Search the Community

This isn't a slam the needs of protein, but this article came across my email and caught my attention. If this is what is noted for the average healthy person aging, I'm curious to know how it relates to those of us after bariatric surgery. Just a random article I thought I'd share... no comments needed. https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/3-weird-reasons-youre-gaining-weight/?utm_campaign=SilverSneakers - Newsletter Yes&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=67292921&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--bgIkZMMoXHl8eJUMMRjxMMUuiYzaEtVkTcwRgP-UiUdHdA3Q8fweyYpH_KzVU4cVE4_dnLCDov6AACwajYuSl8JItqA&_hsmi=67293380 3 Weird Reasons You’re Gaining Weight By K. Aleisha Fetters | October 31, 2018 Staying slim through the years isn’t as simple as calories in, calories out. Here are the age-related changes that can mess with the scale. As you get older, it becomes more difficult to keep your weight in check. You’re likely well aware of this fact. The most common culprits: slower metabolism, less active lifestyle, or menopause for women. But sometimes, the source of weight gain is much more mysterious. “A lot of changes occur in the body during the aging process that people aren’t aware of,” says Craig Primack, M.D., an obesity medicine physician at Scottsdale Weight Loss Center in Arizona. “And these changes can have a large impact on weight.” Here are three such examples, plus simple ways to tip the scale in your favor. Weird Reason #1: Your Body Doesn’t Absorb Protein Like It Used To “As we get older, our bodies become less sensitive to protein and can absorb less of it,” Dr. Primack says. And since protein is critical to muscle health, this means it becomes more difficult to maintain your muscle mass and continue burning the same amount of calories every day. Remember: Muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest. Your body also absorbs amino acids, the building blocks of protein, more slowly with age. Recent research published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging found that while amino acid levels spike in one hour after protein consumption for adults ages 20 to 25, it takes three hours in people ages 60 to 75. More research is needed to determine exactly why older adults absorb less protein, and do so more slowly. But we do know that stomach acid levels decrease with age, Dr. Primack says. And since stomach acids play a role in protein digestion, it’s one possible explanation. Tip the scale: Increase your protein intake. According to the National Academy of Medicine, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for adults in their 50s and older is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight—or about 0.36 grams per pound of bodyweight. But research shows that roughly 40 percent of women and men ages 51 and older don’t meet those recs. Meanwhile, mounting research suggests that for optimal muscle health and metabolism, adults ages 50 and older should consume at least double the RDA for protein. That works out to about 0.7 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. For a 180-pound adult, that’s 126 grams of protein per day. For maximum benefits, space out your protein throughout the day, suggests Rob Danoff, D.O., director of the family practice residency program at Jefferson Health Northeast in Philadelphia. Getting 25 to 35 grams of protein at every meal will help keep your muscles fueled with the protein they need, increase your daily calorie burn, and help reverse weight gain, he says. These protein-packed breakfasts and high-protein dinners can help. Weird Reason #2: Your Sense of Smell Isn’t What It Used to Be Loss of sensitivity to smells, called anosmia, affects between 10 and 20 percent of all older adults, according to 2017 research published in the Journals of Gerontology. What does sense of smell have to do with weight gain? Smell plays a large part in how foods taste, Dr. Primack explains, so when smell fades, foods can taste bland. This may result in a loss of interest in food, which could cause unexplained weight loss. But it can also lead people to seek more flavor, so they eat fewer healthy foods and more processed ones high in artificial flavors, sugar, and salt. What’s more, when people stop finding pleasure in the taste of foods, the next thing they look to is texture, Dr. Primack says. And the most commonly preferred texture is the creaminess of fat. Tip the scale: If you think your sense of smell or taste is dwindling, ask your doctor for a referral to an otolaryngologist (a.k.a. an ear, nose, and throat) specialist. The ENT will be able to rule out nasal problems like polyps, blocked sinuses, and seasonal allergies. If all checks out, simply understanding how sense of smell can influence your eating habits can help you eat more mindfully going forward. Try adding flavor with herbs and spices or marinades. Plus, harness the power of exercise to sharpen your senses. Weird Reason #3: Your Circadian Rhythms Are Off There’s no end to the list of ways poor sleep can trigger weight gain, including increasing levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and slashing levels of the feel-full hormone leptin, Dr. Danoff explains. Even short periods of too little sleep can have a big impact. A 2015 study published in Diabetologia found that as little as four days of sleep deprivation reduces the body’s insulin sensitivity, which increases the risk for fat storage. Not making it a priority to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night is one thing, but if you’re physically unable to fall and stay asleep, changes in your body’s circadian rhythms could be to blame. A research review in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism shows that production of melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep at night and regulates your sleep-wake patterns, decreases with age. This often causes people to wake up earlier, not sleep through the night, or need naps during the day, Dr. Primack says. Another potential disruptor: cataracts, which happen when protein that’s naturally found in the eye starts to clump together, making the lens cloudy and obscuring vision. In people with cataracts, light might not effectively enter the eye to help your body know it’s daytime and time to be awake, Dr. Primack explains. Tip the scale: Start by prioritizing good sleep hygiene—no excuses. That includes going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, avoiding electronics at least one hour before bed, and using your bed only for sleep and sex—no work, TV watching, or anything else that’s associated with a wakeful state. (See five ways to fall and stay asleep, starting tonight!) Also, try keeping a sleep journal to track how many hours you’re sleeping at night and when you find yourself needing a nap. This can help you ID and deal with any lifestyle issues that are keeping you up at night. If good sleep hygiene isn’t enough to score you a good night’s rest, the next step is talking with your primary care physician or a sleep specialist. He or she will want to check for any underlying health problems like sleep apnea. Last, for those dealing with cataracts, talk to your doctor about whether surgery makes sense for you. A 2017 review published in the International Journal of Ophthalmology found that cataract surgery improved sleep in people with both cataracts and insomnia.

I don’t know if this will make sense to you but it worked for me. I was not eating enough to gain weight on 600 calories a day, that is impossible. There were times I would step on the scale and the number would be a few pounds higher. Logically I knew I had not gained weight. I changed my thinking and told myself, “I weigh more today for some unknown reason” I stopped thinking in terms of weight gain it was just fluctuations. I started weighing myself less frequently and only on mornings when I felt “lighter “. It really helped me and kept me sane. Best of luck to you!

Hello fellow Bariatric pals! I am 6 days post gastric sleeve surgery. My surgery was performed April 18th, at St Francis Indianapolis by Dr Shamseddeen. Some Background info on me and my choice to have bariatric surgery: I am male, age 48 married with one adult child and two teenage children. I have been married for 21 years. We have a Noah's ark of pets but our primary pets are two cats, and three dogs (Lucretia a 6yr old female Newfoundland, Freya a 4 yr old female St Bernard, and Vivien a female 5 month old Newfoundland pup) I am a Registered Nurse who had specialized in geriatric/hospice/long term care before having a heart attack in 2016. I switched to homecare and work primarily with special needs and medically fragile children. After my heart attack with stent placement I started to number my health issues and I had a lot, obesity, smoker, copd, sleep apnea, Congestive heart failure, High cholesterol. I began to treat these with medicines, cpap, quitting smoking, light exercise. The one issue I did not really tackle was my obesity. With quitting smoking my weight went up as I replaced smoking with snacking. I had grown accustomed to being larger and just came to accept I was the fat old man, thats just who I was now so no use in fretting over it. Then my primary doctor handed me one more diagnosis... diabetes. I was just taking metformin, and was so far non insulin dependent. As a nurse who cared for older patients I have witnessed diabetes ravage my patients, I have prepped toes for amputation, then parts of feet, then legs... I was 329 lbs at this time and was fearful of dieting turning into yo yo dieting that would lead to greater weight gains. I began to research bariatric surgery. My first visit to St Francis Bariatric Clinic was September 14th 2017 (From first visit to surgery was about 7 months). I started my journey with the monthly meetings, nutrition appointments, pysch evaluation, and getting numerous surgical clearances from my other doctors. I started my preop dieting and got down to 317 lbs. When I started my preop liquid diet I was my worse enemy when my friends would come over to celebrate my surgery.... by offering me "one more for the road" food offerings of pizza, white castles, take out chinese food, etc. I appreciated the sentiments but I should have been stronger in my resolve to say no. But even with temptations, day of surgery I was about 311 lbs. My Surgery Day experience: Pre-Op prep was no problem, no complaints. IV placed, skin scrubbed, some labs drawn. Basic stuff. Rolled back for surgery, again no problem, introduced to surgical team as I was wheeled into surgical suite, moved to operating table and arms positioned at sides. I don't even remember when they administered sedation as my next memory was waking in recovery. Waking in Recovery: I won't lie..I was in intense pain and either due to sedation or just the level of pain I couldn't say how much I hurt, all I could do was moan..loudly and forcefully. I have never given any pain I have had a rating of 10 on a 1-10 scale, even when I had my heart attack, but this rated an 11+ After a minute or so I think i was given something for the pain and I passed out again. I awoke in my hospital room. Day 1 post op: In my room I was greeted by my wife and nurse. The nurses I had over the next 24 hours were great in treating me, as well as caring for my family. I was allowed one oz of ice chips to sip on and I had my PCA (pain medicine pump) to hit every 15 minutes as needed. I was wearing a truss, had a drain ball on my abdomen below the large incision site where my stomach portion was removed. I also had a foley cath placed. I have placed thousands of foley caths, but have never had one myself. I had an intense urge to urinate that made resting difficult. I kept joking with the nurses I was going to swipe a 10cc syringe to empty the cath balloon and remove it myself. Later that day I had two small 1 oz cups of chicken broth brought in for me to try. I was able to down 1 over 20 minutes and couldn't even start the 2nd. I had a 1 oz cup pf ice chips now and then but was not worried about dehydration because of the bags of saline and antibiotics they had running in via my IV. I started doing my inspiratory spirometer and I say this as a nagging nurse who has had many patients post op refuse to do them, now as a patient i can say that the inspiratory spirometer does help a lot. My first day I was walked a short distance, and that night I slept in the recliner as I found it more comfortable then the bed. I had still had pain but between the PCA and re-positioning it was manageable. Discharge day: I was walked again a little farther then before. I had my foley cath removed (Yay!) which led to 48 hours of a burning sensation on urination that eventually faded. I had my IV discontinued, and started on liquid pain meds which about a little less then 1 oz took forever for me to sip. The only notable pain I had that day was when they pulled my drain tube out. I knew it was going to be uncomfortable, but the nurse didn't just pull it out quickly, or even as 1 long pull but did it in 3 jerky pulls that sent pain rocketing from my navel down to my toes. Aside from that all was well, I had moderate pain, was sore and hurt to stand from sitting or to bend but it was all tolerable. Back Home again and starting my new reality: Since being home at first I tried to religiously follow the instructions I was given on nutrition, being on the modified liquid diet, taking my vitamins, and staying hydrated. I ran into several issues. First I had no appetite, you really do have to force yourself to eat, but also to eat properly over 20-30 minutes to get down a 2 oz cup of broth or yogurt. To quickly and I would feel nauseous and full. I would not drink within 30 minutes of either start or end of eating. I had no thirst for the first few days. Even taking small sips I found it hard to get in 40-60 oz's of water a day. I have been struggling to get in 70g protein a day. First the shakes would make using the Premier dry whey protein mix would froth a lot and give me a very full/gassy feeling. The thickness of the shake even after thinning would fill me up quick after a few sips. The taste wasn't good, but not terrible but you won't catch me saying "Ya know what would taste good right now? a protein shake" The vitamins. All of my vitamins right now are chew-able. Only problem I have is I have no teeth so I have to suck on them until they dissolve over time. Again not the best tasting, but they also seem to trigger fullness or nausea in me. I may switch to liquid vitamins, pills (when I can), maybe even the patches I saw advertised here. Some solutions I have found. I was looking over youtube videos and saw some people make Popsicles out of their protein shakes and I did the same with Powerade zero. Doing this I was able to get down at least half my shakes in a day (40g protein) and it really helped top off my liquid intake by sucking on the powerade pops I made but still limited the intake over time so I wouldn't get sick. It is day 6 for me and it is a learning process. I see that we all have many things in common but that everyone's experience with bariatric surgery is very much personal and individualized. The highlight of my week has been actually going under 300 lbs for the first time in many years and passing gas on day 5 (Hey to nurses passing gas is as much a sign of life as a pulse or respiration plus shows our digestion is working) I have been reading many of the forums and have enjoyed the stories and humor, and appreciated the advice given and I hope to read many more over the next year. Good Spring (when it gets here, I am from Indiana after all) to all

Will the dietitian clear and approve to move forward if I have gained weight? details below... pardon the lack of punctuation, I am on my phone I have my final visit with the dietitian this week. I was doing so well until the mental health professionals threw a wretch and sent me way off track (long story short, I was a victim of childhood abuse and sexual abuse while in college... it pretty much was a how can someone go threw this and hold their life together and said I couldn’t do the surgery because I “needed” there help because well how Can I live when something like that happened) I stood up for myself and yes, the things I have been threw was terrible but I am a stronger being because of it. After the assault, I gained a lot of weight, by a lot I mean like 70lbs in a few short months... then continually climbed due to the depression that had set in. Wanting to have the surgery in the first place is to take back that part of my life. In doing so, I went off track and back to depression. My view was that since I was abused, that is the only thing I will ever be so why bother mentality... anyone had a similar situation?

Hi my name is Bonnie I'm 23 years old and I've been struggling with my weight all my life. I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was held back in the first grade, from there they put me on Adderall and I was gaining 10 pounds every month, I didn't understand because I wouldn't eat breakfast or lunch at school because the medication it would make me nauseous. By the time I would get home it would be dinner time and I would be hungry. This continued through my high school years where I couldn't even stand to be in the lunch room I would just go to the library and hang out til' lunch was over. I was still active and try to keep up the best I could with all my friends that were three times smaller than me. Finally when I was 17 years old the doctor told me it was rare but a side effect of weight gain on adderall. I stopped taking my medication and I lost 30 pounds right after that. I still suffer with the same eating habits and I've gained more weight over the years. Oh I'm ready to take this next step and better my life I can't wait and I'm so excited.

What the heck? I had gastric bypass on jan 8th and have lost 10 pounds already. When I got on the scale this morning I'd gained 2 pounds. Nothing I ate yesterday stayed in my system, I tossed my cookies each time I ate. How do you gain when you're tossing you're cookies! I don't get it.

Good point! Maybe not enough of both. Would this cause weight gain if not?

If this continues for another week, I would call the doctor. This just happened to me. My band was tightened in mid-December. I was ok the 1st 2 weeks. Of course the 1st week is no solid food. The 2nd week I was ok when I began eating solids foods but then after that was a nightmare. Food kept getting stuck, sometimes water. There were days I went without eating at all. I also had pain on my right side. I would give it another week and nothing changes I would call. After over a month of suffering found out that my old doctor put too much saline in my band. It was actually cutting into my stomach. Most of the saline was taken out and I was told to give my stomach a rest. Don't be so overly concerned about weight gain. Avoiding complications is more important. Also you should avoid eating solid foods if you just had your band filled 2/28. If you need to eat something more filling, try tomato soup. Bread definitely is too hard for your stomach to digest right after a band adjustment.

Good luck! It is no big deal, except for the monitoring that needs to be done during the study! I must have had 1000 sticky monitoring points on me! The good news is that getting sleep apnea under treatment can help with weight loss. Untreated, sleep apnea can result in weight gain, which ends up causing more sleep apnea episodes. Treatment can break the cycle and help you lose weight. Good luck to you!

I haven't had a fillin way over a year... no major weight gain, but plateau city

Did anyone get the surgery after gaining weight after a hysterectomy? Just curious how that turned out?

Goal weight is definitely a personal choice. With my bypass they told me on average people lose 70% of their excess weight. Well, that bothered me because if i was going through all of this, i really wanted to get to a normal weight for my height. I chose to use the BMI scale given it is what all the doctors used when assessing whether or not our weight is at a healthy level. When i looked at that chart, it basically told me that i should be somewhere around 165 for my 5'10" height. At the time i was 310lbs and could not even fathom getting to 165 which was my weight after having my first son. prior to that i was actually underweight but i was a teenager. So, I chose 165 as my ultimate goal but i had mini goals along the way. The first was getting below 300, then 250 and then 210 because that meant i had lost 100lbs. then my next big goal was getting to onederland! It was at that point that i finally started to believe i would get to a 165 goal. My surgeon never expected me to get to that weight and absolutely did not set a weight goal. In fact when i got to the 200 mark, he considered my surgery a success. And he warned me that if I wanted to get to my ultimate goal i would have to work very hard at controlling my diet and getting some exercise. I did and I swear I thought that last 30lbs was going to be the death of me. I had limited ability to exercise for the 2nd half of my weight loss because of multiple surgeries so I had to do it with food. I am now at a stage where I have been maintaining since March 2016. I fluctuate between 162 and 158. Part of me would really like to get to 150 so that if I do get the 10% to 15% expected weight gain back that i have some room. I like the way that I look right now and really don't want to lose more but I am a bit worried about regain and I am watching it like a hawk. Something happens when you hit maintenance.....you find yourself being more hungry, more head hunger and you are a bit daring. At least I have been. I still don't eat much but it is really all about choices and it is easier for some reason to make bad ones if you are not careful. Best of luck to you with goal setting and getting to your goal!

My instructions was no potatoes, paste, rice till I hit my goal weight an then after is questionable. Its carbs an raises insulin an can cause weight gain if u eat now during phases it will slow weight loss...

Make sure that for your supervised weight loss that you have them incorporate the mental health aspect of it as well, because if you go into surgery with a fixation that strong you can over do it! While I don't experience the same difficulties as you are facing getting a mental health plan established before and soon after support groups will really help. I am also 36 and had my share of bad things happen in my life that led me down the weight gain rabbit hole feel free to pm me anytime if need be you're welcome to my cell number!

I was banded October 29, 2012. Initially I had went from 342lbs to 188lbs. I felt incredible. Over the last year or so I have been having major issues due to the band slipping twice. After the first unfill the band adjusted and went back into place. After the second time they unfilled it they refused to fill it again. Since then I have went from 188lbs to 265lbs and it is devastating to me. I finally spoke up to my surgeon and am now in the process of trying to get approved for the sleeve. When I was trying to gain approval for the lapland surgery it was a pain because even though I was huge, I had little health issues as far as a co-morbidy would go. I finally (BARELY) got approved. This is why I didn't think I had any options due to not having any current health issues. I am just uncomfortable and down on myself for it. The very sweet lady that is helping me get it approved through my insurance thinks even though I don't have any major health issues that due to all my issues( two slips) with the lapland, GERD and weight gain that I may not have a problem getting approved. I know I shouldn't have a problem getting it revised and having it removed. Wondering how hard it would be to have the actual sleeve approved. Anyone have any experience with what I am going through?

https://www.sweathelp.org/hyperhidrosis-treatments/treatment-overview.html Since weight gain didn't cause the problem, weight loss can't be expected to fix it. But if additional weight has piled normal sweating on top of the hyperhidrosis, then at least weight loss could help that aspect. Good luck!

I have had hyperhidrosis (auxiliary) since highschool, even when I was fit and on swim teams. I think the condition has at least worsened since then. But being a rare disorder, few people can say if getting older (now 45) is a factor. I know that weight gain did not cause it. Many sources will say being overweight is a factor, but it was not for me through high school and college. But has anyone experienced the condition being reduced after the surgery? Sent from my XT1609 using BariatricPal mobile app

I had one a few years ago but had weight gain because I had to eat so much for my pregnancy but I am thinking of doing a revision soon! Everything will be great! GO for short walks every day after your surgery twice a day. Helps with gas, pain and healing! dont cheat on the after diet, it will hurt so bad! and take your vitamins and protein ❤️ also always stop eating before your stuffed even after you start being able to eat more

Every week (thanks to my wonderful husband) I go get a massage. It helps my stress, helps me unwind and believe it or not has helped with water weight loss. So you're thinking it's only water weight, well yes it is only water weight but weight is weight. The first day I ever got a massage, I seriously think I peed a river and that is no lie. The next morning I was 5lbs less. I thought maybe this was just something crazy I was imagining but the next time I got a massage the same thing happened. I started researching about massage and weight loss and asked my massage therapist and doctor the same thing "how does massage help with weight loss"? Metabolism is the furnace that keeps your engine running. After a certain age your metabolism can slow down. This sometimes results in weight gain. Regular massage sessions can boost your metabolic rate–jolting it to burn fat faster and help utilize your food intake turning it to energy rather than fat. If you are young, then massage can maintain your fast moving metabolism before it gets sluggish. This does not mean that you do not have to watch your diet but that a combination of healthy food, daily exercise and a weekly massage can be an excellent recipe for losing weight. So now not only is my massage helping me to feel better but its helping me with my weight loss journey also. I got a membership at massage envy which only cost me 39 a week to get a massage so I am helping myself and it helps me to feel great. Most of my pain is gone and I feel wonderful. You owe it to yourself to be your best and to feel your best. Do what makes you happy. But definitely massage has been a wonderful adventure for me.

This story has a beginning, but the end is still nowhere in sight. I am the oldest of three kids. My mother is one of those breathtaking, exotic beauties that you just can't help but admire. My father was a handsome man—full of life. We were adorable children—happy and content. I looked like my Dad, but was starting to look like Mom every day. The happiness didn't last. When Dad left, depression took over and I had no one to talk to besides my siblings, who were too young to confide in. That's when my brother and sister and I discovered how comforting food was. Through the years my body grew out as well as up, and I noticed something. My brother and sister where growing up to be beautiful, slender people, and I got fat. Really fat. To this day I still don't understand how genetics can bless two siblings and curse the other, but that is my lot in life. I hated my body and as the years extended into adolescence and adulthood, the hatred toward my excess fat turned into self-loathing, which led to more weight gain and more fat, more tears, and more heartbreak. I couldn't stand the person I had become, but through years of dieting and killing myself trying to do extreme workouts and diets, I decided to just accept the perceived fact that I would always be fat, sad, and alone. It seemed the only person who truly understood my heartache was my cousin, sister, and EC (Eternal Companion,) MexicanGirl. She was going through the same thing. We loved each other, supported each other, confided in each other, and yes, ate together and got fatter together. Then it came. The worst day of my life.The day Dad died, my heart failed. The wind was taken out of my lungs and with it, my will to live. I sunk into the deepest, blackest despair. I cried every night and prayed to God that he would take me home to be with my Dad before I woke up in the morning. If it weren't for MexicanGirl, I don't think I would be alive right now writing this. When I woke up, I was bursting out of all of my clothes and I didn't recognize myself in pictures. I thought back to when I lost Dad. More than anything, I want to be a wife and a mother. I didn't see myself getting there, and even if that miracle did happen, I couldn't bear the thought of my own daughter holding my hand as I die too young and not having the heart to let go until rigor mortis set in and she has to pry her hand out of mine like I did with Dad. I knew I needed to break the cycle. I knew that if I kept going down this path, I would become a diabetic like Dad and die too early. I had to stop it. I researched more diets and exercise programs. Nothing felt right. I knew I would fail them all. Then one day at church, I heard this new girl in the pew in front of me talking to my other cousin about her upcoming marriage. I didn't know here, but I felt very strongly that I needed to introduce myself and offer to design her wedding invitations. Her name is Katie, and we quickly became friends. She told me that she was getting weight loss surgery in a few days. I was intrigued. I stewed over this new thought for a while—even did a little research and dreamed about someday being able to afford something like that. I was impressed with how quickly she was losing weight. One night, MexicanGirl and I were at Walmart and Katie called wanting to hang out. She came to Walmart. They where introduced and we stood right there in the plus-size clothing section talking about her experiences with the Gastric Sleeve. I felt something. I didn't know what, but now I know it was a glimmer of hope. I thought about it over and over. I was a woman obsesed. Finally I turned to my EC about my feelings and to my pleasant surprise, she felt the same way. We decided we were going to take serious measures to research the sleeve to see if it was right for us. We spent hours reading and watching other people's stories on YouTube. We invited Katie out for Breakfast. She brought us her Kaiser Bariatric Surgery program binder and ansered all our questions. That day, we knew. We had to do this! MexicanGirl called her doctor that day and scheduled her intro class. I was still waiting to get approved for medical insurance, but I went with her to her intro class. She was referred into the Kaiser South Sacramento Bariatric program and we went to her orientation together. We decided not to undergo the sleeve and opted for the RNY Gastric Bypass instead. Shortly after I was able to get into Kaiser and on March 26th, 2014, We met our Surgeons! MexicanGirl got Dr. Neuhouse and I got Dr. Grinberg. At my orientation, I clocked in at my highest weight ever, 287! I lost 5 pounds right away which gave me a start weight of 283. Dr. Grinberg congratulated me on my loss and told me I needed to lose 15 more pounds and get down to 268 before I could schedule a surgery date. We were given a 1200 calorie diet to follow and that day we went to Ihop for a meal of pancakes and got started. The first ten pounds came off pretty easily. We ate right, we walked, we did Turbo Jam, we attempted yoga (owie!) and tried Zumba. I moved in with MexicanGirl so we could support each other, as neither of our families understood our struggles. MexicanGirl's weight melted right off and before we knew it, she was below her pre-op goal weight. The last five pounds were murder for me. It was going so slow! One day, I gained .8 pounds on the doctor scale. I was so upset! I cried and felt like a failure, but MexicanGirl gave me the kick in the pants I needed. I called my nutritionist who told me that I was doing e everything right and to stop kicking myself over less than a pound. Two days later I was 267! As MexicanGirl was already below her goal weight, we were both able to get our surgery dates. One June 16th, 2014, we are BOTH getting the Gastric Bypass surgeries that we so desperately need! For the first time in my life, my future looks bright. I am looking forward to getting healthy. I want to run, jump, and dance. I want to go on hikes without feeling like I'm going to drop dead. I am going to meet my future husband and my body won't make me feel unworthy of him. I will have children, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. When i am old, and wise, I will greet death like and old friend, because it will be my time. My children will not bury me prematurely. I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for making this available to us. I know my Daddy is looking down and me and is rooting me on! June 16th, here I come!

For me it's exercise. A five-mile run minimizes bloat and water weight gain while functioning as a natural antidepressant (a.k.a. runner's high). Exercise also minimizes cravings for junk because your body will demand better forms of fuel.

1 pound is not a cause to worry about weight gain. Your weight will go up and down. I have hovered awhile between 188 to 194 for the last month.

Glad the lap band worked so well for you! What a huge accomplishment! I think that you will find that most who have had the band removed have gained weight....myself included. While you could put yourself on a low calorie diet and potentially hold off the weight gain do you think that you could do it on your own indefinitely? Speaking for myself only, that is why i had to have the band in the first place and why i converted to the sleeve when the band failed. If you can see obesity as a disease than the lapband was to the obesity as the pacemaker is to the heart.

Dont be freaked out quite yet.... Our cycles are very picky... The body like everything to be steady so a sudden weight-loss could freak it out!!! Basically, our body make sure it is a good time to get pregnant before it give us a chance to... So keep track, and if it happens again, give your dr. a call just to be on the safe side!!! I finally freaked out when i went 8mth w/o a period but then again i learned i had P.C.O.S. But like i said Our menstrual Cycle likes calm and routine ... No suprises or changes.. Because if we pull a suprise on our body with weight loss then our periods we get revenge!!!:thumbup: And as far as bc, i am currently on it and i found that Yasmin works pretty well and doesnt have bad side effects (at least for me) and any minor side effects it does have can be completely alleviated by taking it before bedtime!! And no weight gain either!!! And Yasmin also has a low-dose form called Yaz if you are really worried about side effects!!

Well, my birthday was 2/28/11 and let me tel ya, Of course I had to have some cake and ice-cream and whatever else. I can say I've gain 6lbs in a week (187). But I'm not going to let that discourage me. I'm back to my gain plan. I couldn't let that day go by without celebrating. I can reframe from cake from my children's and anybody else birthday except my own. That''s the day GOD brought me into this world. So my size 14's are tight but not to worry, I am definately working out it.... GOOD LUCK EVERYONE, I KNOW I CAN USE.