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For us folks just starting out on an exercise regimen, there is a nasty little surprise: Weight stall or gain. It's all over the internet. I've been on 3 very strenuous hikes and they have caused me to gain a couple pounds immediately after. I know I'm healthier, but it's disconcerting. I have been reading fitness articles like this one and the articles on the right hand side of the article below. They are all about weight gain and exercise: http://www.livestrong.com/article/378472-why-am-i-gaining-weight-with-exercise/ Now they make a very good point. We should be all about fat-loss as opposed to weight-loss. They also say in some of the other articles that the high intensity exercise that I prefer may not be the best for me because of anaerobic verses aerobic training and a host of other factors like Water retention, muscle mass and glycogen storage. It's just not as simple as burning more calories than you take in. I walk everyday and hike on the weekends. Should I increase my daily workouts? Decrease my weekend workouts? Mix it up more or stay on the same schedule? Increase the mileage and intensity of the hikes? Decrease it? I honestly do not know what to do.

I'm ashamed to admit that I cheated. I was supposed to eat 1400 calories or less daily for the two week time period before surgery. I struggled terribly for a few days and went over my calorie limit with healthy foods. I did a lot of extra exercise then and with that considered, I was likely under my calorie limit, but I still felt guilty. I ended up telling the nurse who called me a few days before surgery. She told me not to mention it unless it came up. However, I felt the need to be honest, so I told my surgeon the day of surgery. I could tell by his body language that he was not pleased. Prior to this, during our small group pre-op meeting, his NP had warned us about gaining weight before surgery, saying that our surgeon had cancelled surgeries that week due to weight gain. According to my scales, I had lost 40+ pounds since I last saw my surgeon in January, so I pointed out to him that I had been working really hard to lose weight since I last saw him and explained that I didn't know what had happened to me on those days of the pre-op diet. He listened to everything I said, then asked how much weight I had lost. (The nurse who prepared me for surgery that morning had told me that my weight was not required on the day of surgery, so he truly didn't know.) I answered him while he wrote notes in my file. He is a man of few words, so that was the extent of our conversation. The next thing I knew, he told me we would be headed to surgery as soon as they had me ready. Right then, I felt like a horrible failure; he didn't say or do anything to make me feel that way but rather I chose not to follow his instructions and felt ashamed. Try your hardest not to cheat so that you can be proud of your pre-op diet efforts.

As others have mentioned, yes you can "cheat" on the pre op diet, but you need to consider what message this sends to you...that you are giving yourself permission to not follow the rules for your diet compliance post op. The mindset of giving yourself that permission places you on a "slippery slope" to maintain some of the negative eating patterns which caused your weight gain. I relate it back to a classic affirmation which AA members use to help with maintaining their sobriety: "One drink is one too many, and a hundred is not enough." Flawed thinking gets many of us into trouble! For our purposes, the first time you give yourself permission to "cheat", the next thought likely will be, oh, it's only a small food item...I'll only have one bite"...And then the automatic thoughts take over...and more permission is granted to "cheat". There will not likely be anyone to constantly watch over your shoulder every day to motivate you to comply with the diet, so that motivation needs to come from within. If you want to be successful with this weight loss journey, than your thinking needs to change. Establish some rules to encourage diet compliance, and enforce them with yourself. There are very specific reasons why your surgeon advises you to follow their recommended diet. I think everyone who participates on this forum has experienced hunger, and have shared their "best practices" to manage it. For me, it is to drink the free fluids I am supposed to have every day, and to distract myself with a project. There are many closets and drawers in my house, and everyone of them is in order! The more determined you are to be successful with your weight loss, you will increase the probability that you will be successful! Best wishes as you continue on your journey!

Have you talked to your doctor? It could be hormonal too, so I would clear out any physical reason for your rapid weight gain.

I have had a similar experience after seven years - after I had to totally unfill for another surgery. My belief is that small changes, slacking off every so slightly that its not even noticeable, add up to weight gain over time. I've not "gained" per se - in that I ended up at about 150lb until I got sick - and I'm still 145. But I dropped to 130 - really really thin for me at 5ft 10 and havent been able to hold that weight (why i wanted to is a whole nother story, it looked awful). Its been due to a reliance on slider foods, eating more overall, less restriction from my band. I had a tummy tuck 12 weeks ago - which I didnt unfill for - and the necessary reduction in exercise afer that was the final straw - I bounced up 8lb to 145. I have this lovely flat stomach but my love handles are hanging over the BACK of my jeans now, grrrrrr. The only answer is NOT to slack off. Get off those slider foods, get back in the gym, it takes work your whole life to maintain this new weight. We were discussing this in another thread but what seems to happen is that veteran bandsters get to the point where they cant "feel" tightness or restriction, think they need nore fill and end up with reflux and heartburn. It has certainly happened to me. I know I cant have more fill than I have - so I have to work with it. I was astounded yesterday - barely eat sandwiches coz I dont like bread much and particularly dont like sandwiches - but that was what was on offer yesterday for lunch, so I had a tuna sandwich. Down the hatch in minutes, easy as. I was full yes, I only wanted one, i didnt eat again all afternoon but I could never have done that 2 years ago! My doc said to me that I may have to accept being slightly heavier (My BMI is 20) - dont want to but that may be the way it is.

I only gained 12 - 14 lbs with my last three kids. They wete fine. 2 came out 9 lbs and they took the othrr early bc I had a history of *** babies. I did not have the band then but I was careful on my weight gain. Congrats on your pregnancy!

Well,had my first fill since my surgery on May 2. Happy to say I'm down 18 pounds. The past 10 days I noticed that I was feeling more hungry and able to eat more, so I'm happy that I didn't have a weight gain. As for the fill, it wasn't as bad as I thought. The PA found my port quickly and before I knew it the needle was in. What I was more worried about was standing up, with the needle in, so I could drink some water. I wasn't too sure what I would feel at first, but then it felt like a lump at the back of my throat. I told her when that feeling went away(which was fast) and she added more saline. We did it again, but it was too tight so she took some out. I have 5.4 cc's in a 10 cc band. Now just have to do the full liquids for 24hours then,mushies for 24 hours, then back to regular food. Next fill, July 26!

Im going through that right now, just transitioned to soft foods today. I know it is easy to say dont concentrate on losing weight, but it is really true. I lost 10 pounds within the liquid phase, but I also was only able to consume about 500 calories a day. You cant really get excited about that because now that Im on mushies i know I have put that back on. I am eating things I never would as part of a regular diet of solid food. The soup is full of sodium and things like potatoes and eggs i normally avoid. I am also overconsuming calories because this mushy crap does not fill me up and my band is pretty open so I don't have good restriction yet. It will get better on solid food. Before surgery I lost 40 pounds eating anywhere from 1000-1200 calories, but i was eating healthy hearty food. Since we cant do that right now, Im not focusing on losing for the entire 6 weeks of the healing phase. It has been hard, but 2 weeks left. I am also not exercising really yet and that makes a difference for me. So be patient and just try to eat good. Like my nurse said to me, you have the rest of the time to lose weight, there really is no rush. As long as you are following your doctors orders, it will come off eventually. Weight gain is not uncommon and we do know it can come off again.

When my long time {former}boss/Dr saw me in the office and didn't recognize me!!! {Among airplane seats, walking up the stairs, knees hurting, etc etc} He didn't say anything, it was written all over his face.Standing there in front of him wearing what I thought was a great poncho that hid a multiple of sins, all he could see was a big fat face! I even commented to him saying, "what, did I gain that much weight that you didn't recognize me"? He didn't say a word but just hugged me. Months later I bumped into his wife at the grocery store buying my pre-op liquid diet and told her we were having WLS surgery. She confided in me then what her husband had said about me when he got home. I've yet to see either one of them lately but even though I need to lose a good 35lbs more, I think they will definitely recognize the old me. And that was just one person. Now, after the surgery, I'm hearing from other friends & loved one's who held their tongues re: my recent weight gain and are my greatest supporters now!

Don't put butter and sour cream on your mashed spuds. Don't pour sugar all over your oatmeal. My nutritionist recommended I eat soft deli meats like turkey and i did which helped fill me. Tomato Soup just pours right through the band so I needed something semi solid. I make some mean refried Beans so that sticks around for a while, just don't be adding a bunch of lard to it. Lots of mushies also have a high sodium content which can make you hold back Water which appears as weight gain. Try to keep that sodium content low. Good luck. tmf

I saw the movie. All I took from it was that we shouldn't blame the big corps for gaining weight. no one is forced to say yes to super size. He also tried to discredit the bio Super Size Me. What I took from it: take responsibility for my own weight gain.

I had my surgery in November 2009. I spent 5 weeks in the hospital due to complications with a previous gastric banding (Molina Band). During that time I could not eat anything, was on TPN almost the entire time. Everything came out fine, I managed to lose 100 pounds, down from 238 to 138. Now, after 2-1/2 years I am gaining, gaining, gaining. I don't know how to stop it. I have considered OA, just to try to understand how I could have gone through all that I did with the surgery and then gain the weight back. Sometimes I panic and sometimes I just think I should let it go. I am going to be 50 years old in September . Can't stop myself and I really need some help from someone who has gone through this. HELP!

My husband got used to the weight gaining thru out the marriage but I don't think he loves it. He loves me but I don't think he would had thought my weight would get so high. I got surgery for my self. No one especially my hubby told me to lose weight. I did it for me & I'm saving to lift my arm-boobs-tummy tuck. I want to feel good about my self & being fat never made me feel good but I'm loving my self now. Hubby seems to love it also. I think the way I was behaving was pushing him away from me. I wanted no sex tmi sorry if he came in the shower I was like go away. I was wearing big clothes hiding my self. Would eat fast food in my car. Didn't want anyone to see me. I felt nasty. Now that I feel good I don't mind being nude having sex. My husband kisses me now it's been months of leave me alone with twice a month sex maybe. I think any men wants there wife more then ever looking good & feeling good about her self.

This is reposted from another WL forum - thought it could be useful to add to a blog post to remember~ Ten Mistakes that Weight Loss Postops Make 1st Mistake: Not Taking Vitamins, Supplements, or Minerals Every WLS patient has specific nutritional needs depending on the type of surgery you have had. Not only is it a good idea to ask your surgeon for guidelines, but also consult with an experienced WLS nutritionist. Understand there is not a standard practice that all surgeons and nutritionists follow in guiding WLS patients. So, it is important to do your own research, get your lab tests done regularly, and learn how to read the results. Some conditions and symptoms that can occur when you are deficient in vitamins, supplements, or minerals include: Osteoporosis; pernicious anemia; muscle spasms; high blood pressure; burning tongue; fatigue; loss of appetite; weakness; constipation and diarrhea; numbness and tingling in the hands and feet; being tired, lethargic, or dizzy; forgetfulness, and lowered immune functioning. Keep in mind, too, that some conditions caused by not taking your vitamins, supplements, or minerals are irreversible. For example, a vitamin B-1 deficiency can result in permanent neurological deficits, including the loss of the ability to walk. 2nd Mistake: Assuming You Have Been Cured of Your Obesity A "pink cloud" or honeymoon experience is common following WLS. When you are feeling better than you have in years, and the weight is coming off easily, it's hard to imagine you will ever struggle again. But unfortunately, it is very common for WLS patients to not lose to their goal weight or to regain some of their weight back. A small weight regain may be normal, but huge gains usually can be avoided with support, education, effort, and careful attention to living a healthy WLS lifestyle. For most WLSers, if you don't change what you've always done, you're going to keep getting what you've always gotten -- even after weight loss surgery. 3rd Mistake: Drinking with Meals Yes, it's hard for some people to avoid drinking with meals, but the tool of not drinking with meals is a critical key to long-term success. If you drink while you eat, your food washes out of your stomach much more quickly, you can eat more, you get hungry sooner, and you are at more risk for snacking. Being too hungry is much more likely to lead to poor food choices and/or overeating. 4th Mistake: Not Eating Right Of course everyone should eat right, but in this society eating right is a challenge. You have to make it as easy on yourself as possible. Eat all your meals--don't skip. Don't keep unhealthy food in sight where it will call to you all the time. Try to feed yourself at regular intervals so that you aren't as tempted to make a poor choice. And consider having a couple of absolutes: for example, avoid fried foods completely, avoid sugary foods, always use low-fat options, or only eat in a restaurant once a week. Choose your "absolutes" based on your trigger foods and your self knowledge about what foods and/or situations are problematic for you. 5th Mistake: Not Drinking Enough Water Most WLS patients are at risk for dehydration. Drinking a minimum of 64 oz. of water per day will help you avoid this risk. Adequate water intake will also help you flush out your system as you lose weight and avoid kidney stones. Drinking enough water helps with your weight loss, too. 6th Mistake: Grazing Many people who have had WLS regret that they ever started grazing, which is nibbling small amounts here and there over the course of the day. It's one thing to eat the three to five small meals you and your doctor agree you need. It's something else altogether when you start to graze, eating any number of unplanned snacks. Grazing can easily make your weight creep up. Eating enough at meal time, and eating planned snacks when necessary, will help you resist grazing. Make a plan for what you will do when you crave food, but are not truly hungry. For example, take up a hobby to keep your hands busy or call on someone in your support group for encouragement. 7th Mistake: Not Exercising Regularly Exercise is one of the best weapons a WLS patient has to fight weight regain. Not only does exercise boost your spirits, it is a great way to keep your metabolism running strong. When you exercise, you build muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn, even at rest! 8th Mistake: Eating the Wrong Carbs (or Eating Too Much) Let's face it, refined carbohydrates are addictive. If you eat refined carbohydrates they will make you crave more refined carbohydrates. There are plenty of complex carbohydrates to choose from, which have beneficial vitamins. For example, if you can handle pastas, try whole grain Kamut pasta--in moderation, of course. (Kamut pasta doesn't have the flavor some people find unpleasant in the whole wheat pastas.) Try using your complex carbohydrates as "condiments," rather than as the center point of your meal. Try sprinkling a tablespoon of brown rice on your stir-fried meat and veggies. 9th Mistake: Going Back to Drinking Soda Drinking soda is controversial in WLS circles. Some people claim soda stretches your stomach or pouch. What we know it does is keep you from getting the hydration your body requires after WLS--because when you're drinking soda, you're not drinking water! In addition, diet soda has been connected to weight gain in the general population. The best thing you can do is find other, healthier drinks to fall in love with. They are out there. 10th Mistake: Drinking Alcohol If you drank alcohol before surgery, you are likely to want to resume drinking alcohol following surgery. Most surgeons recommend waiting one year after surgery. And it is in your best interest to understand the consequences of drinking alcohol before you do it. Alcohol is connected with weight regain, because alcohol has 7 calories per gram, while protein and vegetables have 4 calories per gram. Also, some people develop an addiction to alcohol after WLS, so be very cautious. Depending on your type of WLS, you may get drunker, quicker after surgery, which can cause health problems and put you in dangerous situations. If you think you have a drinking problem, get help right away. Putting off stopping drinking doesn't make it any easier, and could make you a lot sicker.

I've lost 40 pounds too many times to count, I've lost over 100 pounds twice in my 36 years, and gained every pound back plus some every time. I obviously can't lose 100 pounds a few more times as I get older. Also, the 100+ weight gain this time bought me a diagnosis of both hypertension and diabetes. The time to "do it myself" has come and gone. I need this surgery just like the person that can't lose 2 pounds.

Hello everyone. I am excited about this new journey in my life. I just got banded on May 30 and I am down 12 pounds. I have been struggling with PCOS for over 15 years. It is the most horrible and depressing thing to have. I have had most all of the problems you can have with PCOS. Huge infertility issues, tons of weight gain, no periods, lots of hair, roseacea, insulin resistence, and more. PTL I did manage to have at least one child through ferility treatments, but was unable to have any more after numerous attempts. Last year, I ended up having to have a hysterectomy due to numerous tumors on my ovaries. They were benign thank the Lord, but the doctors did not want to take any chances. I have been overweight for many years and have not been happy with myself for a long time. This weight is causing other medical issues as well. I had been thinking about doing the lap band for the last two years and finally did it. I know I have a lot to turn with this lap band and for this new life. I hope to hear some wonderful and encouraging stories from fellow PCOS patients that have had lap band. Hopefully we can all encourage one another.

Different doctors and dietitians have their individual approaches to instructing their patients...and for my surgeon, avoidance of all foods which have any added sugars is necessary for success with your weight loss. Also, I was advised to never count calories, only to measure portions carefully, and make healthy food choices with unprocessed foods. This surgery requires developing healthier eating habits, and breaking the ones which contributed to our weight gain to be successful on the weight loss journey. Continuing to give in to your craving for sweets does not break the cycle of carb cravings, only sustains it. While our brains need carbs to function, there are naturally occurring carbs in many healthy and unprocessed foods. Your choices and mileage may vary... Best wishes to you as you continue your weight loss journey!

Do you know that God loves you? Do you know you have a purpose on this earth? Do you know that we all fall down at something? Your strength lies in your ability to get up. A 20lb weight gain is not enough for your friends to be ragging on you about. Maybe, you use the term friends to loosely. You've had your share of struggles. Exhale and love you. You deserve a good, healthy life and it is worth the sacrifices you've decided to make.

Hi, I had my gastric sleeve done in August of 2010 and i weighed my heaviest at 324 on June 28 of 2010. I had a complication in my surgery that left an open wound for a month...I also started having severe stomach spasms in November of 2010 that kept escalating to where by May of 2011 I had every X-ray and test known to man and surgeon did exploratory surgery..said he found nothing but after surgery I never saw him or his NP to tell me what might have been causing it except scar tissue. Okay but despite that I managed by May of 2011 to get to my lowest wt of 216..slowly through summer after drama of surgeon vs me & not hearing from him at all after exploratory surgery to see how i was...I decided not to go back to my surgeon bc something wasn't right ...I was very happy and feeling good about myself but i gained a few pounds got up to 222...In September 2011 I was fired from my job which was a major upset b/c i was so shocked..and I was completely heartbroken. Started seeing a therapist in August before b/c of work but after fired could not afford and didn't feel like he was listening to other things I was trying to speak about..Fell into worst depression for 3 months bc could not find a job...I did have one thing keeping me up my NO Saints bc i had season tickets bought before i lost job. But gradually we get up to 229....Did not get a job until February of 2012..And got thrown into a shark tank where i didn't get lunch break and was eating junk and not sleeping right (that had been happening since September..staying up all night sleeping all day to get through pain)...wt gradually creeping up to 240...lost 10 lbs to 230 now back up to 240... I am devastated not only have i had failure in my job area but i failed at having my surgery..I paid lg sum of money and a year ago i was very happy...needless to say this is my fault i have not exercised and the stress and depression has taken over. I am so embarrassed to see some friends b/c they are very critical (only b/c they want me to be successful with wt loss) and I just feel like a big loser. I am trying to get back on track. Then a week ago I had to put my cat of 15 yrs to sleep...I had first severe attack that lasted 2 hrs since February of 2011 (had gallbladder out before sleeve so not that)in which i became so weak and nauseated from pain I almost called ambulance ...then another one last night. Its almost as if my stomach knew that i had insurance so i can continue investigation on why this is occurring b/c I have met so many wt loss its that NEVER had this and they drink carbonated beverages on daily basis ( I may have 16 oz a week if i have any) and its not food instigated..Its like someone is trying to rip something out of me. Has anyone else had wt gain? Did you feel embarrassed and like you failed once again...am I alone in this ..I am trying I have gone back to eating my Protein bars and making my drinks..Trying to be more consciousness (sp?) of all i eat..About to start walking in the morning bc i have to exercise for stress and to get metabolism going. Going to my medical dr Monday and embarrassed b/c i have gained 20 lbs. But I will not go over 240 I will NOT go back..I have to get myself together refocus on ME...i lost that at some point. I have had so much negativity that now instead of feeling good for looking a lot better that i did at 324..i only see that severely obese person. I plan on also going to counseling..which i should have done a year ago when i was having issues with my surgeon and stomach pain..b/c it was a horrible experience.. Anyway, not whining or blaming anything but myself and bad circumstances but you always read about all the success stories ....is anyone out there having any issues like myself or have any words of support..I really need someone who has been through wt loss surgery who understands b/c people who haven't don't although they mean well.. Thank you for listening/reading Tami

I haven't gone back yet. Too many things going on and i have put it on the "middle" burner so to speak. I really hope it was just the dr. and not something wrong with my band. My insurance that i have now doesn't cover LB or anything associated with it. Question: If my PS moved my port and was the cause of the problem.... should he be responsible for the repair? On another note: i have been able to keep the weight gain at bay and even lost one .... this makes me happy.

Thanks so much for replying. I thought I would be getting sleeved much faster....especially when the patient advocate told me my surgery was approved ugh!!! I have to have 6 months of paper work from dr stating my weight etc. since I was seeing my dr already for the weight gain she was able to go back to April. Yeah !!!! So I've got July , August , and September. My consult with my nut is in August. I hope maybe they will speed it up lol.

I told one person in my department, the one that can't keep a secret, so she could tell everybody my plans to have surgery. I'm not ashamed, they've seen me lose weight, gain weight, and so on and so forth. I put it out there that I'd tried everything else, and surgery was my last option. I've not heard a single negative comment, however, two other nurses came out of the closet with their plans to have WLS too. Another is seriously considering it after talking to us openly about it.

I actually do better sticking to my diet plan when I weigh myself daily. I know several other people that do better that way, too. It's an individual preference, but you do have to know and understand the plateaus and even a little weight gain now and then. Water weight gain can be 5 lbs or more. It can happen if you eat too much salt, because of hot weather, as a warning sign that mother nature is about to come calling, or because someone in Thailand sneezed while you were putting on your shoes for that matter. : ) You just have to keep in mind that kind of weight gain will come right back off if you stick to the plan. My scale helps me keep on track. I almost always gain weight when I don't weigh every day.

My surgery is scheduled for July 23rd and I got my packet in the mail today. It says in there that if you gain weight during the process your surgery could be canceled. I quit smoking almost a month ago and I'm sure I have gained about five pounds or so do you think I will be ok???? Really hard to quit smoking and lose weight to

Thank you for the support. I'd like to say I was only a size 2 for a few years, from childhood to age 25 I was always a big girl 180 lbs often called pork chop legs etc. It's devastating for me as I got a taste of what small feels like and losing it is crushing. I've done terrible things to my body such as the eca stack, topamax etc. I was on topamax for stress and I lost 60 lbs( I also ate low fat and exercised) but the medication I became stupid, i couldn't remember anything on topamax and couldn't function at work. I then had a ton of stress at work and of course food became I comfort. The hardest thing for me is knowing what it feels like to be small but being unable to get back there. I avoid seeing people I haven't seen since I was small as I feel so ashamed of my weight gain. Ive joined this board to learn a new way of life as my surgery is august 17th and regain my confidence. Lisa