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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.

Well after almost 5 long years of having the band not do a thing but cause problems for me, Reflux, gaging, weight gain (lost 116, gained 40) and feeling like crap, I am set for tomorrow to have band removed, and sleeved. YAY! Have lost 9 lbs in the past 6 days from the preop diet. Not too bad. Have not been hungry, which is a good thing. The shakes help a lot. So wish me luck, and I will see you on the flip side. Montie

I have to say that it's my opinion that you are totally overreacting on this one. I HIGHLY doubt anyone is stupid enough to think you are RESPONSIBLE for their weight gain. (Well, my husband might blame me a bit because after my three bite, I put my leftovers on his plate. HA!) I think this is a way of complimenting YOU while putting themselves down. I can't imagine they think your fat particles are flying through the air and landing on them.

Oh, and re: weight gain. I gained 100 pounds over the few years I was on zoloft. Switched back to prozac and started losing it steadily. I am sure they are all different, and even different peopl have different reactions, but for me prozac does not cause weight gain. Zoloft sure as hell does though. I switched to zoloft from prozac about a month before meeting my now hubby. I figured I just got fatter from being happy or something. Then I got pregnant and nursed, so that left me on zoloft for 2 years or so and my ob prescribed them. When I went back to my shrink we went over everything and hat was when the timeline all clicked and it made sense. I never really remembered or put 2 & 2 together that I started gaining with the zoft until I went back to my shrink, who was the one who actually switched me. Durn it.

Lets all share our best and worst well meaning compliments about our weight loss. My best was after returning to work after summer break: where'd you go this summer?! I mean where'd you go? Half of you is gone! Oddest (considering it came from my mother in law): look at you! You're nothing but boobs! Rudest: wow you lost all that weight and it found me. (Yes I am now responsible for others weight gain) But the nicest compliments are the simple, you look great! I know they mean my weight loss and I appreciate the subtlety. What are yours?

Started to take Prozan 4 days ago I am almost 4 weeks post op. I am woried of weight gain

Has anyone noticed slow weight loss or no weight loss at all due to these medications? I know they can cause significant weight gain which is compounded over the years. Just wondering how they affect us bandsters.

TRUE! Anyone with bariatric surgery should have serial growth scans to be sure their baby is growing well, and beyond that just eat healthy. As long as your baby is growing well, no worries! No weight gain needed! Bariatric surgery patients also should have the Vitamin levels checked due to problems with absorption. Even with lap band and sleeve procedures. Hope this helps!

I had a period early on in life when I miscarried at 4 months. The weight gain and loss caused huge eye changes. The doctor told me that people don't think about weight loss causing visual changes but in fact it does due to fat around the eyes (ewww!) . Last time I lost weight my eyes changed then too. I would delay the LASIK. I know I was an exception but my LASIK was extremely painful and it was days I'd great discomfort. On the off chance that happens to you, you may not want to combine it with VSG recovery. Oh and I still wear glasses after the LASIK much better than before though

I am 7 weeks an I was sleveed 17 months ago so my weight had pretty much stabalized. I was 180 when I found out I was carrying 3 weeks ago last week I was up 5 pounds to 185 an as of today Im down three pounds 182. I have no morning sickness so not sure of the reason for the loss. I was told 15 to 20 pounds so well see. I snack all day because Im always hungry but I am mindful of what I eat an I still cant eat alot so I also continue to work out when I can keep my eyes open lol just to stay on top of the weight gain. Congrats all its nice to know im not alone.

I have been following RNYTalk.com for a while now and decided I should share my experience. I had RNY in January 2005 at age 24. I was 249 lbs at the time of surgery. I did fantastic with no complications other than needing my gall bladder removed in December of that year (which is very common). I lost my weight steadily and at six months I had got down to 152 lbs. I never had a specific goal in mind but this was a great weight for me. After that I stabled out at 157 lbs for four years. In January 2009 my life dramatically changed when my very painful divorce was final. More or less everything that had been my life was gone. I was going to be 30 in just a couple months and I was back living at home with my parents in a dreary basement apartment with no job, no insurance and no hope. As many of us know all to well when depression strikes food becomes our medicine, our friend and are only consistent source of love. Needless to say I started to gain my weight back. I was in complete denial that it was my eating habits but instead something was "wrong" with the surgery. I even went to my surgeon who performed an exploratory abdominal procedure and found nothing of significance. Sinking deeper into my depression my weight gain continued and for a long time I just denied it all together despite having to buy bigger and bigger clothes. My self-esteem was down to an all time low and was now I was trying to attempt to date for the first time in 8 years. Boy, what fun was that! When I finally found a good man (who I married last summer) I was up to 200 lbs. I didn't care anymore and my husband loved me for who I was and not for how I looked. Now exactly 3 years since our relationship started I am 225 lbs and have been at this weight despite efforts to lose the weight. I have decided to see a new surgeon that is a revision specialist and have my RNY revised. I am now in the beginning stages of getting the process rolling. It is treated just like I never had the surgery before. Supervised weight loss, seminars, NUT meetings, blood work etc. I am having an EGD in two weeks and next month I will be done with the supervised weight loss requirement. My own therapist will provide the pysch eval and we will be doing that at the end of the month. I don't have an actual surgery date yet. My main point in sharing this is that this surgery is just a tool. I know we all hear this but it is so, so true and not a lifelong fix no matter what. If you stop eating right, stop taking Vitamins, stop following up with your surgeon you will gain back the weight. I am not writing all this to scare anyone or make anyone reconsider their decision. Having GB was the best thing I every did myself and I know I will be able to do it again. My mind set is 100% different and I know so much more than I did 8 years ago. This is my story and I look forward to be getting a second chance on my life and getting control of my weight once again.

hi so its been awhile since ive posted,im 13weeks prego,ive lost 6lbs due to morning sickness... other mommys have put on 3,6 or even 8lbs but i keep in mind tht im sleeved nd dont eat as much as they do... my question is how much weight did you sleeved mommys gain during pregnancy?.. i snack often nd keep hydrated...i wrk a 12hr shift but sleep most of the day on my days off... im not on a diet but do make healthy choice at time... also nxt week would be a year post op frm surgery..so i got prego around 9mnths out..

I think it's more likely that individual results depend on a whole shopping list of variables. For example, I think it's easier for men to lose weight, lose it more quickly, and see changes in weight more quickly in response to diet, than it is for women. I know you are also doing weight training - you're very likely reducing fat stores but increasing muscle volume. And of course muscle weighs more than fat. Now compare that to my situation. My activity level is fairly constant. No weight training. Average calorie intake closely monitored. Average calorie expenditure comparatively constant. I'm two plus decades older than you are. And I'm a guy. So the number of variables likely to affect my weight, up or down, are considerably fewer than they are for you. I know you are actually below your original goal weight and trying to lose a little more. That would point to the strong possibility that you're running up against your set-point. As recently as 2009-2010, set-points were considered by many to be theoretical. That has changed in the last few years with more and more research yielding strong evidence that set-points are very real. The human body is (unfortunately) much more receptive to weight gain than it is to weight loss. When we had to hunt and gather to survive, obesity was not an issue. Starvation was. So our bodies evolved defenses to protect against starvation. Your body will literally fight to maintain the set-point that it's at. Set-point ranges are usually about 10% of your total body weight. So if you weigh 150 lbs, each set-point range is about 15 lbs. If you're at the top of your current range, losing a few lbs is relatively easy. On the other hand, if you're at or near the bottom of your current range, your body will defend the set-point by reducing your metabolism, slowing your heart rate, etc. Making it considerably more difficult to lose even modest amounts of weight. Sorry, probably a lot more information than you wanted. To answer your question directly, I think the more experience you have logging, the better you become at interpreting the information in your log and identifying how changes in carbs/fat/protein/exercise/water will translate into weight changes. I always enjoy reading your posts and exchanging ideas with you music! Have a great day!!

I was sleeved 8/12/13. This was my first week off liquids and on to some soft foods. I'm a little frustrated because I've gained back 2 pounds. I keep telling myself it's ok because I've nearly doubled my caloric intake, but I'm still under 800 calories a day. Is this weight gain with "real food" a common occurrence?

Prices of Protein vary widely, depending on brand, quality, and where you buy it. Some of the best deals are online. All Proteins are not created equal. Some have sugar, some are high carb, some have fillers, some are not whey isolate. Some are for weight gain, some are for loss (depends on the needs of the individual). Read the labels, ask your nutritionist if your not sure. unjury and I think some others are created for bariatric patients. Beware cheap products - sometimes they are cheap for a reason. Don't stock up. Your tastes change after surgery. What you like now, you may not like then. Also, on the website "The world according to egg face" there are many , many protein shake recipes that are amazingly awesome. Check out the website. Egg whites can be bought in powdered form to add protein to foods and drink. It's safe and tasteless. My son (a marine and a body builder) uses both powdered egg whites and whey protein. You may not need to have whey protein forever. A lot of us learn to LIKE it. I also have Atkins shakes for breakfast. I prefer a liquid breakfast in the morning. If I'm low on my protein for the day I'll have another shake in the evening to make up for it. Sometimes I'm just too busy and forget to eat. If that happens a shake is a quick easy meal. Usually I can get the protein I need from my foods. I like fish, seafood, Greek yogurt, chili w/beans, cheeses, and on rare occasions beef. I have trouble with poultry still. You'll get it all figured out. It's an adjustment but not as hard as it seems. :-)

I know it's practically a cliche, but stress can physically, LITERALLY block you losing weight, and in fact CAUSE weight gain despite caloric intake/exercise levels. I know you're in a stressful situation in general, can you add in any meditation or Yoga or anything to turn off the adrenals a bit? I just listened to this podcast, says it's only available for 24 hours (from when, I don't know) -- and I had to use a work VPN via a US server to get it to play...but it talks all about how stress and cortisol and adrenal overload impacts weight severely (also causes chronic inflammation and malnutrition, bad digestion, autoimmune symptoms increase, etc.). In case you want to try listening to it... http://mindvalley.on...1503/1378361422 I would definitely not revert to post-op eating, it's not sustainable or healthy over the longer term, which is why we only do it for a short while post-op. I think it's a point in time to lose like that, not that it's healthily do-able in the longer term. You need nutrition and self-care, GT, not to starve yourself.

That sounds so amazing!! That is how I want to feel!! I'm scheduled for surgery Oct 7 and I feel your joy in your words. I would like to know is it easy to gain weight back? If you can gain does that mean you need a fill? I read a lot about weight gain and I'm just trying to still to figure it all out. Thanks so much!! Keep up that great work you inspire me!

Don't focus on the weight gain, think of how far you've already come! Your body just keeps readjusting to the different foods/calories. It will even out eventually and you'll be back on track to more weight loss.

Man oh man did I fuck up! I've been so consumed with having my last meal(s) that I somehow missed the fact that my Dr requires no weight gain from the first appointment(2months ago) to the physical(today)!!!! I'm freaking the hell out now. Nurse just weighed me and I'm up 8 lbs...waiting to hear what the Dr will say now I'm praying he just postpones instead of kicking me out of the program altogether

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!

I am scheduled for surgery on October 28. I'm self pay (in US, not in Mexico) and have my second appointment with my surgeon in a few days. The problem is that I have been gorging on food because I feel like I'm saying goodbye to a lifelong friend and habit. I'm so ashamed that I've gained at least 5 pounds and maybe more in a month and feel like the surgeon is going to be upset. Did any of you have any weight gain in the weeks before you started your pre-op diet?

I think the key is to remain mindful at all times as the others have stated above. We can not get comfortable with our success and must always stand on guard. One slip here and there may not manifest in measurable artifacts such as scale increase or softness, but repeated slips will aggregate into weight gain, and worse, feelings of disappointment and a lack of a strong foundation to stand on. Lets stay strong together and always be mindful! Happy labor lay to my American friends.

Wow, I can't believe I've missed this thread. My weight gain started around 3 years out. I really wasn't doing anything differently. I would indulge more on the weekends, and gain a couple of lbs. Then all of a sudden, I dieted all week long, and I hadn't lost those 2 lbs, and it was time for the next weekend. Soon it was Christmas.Uh-oh! My labs after 4 years show I am usually anemic even though I take Bariatric Advantage Iron with vit c. My b12 was so high I was instructed to stop all b vitaimins. My vit D is normal after taking 10,000 a week for a long time. rest of my labs are normal. I am never hungry unless I eat a lot of carbs, or I can mistake hunger and acid sometimes. I am 4 years and 4 months out from surgery. I was really afraid I would never be able to lose my regain and I was very depressed about it, until I found the 5:2 plan and I've lost 10 of my 15 lb regain.

Hello Everyone; I have been searching for answers and ran across this site while surfing the web. My story: I am 52, divorced, have raised 4 children and am a Family Practice physician. The year my life became very stressful (1998) I gained 100 lbs. That was the year I chose to let my husband leave the family (he had another "love"), I was accepted into medical school and moved the 4 kids to a new home, in a city where I had no friends or family and no employment. Yes, STRESS will cause one to gain weight. At that time I couldn't focus on my body and had to get through every day one at a time. Now fast forward 15 years: I have had a successful career as a physician, raised 4 wonderful children who are all now married and living good lives and am now an "empty nester". I decided it was time to focus on my health and weight. I always felt awkward telling my patients they needed to loose weight when I was overweight as well. 3 years ago I started working on my weight and was able to loose 65 lbs with a low carb diet & exercise. My weight stalled at 198 lbs but I felt better than I had in years. I knew stress was a factor in the plateau (I was "retiring" and closed my clinic since the economy was chipping away at my income as the sole proprietor.) I took a year off of "dieting" and went to work for a cruise line to travel and see the sights. I managed to maintain the weight loss for the most part (gained 10 lbs while cruising) and exercised an hour daily on the ship. Then my grandmother was placed on Hospice for back pain from crushed vertebrae (she was 90 years old) I quit my job with the cruise line and came home to be around for my parents and grandmother. Then my mother had her 4th heart attack. More stress and a new PCP (primary care provider) that insisted on messing with my thyroid medication caused me to gain all the weight back (265 again). I commented to the PCP that he should have listened to me (I am a physician after all and know my medical history) and his solution was to suggest bariatric surgery. The funny part is that I have recommended this to many of my patients and never thought about it as an option for myself. I believed that carful healthy diet and exercise would work again. My concern was "stress" seemed to be the bane of my existence and I would never loose weight when stressed. I researched the options (medical web search), had the PCP office request the prior auth and then met with the surgeon to set the date for surgery. Since I had the records from my weight loss progress and my PCP provided the weight gain record (I gained the weight back over 3 months) The auth for surgery was approved. I had a vertical sleeve procedure May 29th this year. My pre-op diet started the weight loss (incidentally the pre-op diet was similar to the low carb diet I had followed previously) and I lost 13.5 lbs the 2 weeks prior to the surgery. I also had my gallbladder out at the same time and the surgeon performed both procedures by a new technique using a "spider instrument" which was through one umbilical port (so only one incision!) My hospital stay was prolonged by a day because of the additional procedure. I have not been able to take in more than 3-4 oz at one time since the surgery. I thought this was normal and didn't ask questions about this until my weight loss stalled. At 7 weeks post surgery I hit my first plateau. I was following the diet to the letter (2 Protein shakes and one "meal" of protein, soft meats & cooked veggies) I would mix the shakes so the 3 oz had 25 gm of protein and would create a Soup that had at least 10 gms of protein in the 1/2 cup of soup. I was taking in 48-60 oz of Water each day and my exercise routine included walking my 2 dogs (a bull mastiff puppy and an 18 month lab/heeler mix) 2-3 times a day (60 to 90 min) and swim laps for 30-45 min when the weather cooperates. My surgeons response was I was eating too much! He wanted me to cut back to 50-55 gms of protein. Now I know the protein is the main measure but the calorie count of my meals was under 500 calories. He stated that didn't matter. I followed his advise for the next week but still did not loose any weight. That was the last time I went to his office. I have increased my intake by adjusting the shakes (still 3 oz) to 10 gm each and increasing the intake to 3 shakes, "lunch" (the soups), a snack of either cottage cheese, yogurt or string cheese (1-2 oz for a snack) This has increased my calories to around 750-800, my protein intake is 55-60 gm daily and I am slowly starting to loose weight again. I average 1 lb loss a week over the past month. So this is my story and I am looking for others to build a support system since I am on my own (my choice)

I have PCOS and this is the reason why my husband and I decided the surgery was the best way to go. My doc pretty much said my body needed a rude awakening and this drastic measure would help me achieve my dream! I've been married for 10 years and we are EXTREMELY excited about the many possibilities in the future.. I just recently had my surgery so I haven't been to meet with my doctor.. I kinda don't want to take BC because I have had many bad experiences with them (mainly weight gain) and I also don't know how long to wait for it.. Aaahhh... the many possibilities!! I see the light!!