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Has anyone ever gained weight during your pre-op liquid diet? I'm on day 7 and every day the scale was lower and lower, but today I'm 2 lbs heavier. :/ I'm wondering if my metabolism is slowing down and storing fat. Can that be a possibility?

This is good to read. I am 10 weeks out and sometimes a reminder is good to read through. I have kept to most of the basics since my surgery with the exception of going on a cruise a few weeks ago. I did make some mistakes on my cruise by drinking some alcohol and eating a few spoonfuls of desert. Since I am home again I have been back on my regular schedule and am back to my "new normal" eating." New normal" is getting in all my Protein, having enough Water, no snacking and taking my supplements. I am feel so much better since losing almost 40 lbs. 1st Mistake: Not Taking Vitamins, Supplements, or Minerals Every WLS patient has specific nutritional needs depending on the type of surgery you have had. Not only is it a good idea to ask your surgeon for guidelines, but also consult with an experienced WLS nutritionist. Understand there is not a standard practice that all surgeons and nutritionists follow in guiding WLS patients. So, it is important to do your own research, get your lab tests done regularly, and learn how to read the results. Some conditions and symptoms that can occur when you are deficient in vitamins, supplements, or minerals include: Osteoporosis; pernicious anemia; muscle spasms; high blood pressure; burning tongue; fatigue; loss of appetite; weakness; constipation and diarrhea; numbness and tingling in the hands and feet; being tired, lethargic, or dizzy; forgetfulness, and lowered immune functioning. Keep in mind, too, that some conditions caused by not taking your vitamins, supplements, or minerals are irreversible. 2nd Mistake: Assuming You Have Been Cured of Your Obesity A "pink cloud" or honeymoon experience is common following WLS. When you are feeling better than you have in years, and the weight is coming off easily, it's hard to imagine you will ever struggle again. But unfortunately, it is very common for WLS patients to not lose to their goal weight or to regain some of their weight back. A small weight regain may be normal, but huge gains usually can be avoided with support, education, effort, and careful attention to living a healthy WLS lifestyle. For most WLSers, if you don't change what you've always done, you're going to keep getting what you've always gotten -- even after weight loss surgery. 3rd Mistake: Drinking with Meals Yes, it's hard for some people to avoid drinking with meals, but the tool of not drinking with meals is a critical key to long-term success. If you drink while you eat, your food washes out of your stomach much more quickly, you can eat more, you get hungry sooner, and you are at more risk for snacking. Being too hungry is much more likely to lead to poor food choices and/or overeating. 4th Mistake: Not Eating Right Of course everyone should eat right, but in this society eating right is a challenge. You have to make it as easy on yourself as possible. Eat all your meals--don't skip. Don't keep unhealthy food in sight where it will call to you all the time. Try to feed yourself at regular intervals so that you aren't as tempted to make a poor choice. And consider having a couple of absolutes: for example, avoid fried foods completely, avoid sugary foods, always use low-fat options, or only eat in a restaurant once a week. Choose your "absolutes" based on your trigger foods and your self knowledge about what foods and/or situations are problematic for you. 5th Mistake: Not Drinking Enough Water Most WLS patients are at risk for dehydration. Drinking a minimum of 64 oz. of water per day will help you avoid this risk. Adequate water intake will also help you flush out your system as you lose weight and avoid kidney stones. Drinking enough water helps with your weight loss, too. 6th Mistake: Grazing Many people who have had WLS regret that they ever started grazing, which is nibbling small amounts here and there over the course of the day. It's one thing to eat the three to five small meals you and your doctor agree you need. It's something else altogether when you start to graze, eating any number of unplanned Snacks. Grazing can easily make your weight creep up. Eating enough at meal time, and eating planned snacks when necessary, will help you resist grazing. Make a plan for what you will do when you crave food, but are not truly hungry. For example, take up a hobby to keep your hands busy or call on someone in your support group for encouragement. 7th Mistake: Not Exercising Regularly Exercise is one of the best weapons a WLS patient has to fight weight regain. Not only does exercise boost your spirits, it is a great way to keep your metabolism running strong. When you exercise, you build muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn, even at rest! 8th Mistake: Eating the Wrong Carbs (or Eating Too Much) Let's face it, refined carbohydrates are addictive. If you eat refined carbohydrates they will make you crave more refined carbohydrates. There are plenty of complex carbohydrates to choose from, which have beneficial vitamins. For example, if you can handle pastas, try whole grain Kamut pasta--in moderation, of course. (Kamut Pasta doesn't have the flavor some people find unpleasant in the whole wheat pastas.) Try using your complex carbohydrates as "condiments," rather than as the center point of your meal. Try sprinkling a tablespoon of brown rice on your stir-fried meat and veggies. 9th Mistake: Going Back to Drinking Soda Drinking soda is controversial in WLS circles. Some people claim soda stretches your stomach or pouch. What we know it does is keep you from getting the hydration your body requires after WLS--because when you're drinking soda, you're not drinking water! In addition, diet soda has been connected to weight gain in the general population. The best thing you can do is find other, healthier drinks to fall in love with. They are out there. 10th Mistake: Drinking Alcohol If you drank alcohol before surgery, you are likely to want to resume drinking alcohol following surgery. Most surgeons recommend waiting one year after surgery. And it is in your best interest to understand the consequences of drinking alcohol before you do it. Alcohol is connected with weight regain, because alcohol has 7 calories per gram, while protein and vegetables have 4 calories per gram. Also, some people develop an addiction to alcohol after WLS, so be very cautious. Depending on your type of WLS, you may get drunker, quicker after surgery, which can cause health problems and put you in dangerous situations. If you think you have a drinking problem, get help right away. Putting off stopping drinking doesn't make it any easier, and could make you a lot sicker[/b]

Hey all, I have my 6 week follow up tomorrow and I went down some weight but gained weight back. I'm not doing anything I shouldn't be and am pretty nervous with some weight gain. What is the typical weight loss at the 6 week mark? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I know it's been a very long time since I have been on this site. In the past I would get on the site at least twice a day, but I slowly started to fade a little from visiting so often once my first year of being banded. I really do miss all of the wonderful post and comments people would write on this site. Actually, things have been very well with me. I have spent a lot of time helping my daughter out since she started her first year in college. I am very proud to say that my weight continues to go down and I have not had any weight gain since the Christmas seasons passed. I do thank God for that. I have learned what do and do not work for my band. Certain foods had to be limited, and I have finally learned what my sweet spot is and what that actually means for me. I have not had a fill in over six months and nor do I need one. I finally have the tool I need to have long term weight success. My weight lost has always been slow, but I continue to lose weight. I really don't and never have used the scale to measure my success, but inches and my clothes sizes are my biggest indicators. I started off wearing a size 24-26 and today I wear a 1x & 16-18. Most of the 18 sizes are too big in dresses so I normally get a 16w. That is a very- very big accomplishment for me. All and all I am very very happy with my band. This relationship has had its ups and downs, but the majority of my experiences have been very positive. The band is really what a person allows it to be for them. It really takes a lot of work and effort to get to where you really want to be. My husband recently purchased a very expensive treadmill like the ones they have at the gym, and that has really aided my success. I try to walk a mile1/2 at least every other day. It takes only 25 minutes so I watch Netflix on my iphone which makes the time fly. I really have to say that my family has been great and they really made this process so much easier to go through when times got hard. I will be banded 2 years on July 21st this year. I just encourage all new banders to be patient and give yourself time to learn your band and how it works best for your success! I am going to make an honest effort to visit the site much more often than I have done in the past. This is truly a wonder site in which a person can gain a lot of knowledge, support, and motivation from others who have figured things out a little clearer than others. My final words would be to stay encouraged, be patient, and never ever give up on your weight lost goals because you are worth it. Always remember that half the battle has been won if you have already gotten your band or started the process to have it done.

Yes. I am 4 days post op and 10 pounds heavier than surgery day. I hope this is temporary, and the weight gain goes away quickly.

SouthBeach Diet Tips and Guides The SouthBeach Diet is different from the Atkins diet in that it is not a low carbohydrate diet. Regardless of which phase you are currently in, you should follow these recommendations: Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water, decaffeinated beverages such as club soda, tea, coffee, or decaffeinated sugar-free soda every day Limit your intake of caffeine-containing beverages to 1 cup each day Take one multivitamin and mineral supplement daily Take 500 mg of calcium for both men and women under the age of 50, and 1,000 mg for women over the age of 50, each day Eating can be both pleasurable and healthy as long as you eat the proper foods. All the meals in the SouthBeach Diet consist of healthy combinations of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Dishes can be made by anyone and the ingredients can be found in most grocery stores. These foods will satisfy your hunger without depriving your system of the low-quality starches and sugars that caused problems with your blood chemistry in the first place. The SouthBeach Diet does not involve counting calories, fat grams, or portion sizes. This plan was designed to be simplistic and will help you understand the principles of metabolism and put it to work for your own body. A major key to success with the South Beach Diet is the Glycemic index (GI), which ranks carbohydrate foods based on the effect on blood sugar levels. When you start adding foods back into your diet in Phase 2, keep your focus on low-GI foods such as apples, berries, grapefruit, high-fiber cereal, and whole grain breads. Preparing For The Rest Of Your Life Mindset Change for South Beach Diet You have learned what the South Beach Diet is, how it works, and what to eat. Now, you need to get prepared to change the way you eat, for life. Start by accepting that the first couple of weeks will be a big change but one you will not regret. The first morning of this diet, you will eat a breakfast that may consist of a two-egg omelet with two slices of Canadian bacon, cooked in either spray canola or olive oil. In your old life, you may have toasted bread or a bagel and had fresh fruit or fruit juice to go along with your omelet. However, with the South Beach Diet, the bread will have to wait. Most people have been conditioned their entire life to add bread to meals. You have toast with breakfast, sandwiches on bread for lunch, dinner rolls with dinner, and cake, cookies, or pie for dessert. However, during Phase 1, you will have to forget about the bread. It may take a few days to leave old habits behind but keep in mind that it is during this time that your body’s inability to process sugars and starches is being reversed. After trying numerous diets, most leave you feeling hungry, is one of the most difficult aspects of any diet. A common denominator seen with overweight people is that most of them skip eating breakfast. When this happens, blood sugar drops, which then increases the desire for bad carbohydrates to escalate until lunch when the entire meal is blown. Planning for South Beach Diet Planning will help you stay away from snacking or substituting things that are not healthy and could cause weight gain. Remember that once you start into Phase 2, carbohydrates will start being introduced back into your diet along with fruits. You also need to remember to eat your mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks, even if you do not feel like it. Some of the greatest low-fats foods to incorporate into your planning include cheese and yogurt to replace the fats since they have no bad carbohydrates. In addition, the sugar is found in the lactose, milk sugar, is one of the things you can have with the South Beach Diet. The South Beach Diet is a lifetime change, lifetime commitment, and a lifetime of health and vitality! How Does The South Beach Diet Work? As mentioned, the South Beach Diet is unique, successful, easy, and works in a three-phase process. Unlike many other so-called diets, with the South Beach Diet, simply substitutes your bad carbohydrates and fats for good ones. After trying this, you will be amazed by how well and quickly it works. South Beach Diet Phase 1 South Beach Diet Phase 1 lasts for two weeks. During this first phase, you will eat normal meals of chicken, beef, turkey, fish, and shellfish, lots of vegetables, eggs, cheese, nuts, and garden salads using 100% olive oil for your salad dressing. Each day for 14 days, you will eat three, well-balanced meals. While eating until your hunger is satisfied may go against most diets, with the South Beach Diet, it is part of the plan. Trying to lose weight and become healthy by depriving the body of food makes no sense. In addition to the three meals each day, you will also eat a snack between breakfast and lunch, and then again between lunch and dinner. Even if you do not feel like eating these snacks, for the South Beach Diet to work, you need to, and after dinner, you will even have dessert. Additionally, during this phase, you can drink all the coffee and tea you want and be sure to drink lots of water. You may be thinking that this is a lot of food - it is! With most diets, you deprive your body, eating only small portions of foods that are unappealing. The change you will make during this phase is that you will cut out all bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, baked goods, fruit, candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, or sugar. Keep in mind that these eliminated foods will be added back into your diet, starting in Phase 2. In addition to taking these foods out of your diet temporarily, you will also need to avoid beer, or any kind of alcohol. Once you start Phase 2, reasonable amounts of wine can be added back in. Instead of feeling overwhelmed about the foods that will be taken out of your diet during the first two weeks, stop and think about this for a minute. To achieve a life of health and lose unwanted weight, two weeks is a small investment to make. After all, you are worth it! The first two or three days will be somewhat challenging, but breaking any bad habit starts out a little bumpy. Once you pass this small hurdle, the rest of the time will go by quicker than you think. When you see the results that these changes bring, you will be glad you did not give up!

This morning I spent some time trying on clothes in my closet that until recently no longer fit. What a pleasant surprise. I have a bunch of things I can wear without having to go out and purchase "temporary" clothes. About 6 years ago, I lost just over 150 pounds, then 4 years ago I quit smoking and found the weight again. Because the weight gain is fairly recent, and over a relatively short period of time, I have clothes in various sizes. In fact, I have jeans in 7(!) different sizes. There's such a temptation to buy new clothes at every new size, but I am going to try and be patient, save the money, and do major shopping when I get to goal!

@john925 I am 5+ years PO - GOAL past 4+ years (105 lbs down) during the last 2.5 years i fluctuated here and there as much as 5-7 lbs - but i consider myself at GOAL for ME, restriction gradually slowed down about 2 years+ my "mental" restriction" kicked in i still use a smaller plate with my small amounts trying to eat lessss sweets (that's a killer for me) pre-op my doc said to me "eat until you are full", then stop 2 bites earlier"! kind of like "tom" asks "fred" where is sleeve st???fred says,"watch me" - and get off 2 stops earlier!! I better stop writing now and grab a cookie oooops - meant to say Greek lite and fit blueberry yogurt weight gain would happen if i ate too often, and to much in this situation, size DOES matter you should usually/frequently follow all the rules that you've learned you can be a "little" lax as times passes I used to be 5"3 now i'm 6" tall kathy i will always be proudgrammy

We dont do thanksgiving in Australia, but Christmas is just around the corner. I've actually never had a problem with celebratory eating, I was a little and often overeater not a massive humungous intake all at once eater and i've never ever liked the sensation of scarfing down Christmas dinner, followed by plum pudding, washed down with four or five wines till you need to undo your pants type eating. I hate it. So I've not really dont it. Likewise in any other situation where weight gain was a threat - holidays and pregnancy mainly - I have an Iron will, I plan ahead of time not to overeat and I dont. its the day to day routine eating where I tend to go off track, just not planning, thinking about it or shopping properly.

"Almost a month out" - virtually everyone experiences a stall around week 3. With my band I hit in from about week 2.5 to about week 4.5. It's your body reacting to the "emergency" you've just put it through. Remember your body doesn't have a brain. It can't rationalize, it thinks it is starving, and is going to react in a way so as to preserve itself. That reaction (unfortunately for our frail psyches) usually includes a postponement of weightloss, and quite possibly a slight weight gain. Two very important things to remember when you start to despair... 1. Weight is not the same as fat. You can weigh the same, or more, and be less fat than you were. This will almost guaranteed be true multiple times. 2. Like investments, you can't look at things in the short term. This is why I hate the scale, it's such a short term de/motivator. You're looking for a sustained average of a couple of pounds a week. So far, you're way above that average. 5 lbs a week cannot be sustained.

Hello All. I had my gastric sleeve surgery on June 16, 2016. I lost about 25lbs the first month and then suffered the loss of my father who was my best friend. After I lost my dad I ceased losing weight. I mourned the loss of him for quite some time...I still do really. For at least the first year after losing him I was in a horrible depressed state and didn't follow the rules of how I should eat post sleeve. I was eating until I felt sick, eating unhealthy foods and drinking (not alcohol) my calories. Finally after a year I figured out how to live day by day without him and started feeling happy and positive again. I started following the rules and being super vigilant with my health. I dropped 40 lbs in two months! Whoa. Then, after those two months of excellent weight loss I found out my husband and I were expecting. I went to my first sonogram excited and two seconds with the wand on my belly she told me it was twins! I was instantly excited as twins run in my family (I am the aunt to two sets of twin boys from the same mother.) After the excitement wore off I feared the pending weight gain. I told myself I was going to watch what I ate and not give into wild pregnancy cravings. I lied to myself. I gained 68lbs total through the pregnancy. After giving birth I lost an initial 37lbs the first two days postpartum. Then another 10lbs the following week. I have been stuck at 48 total lbs lost for months now but I also haven't been following the rules of how I should eat post sleeve again. It's time to get my butt in gear. Anyone else a couple years out starting over? I am just looking for tips and possibly success stories for motivation! HELP!

Hey guys, I need your help! I am a student in an experimental psychology class doing research on weight loss surgery. If you would like to participate please click the link below. Feel free to share the link! / https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CNKNSMB

I had Gastric Sleeve 6/10 and did very well for the first six months. Down 62 pounds. I also have Rhuematoid Arthritis and was put on some medications with weight gain as side effects. Now I am 1 yr post op and I'm only down 45 pounds from my starting weight. Very depressed and feel like my stomach has stretched. I can eat way more that I should be able too. I have altered some of my meds and hoping that will help, but I feel hungry and crave things I never did! Help!!! What do I do if I am stretched, and how can I get back on track???

I jumped on the scaled and saw that I've put on 2kg is this normal ? I don't understand how I could put on weight I was eating the same food I eat last week ?? Last week I lost 4kg and this week I've put on 2kg , I felt that I didn't lose weight ? I'm getting worried that I'm gonna start putting weight on again

Thank you all for your insight! I double and triple checked with my insurance, even read the medical jargon 14 page breakdown of coverage and requisites for it, and no time threshold was set. They only request proof of continued weight gain with attempts at weight loss, which I have. Here's to hoping that may speed up my process!

Thanks everyone! It is definatley a rollercoaster ride, but so worth it. @Beecharmer1982 I am 5 months Post op. I have lost 50 lbs since surgery. It has slowed down to about 1-2 lbs a week, but that is OK with me. So long as I am losing, I am happy. Every pound adds up in weight loss just as it does in weight gain! @favordone LOOK AT YOU!! you look GREAT chica! @Giselle 3264 the numbers will make you CRAZY! I really try to focus on how I feel, how my clothes feel...and now how my towel feels! LOL! Thank you everyone for your kind wishess and encouragement. It really does help and makes a differance in our self esteem and self worth. We have ALL battled that fight. I FEEL THE LOVE!! :wub:

I had a conversation yesterday with my OB about this same thing. I expressed to her that I had difficulty losing weight. She told me that 60-70% of her Mirena patients reported the same thing. Not so much of a problem with weight gain, but problems losing with a Mirena. I then told her that I was having WLS, without hesitation she said I should have my Mirena taken out and possibly consider tubal ligation or esure. She also suggested ablation to resolve my issue of heavy cycles. My nutritionist said the same thing - that my Mirena could possibly slow down my loss. I am having it removed. She also indicated that the Mirena was maybe only one factor of many (middle age, insulin resistance, etc.) that was causing me difficulty with losing weight. I'm sure this form of b/c effects everyone differently. I am pre-op, planning a December surgery.

O my goodness, :cursing: I know all that was exciting. I was thinking about you and keep checking your journal to see if you blog yesterday about it . U r a whole new different person and your family didn't even reconize you. That is awesome. I weighed myself this morning and I gain a pound. So that makes it back to 4 lbs gain. I'm okay with it. I have been working out really good. The weight gain is because two of my three kids is in St. louis, mo with their dad. (they been there for a month and 2 weeks) So therefore I havn't been cooking. And also I had a few drinks. But my energy level and spirit is back up with working out. Now since your family know u have lost weight. They are going to be bugging you and asking you how much more have you lost. People seem to ask me that every other day. I'm glad u enjoyed yourself. P.S. Don't worry about the 3 lb gain. U so deserve to treat yourself!!!:eek::cursing::thumbup:

Ok thanks for your responses I googled the Mirena and only then discovered that many other women report that is caused weight gain, libido problems and acne.

"Have you ever thought about trying to lose weight with diet and exercise?" This is what one of my good friends asked me as I told him that my initial consultation is tomorrow. He then went on to tell me of the friend we have that has lost 60 pounds with exercise and diet. I actually laughed when he said it and mentioned to him how my weight constantly fluctuates b/c of trying to diet/exercise but it always ends up coming back ... Plus some... I know he didn't mean any harm, but if he truly took a minute to think he would realize I have tried MANY times... But he is the same height as me and couldn't hit 200 pounds if his life depended on it Lol. He is the only friend that I have told, and went on to tell me that he wants to help me in any way possible. But I think that people that have been skinny their entire lives don't appreciate the struggle or the ups and downs of weight loss/ weight gain. I sure wish I didn't!!

I weighed 355 (Nov '16) Surgery weight 338 Current weight 283 (I didn't track very often before so I would disregard previous data points.) But you can clearly see sudden drops, weight gains and stalls. Rarely matching my consistent dedication to my plan. I know as I change my relationship with food and make good choices in each moment and day, the rest will take care of itself. Just not in a perfect line. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hello all, I'm Karen. And I am new to all of this, so I hope i do it right. I am a 33 year old wife and mom living in gloucester point VA. Kind of secluded spot, but I have lived in Gloucester most of my life. I have a husband (14 years and counting) and an 11 year old son. I have always been well not skinny. In high school i was a size 16 which to the kids then was practically the size of a house!!!! I am also legally blind, which does tie into my story because I have been that way since 1990. After being married, I had to have knee surgery on both knees from an acident. That is when the real weight gain began. Having no weight bearing for 6 months, no matter how good your diet is, really does bad tricks to your body. I gained most of my weight then. Since then, I have been in and out of the orthopedic ofice. Being almost blind, i can't get out and excercise as much as i would like. I do things close to home, but i can drive, and everyone works so it is difficult to get a ride to the gym. I tried to keep my diet good, but i gave in sometimes. I think thte real deal breaker for me was when last year, I had lost 30 poundsand i was so excited!!! I was getting ready to head out the door and i tweaked my knee, well poop!!! I was in a knee immobilizer for a month,a nd all the weight i lost came rushing back. Even though I kept to my diet, the inactivity killed me. I was SO mad!! Then the orthopedic said the next fix for my knees would be replacement. Um....NO I got in touch with the weight loss surgery center here in Newport News and went to the first seminar in January. I was scared, but I pushed through with it, and had my Sleeve Gastrectomy on May 19th. My doctor is Dr. Terracina at Mary Immaculate Hospital. I have had no ill effects from the surgery thus far. Everything seems to be going well. I can say i don't care for the liquid diet lol, and am not looking forward the the puree either, but if it leads to a healthier me, I'm all for it. So, my weight loss so far is 23 pounds. I was scared really bad as I thought fast loss was bad, but after talking to my doctors I am assured it is normal for rapid loss in the beginning. Well, that is my story up til now. I am getting ready to go and work the treadmill for a while. Karen S.

No, you should not do a liquid diet. I didn't need to do a preop liquid diet at all and my BMI was 41. the post op diet was so easy to follow because I had sooo much restriction from surgery. I have done liquid diets in the past and they are wicked. They are hard to follow and for me usually results in huge binges and weight gain instead of loss. Have you met with your sugeon yet? If not, I would not try to lose weight untill you see him. Qualify for surgery and then if you want, try a liquid diet. You can always cancel the surgery once you qualify, but it is alot harder to qualify for surgery if your BMI drops below 40.

I have talked to the nutritionist and had to see a therpaist. I was with a nutritionist for 6 months prior to getting surgery and then after. I also had to meet with a therapist before and after. Everyone saying that I must have some issue with food because I do little treats I became upset. I actually called the nutritionist and she said my thought process is healthy. If I can have a small treat, like a chocolate covered cherry and it makes me happy then I should go with it. The reason being is it is the holidays and we have sooo many temptations so to choose one here and there is healthy. To give myself only certain days for those treats are even better. I keep track of what I eat in a food journal and the nutritionist said that they say people with mental connections to food and my connection isn't to sweet. My connection was to fast food and that was just because of cooking. I just forget to take something out and end up getting fast food. I am working on changing that. I can't eat fast food anymore it makes me sick. Blech, maybe that is a mental thing but all the grease turns my stomach. When I first started this process I had prepared myself for no sugar in anything. I have already written off soda, though I only used to have ginger ale which is a lesser of the evils but still evil. I only drink water with maybe a 6oz cup of ice tea once a week to take my morning pills. My friends and family live around going out to eat, so I try to make smart choices and plan outings when I know I will feel hungry and ask to see the calorie/protein information for their meals. I order my meal off of that. This lady at our support group I was talking to told me, "I give myself a little treat twice a week. I work hard at loosing weight, I watch what I eat all the time, exercise, and I believe that a treat will not kill me." My nutritionist says that during the holidays especially, to have this mindset is healthy, it prevents a person from gorging themselves on stuff they shouldn't. We all have snacks, cookies, treats and the like in our houses this time of year so being smart about our choices saves us a lot of headache and heartache later. I agree, as far as my weight gain, did I have a part in it? Well, my only part was probably eating out too often. However, the thing to point out was that even prior to the six months with the nutritionist a year prior to this, I excercised, I ate all protein and vegtables, proper amounts, did not cheat at all, stayed away from sugar and sugary drinks. I kept a food journal and didn't lie at all, I was honest because I wanted to find out why this is going on. I went to the gym five days a week and gained weight, even working with a personal trainer. So in the end, my doctors and my OBGYN told me, "with PCOS it is hard to loose the weight and gaining is super easy." He said that I shouldn't blame myself for my weight if I am trying to loose and keep on gaining. My doctor said that I should consider getting the lap band, that people with PCOS and Hypothyroid benefit from it. The doctors, trainers and everyone else sees how "little" I was eating and how much effort I had been putting into my weight loss to only gain. I don't have a mental thing with food, I do have an issue with authority that I will readily admit. IF someones tells me I can't have something, I strive harder to get it. So I had that battle early on in this process. As in Buddhism, there is a Middle Way, you do not have to seek extremes to move forward towards goals. I eat healthy, have my treats on Tuesday and/or Thursdays, depending on schedules. Some weeks I don't have anything. I believe that some of this will go away when I feel fuller with the next few fills. Part of the problem in my mind is that at night I am hungry. Once that fades out a little I am sure I will get and once these holidays are gone the treats will be out of the house and I won't crave them anymore. People asked me what kind of cake I want for my birthday this coming January, honestly, nothing sounds good. The thought of cake kind of turns my stomach. I think I will ask for a carrot cake and just have a little piece with out the frosting. I have been using Splenda for cooking and baking. Even though I don't end up eating 9/10ths of what I make. I don't know, I think I am doing great. The people who know me best say I am doing great and agree with me about the food issues. I have a friend who is going to a therapist for food issues and we talk all the time. I see her struggles and honestly, I could go with out the treats. She says, "the difference is I couldn't. I would HAVE to have that treat every tuesday and thursday if I set days up like that, so for me that wouldn't be healthy. For you it is a guideline." Last night, which was Thursday, I had no treats. Last Tuesday I had a chocolate covered cherry because I was up all night with a sick baby and was craving something sweet. The last few nights up with her I had nothing. So I don't know, I guess I don't see it the way you guys do. I view it as having healthy guidelines and realizing that by setting up windows of days that I can treat myself works for me.

How are things going with the weight gain? I have been having similiar issues. You are a few months ahead of me, just wondering how things are going?