thanks soooo much for sharing. Oh and I loved the I'm not an expert! Lol SD: 10/10/12, Converted from Lapband to RNY, HW (before band) 263, HW (RNY) 230, Preop 219, after surgery 223, current 201