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I am most proud of being an athlete again after 35 years of steady weight gains. I peaked at 324 pounds and am now 176 pounds. I'm running, lifting weights, playing tennis and golf and running up stairs effortlessly. 8 months ago I was huffing and puffing after a short walk.

I just love all this re-defined confidence!!! TELLY: It's glad to see that your human!! I am sure that 3lb weight gain is lavishing toned muscle!! It sucks that if we venture out a little, we pay the price. Isn't slow metabilism great!! lol

there are virtually no dumping with the sleeve and its extremly rare, no malabsorb with the sleeve, no puking, no limit of size food to a point that one eats, or great restriction. Yer band is in there just as long as somone who started at 400 pounds. If you had to have it remove, and didnt want weight gain again you would still have to do a revision surgery. You still have the same odds of typical LB problems popping up as any of the others with more weight to lose. JMO, but I think you have subjected yourself to the same issues you didnt want t have, down the road. JMO, no offense intended. Sandy

Thank you for all your replies about hospital weight gain. That makes me feel a lot better, another 5 disappeared today, fingers crossed the last 5 will be gone tomorrow. Jkpizano5, glad to hear you made it through fine and are feeling OK. I'm still gassy too but the Gas-X strips do seem to help. My doc said I could take them but he didn't think they would make a difference. Maybe it's all in my head, but it feels like they do.

HI Your intentions are wonderful, but weight, weight loss, and weight gain are very personal and intimate subjects. You can never know how someone else will interpret what you say, good intentions or not. Telling someone how they can lose weight is also telling them they are not "ok" as is, unless they have asked for your advice. You have a good heart; just pay attention to being sensitive from the other side ~hiddn

To add on to this, as a collective nation, we have been "Low Fat-ed" death. Over two decades of people pushing low fat diets. Low fat foods which were stuffed with sugar and carbs to compensate for the loss of flavor. I also do not bother counting fat content at all. I eat a high Protein diet, and try to keep the carbs down. Fat falls somewhere in the middle and you'll find will moderate itself if you are keeping high protein/low carb. I'm not saying it's cool to eat a bucket of lard, but the way our brains have been conditioned to see fat in foods as bad is mind boggling to me. Fat in food does not equate to weight gain.

I have had the mirena since 8/09 and haven't had any problems or weight gain issues... at least none that I can directly attribute to it!!!! I love it. I don't ever think about it. I don't feel the strings, and from what I know, my SO can't either. Definitely keeping it in til '14.

There are plenty of Protein drinks without carbs or with very few- look around for them! In fact, a Protein Drink with 30 grams of carbs should NEVER be on our plans- that is a lot of sugar. I've never seen one with that many unless it is for weight gain, like Ensure. Ditto vitamins- tha bariatric vitamins generally do not have a lot of carbs- mine have <1. My Calcium chews do have 4 each but I know you can find calcium without carbs too. It is REALLY helpful to log your food every day- I use fatsecret.com and there are lots of other good ones. I have mine set to show fat, carbs, net carbs, protein, and calories. I log every single thing including vitamins, etc. It helps you feel like you are in control and accountable. Also remember that post-op your capacity will be sooooo little- that lowers your ability to get carbs in.

*UPDATE* For all who asked: I talked to a local malpractice attorney, he said no one legitimate would take my case. It seems if a doctor has been reckless, negligent and unprofessional, it would be best if they killed you. The problem it seems, I haven't died yet and it isn't "profitible" for them to file suit. He was really very nice and explained some of what I suspected- it would require hiring specialists to say what the doctors did was wrong which would be thousands of dollars on their end. Since I didn't lose my life, or at least a limb, the case is likely worth less than 50k and they would eat up most of it in expert testimony. How can that be? seriously? oh well, there has to be a dollar amount placed on everything and apparently this isn't worth a whole lot! His suggestion was to call the hospital and talk to their patient liason or the risk management department and complain about my stay. I replied it wasn't a hotel and I didn't need to complain, what they did was grossly negligent and almost cost me my life and my daughter her mother. I'm on the fence about trying another attorney, I don't want to hear the same thing but I also don't want a sleaze ball giving my high expectations and hopes that can't be realized. I AM pissed, I've been hurting, I DID suffer for way too long, NO ONE listened to me, I DESERVE compensation for the misery they put me through, I want them to pay for what they did, I want everyone to know what they did. I'm petty and childish and want retribution for the wrongdoing, to feel vindicated in a courtroom, in front of a judge and jury, to be able to look at them and tell them what they did came close to ruining my life and ask who would have mothered my child had I died? To remind them the hippocratic oath says to do no harm and they failed, they harmed me, left me in pain, didn't ease my suffering, blew me off as just another fatty who didn't care enough to take care of themselves and what were they supposed to do? fix all the damage I did to my body over 40 years? My biggest concern is for other patients seen both at the hospitals and by the doctors involved. I really don't want to ruin anyones career but I also don't want these doctors thinking that the bare minimum is good enough. We are patients, living, breathing human beings who are at the mercy of people who take one look at you or review your file and decide you're a complainer, you can't tolerate a small amount of pain, you're a drug seeker, you like the attention, you're a hypochondriac, you should just shut up and be quiet or better yet, just stay home. I'm still not able to eat and drink enough to sustain myself but found milk and bread settle my stomach so I don't feel like i'm constantly spinning from the nausea. The problem with that has been a temporary 5 lb weight gain- sooo scary, i've lost all but a pound, back up to 301, great! Having some temporary relief has made it worth it though, I honestly hoped I would die some days because the nausea and vomiting were so bad, feeling that vomit well up from your toes and the waiting, trying to stop it from happening, worrying about the pills you took earlier and whether they were in your intestines or stuck in your pouch and would come up with the vomit, being so tired you aren't sure you'll actually live through another stomach spasm because when they start they don't stop, even if you've vomited up everything and you just lie there, with your eyes bulging out and your mouth open with your tongue pushed out and you can't slow it enough to even catch your breath. So the good news is that my PCP referred me to not 1 but 2 departments at the University where I will see a gastroenterologist and another bariatric surgeon to get some insight into the complications and hopefully a long term fix. If anyone can help, it's the University hospita,l and I am so thankful that my PCP was able to get me in there! The blood clots in my arm have not subsided which is slightly unusual and makes me worry, alot. For anyone with hand or arm problems, it's similar to nerve issues like carpal tunnel or guyon canal compression etc.... i'm having pain, numbness and tingling just like I did before I had surgery on my hands. My arm is still swollen and i've woken up with my hand huge and cold several times this week. It feels like theres a rubber band at my anticubital that is tightening and irritating the nerves. The scary thing is that neuropathy and nerve issues can be the result of med toxicity and could be permanent. I don't believe that is the case, I think it's just from the vericose veins and the blood clots. I hope that's the scenario, but to find out either way and see if it requires surgery, I have been referred to a vascular surgeon. yay! I've gotten a reprieve from the terrible trips to the lab for blood draws! My insurance carrier has covered a home PT monitor to check my clotting times. It only takes a drop of blood and gives the score which I call in to the doctors office every day. It has been running high so they decreased my coumadin which means only3 pills instead of 6 every morning- I can't tell you what a relief it has been! I took some flowers to the lab tech who had been drawing my blood these last few weeks. She was my hero, she gave me tiny infant foot warmers that I would put on before I went every day so they could increase the blood flow and make it easier for them to get. She listened to everything I said about where to try a stick and avoided the veins I told her to, even though she could see them and really wanted to poke them, she believed me when I said they would blow if she got one or worse yet, roll and hide when she went to stick which causes them to poke you and then dig, dig, dig for the vein they know is there- they won't get it and you'll be miserable, eventually scar tissue forms and there won't be any more blood draws in that spot. The greatest things through all of this have been the support, compassion and sincerety i've been met with while sharing my story. My primary doc was so open, honest and apologetic for what I went through, not even my surgeon has admitted anything went wrong but my PCP knew something wasn't right, he listened to me and fought for me. When I said I couldn't go back to my surgeon's office he personally contacted specialists and got me in to the best ones he could find. I'm much more optimistic and hopeful that someone, somewhere will figure out my issues and help me. It has to keep going up from here right? :-)

What's really weird to me is how different I feel just those 3 little pounds of weight gain. I feel fat again. I know its completly mental cuz I couldn't possibly look any different but I can't shake the feeling. So I have cut more calories and exercised harder. Any other ideas to get over this now over 2 month stahl? I knew stahls were going to happen but everything I read said it would last a week or two weeks. Not only has mine lasted this long but it happened only 3 months out. Am I alone in thinking there must be something wrong? I go for my 6 month check up on the 21st. It will be sad if I weight the same that I did at my 3 month check up.

My kids are older. When I had my surgery, they were late teens/early 20s. My oldest is a slim, but not necessarily healthy habits person. My youngest is more prone to weight gain. I did enlist them in my transformation in the sense of i had a very hard time resisting certain foods so we came up with the "Carb drawer" which i simply don't open but has some foods they enjoy and want. They don't tend to shop with me or anything like that but they observe that I eat small portions and often on an appetizer sized plate. On the rare occasion that they prepare and serve up food, they always put mine on a small plate - I don't even ask. My youngest who is now 22 told me early on that he wanted to improve his eating habits and has lost weight too. (He was never obese, but is a big guy and has always been prone to some extra weight). I think my modeling of eating behavior has influenced him in a very positive way. My kids don't really like doing "active" stuff with me like they did when they were younger. However, last several years the mothers day tradition is going for a hike, not a big ole brunch. The oldest in particular hates hiking, but he does it in recognition of doing something that makes ME feel good. I don't think my exercise/activity habits have really reasonated with either of them - as they are young enough they only like to do fun stuff for exercise! I wouldn't do this with younger kids, but with them I do sometimes bring up my weight loss, how I am still working at maintaining it etc. I do it because they both live with me again and I find that touching on my struggles improves our relationship. Example, if i am going through a time of feeling a bit more emotional around food - I might mention it so they know I am going through something. IT makes them more aware of my possible behavior and consequences - not that they need to do anything. The thing that shocked them both was bringing out my before picture after I had been at goal for awhile. It was deeply upsetting to them because they didn't remember how I looked. It wasn't just the fat, it was that you could see my physical pain and misery in that picture and I think they felt terrible that they didn't even remember it. i told them it was okay to not remember it, but it was a reminder of how much I have changed. That led to the conversation about how much I have changed in terms of interactions with them and others - all very positive I might add!

It's day 4 for me now and I've realized that the discomfort I've been having is definitely gas. I wake up in the morning and feel fine, then as soon as I have something to sip, the pain starts and lasts for a couple of hours. The pain is to the left of the port site and radiates to my left shoulder. So trying to sip less and sip slower.. As for the weight gain, I too have put on 3 pounds since the surgery. But have been told to expect that because of all the fluids that have been pumped into me. So I'm trying to be strong and not look at the scales for a week or so!

I am 3 months pregnant. Having the same thing going on. I have gained about 4 lbs. I gain and lose the same few lbs. Doc told me not to worry so much about weight gain till the end of the 2nd trimester. So for now I am not going to stress. I do feel restriction similar to what it was when I was just out of surgery some days. It's a chore to eat anything. Still battling morning sickness most days... Hoping to feel better soon.

shake the other partner psychologically when one loses weight, gains confidence and starts getting more attention. But the experience taught me that someone who is jealous of something that makes me better, healthier and stronger never had my best interests at heart. Dating after that was a struggle, until I met my current boyfriend six months ago. Most guys got scared because they were afraid to take me to dinner, afraid they would break my new diet resolve, and when they saw a picture of what I used to look like, they started to wonder what would happen if I gained a few pounds again. What else has surprised me about losing weight? No one ever told me that it would upset me when severely obese people get special attention because they choose to be heavy -- like when TV shows feature people who are happy to weigh 600 pounds, or people who post YouTube videos professing love of their excess weight. Don't get me wrong, I think it is great that people are comfortable in their own skin, because many times I'm not always comfortable in my own skin. But for me, being heavy wasn't a choice. So I guess I have a hard time identifying with them. Obesity is debilitating to your health. I used gastric bypass surgery as a tool to save my life so that I wouldn't develop diabetes, have a heart attack at age 35, have a stroke, and to hopefully lower my risk of cancer. Now I have no tolerance for excuses about not being able to eat healthy and exercise. See, here's the bottom line: The biggest thing that no one ever tells you about losing weight is that eventually, the number on the scale no longer matters. What matters is how you feel, how you look and how happy you are. I know at my current weight I am still medically obese, but I have a clean bill of health. Through my bad days and my good days, I am happier now than I have ever been. When I struggle or feel myself about to slip into old habits, I pull out a picture of what I used to look like. And I remind myself that nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels.

No he said it can just happen and can also runs in family but they notice the weight gain and the test shows the dilated pouch. So i have to watch what I eat and how often I eat and consider working out a bit won't hurt he said.

Is hernia from weight gain?

The holidays are here. And you may be feeling a little nervous about the challenges of upcoming celebrations if your weight loss surgery was recent. Then again, you may be over confident and think that weight loss surgery is all you need to protect against weight regain. In either case, some holiday survival tips are in order. Our discipline to diet and health will be tested time and again across the holidays. And so you should implement a holiday plan for success if you are sincere about maintaining your current weight through the tangle of holiday temptations. Gain Support from Family and Friends Be social and use your allies. Talk to them in advance about not pressuring you to eat foods that will sabotage your diet, if need be. And if you are feeling pressured, make them aware and ask for their support. If all else fails, politely excuse yourself and go somewhere for a 5-minute break (the bathroom if you must). When you return, the conversation focus likely will have moved onto another topic. Learn more “Post Weight Loss Surgery Holiday Survival Tips.” Similarly at these gatherings you may have to handle harsh or inappropriate comments about your bariatric surgery. People make inappropriate remarks for a few different reasons. Some have poor filters while others may think they are being helpful. Some have poor boundaries and others may be passive aggressive. Too much to drink is always a possibility. People can be rude and that includes family members. Learning to cope in a healthy way is the best choice, so here are some suggestions about what to do if an inappropriate comment is passed: Read, “Coping Skills after Weight Loss Surgery.” Practical Tips for Controlling Portion Sizes A moderate, healthy snack just before a celebration can help to control hunger and thus begin the afternoon or evening with a more reasonable appetite. Remember when making your plate that small portions of favorite foods are a better choice than tasting a little bit of every dish. And by all means do not sit by the serving tables. Mingle away from where the food is displayed. Controlling portion sizes is a vital addition to your plan! Get more tips, read, “Controlling Portion Sizes at the Holidays.” Weight Gain at the Holidays Isn't Just About Food Some people overeat at the holidays because there are seduced by rich holiday foods. Others have different motivations. They use food to relieve the holiday stress that inevitably creeps in for so many. Celebration and pressure often accompany one another. Some people overcompensate for the pending New Year’s diet resolution and eat with abandon through the holidays. Other people succumb to unrestrained eating because of a single episode of overindulgence. A breach of discipline can open the floodgates to weight gain at the holidays. Continue reading, “The Skinny on Weight Gain at the Holidays.” It’s Not All about Eating Healthy at Parties It is important to take the focus off of eating and instead turn your attention to the friendships and conversations around you. This is a time to give your attention to someone rather than some food thing. Before my gastric bypass, all I could think about was the food and drink being served. I was oblivious to what was happening around me! That has long ago changed for me… the reverence and importance of the gathering of friends and family is most important. For me it is a time of gaiety. And that is the richest experience of all. Respect yourself and your weight loss this holiday season. Living larger than ever, My Bariatric Life

Regarding this week's question, my response is probably different than most. I have stayed on plan. This was a planned weight gain period and I am now on a planned weight loss period. I am a bodybuilding fan and planned periods of bulking and cutting are part of the of the work to change your physique. That said, I absolutely effed up this bulk, it was my first and it confirmed that I am an abstainer and not a moderator. I have to have a structured eating plan to gain or lose weight otherwise it will be a food free for all. So while I now put in the work to get off the fat off, I do not think I gained any appreciable level of muscle during my bulk.

Hi Frustr! I had a transoral bariatric surgery in 2009 that wasn't approved by FDA, as it was not working as they thought it would. I lost 100 lbs on my own! Working out and cutting out all the fried food i used to love and working out 6x a week. I was taking about 30k steps per day. Walking everywhere all the time. I maintained my weight loss for about 6 years....began fertility treatment which contribute to lots of weight gain, became pregnant and have struggled since, gained back almost all of my weight. HW 291=8, lowest 162, currently 250. Stopped working out, which doesn't help. i am doing revision to a surgery that gave me zero restriction. I am currently debating on going back to my original surgeon or a new one. I have a scheduled appointment with a new surgeon for consultation. Very excited to see him. Hope that helps! my surgeon suggest i do the bypass and i suggested he takes my suggestion of DS lol, which he agreed lol. The second surgeon is well known for DS and SIPS, so I am certain he will agree as well.

Hello. i'm new on here. just want to share my story to seek advice. when i was 15 back in 2008, i got the lap band. it was the worst experience ever. i was only loosing weight because i threw up EVERY SINGLE bit of food i ate. i lost 80lb very very quickly and i was extremely sick. my doctor said it shouldn't be happening, so instead of trying to fix it he drained my band. After a year i started to gain weight. In 2012 i was revised to the gastric sleeve. at this time, this procedure was brand new to my doctor, he hadn't done it before. I got it done quickly after the appointments with him, maybe 3 months. i was a slow loser for a whole year. it took me a year to lose 70 pounds, even eating what i thought was healthy (Protein first and some vegetables and brown rice, wha i was taught). i wasn't never really taught about carbs at all, always just eat "whole grain everything but eat your protein first and you should be fine" none of the information that i learned now from the fb group. i got into my first relationship, went to the DR and was diagnosed with PCOS, like lots of girls are. I was put on birth control and as soon as i did my weight shit up. as it shot up and me not knowing why i threw myself into a mind change that i couldn't shake out. while working 2 jobs (13 hour days) i began to lose care about myself, and regained most my weight, shooting back up to 230. i hadn't noticed the weight gain for a while, either because i'd stopped weighing myself. last year i started to exercise and count my calories and lost 20 lbs. even continuing it again, i have not budged. does anyone have any advice? yes, i know that you need to diet with the sleeve. it wasn't till recently by following where i learned about macros and counting calories and Protein shakes. my mother recently got the sleeve procedure, and i was thinking of going to her doctor to discuss my options, because mine no longer takes my new insurance and he is a pediatric doctor. do you think he would help me, or just toss me to a nutritionist? thanks. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I say go for it. Watermelon has a lot of good qualities that make it good for bariatric patients. It's had amino acids that assist in weight loss and reduce muscle soreness. It is mainly composed of Water and does not pose a real risk to weight gain. This link has good information on watermelon and weight loss. If your doctor gave you the OK then go right ahead. http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/fat-eating-watermelon-3775.html Sent from my Nexus 6 using the BariatricPal App

Does anyone know if any sleevers have had Mirena put in after surgery, and if they have had a weight gain?

I may be late to this post but I agree with not going with depo. Especially if already on it long term. A few years ago I stopped taking BC altogether to see if that was the cause of my weight gain. Plus I think the depot was making me go crazy! When I got back on bc I went with The Nuva ring. It stays in for 3 weeks and on the 4th I take it out and have my period. I love it and so far no significant weight gain that I can tell. Only thing is it's hella expensive and your insurance may not cover it. I know mine doesn't and theres no generic

I'm 19 days out from surgery and I've gained 3 lbs in the past 5 days. I'm seriously discouraged I've read a lot about stalls, but actual weight gain ugh. This blows HW(9/3/13)- 284, DOS(9/11/13)-270, CW-257(9/25/13), GW-155(by 9/21/14...my 26th birthday!)

How many times have I heard this. Everyone with the band is not going to lose weight at a high rate of speed. To me a loss is a loss whether it be a pound or an ounce. Many factors play in to weight loss and they are consuming less calories then you burn, getting 8 or more hours of sleep, moving your bowels regularly, eating high protein meals with good carbs such as vegetables and fruit and moving. Actually wheat products such as wheat breads and pastas have been proven to be no better then white bread and pastas and may even cause more weight gain. Yes, gluten is a real problem. But the problem is not just gluten. In fact, there are three major hidden reasons that wheat products, not just gluten (along with sugar in all its forms) is a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, depression and so many other modern ills. How Wheat -- and Gluten -- Trigger Weight Gain, Prediabetes, Diabetes and More This new modern wheat may look like wheat, but it is different in three important ways that all drive obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia and more. It contains a Super Starch -- amylopectin A that is super fattening. It contains a form of Super Gluten that is super-inflammatory. It contains forms of a Super Drug that is super-addictive and makes you crave and eat more. So if you have changed over to wheat products and are not losing this may be why. It really isn't wheat anymore but a bunch of fillers so that may impeade your weight loss. There are many reasons why you may not be losing as much as others, but I say keep doing what you are doing and eventually you will get to goal. It can take two years to lose 100lbs that is not uncommon. Yes you want it off now because you had surgery but the slower the better and if you lose weight slowly you will be more apt to keep it off long term.