Search the Community

actually yes, I got diagnosed with a liver disease and during treatment for that, in order to keep my liver and kidneys from failing, I was put on HUGE amounts of steroids - which then caused steroid secreting tumors in my body, which created a huge weight gain. I gained weight from breathing. After the sleeve and having the tumors removed, life has been GRAND.

I'm allowed 2 Snacks, am snack/pm snack. For those who can snack or who does snack, what are some of your favorites? Which have you eaten that hasn't caused weight gain or any issues with your band? Thanks Lala

612belly man oh man, did i see right? you gained 4 lbs. only kidding about your small weight gain,don't kick yourself in the tush too much don't beat yourself up about it either i am now hanging head down very low i had two weeks prior to WLS, that i went food crazy My dr. didn't require a pre- op diet op before WLS. i wish he had, that might have prevented me from eating too much. so its the dr.s fault, right? i don't think so, he didn't force food down my throat i didn't need any help with that I gained weight pre-surgery. mmm don't seem to remember how much i gained oh yeah, for my ears only its true, other people go through this longer food funeral too, so you're not the only one good luck, you'll be fine kathy

I knew things were bad; my hip hurt, my knees hurt, my feet hurt, and we were in Amsterdam with nothing but tall, gorgeous, thin women.....I was 223. Then one morning I woke up and my husband of 20 years was having a melt down of sorts (this was very rare; we never fought).....when I asked him what was wrong; he launched into a long speech about how much my weight gain had bothered him over the years but he kept thinking I would figure it out; but I kept getting fatter. We spent the rest of the day getting the monster out of the closet; talking, crying, yelling, lots of stuff came out. I knew I couldn't do it on my own and within a month I had the surgery. It was the best of times and the worst of times......but now, 9 months out and a few lbs from my goal weight, I can say it was the best decision of my life and I've had the best year of my life.

I am in the 5-10 lb regain since surgery almost two years ago. Although I would be more comfortable with 5 pounds down, I am still okay with where I am now. My daily weight fluxuates by 2-3 pounds over a course of a week. If I see scale up, I take immediate actions which is easier with sleeve. At my lowest I was 17 lbs below surgeons goal and way too skinny, looking unhealthy. Now I am 10 lbs above that but still 7 lbs below surgeons goal and well within Normal BMI range. Don't get used to drinking your calories, or you will gain weight back. Another sleever friend of mine lives on sweet tea. She has gained back a lot of weight and is frustrated. DUH Sleeve only restricts. Our surgeons did stomach surgery, not brain surgery. Why did I gain back 10lbs? I eat a lot of carbs and am carb sensitive. Potato salad, Pasta, white rice - with almost every meal. I also eat chips and candy too often. So with these slider foods the pounds have come back on. I am not proud of my weight gain and know what I need to do to lose the 5lbs. I do not diet anymore. What a sleever (me) needs to do is make better choices. The sleeve works.

I just want to add that my surgeon does not require a preop diet. However, weight gain is something that will cause him to cancel the surgery. I would be more concerned about where you are mentally going into a surgery that is life changing without being able to follow preop rules.

I am a firm believer of everything in moderation. I have failed too many diets because I would deprive myself of something I wanted, then couldn't stand it anymore and would binge like crazy. I got the sleeve because I want to eat like "normal people". If "normal people" want chips, they have a few and are satisfied. That is what I do now too, as opposed to eating a whole bag like I used to do. My partner is a nutritionist and he is a firm believer of this too. It is a matter of living a healthier lifestyle, making healthier choices and when you want a treat, have it, enjoy it, don't over indulge and don't beat yourself up over it. If any of you look at my diary on my fitness pal you will see, I eat like a "normal person". If I want ice cream, I have it, but I do go with the low fat kind now and about half a cup is all I need. And yes, on the weekends I will partake of an adult beverage or two as well. Now that I have my back problems somewhat under control, have recovered from the weight gain as a result of not being able to move much and it has been a while since my steroid injections, I am back losing a healthy two pounds a week and beyond happy with that. I feel good, I have great energy, a great man in my life and am happy, exactly what I had hoped for. Sent from my iPad using VST

(((HUG)))) I know that after surgery that's the last thing we want to see on the scale. Believe it or not, I'm up about six pounds from my pre-admission weight. I'm certain none of it is a real weight gain, because I feel like a bloated balloon at the moment. Either way, your body is just recovering, and there's no way you have gained actual pounds of fat right now. it's probably just reorganizing and holding in Water to help you heal. I'm sure it will come back off in no time =)

What a nightmare. Every additional factor complicates the recovery, and you have had quite the run of unexpected issues. It was good to read the update, that you've lost weight. That's got to be a bit of encouragement. I wanted to say that everyone is different in how we respond to the "insult" of surgery, and in your case, the complications from surgery itself are not to be taken lightly. But in the overall scheme of things, you're going in the right direction, and that's all that matters. Research in reputable, peer reviewed journals (not just anecdotal/experiential postings on the internet) suggest that it takes 4 - 6 weeks for the swelling and trauma from surgery to completely disappear. In that time, depending on the former eating habits of the individual, the body may compensate for the sudden lack of food by becoming super efficient - squeezing the life out of every single calorie and hanging on to the fat stores. This equals weight gain and/or no net weight loss in the early days. This is not everyone's experience, but it isn't uncommon. The average healthy sustainable weight loss is 8-10 pounds/month. Again, individually this varies, but this is considered the optimum. If you lose more, great. If you lose less, the average over time generally works out to... you guessed it, 8 - 10 pounds per month. And lastly, those individuals who do not keep a scale at home do better overall both physically and emotionally than those who weigh daily/weekly. One study found that individuals who had a regular monthly weigh in with an objective source had better levels of emotional and psychological health than those who kept scales at home. And, those who kept scales at home had a harder time breaking emotional eating habits because their moods rose/fell depending on what the scale said. They experienced more mood instability, which is a common trigger for emotional eating. As a former "weigh everyday" person, I can tell you personally that getting rid of the scale at home was the hardest and the best thing I ever did. Now, I don't think about my weight like that at all. I go to the doctor for my monthly check up, weigh in, and see whether my guess (of total pounds lost) is close. I usually aim for 5 - 8 pounds, and so far, every weigh in has been at least that if not more. Keep at it Sarabee323 - as long as you're headed in the right direction, the time it takes to get there is irrelevant. It will certainly take less time to lose the weight than how long you have lived with it. This is a good thing. Be encouraged - it gets better. CE

Nobody has been tracking the results of the sleeve as a WLS that long yet. Give it a bit more time. I'm not certain but when I was researching I think someone posted a five year study - you might do some searching and see if you can find anything on VST about it. Regain is possible with any surgery. The big benefit the sleeve has over bypass (what most people are probably thinking of when they talk about regain) is that there isn't a honeymoon phase or window where loss is easiest. Once you're sleeved and healed, your capacity only increases a small amount. Unlike a short window where malabsoption is guaranteed, or a pouch that is likely to stretch (or a band that requires fills and unfills, for that matter), your sleeve is going to restrict you immediately after surgery and for the rest of your life. I am two years out and maintaining beautifully. I'm currently pregnant and while I have hormone bloat and the start of a rounded tummy, I'm not having a problem with weight gain (nothing more than I'd expect at this point) despite the fact that my capacity is increased now that I'm pregnant. All surgeries come with the risk of regain. Using the sleeve like a diet that will someday end is the biggest cause of regain I've seen - people just stop being diligent at goal and fall into denial about bad habits, ones they didn't fix while losing in the first place. That said, I have seen very few regain posts in the three years I've been here. I've seen plenty of "I got out of control over the holidays and gained a few but took it off quickly" posts, though. If you weigh daily in maintenance and actually learn how to eat like a healthy, normal person during the first few months post surgery, there is no reason you can't reach goal and maintain for life. ~Cheri

My surgeon had me sign a "0" pound weight gain clause.....I asked the office if he was strict about it..they said no...he just doesn't want u gaining a whole lot..I lost 15 pounds and day of surgery he was proud..but i' sure if u explain ur cycle is there it wont be a problem...best wishes hun and don't let that stress u.

I still have to respectfully disagree with you...if you are on a low carb diet, the white potato (along with foods made with white flour) is not a good choice. The carbs they contain are the ones which lead to the carb high and crash, and for many people that only leads to the craving for additional carbs. The result is a prescription for weight gain. I did not write that white foods are "worthless", only that they are lacking in nutritional value. With a band, everything one eats has to deliver big on nutritional value. Yams (sweet potatoes) have more nutritional value, high Fiber, and are a complex carb, thus a better choice for the low carb diet. The sweet potato is considered to be a potassium super food, ranking well ahead the white potato in nutrition and potassium levels. Other good sources of potassium are yogurt and tomatoes. I'm certain there are more... I'm a label reader, and question the wisdom of the manufacturer to see the list of chemical ingredients added to the over processed foods in general. Why process all of the nutritional value out of the ingredients, and then use chemicals to add some of the nutrition back in? If white bread and white rice are so nutritious, why would so many dietitians and surgeons leave them off their recommended food lists? I find that simple and fresh foods work best for me, and what I was advised to use...I control what, if anything is added to them during preparation, and know what I am eating. It's a simple way to grocery shop; I avoid the middle of the store (only go there to get my coffee...), and avoid the bakery. On the periphery of the store you will find the produce, meat/fish, and dairy products...where the fresh and simple foods are. Your mileage varies...

Hi, Rahnava... I too was sleeved by Dr. Garcia..Surgery day was April 27.. So far I've lost 55.3 lbs post op, but I lost 16 lbs pre op..for a total of 71 lbs. I completely understand about the 5-6 lb weight gain during TOM. I'm currently going through it right now and its' so frustrating, but even if we're smaller and at our goals this would still happen..I see it as one of the woe's of being a woman.. You'll break out of the 60's I'm sure of it.. I was stuck for about 3 wks at 300 lbs and within 2 days... i literally dropped 4.5 lbs. I upped my workouts and spent more time outside sweating and I believe that helped a lot... I agree with Lauranbob... 60lbs in 6months is awesome! Sure we'd like for it to be more, but I've found that we all lose differently.. I've read on here where some have lost 100 lbs by month 4 but that clearly isn't in the cards for me.. As long as we're losing that's what's important, right? My goal is to lose 9-10 lbs a month. Anything extra is just icing on the cake... Sometimes I've exceeded that and other times like this month I have not.. I've only lost 7.8 lbs for July, but it's 7.8 lbs less on me than before. I have about 100 lbs to loose myself. So I figured 9-10 lbs in a month in a 10 month period is feasible. I don't think I'm reaching for the stars with that amount... We can do this!! Set backs..stall's or whatever you call them are bound to happen.. But as long as we're following the plan we can't lose... Stay encouraged, okay?

I talked with my dietician regarding my weight gain, she said as long as I follow the diet shes not worried. I lost in my 6 month doctor supervised diet. because of that they are only concerned with shrinking my liver. My Dr.'s office gives everone the same plan you just stay between 800-1200 calories. She has actually advised me to stay at the 1200 range. Adding an extra dairy or meat serving. since I've been in the 1000 range the last week. Especially since there's a chance I might have to stay on the diet until the 16th instead of the 2nd with my Insurance denial.

So I'm on my way to restart my life! I am 31years old...I weight 285lbs. I had talked to my PC about the band about a year ago when I was having breathing problems. He told me to walk it off and my weight will go down. Well the problem is that I have severe Rheumatoid Arthritis and most days can barely walk from the pain and its a lot worse from the weight gain. I've gain 100lbs since last year. I'm going to see my PCP today to tell him what I'm doing. Kind of nervous but I don't need his permission.... but has anyone had problems from there PCP getting in the way?

Weight gain after 2 weeks liquids is normal! Hey, my nephew laid in a hospital bed without food for 2 weeks, and no liquids and did not loose anything! But, that is neither here nor there. anyway, it is normal because you are now eating, so gaining little is normal. But you have done fine and will start to lose. If I lost the 1st 2 weeks, I don't remember. But I did gain a lb or 2 after I started to eat. I was on liquids for 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after! Bets wishes to all , Karen

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!

All I can say is I'm sorry for your experience. My father in law had an infectious colitis and it took him wasting away and getting very ill to get the correct diagnosis. It's been some time, but I believe a few rounds of antibiotics and he recovered fully. I can't recall exactly how long it went on but his biggest issue was actually diagnosing the problem. It's been a long time but he's absolutely fine now and has no problems. How far are you out from surgery? The only real issue with medication comes if you need it to spend a long time in the stomach or if it's something (like B12) that needs to be absorbed there. I've taken several rounds of antibiotics and many people take anti-inflammatory meds (we have a few folks here with lupus and other autoimmune disorders) without any problems. Wishing you the very best with your treatment and a speedy recovery. I know that your fear right now is gaining weight on meds, but if your case is infectious colitis it will clear up and go away, and you will only need the meds until it's gone. Colitis can be serious if left untreated, so I'd simply do what the doctor suggests (once your colonoscopy confirms what you've got going on) and worry about losing any possible weight gain once it's over and done with. Your quality of life with colitis will be crap. With a sleeve, there's no time limit on weight loss and you can easily take off any pounds gained on a treatment cycle afterward. Put your overall health first. ~Cheri

Don't weigh yourself every day. The increase in weight could be from your body retaining a little water after you workout. Yes, muscle weighs more than fat however it also burns 2x more calories than fat. The more muscle you have the more calories you'll burn. So I doubt the muscle is causing the weight gain if you are truly sticking to your calories, but you definitely need to make sure you get in enough protein to support the muscle growth.

When I started the mushies/soft foods, I actually started gaining back the weight I had lost. At my 2 wk appt, I told the Dr about this weight gain and he gave me a fill then. Just keep at what you are doing!

Vomiting will lead to slips and eating junk will lead to weight gain. If your doctor removing fluid isn't helping, then you need to have a barium swallow done to check for a slip or other complication.

I cannot warn you away from Mirena fast enough. Great for 18 months, no period at all, just 30 lbs of weight gain IMMEDIATELY. Nothing else changed. Then the spotting started and continued constantly for two years. Yes ladies years. And to top it off even though insurance covered putting it in I had to pay $300 to get it out. I realized within minutes of having it removed that the horrible abdominal pressure i had been living with was gone. It is great birth control though because you sure never want to have sex!

Oh there is some suggestion it can also make losing weight a little more difficult, but that is the same with any hormonal option- your body is tricked into thinking it is already pregnant (so you don't ovulate) and thus the body goes into pregnancy energy storage mode... It doesn't cause weight GAIN though!

18 lbs in the hospital....also demanded lasix; freaked out when I saw the weight gain! Lost 11 after the lasix in the hospital, the rest in the next 3 days when I was home.

All of what your experiencing Rebecca is normal. so don't get frustrated, your body is still adapting to the foreign object inside you, your metabolisim is also adjusting , you will have flux in weight gain & loss as you start,but once you move to solid foods your stabilize and loss will come, i know we all want instant results, but your doing great , congrats to you and hang in there like you said your frustrated but refuse to give up. Slow & steady wins every time. GOOD LUCK & CONGRATS! Steve