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Hi, If you're reading this, you're probably considering sleeve surgery. I will share a shorten version of "my long story." I am 51 yrs old. and have not been obese all my life. Three years ago i quit smoking (30 yr bad habit) and my small 5'2" frame went from 120 lbs. to 195 lbs. I know, it was bad. But that's not the worse part - apparently the rapid weight gain had decided to reek havoc on my liver. Having some routine blood work done was showing my liver enzymes beginning to sky rocket. I was trying weight watchers, Atkins, starving myself, etc. and like everyone else, I would gain everything back again. I used to be semi-active but with the added pounds on my small frame, my knees, back and joints were killing me. There was no way I could exercise - Not to mention, I was out of breath soo quickly. I was so depressed. My extremely high liver enzymes forced me to see a specialist. I went to Temple University in Philadelphia, PA and he told me that if I did not lose this excess weight rapidly, I would be needed a liver transplant in the future. Please note my liver enzymes were over 10X the normal high. On the way home from Philadelphia that day, I called a friend who went to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, PA for lapband surgery. She told me that she had Dr. Harrison and for me.... this was the beginning of changing my life. My insurance company required me to go thru a 3 month program which included weight loss meetings, meeting a psychiatrist for an evaluation, dietitian counseling, nutrition counseling, group meetings, etc. I was traveilng down to Allentown almost once a week for 3 months. After I completed the entire program, I had a problem with my insurance company. They initially denied my claim and my original January 2012 surgery date had to be cancelled. I was "crushed" but my surgeon appealed their denial and I was back on the schedule for April 24th. : ) I did not have a pre-surgical diet to follow, except to do High Protein or Atkins Diet to help to "firm up" and shrink the size of the liver for surgery. The surgeon must actually lift up the liver to move it out of the way for the surgery. I did Atkins for 2 weeks prior to surgery and then 3 days before surgery, I did a Atkins shake Fast - no food and lost 8 lbs in 3 days. Current weight was 188 lbs. on day of surgery. As far as the sleeve surgery is concerned, well... it was bad for me. They also removed my gall bladder. I never imagined to be in such pain since I am usually a quick healer. One of the hardest parts for me was getting out of bed after surgery. I was not able to use my stomach muscles without a lot of pain. Probably the fact that my stomach was sooo out of shape at that point, there was no muscles. I was lucky enough to borrow a reclining lift chair from a friend and I actually slept in this chair for probably 2-3 weeks. Eating the first 6 weeks was just to survive - I did not enjoy eating at all and I never got physically hungry but there is a mental hunger. I accidently ate a little too much and TRUST ME - you won't let that happen very often. You feel like you must throw up to get this excess out of your stomach. It's not a fun feeling and it lasts about 2 hrs for me. I am now 2 1/2 months post op and I feel great. I am down to 150 lbs. which is a loss of 38 lbs. since surgery. I was wearing a sz. 18 pants and am wearing between 12 and 14 now. I feel like my self confidence is finally coming back and I look forward to a future. And by the way... I went to get my bloodwork done a few days ago and my liver enzymes have almost gotten back to a normal range. This was the whole purpose of my surgery - to SAVE MY LIVER - the other benefits are an extra perk. : ) If you have any questions, Or I can help you with anything, please let me know. And lastly, GOOD LUCK to you. PJones

Your thyroid can cause lots of problems: weight gain, hair loss, fatigue, abnormal periods, temperature imtolerance, and more. I hope they get it under control but at least the meds have been proven to be effective. It will work!

I was sleeved on September 10 pre op I was 293 and post op I was 273. Last week I I was 264 and my current weight is 270. Is it normal to gain weight back even when sticking to the diet? I'm feeling really discourage right now and I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong.

Hello everyone!! I am back on and in need of some input. I will have my band now for 6 yrs in July. When I first got the band it worked great! For the past couple years I have been at a stall then all of a sudden I began gaining weight.. Knowing that muscle weighs more then fat I am just hoping my weight gain is muscle.. My tummy is big with fat and then with all the muscle back there which I can totally feel my mid section is bigger and my jeans don't fit ;-( this makes me sad and adds to the discouragement. A couple years ago I had issues with high cholesterol and my fibromyagla got really bad. So I began hitting the gym a min of 3 days a week I really got into the gym and to my surprise really enjoyed it. Not at all a fan of cardio and to be honest I detest it!! Anyway I also began doing organic and seriously paying better attn to what I put in my mouth. I do not eat out and I am a great cook thanks to this band. I am not a huge carbs eater other then things that are natural organic carbs, fresh fruits and veggies. I have a 10cc band and it was full to 8 1/2 and it really did take a long time to eat things when I went back home to St Louis in Nov last year my surgeon took out a tiny bit of Fluid did not help ;-( He backed out some because he said it was taking way to long for me to eat things.. I love the surgeon I have here in the So Jersey area however his office staff are a ridiculous bunch of nit wits and that I simply can not deal with!! So I am looking now for a new doctor here in NJ Bottom line here is I eat healthy and I do workout again a min of 3day a week sometimes 4 or 5 days. I have muscles in places I never knew I had them and my pants will not button!! My jeans are tight, my thighs are bigger, my butt is bigger, everything is bigger even the numbers on the scale!! What on earth am I doing wrong I feel now like I am d&*(%^ if I do and if I don't!! I have gotten very discouraged and feel like giving up at this point. I would love to hear some input and thoughts. I think I need to be here again for some great support from all of us who have been there and done that! Thanks Michele

I am exactly two months out from surgery and I've lost over 50 lbs!! I am so excited. I have cheated a couple of times, but I've definitely paid the price...fortunately no weight gain though. However, there is a program called Lindora TLC offered through My Lap Band Journey on Lapband.com. I am very interested in this. I was supposed to start on the 8th but I didn't know it started. Has anyone tried this and had success. Please let me know.

Congrats on this big first step! It's wonderful news that you're able to take decisive action and make such a major decision to improve your life! I'm worried when I hear you say you hope the surgery will make you stop hating yourself. This surgery is a great health improver, but there's no guarantee how you'll feel about yourself afterwards. You could easily end up skinny but unhappy. I'd guess we all come into this with pretty low self image due to all of our previous failures at weight loss. But I would recommend taking some time to understand what's contributed to your self image and weight issues to this point before actually having the surgery. For most people it's not just stomach capacity that led to the weight gain. For those of us using insurance, we had to sit down with a psyche professional and they usually poke around and try to unpack these issues for each of us. Your doctor can probably recommend someone similar that works with MWL patients. I think it'd be a great benefit to you if you reached out to them for some counseling before making your mind up. I hope I don't sound preachy. I would just hate to see you spend all that money and go through everything and end up unhappy. I will pray for you and I hope you get to a really great place!

Hi all. I had my surgery on Jan 16 and am currently one week post op. So far so good! The only issue I've noticed is I can consume anything cold. But down 10 lbs :-) A little back story. I'm 25 and was diagnosed with a hormonal disorder when I was 14. It's caused a lot if weight gain, blood sugar problems, and infertility. I've always been athletic, played volleyball and was a runner most of my school years, but I was always the chunky one. After high school I got married and have been a nanny/homemaker. To no avail, my husband and I have not been able to conceive. So 120 lbs later and countless failed diets, except use routines, and fertility treatments, I am here. I feel good about my decision. I'm hoping to get to know other RNYers and have a support system since my surgeons office is 4 hours away and I won't be able to make the support meetings. I've read so many post and have so much respect for this outlet and the people who bare the souls on here! Hope to get to know y'all Mandi

Hi everyone, I am not yet banded but after thinking about it for the last year, I want to do it and I am working on insurance approval right now. I am doubtful that they will do it, so if I have to self pay I am sure that won't stop me. I have a 37 BMI with Acid Reflux, depression from the weight gain (I am sure that covers a lot of us and I was gestational insulin dependent diabetic when I was pregant (3yrs ago). I check my sugar and I have had numbers in the 200's-300s at time but it goes pretty low like 78 after eating too so my A1C is I belive .1 away from being considered Type 2 Diabetes but I am taking the Glucophage to keep it down currently. I have Priority Health and you have to have <35BMI and two comorbidities. I am not real hopeful that I will be approved, although my Dr. is.... Anyway I was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation and my biggest battle with keeping the weight off is hunger - the glucophage is helping with that - but I feel hungry all of the time and fighting with that is very hard. Do you feel the banding does a good job with reducing hunger after a while? I have a son turning 3 and a supportive and loving husband that I want to be able to keep up with. I find that my body image/self esteem keeps me from doing so many things that I did before. Well, I hope to learn a lot from everyone here. Thanks and I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend:laugh:

Hello everyone! I am super new to this and just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Tricia, and I am a 37 year old mother of 2. My son is out of the house now and about to give my a grandbaby in October! My daughter is a teenager and very supportive of me. I smoke, which is something everyone wants me to give up...but what about the weight gain? Maybe the band will help me with that also. Has anyone else given up smoking after the band? I am very excited about going to see Dr. Spivak on Wednesday. I am also very nervous. I know I am ready for this, but if one more person asks me "Are you really sure you want to go through with it?" I think I will scream. Of course I am ready. I have been overweight since I was in high school well really junior high but very overweight since high school. I am 5'3" tall so 10 pounds looks like 50. I am so tired of looking in the mirror and being disgusted at what I see looking back. I am normally an upbeat person, but I am miserable when it comes to my body. I really hope they approve me for surgery. The only other stomach surgeries I have had are my two babies by c-section. I totaled my BMI and it was 38. I've heard it has to be 40, but on one of the websites I went to it said I was a candidate.(I guess because I'm short!?) Anyway, I feel like if they won't do it because I'm not at 40 I will just cry...fall into a deep depression and eat my way to 40. Not that I want to, but I'm afraid that is what would happen. I want this so bad! Not just to be able to look in the mirror and be happy, but to be healthy for myself and my family. I want to be able to walk normal again, without swelling and pain. I had reconstructive surgery on my ankle about 5 years ago and fusion in 2004. I feel that the more weight I can take off my weak ankle, the more active I can be. One more thing before I go. I have been doing alot of research on doctors close to me. A friend of mine used Dr Spiegel and loves him. I'm sure I would feel the same way, but I have chosen to go with Dr. Spivak. I could not handle the office staff of Dr. Spiegel. After my first emergency surgery on my ankle, I LOVED my doctor. BUT...The office staff there was so rude and uncaring that I would cry on the drive to his office. People need to understand that we are going through a major life change and a little smile goes a long way with some. Sorry this was so long. Good luck to everyone! Love and Laughter, Tricia:nervous

A big hello from Brisbane!! Your doctor is right, your fill will have settled, allowing you to eat more than you could when you were first filled. You will find that your next fill (depending on how much more your doc adds) will make a big difference in your restriction. Your weight loss will be a bit up and down at first. The weight we lose on fluids is a one time deal. We typically never lose weight that fast again. And sometimes, when people go from fluids to solids, there is even a slight weight gain. The trick is to not freak out, and keep eating right and exercising. Congrats! Sam.

shake the other partner psychologically when one loses weight, gains confidence and starts getting more attention. But the experience taught me that someone who is jealous of something that makes me better, healthier and stronger never had my best interests at heart. Dating after that was a struggle, until I met my current boyfriend six months ago. Most guys got scared because they were afraid to take me to dinner, afraid they would break my new diet resolve, and when they saw a picture of what I used to look like, they started to wonder what would happen if I gained a few pounds again. What else has surprised me about losing weight? No one ever told me that it would upset me when severely obese people get special attention because they choose to be heavy -- like when TV shows feature people who are happy to weigh 600 pounds, or people who post YouTube videos professing love of their excess weight. Don't get me wrong, I think it is great that people are comfortable in their own skin, because many times I'm not always comfortable in my own skin. But for me, being heavy wasn't a choice. So I guess I have a hard time identifying with them. Obesity is debilitating to your health. I used gastric bypass surgery as a tool to save my life so that I wouldn't develop diabetes, have a heart attack at age 35, have a stroke, and to hopefully lower my risk of cancer. Now I have no tolerance for excuses about not being able to eat healthy and exercise. See, here's the bottom line: The biggest thing that no one ever tells you about losing weight is that eventually, the number on the scale no longer matters. What matters is how you feel, how you look and how happy you are. I know at my current weight I am still medically obese, but I have a clean bill of health. Through my bad days and my good days, I am happier now than I have ever been. When I struggle or feel myself about to slip into old habits, I pull out a picture of what I used to look like. And I remind myself that nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels.

TTC lets see. Toronto Transit Commission - no. Tao Te Ching - no. The Tom Tom Club - no. Top Teen of Canada - no. Telecommunication Technology Committee - no. Texas Technological College - no. And the lists goes on-and-on. O.K. you mean "trying to conceive". Congratulations on your weight loss. 208 pounds is fantastic. Generally it is recommended that you not get pregnant during the 12-18 months after surgery because low caloric intake cannot support a pregnancy. But since you are in year 2, it sounds like you have a "green" light. Many individuals become more fertile after weight loss surgery. It is important to gain some weight during pregnancy for the health of the little one. You should be able to lose this weight after delivery, provide the weight gain is from good foods with plenty of Protein and Vitamin C.

I have had a weight problem for over 10 years. It started out with just 20-30 pounds over weight but as I grew older and stressed I ate more and more. I would lose weight but I never maintained the loss. The biggest gain for me started about 3 years ago when I made the decision to move away from my family for my career. At first I was okay no weight gain but as I began missing my family the more I pulled away from the life I had created away from home and would dwell on how much I missed home. That's when I started eating more and more. Before I knew it I was 70 lbs heavier. I tried Zumba and walking to get the weight off but somehow I ended up with a cyst on my knee. Walking or even bending my knees have become painful. In Jan 2013 I made the decision to change careers and move back home. I started getting interviews quickly and was able to obtain a job doing exactly what I wanted for a great company. So that brings me to now. I'm happy again but now I have all this weight that is still here. My blood pressure is only maintained with medicine. I received a call from True Results to check to see if I qualified for insurance to cover it. (I had tried once before but didn't have a high enough BMI). On July 30th I went in to my appointment expecting to go home disappointed but I left with the goal of an early September surgery date. Insurance approved my surgery late August for September 19th. I am not sure my goal weight yet I would like to be down to 140 from 269 but I'm not sure if that's too much. I'm excited and nervous but ready. I still haven't told many people that I'm doing the surgery. I have some friends that I knew would support me that I told but I have others that are overweight and are content. They will not understand that for my health it's the right option. This is long winded. I started writing and I just couldn't stop.

I agree with everything that has been said here so far - no one is the perfect patient. (Well, maybe this elusive unicorn is out there, but fear not, sister - you are in good, imperfect company!) I agree with other folks that have said that this weight gain is not really an embarrassment, so much as a hiccup. You absolutely DESERVE to get back on track. You are worth it, right? RIGHT. :-) The best thing to conquer the disgust you feel with yourself and your depression is to get out of the pattern of having no control over your band, and get some professional help! If your Doc or surgeon is not available, find someone who is. Make some calls, get on the web, do some research... the moment you begin to take this matter into your own hands, the faster a solution will present itself and the better you will be able to sleep at night. We are cheering you on! Keep us posted...!

Yes those numbers are correct. But, I only had a total of 60 lbs to lose prior to surgery. I lost 25 w/i about 2-3 months but it has slowed since.When band was too tight I was eating higher calorie "slider foods" that caused the weight gain. In addition, I am too indulgent at social settings and that is my biggest obsticle b/c I tell myself "I deserve It" problem is I am very social!!!! I need to stop lying to myself. I know what I have to do...I just have a hard time actually doing it in this environment. I m having no issues with the surgery itself, I truly beleive in this surgery. I don't even feel as though I have had any procedure in terms of after effects, side effects etc. It is absolutely the best thing I have done for my weight and health issues. Biggest perk: being satisfied with less food/weight loss. Biggest drawback: not a big one but probably the scars. Back on track and I feel terrific

When I got pregnant, my band tightened. It became hard to eat so I had to get a slight unfill. I had 1.5 cc's taken out. I had lost 10 pounds in a month without much morning sickness. It just depends on you and what your surgeon thinks. My surgeon told me they don't normally do unfills unless there is a problem. I definitely had a problem. Especially since I was already at goal. For me to lose more weight wasn't good. Now I am on a normal weight gain path with my pregnancy and am still eating healthy. Just make sure you keep your surgeon and you OB in the loop with everything. They can both be amazingly helpful! Congrats on your pregnancy!

Hey y'all, I had my sleeve on the 5th of this month and everything was great. I lost 15lbs in the first week but now I've stepped on the scale and it says I'm up five pounds. I've been drinking the Protein shakes and having a few sips of Soup. I haven't tried to sneak any Cookies or cakes or anything but this is super disheartening. Is this a normal thing where it takes your body a little bit to get used to the fact that you only have a small portion of your stomach? My step-mom said it happened to her but it's still disappointing. My expectation are all out of whack because even if I did gain and my scale isn't wrong 10lbs is still great. Let me know if you've had a similar experience.

You're off to a good start then! You're going for the VSG? Then you know that it removes a lot of the stomach that produces the "hunger hormone". But if I were you, I'd plan for tackling the Oreo attraction.... IF, and I say "IF", your surgery does the trick for hunger, you are still going to be in love with Oreo s. I wonder, if your hunger were satisfied, would you be able to turn down an Oreo or just have "one"? Nibbling it slowly, and savoring every morsel of taste? Hell, you don't have to have the whole box, and that's what behavior modification is all about. Sometimes it may be easier to say "no" instead of having to use restraint. But if you have the surgery, you have a darn powerful tool to help you to have restraint!! It's such a paradox..... that we enjoy such abundance, and that people around the world, and even in our OWN country, don't know where their next meal is coming from.... And we are grateful that we live in such a time of abundance! We pray that others may be as lucky as we are! Back to the subject; You know how hard it is to lose the 'baby fat' and as we age, the metabolism slows, naturally making weight gain easier. The VSG is rather radical as opposed to the lap band, but even if the VSG were to not be enough, as you already know, you could elect to go for the full duodenal switch and go the full magilla. But then, I don't know what your BMI is and how much you need to lose. Point is, Surgery, is just one tool in the tool box of options for us to choose from in order to cope with the plethora of food we have at our beck and call. Tonight in the Supermarket, I was marveling at what we have, so close and at our reach. Basic food, prepared food, frozen, even hot, ready to eat. And you'll drive past fast food franchises on the way there and back. Are we food obsessed??? Yep. So don't feel like you're lacking in any way because you are uncomfortable being overweight.... It's miraculous that everyone isn't 200 lbs overweight! We're not a food oriented society, say like France, where they savor food and look to their Chefs, like our people look up to sports stars! It's all dollar driven, and Big Bucks Food Industries box it, bag it, freeze it, and sell it to us on tv, in magazines, on billboards, in newspapers, heck, even on the internet! We are the first, biggest and best consumer society in history! An experiment in action! I'm rambling, but I think what I'm saying is that moderation is the key. Anything anyone can say about "DIET" is "Calories in, Calories out." that's it. Anything I, or anyone else could say is an elaboration of that. And surgery is just another tool to help YOU regulate those calories. I'll pray for you. But you are the one who'll carry the load.... And you can do it! You're making antother step helping yourself towards achieving the life you want to lead....

I don't own any full length mirrors and a little over a year ago we were at my Mother in-laws lake house...I took a shower and damn near the whole bath is full length mirrors....I looked at myself in HORROR....I thought My God this is what my husband see's....I came out of the bathroom in tears...sat down at the kitchen table with Mother in-law and hubs and cried my eyes out....what worries me with the weight loss is saggy skin...the only places on my body that are a bit "poogie" are my belly (not too much tho) and the insides of my legs (as well not real bad) so I am hoping with exercise that I will be able to tone those areas up...I see so many that have lost tons of weight and in clothes the look fabulous...I just wonder what they look like when the take off their "Spanks" or what ever they wear...I am 54 years old and have always been fit. Until I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2000 and that's when the weight gain started....Melanie(

Hi Everyone! I am new to this online support stuff. I will just introduce myself. My name is Chandra and I am from Texas. I have been overweight my whole life. When I was 18 I was diagnosed with PCOS and told I would never have children. That led to a depression which led to even more weight gain ontop of what I had already gained. (which was the reason I went to the doc in the first place) I began thinking of the lap band in 2008 when I had my gallbladder removed and my surgeon said that I really really needed to lose weight if I was going to consider children. Well I have a very difficult time losing the weight due to the PCOS. I began the approval proccess once before in mid 2009. Then I lost my insurance and my job. So that put a halt to that. Well now I have a better job and good insurance. I started my proccess back in October 2010. I saw my surgeon and the nutritionist. Then I had my psych eval. Had a couple more appts with the nutritionist and a few days before Christmas I got a phone call saying that my insurance approved me. After the holidays on Tues the 4th I saw my surgeon again. I scheduled my EGD (required by my surgeon) and my surgery. I signed all my consents and then started my liquid diet the next day. So far I am on Day # 4 of the one week liquid diet. My EGD is scheduled for Mon the 10th and my surgery is on Wed the 12th. I am soooo nervous and excited at the same time. I am ready for my life to change. I have been married to my husband for almost 5 years. He is very supportive and excited for me as well. I am a nurse and I will be staying at the hospital that I work at, lol. So I guess thats all that I have to say right now. =)

Wow, thanks for your note... really describes 'where' I am as well. I can't imagine being 5'3" (I always have folks say 'but you carry your weight well'). I guess I am lucky I don't have high blood pressure, but I have everything else... I have given up on trimming my toe nails, putting on my socks (and shoes) is a daily nightmare. I work in a warehouse environment and my feet hurt constantly, with recent weight gains I try to sit whenever possible... I keep extra deodorant in my locker as I will start to sweat profusely at the drop of a hat. Thank god I have basic strength due to my size so I can move heavy things (part of my job). Are you still on any of the meds? Curious about the testosterone (I take it to) and there is zero "drive" (another down side, it affects 'everything' not just one aspect. Also find I isolate pretty heavily.I took the shots but am on the gel form (I really hated the shots lol, insulin shots are a breeze, the big honkin' testosterone shots are not!!) I realize the band is a tool, part of why I am looking seriously at this. Do you still see food sitting there and hear it 'calling' to you? How do you handle that? smile, feel like I have met a kindred soul (is it me or is the ratio of men banders to female about 9:1?)

I was told it is wise to reprogram your eating habits during the honeymoon stage the first year of surgery, so that by the time you are healed totally you will not eat all these foods that got you to the sleeve in the first place. Weight gain is unavoidable if you keep your old habits and old favorite foods.

Okay so I just got off the phone with Aetna because I was freaking out. They said it's okay if you gain a little weight during the weight-loss program because weight gain can be caused my retaining water, muscle mass, etc. So I think I'm in the clear! Now, just to get these pesky 9lbs off...

Here you go thanks for posting this! Slider Foods Spell Weight Regain For Weight Loss Surgery Patients Soft processed carbohydrates, slider foods, are the bane of good intentions and ignorance often causing dumping syndrome, weight loss plateaus, and eventually weight gain for gastric bypass, gastric band (lap-band), and gastric sleeve bariatric patients. Learn what slider foods are and why they cause weight regain for weight loss surgery patients. 5 Day Pouch Test Store By Kaye Bailey For most people eating sliders is a good thing. Popularized by the American food chain, White Castle, a slider (originally slyder) is a miniature grilled hamburger or cheeseburger on a steamed bun often served with onions and dill pickle and other condiments. They originally sold for a nickel a piece in the 1940s making it affordable to add a side of fries for just pennies. By all accounts this is a good kind of "slider" food. To the weight loss surgery patient slider foods are the bane of good intentions and ignorance often causing dumping syndrome, weight loss plateaus, and eventually weight gain. Slider foods, to weight loss surgery patients, are soft simple processed carbohydrates of little or no nutritional value that slide right through the surgical stomach pouch without providing nutrition or satiation. The most innocent of slider foods are saltine crackers, often eaten with warm tea or other beverages, to soothe the stomach in illness or while recovering from surgery. Understanding Slider Foods The most commonly consumed slider foods include pretzels, crackers (saltines, graham, Ritz, etc.) filled cracker Snacks such as Ritz Bits, popcorn, cheese snacks (Cheetos) or cheese crackers, tortilla chips with salsa, potato chips, sugar-free Cookies, cakes, and candy. You will notice these slider foods are often salty and cause dry mouth so they must be ingested with liquid to be palatable. This is how they become slider foods. They are also, most often, void of nutritional value. For weight loss surgery patients the process of digestion is different than those who have not undergone gastric surgery. When slider foods are consumed they go into the stomach pouch and exit directly into the jejunum where the simple carbohydrate slurry is quickly absorbed and stored by the body. There is little thermic effect in the digestion of simple carbohydrates like there is in the digestion of Protein so little metabolic energy is expended. In most cases patients in the phase of weight loss who eat slider foods will experience a weight loss plateau and possibly the setback of weight gain. And sadly, they will begin to believe their surgical stomach pouch is not functioning properly because they never feel fullness or restriction like they experience when eating protein. The very nature of the surgical gastric pouch is to cause feelings of tightness or restriction when one has eaten enough food. However, when soft simple carbohydrates are eaten this tightness or restriction does not result and one can continue to eat, unmeasured, copious amounts of non-nutritional food without ever feeling uncomfortable. Many patients turn to slider foods for this very reason. They do not like the discomfort that results when the pouch is full from eating a measured portion of lean animal or dairy protein without liquids. Yet it is this very restriction that is the desired result of the surgery. The discomfort is intended to signal the cessation of eating. Remembering the "Protein First" rule is crucial to weight management with bariatric surgery. Gastric bypass, gastric banding (lap-band) and gastric sleeve patients are instructed to follow a high protein diet to facilitate healing and promote weight loss. Bariatric centers advise what is commonly known among weight loss surgery patients as the "Four Rules" the most important of which is "Protein First." That means of all nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fat and alcohol) the patient is required to eat protein first. Protein is not always the most comfortable food choice for weight loss surgery patients who feel restriction after eating a very small amount of food. However, for the surgical tool to work correctly a diet rich in protein and low in simple carbohydrate slider foods must be observed. The high protein diet must be followed even after healthy body weight has been achieved in order to maintain a healthy weight and avoid weight regain.

Hang in there and tell yourself you can the fight against weight gain. You probably need to go back to the prep diet for a week or two and keep a food journal and even see a dietician. Don't give up you did not go through hell and back for nothing you can do it. Best of luck