Search the Community

I have a very similar story. Lost about 85 pounds in about 14 months and then just stopped for about 2 and a half months. I also had an unfill in there which didn't help. I broke my plateau by cutting out all white flour and sugar, and counting strictly 1,000-1,300 calories per day, and exercising. Well, actually I'm not too good about the exercising part (only doing it about two or three times a week), but the other stuff has definitely helped. The first two weeks of this regimine I lost 6.4 pounds. Now I'm on week three, but I'm getting my period, and thus begins the monthly Water weight gain of between 3-5 pounds, which is so disheartening. But, I really think that my regimine is helping. I plan to resume white flour and sugar in limited portions, only after I reach goal.

I had the sleeve done 10 years ago and missed the memo on not drinking carbonated water. I stretched my tummy out and got hungry again, of course means more food and weight gain. 🙄 On the 19, I had the bypass done. It’s more aggressive than the sleeve and the advances in 10 years convinced me to do it. I’m less than 2 weeks in but I think, if I follow the rules, this will be the fix. good luck on your journey

Ridiculous. My child's OPINION on my situation pre op, does not make it fact! Nor does it change this actual topic. You can't "help" me like a sleeve. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App In your post, you said you have a food addiction... you said it yourself. That's what she's referring to, not what your daughter said! Sent from my SM-G930T using the BariatricPal App I did briefly discuss food addiction. I presented to be assessed. No food addiction. Turns out most humans have the desire to eat food. Go figure? I felt that I was overeating because I gained weight. A two year nutrition assessment showed that my diet tended toward no cook carbs (sandwiches etc) due to my disability. I have been bedbound and housebound for several protracted periods in the past five years. Resulting in weight gain. Thank you for your indepth interest in my personal story. Each post raises more awareness of my story. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am so disappointed with myself. I started off great, then I had a blood clot and just was focus on not bruising myself or falling. Now, I have gained 10 lbs and still haven't reach my goal. I haven’t exercised, but now I am trying to do something each day. My two year surgerversary is 4/16/2016. Has anyone else come back and met goal after a long stall and weight gain? Thanks

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.

The nice thing is that some of your good nuts also have Protein as well. I just found this on nuts: Weight Control Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health found three times as many people trying to lose weight were able to stick to a Mediterranean-style moderate-fat weight loss diet that included nuts, peanuts and Peanut Butter versus the traditionally recommended low-fat diet. (International Journal of Obesity, Oct. 5, 2001). As long as you control total calories, eating a handful of nuts daily may help prevent weight gain and possibly promote weight loss. The fat, protein and fiber in nuts help you feel full longer, so you may eat less during the day. By helping induce a feeling of satiety, nuts may help people feel less deprived and not like they're "dieting." Just limit your portion to a healthy handful. Walnuts. One ounce of walnuts (about 14 shelled walnut halves) is all that is needed to meet the 2002 dietary recommendation of the food Nutrition Board of the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine for omega-3 fatty acids. Almonds. One ounce of almonds (about 20 to 24 shelled whole almonds) provides 35 percent of your daily value for Vitamin E. Vitamin E may help promote healthy aging. A study reported in the Journal of the American Association (June 26, 2002) suggests a diet rich in foods containing vitamin E may help protect some people against Alzheimer's disease. The study also found vitamin E in the form of supplements was not associated with a reduction in the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Peanuts. Though often discussed with nuts, peanuts are a legume along with dry beans, peas and lentils. One ounce of roasted peanuts provides about 10 percent of the daily value of folate, a B vitamin recommended to help reduce the incidence of birth defects and lower the risk of heart disease. Peanuts also are an excellent source of niacin, providing about 20 percent of the daily value. As a group, nuts also are important for what they DON'T offer: Cholesterol. Nuts are cholesterol-free. Sodium. Unless salt is added to nuts, they naturually contain, at most, just a trace of sodium. Diabetes Women in a Harvard School of Public Health study who reported eating 5 or more 1 ounce servings of nuts/peanuts per week reduced their risk of Type 2 diabetes by almost 30 percent compared to those who rarely or never ate nuts. Women in the study who ate five tablespoons of peanut butter each week reduced their risk for Type 2 diabetes almost 20 percent. (Journal of the American Medical Association, Nov. 27, 2002.) There's also a chart there which shows calories, protein, etc. that is not transferring over here properly, but it's very informative! http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftmar04.htm

1. I want my energy back. I am so sick of being exhausted after cleaning ONE room in my house! 2: I want to feel and be healthier, withour the threat of weight related conditions hanging precariously above my head. 3. I want to be able to play with my kids while they are still young enough to WANT to play with mom n dad 4. I want to live and long happy life and see my grandkids and play with them too! 5: I want to be able to get out in the world and do all the things I used to love to do but can't anymore because of weight getting in the way (like hiking!) 6. I want to get rid of my pesky PCOS problem which both contributed to my weight gain and is worsened by it, the worse it gets the more I gain.Its a vicious cycle I want to END! 7. I want to eat to live! 8. I want to be able to look in the mirror and LIKE what I see! 9. I want to go to the store and have more options on clothing, and NOT have to buy things that look like they were made for a 96 year old woman who doesn't like things that don't have a stretchy waist. 10. I want to regain the confidence I had when I was younger and thinner. I started getting self- conscious around the 200 mark.. my personal goal is 180 my docs goal is 150, I am okay with being slightly chubby, as long as I am healthy and happy 11. I want my weight to stop running my life, *I* want to run my life and LIVE it to the fullest 12. This is silly, I know, but I want to be able to sit on hubby's lap and not worry I will break his legs or something. Its so simple and yet so depressing to fear that your weight will hurt your loved ones I could come up with more but you said 12 so I will stop there. Thanks for posting! I have been considering WLS but now that I made a list of all the things that I want that WLS can give me, I am more sure now than ever that I am on the right path. There is just something about saying/writing it all out that really puts it in perspective, you know?

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.

I'm so saddened to hear your story. I am sobbing as I write this. I too lost a son. Tre would have been 18. I too turned to food for comfort and saw large weight gains in the years after he passed. I think our paths to this decision are similar. Each year you will have moments, it's ok to grieve as anniversaries of his passing, birthdays or other milestones occur. This past Spring was hard for me because he would have been 18 & graduating high school. Take the time to remember Jonny and celebrate the memories you have of him. You have one sweet angel walking along side of you and he is so proud pf you. Hugs...

Wow 20 years ago you had bypass? That is amazing. I saw someone else on here mention alcohol is causing weight gain for them. Maybe you can switch to a very low carb, calorie beer?

Dcprincess...often times I feel undeserving and it seems unreal that I have lost weight. I had an epiphany last week when I realized that "yes, I had lapband surgery but no one put an exercise band in me!" Really, the band has helped get me started but the continual success in exercise and fact that I continue to run in 90+ degree weather here in Texas is MY accomplishment and not because of that band of silicone. I like to mull over that from time to time. BTW I ran in Houston last weekend early in the morning and even at 0700 it was HOT. Way to go with your exercise down there! I had a strange experience several months ago. I was out with some friends in a club and was feeling pretty tipsy (not something I usually do anymore!) Well, I went into the bathroom and when I looked at the mirror I felt real strange. I hardly recognized myself. Surely it was the alcohol speaking but at any rate it was a freaky experience. I wonder if we have all failed to have good body images even before our weight gain years ago and consequently it was what got us to where we are today. I had a very good friend (also a shrink) tell me that I was ignoring my obesity because it protected me from being hurt by others. When I finally came to the conclusion that I could no longer continue to be overweight just the admission that I was truly morbidly obese was an extremely painful experience. I cried for days after I scheduled my surgery. I guess I was fearing losing another (in)effective coping mechanism. Dcprincess, have you ever thought of posting side-by-side pictures of yourself somewhere you can look at them on a regular basis? I just might try that myself....although I find looking at the former pictures very depressing. I just think of the years I put up with lugging all the weight around! Anyone else have any ideas?

http://healthland.ti...etic/?hpt=hp_t3 New Genes IDd in Obesity: How Much of Weight is Genetic? By Alexandra Sifferlin @acsifferlin July 19, 2013 Two studies zero in on DNA-based drivers of weight. Is obesity written in our genes? In two separate papers, published in the journal Science and in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI), researchers describe new genetic factors that could explain weight gain in some people. In the Science study, researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital studying mice found a rare genetic mutation that prevented the animals from burning off fat calories. They also found the same gene was mutated in a group of obese people. And a team based at University College London reported in JCI that a specific form of a gene previously linked to obesity, FTO, can increase craving for high-fat foods. The discoveries add to the growing body of knowledge about the biology behind weight, and the results confirm that while it’s represented by a single number, weight is the complex combination of a multitude of different metabolic processes, from brain systems that regulate appetite to enzymes that control how efficiently calories are turned from food into energy that the body needs. Making matters even more confusing, these factors are also likely influenced by environmental contributors such as diet and lifestyle. In the mouse study, the research team determined that mutations in the Mrap2 gene led the animals to eat less initially but still gain about twice as much weight as they normally would. While their appetites returned, these mice continued to gain weight despite being fed the same number of calories as a group of control animals. That led the scientists to figure out that the mice with the mutated gene were simply sequestering fat rather than breaking it down for energy. The mice, like people, possessed two copies of the gene, and mice with even one defective copy experienced significant weight gain, although not as much as those who had two mutated versions of Mrap2. The scientists found a similar pattern among a group of 500 obese people; they detected four mutations in the human version of Mrap2, and each of the obese individuals possessed only one bad version of the gene. In the British study, the researchers divided a group of 359 healthy men of normal weight by their FTO gene status. The majority of the men had low-risk versions of the gene, while 45 of the participants had mutations that have been linked to greater appetite and caloric consumption. To figure out how the altered genes were affecting appetite, the team measured levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin both before and after meals that the participants ate; the men with the mutated form of FTO did not show the same drop in ghrelin levels, signifying that they were full, as the men with the low-risk form of FTO. Genome wide association studies, which compare genetic makeups of obese individuals to those of normal weight, are making it easier to flesh out important genetic factors contributing to weight, and researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health say that to date, these studies have identified over 30 candidate genes on 12 chromosomes associated with body mass index. “Thus far mutations in about eight genes are known to cause obesity in humans. But these mutations account for under five percent of the obesity in our society, and certainly are not, by themselves, responsible for the current obesity epidemic, since the mutation rate in these genes could not have changed dramatically during the past twenty years,” says Dr. Joseph Majzoub, the chief of the division of endocrinology at Boston Children’s Hospital and an author on the Science paper. “However, mutations in these genes have led to the discovery of pathways that are important in energy balance in humans, giving us hope that drugs can be developed that affect these pathways to prevent excessive weight gain, either by curbing appetite or increased burning of calories.” Here is a round-up of some recent genes, and their products, that have been linked to obesity : Leptin: Often referred to as the “obesity hormone,” leptin is made by fat cells and acts as a thermostat for the body’s energy needs. Each individual has his own leptin threshold; if leptin levels fall below that amount, the brain understands that the body is starving, and needs more calories. If leptin levels are maintained or surge above that amount, the brain knows that it doesn’t need to take in more food. Unfortunately, while mouse studies showed that overweight mice had lower levels of leptin, the same wasn’t true of obese people, who generally show higher levels of leptin in their blood. Somehow, researchers how believe, these people are not getting the signal to stop eating, which is referred to as leptin-resistance. Ghrelin: This gene makes an appetite hormone that can make foods look more desirable–especially high-calorie ones — by influencing the brain’s reward system. Some studies have found that people who are sleep-deprived have increased ghrelin levels, which may explain why lack of sleep can contribute to weight gain. Neuropeptide Y: One of the brain’s many chemicals, neuropeptide Y may trigger eating by manipulating appetite, possibly resulting from changes in mood and stress levels. It may also contribute to an increased deposition of fat from food calories.

What!!!! Now I have heard of water weight gain but not because you've lost to much. Hummmn

Our u weighing yourself daily or once a week on same day? Weight gain can happen daily but over course of weeks should be losing.

My doctor went slow with my fills. He is a hard doctor to get fills. He wants you to decide on certain foods and tehn go to fills if necessary. Right now he has me on a greater calorie intake around 1500-1800 a day. So far, I'm maintaining this input with NO weight gain. I'm not big on exercise, so it's hard to lose weight rapidily. I'm close to 1 year anniversary on my lapband and I'm down around 95-96 pounds. So, I'm happy for this amount. It has been slow the last 6-8 weeks but I do enjoy the extra calories in my diet. Best wishes and keep the faith.

I hear ya! got on the scale tuesday (surgery was monday) and was freaking out with the 10lb weight gain...all water and gas though! back down to where I was pre surgery

Thank you. It just couldn't have come at a worse time. I leave for Europe in 2 weeks. My Dr. is optimistic we can get the clot resolved before then, but still has concerns w/me being gone for 16 days. I've been trying to figure out if there are walk in clinics in Lisbon, Portugal and Germany where I will be to test my ProTime. What a hassle... Still can't help but worry about this weight gain... so frustrating!

Speaking of "friends," I have one that KEEPS referring to me as someone with an eating/obesity problem. She knows nothing of the surgery, so it is as if she hasn't noticed that I have lost 50 pounds and am terribly fit. It seems I have moved on and she has not. She may prefer the fatter, more vulnerable and needy me. She was my friend through the hard times, so I need to find a way to understand, but not allow her to drag me down. I may be the opposite of what I am reading. My entire life I have been very social, until a rapid weight gain took me prisoner. It seemed an alien had taken over my body. To deal with the discomfort and shame, I avoided friends and poured myself into a new line of work, charity, and advanced education (to find self-worth that was not predicated upon my appearance or socially-acceptable weight.) Now that my weight/appearance/health are returning to "normal," I have begun to reahc out to the old friends. As was mentioned, the confidence to just be with anyone and focus on conversation is great. NEW TICKER MOVEMENT!!!

Anybody else have this prior to surgery?? I have been on the Atkins diet for about a month. I lost 10 pounds on it and totally deprived myself of carbs. Now that i have my surgery date this coming Monday (3.29) i have gone off the diet and can't stop thinking about food! Its incredible. I keep using the excuse that I might not ever get to eat and enjoy this stuff so i want it now! I got on the scale this morning after a weekend of eating and drinking and I was up 2 pounds! Can't keep this up! Speaking of the scale... I also realized that i was excited to get on the scale when I am dieting and i think i am going to see a lower number. But, this morning, i had to make myself get on it and see the damage i did. I never did that in the past, hence contributing to my weight gain. Getting on that scale, facing the consequences is making me think more before i shove bad food into my mouth. I am reminded of how hard i worked for the past month to get the pre-op weight off and here i am spoiling it in one week! Yes folks, i am able to gain massive amounts of weight in an extremely short amount of time. I need to shape up and get my head back in the game. Start making better choices and keeping it up. I have also come to realize that after surgery, i will be obsessed with that scale. I will have to try and limit myself to step on it just once a day when I wake up. I could drive myself crazy! Oooohhh, I can't wait for the big day!!

Bjean, you are not alone since my surgery 9/28/06 I have gaiend three pounds and it is very discouraging. Yes, the desire to eat will return and with a venegance. i have been also struggling with getting in the proper amounts of liquids, and I have only had two BM since the surgery. So I am also annoyed. I go back for a post op visit Thursday, and i am dreading getting on the scale. I never feel any restriction while i am eating and I find that I can pretty much eat what ever I like. I have noticed that if I eat too quick I get a very uncomfortable feeling. So I am trying to hang in there. I have been told not to worry about the weight gain but I can't help it. So you are not alone in the struggle.

Hi Ladies. I'm all moved in. It was hard and exhausting, but I'm liking the new house. Okay, all moved in makes it sound like all the boxes are put away and that's certainly not the case, but we're doing pretty well. My heartburn has been better with the Nexium I'm taking. I am still going to see my doctor on December 2 and I think I'll go ahead and get my fluid out at that point. I hurt most times when I'm eating and I'm frankly tired of it. I am still getting food in, but it takes me forever and is sometimes painful. I just hope I can still keep my pregnancy weight gain to a reasonable amount. I haven't weighed myself in more than a week. I'm afraid to. I know I'm going to be over 200 again and that's just rough. I haven't been exercising much, but I did go the other day to the gym and run on the treadmill. I was glad I could still do it!

Hello Ladies! Well, I'm getting excited for my garage sale. We have things ready (mostly, lol) and planning on selling cinnamon rolls and lemonade (like Melissa suggested, I think it's a cute idea). I hope to sell the rolls, because I don't want them in the house, lol! My sweet tooth demon will surely attack them. If there's any left, I'll just have hubby take them to work. And Tap, I made my signs HUGE, lol . . . I agree with you, some people make such small signs, they are impossible to read. Anyway, hoping to make some money this weekend - the weather is supposed to be really nice, so that will help. I hope it all goes well. :tt2: Thanks all for the kind words about my kitty. I still have two cats around the house, so it helps. I think they may be sensing a difference too. Just gonna keep the positive thoughts flowing, and remember the good times we shared. Well I saw my surgeon yesterday, and he is just the nicest guy. He didn't give me any lecture regarding my weight gain at all, he was just concerned that he couldn't give my lap-band even a small fill without giving me heart burn or reflux. So I have to go and get an Upper GI and then he can evaluate the band further. I hope it's not slipped or something. Ezma, if you conquer that cookie demon, will you let me know how please? The seems to be my big problem, I'm just craving sweets lately. I went to the whole foods store after my doctor visit, and stocked up on some fresh fruits in season - plums, nectarines, and some great looking kiwi fruits. I also bought a bought some new things to spruce up salads - sprouts, sun-dried tomatoes (not sure the calorie count on those) and some butter lettuce. Butter lettuce makes good sandwich wraps too! So I'm still trying . . . I gotta beat that sweet tooth demon in the butt. :thumbup: Melissa, I hope you have a great time with your family in Utah! You'll have to share it all with us when you get back. Isn't it great not to have to worry about fitting into seats and other things! :wub: Struggling with you on the exercise Tap - with all the work we've been doing on the sale (plus other family gatherings that have been going on), I just haven't had the energy to do as much as I should. I've been out on my bike, and still working around the yard, but it's not enough to keep up with what I've been eating! I did drop two pounds rather quickly. Maybe it was Water weight? I can hope, lol! Thanks so much for this post Irene - it really gave me lots of inspiration! You are right, we do need to keep doing 90% on our own (although right now I wish my band was giving me a LITTLE help) . . . I loved where you said "there is no limit on how many times we can try again." AMEN to that! :thumbup: Just keep swimming all, and have a great weekend! I'll probably be back on Monday :tt1: ((((Warm Hugs))))

OH, Tiny...my issue was that I gained that much in like 3 weeks!! I've been at 3.5 and 4 CC since my hospital visit in early Sept. I just started working out again about 3 weeks ago. Yep--totally coincided with my weight gain. I'm not a believer in that whole "muscle weighs more than fat" thing. I know I was hungrier when I started working out. I ate more. I ate healthy, but tended to eat more fibrous foods and not enough protein. Funny enough---I saw him today. I was in by 4:19 for my 4:30 appointment. I never even had a chance to fill out the paper that we do before each appointment. I was out before 4:30. He didn't even mention my weight gain! He simply told me it was "a good time for a fill". Oh, and to think I agonized about it!!! So he put me up to 5.0 cc's. Hoping the restriction will help with the hunger!!! Staying away from Halloween treats and candy hasn't been easy.....

Hi Jay... my surgery scheduled for May 6 with Dr. R. will probably be pushed back, since I had an asthma flare, was put on steroids Thursday, and I got sicker Friday night and was sent by Urgent Care by ambulance to hospital to be admitted... fortunately the situation turned around and they let me go home early in the morning, then called me back in for a CT scan with contrast... which turned out NORMAL... but they want me to see a pulmonologist. So with my pre-op eval. scheduled for Tuesday at the Weiner Center, and visit with Dr. R. afterwards - I am quite sure everything is going to be pushed until a Pulmonologist will sign off on the Surgery, not to mention the weight gain from steroid caused fluid retention... and probably cannot stay strict pre-op when so sick... I am not going to let this get me down though... I just ordered a feather bed for the post-op need for fluffy-luv, and a bunch of low-glycemic vegetarian and vegan cookbooks from Amazon for my post-op reading, to prepare for post-mushy phases and a new lifestyle. :laugh: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Opting for diet soda instead of regular, won't help fight the bulge. Data from a recent study by the American Diabetes Association shows that while diet sodas may be free of calories, they do not prevent you from gaining weight. In fact, they may contribute to weight gain. Diet soda also contributes to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions. Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-06-29/news/30010277_1_diet-soda-weight-gain-aspartame#ixzz1koMApTiM