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For the past few weeks I had been substituting meals with protein shakes. I thought this was something that needed to be implemented before surgery so that it would make it easier getting in enough protein after surgery. However, my surgeon told me that protein shakes should only be used after surgery because adding protein pre-op could cause weight gain. However, I have lost 16 lbs while supplementing protein. Did anyone drink protein shakes to help with their pre-op weight loss, or should I avoid these for now?

Apart from fantastic good looks (ha ha), I have also inherited inter-uterine fibroids from my mother's side of the family. Every female in my immediate family suffers with this and it is likely I have passed it on to my daughter who is in her early 20s and who suffers excruciating pain during her period. Apart from three of us the other sufferers have had hysterectomies. At last check almost a year ago, I had three fibroids: one the size of an apple sitting on top of my cervix and the other two the size of plums in the back wall of my womb. I call it my uterine fruit bowl! Although they are benign, these fibroids cause a lot of trouble: chronic anaemia, Fluid retention, reduced bladder control, pre-menstrual bloating, chronic back and pelvic pain, embarrassingly heavy periods which go on forever and, worst of all WEIGHT GAIN!!!!!!!! It's a guarantee that halfway through my cycle I will feel my lower belly swelling up and the distention is clearly visible. The physical discomfort can affect my mood as can the tiredness from the anaemia (fibroids grow by being fed blood through the surrounding capillaries). Fibroids also thrive on high oestrogen levels, which according to my gynaecologist, is more likely to happen if you're overweight. Ironically the treatments available in the UK are not considered effective for overweight women unless through hysterectomy. One treatment I underwent last year was being fitted with an Inter-uterine Device (IUD) which caused me to bleed every day for 6 months. In fact it became dislodged and was removed five days before I was sleeved. My treatment of choice would be laser ablation because this does not involve surgery. I need to lose another 56 pounds before I'll be considered for that, but thankfully, since being sleeved this is a totally achievable goal. That being said, the monthly weight gains are sometimes really hard to deal with. I'm doing the July 4th challenge and had lost 7 pounds in two weeks. When I weighed yesterday I had gained 5 pounds! I was depressed all day ...even though I know when my period arrives I will lose 8-10 pounds straight away. However, staying upbeat and positive is the challenge with this condition and there are worse things I could be battling with, so onwards and upwards for Laydee G: I'm sticking with the challenge and am determined to reach my goal of 10 pounds lost by the last weigh-in on 6th July.

My surgeon highly encouraged yearly followups, but as I am self pay and know what I am supposed to be doing and the last few appts were frankly unproductive for me (paid, charted progress, told to keep doing exactly what I was doing), I am not returning unless I have an actual issue or serious weight gain. My regular doc knows I had the sleeve and can monitor my general health otherwise.

I felt the same way for about 5 weeks after surgery. Although my doctor gave very explicit instruction on food intake-clear liquids to full liquids to soft solids beginning the 6th week. Always eating proteins first. Crackers and peanut butter are big no no's even now. After week 5 I began to get my appetite back and made bad food choices resulting in a weight gain of 4lbs. I had a fill last week and feel restriction now. I have had some clear body signals if I eat too much too fast. I feel great this week and have started exercising everyday which was a real kickstart to serious weight loss. Good luck to you!

I also had to go to obgyn with my obgyn I have to have clean pap and also be on birth control pill (surgeon doesn't like depo shot cause of weight gain I guess) good thing I started the pills couple months ago. But had to get my annual pap anyways so it works out for me in the long run. Congrats on getting everything squared away! GL to you on your journey :-)

At first glance, it scares me, too! I would worry that consciously or subconsciously, the user would feel freer to use the device as an excuse to eat more or make poorer choices. Most (probably all) of us who got to be overweight haven’t been eating completely mindlessly. We know already that some of our choices are bad, and we try to make better ones like cutting back on serving size and choosing healthier foods. We may not do it well enough – that’s why the weight came on – but there generally is some sort of self-restriction going on. I would worry that the Aspire Assist would lead users to be less cautious about eating habits, leading to no weight loss (or even weight gain) and the development of eating habits that are even harder to kick. Another concern for me would be the removal of the device. Some of us depend on our weight loss surgery restrictive tools (pouch, stoma, or sleeve) for life, but Aspire Assist patients wouldn’t have the option of the constant companion. I guess they could go back to it if needed, but that’s not the goal (I don’t think). @@Guineakitty, Thank you for sharing your experience. It sounds like you are using the tool exactly as it was meant to be used, and it is working exactly as it was meant to work. Congratulations on getting to goal weight, and good luck maintaining in the years to come!

I initally had great loss, I was going like gang busters. I lost 35 pounds by almost the 3 month. Yes, 10 or 15 pounds were water weight because I had a sever edema problem. Yes no more edema was one of my first NSVS. But whee! the weight was coming off! Then my weight loss stopped. I gained about 5 pounds before my first fill. After my first fill last month I lost 1 pound. This month I lost 1 pound. 2 months, 2 pounds. At the support meeting this week, I had my official weigh-in. 1 pound down since last month. I was so angry and pissed off and discouraged, words fail to express my disapointment. I have attempted to be the model bandster. I feel like I had good restriction, and my food has been ... small. My calories have been in the zone. But no loss. 2 months and 2 pounds. So angry. So many tears. Yes, I have had so many NSV I've thought about starting a thread dedicated to all my NSV. Yes, this weekend I actually bought a LARGE jacket, not a XXL jacket. But this NSV was completely obliteraged by my non-loss. Stupid scale. Failure me. 5 months ago They were considering putting me on oxygen therapy. Again. Today I don't even cary a puffer with me, and I run for the bus without a second thought. Okay, my second thought is "I wonder what these people think of big fat me running," and my thrid thought is "don't get in my way!" I chased my sweet 6' tall baby through a parking lot this weekend, him trying his best to not get caught, me doing my dardest to catch him. We ran around for about 2 minutes. Yeah, not long, but I was running to catch him. Not even out of breath, except for maybe the laughter. But the scale hasn't moved in 2 months and I feel like a failure. I was so angry I actually had a temper tantrum. I was so upset I almost quit everything related to the band. I was so upset to the point that I almost came here a deleted every one of my posts. All of them. I felt like a lier, like what could I possibly have to contribute because I am not loosing. But I waited. I know better to act in the heat of my anger. Of course, my wonderful Spudboy and DH have tried to put things into perspective for me. They have noticed my size change. They have noticed my increased energy and my increased spirits. They keep pointing out that I've been really sick for so long, and that my body is probably rebuiling the muscle that I've lost. This summer, I have had on going health issues that are not related to the band. I've had on going GYN issues, including a ruptured overian cyst. Talk about painful! I never passed out from the pain from tthat, but man I was close. I went through almost an entire bottle of phenegren in two weeks because of the pain induced nausia. Anyway, I spent 2 months on various drugs that normally cause weight gain, but I maintained. I suppose that is an NSV, but again, the NSV is obliterated by the scale. I know the scale lies. I've known that it lies for at least decade, but yet I still listen to what it says. I am so very discouraged. I have a fill appointment schedule so I have a fill before I go off to Idaho. The next opportunity I have for a fill will be November. Why can't I take my own advice? Why can't I be kind to myself? Stupid scale.

Before being banded I had huge weight gaain on Paxil. I did every thing right. One thing my doctortold me is the anti depressants even though you are doing everything right, theses drugs slow down your metabolic rate to almost zero hence why the weight gain and no weight loss

hi! I've got fibromyalgia and degenerative disk disease and diabetic for past two years -- the insulin - I 'always' hear about weight gain - can you ask your doctor about pills by mouth instead? are you type II? I currently take Avandia (24-hour) and Prandin before meals-they work great. I was taking Avandia and Amaryl - Amaryl actually worked "too well" - - something to think about along with lap band - they are 'small' and you would be able to take them with the band I would think -- just wanted to share - I know your frustrations - I have lost almost 20 lbs in 3 months with the support of everyone here - even though I am not banded - they are terrific people - best wishes on the band!

They typically start an IV of fluids before surgery, and they don't unhook you from it until right before you go home. All those fluids can make you gain weight! But it's just fluids, not really weight gain. I recommend that for now, you concentrate on healing from surgery and staying hydrated. Don't start worrying about weight loss for a week or two. I promise, it will happen!

Thank you so much! I'm probably going to look into these doctors when the time comes. I think I'd rather pay to have it done than go with Kaiser. I'm very comfortable with my Health Plan. I'm still talking a ways down the road but that's ok. I can't give up my band until it's run its course either. It is helping lots with weight gain prevention if anything. I've already come a long way. Who knows? In time more insurances will start to pick up on this procedure. I don't think I'll ever get the Rouxen-Y though. I'm not knocking it at all, I just already have nourishment issues. I'm sure that surgery would be bad news for me.

Gee I didn't have to give any pre-surgery weight history at all. I do think BCBS is a bit less strict. They want letters from your primary care doctor and from the surgeon stating why you need the surgery. I got my approval yesterday. I have gained weight since 1985. Up and down 50 lbs. here and there. I had early menopause and hypothyroidism that wasn't diagnosed for a few years. I gained a lot of weight then. Showing a weight gain shouldn't be that bad since your having the surgery because of that weight gain. A history and a letter from your doctors saying you have tried to lose weight and were unsuccessful over those 5 years should be all they need. Good luck everyone Having surgery August 7, 2008

Maybe, but I doubt it. Years ago my insurance didn't even cover weight loss surgery. If they are provided with information indicating this has been on ongoing issue for you, you'll probably be okay. When I explained to the rep that I had not had surgery and the reasons why she was very nice and understanding. She didn't mention a thing about weight gain or loss. You could say they approved my surgery before I was ready!

This will be my first blog here, so I'll briefly introduce myself to the world of blog-readers, though it may be small. I'm 29 (until a week from tomorrow) and I had surgery on March 6, 2009. I have an Allergan 4cc band placed in Juarez, Mexico by Dr. Jose Rodriguez. Before I decided to have the surgery, I was at my heaviest ever. Shortly after losing 30 pounds or so on Atkins, I started re-gaining weight very quickly; roughly 70 pounds in just a few months following my parent's breakup. Nothing had ever affected me as profoundly as when my parents split up - not even my own divorce. Anyway, one day at 272 (my highest weight) I realized I had fat hands, which I had never had in all my 25+ years of being overweight They were so plump that they dimpled in at the knuckles. I snapped and realized I had a closet full of clothes that didn't fit anymore, and ankle pain every morning when my feet hit the floor. I dreaded that ankle pain every time the alarm clock woke me up. I truly believe I had (have) a food addiction. I would go to McDonald's with my kids, eat my meal (often with dessert) and wait for my kids to finish so I could glean what was left of their happy meals. A couple of nuggets, an extra order of fries. I would eat it all, and it didn't matter if the fries were cold. I once confided in my good friend that I had a food addiction. She thought I was joking and we laughed about it, but deep inside I knew it was true and that I had to do something. I did a quick search for food addiction on the internet and I found a video advertisement of a young lady who had lapband. I thought she was so beautiful, and her story was so much like my own - heavy all her life. There are some things about having had the surgery that I hate. But for the most part, I love that I made the decision to get the band. For example, I hate that I told so many people because I can't stand when someone says, "You can't eat that, can you?" UGH!! lol. "Watch me!" If you're reading this and thinking about having the surgery, consider who you tell. Some people love to tell everyone, and they have that screw-you attitude. I'm not quite as resilient. I wish I hadn't confided in as many people as I did. Another thing is - be ready for criticism. People will tell you you're taking the easy way out. (Lemme tell ya - this is anything BUT easy. The band will make you confront demons you never knew you had. It will force you to think about everything that you put in your mouth. It will cause - at times - physical pain like you've never experienced. It will sometimes scare the heck outta you). Others will say "shouldn't you have lost more weight by now?" or "is it healthy to lose weight that fast?" "why don't you just get that thing taken out?" "I couldn't live with that thing inside of me" all with a sly attitude about them, of course. I had one friend who said, "well, I'm not big enough to have lapband, I just need to lose about 50 pounds," while she was (is) morbidly obese. I think this was her way of telling me she wasn't near as fat as me. In my part of the country, we have a name for those kinds of people - haters. What I love: I LOVE that I've lost nearly 40 pounds and I'm back to feeling like me. I LOVE that soon I won't feel like myself anymore because I'll be an all-new-to-me thin person! I've never been thin, and at my least-fat, I was 198 pounds. (After some serious weight loss, I celebrated breaking 200 by gaining it all back. Go figure.) I LOVE that I always only order the kid-size meal when we go out, and I can't finish it. Now my kids eat my leftovers. :thumbup: I LOVE that my ankles don't hurt every morning, and my clothes are starting to fit again. I LOVE that all the fat clothes I had bought to accommodate my weight gain are now too big for me. And for the first time in my life, I know I won't be fat forever. There is light at the end of this tunnel. I used to say that I was just destined to be a big girl. I LOVE that I don't believe that anymore.

I am almost 5 years post op VSG (surgery date: 06/2013). I started at 272lbs and was at 268lbs the day of surgery. I was able to get down to 199lbs but I seemed to plateau at 215lbs. I stayed at 215 for about 1- 2 years and then all of a sudden the weight started to come back. Today I have gained about 95% of the weight back and I am not sure why. I went back to the doctor and they did the barium test(?) to see if my stomach stretched and they said it did not. They said it was the same size it was after surgery, the doctor was actually quite impressed by it for some reason. I still eat small portions, so much so that my friends that don't know I had surgery think something is wrong when I don't eat all my food. I've tried a few different things to lose the weight but I can't seem to lose more than 20 lbs and it always comes back. I've considered that there could be something else wrong. I have been symptomatic of Hypothyroidism for years now, however, when my doctor runs blood tests (TSH and Free T4) it comes back normal. My doctor refuses to give me a referral to an endocrinologist (I had hormone problems when I was a kid) or do a full thyroid blood test. I feel like I am out of options and I am not sure what to do. Any advice or words of wisdom are welcome! Thanks!

I have a healthy fear of regain. Its a reality. Statistically, it's a truth. I've already beaten statistics by losing nearly all my excess weight. I've kept it off three years, but I know that could all change in a short time. I still track my intake and weight daily. It takes very little calories for me to maintain my weight, so diligence and restriction are required. I've done a few short term experiments of just being careful and not tracking, or a day or two of letting myself "have a break" and every time it results in significant and immediate weight gain. I then have to work a little harder to get that back off. I use that information to know what I have to do to maintain. Every day I feel like I've been given a gift, and I'm not going to squander it. I am cautiously optimistic I can keep it off, but I have no illusions that it does not require a tremendous amount of effort on my part.

You're gaining muscle. You're eating carbs and building up some glycogen in your liver. And you probably aren't drinking enough extra Water with all the extra exercise you're getting, to keep your body hydrated. Ergo, on all counts, you're retaining water. Here's the deal. For those of us who choose not to exercise and then exercise a lot we experience a momentary weight gain. Long-term, the extra muscles help us lose more weight. But short-term, we do gain some extra weight. Because we're all (overly) foused on the scales during the weight loss portion of our journeys, we usually freak out at this *good* weight gain that really reflects better health. Chances are you won't keep hiking this much in the coming weeks and you'll see that extra weight disappear. But wouldn't it be wonderful for your long-term health if you DID keep hiking this much? I think we should all focus more on how healthy and strong we are getting, not just on what the scales say. (Preaching to myself here, obviously.)

I totally agree! Since you have done this before, it should be i dont want to say easy, but maybe expected? You can do it!! I started following the program again after 7 years and a lot of weight gain, at first I had NO ambition to start, but now Ive lost 8 lbs!! You can do it!!! 2 shakes, light meal and NO out to eat ! Remember......feeling hungry is a good thing. I notice when my belly is grumpbling all day I loose a lb or 2. But I still eat something light all day. Eat right away when you wake up. no drinking 30 minutes before or after or during meal 2 shakes light meal stay away from processed foods 48-64 oz of water!! Come on!! YOU CAN DO IT!! Its only 15 lbs!!

hi! im 4 years out too! (50 yrs old, female, 5'2", moderately active and weighed 119.2 this morning) i stopped basing my diet on macros a couple years ago, i mostly rely on calorie monitoring (i still track everything out of habit). Based on my data, i've been averaging about 60g protein a day, of course there are some days i have like 20 and other days when i have 150...but on average its about 60. I haven't noticed any significant relation to weight gain/loss with my protein intake. Nor any relation with fats or carbs for that matter. (carbs do seem to have an affect on my appearance, but that's another story). the only thing that affects my weight is number of calories consumed over time, and to a lesser degree, activity levels. so its been an ongoing tweaking process to balance the two. A couple years ago i was an exercise fiend, and was taking in 2500+ calories. Now i'm a 2-3 day a week casual exerciser and average about 1800. im sure if i didn't reduce my intake when my activity levels went down, i'd be 20-30 lbs heavier than i am today. For those keeping score, i've (so far) maintained below goal weight since i reached it at 7 mnths post op. FULL DISCLOSURE: i am in good health (as my most recent labs can attest), and i have no diagnosed medical issues that would affect my metabolism. @SpartanMaker summed up the science surrounding protein well enough that i dont need to add anything more, but i do want to highlight the point they raised about the fact that the body can only metabolize x amount of protein (the amount varies slightly from person to person), and that any excess protein will be stored for energy (i.e., fat if you dont use it up). So i wonder, did your team give you a scientific or medical reason as to why they object to your protein level intake? Also, did they offer an opinion as to how you would replace those protein calories to stay at 1500 over all? (more fat? more carbs?) While i would not recommend NOT listening to your team, i do advocate the asking of questions to get an understanding of the reasoning behind a recommendation so you can make an informed decision for yourself. Good Luck! ❤️

I remember my second month with VSG, and I had lost only 4 lbs. I remember feeling disheartened as well but the weight loss continued steadily every month. Unfortunately, a person's body mass is the main determinant of one's metabolic rate. The heavier you are, the higher your metabolism, more calories you will burn. Although lower carbs and protein are important, the fact is If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. People on keto, for example, won't lose weight if they are eating too many calories. I would talk to your team and surgeon about your concerns as well. Perhaps they need to rule out other reasons, like water weight gain (I'm familiar with that one hehe). The weight will come off. It just may not be as quick as someone who is 600 lbs. Hang in there. Things will improve.

Three weeks out today and at Friday weigh in I am up 2.5 lbs! Reversing my weight loss from 10 to 7 lbs total since surgery! I have been super good about my puréed diet, protein and vitamins, plus I work on my feet 9 hrs all day. Discouraged, as I was hoping to see at least a 1lb loss/ week ????

Wow, this is a tough one for me to respond to, but, I am going to be honest. It can be a very slippery slope. As many have already said, I too became a total lightweight after surgery. But, my real problem came in that I began substituting alcohol, White Russians, to be exact, as my choice of "comfort" instead of food. Unfortunately, that led to some major weight gain for me, nearly 40 pounds,which I am now working very hard to take back off. At six years out, it doesn't come off as easily as it did in the beginning. I am lucky now to lose a pound a week, which is quite frustrating. Now, I am drinking mostly Water 24/7. I will have an occasional drink, but for me, I have learned it is just not worth it.

Well now this post just sent me flying into the bathroom in front of a full length mirror for stretch mark inspection! I have lost 50lbs so far and have another 50 to go. So far--I'm not seeing sagging or wrinkled skin. I have some stretch marks under my arms toward the top of my arm, some around the outside of my hips, and some toward the top outside corners of my breast. I'm not seeing any on belly or thighs. The 50lbs I just lost is "newer" weight gained in the last 5 years. I'm concerned about the next 50 because it's older weight (a LOT older!) and I'm afraid that because it's been there for a long time -- my skin won't be as elastic for that fat as it has been for the first 50.

I have been on this forum for about a year and a half. I have seen so many posts of people worrying about excess skin after weight loss. I find this to be incredibly trite and shallow, a roadblock thrown up in the mind to justify the subconscious reasons why we put on and hold the weight to begin with. First of all, there are of course permanent consequences for getting so big that your skin has to stretch to be twice the size it would be if we were normal weight. It doesn't go back to a state in which it was as if we never were overweight. And so what? What is often unspoken in these forums is that a very overweight person worrying about how they are going to look if they lose weight because of sagging skin, is silly in a society in which obesity is considered ugly to begin with. More importantly, most of us have the surgery because our bodies and lives were becoming unmanageable due to excess weight, not to look better at speed dating. For those who are asking the question I have seen posted on this forum a million times, no your skin will not go back to being how it was before your weight gain. There is no cream, no wrap, no swanky magic that's going to make it be as if you were never overweight. The only real option for getting rid of excess skin if you are very overweight when you start, is plastic surgery. And that comes with its own price. I am not knocking people who choose to have that, I might even choose that eventually, as vanity is one of my flaws. That said, plastic surgery is very very serious, and fairly savage. And still, your body cannot look like it would have if you had never put on weight. They will be scars. Big ones. Surgery of any kind is a serious injury to the body. The point I am trying to make is that if you are considering having weight-loss surgery to save your life, stop worrying about your skin. Worry about the inner conditions that have led you to the point where this is necessary. Focus instead on changing your behaviors. Focus instead on health, not looks. We have such a distorted view of bodies in this country. Body diversity is beautiful! Stop thinking that you have to look a certain way. Be healthy. Be you. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I just have to chime on on this muscle gain thing. You just dont gain 10lb of muscle from what is a couple of weeks of pretty mild exercise - and only cardio at that. By the way, its a FANTASTIC effort to get started in this way, its goign to have great fat loss benefits and its what you need to be doing. But to gain 10lb in a short period of time, you'd have to be doing some pretty heavy duty lifting and as a woman, you probably STILL couldnt gain that much. 10lb in an entire YEAR would be good going! When we start working out, our damaged muscles can hold onto Water, leading to small weight gains. But cardio will only build muscular endurance, and tone you up, you will not gain a lot of muscle, although it will help to protect your muscle during weight loss. So it has to be a combo of other reasons - not realising what you're eating, carrying some extra Fluid, rehydrating, hormonal fluctuations. Hopefully it was just a blip and you've lost it again by now.