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I can't tell you why people gain after reaching goal.....but I'd bet it has a lot to do with all of the things you listed plus a dozen more. All I know is that I have maintained within 4-5 pounds of my lowest weight for 14 months and I do it by eating healthy and working the plan every single day. I go back to basic Protein and veggies or even a couple days of liquid Protein "preop" diet if I pop even one pound above my range. I don't eat perfect every day, but I am proactive when I know I'm going to eat off plan and make sure I start any holidays, binge weekends, etc at the bottom of my bounce range. I have done this through the loss of two beloved pets and my best friends suicide. I've never felt more depressed than I am right now. But being a successful WLS patient is a priority for me and I've worked hard not to deal with my emotions through food and alcohol. Gaining my weight back would be oh, so easy. You just have to figure out how to deal with life and make the option of slipping back into old habits simply and completely unacceptable.

My process sounds quite different than yours, I'm going through a large hospital though with three bariatric doctors on staff, not to mention numerous residents. I attented the orientation (which was free), where various areas were discussed. A bariatric resident spoke on the different WLS and processes, although with one of the bariatric nurses. They had a basic overview of expectations, what we can/can't eat (or drink, aka no alcohol); hair loss, etc.... We had the insurance gal do a basic overview and requirements for "most" companies. Next was to schedule an appointment with the surgeon you want. That appointment was crazy. They took my vitals and weight, a resident took my history as well as provided me with all my labs, and numerous other tests orders I would need. The nurse went over the requirements for pre surgery. The doctor came in for about 5 minutes and briefy spoke with me;looked at my history, informed me he'd also be removing my gallbladder. Poof he was gone. Overall, I was with his staff probably about 45 min to an hour. The next day, I did the required Nutrition group class (not covered by insurance - but covers all monthly visits with the NUT post surgery) This class was four hours, really good, discussed pre and post op menus, .food labels, I have a Primary Care Physician who provided a Letter of Medical necessity and has monitored my diet/s since 2008 on and off. So any physical I've had is with him. While the WLS surgeon requires numerous labs test, chest xray, and endoscopy - he does not have me scheduled for any type of "Physical".

The focus of 2016 for me will continue to be centered on my health and weight loss journey. I plan to reach my goal weight by my birthday in March, but even if I don't I will continue my eating plan. I'm a bit of a foodie and love good food and wine but now realize that alcohol may need to drop off the menu along with the recreation of trying out new restaurants. My husband wanted to take me out for a big New Year's Eve dinner at a highly acclaimed restaurant, but when I saw the menu I realized I would be overeating ( several courses were being served) and over drinking. I didn't want to feel the regret of going off my plan and trying to eat all that food or the sting of him paying for food / wine I can't eat / drink. We opted for a fun evening with friends and I was able to take a few healthy appetizers for their buffet. Their celebration was alcohol- free. Surprisingly, neither one of us felt deprived and we had a great time. Even though this is sort of unrelated, I have been the recipient of some of my mom's estate - antiques and household items. Although I really love her, I'm not an antique kind of person contemporary and minimalist is more my style. The realization came that all stuff has been in my garage and storage for about 5 years, cluttering my space with its physical and emotional weight and costing extra money to store. My resolution is to find a way to let go of her things ( keeping the great memories of course) and lose the burden that having it entails. Having surgery has helped me to become lighter in so many ways that I cannot imagine the act of divesting myself of all the stuff I've been holding onto will not further enhance my journey going forward. So many things about having VSG have come as a surprise. I'm looking forward to more NSVs, optimizing my health and helping my hubby as he begins to lose weight too. Looks like we're off to a good start????????????????Happy New Year and wishes for your success to all my Bariatric Pals!

The only thing I miss is a good deli style sandwich !! ( do not and cannot tolerate breads) And since I don't, (cannot) eat meat, I do miss a sandwich made from pastrami, corned beef, etc. Go to a good delicatessen or diner and have one of these sandwiches with french fries (something else I no longer eat) cole slaw and a pickle. Maybe a triple decker club sandwich! But all in all I do not miss being fat, unhealthy, and a pig! Not to mention what others thought of me. I'll take this healthy, fit life any day! Also, unlike others, I do still enjoy things like soda, beer, alcohol, ice cream, etc, etc....I am NOT on a diet!!! This is different than a diet.

I miss the mental and emotional "click" I got from overeating (and from alcohol and from pain meds) that put me (oh so temporarily) into my mellow happy place. I don't miss hating myself. Life is a million times better clean, sober and abstinent from overeating.

@@FocusOnMeNow - happy new year to you too! @@4MRB4PHOTO - my first alcohol after surgery had me fast asleep at the Breakfast table. No alcohol for me anymore!

Happy New Year to you and everyone else too. I only had 1 beer and stayed away from the chips, crackers and sweets, but I enjoyed the other Snacks at the party. I wonder how many people didn't realize how alcohol can have a greater effect on them post WLS (I would like to be at their party to observe that ).

I was totally strict until I hit goal as well. I still don't do Pasta, rice, bread, or alcohol. My carbs are usually fruit, oatmeal, or skinny pop popcorn. I think your fine with sweet potatoes and brown rice etc. I am not going to lie I do allow myself some sweet treats but I also workout everyday. Good luck- LA

As I'm getting closer to my goal, Ive been starting to think about what things I may start eating in the maintenance stage that I haven't so far. Ive probably been a little more strict as far as my eating than a lot of people as I haven't touched Alcohol, Caffeine, rice, bread, Pasta, potatoes, anything fried, no deserts, no sugary drinks. I never slipped, never took a cheat day, no breaks or anything. I don't know what would happen if my sleeve gets full because I measure everything and never gotten to that point lol. I actually haven't even eaten any fruit. So to my question. Ive been thinking about adding sweet potatoes to my routine. what do you guys think about it. do you eat them? I wasn't because I figured they would still be high in sugar.

I just read, and saw videos on the effect of alcohol after the surgery. It does change the way your body handle alcohol very much. I'd do some research before taking drinks again. When did you have your surgery?

@@TiffanyLM I'm glad you posted started this thread - you've mentioned some of the things I'm nervous about. and @@kranky813, THANK YOU for sharing your '9 days of hell' because, as a newbie, I really do want to know what might happen and it is encouraging to know that bad times can be temporary. My (current) fears are: 1 - turning into a fussy food person. Right now, I can eat almost anything, and dislike very little. I don't want to become one of those people that are fussy about food and don't "like" anything. 2 - giving up alcohol. I don't drink all the time, but I do like to have cocktails with the girls, happy hour now and then, a bottle of wine with a fancy dinner. I don't want to give that up. I have no idea how WLS affects drinking alcohol. 3 - floppy skin. I'm older (56 this week) and don't think my skin has the same elasticity it used to have. I'm afraid of becoming an old chick with wrinkles and excess loose skin everywhere. 4 - being sick. I have a "rock gut" and almost never get ill. I don't want to sign up for daily vomiting, nausea, or sick tummy because something I ate didn't agree with me. Especially if it is meats or veggies or fruits that make me sick! I have a lot to learn still, but any advice or encouragement - especially if my fears are not valid! - is appreciated. Like @@TiffanyLM, I am a newbie and just getting started on the prep.

The surgery is only a tool to help us lose weight. If there are deep rooted problems or compulsive behaviors that might undermine the success of the WLS, they will help people address these or at the very worst, get control of "what is eating them" first, before the surgery. Also, if someone has an addictive personality, there may be a cross addiction (alcohol, smoking, gambling, etc.) that could be developed post-WLS. Answer honestly, it is for your own good and success.

Hell no! It's never easy, never will be. It's like being an alcoholic and quitting drinking, it's a life long achievement to eat properly and exercise. Some have it easier at first and no matter what they eat, the weight falls off, then 5 or 6 years down the road they learned nothing and it all creeps back on! But, it can be as easy as you make it by making eating right and exercise a habit!

I'm back on track and really feel the only thing I had that was questionable was alcohol and a couple of fries. Everything else was on my plan. I brought a ton of Protein mix, bars and stuff with me but only used the bars, with out nuts, seeds or lumps and they are on my plan. No regrets about what I did and not making a habit out of any of it, was just scared to go, but glad i did and thought I'd share that it was a survivable experience. m

The holidays are rough - lots of socializing and so much focus on food traditions and alcohol. I kept it at bay but it wore me out. I just wrote a list of fitness goals for 2016 and I'm happy the new year is here in a few days. I'm ready for the holiday food fest to end. Now I'm going to go for my walk!

It is amazing what the holidays will do to us. When thanksgiving came around it was like an alarm went off in my head saying "ready, set, eat." Just not fair. I've eaten a few cookies that someone brought to my house. If my stomach gets weird, I either drink peppermint tea or chew mint gum. I think I should just let myself suffer. My new stomach is still sensitive. I'm grateful that it really won't let me eat much. On Christmas I had steak and roasted veggies. An hour later I had half a baked potato with some butter. That was my planned indulgence. I'm so grateful that I haven't had a drink of alcohol since before my surgery. I had my annual Christmas party that I've been throwing for ten years. The same people every year. They all know the whole story and don't even try to entice me (for the most part). I am still using my fitness pal. At least I start out that way each day. My weight has been stuck at 172-175 for months. My PA says that is normal for my AGE. I don't like weighing that, which is so silly. But wouldn't 160 be "sexier?" I'm a nut!! happy holiday everyone.

December 22nd, 2014 was the day that I had changed my life and body forever. On that day I had a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy done to help me lose a lot of excessive body weight. In 366 days, I have gone from being 463lbs to now 267lbs as of yesterday afternoon. I though that by having the surgery that I was taking the easy way out......Boy oh boy was I freaking wrong. There is nothing about this process that is easy. In fact its the total opposite of easy. Its hard as f**k. Probably the hardest thing I've had to overcome in my life so far. Besides the reality of having one's body altered forever, I had to learn how to eat all over again, deal with emotional issues I've spent a lifetime trying to avoid, and also dealing with some of the complications post surgery, that even now 1 year later I still have to struggle with. So what are some of those bad, not so easy things have I had to deal with within the past year. Well for starters I've had to give up the following items for a time period and/or forever: Bread/Wheat - Forever Pasta - Forever Rice - Forever Red Meat/Pork - 6 months Sugar - 6/8 months Soda (Carbonated beverages) - Forever Alcoholic beverages -6/8 months Smoking - Forever And then there were the habits and routines I had to take on as part of change. Things that I had to make habit forming and stay consistent with in order to be successful with this. Multivitamin supplements - Forever Iron Supplements - Forever B12 supplements - Forever Yearly blood/cholesterol checks - Forever Daily walking/cardio work outs - Forever Yearly checkups with Surgeon to make sure I have no ulcers or leaks from staples - Forever Yeah, and then there were the complications from the surgery that I had to and still am having to deal with. One of the main ones was short term memory loss and comprehension issues. Issues that even as I type this post I am still dealing with in some shape or form. Just this past Monday morning I had to have spinal Fluid drawn from my back (better known as a Lumbar Puncture Procedure) to be analyzed by my Neurologist to give a final determining cause as to why I've been suffering from short term memory issues post surgery. Right now the major ruling is some sort of allergic reaction to the general anesthesia I was under during my surgery. Its funny cause I have been under anesthesia before, its just that I wasn't under for longer that 15-20 minutes at a time. When I had the surgery I was under for almost 3 hours. My life has gotten a lot better in the last year, its just that things just haven't returned to a state of normalcy that I would like it to be at before the surgery. So as I sit around and wait for the test results of my spinal tap to come back, I move on and keep moving forward. I have too. If I sit around and dwell on everything that has/had gone wrong in the past year, I would be so depressed and miserable . And I refuse to allow that to be. So I stay focused on the positives of what has happened. I take comfort in all of the things I can check off my list as successes, and I continue on to the next goal. I look in the mirror and I see a person staring back at me that I am now getting use to seeing. A person that I am actually comfortable seeing in the mirror. And not the stranger I was seeing for the first few months of this year as I was drastically dropping weight off of me. Dropping years of the affects that emotional eating had caused me. Its a change that I can now say that I comfortably welcome, from both the physical and now emotional aspect. As far as weight lost goal, I am still about 70-80lbs away from the goal that I had set for myself. These last 70 -80lbs are going to be the hardest to get rid of, but I accept the challenge. I have no choice but to, because I didn't come this far, sacrificed so much just to quite 3 quarters of the way from completing the race. I share this with the world because I know that my words, my thoughts right now, may not only help me down the road at some point, but it may help someone else out there right now who is struggling with self-image/body issues, obesity, diabetes, and/or deciding whether or not to have weight loss surgery. I hope that my words and experiences can help you when it comes to making a decision on surgery or not. The question I am sure that anyone who is reading this would ask me: "knowing now what I know, would I still have gone through with the procedure/surgery?" My answer would still have been yes. Yes because now I no longer have to take insulin to keep my body's blood sugars under control. Yes because I can now buy clothing out of Walmart & other stores like a normal person and not having to go to the Big & Tall custom stores to find simple things like underwear and socks. Yes, because when I look in the mirror I see the person I was meant to be and not the person I was dreading to see. And finally yes, because I know that by doing this, I've given myself a fighting change to reach a longer life expectancy than 50-55 years. So did I do this all for me, you better believe I did!

Hi all, just back from a week long cruise. Left for the trip at day 26 post op and was pretty nervous about eating, flying, etc. Came back and gained .5 lbs but had a great time. I didn't expect to lose any weight on this trip and was pretty happy that I didn't have a big weight gain. I searched and searched for some advice about taking a cruise so soon after surgery and didn't find much so thought I'd share my experience for others about my trip on Carnival Cruse Lines. This is definitely not advice and don't recommend anyone does this but what I found: Buffet: Limited Breakfast selections that worked for me. Scrambled eggs, some luncheon meats, scoop of tuna from the deli, maybe a sausage link (only had them one day), milk. The yogurt they had was only 3 grams of Protein and loaded with sugar so avoided that. I did order a Guy's Hamburger and had a couple of bites of the burger with a fork and not too bad. There was some other stuff that looked edible for dinner but never ended up eating dinner at the buffet. Dining Room: There was usually a Soup every night but found most of the chilled Soups seemed to me to be very high in sugar so I avoided them unless there was no other option. Entries were limited to eat because of being carb/pata heavy or tougher meats. They always had flat Iron steak which was tender and I was able to eat so got that a few nights and most other nights got chicken or something like that. Got a tofu steak one night and it was bogus . Had to cover it with hot sauce to make it edible. Sorry tofu lovers... Only one night did they have a no sugar added desert that was something I was able to eat and it was a key lime mousse. Most the other nights, the no sugar added desert was cake or bread based. I usually couldn't fit desert anyway so didn't deal with it too much. Islands, Beaches: Most serve typical beach stuff. Burgers, fried foods, etc but there was usually something that you could order if you wanted. I'd usually get something simple like a club sandwich and just eat the meats. Had a fry here and there also. Alcohol: Talked my doc prior to cruising and although he did recommend being very careful with alcohol, he said it wouldn't damage my sleeve or anything like that. This is definitely not medical advice and just sharing my experience. So a couple of the days, on the beach and here and there, I had a pina colada's or daiquiri's and maybe a beer here and there. The first couple of beers I had, I would put my finger in the top and shake them a few times to let out the carbonation and to be honest, flat beer, even when cold wasn't that great. On our last beach day, someone bought me a Heineken and I didn't shake it up but drank it right from the bottle, carbonation and all and it went down okay, no pain or anything but waited a little bit before eating or drinking everything else. The buzz if definitely different.. About mid week, I went wild and had two Frozen banana daiquiris (with a dark rum floater) in about a half hour time span and got a good buzz but the buzz was gone within an hour at most. I really enjoyed the cruise but found that having some soft-ish Protein Bars were definitely beneficial for those times that I didn't want eat breakfast at the buffet or beach food. I enjoyed the cruise tremendously and found there was always something to eat but you definitely had to plan a bit due to buffet hours/selection and choices in the dining room. Keep in mind, I was just starting soft foods so had some limitations. With all that said, I'd do it again in a second.. m

Several individual on this site have reported the condition. It is officially called "reactive hypoglycemia". Here is a link to the condition and the recommended approaches to deal with it. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/expert-answers/reactive-hypoglycemia/faq-20057778 For the majority of people, reactive hypoglycemia usually doesn't require medical treatment. It may help to pay attention to the timing and composition of your meals: * Eat several small meals and Snacks throughout the day, no more than three hours apart during the waking hours. * Eat a well-balanced diet, including lean and nonmeat sources of Protein, and high-Fiber foods, including whole grains, fruit and vegetables. * Avoid or limit sugary foods, especially on an empty stomach. * Be sure to eat food if you're consuming alcohol and avoid using sugary soft drinks as mixers.

I've been getting tiny fills now and then over the last year. Four fills of 0.10, with my last one in August. I debated getting one in September but my NP and I decided together to try modifying my food plan and waiting to see those results. Well, I'm a stubborn old broad, and I resisted making serious changes right away. But here's what I did change over the last four months: I gave up alcohol completely in September. I gave up fried food in November. I gave up my weekly carby Thai overindulgence in December. Do I miss it? Hell yes. I gave up movie crapcorn completely in December. (Not movies though. I actually smuggled two pears into the movies a few days ago and got a little thrill out of that.) I began planning, committing, and tracking my food to my OA sponsor and using MyFitnessPal again two weeks ago. What happened? My band is talking to me again. I feel the stop signals very clearly now. I get the "enough" sensation on much smaller quantities. My dog is loving it because he gets the p rotein I can't finish. Bottom line is, I had to clean up my food for my band to be able to do its job right. I'm filled enough. I know that now. The band surgery alone enabled me to drop 2/3 of my excess weight without much behavior modification. Sure, I was eating less, and not eating between meals. But I was emotionally hanging on to my greasy, fried favorites and drinking with friends every weekend, not to mention socking away tubs of buttered crapcorn on a twice-weekly basis. And scratching my head as to why I stopped losing weight. Making the changes I made above was an incremental process. I wasn't ready to do it until I was ready to do it. I'm really glad that my band stayed consistent while I floundered around figuring this out. For whatever reason, I'm now motivated to get the rest of this weight off, and to follow the disciplined plan I have worked out with my OA sponsor. This may or may not help somebody else. But if you're chasing the elusive green zone, and wonder if you really need more fills or not, see if cleaning up your food for a few weeks first makes a difference. It did for me.

Ok the story gets better. The guy who propped me up on the dance floor called. I apologized for been such a drunk and he laughed it off, said we girls were just having a good time so I guess I wasn't as bad as I feared. Well except I don't really remember what he looks like or why I gave him my number! It really was fun and I don't feel guilty more like a warning. I don't process alcohol normally so if I have a few, well spaced out with food I am fine. ..if I don't follow my own rules... well, it gets crazy fast. I never drink alone or when I need to drive...safe and at least somewhat sane. .

I have moved from wine to beer and mixed drinks because wine hurts so much. UGH, @@monyLiza , I feel you. I only have 1 or 2 before I am done. I'm usually at home, so no fun stories, but alcohol does hit me hard. Glad you are safe, glad you had fun! No guilt should be had, but you now know what makes you uncomfortable so go forward with that. Personally I think your experiences were fun -- certainly nothing to fret about. I'm a ho like that.

I have never been a drinker, before my sleeve I would get drunk after 3-4 glasses of mix drinks. Last week we went out to our favorite club and got very tipsy after one full shot and two shots of half vodka with rockstar recovery. No hangover though! The worst was a swig I had of a Peach Moscato, OMFG.... Never again! Moscato was my favorite wine but now I felt like my stomach and esophagus was on FIRE! Not sure if it's because it's a different brand, different flavor or simply because my stomach just couldn't handle the alcohol with high sugar content that this type of wine has. I do know something though, no more sweet wine for me.

Did a holiday night on the town with a couple of girlfriends. I outweigh em both by at least 30#, but I got so hammered on the same amount they drank. We were safe and nothing bad happened but I feel awful today. Our uber driver sent us a text saying what a fun night HE had-ha. Apparently I told him all the gritty details of the burlesque show we saw and other adventures which he found entertaining. For some reason I let some guy talk me into dancing at the last place of the night. I remember making him promise to not let me fall down...gross, don't know why anyone would want to dance with me in that state. My friends said I looked pretty good, but it was very odd that I was wearing my friend's winter scarf out there dancing with a big tall guy who had a pretty good hold on me. Sheesh. Tequila may make your clothes off, but apparently gin makes me put more on. Anyway, trust me when I tell you that the sleeve changes the way your body handles alcohol. I did eat some dinner, but not enough because the drinks hit me hard. I changed my clothes into jammies when we got back to my friends house, I guess we danced more in the living room and I seemed "ok" but I don't have recall of things that happened after we closed the last dancehall. Good thing I am a sweet and happy drunk because I clearly was not in control of myself. I have no idea how people do this regularly.

I have cheated so many times its not even funny and I'm still losing weight and gaining muscle. I just got back from a cruise and I feel like I ate 24/7. I probably gained 5 lbs on the cruise but I'm not worried about it as I'll go to the gym and get back into my better habits once I'm home. The Sleeve is a tool. Use it and you will be fine. I actually indulged in alcohol on this past cruise. One drink and I'm drunk for a very short amount of time.. then sip some more... I guess smaller stomach = lighter weight drinker.