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I agree that professional guidance can be really helpful---knowing that it can be quite difficult to locate a therapist you really "click" with. My story is a bit different---but in a way, not so very much. My mother was sexually abused, and insulated her daughters against similar attention with fat (while making the dangers of men and sex well known to us). At the same time, she was incredibly appearance-fixated (and thin and gorgeous herself)--so there were very confusing mixed messages sent to us. To my father, a woman's appearance (and bank account) was her only value. He is a sociopath, and the messages he sent were downright creepy. I was on diets from early elementary school---and did maintain normal weight until I had children of my own, when it became a battle again. However, the sex-is-dangerous message planted by my mother so early in life started playing in my mind again when my husband was unfaithful and, subsequent to that, developed a serious illness that wrought havoc with our sex life. THEN, I acutely felt that other men posed a danger to me. I saw myself as vulnerable to infidelity myself---and started hearing those Mom-messages in my mind. The result? A large weight gain that lingered for almost 15 years. It's only recently, after really pinpointing what was going on in my head, that I became ready to let go of the insulation. It sounds ridiculous, the idea of letting FAT go! It's FAT---of course I don't want to be enveloped in fat! But really, it served a purpose for my battered psyche. It protected me, admittedly in a maladaptive way. It made me invisible to the men who were a threat to me. It worked! Find a way to work through this---a good therapist, journaling, talking with those who understand...whatever. It can be done. Good luck to you---you will feel so, so good being yourself and saying goodbye to those who have injured you but are now lingering in your mind.

Yes, hypothyroidism could easily explain your weight gain. They discovered I had a goiter at age 6 and then hypothyroid in my 20's on. I have been on medication for it for many years. However, around my mid-twenties, with 2 small kids, being a stay-at-home mom and my current husband at the time, we did not have much money and no insurance. I quit going to my thyroid doctor and quit taking thyroid medicine. It wasn't long after that when I started gaining quite a bit of weight as well as having other symptoms of thyroid problems. Then I got back on my thyroid med and lost weight. Fast forward 15 years and I got off my thyroid med again and gained a bunch of weight. Now I am on thyroid med again (for 2 years now). But this time I couldn't lose the weight on my own. Had the sleeve surgery back in November '16 and I am still on thyroid meds. Since October, I have lost over 80 pounds. I think that if you are sticking to the plan with your sleeve (make sure low carbs, over 60 grams protein), that once your thyroid gets under control with medication, you should lose weight. Don't get discouraged, if you just started your thyroid med, it can take 6 weeks or so to notice a difference. Also, you will need to go back in for more bloodwork and see if you need to go up on your thyroid med dosage. It has to be a gradual increase. Getting your thyroid back to where it needs to be might take awhile.

Hello Stimpy, welcome back! You are a success story, believe that! Trust me we all fall for the sugar demon from time to time. What sets us apart from others though is that we have a tiny tummy that will help keep us from over eating and gaining significant weight back. It makes it a lot easier to get back to being right and not stressing over 10 lbs weight gains, etc. Let the Cookies go for now. The Holidays are approaching and you don't want to be caught up in a downward spiral with all the sugary treats staring you in the face. You are strong and I KNOW you can do it. You have already lost so much, and you are sooo close to the finish line. Let this time be for getting there instead of the latter. NOW GO GET EM!

Those just use your weight, and guess your lean mass and calculate it. The machines that use your breath are averaging the measurements from your breathing over a period time. If you have higher or lower metabolism, this is the only way to get an accurate reading. The Tanita machines are basing it off lean mass and fat mass, which is it getting from an electronic scan. This would work okay for most people that don't need something very accurate, but when you are dealing with people that might have impared metabolisms, the breathe measurements are showing how you body is actually metabolizing energy, not based on lean mass and fat mass but what your body is actually doing. An accurate RMR test with a DEXA scan and MD or PhD in sports medicine around are good ways to get accurate calorie goals. It just don't make sense to blame weight gain on a slowed metabolism, when you haven't had it tested and have no idea what it is. Tracking your food carefully should be the first step. I can eat a lot more at 23 months than I could at 6 months. The only thing that stops me is weighing all my food and deciding how much I am going to eat before I start eating.

Sharon your story is all our story. You just hit it before some of us have. We will all find ourself at the crossroads of old eating behaviors, and I don't feel like exercising today. We all got overweight by doing that behavior for years. Your cautionary tale will help me. Thank you for your brave words and for taking hold of your weight gain, before you lose control completely. You just need to get back on the right way of eating and take a little walk from time to time.Find a place outside your home you like to be, go out and take in the beautiful sites, even if it is a mall.100 pounds amazing. Congratulations.

You didn't feel good at 115. What weight do you feel healthy at? I understand the freakout over a weight gain. It's great that you are right on top of this gain and working it back off. I have given myself a 10 pound bounce range to maintain. When the scale moves up. I go back into weightloss eating mode logging food to hit calorie and carb goals. When I get it back to where I feel healthy I try to balance it out with healthy carbs. I seem to be chasing the same 10 to 15 pounds up and down.... I maintained easily the first two years. At three years out it changed. It's easy for me to gain and the weight comes off slowly. (frustrating) I had to dial in my diet to find the point where my body loses weight. I used a tdee calculator..If interested in the info let me know. Most of maintaining has been trial and error for me. Wish you the best, Jenn

I doubt you are adding a lot of muscle mass at this point. Running doesn't really bulk you up ... at all. What it does do, though, is help store glycogen more efficiently in your muscles. Glycogen is mainly stored in your liver, but when your body sees it needs more resources, due to additional exercise, it will begin to also store glycogen in muscles. One of the differences, though, is when it is stored in muscles, it must also bond with Water in a 4 to 1 ratio. So, if you are storing an additional pound of glycogen, you also have to store an additional 4 pounds of water. This equates to 5 additional pounds! So then you think, "Woa! I'm giving up all exercise, then!" Well, as you mention, your clothes are fitting better. I'm also guessing you have great energy and have a better overall feeling of wellness. Not even to mention the heightened metabolism. I know when I was running regularly, my body was a furnace and my weight loss was incredible. Don't worry about the scale or your doctors if you decide to stay committed to this. They will understand what exercise is doing for you. And ditch the scale. It measures weight, not fat. What are you looking to lose? Another great post by PdxMan! Thank you for explaining it so well! My typical response is that the body is holding onto water more (in a non-bloated way) with the exercise. This is so much better! Bottom line.....the weight gain is not fat and that's the main thing. Dr's who ONLY look at the number on the scale and judging their pateints by that are not really looking out for their patient's best interest. Again.....great post!

I recently started running again, I keep my calories at around 1200 and it seems like my scale is moving in the wrong direction! My clothes a fitting better though... But then there is that constant pressure to lose weight by my next Dr. Appt which has me stressed out! Have any of my fellow bandsters gone through this?

the gain is probably from the surgery and fluid build up in your abdomen from the trauma. It will disapate as time goes on. I had my GB out years ago and had the same weight gain issue but it was very temporary. Feel better soon, Diane

That's a good plan:) I know I made myself crazy with the scale in the beginning. Right now you want to focus on recovering from surgery and your nutrition/hydration. If you do that, the weight loss will happen. At 3 years out, I weigh a few times per week. That may be too much for some, but I use to just ignore my weight and the scale. So if I'm not weighing often, it's a slippery slope for me. Once I got to my goal weight, I gave myself a 5-7 pound "buffer" that I wouldn't worry too much, but I don't allow myself to get beyond that. That way I'm catching any weight gain before it because overwhelming to me.

Here is what I have found--- When you lose the weight, YES others are attracted to you simply for the PHYSICAL change(s). I have always had an outgoing, engaging personality. It may have been muffled under the excess weight, but that was more due to my withdrawal from life. Do I find myself approached more? Yes. Unequivocally yes. Did I have a hard time "accepting" this fact? Yes and no. Here is why- prior to weight gain, I enjoyed a great deal of interaction socially ( not romantically- being married and all) from both sexes. It was my normal. Do I sit and think "well screw you, you uppity socialite who NOW speaks to me"? Yep. I live in a community that is both Upper Middle class and extremely wealthy. We all intermingle, but the "super wealthy" women didn't give me the time of day when I was overweight. Now they fawn over me. Ha! Screw them. Didn't need them before, certainly don't now. Here is also something I've seen--- There are those out there who will want to "score" with you, emotionally, physically, whichever, JUST for the hell of it...the game. You MAY find someone who "tells" you things just because...but don't fall for that BS. Be your best person, emotionally, physically, spiritually. Don't derail your happiness and success based on "what if". Don't let anyone or the fear of someone hurting you dictate where you eventually land weight-wise. YOU CHOOSE who you want to let into your life!!!! I'd go so far as to say when the time is RIGHT, choose people who didn't know you pre-op Finally, you only become as invisible as you want to be. Having an outgoing, life-loving personality draws people to me. I don't say this to feather my own cap. It just is what it is. If you are outgoing and engaging, you don't disappear, you THRIVE. If you prefer to keep to yourself, then do that. Summed up/-- you get to call all of the shots. How, when and with whom is up to you. Just don't fall prey to men who promise love and adoration just to score...no different now or thinner. Jerks abound. You're doing this for you. No one else and you don't need their validation. Totally agree with everything you said here. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

That's a good plan:) I know I made myself crazy with the scale in the beginning. Right now you want to focus on recovering from surgery and your nutrition/hydration. If you do that, the weight loss will happen. At 3 years out, I weigh a few times per week. That may be too much for some, but I use to just ignore my weight and the scale. So if I'm not weighing often, it's a slippery slope for me. Once I got to my goal weight, I gave myself a 5-7 pound "buffer" that I wouldn't worry too much, but I don't allow myself to get beyond that. That way I'm catching any weight gain before it because overwhelming to me. That's a good plan:) I know I made myself crazy with the scale in the beginning. Right now you want to focus on recovering from surgery and your nutrition/hydration. If you do that, the weight loss will happen. At 3 years out, I weigh a few times per week. That may be too much for some, but I use to just ignore my weight and the scale. So if I'm not weighing often, it's a slippery slope for me. Once I got to my goal weight, I gave myself a 5-7 pound "buffer" that I wouldn't worry too much, but I don't allow myself to get beyond that. That way I'm catching any weight gain before it because overwhelming to me.

Hi Justbanded, I have had PCOS for 28 years. I have struggled with my weight and all the other "wonderful" things that go along with PCOS -- insulin resistance (and then, type 2 diabetes), hair growth, weight gain, infertility... I was banded to help with my insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes, because my understanding, after talking to my PCP and bariatric surgeon, that weightloss will help correct that issue. Once my weight is down and my diabetes improves (which it already has!) or resolves completely, the hormone, ghrelin should not be a problem. I am always hungry -- but it is as always -- head hunger or food-seeking behavior. It is my hope that once I am filled and find my "sweet" spot, that my body will get into the groove and my head hunger will lessen. Also, there is a forum for PCOS on here that is pretty good. Good luck my "soul cyster"!

Hypothyroidism is an endocrine disease that contributes to obesity because the thyroid regulates the rate of our metabolism...( how we burn calories...etc). The symptoms you listed are typical but don't think you didn't need the surgery. Taking thyroid medication will help you regulate your metabolism but in the morbidly obese this rarely contributes to much weight loss. In fact those on thyroid medication most often still have the weight gain and yearly creep as they age. Getting thinner however will help your Hypothyroidism and all other body systems ! Hope this helps!!

I think you are doing great on your own with your weight loss. Everyone has a problem with "portion" size. Since you have "mentally" figured that one out, you are one step ahead of the game. And remember, the more weight that comes off, the better you feel and the more you do. As for the hospital, that is not professional at all...but in their defense, hospitals see thousands of patients, have YOU contacted the hospital to find out what was taking so long. I hate to admit it, but sometimes you just fall through the cracks. I wish you all the best luck in the world about what you ultimately decide. Weight gain/loss is a very hard road for everyone.

if you blame beer consumption, please discuss the before and after surgery effects

I gained 30 pounds in 3 months drinking beer in the early 70s due to clinical depression. That was the beginning of my long bout with fat. I weighed 130 pounds before that. Of course, they have finally figured out that depression changes the brain so that one rapidly gains weight. They didn't know that then, so my doc put me on tranquilizers. He said I could take up to 6 a day. Three a day caused me to sleep all day, so I slept a lot. Then I'd drink beer to kill the pain and gained weight. I think the average weight gain is supposed to be about 1 pound a year as we age. So I was at 160 and in the next 30 years I gained more than 1 pound a year though not before I had to take care of mother. I am down to 180 and hope to get to 160 someday, but I no longer drink beer. I drink brandy. Thank God for brandy. It's low cal and very potent.

Hello August Sleevers! My name is Julie & I'll be sleeved on the 9th! Anyone care to join me?? ) Just started my 10-day liquid Protein pre-op diet yesterday, so the countdown has officially begun! I can't believe it's coming up so quickly! Yesterday was pretty easy, little hunger today. Will get through it, though! Thought I'd introduce myself! ...I'm a married mother of 2 awesome teenage boys (17 & 14) from Credit River, Minnesota. I'm an interior designer by trade, but have been a full-time glass bead artist & jewelry designer for the last 5 years. I love what I do! (who wouldn't? I get to play with fire!!) If you want to check out my work, feel free to visit my website by clicking the "glass artist" link below my name in my signature. I've always been creative & am so happy being able to do what I do. I'm also very blessed to have a husband who supports his family & gives me the freedom to do what I love! I've dealt w/ weight issues my entire adult life, actually since high school. Not one to jump on the fad diet bandwagon, I've mainly done programs like Weight Watchers, having small short lived successes, but have never been able to really maintain any kind of loss for long. A few years ago my doctor brought up WLS & I didn't even consider it.... one one hand it seemed too extreme & on the other, it seemed like the easy way out (yes, I know better!) Over time, however, w/ much research & even more weight gain, I realized that I was in a never ending cycle that I seriously needed to do something about. I stopped looking @ WLS as an easy fix.... realizing that I was still going to be required to do all of the work & instead, I started looking at WLS as an amazing tool that I've never had access to before. Yeah, I know how to lose weight & yeah, I should be able to do this on my own, but for some reason, I haven't been able to. WLS is a permanent fix. Yeah, I know weight can still be gained if you aren't doing what's necessary, but the fact is that a large part of my stomach is going to be removed & I'm going to have minimum capacity there. I'm taking a huge risk to do this & I'm not about to be stupid about it. I know how important getting the right nutrition is going to be & I also know I'll need to move my butt. This is the heavy hand that I obviously need to get this job done! I'm not taking this lightly. I'm thrilled to have a local friend going through the vertical sleeve procedure w/ me... her surgery date is set for early September, so it'll be great for us to be there to support eachother.... but I'm really happy to have found you guys & this awesome message board / support system. I've already been inspired by so many success stories & I'm really looking forward to becoming part of the community... really enjoy connecting w/ & motivating/inspiring others! I've decided to blog my experience... something to help me document this new journey of mine. Oh yeah... I started this journey w/ my first appointment in January this year @ 285lbs, my heaviest ever. I'm sitting @ 272lbs, pre-post-op diet. Will be interesting to see where I am this time next week before surgery & can't wait to see where things go from here!! xoxox....

Hi all Looking for a little support... I was banded on Monday 4/2 and I KNOW I was not suppose to get on the scale when I got home but you guessed it ..I did it! I knew to expect weight gain but I wasn't expecting 10 lbs! But that was what I got. Tried not to be discouraged but here I am 5 days post op and I still am up 3 lbs. I've been on all liquids and will be for the next week as well before going to 3 weeks of mushies. I still have the horrible gas pains too which I know doesn't help. I've been reading and reading and all I find is how much people have lost their first week. l lost 34 lbs before surgery and I'm not expecting to see tons come off in the first few weeks but the gain really hurts. I'm doing what I was told for liquid meals, walking and then walking some more but I just can't get back to pre-surgery weight...I also got a small fill when banded (3cc) Has anyone else had this issue or has everyone lost the first week? Would appreciate any imput

I lost a very good friend in 06 when he decided he could not live anymore. No one really saw it coming but in hindsight there were some clues. It is the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with. It is very sad. Hugs to you. Good news about the minimal weight gain. That is a testament to your working out and building the muscle to burn off the extra calories. Great job!!

I had a mid-band fitted in Paris Oct. 03. I reckon I have done really well over the years. My start weight was about 14st 9lb (maybe doesn't seem that large but with lots of health complications and only being 5.4") was a problem for me. Over a 2-year period and with a total of 5 'fills' the last being in March 07. My lowest weight was about 9st.7lb but at that weight I was told by friends and family that I was "far too skinny and it aged me" I am now 11st 13lb and feel huge. Despite taking advice and continually trying hard I'm panicking about weight gain :-( On the positive side of things I still feel much healthier than I did and look better. I have no regrets about having the surgery at all; I just wish that the restriction continued forever. My band is not fully inflated I have 7.75mls and the Bands capacity is 9. I'm wandering if there's anyone out there filled to capacity and if so how they are doing, also if anyone who has had the band as long as me is experiencing the same?

I am not at the 2 year mark yet from my RNY surgery. I have been told there is a third stage that occurs at about 1 1/2 year out where the stomach fully heals and goes from a 70% absorption of calories to 100%. This can drive weight gain if you are consuming too many calories. If that is the case, taking daily weight measurements can provide you an early indication. If it occurs, you might have to tighten up you caloric intake.

i have been eating a lot of watermelon-- probably about a cup at a time. no problems and no weight gain

Congrats on your pregnancy! I had a band baby back in 2011, and he is now a 30lbs, happy healthy 15 month old boy. I want to be honest with you, because I know that is what you're looking for as well as support, that type of weight gain this early on in your pregnancy is a little much. The time where you should be gaining more weight is at the end of your 2nd trimester beginning your 3rd. I had to have most of my Fluid removed around the same time you did in my pregnancy, because I felt "stuck" every time I ate and I ended up losing 10lbs in my 1st trimester. After my band was loosened I started eating more until I found I had gained back 52lbs. There is nothing wrong with fulfilling your cravings, but do it in the same manner you would with your band. And if you excercsie regularly now, you can keep it up! I do want to say that its great that you did identify that you felt something was wrong with your band and how you felt, I do know a few people who didnt and really ended up making themselves quite sick for half of their pregnancies. Good luck to you and I wish you a happy, healthy pregnancy!!!

Wow! thankyou, great advice. I'm thinking I might try something similar. I started going to a gym 3 times a week 2 months ago and will keep that up but I'm basically eating good healthy foods for morning and lunch. it's when i get home I go off the rails and I sit watching tv diving into a bowl of popcorn or having bread. I could continue this pattern and closely monitor for weight gain and if it starts to creep up, then I'll have to pull back in the evenings, or try your approach with controlled days and not so controlled weekends. Thanks for the tips - as I said, never had to really hold steady with my weight before (my BMI is 40) so I dont want to go too far under either.