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I would add having medical issues and using certain medications can contribute to weight gain that's hard to mitigate. (it's well documented that meds, steroids and psych, cause massive weight gains in a very short period of time) Congratulations on your new journey ♥️

I had posted this on the WLS Veterans forum, but thought it would be a good idea to post this on this forum as well. I had gastric bypass surgery 5 years ago. I was incredibly determined and managed to lose 180 lbs. in a year's time. I'm 5' 9.5" and I went from a size 28 to a size 10. Now, I've regained a lot of weight and I'm starting over. I thought it might be helpful to list the steps that caused my weight gain. My goal is to tackle these 6 and starting moving in the right direction. Does anyone else have additional things that contributed to regaining weight? Stop weighing yourself Stop tracking your food intake Stop exercising Drink liquids with meals and ignore the 15 minutes before/30 minutes after rule Start eating your old favorite foods Stop visiting Bariatric Pal forums

I had gastric bypass surgery 5 years ago. I was incredibly determined and managed to lose 180 lbs. in a year's time. I'm 5' 9.5" and I went from a size 28 to a size 10. Now, I've regained a lot of weight and I'm starting over. I thought it might be helpful to list the steps that caused my weight gain. My goal is to tackle these 6 and starting moving in the right direction. Does anyone else have additional things that contributed to regaining weight? Stop weighing yourself Stop tracking your food intake Stop exercising Drink liquids with meals and ignore the 15 minutes before/30 minutes after rule Start eating your old favorite foods Stop visiting Bariatric Pal forums

@SAsurgery Hi. I'm 15 1/2 years out from a traditional DS. - What foods do you avoid? (Fatty foods? Carbs? Can you tolerate small amounts?) I eat fatty foods. It helps to "grease the wheels" so to speak. For instance, I buy 80% chopped ground beef as I need the fat. It does generally takes me 2 sittings to finish a meal. - Do you have diarrhea? Sometimes. My doctors classify diarrhea as going too much and/or going liquid. I'm more in the too much area. This will occur if I eat junk and/or too many simple carbs. That's why I eat them pretty much only at home. If you have diarrhea and you're not sure why, it can signify it's time for a dose of Flagyl. Many DSers I know take it yearly and I probably should, too. Just to keep things even. - How many Vitamins do you take? Have you experienced Vitamin deficiencies? Have you had to get infusions? I take over 40 a day. It's second nature. As a matter of fact, when I wasn't permitted to take them while going through gb surgery, I went a little nutty. I'm just so used to it after so long. I've had some issues with my bloods. Sometimes the numbers are too high, other times too low. My surgical group has me do them every 6 mos. so tweaks can be made to what I take. The only infusion I take is Reclast. But I know a good many DSers who need iron infusions. That's never been an issue for me. - Do you struggle to maintain your weight loss? Do you feel like you are constantly on a diet? No and no (and we don't count calories). I kept a food log for the first 6 mos., now I have a protein ticker in the back of my head that just checks off protein grams. I eat 125-150gr/day so I'm constantly eating protein. Just had my mid-morning snack which was cheese and nuts. I also keep it low on the simple carbs. I don't want the weight gain or the gas/stool issues. I'll probably grab a triple cheeseburger w/catsup from McD later if I'm hungry in the afternoon. I just eat the meat. First, bc the bun is too filling and I always eat protein first. Second, bc I don't want what will come with the carbs. - Anything else you wish you had known before surgery? Do a Dexa scan preop. So you can have a baseline. Keep all your blood work. I have it since preop. It allows me to look for trends (esp. the last 3 draws) and also can help out if there's an issue. Some DSers I know have made a spread sheet for their blood work. I've never missed a day of supplements. I expect as a Dr. you won't either. 😊

I am 6 years out from surgery. I started out at 371. I am now at 234. I’ll answer your questions in the order you asked them: - What foods do you avoid? (Fatty foods? Carbs? Can you tolerate small amounts?) Foods I avoid: Rice! and Carbonated beverages. Both have a very negative effect on my stomach even now. Rice seems to grow once it gets in my stomach causing it to feel overfull. Carbonated beverages are to be avoided anyway but occasionally it’s the only thing around to sip and never has there been a time that I didn’t regret it! - Do you have diarrhea? Occasionally but it’s rare and usually something I know is going to happen. Constipation is a bigger issue and my go to remedy is a slice of plain cheesecake. Seriously. It works better than anything else. To help keep things moving I am sure to add real butter to any carbs I eat. Sometime I use MCT oil to help keep things moving but be careful cause it can cause very loose stool.  - How many Vitamins do you take? Have you experienced Vitamin deficiencies? Have you had to get infusions? I use PERSONA now for vitamins They do an assessment that determines your vitamin needs for me that is one Bariatric Multi, 8 Calcium Citrates spaced out in three doses, Vitamin D, and a Probiotic. I was seriously anemic and had to do iron infusions until I had a hysterectomy July 2019. Now I’m normal and won’t need them again. I take powdered Collagen in my coffee everyday to keep my hair growing, my skin from drying, and my muscle from aching. - Do you struggle to maintain your weight loss? Do you feel like you are constantly on a diet? Weight loss is a constant struggle, you will not lose on a smooth downhill slide. It will fluctuate and drop suddenly then rise and fall like ocean waves. Keeping the weight off is the challenge and with the DS weight gain is less likely it still is very possible if Carbohydrates are your source of comfort in times of struggle and stress. You won’t feel like you are on a diet, you will feel like you are a slave to your stomach. You’ll spend an hour making the most delicious meal and take two bites and be full. You’ll find that foods you once loved now don’t make your new stomach all that happy. But with all that you lose and all that is frustrating comes so much amazing stuff like feeling average sized. Shopping in a average clothing store, sitting in theater seats or airplane seats or really any seats and not worrying about what the person next to you might think. Saving so much money cause you can split meals with friends.  - Anything else you wish you had known before surgery? My words of advice: find a local support group or an online one if you can’t find one in your area and stay faithful to going to meetings and events for at least one full year but two would be better. Your family and friends will have no idea what you are going through and will say things that will be surprisingly hurtful but they won’t mean it that way, like “Wow, you look how small you’ve gotten!” (Internal thought: I must have been huge) You’ll need people who know not to say those things and instead say “You are making great progress! I am so glad to see you again!” Good Luck! It gets better! Walk Sip Walk Sip Never Trust a Fart! 😜

During the time that I planned my meals post Gastric Sleeve I never ventured off the "reservation" so to speak. My diet has consisted of dense proteins as these things gave me nutrition and filled me up. The added benefit was, they also helped maintain my weight goal. In my last post I described a slight weight gain that I'm having difficulty taking off. I recently visited my surgeon for my regular six month check up and while all of my blood tests were good my A1c went from 5.6 to 6.5. Diabetes that I have lowered with WLS has come back. I realized that I changed my diet from all dense proteins to a mixture of dense proteins and fruits. Post surgery I did not eat fruits or vegetables ( my choice) as I found the proteins to give me adequate substance and to be filling. A family member had WLS and her surgeon told her to eat fruits and veggies. I went along with her meal plan and it had a negative effect on me. I gained weight and my A1c was elevated. She on the other hand has maintained her goal weight and her blood tests including her A1c are in the normal range. What do I take away from this? Could there be metabolic changes in our bodies post WLS that either assist or deter our abilities to switch diets or to lose weight after a regain? I asked my surgeon and he wasn't sure himself. Since we have many people on the forum who are staying atop the newest science as it pertains to Weight Loss Surgery maybe someone could help me shed some light on this subject. As always, I appreciate the advice and I wish everyone success with your new found health.

Hi delphina I cannot believe that after going through a gastric bypass does that mean that I may have to go through a revision? It is sad that through all the challenges with our weight we still have to battle with weight gain. I too have beem gaining weight. I have done everything to monitor my food intake and still see the dial go up and up. Missy

Try to include some form of meditation as well. Stress can cause physiological changes that can cause weight gain just like a caloric surplus.

Stalls are a normal part of weight loss that just about everyone experiences (search this site for “three week stall” and you’ll see thousands of results). This won’t be the last time you stop seeing your scale move for a little while before starting up again. in your case, though, I’m not sure I’d even call it a stall. This soon after WLS, you shouldn’t even be looking at the scale. Your body went through a lot during surgery and it has to adjust to the changes. While you were in the hospital, I’m sure they pumped you full of IV fluids, and that alone can cause weight gain. I actually weighed more at my one-week follow-up than I did right before surgery (my surgeon didn’t care — at that point, he was more interested in how I was healing from the surgery). You should also be aware that since you’re starting at a relatively low BMI, your weight loss is likely to be slower than someone starting out 100 pounds higher than you, so don’t get discouraged by comparing your weight loss with anyone else’s. A lot of people only weigh themselves once a week so they don’t get freaked out by normal fluctuations or stalls, and you might want to consider that.

I had my band removed earlier this year For the same reasons you had yours removed. I had my band for 12 years and loved it. I have gained 40 lbs since they removed all the fluid. My doctor recommended RNY when the band was removed and with the weight gain I was experiencing, I agreed. I have been going through all the pre op testing and requirements from my insurance company. Just got approval this week. I hope to be a success story but I would love to hear from others who have gone thru this as well.

Will i'm sure you now know that it was wrong.... but no use crying over spilled milk. What's important to remember is how this made you feel...... Physically and emotionally. I always stick to this way of eating..... one Rule: Only eat at a table. Never in the car, never on a couch, never in the bed..... When we start with Not eating at the table we open ourselves up to so many dangers. I know i had to find this out the hard way. Eating in the car leads to fast food and fast food leads to bad food choices. It also leads to hurried eating, Which leads to overeating, which leads to no weight loss or a weight gain. Eating on the couch leads to eating in front of the tv, which leads to not paying attention to how we are eating, which leads to eating too fast and again.... Overeating. Eating in bed is the same, but it's mostly junk food. I learned there (for me) there was a right way to satisfy my cravings.... Portions. Example: Chips, i would open the bag, count out 4-6 chips, close the bag, and return it to the closet. Sit at the table and one by one slowly eat till it was like mush .... by the time i was at prob 4 i was good... threw the rest away.... don't think about putting them back in the bag... that will lead to you impulsively reach in the bag. I have to throw in the garbage disposal.

Ahhhh. Hugs and more hugs to you! Reading your thoughts above, you have a very full plate right now and “Ideally, want to finish your studies and then get the surgery”. Repeatedly you express this wish. You deserve to complete your studies uninterrupted, so then you can devote more focus to your next life milestone, WLS. IMHO, I wholeheartedly agree on that strategy. I finished my master’s at age 40 while working full time and recall the dedication, focus and discipline required to keep it all rolling at a very high level. I also had L5, S1 microdiscectomy and laminectomy 18 months ago. To add in WLS and the preparation pre and post op would have stressed me to no end, and yours is a step more intense than mine, PhD and fusion. You’ve put so much into your journey already, and we’re talking a short time frame in the big scheme of things to finish your studies. I would focus on keeping your spirits up right now in knowing and believing it WILL all be accomplished within a very near term time frame. I do recall the horror of the weight gain with spinal surgery, but again, I would strive to eat as healthy as possible but don’t stress over it. Focus on the things you CAN control, finishing your studies without losing your ever lovin’ mind is right there at the top of the list. Throw off those chains of guilt that you’re not prioritizing your health! You ARE prioritizing it in being self loving and practical to not further overload. Breathe.... You got this girll!

Hi there. I’m new to Bariatric Pal. Needing a community. I had gastric bypass 2006 top weight 301 current weight 165. My lowest was 138 intentional gained 10 lbs (with doctor’s guidance) bc I was getting very cold. However in 2018 I started playing around with carbs and now paying for it. What I remember was doing no carbs in the beginning. I think maybe the first year. The focus was protein. My belief and still is that the gastric bypass team doctor, surgeon, dietician are my guide. I ask lots of questions and keep food journals. The foods that got me to 301 I had to let go. And they are the foods that caused me the weight gain. Hope this helps some. sylvia

I just had my revision from band to sleeve in July due to band slippage and weight gain over the past few years. I was in the same boat where I assumed that my insurance wouldn't cover it to the point that I initially was going to join the non-surgical weight loss program as I didn't think I could have another bariatric surgery. The PA I met with assured me that was not the case and that revision surgery is common and approval for them is not that hard to get. The fact that your lapband is in complete failure due to the damage sustained to the port means it should be easy for your doctor to provide all of the documentation needed to your insurance provider that the revision is medically necessary. Most bariatric surgeons are going to know how to "dance" with the insurance companies in order to get the needed result for their patients.

I am having a revision from VSG to RNY on 9/15 due to severe GERD....can anyone share their experience on weight loss post revision? A little history: I had my sleeve done in 2015 and loved it. Easy recovery and great results. For the past year, I developed severe ACID reflux and Gerd with a hiatal hernia. Unfortunately, I gained 40 lbs back. So much of this was due to the fact that if my sleeve was empty the acid was so much worse. So I started eating tons of carbs to keep the acid soaked up. I didn't catch it soon enough so the weight gain continued. I am very excited to get rid of the GERD, but also want to get a realistic weight loss goal in my plan. How much did you lose after your revision?

I DID IT ! I hit MY weight goal. NOT my surgeon's goal 10 years ago when I started this advent....that was to weigh145 pounds. Then he agreed that having started at 320, (and then 5'3" ) that a more logical goal would be in the area of 160 to 170. The lowest I ever got was 175. And I did not maintain that for even a moment. The the next 8 years of losing my only sibling to the Flu at the age of 49 (please get your flu shot) and then my surviving parent a few years later... personal illness and drama.... and creeping weight gain.... 14 months ago at 220 pounds and 63 years old I got my act back together. I went back to eating protein - first and foremost - protein, healthy vegetables and fruit, and a smattering of healthy whole grain carbs and healthy fats. I ate mindfully - and intentionally to fuel my mind and body. I ate a treat daily I slowly changed HOW I eat, what I eat, and when I eat it. I did not announce it, I did not talk about it. I just did it. I lost 45 pounds in the past 14 months. Not fast weight loss, but steady And I may decide to lose a bit more. Or not. Thank you for being my sounding board. Thank you for being here for support. Today I am thankful for my sleeve, for saggy baggy hanging skin and not caring. And for being healthy !

One of the issues with rice is it swells in your small tummy filling you up. Rightrice still contains some rice so that would be a concern for me. I notice it has 25g of carbs in 1/3 cup which is a lot for a single serve. The same amount of rice has 15g. I always enjoyed rice before surgery but I haven’t eaten it since & don’t miss it. Same with bread & pasta. I know others can successfully eat it again in maintenance, but I believe consuming carbs from bread, rice & pasta mean weight gain for me. I feel way less bloated. Nor do I feel weighted down after a meal without them. But this is what I’ve found is working for me. You have to discover what works for you. I’d go down the cauliflower rice path if you want a similar texture. You can even use it to make a pizza base.

First thing - you may want to change your user name - having your email address as a user name will likely result in a lot more spam due to the email bot finders. So to the advice from people around you - I am assuming they are not medical or health specialists? They may be well meaning and while some family members may be concerned about possible medical complications are more likely to be concerned about the change in the status quo. You are likely to lose the weight that is required for health and maintain that loss long term? If so, you may not need the surgery. But if like most of us, you can lose some weight (not likely all that was needed) and are not able to maintain that weight loss beyond the short term, you will greatly benefit from weight loss surgery. Your medical team believes you are a good fit for the surgery and believes there is a need for it, you had reasons for looking at weight loss surgery - are those still valid? If you don't do the surgery where will you be a year from now? More weight gain - more medical issues?

Hi all, I had my sleeve revised to bypass on Monday, 8/31. I am 4 days in and weigh more than I did on surgery day. Is this still surgical fluids? I’m following my Stage 1 plan to the letter and frustrated.

I've heard/read a lot of people say that "you have to get your head right" if you want to succeed in WLS. I'm not really into counseling; I guess I just don't believe in trying to change my thoughts and I find the idea of therapy kind of... contrived? (I really don't mean to offend people who do find counseling helpful; if it helps you, awesome! I'm just skeptical that it would do me any good.) I also had a bad experience in the past with being forced into counseling with an unethical therapist, which soured my view of counseling. I really want to succeed at WLS, though, so I'm willing to give counseling a shot if there's a chance it could help. I never thought I'd willingly eat mashed cauliflower, either, but I've opened my mind to things I wouldn't have tried before surgery. Plus, I've reached my out-of-pocket maximum on my health insurance, so any counseling I get before the end of the year would be fully paid by my insurance. So, does anyone who has gotten counseling specifically related to WLS have any advice, or can you share how it has helped you? What should I look for in a therapist? I've done a cursory search of nearby therapists in my insurance network, and I haven't seen any of them specifically mention things like WLS, food issues, or eating disorders. I don't think I have an eating disorder (like binge eating disorder) and I don't think I am really an "emotional eater," but I do think I have some food issues and some baggage relating to eating and weight that have contributed to my weight gain. Would someone who deals with "mood disorders" cover that, or should I look for someone with specific expertise in eating disorders or WLS patients?

Gabapentin is a seizure medication and they also use it for nerve pain as stated. It needs to be in your system for a few weeks to even work and can in some people cause weight gain. I was prescribed this for my lumbar stenosis and it didnt work at all for me.

I shouldn't just say today-in general I dislike this train of thought: I'd be lying if I said that years and years, the better part of a lifetime, of social constructs has affected both how I feel about myself and the way people have treated me. I sometimes have the train of thought, that I shouldn't lose weight because I'd just be giving in to "societal pressures". That if I lose the weight, I'm not going to be able to tell who my real friends are, what someone's inner soul is like, or if men are really interested in me, or would have been if I was heavier. The last time I was involved with someone, I weighed 150 lbs. (I got REALLY sick for about 6 months, this is not a normal weight for me). I looked darn good, despite being horribly unhappy in all ever venues, which would eventually lead to a 100lb weight gain. I wore a size 8 and wasn't skinny by any means, but fairly normal, not "fat" and nice curves. The guy I was involved with seemed to be really into super skinny women. and would add all these anime convention "models" or super tiny skinny chicks dressed up for comicon conventions. He also showed me his "favorite p**n star"-an incredibly skinny, rib showing bleach blonde woman. (The mere fact that he had this weird idealizations about fantasies and stereotypes should have been a red flag but I was dealing with other issues.) I finally asked him if he would find someone else more attractive simply because they were thinner. His response: "Not necessarily. I mean, maybe if you could lose 10lbs." For frame of reference, here's a photo from me from that time period (in fact, was about 160 in this photo). I think I look fine (well, despite the goofy face), and I guess I just don't get why that's not enough? Or not considered thin enough or even fat. Thank god-he's gone. But words like that haunt me because it reaffirms the concept that men will only want anorexic, fake looking women...and I will never be that. I don't want to. And I also don't want to lose weight because of comments like that. I want to be sure I'm doing this for myself, and I want to know I'll be able to cherry pick the true people from the bad when/if I start getting more attention. *Sigh*

If you have GERD and take a PPI. I dont know of other reasons. I do know some people are able to get a revision for weight gain, but you even have to be more diligent if you are doing it for weight loss. It is not like your original surgery where you had lots of restriction and the weight came off. Personally I liked the sleeve better I had way more restriction with it. I rarely feel anything with this bypass.

Later this week It will be three years since my sleeve surgery and this is what I've learned. The surgery gave me hope and a jump start to rapid weight loss and better health. That's it. Nothing magical to it, you lose a good portion of your stomach therefore you eat less and you lose weight. I learned that without any work on my part the weight came off rapidly and in eight months I was at my goal weight. Now, here is the most important lesson out of this whole process, ( need to capitalize this) THE HARD WORK IS MAINTAINING THE WEIGHT LOSS. Since April of 2018 I have been struggling daily to maintain that weight loss and to stay at my goal weight. For those of you who have had long term success you are truly the best and you should be proud of your accomplishment. Early July I saw that I had a weight gain of eight pounds. I redoubled my efforts and was able to lose 4 1/2 pounds in three weeks. I am still struggling to lose the other 4 1/2 lbs. So, to date I am 4 1/2 lbs above my goal weight. I don't consider that a good thing. For the first time since my surgery three years ago I am forced to work twice as hard to lose weight rather and to maintain my goal weight . I'm still ahead of the game being so much healthier. To those who have recently experienced the euphoria of weight loss and better health after surgery. Enjoy it, embrace it and most of all keep in mind that it can be lost if you are not vigilant in your maintenance. I wish everyone the best of health and the best of success in your weight loss journey.

@meggie 111 You are not alone in having a gain. Your team is there to help. Give them a call. They will decide if a revision is right for you. A weight gain can be worked back down. I agree with @catwoman7 Get temptation food out of the house. Buy groceries that fit your eating plan, Log your food (stay within your weight loss calories, protein, carb, and fat goals) Find a way to manage stress/emotions without food. Keep healthy options for sweet and salty cravings on hand. Years out, I miss tight stomach restriction. Some things that help manage my hunger. I fill my extra sleeve space with low calories foods at each meal. I detox off real sugar and extra carbs. ( I'm not a carb aphobic) For my body to drop weight I stay in a carb range. low glycemic carbs work for me. Be consistent not perfect. Healthy is the goal, right? Many people on this site will help you get back on track.😀