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JC, You know, I had a boyfriend in my 20's named JC. I wonder what happened to him hmmmmmmm. I am sorry to hear of your weight gain. That has to be hard. I can't remember why you got unfilled. I need to read back. I wish I had some good answers for you. I am just now starting to lose again, after a very long plateau, from not having the right fill. I wish all of us could get together. They are talking about a lapband talk get together someday. Alysa, My advice to you is to start exercising. I had a very easy recovery, or actually none at all. I think it's because I was in good shape from exercising prior to surgery. I went into day surgery at 7 am and was home posing on lap band talk byt 11 am. The next day I was out walking 3 dogs. I had surgery on Fri and Mon was a holiday, but I could have gone back to work easily on Mon. I think being in good shape makes a faster recovery. As for what to do with ourselves, I am with you. I spend so many weekends alone, renting movies, wondering what other people are doing. If you have any answers, I would love to hear them.

(((((((((HUGS)))))))) I am so sorry to hear of your loss, Ezma. I know your husband had been very ill; I am sure the last few months have been very stressful. Any weight gain is understandable and no one is going to comment negatively about it. The VVs are here to help, motivate, support each other. One day, one meal, one walk at a time. Keep checking in with us and we will all help each other. I missed your inspiring posts. I am glad you are back with us. Take care, my friend.

Here are somethings that no one knows about me: 1) I was sexually abused by my father until I was ten years old and he was put in jail. He also abused three other girls (one being special needs) 2) I have never been into drinking or drugs. 3) My idea of a good Friday night has always been putting on comfy PJs and cuddling up with a great book (what a dork). 4) I dropped out of college in my Junior year and went back to get m Associate's Degree after the birth of my son. 5) I only went out with my DH on our first date because I had nothing better to do!!!!:nervous 6) I am the only one that colors in my son's Coloring Books! 7) In my mind, I'm an average sized person. 8) I'm a obsessive coupon clipper. I hang my receipts on my fridge to show everyone how much money I've saved! 9) I struggled for many years with depression but have gotten it under wraps with meds (which adds to my weight gain)! This thread was a great idea!

I absolutely understand your feelings junkie. I was sitting pretty level all year, which was tough, my Dr said a fill could reasult in a weight gain, howeve the nutritionist convinced him to do a fill in October, I started losing again and was hopeful again. However I lost my job and the holidays hit and now I am up again. So trying to start fresh again. Im here for you all!!

Wow, thanks so much. That's very flattering. I wish I was a nurse but the reality is I work in my hubs law firm by day and psychic by night. lol As per having another surgery. The good thing about my TT is that even when I piled weight back on I never really gained anything in that area. There I was at 284 with no tummy, weird huh. I think I may get away with not having another one because I even had a baby with the TT and it didnt affect it at all. I will need some work done on my bum, and thighs and my boobs need doing again. I had them lifted and enlarged at the same time as my TT but a boob job doesnt fare well after several years and tons of weight gains and losses.

I've read on a lot of other threads that we can expect weight gain immediately after surgery mainly because of the IV fluids. It should all flush away in a few days. Carol, let me add my well wishes to all the other Merry Losers. I'm so sorry that things didn't go as planned and I really hope that you stay on-line with us all:) Good luck to all those with surgery dates tomorrow! Newblew

I've read that weight relapse can happen between years 2 and 3. I am coming up on my second anniversary. We'd all love to be 5 # less than we are, and that is true for me as well. One year ago I was careful. to lose weight before my one year weigh- in and so I got down to 148. Since then, I bounce between 152 and 154. The only way I know that is because I weight myself every day. Now, OA used to discourage weighing in more than once a month (or, was it once a week?) But, I got fat from going unconscious about my weight. Truthfully, I do feel a bit of fear / terror that I will step on the scale and be 155. Wow, that does look crazy once I put it into writing! But, that is my drop dead highest weight, Spirit willing. When I eat several days of carbs, I can guarantee a 1-2 # weight gain. I used to track calories (like around 1200 a day kept me stable). But, I'm going to add tracking my volume of the food I eat as well. The absolute hardest thing for me is not drinking at meals. I certainly don't gulp, or drink a cup of water, but I usually take meds with meals so add another 1/3 of liquid to my meal. I don't get to support group much due to schedule conflicts, but am active on my Discussion Group. I am writing just to check in and keep myself accountable. BTW: I am 64 and take meds for hypothyroid and depression. I walk to the grocery store 2 - 3x a week as my exercise, and walk with friends when I can. Start weight 243, SW 214, CW; 154.3 Love to you all, TJ

So, to try and answer the questions, 6 months pretyy much only ground beef for meat, chickens , steak , pork would not go down and would cause me problems. 1 year out pretty much could have anything if I had sosda with it. What I believe is one of my greatest downfalls was stopping the exercise and drinking soda. I believe they started my down hill sprial. As far as head hunger not sure on that although I have been in emergency services for 25 years and have seen some pretty awful things so I am not sure if it is related to emotional issues. I am a very busy and usually a very happy person so I don't really want to hang it on that as well. Really I think it comes down to comminment and exercise as all weight loss does. It was a great tool to get my weight down to where I felt comfortable emotionally and physically to exercise and be active. When that changed and I relied on the vsg is when I started to fail though weight gain was slow at first so I just kind of lived with it.

Oddly I gained three pounds in the third week post-op. A week later it disappeared. I would not attribute this gain to hormonal changes as I am post menopausal. I have several autoimmune diseases and I am inclined to believe that this sudden weight gain is related to inflammation.

Join us in the veterans forum. There are a lot of us who are fighting weight gain after being sleeved awhile. You can do it. You need motivation from the rest of us. There is also a maintenance thread in there. It helps to be accountable. I am working on 10 right now.

So good to see you! Pleas don't wait a year to come and visit....Hang out with us vets at least. Glad you are happy. My goal was not that tiny, I wear a 12 and goal weight is 170-173 bounce range. I am at 174 this morning, fighting getting down into the range... lots on my plate now, and eating more of what I want than usual. I feel good too, and after gaining 22 a couple of years ago, REALLY do not want to do that again. I never wanted to count calories or pay attention to my "diet" again at one point, but know for sure I HAVE TO to stay on track. I stop paying attention, and I gain. Thats it. I decided to drop the "boring, aggravated, bad feelings" about tracking, and just do it. That goes for other lifestyle changes as well, I walk, Kayak, dance regularly, and enjoy it... don't think of it as exercise, but as a way to enjoy life. I cultivated this feeling, it did not come naturally. I am a success, mistakes and all. I hope to keep my success into the future, but know that weight gain is not that far from me at any time. The link worked fine for me on my laptop.... perhaps you are on a phone or iPad?

Say it with me now, folks: plateaus are a normal part of the process. Getting stuck is a normal part of the process. I know... we don't want to hear that. I didn't want to hear that. I still hover anxiously near the scale sometimes, worried about every bleep and bloop on the number. But the fact is that the typical weight loss of a sleever goes something like this: A HUGE, exhilarating loss at first... it's almost effortless. You fart and the pounds come off. You eat good and the pounds come off. You eat BAD (which, you know, for a sleever in the early days means something like "well, last month I ate a cookie...") and the pounds come off. The problem with this early phase is that it completely destroys our sense of what a "normal" weight loss and maintenance profile feels like. This early phase where the weight just drops off is not normal. It's great, but it's not normal. Once you start getting down to what your body thinks its weight "should be" (it's actually a great deal more complicated than this; your body doesn't really have any idea what you "should" weigh, it's just that feedback mechanisms start to come into play and exert more force than the downward push from the sleeve) the loss will become slower and slower. And it isn't just a "steady" slowness; it's not like your body will go from 5 pounds a week to 3 pounds a week to a pound a week in a smooth progression. In fact, at times you'll plateau for days or weeks or even months (near the bottom end of the curve) at a time. At times your weight will even go up slightly (slightly: a prolonged and significant gain is usually a sign that something is wrong, whereas a 5-10 pound gain is typically a Water weight gain or a normal plateau fluctuation). You can break through the plateau -- assuming that you're not already at the low end of body fat -- but it doesn't always happen when you expect it to happen -- sometimes you get stuck and then you cut your calories and up your exercise and nothing changes (or you even gain a little) for days at a time, and then when you give up, suddenly your body starts shedding weight again. And finally when you start getting down near or below the low end of normal body fat (for most of us, it seems like this is around 20% body fat; fat location along with factors such as age and genetics seems to determine your "realistic minimum body fat"), shedding every ounce is a lot of frigging hard work, every day, forever. Most of us have a hard time keeping up that level of dedication (else we wouldn't have been obese to begin with), so most people seem to stick around 25%-ish bodyfat, which is still technically overweight (and of course, those of us who are very self-critical will harass ourselves mercilessly over that fact) but is, in fact, much healthier than the 40%, 50%, or even 60% body fat that some of us started with. Indeed, it's healthier, on average, than most modern Americans! The real problem is that early phase, where weight loss was effortless and we could do no wrong. It's sad to say, but important to remember, that that is not the norm. The sleeve continues to be a tool, and as long as you don't abuse it too bad, you can be pretty confident that you won't spiral back into that morbidly obese category. But it's not zero work, it's not effortless. You have to start really working it after a point, and the lower your body fat gets (remember: measure body fat, NOT weight -- weight can fluctuate by as much as 4 or 5 pounds *in a single day* due to water weight changes) the more you're going to hit plateaus, of longer and longer duration, and maybe even see some backtracking. The great thing about the sleeve is that even if you gain a few pounds, unlike before you can be pretty confident that you can get rid of them pretty quickly with a little self-discipline. Sorry for the long post, but it seems like a lot of people have sort of unrealistic expectations about life with the sleeve, and then whenever they see a blip on the scale they freak out and assume all is lost. It's not lost when you plateau or rebound a few pounds. It's completely normal.

Most doctors will talk to their patients about exercising - during pre op consultation- as a way to manage weight once they reach goal because almost everyone will be eating more then, say, the first 6 months or even the first year. And eating more will lead to weight gain without a consistent exercise plan.

wow amazing that there isn't much weight gain

I'm only two and a half weeks out, so I haven't gained any, but I don't think you're gonna find anyone who has gained more than 5lbs on here. I have a feeling that most people who have gained their weight back post-op gained it because they didn't have a support system or anything to stay on track, hence the weight gain.

Hi Everyone :-) Today is my 4 year anniversary. I was the one that originally asked the question about weight gain after surgery. Well I'm here to tell you that you can definitely GAIN WEIGHT BACK and not just a few pounds. Although I'm very content and blessed to be wearing a size 8 today I was actually wearing some size 4's years ago. And was a perfect size 6 for over 3 years. My goal weight was to reach 150 lbs. (a normal BMI weight for me). I got as low as 144 lbs. Today 4 years out I weigh 165 lbs. I have reached as high as 170 lbs. during my period. The sleeve is a PHENOMENAL tool and 4 years out I STILL have amazing restriction. The weight gain is from not eating properly, PERIOD. For the MOST part I'm still making pretty good choices, but obviously there are choices that haven't been all that great to gain all this weight back. I know age has something to do with it as well. I am 46 going on 47 and lots of changes going on lol. BUT NO EXCUSES for sure. Again I'm content and watching my weight pretty closely now to make sure I don't gain any more weight and would love to be back to 150-155 lbs. I know it's possible for sure. I'm so thankful for my sleevie.

Oh, one last thing: it's very, very normal to plateau, and it's very, very normal to regain 5 or even 10 pounds (depends upon your frame; us bigger guys can gain 10 pounds as easily as you smaller gals can gain 5). When the weight gain starts getting into the 15 or 20 plus pound range, that's when something is going wrong in your weight loss, and I'd talk to your dietitian/nutritionist/doctor/personal trainer about it.

HI Y'all, I wanted to do some research with REAL people instead of reading about it in some report. I'm wondering how much weight (IF ANY) you have gained since being sleeved. I go up between 1-3 lbs. so my answer would be 1-5 lbs. I'm curious to see how this goes. Thanks!

I'm so happy to see that 1-5 lbs. (so far) is what seems to be weight gained for a sleeve patient. I am 14 months out and I'm still in that category as well. After Thanksgiving I lost any weight ever gained and actually dropped an additional .4 and dropped to 144.3, so far, so good...yayyyy! Thank you sleevie!

Hello my peeps! It feels like FOOOOOREVER since I've posted here. I haven't weighed in a looooooong time :-(...the last time I weighed myself I was 147 which would be a 3 lb. gain from my lowest of 144. I fear I may be at least 155 now, but not sure. I'm still wearing 6-8 however some of the 6's feel snug and I FEEL BLOATED :-(...I have not been eating the way I should and not drinking enough Water (water has always been a problem for me). I really need to up my exercise back to 5x a week. I have been going to 1 hour Zumba classes Tues, Wed, but I just bought Zumba Fitness Rush for Xbox Kinect and I really LOVE IT! I can do it at home YAY! SOOOOO with that said I have decided to join weight watchers TOMORROW...I have always loved their program and want to learn about the new 360. I heard fruit is 0 points now LOL! And I really really really need to be accountable to a weekly weigh in. I know I'm gonna get what the heck is this girl doing here looks... but I gotta do, what I gotta do I will probably have to change my weight gain vote from 1-5 lbs to more :-( ....but praying I can get back to that level, I CAN DO IT...Stay tuned...

The more I dieted the more I put on. The constant struggle of deprivation and disappointment as my scales kept rising. Numerous visits to Dr's who would shrug their shoulders suggesting I "eat healthy, do more exercise". I've been on and off a diet since I was 9 and climb mountains but the scales had a mind of their own. Chronic back pain started, skin issues, unable to sleep comfortably, buying clothes every 2 weeks, pressure from people I do business with asking me all the time about the weight gain, not wearing high heels, feeling tired. Final straw watching myself walk in my underwear on a video for an Ostepath and not recognising that person on the screen carrying all that extra weight.

Wow - I've been reading a lot of these stories and some reasons are familiar, but even the ones that aren't really resonate with me. For most of life - from my teens to my early 30s, my weight went back and forth over the years and I usually ranged from a size 10 to 14/16. Not obese, but always overweight. But I was an active overweight person, and I felt much healthier than many of my skinny friends who did not exercise and ate junk all the time. I did hit a healthy BMI when I was 24 from all the dancing I was doing, but knee problems forced me to quit and the weight slowly crept up. I did manage to stay under 200 pounds until about 8 years ago the weight started to pile on and nothing I did would last long. WW, Southbeach diet, etc worked for a while, then I would stall and the weight would come back + more. I was depressed and the weight gain just made the depression worse. I remember my personal trainer talking to me about what I needed to do if I was serious about losing weight and I walked out on her - I was angry that she thought I wasn't doing my best, but at the same time I didn't want her to see me break down in tears. I never went back. Like many people here, I had a lot of "well, I'll never let myself get to _____ weight," but it has happened time and again. The first WGD (weight gain defeat) was hitting 200 lbs. Around the same time, realising that I had stop fighting myself in the regular stores - the size 18s were barely fitting, and department stores like Sears had nothing I wanted to wear - and walking into a dedicated plus-size store for the first time. Walking from the parking lot into the store was really embarrassing, but once I was inside I was surrounded by clothes that fit and very positive people around me. Then I hit 220. Then 250. Now I'm fluctuating but hitting a high of 275. Over the past 10 years I have gained, with consistency, 10-15 pounds a year and nothing I do seems to stop it. My overall activity and eating patterns haven't changed (except when I try a new diet or exercise). I don't drink alcohol or any carbonated beverages anymore, no junk food other than chocolate (!), and I still get over 10,000 steps a day. I had a couple of minor health problems last year that really reduced my ability to move and exercise, which is why I've gained so much in the last year (at least 20lbs). At the time I realised that I have no one to help me. I'm single and live alone. Most of my family and close friends are 1000's of miles away. I thought about "what if I die here" (in case of a worse case scenario - some recent events that happened to other people made me more aware) - because being an expat means you can't rely on what you know from home - and realised that it would be much cheaper for my family to cremate me, rather than to have my body flown home (airlines charge by the kilo). But even then, there was no "straw" that broke the camel's back. I woke up one morning, decided to (randomly) research weight loss surgery in Japan, came across a post from this site, and I haven't looked back since. Maybe my brain, my subconscious, whatever, was quietly making a list of problems that I just couldn't ignore, so that when I woke up that morning about 6 weeks ago, it knew that I needed to start making some real changes in my life and that this would be the best way to do it. Now that I've decided to do it, this surgery, this new life plan, has become my new obsession. It's the most positive thing that has happened to me in a while, and I really hope it works out! None of these is the straw, but they've all contributed: Living in a country where absolutely no clothes fit me (I don't even know where obese Japanese women get their clothes - I have a feeling quite a few make them) As a result of the above, spending a ton of money on online shopping and shipping, knowing that it's not worth returning if it doesn't fit, and having to make do with what comes Also because of the above, spending a lot of time looking for stores with plus-size sections when I do travel abroad because I need clothes - bottoms fall apart in the heat and humidity here, and tops seem to shrink with time Worrying about fitting into plane and train seats when I travel Having to bring extra clothes when I travel in case things (especially pants) get ruined by the dreaded chub rub Having to deal with extra heavy or larger suitcases because of my bigger clothes Having 90% of my shoes not fit anymore because of the weight gain and edema (especially in the summer) The looks I get from people all the time. It's not disgust, more like amazement - how can somebody be that big? She must eat 24/7! The fact that people feel they can comment on my weight at any time - from my little nephew asking me why I was so fat, to a Buddhist monk in Burma commenting on my need to exercise more and eat less (!). I'll never see the monk again but I hope the next time I see my nephew he won't even remember asking me that question. My brother laughing at me when we Skyped over Christmas. He hadn't seen me for a few years and he had no problems making me feel humiliated when I was already so depressed. His "just eat one meal a day like I do" didn't help either Friends "forgetting" about me - I get a lot of excuses when I ask people to do things, but they never get back to me about getting together when a time is convenient for them Still single. I've accepted that part of my life but I also want a chance of happiness with someone. That will never happen while I'm in the obese part of the BMI. The only time men seem interested me is when I weigh less than 150 pounds, and it's been a long a time since I was that low. Realising that, over the past 6 years, I have missed 2 family reunions and have avoided visiting friends from a thinner time in my life because I don't want to see the look of shock on their faces when they see the current me. Every time I see that look (like "what the he!! happened!") it's just so depressing Also realising that I keep postponing trips and activities I want to do because I know my weight will either prevent me from doing all that I want, or will really get in the way Looking at photos of myself with my students or other people and realising I am more than double their width Hitting 275. That's a big blow and I definitely do not, cannot, will not hit 300.

I have been trying to lose weight for a couple of years now. I graduated from high school in 2010 after enduring years of teasing because of my weight. I never knew what was wrong with me. About a year and a half ago, I found out that my hormones were out of whack, which caused an excessive amount of weight gain over the years. The more I tried to get healthy, the more weight I gained. I finally broke down and made an appointment with a bariatric surgeon after my PCP mentioned WLS to me. It was the best decision I've ever made! The straw that broke the camel's back was my little cousin. She's four years old. One day, she looked at me and said: "cousin, why are you so big?" I was taken aback. I know that she's young and genuinely curious, but her question was shocking nonetheless. I told her that I was big because my body was weird and broken. You know what she said to me? She said: "cousin, you have to fix your body so you won't be so big anymore, okay?" I just looked at her and smiled. Out of the mouths of babes, right? I decided to heed to the advice of a four year old. That little girl is my world and I don't want to let her down by dying an early death because I didn't get my weight under control. It's time for a change. I'm ready for change. I'm looking forward to my journey.

While you have a very valid point about carbs, I think you are being a little too general in your response. Good carbs are foundational for the physical processes that take place in your body from moment to moment. You need them for energy, especially if you are active. They feed your brain for all psychosomatic processes. That being said, I agree with you that folks should stay away from bad carbs like candy, white bread, processed foods, etc. These will not support your body in the way that optimizes the psychosomatic and physical response. They lead to weight gain and bring out the carb monster - an uncontrollable desire to keep eating more bad carbs. A good place to start is to eat more green vegetables like green Beans, brussle sprouts and spinach in addition to fibrous fruits like apples and pears. The Fiber in the fruit helps the natural sugars to absorb more slowly. lentils and nuts are also a good carb. Try and eat low glycemic foods and you will feel both satisfied and be able to function in an optimal manner. Look up the paleo diet. Do not let my use of the word diet throw you. i am only suggesting that this is the type of foods that trained athletes will eat for optimal performance. It also helps non athletes like you and I find peace with eating and function well. I have also found energy squares from nuts.com also fill the need for eating good carbs. This is only my opinion and I hope it helps. Others might have good advice about good carb and low glycemic eating. I am still learning about proper nutrition myself for maintaining goal weight while also feeding my body for all activities in life.

Hi Guys! I live i the UK, but got banded in Belgium on March 28th. A week and a half later I am feeling great! I was 228 pounds before surgery and am now 218 having lost 10 pounds already! A few days ago I had actually lost 13 pounds but have gained a few pounds since I started the mushy stage of my diet. I was not concerned about the weight gain though as I was hardly eating any calories for the first week after surgery. Anyway, I am healing well. I have taken off all my stick bandages and the wounds are healing nicely. I am still getiing a rather numbing pain in my shoulder from time to time. Why is this? Dave