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It's the strangest thing to watch and feel my body lose weight and change. I mean just the weirdest sensation. I have to wonder why I didn't feel this when I was gaining weight. As uncomfortable and as many weird sensations as I've felt losing it, you would think there would have been some tell-tale signs when I was gaining; but no. Or maybe I just chose to ignore them. So the strangest sensation to me is feeling my ummm private areas shrink. I know most overweight people have what they call a "fat pad" covering their pubic bone area.. but as my stomach shrinks and that area shrinks it's just the strangest feeling. I woke up this morning like something was "off" so I go and look in the mirror and I was right something was indeed off.. FAT and unwanted pounds. But now.. now one side of my stomach is an inch tighter than the other side. Ok so maybe all of this is an overshare but I KNOW I cannot be the only one experiencing this. Like I look in the mirror and while I never had a HUGE belly it did hang more than I would of liked stopping just before my pubic area..but now the right side is up and so is the left, just not as much as the right.. a whole inch difference to be exact. Thank the Lord for being celibate right now because ummmmmm my naked body changes on a daily basis! There's no hanging/sagging skin - THANK YOU JESUS! but the fat I do have is shifting/changing where it's deposited at as I lose it. For instance.. my bra-line incision is now in the middle of my stomach and to the left, not under my bra and centered like it was. I'm at a point where I'm SO anxious to see what's underneath all of this, I now understand why people get surgeries like liposuctions and tummy tucks... Watching my stomach shrink and get definition is AMAZING to me... especially when I really haven't been working out. I know I know.. I could be alot further on in my process but I was so consumed with other things I wasn't making time to workout like I should...and the muscle weight gain I experienced was a turn off but now I'm back at it. Doing what's necessary to burn the rest of this weight off and sculpt the beautiful body I know is underneath. I've always had a nice shape, just a big shape..an hourglass but the big ben of hourglasses....if that makes sense lol. So I'm SUPER anxious and motivated to get to the final result. In the meantime these sensations are just SO weird to me.. and when you think about it, it shows you just how amazing the human body really is. The sensation I'm experience is my skin being able to breathe, being exposed to air after being covered by layers of fat or rolls previously. First it itches and can be painful as the skin is healing but then it just heals up into smooth, soft, supple skin. It's the most amazing thing. The down side is seeing stretchmarks where I didn't know I had them.. like the backs of calves. I've always had nice legs, big, powerful, muscular, as the little bit of fat that was on them goes, I can see the traces of stretchmarks, everyone says I'm crazy and they don't see anything, but I see it, has to be in the right light but it's there.. I see it! Then again I've had stretchmarks since I was 8 yrs old... They're all old and faded and blended in with my skin. Only if I tan too much do they really show or turn red. Ok I'm rambling but seriously this journey is just AMAZING to me... absolutely, positively AMAZING.

My stats are almost identical to yours, only I'm STARVING. I'm scheduled for a fill tomorrow and it can't come fast enough for me. Having said that, I've stayed really close to the same diet as you and I also am only losing 1-2 pounds a week. This past week, I cheated once, went to Carlos Okelly's, had some drinks and chips and small dinner. It took me all week to get that weight gain back off, so for this week, I was ZERO pounds lost. :cursing: Hopefully I won't do that again any time soon. Sounds like you're doiing everything right, but I would'nt cancel that fill too soon. I noticed this past week I got hungrier and hungrier, so you may decide it would benefit you after all.

Had you been on a protracted diet presurgery (not just a 1-2 week liquid diet)? I'd been on a stricked diet for 8 months presurgery. After the initial shock of surgery my loss really slowed down. Not sure if you are female but TOM really affects water weight gain.

I've been on Coumadin since January for DVT it hasn't caused any hunger or weight gain. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had gastric bypass in 2003 and kept weight off for about 7 years. Due to medications etc unexpected weight gain resulted. After working with doctor and nutritionist for about 2 years -- having revision surgery next week.

Do people realize how stupid they sound when they say " I'm not going to lose weight because I don't want loose skin" or "I'm afraid to lose weight because of loose skin"? I know, I know, we may have all thought it at some point and time, however, chances are that mindset probably played some type of role in the weight gain and weight loss. But saying you don't want to lose weight because of loose skin is like digging your own grave. Saying your tired of being fat and continuing to make poor meal choices is like digging your own grave. Knowing you have a problem losing weight and not doing anything is like digging your own grave. You can live with loose skin a lot longer than living with all that excess fat, so shut up and do what you need to do to loose the damn weight. Ugh! Wake up people! You should have been thinking about that loose skin all that time you were eating cakes, cookies and pies with a diet coke. You can't deal with loose skin but you can deal with feeling tired all of the time, shortness of breath, low self esteem, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease and all of the other possible health risks associated with being overweight? Really? Yes, I am clearly feeling some type of way about this topic and If you don't like it ....

my surgery date is October the 6th. I have been waiting for about 4 months now and I did also read and watched a lot about the band. I am looking forward to that. I know I am the one to blame for all the weight gain but you know there are a lot of factors that made me gain weight. Like miscarriages, depression and so on so I look at it as a second chance to make my life better and to be able to move around more without hurting my back or my knees. That alone makes me look forward to it. I hope you will feel better about it.

I have Mirena it lasts for 5 years. I had it placed in march of 09 and havent had a period since april of 09!! No complaints there! I haven't noticed a weight gain with it either....I was on the depo shot and became a crazy B****! I also no joke gained 30lbs in one month!

Hi, thanks for the replies, and your honesty. In the last few days he has also slipped into a deep depression, brought on by the prospect of the surgery, his increased weight gain and also the fact he decided to give up smoking. We are just working through it, and I am really trying to not be critical or 'nag' about the food stuff. I know he will come through it, but is hard to see him so down. At least last night he acknowledged that he has put on more weight recently, but he is still not motivated to try and lose any at the moment. I know he needs to come to that decision on his own. Thanks ready2B for your reply - we have had heart to hearts and he always acknowledges that he knows he is at a huge health risk. It is such a vicious circle with depression and food addiction. He is also the 'cook', as I work full time, so it makes it hard when he prepares nice food and I don't want to upset or offend him by not eating it. gosh.......... an emotional roller coaster..... Anywho..... thanks for reading.

Weight gain isn't always about overeating. Your weight depends on a lot of factors like what you eat, when, how much, your activity level, your metabolism and even genetics. I don't eat a lot, in fact I sometimes forget to eat if I don't feel hungry! LOL I didn't eat during the day, I was too busy, but then I'd have a good size dinner and dessert. My activity level has also been pretty low. I work on the computer for a huge part of the day, and do laundry, dishes and such. Regular housewife stuff. It took me a year of soul searching to make the decision. I am also 5'4" and weigh 255. I want to lose the weight for a variety of reasons, not JUST to look better, but because I don't want to end up with diabetes and a bunch of other bad stuff. I want to be able to go to the mall and walk from one end to the other without having to sit down half way thru and catch my breath! I want my hip and knee joints to stop aching. I want to stop having to take meds for high blood pressure. I want to be happier and healthier. I want to live to see my 6 grandchildren grow up! The doctor I'm going to recommended RNY gastric bypass because of my age and activity level. After a lot of discussion and research we decided the band would be better for me. I would suggest you have a long talk with your doctor and see what he says. Do it to gain health not just to lose weight!

I don't think I ever experienced weight gain with bc. Maybe it depends which one you were on. I've had the best luck with a pill called Kariva. Fairly regular cycles, only 4 days max and I barely needed to use anything. Loved it. Def talk to your doc. They would know better!!

Keep to the program and work on your water intake. Track your intake of everything even if it's on the nono list. It'll help you determine if/where you are going wrong. Stall are going to happen and so is weight gain. There are a lot of determining factors so don't think you are failing. Most of all be patient, that was my hardest struggle and at times still is. Stay positive mentally and Best To You!!!!

Thanks, BG -- I know you've lost a bunch, too! I guess I'll repost this next week for a true update. I'm leaving to Mexico tomorrow for a week's vacation. And I put off having my fill until I get back to make darn sure I don't experience problems down there. So I'm pretty wide open at the moment - ack! : ) Actually, I'm not worried about weight gain. I'm going to go have a ball, not have a care in the world, and just chill on the beach. If there's a small weight gain, I'll just deal with it when I get back and get my next fill. : ) Happy Halloween, everybody - see ya' in a week!

Hello there, I was revised from band to sleeve on 9/15/2010. Well my experience was initially great, I got to goal in 10 months and went 11 Lbs below. I am going on 4 years post op and many issues and complications have gotten me a weight gain, as well as extremely bad GERD so my new surgeon has me working toward a revision to the Bypass. If you have any specific questions, I'm always open for interpretation. All the best in your upcoming journey!

I don't know much about weight lifting, but could some of the weight gain be that you have more muscle now? I think I read somewhere that muscle is heavier than fat. Just a thought.

Ok ladies I have a question about weight gain during your period. I have heard of some women noticing weight gain during your period. I guess before losing weight, I never noticed, or paid attention to my weight. That and I had stopped having my period all together. However, now it's back. I noticed this week during my weigh in that I had gained 5 lbs! Which of course freaked me out. Then I started my period. Have any of you gained 5 or more pounds during your period? If I would have been eating wrong, and not exercising I wouldn't have freaked out. But I work my butt off! lol..

Hi, For years now i've been sure that weight loss surgery wasn't my answer ... and yet, here I am, starting to seriously consider it and wanting to learn more to help with making the decision. I've met with a surgeon and he has suggested both the gastric sleeve and bypass are options; and explained that I would lose a bit more with the bypass which he would usually recommend at my weight (although not necessarily) ... so now this is another decision to make as far as which way to go before i see him again. For me, I know that while the food and exercise aspect of weight gain and loss have been a very unhealthy relationship for the last 40 years (mid-40's now) it's my thinking that has been the main impact on this journey and subsequent weight loss sabotage. I've always struggled with using food as a coping tool for most things; from dealing with emotions, to distractions, to trying to cope with the impacts of various traumatic experiences. Now after a life time of morbid obesity, my body clings to the weight when I do start losing and I regain so fast it seems like I just blink (although i know it's more than this really). Increasing health issues, and a desire to live a healthier more active and fulfilling life have led me to where i am now .... as well as an increasing number of medical professionals saying that while i might lose the weight without surgery they think it's unlikely I would keep it off. Some of the things that are impacting my decision are I guess the usual questions of what it would be like to not have food to turn to in the same way; wondering how to replace food with other alternatives for coping and wondering how it will impact my life when until now eating has been such a big part of it. Right now, i'm taking some time to focus on working on finding other coping tools aspect of things so that if i go forward I give myself the best chance of success possible. As part of that I'm working with a therapist, reading what i can find that might be helpful and open to other suggestions. I know that for this to work, I need to work on the mental side of things ..... and that in turn will help with being able to do the rest. I'm also in the position of not really having much support to make this journey; so another reason finding online support and people to talk this through with is really important because I keep seeing how it is so much better to do this with the support of others. Currently i'm leaning towards the sleeve, and as well as working on the mental side of things trying to work out whether it would be good to spend some time losing weight prior to surgery or not; the dietician seemed to think that if i did that i might get discouraged and not have the incentive following surgery that i'd need ....... and that if i was going to lose it, i would have already. I'd be interested hearing how others have gone forward with this as far as losing weight prior to surgery (apart from the two weeks prior) or not .... As well as any other suggestions or information; and I think just knowing that there are others going through similar things will help Very glad to have found this site and look forward to taking part I think my current head space is a mixture of being terrified and hopeful all wrapped in one!

Sensy, your doctor will have his own thoughts about how much to fill, but it has nothing to do with whether you're a piggy or not. Every doctor has a personalized approach, and even docs who are pretty aggressive with a fill probably won't be that way on the first fill. And you don't want him to be. Whatever fill you get will be more than you have, and will therefore take some getting used to. You may be hungrier than you thought you'd be at this point, but if you pay attention I'm sure you'll find that you are already eating less than you were pre-band. And that's the whole and only point. Many people do gain a little weight back in the period before a fill, but it's weight that you lost on the liquid diet, not actual weight gain. It's a sort of bounce-back effect and inevitable once you are off liquids and eating solids again. Don't worry about it! Just practice eating slowly and mindfully, so when you have restriction you'll be ahead of the game. So many people are ready to jump right in with mega-restriction right out of the gate. Those are the same people who come back later saying "I can't eat at all! All that goes down is ice cream!" Learning to live with restriction and eat healthfully takes time and we have to allow ourselves that time. As a very wise woman said, this process does not have to be drastic to be effective. Sorry for the lecture--it's not directed at you. But there is no specific amount of fill that's right for everyone, so there's no answer to your question.

Hello, I'm almost four months post op. I was having issues with BM's as well which caused weight gain or stagnation. I purchased some fiber one bars and brownies only 90 calories. You eat as a snack. The pounds started flying off again I've lost 60 lbs thus far. I hope this helps you. Good luck on your new journey

Hgor, I haven't hit a stall, but I bounce like Tigger. Every time I lose, I bounce up a pound, stay there for a day or three, then drop. Then bounce. Then fall. It's been like that for the last 2 months. Zeus and Cathy are right. In the past, weight gain was usually our fault. With the sleeve, the body is trying to "balance" itself. Just keep doing what your doc tells you, and all will be well. Sounds to me like you are doing great. (I don't ever get enough water )

I had gastric bypass surgery February this year, and I haven't loss nothing, anything I gained, this month my nut did a stomach scope to see if something was wrong, she said everything was fine. But why am I still not losing any weight. So one please help. Sent from my SM-N976V using BariatricPal mobile app

my insurance took the weight gain as a sign that i wasn't able to do a regular diet. so they approved me.

First of all, you still look great--I can't see much of a difference between April 2018 and December 2019. However, the more important issue is your health. I'm sure that cancer had a huge physical and emotional impact on you, and right now you should focus on your recovery from cancer more than on your weight issues. (I say this as a cancer survivor myself.) You can deal with your weight once you are clearly on the other side of the cancer. Please don't beat yourself up about your relatively small weight gain. You have been through a lot!

Hi, I am almost six months post op, and the first picture is my weight gain after lap band, and the second is after gastric sleeve surgery. Size 16 to 12/ 10.

Hey everyone! I'm looking for advice and encouragement. I had my weight loss surgery in December 2016, so I'm 3.5 years out now. I dropped around 160 pounds, from my biggest being 360 and my smallest being 187. I was so blessed to lose so much in about 14 months. Maintenance was relatively easy at first. I purposefully gained 15 pounds because being 6'2 with a large build, 187 started getting me questions about being sick. 200-205 is my personal goal and sweet spot, where I feel the best and think I look the best. Fast forward to September 2019. I was having my first endoscopy since my surgery, as a follows up to Barrett's esophagus that was found when I had my bypass. What I thought would be routine, turned worst case scenario when I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Apparently I'm in that 2% that has Barrett's that actually progresses to cancer. Luckily we caught it very early stage and I have been able to have ablation therapy treatment versus the typical chemo and radiation. I've developed recurrent esophageal stricture due to scar tissue from ablation therapy, causing me to choke frequently. Needless to say, it's all been very scary, and my eating got out of whack for a while. I've quickly gained weight and I'm at 220.2 today. I need to lose 20 pounds ASAP. The current COVID-19 situation and working from home, having access to food 24/7 coupled with stress eating is proving difficult to overcome. I thought I'd post here to see if anyone has words of encouragement or advice to help me get back on track quickly. 3.5 years and I was very proud to be maintaining at my goal weight of around 200, and now I'm scared the scale will continue to creep up on me.