Search the Community

In addition to the dreaded 3 week stall you may have pin pointed why the scale is showing a weight gain; you're bloated and constipated. There are many solutions to that; colace stool softener, milk of magnesia, miralax, benefiber, prune juice, a tsp of epsom salt in organic grapefruit juice to name just a few. Since you can't exercise, walk. Walk at least 30 minutes every day and drink you water/fluids. It will all get the plumbing moving. Most importantly stay off the scale. It will make you insane. Take your measurements instead. and every month take them again. Even when you are stalling if you are on program, the measurements will change when the scale doesn't.

Yes unfortunately the antipsychotics cause metabolic issues, such as lot of weight gain and increased cholesterol levels. Quetiapine, risperidone, mirtazapine all come to mind as some of the worst offenders, but all psych meds have this unfortunate side effect. Whether your surgeon wants to proceed, I can't say. Your weight loss may not be as effective as you expect.

I was on psych meds and didn't have any issues getting approved. However, I was told to work closely with my med provider to make sure my medications stayed at therapeutic levels as I lost weight. If you're not already, talking with a therapist might help. Also, FYI, part of the approval process for most insurances is a psych evaluation. And, as already stated, a lot of psych meds do cause weight gain. So that is something to consider for long-term success. One of the medications I was on contributed to a 60lb weight gain in a years time. Thankfully, I was able to find an alternative.

K33, it has been my experience that antidepressants do cause some weight gain but not all of them. Depression can also be a chemical imbalance such as bipolar. Antidepressants help the chemical imbalance in the brain. I can tell you from experience that depression can be present when you are skinny or fat. I suffered for year with untreated depression when I was skinny and finally was diagnosed and put on medication that really helped me. Not sure of any research but I plan on staying on meds with probably the same dose after my VSG. To me it is much better than being depressed. I know this probably didn't answer your question but I feel for you.

I use the depo shot. I love it. Go in every 3 months, for 15 mins and you are done. I haven't noticed any weight gain and I don't get periods anymore. I would recommend it but check with your Dr.

Try to consider your new stomach as a new baby that has to be progressed SLOWLY. The food guidelines provided to us are to help our swollen and upset stomachs heal. Can you get down a few bites that aren't allowed? Probably. Will it cause damage or be a problem? Maybe. Should you talk to your Doctor? ABSOLUTELY! Try to stick to the diet so you heal properly and so that you don't being micro-stretching your stomach. The name of the game is to eat until full and not a drop more. That way you'll always fill up faster. If you stretch it out, you're going to run into plateaus and possible future weight gain. Stick to the program. It was designed this way for a VERY specific purpose. Just my 2 cents. J

It's IV weight gain - don't fret. Most surgeons load you up with IV liquids after surgery to make sure you are hydrated, knowing that getting in liquids the first 48-72 hours after surgery can be difficult. Stick with the recommendations given you for Protein and Water and the weight will right itself. This is a long process and you will lose your weight at the rate your body dictates - no faster or slower. You will be OK!

I think the Peanut Butter may be a little too much. I would reduce that for sure. I can't eat much more then 1/4 cup per meal and was told not to go above 1/2 cup. If you are on maintenance perhaps consider Snacks rather then large meals. I believe it's because you need to preserve the size of your pouch to avoid weight gain later on. food can slide right through your new tummy and you could end up gaining the weight back. I think that's why your medical team wants you to stay with a smaller portion. Also, to digest your food properly it has to stay in the pouch for an hour. If it slides through, the readily absorbed nutrients are the only ones going into your body and it also leads to gas and all sorts of intestinal issues. Good Luck

For most of us starting a WLS journey, bariatric surgery is vast, uncharted territory, full of unknowns. We long for a happy outcome – maximum weight loss with minimum problems. We listen to stories told by other patients with a combination of hope (to be as successful as they’ve been) and fear (that we won’t experience the side effects or complications they talk about). No one wants to be haunted by the specter of anxiety and dread, but I think a little bit of fear is a good thing. I don’t want fear to dominate my life, but without it, I’m likely to become complacent about my weight loss success and/or revert to the old, all-too-comfortable ways that made me obese in the first place. In small doses, fear keeps me on my toes. Like pain tolerance, fear tolerance varies from one person to the next. Perhaps I’m able to tolerate and use fear because my childhood and adolescence were so full of fear-provoking experiences. By the time I was in my late 20’s, I actually got a little thrill out of fear, possibly because it stimulates adrenalin production. There’s nothing quite like a knife coming at you to activate your fight-or-flight system, causing a perverse fear “rush”. At the same time, prolonged exposure to fear has also taught me to respect it. I don’t play with fear the way daredevils like Evel Knievel did, risking life and limb for the brief thrill of jumping 14 buses at a time with his motorcycle. But I do like the way fear can clear my mental field, forcing me to draw a line between important and unimportant. When the choice is survival or surrender, I’d rather choose survival. I’m not a quitter. When challenged, I’m going to fight back, especially if something precious like my health is at stake. If fear tends to paralyze rather than mobilize you, you may have to use your own compass to navigate a problem, or play follow-the-leader (provided you have a trustworthy leader) instead. Whatever you do, don’t give in. Giving in turns you into a victim (click here to read an article about victim mentality: http://www.lapbandta...-of-obesity-r79), which is not a position of strength in any battle worth fighting. And your health is worth fighting for, isn’t it? So, how can you make fear a working partner in your WLS journey? Let’s take a closer look at two of the more common faces of fear. FEAR OF FAILURE Somewhere between my first, mandatory pre-op educational seminar and my pre-op liver shrink diet, I became uncomfortably aware of a shadow that followed me everywhere. It was dark and scary, and even bigger than I was. It was my fear of failure. After decades of struggle – diets, weight loss, weight gain – I felt that WLS was my absolute last chance to be healthy. And after slogging through all those pre-op tests, evaluations, consults and procedures, I danged well was not going to fail this time. Since I had to admit that my weight management skills were sadly lacking back then (as amply proven by the number on the scale and the numbers in my medical files), the only option available to me was to become the most compliant patient my surgeon ever had (click here to read an article about patient compliance: http://www.lapbandta...g-deal-abo-r112). I had to believe that he and his staff knew what they were doing and would guide me well. I’m a very curious and often mouthy person, so I asked a lot of questions and did my best to understand what was going on in me and around me, but I spent very little time trying to second-guess the instructions I was given. That approach freed up a lot of time and energy that I was then able to devote to changing my eating and other behaviors in ways that helped my weight loss. FEAR OF COMPLICATIONS Compliance served me well I this area also. I can’t claim that I was never tempted to cheat on my pre or post-op diets or to test my band’s limits. I can’t claim that I believed I’d be forever exempt from the side effects and complications I heard about from other WLS patients. But when my dietitian told me (for example) that I’d be mighty sorry if I accidentally swallowed a wad of chewing gum and had to have it scraped out of my stoma, I quickly lost my interest in chewing gum. When I observed that many bandsters experienced certain types of side effects and complications after engaging in certain types of risky behaviors, I resolved not to follow them down the road of no return. Eventually I discovered that life after WLS can deliver some unpleasant surprises, just as in every other aspect of life. I had to learn some things the hard way, like: If you swallow a large antibiotic capsule that can’t pass through your stoma and slowly dissolves into a corrosive mess, you will end up in the ER thinking you’re having a heart attack (and end up with a big unfill). And no, liquid antibiotics don’t taste good, but they taste a lot better than the weight I regained after that unfill. Most of the mistakes I made were the result of impatience or carelessness, but I did my best to learn from those mistakes and keep moving on. A handful of mistakes was about all it took for me to decide not to challenge the validity of my surgeon’s and dietitian’s instructions, and that kept me trudging along the bandwagon trail, getting ever closer to my weight goal. And once I reached that wonderful place, I was determined to stay there!

Well, I had a fill today post op after my port had flipped and I had corrective surgery on May 10th. I went for a follow up today. I gained two pounds! The doctor took one look at me and he said I had a fluid build up. He drained almost 16 oz of fluid out of me! Anyway, he said he gave me a fill during my surgery and I said I felt nothing, he decided to give me another fill today. Anyway, I was only able to hold down 1 Cup of food before I felt like I would start regurgitating. It was a good feel, not a restrictive feel but enough to let me know I'd had enough. My doctor is very conservative on fills and this time I think he hit the green zone because I'm comfortable and feel good that I can stop eating when I feel full. Before the band I would have eaten everything on my plate. Hopefully, a loss will show up on the scale. The doctor said that the fluid build up post op was a contributing factor in my weight gain of two pounds. A gain is a gain so I have to log that down and remind. Myself not to get discouraged.

Celexa is notorious for causing weight gain. Your surgeon's office should be able to appeal successfully showing that your weight gain coincided with the start of the Celexa. That being said, it might be worth it to look into other medications that are less likely to cause weight gain so you're not struggling after surgery. I'd also avoid Zyprexa for the same reason, but you might try Paxil if you are taking the medication for anxiety/panic attacks. If you need medication for depression, try Wellbutrin or Luvox but I'd stay away from Effexor (very strong and hard to get off of), Zoloft and Lexapro. All of those are known to cause a lot of weight gain. I hope this helps and you get approved soon!

So after 6 months of tests and appts I was called by the nurse at my surgeons office to tell me that my surgery was denied. I am HEARTBROKEN. ???? I have been though so much this year. As I started this journey, one month in, my 37 year old husband had a heart attack. Which then required a triple bypass because of 3 blockages. We made it through 20 days in the hospital, 6 days in the cardiac ICU. We both quit smoking, and I was determined to keep going forward with this. I kept my appts and tests even with him in the hospital. Just so I could have this done and we can BOTH start our new lives together. Because when he was in the hospital I could barely BREATH let alone eat. I lost 15 pounds. Now because I quit smoking and my husband is recovering slowly but is recovering nicely, I began to eat. I'm starving. I'm following exactly what I should and I put on 10 pounds. I started a celexa for depression and blood pressure meds a few months ago. I was denied because of the weight gain through the 3 month nutrionalist appts. I am so sad, I am so depressed. I feel defeated. I plan on appealing. I don't know how to pick myself up from this. Thanks for reading, advice would be greatly appreciated. Katie

I am so frustrated. Right after surgery I lost about 15 lbs. Now, 15 days post op, I weigh myself and I'm back up 4. I just started mushies so I am having some foods with more sodium, but I'm not hardly eating. How could I have possibly gained weight? Does anyone know the reasoning for this or has this happened to anyone? I'm incredibly discouraged.

Wow @@Hiraeth you have gone through the wringer! Hoping your symptoms ease up after surgery. I went for a year without a period. 6 weeks post op It came back like it never left. It wasn't painful (never has been) just mild cramping streak of blood when I wipe. It usually would pick up overnight going into day 2 and 3 but again no pain. I used to pass heavy clots in the toilet years back but that didn't last for very long. Anyways day 4 it starts to ease up, day 5 and 6 light spotting then its done. Day 2 and 3 I wear 2 tampons an overnight pad and a pantyliner because I'm OCD like that and I can't have any accidents. I would imagine if they were really heavy like yours I don't know what I'd do!!! Maybe live in the tub? lol. Skin is clear, no excess hair. I have had some skin changes over the years. My face is duller, and dryer, as well as the rest of the skin on my body but I always attributed that to my lack of Water intake. I try to moisturize and exfoliate to compensate. I imagine now that my diet has changed and I'm more conscious about my water intake my skin will get it's healthy glow back. Other than that I'm sure I've had some symptoms especially with having high testosterone levels-- I've been moody, more irritable but that's been going on for years now so it's hard to say but I started noticing it shortly after my diagnosis I'm just used to It now. So mainly my symptoms included absence of periods dry, dull skin infertility (I have 2 but have not used any form of birth control since my 2nd and no pregnancy's) Mood changes due to high testosterone I was diagnosed after discussing symptoms with my OBGYN Rapid weight gain within 2 years, highly irregular cycles, blood work showed high testosterone levels and insulin resistance (6.2 hemoglobin a1c) ultrasound negative for ovarian cysts.

Hi, I need help! I had the sleeve in March of 2015. About a year ago I started gaining weight back. I've gained about 25 lbs back. I recently got a personal trainer and have been working out consistently for 2 months. The problem is the scale hasn't moved. My trainer focuses on strength training. So 4 of the 5 days we workout we are lifting and 1 day is cardio for about 30 minutes. He wants me to eat more because of this but physically I can't ( you guys can relate). He wants me to eat more than 1200 calories a day but I'm only getting in about 600. Maybe 700 or 800 on a good day. I just need advice. I don't know if I should cut back on the strength training or revamp my eating (which I don't know what I should do with my eating). I just want to lose the weight I gained so that I can feel better in my body like I did year 1 and 2 after surgery. Any advise who would! Thanks in advanced.

This is what I don't understand...everyone thinks the pre-op diet is so rigorous,but the truth is that this whole process is rigorous and anything you can do to ,help your body adjust to a new lifesyle will be good. Any steps you can do that will satify your hunger and keep you from craving or obsessing on food will help. And if you can lose weight and get your body shifted over to the weight loss side rather than the weight gain side is also a plus. Lets look at what a benefit the preop can be and not how hard it is.

Hi Ryan, I completely understand how you are feeling right now. My son is almost 6 weeks old and I experienced the same feelings you are right now: pissed off because all of the sacrifice you've done with your weightloss and now a baby to put it back on etc etc. Let me tell you that when I was about 3 months pregnant I went for 6 days without eating and realized that I was being selfish to my baby. I went and got completely unfilled (heaven by the way). My total weight gain throughout my pregnancy.... are you ready? 11 lbs! He weighed 9.2 of them! You will be surprised that you may not actaully gain alot of weight! You are so used to controlling what you eat that it is just second nature to not eat like it is your last meal again. I didn't crave anything like I did with my first child. I can tell you that even unfilled, the last month I experienced restriction in the morning as if I was filled. That was wierd! Don't stress it will all work out. Each pregnancy is different and you can't compare the two. Enjoy it while you can. I immediately had my dr. cut my tubes! Good luck! Karen

Wow, Lisa......I'm so sorry about your heart issues. And that you had an attack during childbirth! You are already coming into this with some serious potential issues, so you do need to make sure that you're not jumping from the pot into the fire. Though there are no guarantees either way, there is something reactive going on in your body, so you need to be SUPER careful. And I agree, no, I do not think that ALL issues are weight related. Weight does put a strain on so many things and causes other health issues, but it's not EVERYthing. I've done so much research on this; pre-surgery and now looking at a revision. With the bypass, the biggest (common) food issue is sugar. If you have a sweet tooth and eat a lot of it, you might get very sick (dumping). My next door neighbor had a bypass many years ago, and though she tolerates just about everything, certain things are hard for her to eat.......like popcorn. I guess everyone has to find their own balance once the surgery is done and we're back on regular food. As for the sleeve, if reflux is or has even been an issue, the sleeve isn't a good option. Reflux gets worse, and even those who never had it, get it. For me, there isn't enough long term data on that procedure, and I'm always afraid of the possible leakage from the staples. Though it doesn't happen often, if it does, you can be in the hospital for several weeks/months. I'm self employed, so that would pretty much put me right out of business. Since the bypass has been the gold standard for many years, I guess I'm just more comfortable with it. I've also heard that revisions don't lose weight as quickly/easily as "surgical virgins". I've heard this with both the bypass and sleeve. People lose, but it's a different experience over first timers. I think for you, given what you've said about your history, it might be a good idea for you to see your cardiologist to discuss. The heart issue is concerning and I'd want his/her take on putting your body through another bariatric surgery. This is serious stuff! But with that aside, you have to ask yourself the questions we always have to ask..... Will your weight continue to climb if you don't have surgical intervention? Though weight isn't the beginning and end all, I can tell you......as you get older, the health issues increase. From my 30 pound weight gain, I'm back on blood pressure meds. I had knee surgery in March and my knees are still painful. Ultimately, I will have knee replacement, but that is something I won't do unless my weight is down. The artificial joints have about a 15 year life, but with extra weight, even less. If I keep gaining weight, I'll probably end up with pre-diabetes/diabetes. When I was younger, all I cared about was how I looked. Now, it's all about the way I feel and staying healthy. No, I'm not thrilled seeing the extra weight come back on, but feel worse physically and have other health issues that are exacerbated by the extra stress on my body. You question about possible rejection to the sleeve is a good question. Honestly, because once the stomach is gone, what then? The bypass can be reversed, though I don't think it's as simple as removing a band. My doctor said he does about 4 reversals a year. He also said that band revisions are now about 20% of his practice. He rarely places them anymore; it's old technology. He seems to prefer the bypass over anything else. I will think of other questions, too. My doctor told me that I worry too much about things I don't need to worry about. Easy for him to say! Surgeons.....nothing is a big deal to them. But it is to me/us

So, was having a grand old time with the new bf going out to eat, and all that fun stuff with food. Then I noticed last week in particular that my clothes are getting tight...and that won't do at all. I decide to take myself in hand and get back to where I needed to be. Did just that....and gained even more weight. What the hell??? Even friends and co-workers are noticing the gain. They say I look good now...not so drawn. But all I know is that some of my favorite clothing is too tight and I refuse to go back there. A fill I think. Maybe I need another fill. But no...I know that's not it. I'm not walking around hungry all the time. So what's up? Steroids. It's steroids my friends. My rheumatologist perscribed oral steroids low dose for me about six weeks ago to see if that would help with my pain and discomfort from the joint disease. I'm not sure if it's working or not...I feel better sometimes but not all the time. Not when I used to get 'the good stuff' from my pain management doctor to help me break a pain flare. But the light suddenly went on over my head and I just looked up side effects and there it was: weight gain. That sucks. I'm gaining weight and it has nothing to do with food. What crap is that?? Gonna have to have a conversation with the rheumatologist when I see him later this month. He better not tell me to eat less...or I might just bite HIS head off...

Oh yes......and it can get bad. I refuse to take them anymore unless I a, absolutely so miserable that I cannot function. They actually cause a lot of weight gain in the neck and face. I call it bloating and it sucks. I am sorry you are having such pain. Maybe there is another option for you? Just remember if you do go off you need to ween off.

I lost 16 lbs the first month, and I started out way heavier than you. Plus almost everyone has their first stall within the first month after surgery. There are lots of factors that influence your rate of weight loss, and the above poster is right - at 250, you're not going to lose nearly as fast as someone who starts out at 450 lbs. As long as you're seeing a general downward trend, you're fine. P.S. as far as gaining a pound, who knows. Hormones? Constipation? Water retention from some high-sodium meal? Any of those can cause a slight - and temporary - weight gain. As long as you're eating what you're supposed to be eating, your weight will drop again.

I usually notice a pound to a pound and a half close to that time of the month and the cravings....:croc:they get me every time. Salty Snacks, sweet snacks, it doesn't seem to matter. But once "Flo" has completed her visit, usually the weight gain is a distant memory. I never really noticed it before surgery, but then again what was a pound or so when you weighed close to 300. Also, the scale was a bad word in my house at that time.:bandit

I count my calories but went on a bit of a hiatus for the last month and stopped tracking. I did not stop losing but I ate whatever I wanted, just Protein first and always hit 80g. I have noticed that when I don't count, I eat very little and have a tendency to snack and not get in my protein. No weight gain but totally not good in the long run so I am back to tracking. I don't really count carbs and calories, mostly just track my protein and try to stay around 1,000 calories. I usually end up between 800-1,000. I got this surgery to change my relationship with food. One of the things I have to learn is portion control and to stop when I am full. Thankfully, this surgery makes this part easy. I never had a horrible diet of only fast food. I usually ate decent food, but too much of it and I snacked a lot on nuts and I did eat chips. Now I feel full with a portion controlled sized meal and I have had no problems with eating whatever I want (no dumping, puking, etc.) I feel so much more in control of myself. My main "bad behavior" is snacking/grazing so I try really hard to keep that under control. The one thing is that my weight loss has been "slow" compared to other people's. I am headed into my 6 month anniversary and I will clear a 60lb post-op loss. I lose a consistent 2lbs a week (about 10lbs per month) no matter how much I control carbs or calories so I eat carbs and have no regrets. I think my previous dieting experience of VLCDs of 500-600 calories is more the culprit in my slower loss. But hey, I will take it. I am actually quite happy with the way I look now even though I am still technically obese. I would like to lose another 40lbs but will be happy with 20lbs. My menu today: Breakfast: Premiere Protein shake Lunch: 3oz of costco rotisserie chicken Dinner: 3oz of salmon baked with mayo, dill, caper, lemon sauce Snacks: 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 Kellog protein/fiber bar (like a candy bar!), 1oz harvest crisps lentil snack. I will have some cucumber with chili and lemon later tonight. 825 calories, 98g protein, 43g carbs (31g net) My menu on a "bad day" Breakfast: Premier Protein - vanilla Shake Lunch: pineapple - Raw - Fresh, 3 oz, Chicken Breast, 3 oz, Mayo 0.25 tablespoon Dinner: Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Icing, 0.2 slice, Pepperidge Farm - Garlic Bread - Texas Toast, 1 Slice, Chunky Blue Cheese dressing 1 tbsp, Spaghetti meat Sauce 1/2 cup, Romaine Lettuce, 0.5 cups, Cucumber 0.15 cup Snacks: Low Fat Cottage Cheese, 1/2 cup, Chardonnay, 2 serving - 5oz, Generic - Pineapple - Raw - Fresh, 3 oz Calories 979, Protein 90g, Carbs 96g

I am just wondering if a person starts at less than 200 lbs. therefore maybe having less to lose than some others, is their rate of weight less than heavier folks? I want to appreciate my progress and know that is better than wishing for perfection. But I do get frustrated when I seem to eat so little yet lose only one pound per week. I read about so many who lose so much weight in a short time. I do feel happy that I have lost 50 lbs in less than 3 months but it isn't exactly dropping off lately, I still have huge problems with getting enough Fluid and wonder if this is affecting my lack of loss AND.. I am so constipated all the time. I have finally started exercising and expect that I am going to have to be serious about exercise to lose my last 25 lbs. It is hard to be patient and hard to read about people losing 75 lbs in the same time that I have lost 50. My nutritionist told me that I wasn't eating enough or on schedule so I am trying to ensure that I do eat Breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is hard to believe that I should eat more in order to lose weight. It sure is a challenge to adjust my thinking after having tried so many diets etc. I guess it has left me with not the most sensible approach to eating. I still have so many issues that I struggle with: - getting enough fluid - eating three meals per day especially when not necessarily hungry - finding the discipline to exercise - being patient with weight loss - feeling confident about my success thus far. Oh well, I will catch on eventually. It is difficult to be patient and I am anxious to reach my goal. I know I have to be patient. It is just hard to remain hopeful and believe that I will reach my goal, I suppose after so many years of dieting that I probably am looking for the end of a diet as they always have ended in the past. Oh, ended with eventual failure and weight gain. That's where the new thinking must kick in. That this is a life long new way of eating. I haven't been reading the forum lately and realize that it is so helpful and offers such good support. Perhaps I just need to spend some time reading through the helpful advice and experiences of others. Thanks for listening!

Pammers I caan relate to that about the weight gain. I was 234 on the day of my surgery, and when I came home 2 days later, I was 244.! They must have put a lot of water and air in our stomaches to operate on. My Doc did tell me that he puts water around the stomache and then puts air in it to make sure that there aren't any leaks. So I'm just going to blame the weight increase on him, I certainly haven't been eating anything!