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First of all, I just want to say that I am so proud of you for reaching out and getting the process started. Sometimes that very first action is the hardest but you did it and that's something to celebrate. I would say as you're working through the process of getting approved for surgery, it would be worthwhile to see a therapist. I also have abuse and trauma in my history which heavily contributed to my disordered eating and weight gain. Getting help for my mental well being was the single most important piece of my journey. The surgery is just a tool and it will only work as well as you learn to use it. Making sure that you work through trauma, learn new coping mechanisms, and have a solid support system in place will help ensure long term success. As for questions, I'd say keep a journal or notebook and write things down as they come to mind. Then, take that to your appts and ask them all as you're able to. Personally, I wanted to know all about my surgeons success/mortality/infection rates, the pre- and post-op diets, long term eating habits, vitamin and supplement requirements, and my personal health history and how it may impact surgery and success. Of course, other questions came up along the way, so I asked those too. Welcome to the WLS surgery club. We're glad you're here and we're cheering you on!

Generally people gain back some of the weight after they bottom out. If you are at 14 months, I suspect that you have worked through the loss stage and have entered the maintenance stage. Individuals tend to gain weight back because they graze. This allows their pouch to grow and thus there is weight gain. Focusing on carbohydrates does not tend to fill one up and promotes grazing. So I suspect grazing on popcorn could be a problem. Consuming sugar can also be a problem but in your case, you have limited that from your diet. Grazing on Protein is good. In my case, I have included fats back in my diet. I am 18 months post-op from RNY. Fats take away hunger and I use fats to control my urge to graze. For example I drink one cup of coffee each day and I top it with home made whip cream. I also use real milk, butter, meat that is not lean. I also use Adkin's treats. I was diabetic prior to surgery and pay a lot of attention to reducing my sugar (processed sugar) to next to nothing. But generally I can satisfy my sweet tooth with Splenda and Stevia. Exercise is important. If you are not up and about doing normal daily activities, it is important to try and get back on some sort of exercise regime. Walking is good.

You really shouldn't be doing creamed soups typically at all. They are generally very high in calories, carbs, fats, and sugars. You should stick to the list of foods they say you can have, and not venture out into other areas until you are cleared for them. Talk to your nutritionist about your diet and have them tell you want you need to be doing. Firstly, weight gain within the first 2 weeks isn't unheard of.... but lots of sleeve folks are on liquids only for the first month, I get that every doctor is going to be different, but you are also supposed to be on a restricted calorie intake, you should be tracking your proteins, water, etc. Give them a call and ask them how they feel about cream based soups. Are you tracking your protein intake? How much protein are you getting? Are you tracking your water intake? How much water are you getting a day? Are you exercising? How much exercise are you getting each day?

Hi! In my opinion, binging doesn't mean that you're not ready. I binged quite a few times before surgery, too. But it is important to wean yourself off of the binging behavior as much as you can (I know, it's hard!). One important reason is that you really do need to lose some weight before surgery and exercise to make your surgery recovery easier. Also, most doctors tell you to lose weight before surgery, and I've even heard of surgeries being canceled because of weight gain. One bit of advice I would give is to not try to make all the changes all at once...do one at a time until you're comfortable with the change, then move on to the next. Especially since you have six months to do it in. This is the absolute best thing I've ever done for myself, and I was a binge eater...it's really a good thing that you have the time to make sure this is the right decision for you. Good luck!!!!

As most of you know, the love of my life passed away at the age of 48 on June 8. He was really my world but I know I have to move on. I'm up 23 pounds since his diagnosis and death in the past 6 months. The last 10 pounds came on quick. I've actually put off my blood work for 6 months and am having this done on Wed. I do not have a thyroid so if my levels are off it could cause some of the gain. I honestly do not eat. I know that is part of the problem. I don't eat food much and when I do I get nauseous. I drink lattes and frappes and eat fudge sickles and just sugar liquid that just goes right on down and gives me the a good feeling of comfort for awhile. Caffeine and sugar. Sugar the devil! I'm so disappointed in myself. I know that my husband wouldn't want me to do this. I try every day to do better but to no avail. I've tried sugar free crap. I hate it. Unfortunately, the sugar is my comfort and my demise. I am 2 years and 2 months out and I kept off my weight until his diagnosis in January. I know that people say that a 20 lb weight gain is pretty normal this far out but I never made it to goal. I feel so fat and terrible. I can't wear my size 10 or 12's and now its back to a 14/16. I just hate it. Lord, I need help. I'm attaching a poem I wrote called "Heaven On A Sunday". This is exactly how the last day of my husbands life really was. I know I'm traumatized because taking care of him for the last 6 months and losing him is just so much to handle. Seeing cancer eat up the person you love so very much. Seeing him go from 48 to looking 90 is beyond what I can comprehend. I miss him very much. Thanks for reading and I appreciate all of you. Heaven On A Sunday You left me on a Sunday. My life will never be the same. Such a day of suffering for you and me; But yours was so much more to be. You tried to talk but could not. Still things you and I needed to say. You tried to grab my hand to say good bye, But you had no strength left inside. You turned to look at me with those once beautiful eyes. Now showing stress of your long journey of this terrible thing inside. You seem to say to me everything would be okay. You were on your way to Heaven on this Sunday. As I watched your breath so labored and hard, Your chest rises and falls. My heart breaks into pieces to never be whole again. I see the pain you have endured and the scars on your body of a battle you fought so very hard. Tears rolled down my cheeks for the last time your name I call. I kiss your lips and tell you to go with our Savior. I watch you with my heart overflowing with love, As life leaves your face and you look at me for the very last time. I know you have gone above. Your body relaxes and my heart is crushed. I know my life will never be the same. God took you home at seven on a Sunday. I can’t seem to get away from the pain. I live with the pain of losing you everyday. I relive each and every heartbreaking moment of that Sunday. I pray for strength, Grace, and Mercy. God please take my pain away. I pray the pain will lessen and my heart won’t break as much next Sunday as today. God took you home on a Sunday. I miss you more than I can say. If I had a choice of what day our Lord would come for me, I have to say, I would choose to go to Heaven on a Sunday. Just like the Lord took you that day. Written by Lisa Beckermann for her Love Barry Bear.

Alot of us on here got the surgery costs covered by insurance, so yeah, having to shell out $19K adds ALOT to think about. Its easy to say now that I am 2 years post op that I would totally do it again, even if I had to pay, but really, if I think about it, I’m not 100% sure I would have gone through with it knowing nothing of my outcome back then if I had to shell out that much cash. With that said: I started gaining weight about 15 years ago, and spent maybe the last 10 of those years morbidly obese. Yes, I had done diet and exercise several times...on THREE separate occasions I even lost 50+ lbs. The longest I kept those 50+ lost lbs off my body was probably 2 months max...until it started to slowly pile back on to return in its entirety plus some within 4-5 months. There was no mystery to this: I went back to eating the way I did pre-diet and stopped exercising. Now, with WLS, I have been able to keep the 120lbs I lost off of me for SEVENTEEN MONTHS so far. Again, there is no mystery to this: I eat much less and I exercise every day. Yes, I am doing this myself, but the WLS gives me a HUGE boost (at least with the eating part...I actually have no idea why I stay active all this time, and actually like it, GASP!) I have no illusions that I am immune to weight gain. Just because I had WLS does not mean I can’t eat cookies for every meal and sit on the couch all day (but it will limit me to the number of cookies I eat at a time). I have to keep doing what Im doing to maintain where Im at. So far, so good, but we’ll see I guess. In the meantime, I am grateful and satisfied with it all. Soooooo....this is my long winded response that I do agree with you that your immediate and long term success is primarily up to you, but the WLS gives you that extra “umph” to help u get there (and stay there). Good luck with whatever you decide!

Briar Rose - yes, its a huge decision and major surgery. I hope we can make the best decisions for our health and well being and not think we are taking the easy way out. Reading these posts there is no easy way about it and can have some long term ramifications. Don't get me wrong, I am still intrigued by the surgery; however have fears of complications and weight gain of course. It will cost me $19,000 to get the revision done. So it needs to make sense to me.

Wow 20 years ago you had bypass? That is amazing. I saw someone else on here mention alcohol is causing weight gain for them. Maybe you can switch to a very low carb, calorie beer?

Hello everyone, I am looking for some advice/support on having my band removed. I was originally banded in 2007 at 319 lbs. I lost 30 lbs to get the band. After it was placed my lowest weight was 275 about 5 months after surgery. Over the next 7 years I gained all of my weight back and then some. I got back up to 330 lbs. Until November of last year I decided to change my lifestyle and eat healthier, exercise etc., I am now 250 lbs and working hard every day to keep the weight off. I have been experiencing all kinds of stomach issues and had all the tests done, endoscopy, upper GI etc. the fluid has been removed from my band but apparently my band is fine. In my head I feel like the band is making me miserable and I want it out!! I no longer want this foreign object in my body if it is not serving me a purpose. I have talked to a surgeon and she thinks we can get it done and insurance will cover it. I would like to get some input from those who have had their bands removed. The thought of any surgery scares the heck out of me and I do not want any other type of surgery such as bypass or the sleeve I just want to be done with it. Are those of you who have had it removed glad that you did it? Have you had any complications? I know weight gain is a big concern but I am not as concerned about that as I am about feeling worse. Right now the band is sitting there doing nothing, should I just leave it? I am so confused...... ~Becky

Have you talked to your doctor? It could be hormonal too, so I would clear out any physical reason for your rapid weight gain.

anyone having problems with weight gain years after gastric bypass surgery? I need support! help please, we can do this together and lose that weight gain! Thanks in advance, Sharowna

Thanks for the encouragement, it is just what I need. I know I won't go back to smoking because it has been a year and I just don't want them. What I do need is help with the weight gain so I hope it will be okay to come here for that special kind of help that only people that have been through the same thing can understand.

I didn't have hairloss or Vitamin deficiency (although they didn't actually do bloodwork to check early on!). If she is not keeping anything down, even shakes, that is a sign of a band slippage. A year out, she should be able to eat food too, but the band is a fickle and harsh mistress, so much depends on how much fill etc. Oddly, weight gain often happens with a slippage too. She needs to get herself checked out - endoscopy for starters. It could be serious because what happens with a slip is it can slip so you can't consume anything - not even Water - and then you wind up with emergency surgery.

Please don't let my weight gain of 20 lbs scare you. I was irresponsible and continued vomiting wthout talking to my dr until my band slipped last year. And when he took my fill out is when I gained. So it had nothing to do with my band and what it can do for you. It was all on me. I'm working right now with a barely slipped band (he said as long as I have no more symptoms - severe reflux - that I'll be ok the way it is). I have enuf restriction to do what I need to do, but not as much as before so I really have to watch it. I've recently started the Atkins Induction (and I've always been against Atkins, against diets in general) and lost 8 of those lbs so far! So please don't let my post scare you. The band DOES work and it WILL work for you (if you follow the rules). Good luck! Marci

Hello! I just came across you post and I can relate. I had my band in Jan. 2010 and in July 2012 had the port fixed due to it flipping. After that surgery everything went down hill but my weight. After 7 months of failed fills, trying to convince my doctor and a very painful port site that never healed right (I think scar tissue was the problem and he put it where my belt line lies) there is something wrong and almost all my weight gained back, I finally switched surgeons whom I just love and had the sleeve. I love the sleeve. It keeps me from eating to much, after a couple of bites of something, I am so done. I get my liquids in easily and walk each day. No gyms for me. Nothing wrong with gyms, but to expensive for me and I love to walk. The sleeve is saving my life. I had it done May 1 and down 40 pounds already. That's just by living normal day by day. No diet to follow, I just changed my eating habits and live by them everyday. I see a fast food commercial on TV and I feel like getting sick. So if I read correctly, you would have it done by now. Please share how it went and how you are doing. This site motivates me and allows me to be honest and open. We have all walked in each others shoes in one way or another. I wish you well and much success on your new journey. Renee from WI....

I strictly avoid processed sugars. I have a sweet tooth and that is one of the major causes that contributed to my weight gain over my lifetime. I limit myself to artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda and sugar alcohols), to natural low calorie sweeteners (such as Stevia) and to the natural sugars found in fruits and milk. I had diabetes. That went into remission when I left the hospital two days after surgery and I have not taken any diabetic medicine ever since and my blood sugar levels are good. I am almost 5 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. I test my blood sugar levels periodically. I read the labels of all food that I consume. I look at the grams of sugar per serving. If it is above 5 grams, I look at the ingredients. The ingredients are listed in order by highest percentage, and if the first 5 ingredients contain processed sugar (in any of its many forms), then I avoid this food, like a plague.

My (ex) bf and I have dated for nearly 5 years; he lives with me. The last year of our relationship has been rocky anyway, but ever since I told him I had decided to have gastric he became even more standoffish and argumentative. Two weeks ago we had a huge blowout over something completely idiotic, he comes back to the house, and says he has been acting the way he has because he thinks that once I lose weight I am going to leave him and that's all he can think about. Mind you... I have not even had the surgery yet. He said I am going to lose weight, gain self-esteem, realize I am too good for him, and leave him. Well, guess what, pal... I don't need to lose ANY weight to realize I am too good for you. It's been a long time coming, but I think it's even sadder that he is using my choice to get healthier as a justification for being an a*s. The only thing this does is put me in a rough position as far as someone staying with me while I recover. My mom and stepdad are going to take "shifts" as long as they can, but they both work. And the ex is currently dwelling awkwardly in my basement, but will probably not give me a hand at all. It does make me sad because I had hoped he would be there at the hospital with me... but then all of this BS happens. *insert gigantic eye roll emoji here* I am okay, though. I need these next 12 months to focus on me and getting healthy and fit and not dealing with unnecessary dramatics and stress. I have always thrived when single and he actually had moved out of the house for a year and it was fantastic. I hate to say it, but I'm looking forward to this new chapter - of not just weight loss, but of being single and free!

I am now 8 days post op. My doc required a two week pre-op liquid diet. Immediately after surgery, he wants me on a two clear liquid diet. Since starting my pre-op diet, I am down 25 pounds!!! But...I had gained 15 pounds from my initial consultation in November. I think the weight gain was due to numerous things since November...Christmas, Disney Vacation in January and the whole fear of not being able to eat a certain food ever again. I feel good. I don't see my doc till Thurs. for a followup and release to return to work. I'm looking so forward to full liquids and mushies! Never thought I'd say I was looking forward to cream soups, puddings, etc. Later.

22 .bs in 18 days??? Remarkable! Can you imagine gaining 22 lbs in 18 days??? Weight loss is waaay faster than weight gain and that's where our focus should be! Great job!

It might be due to your carbohydrate intake after surgery. You might be reducing your fatty acids but not your triglycerides if your body is producing too much glycerol. Glycerol is produced from carbohydrates. http://www.zoeharcombe.com/the-knowledge/weight-gain-is-about-fat-stored/

Most people that have sleep apnea don't know it because it's generally not that severe. As someone who had 55-60 apneas an hour (5 and under is normal), which is overkill, I can tell you the biggest symptom of this is jolting awake and not knowing why, or having a panic attack like you can't breathe (which is why I was put on an anti-anxiety medication). I've found one of the best ways to alleviate this is trying to change body position while sleeping, or use elevation. Before my weight gain I used to be a back sleeper. When I started having apneas, I found sleeping on my right side helped significantly, while due to sinus problems sleeping on my left side caused congestion. The sleep study is rather easy, they should give you a small bag of stuff to put on when you sleep, follow their instructions, and try to sleep as normal as if you don't even have it on. If you're found to have apnea, they may either take a wait-and-see approach, or they may want to do some kind of intervention which might include a CPAP machine. In either case, if you have OSA, regardless of the insurance situation, you still want this taken care of.

Weight loss is a different animal as the years pass. Actually experiencing weight gain, weight holding on, and slow weight loss may be hard for newer people to understand. It's a great that you are posting this topic. Yes, get with your team to get the professional advice and confirm or rule out medical issues. The bariatric plan that once worked may not work for you now. it will be trial and error to find the calories and macros that get your body in weight loss mode. This will be specific to your body physiology. Weight loss at years out is not a one size fits all. It is fine tuning your diet to find where your body loses weight. To find the calories and macros that work: Use your food log. If your body is carb sensitive lower your carbs. If your not losing at a certain calorie levels. Raise/lower the calories. Spread out meals a day. Start with three adjust it to four, five six. How you fuel your body is key. Whole foods, Keto, intermittent fasting, vegetarian diets. It still gets down to your calories and macros on any diet plan.

Have you started your 3 month diet? I am 1 wk into mine, I must admit it's a total joke. I feel as if I am just jumping through hoops to please the insurance company. Plus it is rather strange that they aren't trying to get you to lose a lot of weight but rather notice your trends and the things you do that promote weight gain. For me my goals were things like drink more water, don't have tv on while eating or don't eat at my desk at work and look at the computer at the same time. St. Mary's has a program where they assist you with the process using their staff which has made it easier for me. Good Luck

I am right where you are in that I had surgery the same day and am currently on pureed food. The only things I would ask is are you (sorry) pooping well since backed up poop can cause weight gain and are you drinking plenty of water. You will retain fluids if you are not drinking enough. On the pureed front, I am only doing chicken, cottage cheese, cauliflower and greek yogurt so far so basically only a few carbs. Not adding fruits or any other carbs for a while. Hang in there!!

You didn't deserve to be treated like that even though you've gained weight. Maybe he was irritated by the weight gain - he's a professional and he surely has worked with other patients who found themselves in the same place. You'll pull through and be ready for surgery. Really. You can do this, I promise.