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Hi everybody, A little background info: Had vsg in Fall 2012, lost 120 lbs, felt amazing! I got married, had a baby in Fall 2014, gained weight. Had another baby in Summer 2016, gained even more weight. I sought the advice of my bariatric surgeon, he recommended full bypass, and gave me a goal to lose 15 lbs, before he would schedule. Well, I've lost 40 lbs. I feel like I should be able to get back to my goal weight (165lbs) without having a bypass...but the task of losing another 80 pounds seems almost impossible. Has anyone on here, lost that much weight, without additional surgery? Thanks for reading.

My husband NEVER notices weight gains/ losses. Which is awesome when I got super heavy. But now I'm thinning out again(for GOOD) and I'm like, dude where my compliments at? I gotta fish for them sometimes, but once I point out that I've reached certain goals, or that certain things fit/don't fit, he will obvs be excited and supportive. Sometimes ya just gotta go get those notices yourself [emoji849][emoji23]

With battling weight most of my life 10 years ago I got a lap band put in. I am now 57 years old, 15 years ago I was diagnosed with type two diabetes At the time my Lap Band was put in my weight was 230 pounds. That might not sound like a lot of weight but for a male 5’8 it was a lot for me. In addition to having type two diabetes I have also had two neck surgeries and three back surgeries over the years. The Lap Band gave me significant weight loss. I got down from 230 to 160-165. I also lowered my Metformin from 1000 mg to 500 mg. I lost approximately 70 pounds of weight and maintained this weight for about nine years. To say that it was an easy road for me would be lying, I was constantly having the band loosened tightened loose and tightened like being on a roller coaster. I had problems with the Lap Band being so tight that I was having major acid reflux problems. In addition to that I had some small ulcers around my esophagus next to my Lap Band. Last year I decided I had enough of this and had a lot of fluid taken out of my band. The major acid reflex went away immediately however, I still have some ongoing minor constant heartburn and a small cough because the Lap Band is still in place but a lot of the fluid has been taken out. Because of that removal of fluid I have gained back for the first time in 10 years 35 pounds. Now I am back up to taking the same amount of diabetic medicine Metformin 1000 mg because of the 35 pound weight gain. The bariatric center in Los Angeles is recommending that I conceivably switch to a Bypass Surgery and not a Sleeve. This decision is not completely final yet, and the decision towards leaning towards a Bypass Surgery rather than a Sleeve because of the acid reflex problems I’ve had for so many years which only really developed soon after getting the Lap Band 10 years ago. My next surgery would be involved removing the Lap Band and switching to a Bypass Surgery all at the same time in one surgery. As in all surgeries there are risk concerns for changing the body anatomy, however regarding the Bypass Surgery my new understanding is the body does not absorb as many vitamins and nutrients as it would from a Sleeve Surgery and there is a potential for hair loss and dumping and other potential complications? Any advice or opinions from anyone that has been down this same kind of road would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time and concern. Hopefully one day I can help someone else.

With battling weight most of my life 10 years ago I got a lap band put in. I am now 57 years old, 15 years ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes At the time my Lap Band was put in my weight was 230 pounds. That might not sound like a lot of weight but for a male 5’8 it was a lot for me. In addition to having type 2 diabetes I have also had two neck surgeries and three back surgeries over the years. The Lap Band gave me significant weight loss. I got down from 230 to 160-165. I also lowered my Metformin from 1000 mg to 500 mg. I lost approximately 70 pounds of weight and maintained this weight for about nine years. To say that it was an easy road for me would be lying, I was constantly having the band loosened tightened loose and tightened like being on a roller coaster. I had problems with the Lap Band being so tight that I was having major acid reflux problems. In addition to that I had some small ulcers around my esophagus next to my Lap Band. Last year I decided I had enough of this and had a lot of fluid taken out of my band. The major acid reflex went away immediately however, I still have some ongoing minor constant heartburn and a small cough because the Lap Band is still in place but a lot of the fluid has been taken out. Because of that removal of fluid I have gained back for the first time in 10 years 35 pounds. Now I am back up to taking the same amount of diabetic medicine Metformin 1000 mg because of the 35 pound weight gain. The bariatric center in Los Angeles is recommending that I conceivably switch to a Bypass Surgery and not a Sleeve. This decision is not completely final yet, and the decision towards leaning towards a Bypass Surgery rather than a Sleeve because of the acid reflex problems I’ve had for so many years which only really developed soon after getting the Lap Band 10 years ago. My next surgery would be involved removing the Lap Band and switching to a Bypass Surgery all at the same time in one surgery. As in all surgeries there are risk concerns for changing the body anatomy, however regarding the Bypass Surgery my new understanding is the body does not absorb as many vitamins and nutrients as it would from a Sleeve Surgery and there is a potential for hair loss and dumping and other potential complications? Any advice or opinions from anyone that has been down this same kind of road would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time and concern. Hopefully one day I can help someone else.

I had pretty big boobs for my frame all my life. I popped out one kid, and I didn’t even breastfeed (I pumped for 4 weeks only). And it wreaked havoc on the state of my boobs. I had a breast reduction a year or so later, and they were good for a while (still big enough, but at least not droopy any more...i was wearing a 34C for a while after the reduction). Then I gained alot of weight the the next 10+ years and got up to a 40DD/DDD. Losing the weight deflated them, and re-droopified them. Not as droppy as after the kid, but enough to make me want the breast lift. Age, number of times there was weight gain& loss, speed of weight gain/loss, genes, and overall amount of fat lost will determine the sagginess of your boobs in the end. While muscle training may increase the size of the pectoral mucsles behind your boobs and give your chest a bit of lift, no amount if exercise will fill the sacs of deflated boobs. That’s just science. Depending on how much it bothers you, you can still easily look fabulous with a really good bra, no matter what the state you boobs are in. Good Luck ! ❤️

weight gain during year 3 is very common - with or without PCOS. Some people have had luck with Weight Watchers, intermittent fasting, or Keto. Some just go back to what they were doing in year 1 - not all the way back to protein shakes and purees, but the whole protein first, then non-starchy vegetables, and maybe an occasional serving of fruit or whole-grain carb. If you do the latter, start tracking (if you're not doing it anymore) to see where you're averaging calorie-wise, and then start cutting back from that. I find that easier to do if I cut 100 calories at a time rather some drastic cut. different methods work for different people - so just find one that works for you. You CAN lose regain - although it's much slower and harder than it was when you were in weight loss mode.

For me it was life changing in every sense. The surgery was quite simple, minor pain at the incision areas, but aside from that really no serious pain. Thankfully, I didn't have some of the 'gas pains' that others have. No nausea, vomiting or extreme discomfort. Not really very hungry for the first few weeks either. I'm not sure if it's common practice, but right before my surgery and at my 6-month check up I had a "Myers Cocktail" which is basically a bunch of vitamins given through IV. Really helped with recovery and energy levels during a time where you really can't get much energy from food. YMMV, but for me recovery was super fast. I was eating pureed food by day 2 and solid foods by I think the end of week 2. Don't worry too much about calories in the beginning. Regardless of what you eat, you won't be able to eat much. Refried beans were a lifesaver for me the first few days on pureed foods, and the Ricotta bake that you see mentioned so much here was also a staple. Couple pieces of advice (again, everyone's different but some of what I see on here leads me to believe that the issue is more frequent than some others): Pay attention to your water. Sounds silly, but right after surgery I had no interest in drinking anything. I had to remind myself to drink water. So I started carrying around my water everywhere. That helped. Kept me sipping throughout the day. One of my biggest issues pre-op was that I ate fast, and when I say fast I mean really really fast. I honestly believe that was a huge part of my weight gain as it led to difficulty digesting, overeating, etc. Use the time in the beginning to re-train yourself on eating slowly and chew chew chew chew chew! Even your liquids. Even your pureed food. Even your smoothies. Chew it all. Sounds weird, but helped me monumentally. Don't try to jump into exercise too early, but don't put it off too long either. We all do this to bring about changes beyond food. We all want to be more active, make healthier choices. It's easy to want to jump right in, but I would wait until you get clearance from your doc (ask) to start, because any injury can cause complications with the surgery or set you back in your recovery or both. Also, you don't want to wait too long because it's WAY TOO EASY to fall back into old habits. Ask your doc at every checkup if you're cleared to exercise and when you are, get moving. Have a plan ready to go. Start with walks and move into beginner plans if you have to and then progressively take on more as you can, but start. Don't get discouraged with stalls. They happen. For some they happen sooner than others, but I think most of us experience them. Just stick to your plan. There are some good articles on here about how to work through stalls. Stalls will hit your ego a lot harder than your overall progress, I promise. Keep with your plan, and you'll push through. Use this time to change what you eat. Just because you can't eat as much of something does not mean that it's a good thing to eat. In the very beginning (first 1-2 weeks), you just need to get something in. Once you start back on solid foods, make sure you're choosing healthy foods. That doesn't mean you have to count calories, macros or any of that. Of course you can if that's what helps you, but I would use this time to find what works best for you. Since you can't eat a lot of different foods, chances are when you start back on solids you'll likely be eating only 1-2 different foods at a time. There won't be 3-4 sides, etc. It's a good time to see how different foods make you feel. Some people do great on a high-protein, low-carb diet. That didn't do it for me. I stuck with the physician's plan for the first 30 days (high protein), but I wanted something more balanced and more sustainable (for me) long-term. I made the change to go to a whole-foods based diet, and it's what I still do today, almost 5 years post-op. I stay away from anything processed as much as I possibly can. This doesn't limit me as much as other diets and it worked really for me. Try foods and see how they make you feel. Weed out the ones that leave you feeling bad, bloated, tired, etc. Enjoy what you couldn't enjoy pre-op. When you get out there and start enjoying the things that you may not have been able to do before your surgery, it's automatic motivation to stay on plan. If you have activities or certain things you have had to sit out because of your weight, having the opportunity to do them is like being a kid again and doing these activities for the first time. Remember those experiences. They will get you through any challenges you might face. Remember that times do get challenging, but that's why you're here. There's a lot of support here. I'm sure you have family and friends to help in that arena as well, but there's something about talking with people who've experienced everything you're going through. Don't forget that we're here. Sorry for the long-winded post, but I hope this gives you some encouragement as you start your journey. Best of luck to you and please keep us in the loop with how everything is going!

Hey everyone, I had gastric sleeve surgery back in 2014. I did pretty well over the years coming from almost 240 all the way down to 140 but now about 165. I'm definitely a stress eater. This year has been a struggle & I'm not even talking about COVID. No point in sharing my reasons because they don't help. I'd like to get back on track but I don't even remember how to start. I'd like to ask what you guys are eating on a daily basis; a sample menu perhaps? I'd be so grateful if anyone could give me pointers on how to get back on the right path! Many thanks, Fran

@Jessless great work on the one pound. It all adds up over time. Additionally getting the snacks out of the house always helps! It sounds like you know what the issue is. I had a poop ton of weight gain and I am now down 13 pounds. I’m over the moon. It has been S L O W and steady but I went back to protein first, not drinking with meals, cutting out crappy food, and exercising 4 days a week. We’ve got this. Keep at it and be patient with results.

If Aenta is administrator of med in your state they might have a say, but its doubtful. There just an intermediate paperwork pusher. I'd do your best to not be over the start value. Don't over worry about it or the stress will cause weight gain. Eddy Blaine Brown II

Another example of feigned innocence. That post wasn't a sincere question about Medicare, just as this post wasn't a genuine question about weight gain. You seem to have a need to put others down for a myriad of reasons including gaining weight (on a WLS forum of all places) or for being in the unfortunate position of needing to rely on government benefits (did you return your stimulus check?). And then there is the subtle and not so subtle racism you display, by referring to weaves and protesting. Do I need to bring up when you posted COVID is being overblown to make Trump look bad?

I won't miss needing to turn the lights off in the bedroom because I am so disgustingly fat, or strategically trying to hide my rolls in bed with sheets or pillows; or having to drink 3/4 of bottle of wine to feel comfortable about my body in bed, and then waking up sick & hungover the next day. I won't miss having to buy new clothes every few weeks or months because none of my clothes fit again. I won't miss having multiple size wardrobes depending for what stage of fat I am. I look forward to wearing one size for the rest of my life, I won't miss having to wear two underwire bras at all times, because my breasts are so enormous and heavy. I won't miss the backaches, neckaches and shoulderaches that go with enormous, fat breasts. I won't miss not being able to wear cute, attractive clothes, and having to wear tents when I am in public. I won't miss pretending to be sick and not going to events or parties, because I am afraid that people will see how fat I got. I will not miss the disapproving looks of my husband's family when they see my weight gain, when we fly home to see them. I won't miss people saying that they did not recognize me (because I got so fat again - my weight fluctuates by around 100+ pounds) I won't miss the acid reflux that was part of being fat (and hope that my sleeve does not cause it to return!) I won't miss peeing every time I laugh/sneeze/cough. Stress incontinence is 1,000% worse for me when I am obese. I won't miss developing herniated discs & sciatica because of the pressure of the weight on my back (I had disc surgery right before my sleeve, and hope that the weight loss helps me not reherniate) I won't miss being exhausted all the time, and not having the energy to work out, or not being able to physically handle working out. I won't miss not being able to do active, fun things like hike, mountain bike, swim, snorkle and ski. I won't miss getting winded after two or three stairs and having to catch my breath. I won't miss ducking out of photos, because I don't want there to be a record of how fat I am. I won't miss seeing my HA1C going up every time I get blood work, along with lipids, etc, and knowing I am developing diabetes and heart disease. I won't miss my joints hurting when I walk, and waddling down the road as my thighs painfully rub together. I know there are more thing's I won't miss about being fat, but can't think of them now!

@BayougirlMrsS It's not just you making post's like this. We are are all entitled to an opinion or rant. It's ok to disagree. We had weight loss surgery because of after own struggles with weight, RIght? We are here for support. I hope anyone struggling with weight gain stays on the site.

I don't really have a secret as well, I guess. With people around me wanting to lose weight or wanting to prevent weight gain, they sometimes ask the people around them about "their secret" (including me, even the ones who know about surgery, which strikes me quite odd). Most seem to answer with "moderation" and I see them eating salads and lots of vegetables but also sweets and pastries or French Fries etc. as well. Two petite women come to my mind when I think about this and one of the male colleagues in his 50s. You never know if they're struggling inside but they don't give the impression of doing so. At least there seems to be this interesting difference between them and the colleagues who e. g. are into the new weight watchers program. It appears... more relaxed. I can't pinpoint it, it's just some kind of vibe I get. Anyway, when I mulled this whole stuff over I came up with some "big three" so to say. Two might be seen as guidelines or rules, one is just the way things are (the secret??). 1) Whatever you plan to change - ask yourself if you're willing to change it forever. Going to the gym regularly five days a week for two hours straight might sound like a good plan for now but is it sustainable for you when considering the rhythm of your life? 2) Overall lifestyle and personality. How high is your NEAT? Are you a fidgeter and not able to sit still? How physically demanding is your job? Do you e. g. bike to work and like it? Walk to the grocery store, even if it's only because it's too much of a hassle to inch your car out of the underground garage, through traffic, the store's parking lot, go back through traffic and inching it back into your parking space at home to get a few bread rolls? Do you take the stairs just because when you see the elevator is on the 10th floor you roll your eyes because you know that it will take ages to come down and it gets on your nerves simply thinking about waiting for it only to find it crammed with people and damn thing holding at every damn floor on your way up? Are you a more nervous person that tends to move more, exercise more to calm yourself down and have e. g. better quality of sleep? 3) Only eat foods you like. Don't eat anything you don't like just because it has little calories. Nothing wrong with experimenting and if you find a substitute for a higher calorie food you really like and don't feel deprived eating it instead of the original stuff - go for it because why not? I buy new products or try new recipes as well. If it tastes good, is not much of a hassle to prepare and don't need to spend a fortune on one portion of it I'm going to buy/cook it again. If I don't like the product, no matter how little calories or how healthy it might be, I won't buy/cook it again. I might not throw it into the trash bin (depends on how awful I think it tastes) but I definitely won't have it again. Not eating foods you like and substituting them with foods you think taste awful will leave you feeling deprived. Diet fatigue won't be far away then.

Wowwwwwwwwwww this was exactly what I needed to hear! Congratulations on your success even with the slight weight gain, u still managed to stay on top of things. I definitely will do these things and try to stay where I want to be weight wise. My goal is to lose 120lbs being that I'm hoping my start weight will be 260 or 250 , starting my diet next week . But , every thing u said is so helpful and informative! Thank you!!!!! I have to just stick to the plan and try to not go astray, and if i do quickly try to bounce back before weight gain. Omg I'm excited, its definitely easier said than done[emoji28][emoji28] but im hopeful. [emoji175][emoji175] Sent from my SM-N970U using BariatricPal mobile app

We have a similar story. I’m an inch taller, weighed 49.6kgs today, wear a US size 2 & have to work at maintaining. I lost more than my goal weight (another 10kg) while trying to find the right balance & combination of food to maintain. It takes very little for my weight to drop & a lot to gain it again. Not that I really manage to - last month I sat between 50-50.5kg, this month it’s 49.2-50. I feel I eat all day too. I added snacks with multi/whole grains & continue to focus on portion control & healthy food choices. I often eat a meal over a long period of time (50+ mins at lunch) so I can consume a little more & then have to fit in snacks. It can be a challenge. On Tuesday a doctor on my surgeon’s team said I need to put on 4kgs but I’m conscious of the strong likelihood of the year 2/3 weight gain @catwoman7 mentioned. I’d rather stay at this weight with a possibility of a 5kg gain in a year or so than put on 4 now & then another 5+. I just want to be able to stay where I am now cause I’m happy, feel fine & my blood work is very good.

If you had the 2nd surgery for weight loss then it has everything to do with your question, if in fact it was because of weight gain. At least that is what I am getting out of that response from the other person.

Are is it to just nod and agree? No, which is exactly why I commented What does the fact that i'm a two-time WLS patient have to do with my question As I wrote in my first post, most WLS patients have a long history of being asked questions similar to the ones in your original post. "Why don't you just eat better? Why don't you just exercise more?" I would think as a two time WLS patient you would know that those comments are condescending and offensive. Weight gain and reasons are a legitimate question They are. But you didn't pose this as a legitimate question. You posted it in the Rants and Raves section and you said "Trust that i know i will get flack for this...." I am left to draw one of two conclusions: You are completely unaware of the thousands of articles that have been written about pandemic related lifestyle changes and its effects. You are also oblivious to the common sense impact of gyms/parks/trails closures, poverty's effect on one's diet, mental health consequences of social isolation etc.. The option I find easier to believe is this was not a sincere question. Instead it's an opportunity for you to congratulate yourself for having more fortitude than all these weak willed people who when faced with a life altering pandemic and economic shut down and didn't plant a garden, meal plan or pick up milk jugs filled with sand.

whoooo..... hold up ..... I was no way looking down on anyone.... It was a question. Isn't that what this site is for.... Are is it to just nod and agree? Weight gain and reasons are a legitimate question. What does the fact that i'm a two-time WLS patient have to do with my question.....IN THE RANT AND RAVE SECTION..... very happy for both of my SX's. So what of it. If you didn't like my post.... KEEP ON Scrolling.... just like i do when i don't like something someone says.... no one is forcing you to say anything.... Been here since 2009 and i have never not once been forced to make a comment on anything i didn't want too.

I hear ya. My alcohol consumption had increased dramatically since March, which also happened to coincide with my early-covid weight gain.

There is also the correlation between alcohol consumption and weight gain. I have read quite a bit about the increase in consumption and alcoholism concerns due to covid19.

Also just a quick search on Scholar and found numerous research articles on the role of stress in weight gain Here's just one ( I chose this one because it was free to access and had an impressive reference section) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0306453094E00417 Endocrine_and_psychological_evaluation_o.pdf

What factors do you think are behind his weight gain?

I can tell you for sure that if I hadn't been in my pre-surgery weight loss stage when the pandemic started, I would have gained weight. I find it very easy to stick to my diet when I'm at work, simply because there is no food around. I bring my lunch every day and do not keep snacks at my desk. I usually avoid food that other people bring in due to hygiene concerns (it's amazing how few people take the time to wash their hands before they eat or handle food). So if this had happened a year ago, and I was stuck at home all the time with constant access to my kitchen and all the yummy food therein, I would have been snacking all day long. I also got most of my exercise by walking around at work, so that would have been a double whammy. I had a period of unemployment several years ago and that's exactly what happened, and I gained a lot of weight. As it went, I lost 60 pounds in the 5 months before my surgery. I often thought about how much I would have been eating if I weren't trying so hard to lose weight before surgery. I was kind of proud of myself and expecting that I would be the only one to lose weight while everybody else gained weight, but actually, most of my coworkers lost weight (or at least said they did), too. Nobody even noticed that I lost weight because I'm still the biggest person in the office. As far as how people use their time, sure, they could use it to exercise more and plan healthy meals, but for some people, it is really hard to get motivated to do this stuff, especially when they're stressed, scared, and possibly mourning the death of loved ones. Plus, many people work out at the gym and haven't had access to gyms during the pandemic, and although there are plenty of options to work out at home, it could be a big change and get people out of their exercise routines. The bottom line is that there are many, many factors for all of us that can lead to weight gain, and probably nobody knows that more than bariatric patients. I can easily see how major changes to our lives and our world, like a pandemic, could result in weight gain.

Well, I think in some aspects the metal thing comes into play. Living in a drastically changed environment so quickly can do a number on you. Anxiety, depression, boredom, etc. 24-access to both your fridge and your TV/couch, for those with small kids, the lack of non-kid time to do anything else, wariness of going outside for walks/runs, etc... In my own personal experience, I gained 6 lbs around Feb-March. Reasons? It was probably a combination of laziness and boredom, as well as slacking on weighing and tracking food and exercising. Is it a coincidence that the weight gain coincided with the beginnings of COVID? Maybe, maybe not. I had to refocus and get back to my "regular" habits and with some dedicated effort, I got rid of those effing 6 lbs. For some, given whatever circumstances they find themselves in, it may be more difficult for them. Just like before WLS, people would question why did we gain so much weight? Why do you even need WLS? Can't you just diet and exercise? Same questioning, just different circumstances. So for all those out there who are finding themselves with the COVID-19-lbs-weight-gain, try as best as you are able to get back to what you were doing when you were successfully losing weight. You did it before, you can totally do it again. Addressing a 10-20 lbs weight gain now is alot more manageable than 50 later. Good Luck everyone, and stay safe ❤️