Search the Community

There will be weeks sometimes months the scale wont move you cant give up and I had to stop weighing myself everyday it only makes things worse. I didnt lose for six months and that was with fills. You body has been overweight for so long it has to adjust and sometimes it just stalls itself out because it was so use to consuming large amounts of calories now it is starving and doesnt want to let go of the fat. keep doing what your doing it will move eventually. Is it frustrating hell yes but we didnt gain it all in three months either. You cant take off 10 to 30 years of weight gain in a few months it doesnt work like that.

hi guys. sorry i been off - i just been kinda bitchy lately bout the whole surgery/weight thing. i'm fine tho. hit onderland today and have no real complaints bout the weight loss since i'm not really trying that hard and i'm still losing. i mean i try a little - i don't eat carbs that much and i don't pig out (not possible anyways) and i work out sometimes but i'm not killing myself so i'm not upset bout the weight. i guess my biggest gripe is i don't really enjoy food anymore and i can't really eat solid/dry things. i can't really eat bread or solid meat (steak etc). but on the other hand i don't really watch what i eat either. i been living on summer sausage and cheese lately. summer sausage isn't exactly low fat and it's yummy so that's kinda nice. i don't feel like i'm being deprived. and when i do eat/drink something bad like a gatorade or whatever i don't feel that bad. i worked out this am and had a Protein shake and am starting on my Water so i can try to get back on the straight and narrow. i wanted to be 180 by december 15th but that didn't happy. but hey i'm only 19lbs away from that so i'll knuckle down these next few weeks and push it. i feel pretty decent physically. as far as how i look. but 180 would make me feel REALLY decent lol. good thing is i'm not worried about holiday eating cuz i can't eat any of that stuff anyways. in our family it's usually a pork roast and rice and fried plantains and i can't really eat any of that so i'm not worried bout holiday weight gain. sad i can't enjoy it but it is what it is. i'm trying to enjoy other things but i never realized how many things in life are centered around eating. let's "go out to dinner" is always the thing people ask you when you're going to socialize. or let's grab a drink (i can't/don't really drink anymore either) so it's like. ummmm....ok. now what? but it's all good. i'm coming to terms with it. the skinnier i get the easier it is to deal with the sacrifices lol. happy holidays all.

Yeah, I suspect I will be gaining back a few for sure. I also think much of what I've lost thus far is just water weight. But I won't let any weight gain discourage me - keeping my chin up :thumbup:

For the ladies (sorry guys, close your eyes). Does anyone else have problems with monthly water weight gain? 5 - 8 pounds is common for me. What works? -K

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 ! ❤️

I had Isopure, but my food list allows liquids but it doesn't have to be clear so I could have a slimfast if I wanted to. I'm on 4 weeks of liquids but there was no distinction made for clears. The list of what I can have for 4 weeks is very short though. I forgot to mention that I have gained 4 pounds since the morning of my surgery. I know it's not "real" weight gain as I have hardly had any calories at all for days now. It's still weird to see the scale go up.

I am 5 1.5 but used to be 5 2 before all the weight gains my dr also rounds up. I was 270 pre-surgery on April 4th 2013. Today am 225. I am almost 4months out. Been a slow move down the scale this past month for sure. I try to stay positive and keep in mind that I packed this all on over the past 30 plus years so even tho I don't see bigger numbers dropping.....it's dropping I have not had any second thoughts about the choice to be sleeved! It's tough enough being short. Much less short AND round lol so I am looking gladly at just. Short. Best to all u other shorties.

Hi! I can semi relate a lot to u n yes unfortunately I slowly but surely gained all the weight I had lost with the LB. Which, overall it’s been very upsetting.😩😞 So now, I’m getting ready for a possible RNY in about 6 months cuz I again refuse to let myself go without exhausting all measures for BETTER HEALTH. Also, ever since I entered menopause arnd a year ago; my body has been going through lots of unpleasant changes n weight gain is one of them. Meanwhile, I’m already being monitored/treated by a Bariatric specialty team n too pray to God for His will over my body/health. Therefore, I too recommend u do the same in exhausting all measures for better health n cuz it’s better to BE IN PEACE instead of IN PIECES. Agreed n God bless. 🙏🏽

Thanks you speak for all of us. By you being aware of our weakness IS a strong tool. It is easier to keep it off now than before. We were out of control. Weight gain will aways be our fear. It's good to have that. It makes us stronger. You story is very real. Thank you again.

Congrats on this big first step! It's wonderful news that you're able to take decisive action and make such a major decision to improve your life! I'm worried when I hear you say you hope the surgery will make you stop hating yourself. This surgery is a great health improver, but there's no guarantee how you'll feel about yourself afterwards. You could easily end up skinny but unhappy. I'd guess we all come into this with pretty low self image due to all of our previous failures at weight loss. But I would recommend taking some time to understand what's contributed to your self image and weight issues to this point before actually having the surgery. For most people it's not just stomach capacity that led to the weight gain. For those of us using insurance, we had to sit down with a psyche professional and they usually poke around and try to unpack these issues for each of us. Your doctor can probably recommend someone similar that works with MWL patients. I think it'd be a great benefit to you if you reached out to them for some counseling before making your mind up. I hope I don't sound preachy. I would just hate to see you spend all that money and go through everything and end up unhappy. I will pray for you and I hope you get to a really great place!

Look into the health issues caused by most artificial sweeteners, including weight gain and insulin response. Organic stevia seems to be the safest out there. Sweet and lo, Equal and Splenda have been linked to cancer, parkinson's, alzheimer's, dementia, and lots of auto-immune disorders. I feel we should avoid the chemicals because we want to lose weight and be healthy too - not trade obesity for some other horrible disease. It's so hard to avoid the chemicals in low sugar "diet" pre-packaged items, like Protein bars. I do eat them when I need protein, but try not to have the chemicals in coffee, diet drinks, and processed stuff. I found a Protein powder (Jay Robb egg protein) that was approved by my NUT because I have a dairy and soy allergy. It is sweetened with stevia. Good luck to you!

I know it's been a few weeks since I posted. I have just recently moved AND had an out of town visitor for a week so little to no time to come online. I am going to be 3 weeks out tomorrow. I saw my doc 1 week post op and he gave me the go ahead for mushies. About a week after that I moved myself to soft regular foods (chewing thourghly) and now am on to regular food. I haven't had any problems. The "suggested" diet was just way too slow for me. I kind of feel guilty about moving forward to quickly, but I chew my food very well, and use my teeth as a blender so everything is "pureed" before going down (gross, sorry). I have not had any problems, everything goes down really smoothly. I have been working out for an hour about 4 times a week(treadmill and elliptical) and feel fabulous. I am really happy with my weight loss, about 20 lbs so far and my clothes are feeling looser. Waiting to get my 1st fill next week though, and boy do I need it! I feel that if I let myself go, I would be able to eat just like I used to at this point. I have zero restriction, which I know won't come until the first fill. I am in a weird point right now. I am on to regular foods, with no restriction. What does that mean? Yeah...weight gain. At one point I gained about 3 pounds. That really freaked me out. But I was able to curb my eating and get it back off. But it was a reality check. I need a fill. That is what this whole LAP-BAND® thing is all about right? Being able to limit what we can consume.

Hi all - I feel like a Newbie to Bariatric Pal when in truth I have been a non-active or at least not very active member since 2008 when I had my band placed. I am now in the process of insurance approval for RNY. When I first got my band in Sept 2008 I had great success in the first 4 months, losing 60 pounds, but then some stressful health issues raised their ugly head combined with depression and fills/unfills never finding that "sweet spot". I feel like I wasted 6 yrs of my life with the band. My original choice of surgeries was RNY but my previous surgeon talked me out of it due to the fact that I had a DVT 3 yrs earlier after bunion surgery. I guess was afraid of me coding on his watch... but that's another story. I have been trying to get thru all the hoops you must jump for both doctor and insurance approval since May 2013. I was at the point were my previous surgeons' office (not same surgeon, as he's no longer in the practice) filed papers with insurance and I was denied because my chosen surgeon did not work in a COE supported by my insurance company. His hospital WAS a COE just not an approved COE with my health insurance company - United Healthcare. So.... I had to start over with a new surgeon in Jan 2014. I am hopeful for an approval thru my insurance but they DO say that they will not pay for a 2nd WLS unless it is a medical necessity. Well, I think not being able to eat most solid proteins, throwing up or forcing myself to throw up because I feel like I have swallowed a golf ball, total weight gain and multiple comorbidities should be considered in their evaluation. I just hope they see it the same way I do. Good look to you all in your journey.

Good thread. I always sit on the fence about labeling myself an addict, but whatever you call it (or don't call it) the behaviors were destructive enough to allow me to get up to 300 pounds. I used to say cake is like crack to me, and it still is. I weighed 140 pounds when I met my husband, and he enabled me to gain that weight. He would offer and go get whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it. Now he enables me to lose weight by not doing that, and encouraging me every day to stay on track. I never blamed him for my weight gain - that was all on me. He couldn't stop me from gaining now if I wanted to. So I know I have to monitor myself and my habits and intake all day, every day, forever. I'm not perfect, and don't even care to be, but at least I know what I'm consuming. If I had to point to just one thing that I've learned and feel has contributed to my success so far, I would say that it is tracking and being honest with myself about what I eat - ALWAYS. Even when I don't want to, and even when I've eaten too much, I force myself to face it.

The barium test is a standard practice among surgeons who specialize in gastric surgeries. It is the best way to ensure there isn't even the slightest leak. It's done within the first 24 hours this way if anything is even detected they can fix it asap instead of waiting for the problem to come up later on. I knew about having the test before I had the surgery it was explained to me ahead of time. Now for me I drink Muscle Milk for my protein. It's 310 calories for 32 grams of protein even drinking that 5 times a day would put u at 1550 calories in just shakes alone. Then add in food. In order to gain 20 pounds in under 7 weeks you would need to average 3 pound weight gain a week. There is no way unless drinking weight gainer protein that someone ONLY 7 weeks out gains that type of weight AND there surgeon tells them they stretched out there sleeve. You CAN NOT stretch out that sleeve on a basic liquid diet it's physically impossible. I have to agree with others that if her surgeon did a sleeve on her and told her that then she needs to see a different surgeon to ensure he is being honest with her in the surgery that he did and 2 that it was performed properly and correctly.

I'm still in the Honeymoon losing stage, but that didn't stop me from attending Cleveland Clinic's group session yesterday with the topic of Weight Gain. The room was packed with a lot of veterans about 2 years out. The number one culprit per the presentation seems to be carbonated drinks (aka soda) that many cannot seem to give up permanently. I'm glad I was never a soda drinker, although I was as a kid (thanks mom - but they didn't know much about nutrition in the 50s and 60s; we also ate mashed potatoes nearly every dinner). And to add to Babbs list, you should continue with support groups or nutritionist visits even after the year honeymoon period is over. Maintain portion and calorie control. Eat Breakfast, don't skip meals. Plan and shop and cook smart. Avoid or limit alcohol. They don't believe in that 5 day pouch reset. They recommend going back to Phase IV diet plan. Here is a copy of the CCF entire plan that they released electronically. Enjoy http://my.clevelandclinic.org/florida/ccf/media/Files/Florida/bariatric-surgery/Bariatric_Nutrition_Manual.pdf?la=en

Cindi - So happy you popped in! You hit the nail on the head, the band is the one that continues to work, its "ME" that quits working with the band. I find that I eat more junk when I get comfortable and the weight creeps back on! I am the one that causes the weight gain, not the band. So good that you are still exercising. I'm become lazy lately at that. I know I need to get back into the groove, I set my alarm this morning to get up, but just couldn't do it. I will be going tonite! Keep posting, we miss u!

Also fogot to mention that since my first fill ofc3 cc I can only eat 2-3 bites then it comes up. But usually I can then eat the rest of my food. This happens at almost every meal. I am not as excited with this fill as I was before it. And I take a few weight gaining pills for my bipolar and even with the fill I am losing very slowly...almost too slow. I try to watch what I eat but when I get really hungry I eat whatever will go down the easiest. Bad choice? And my hair is falling out. It was thin bc of hypothyroidism but now have a few balding spots. I see my endocrinologist today so maybe get my thyroid in check and maybe with eating more protein my hair will start coming back. There's alot more but I'll leave it like this. Thx

I just wanted to post a follow up on this thread. I had a support group meeting at my bariatric center and asked one of the nuritionists specifically about the no weight gain aspect during the medically supervised period., She said it does vary from insurance policy to policy but most of them would make you start the medically supervised period over again from the beginning if you had a weight gain at one appointment compared to your weight at the previous appointment. So as an example if you have a 6 month supervised period required, and at appointment 4 you had gained weight compared to appointment 3, you would would have to start all over with a new a new appointment 1.

Well I did pretty good for my Christmas dinner and dinners... I had a little turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberries.. I also had pie for dessert and then a small piece of rice crispy square. I told everyone that after new years junk food and sweets will no longer be allowed in the house. I have to hard of a time staying away. Tonight there is still pie and other desserts on the counter but I have stayed away.. Congrats to me... I choose not to weigh myself. Just because I have started more solids and have a sinus infection which does not allow me to walk due to asthma.. I do not want to have a weight gain and be upset with myself.. So I will weight a week or two.. I am going shopping tomorrow and will be buying more healthy food since I have been having no problem with the mushy stage.. Anyways all congrats on being banded and all of us keep up the good work..

I agree, sabotages and haters lol But, realistically, this is life right? We will all face eating bad sometimes and we give in. Lifestyle changes are what our mutual goal Is. What I feel is this. I've been post op almost 2 years now. I eat like crap at times, sometimes a lot. I know it's not good and can lead to weight gain. I'm human and become more mindful and eat " like a sleever " is suppose to. I was truly devastated one time when I was told on here I was eating To Many calories. I was losing fast and I needed them. I didn't know that at the time and my whole mindset was shot. So people who may eat lousy sometimes, it's life. We have our whole life ahead of us and as long as we know the repercussions of our actions .... It's ok. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Well, TOM just came for another visit today - a week later than I thought it would. I hope this is not the new norm - I was a clockwork 28 day cycle before which I liked because well - it was clockwork. This is a 35 day cycle this time. Just a note for those who are curious: July 12 - surgery (I was supposed to start period then, but did not - probably because of the surgery). July 18 - TOM came for his normal visit of 6 days. August 4 - a 4 pound weight gain that stays for 1 week. August 11 saw a 4 pound drop and then an additional 3 pounds in the next week came off. August 18 - a 1.5 pound weight gain and a migraine (normal timing before start of period). August 22 - TOM returned. I had cramps and migraines before the surgery that always came with TOM. Unfortunately, he has brought them back this month. That was something that I was hoping would change. Oh well...

I’m about 3 weeks shy of my 2-year surgiversary. My husband and I are expecting our 2nd child, 1st one after WLS. My surgeon’s goal weight loss was 100 lbs. I lost 90 lbs prior to this pregnancy. I still track my daily intake on MFP and make support group meeting when possible. Prior to this pregnancy I consumed about 150 less calories/day. My OB/GYN says she thinks I can make it through this pregnancy with only a 10lb weight gain. Unfortunately, any amount of weight gain terrifies me[emoji30]. At 18 weeks visit I was up 3 lbs [emoji1430]. Baby is healthy, we are expecting a girl & hoping I can make it with very little weight gain and reach goal weight ASAP after our baby girl is born. [emoji120]

So I've finally caught up, took me 3 days to do it but here I am. No questions about it, I'm an addict. Not just to sugar and carbs but to food. FOOD still tastes good to me on a daily basis. I haven't given my sleeve anything that it didn't tolerate just fine. As I have gotten further out it has become harder to stay on track because now I don't have this list of like 4 foods that it is okay for me to eat. I actually have to choose to eat what I should, and for the most part, I do. I have days that I fall off the wagon, but each day is a new day. I get up, brush myself off and start again. I am from Louiaiana. Not just from the south but from one of the most obese states in our country. You know there are "starving kids in China" so we don't throw food away, or at least that's what we were told growing up. My grandmother was a feeder. Everyday after school (after finishing off a big grab bag of flaming hot cheetos and a large icee) she would have cookies or cake or fried chicken fixed and just hanging around. We got to eat what ever, when ever we wanted. This was all before the age of 13. It didn't stop. When I was in my early teens my parents did a dieting program through our church and lost weight. I didn't lose weight. I ate what they ate but I ate as much as I wanted. When I was a junior or senior in high school, I went through the program with them and lost 30 pounds. When I started college my freshman 15 turned into my sophomore 60 and stuck around for my senior 70. I seriously gained around 80 pounds in my 4 years of college. I lost some while working on my second degree but then got pregnant just before I graduated. When I went in to have my son I was 286 pounds (I had gained somewhere between 50-80 pounds during my pregnancy). I lost about 20 after I had him but within 4 months put it back on. Fast forward 5 years and I can't get pregnant. We think it's because of my weight gain (I'm now about 320) so I decide to go for a sleeve. A month before my sleeve was scheduled to be done, I find out I'm pregnant. And you know what, I was SAD!!! I wanted this surgery. I wanted to be healthy for my pregnancy but here I was super morbidly obese and pregnant. Gross. I only gained 23 pounds during my second pregnancy and the baby weighed almost 10 pounds so not too bad. That weight came off pretty quick and then I was sleeved when the baby was 4 weeks old. It was the best decision I have ever made. I have learned a lot already. I know that I have limited will power. My will power stops when I take a bite of anything. I can resist any food all day long until I take one bite and then it is all over. I can't stop myself. Carbs are a nightmare. If I start the day off with them, I'm hungry all day and wanting to eat. Same goes for sugar. But it isn't just those. Like Cheri, it fried goodness, burgers, savory, spicy, chips and salsa, FOOD! I have eaten out of bordom, I ate when I was happy and when I was sad. Something good happened, "Oh, lets celebrate! Where do you want to go eat?" Something bad happened, "Oh, bless your heart. What can I get you to eat?" It was never ending. I haven't been a big food sneaker but there were times that I did. I could, and probably still can but have not tried, to polish off a pint of ice cream in a single sitting. I never ate a whole pizza but I sure could eat half a large by myself. I was the one who finished my husbands food, and the kid's. I was the same as someone before who would go to McD's and get a large value meal and get chicken nuggets to go with it. I was out of control. Now I am not a slave to food. I don't think about it all the time. I enjoy it but it does not rule my life. I have an amazing support system and my hubby is happy to finish my left overs So much has changed about me in the last 8 months, on the inside and the outside. I am liking this new person I am becoming. I used to tell people that people liked me for the same reasons they like Santa Claus, cause I was fat and jolly! I'm still jolly. My joy is dependent on far more than the weight I carry or my circumstances but people are going to have to find a new reason to like me!

The first 6 months after the sleeve you are healing and your stomach is swollen so you have the most restriction and can eat the least. This is the best time to build good healthy habits because your stomach is going to offer you the most support and you should hopefully have no legit physical hunger during this time period (notice I said legit physical hunger, you can still have head hunger or confuse acid for physical hunger). 6-18 months you are fully healed but you should still have little to no ghrelin (stomach hormone that signals the brain for hunger). It gradually returns over time. The first 18 months you get the most physical support from your body to facilitate weight loss. You also have your set point lowered so your body is not actively trying to maintain a higher weight. So while you have this support from your body and this hormone and physical reset, you should take advantage. Learn new eating habits so they because a new lifestyle not a diet and avoid things that cause weight gain. I don't eat carbs, I didn't eat them during the first 6 months and now I don't want them. If I have the occassional carb, it is a once a day once a week kind of thing, not a habit. They just don't appeal to me. You can really change the way you think about and relate to food if you follow the eating steps laid out in your plan. WLS is more than a physical thing, it offers the chance for a complete mental reset in how you think about and relate to food. If you don't follow the plan or the steps you blow that chance and a lot of people end up feeling like they are dieting forever. So the difference ends up being, creating a new way of life, or being on a diet forever, or worse, failing. This Dr has a lot of very good information about Weight loss and weight loss surgery