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I had the surgery only three days ago but I’m very disappointed to see that I have gained weight since. I’m nervous that this will never go away and it will continue. Advice please?

Hey everybody, I have to get something off my chest, my story towards WLS is this, 5 years ago i was not at all obese, i weighed 65-70 kgs, I actually started college at around 2011 and then moved to Australia to continue my education, but ever since I moved to Australia, I was starving myself, as I did not have enough money to buy myself food etc, then at 2014 I finished my college and moved to Canada for about 4-5 years, there it got even worse, since my field was really hard to get a job (audio engineering), I was starving myself there as well, ever since 2012 i was moving to different countries, in total 4 countries Dubai, India, Canada and Australia, but was eating well here and there, parents were sending some money, at the brink of 2016, I became homeless in Canada, for almost 8months, at that period I was eating like 1 meal a day, surprisingly I was still about 65kgs by the end of that phase, but then I committed a crime while I was in the streets and they sent me a psychiatric hospital, that's when things took a turn for the worst, after about 3 months of staying in the hospital, they started me on psychiatric meds (aripiperzole abilify) but in about 20 days I saw my weight rise from 65 to 75, then about 10 days later it rose to 85, then slowly 95, then about 6 months later I was at 110, I thought I maxed out but I gained another 7kgs in the next 6 months, also the food was rich in the hospital but very tiny portions, then they switched me to clopixol, did not help, infact caused infertility and sexual problems, I have one question for all of you, does bariatric surgery work for person like me? Does weight gain from psychiatric meds happen in like 15 days? If so that is big problem. Since I have a bad history with nutrition and my metabolism is in really bad shape, but I got out a year and 6 months ago, and i started eating a lot once I got out due to all the deprivation, I was never even planning on doing bariatric surgery, did not even know what it was, so guys please share your experience with starvation, metabolism, weight gain, psychiatric meds. Oh I did mention this to the doctor and he said that's nothing to worry about. But what do you guys think? I really want answers guys, this has been in my chest for a long time now. Thank you all for listening. Oh and I have finished my surgery , it's been 19 days, I have lost about 12kgs. Things are going well, but I don't want it stall all of a sudden and then one fine day it never moves again. That would be a nightmare, I just want some clarity on this topic. Thanks again.

@Jeep-girl im day 8 post-op. I gained my first few days home. I didn’t lose my first couple of pounds until Day 6. You’re on track. I was freaking out too. I was googling sleeve failed? Or Pouch too big? If you search weight gain after surgery in the forums you will see many of us gained initially after surgery. I focused on other things—walking, measuring inches, journaling and coming out of the fog of the pain meds. And a good friend gave me this advice: remain calm and be confident that it worked. Put that positive energy out there, honey. You got this and it worked and you are fabulous and becoming more fabulous every day. 🙂

Hey Mooki, thanks for the reply. The reason I am having the op is to take back control of my eating, and to stop food having this huge hold on my life. That is the main outcome I want so to hear that is what is happening is great news. As for the merrygoround of thinking its amazing and its not going to work I can really relate to this. The mind is a powerful tool and I do think for me the mental struggle will be as hard as the physical challenge. I have found that trying to visualise the positives helps with the panic moments, so trying to visualise myself out of theatre and walking around, being slimmer in the summer clothes, enjoying holidays without the dread of weight gain etc etc. I hope each day is getting easier for you.

Wow guys. These posts really resonate with me: I gained 110 pounds when I was pregnant with my daughter (2nd child) and the abuse I took from their father still haunts me. That’s the baby that changed my whole metabolism and all I got from him was quiet disappoint and criticism In the weight gain and subsequent PPD. By the time she was 3, I found out that their father was having an active affair with one of my coworkers and that basically everything I had been struggling with had been used against me and that the 2 of them were plotting to try to get custody of the kids. They were actually using my new-found Morbid Obesity as a weapon against me to “prove” that I didn’t have the self-control necessary to raise 2 kids under the age of 6 as a single mom. I fought sooooo hard that year and in years after, trying to fix what was “broken” in me only to fail over and over and over again. Thankfully I had enough of a career and enough self-esteem to survive that onslaught and make it through. Those were several tough years where I was reminded painfully over and over that I wasn’t good enough-or desireable enough, smart enough, or like able enough to be considered a “good” parent and I was reminded on a monthly basis that it was going to be a a WAR of 2 vs 1. I somehow persevered and got those kids raised. I spent over 13 years single and afraid to even think about having a life of my own. I survived breast cancer as a single working mom. At that point, my biggest fear was dying before I could finish raising those kids— aged 16 and 12 when I was diagnosed. The kids dad stopped paying child support after our first year divorced and I was afraid to even take him to court bc I didn’t feel worthy enough to raise my kids as a MO single mom in her mid-30s. When I think of the years lost due to my feelings of inferiority, it almost makes me sick. I wasted almost 13 years of my life feeling like a sub-par human and thankfully my current husband saw me— the true me— underneath all of that baggage. He loved me— plus sized and all— in spite of me not loving myself. It took that brave and kind man’s love to realize that I could be so much more than the reality that I was currently living. With his love and respect and complete acceptance, I was able to start this journey that has led to where I am now. Ironically, my ex is a mere shadow of the man he once was— he won’t call or reach out to his kids and I’ve heard that he and that woman live a very small and petty existence where neither of them are fulfilled or even remotely happy. If I were a better person, I would feel pity for them, but I must honestly admit that I do derive some satisfaction from their misery. At the end of the day though, my best revenge is to live my best life as happily as possible, and I plan on doing that every. Single. Day.

Lots of people have had really good success with ESG, particularly in USA and other countries where it has been carried out for a while (as its a fairly new procedure). In Australia there seems to be a higher failure rate due to many reasons: some doctor technique is lacking, overeating, etc...some others lost restriction for no apparent reason. I think in time Australia success rate will improve as the doctors gain more experience in the technique and ongoing the technique is being improved. I am member of a few ESG fb groups where the posting is a little bit more frequent than this subforum. Message me if you would like the links. There is one good site with a lot of people from USA...it a fairly positive site. I had my ESG in Australia over a year ago. No real pain other than stomach cramps for the first few days and I did recover well. At first restriction felt good, and I had good weight loss (lost about half of what I wanted), over time the restriction lessened and I have none now. I have gained some weight back though I haven't reached my pre-procedure weight. An endoscopy showed I have about one suture intact. There is no one reason why my ESG failed and it is possible I contributed with a couple of bouts of overeating. I will be converting to a sleeve fairly soon. The surgeon has done a few conversions and he feels I should be able to convert to a sleeve, if not, he will do a mini bypass. The anchors can prevent conversion to a sleeve. I have been working hard (which help) on what causes me to overeat, it is an ongoing battle but I have made some great progress and feel quite confident going forward. I do regret my decision but only for the fact I wish I had waited until the Australian doctors had more experience with the procedure and ongoing the procedure is being refined to ensure better outcomes. My tips to get the best of your procedure would be to follow all post op guidelines particularly around volumes of food, exercise once you are able to, don't be tempted to test your restriction just because you can eat more than the guideline volumes...once you get past soft food stage, try and get as much protein from food as opposed to shakes (satisfaction and restriction will kick in quicker than with fluids), avoid slider foods and if your doctor/clinic as a post op management program make sure you commit to it and make all your appointments. Don't abandon the program with embarrassment if you have stalls or weight gains along the way...this will the time when you most need to reach out to the experts. One important thing is to work on what causes you to overeat, this won't change with the ESG, those battles will still be there, if you work on them now you will have better outcomes for your ESG. My outcome is but one of many of successes and failures, on the main ESG group on fb there have been some great successes particularly in USA.

Really? Why on earth would you want this newfound stamina to calm down? My wife and I are counting on any increase in hormones and sexual desires it to last a VERY long time post-op. We used to enjoy a very active physical relationship prior to my weight gain and we so desire to get that spark back so I.... we are both looking forward to what should be consider as a very desirable benefit of WLS.

I can do relate to you. The weird weight gains and slow losses are frustrating. I’ve been using happy scale to track weight loss, so I can see a slow loss is happening. It’s just frustrating because I was losing faster on a higher calorie diet before the surgery than I am now. My nut has told me not to worry and that things will start happening soon. It’s hard to be patient, though. Especially when reading that the first 2-3 months after are when you experience the greatest weight loss. And at almost a month out, I haven’t lost a great deal at all.

Another March 3rd here, Cammy C. You've probably gained weight from the IV meds, the gas that was used during your surgery, this is how my surgeon explained the temporary weight gain that would happen. I'm thankful that you are able to hydrate and at normal levels. My experience has been very similar to Mooki's, I was miserable the first 2 days. We've got this together, keep posting and working through the newness of our tools.

Another March 3rd here, Cammy C. You've probably gained weight from the IV meds, the gas that was used during your surgery, this is how my surgeon explained the temporary weight gain that would happen. I'm thankful that you are able to hydrate and at normal levels. My experience has been very similar to Mooki's, I was miserable the first 2 days. We've got this together, keep posting and working through the newness of our tools.

OMG ..... If it's the Depo Shot..... STOPPPPPPP!!!!!! Years ago they removed the IUD and started me on the Depo... I gained 50lbs in one month.... it was horrible. Look into the Nuvo Ring. It was the best Birth control EVER.... I tried it all, the Pill (nausea all the time), diaphragm (terrible bladder and yeast infections), Condoms with and without foam (latex-sensitive), IUD (terrible bleeding), the shot (major weight gain, but i didn't bleed), then the Ring. It was the only one that worked for me. Then in my 30ies i had a partial hysterectomy.... OMG it was like the heavens parted and the angels were singing.... At 50 i started menopause and it sucks Ass..... I started gaining weight and couldn't control it, no matter what i did. So i decided enough was enough and paid OOP for a revision to the sleeve. Note: All of the birth control was before i was banded in 2009 SW: 232 LW 143: Removal 2017 at 143. Sleeved 8/28/19 at 173.5, today 131.4

Is squash sugar free? And is your tea unsweetened? Ok well, sounds like you've got all the answers you need. Here's a link to opiodes and how it can affect weight. Wish I could copy/paste my arthritis doc for you. That's where my information comes from and from my n=1 experience with them from my degenerative spine and hip disease. I'm blessed cuz after 155+ lbs of weight loss, I just tuff through my daily pain and no longer have to medicate. Additionally I'm on a cancer drug for life that puts me into deep menopause with COMPLETE hormonal disruption. It causes weight gain in the biggest percentage of people. And yet, somehow I have been able to lose weight in the face of taking. I learned last week I will likely have to stay on it for life. So I'm just gonna try to keep tricking my body and mixing things up. Have you tried Intermittent Fasting? BTW, you haven't mentioned WHAT you eat. WHAT you eat is as important as HOW many times you eat, HOW MUCH you eat. I can do a LOT of caloric damage with a 5inch plate. Just sayin. Maybe you could post a typical day or two of meals? Here's the article: https://blackbearrehab.com/blog/how-opiates-affect-your-eating-habits-and-appetite/

All of this will cause/contribute to weight gain/prevent losses. In addition to the hormones. If you are drinking any calories (alcohol), that will also put the weight on like nobody's beeswax. I could be guaranteed to gain 5 lbs overnight any time I took my old pain meds that I no longer take.

I do have asthma and I am on a brown inhaler but I haven’t been on steroids as such for about 6 months I only go on steroid tablets if I get a chest infection. I will have a look into my other meds and see if they cause weight gain.

Are you on any type of steroids? Perhaps research your meds carefully and see if any cause weight gain ❤

I lost 16 lbs the first month, and I started out way heavier than you. Plus almost everyone has their first stall within the first month after surgery. There are lots of factors that influence your rate of weight loss, and the above poster is right - at 250, you're not going to lose nearly as fast as someone who starts out at 450 lbs. As long as you're seeing a general downward trend, you're fine. P.S. as far as gaining a pound, who knows. Hormones? Constipation? Water retention from some high-sodium meal? Any of those can cause a slight - and temporary - weight gain. As long as you're eating what you're supposed to be eating, your weight will drop again.

It's a date! I'm making a sweeping declaration (a la HIMYM) and promising this: Even if I am no longer an active member on BP at that time, I WILL log on here on (or around) Oct 24th, 2021 and report on my status (fatter or not) ❤️ P.S. To clarify, I'm not denying that there can be bounceback weight, only that there is bounceback weight because of a change in eating habits. If I continue with eating the way I did yesterday (2000+ cals with minimal exercise), I fully expect to report a significant weight gain on Oct 24th 2021. And I would have no excuses for the gain other than the choices I made. P.P.S. I hope you have not been offended with my personal views, and that all is cool. I'm Canadian: We hate confrontation and apologize for everything. Sorry!

And this is it exactly, isn't it? The weight gain is because of the heavy eating. Not from being merely years out from WLS. If you don't do the heaving eating, you won't gain the weight (malabsorbtion or not)? But you are TOTALLY right about LOSING the weight (once you gain it back). It takes much longer now. When I was 235 losing 5 lbs took days. Now it takes weeks. And years from now it may take months. So you are right again in that the trick is to not gain the weight, which is very difficult for most. Let me also say that I am only a little over a year out (so i'm still pretty newbie-ish and what do I know, really?) AND I've had it pretty good in that my results were/are very straight-forwardly related to my efforts. I eat more, I gain weight, I eat less I lose it. I get that this is not the experience reported by many.

I have zero real evidence and am just talking based on simplistic view of cause and effect (i.e., out of my ass), but I think the weight gain is because of habit changes? I'm not sure if there is anyone out there who gained those 15-20-30-40 lbs years out can say that this happened while staying vigilant with the habits employed to lose the weight in the first place? But if there is, I would love to hear from them. It would be interesting/educational to do a deep dive into that person's lifestyle choices AND health/physicality to see how they could gain weight without changes in habits, right?? I know this is a touchy subject for many, so I am hesitant to post this. I hope I don't offend.

Just me, but I'm not sure that there is a finite amount time post op that people start gaining weight (2yrs, 3 yrs, etc), I think it is more a period of time AFTER one's weight stabilizes. Some people hit their weight goals (or just stop losing weight) earlier, some later. So I would assume that the folks in former group start weight gain sooner than the latter group...and not so much because of loosening of tummies (which is a factor, yes), but more because of the loosening of eating habits. With that said, I think that it would follow that if a person were to stay on course for perpetuity (and continually adjust* as needed), he/she would never gain unwanted weight. *Noting of course that some people would need to adjust more than others.

My insurances have language that I just had to follow the facility/program's "procedure" to be approved for surgery, but they don't require any specific time frame either. So if you go to a clinic that requires 3 monthly visits, 5% body weight loss, nutritionist classes, etc... then you will have that long of a wait. It depends on your clinic and your weight, comorbidities, tests you need/already have done, etc... Mine was more just how long it took me to get my new primary insurance to kick in as well as see 1) the nurse 2) a psychologist 3) the nutritionist. They recommend 5% body weight loss, but mostly just don't want to see any weight gain. Mine went like this: Late Oct. 2019: I sent in my interest paperwork online to clinic Nov. 20th: First nurse visit Nov. 21st: Labs drawn at my GP Dec. 4th: Psychologist Dec. 11th: Second nurse visit Jan. 2nd: Nutritionist They sent in the referral to the surgeon. Jan. 29th: Surgical consult, scheduled endoscopy and surgery! Mar. 2: Endoscopy (for atypical GERD) Mar. 16th: 2 hour group nutrition class Mar. 19th: Last pre-op appt. with surgical staff Mar. 26th: Surgery day (the day I wanted anyway so I could use Spring Break to avoid using too much sick leave)

Absolutely. I hated comments on weight gain and I hated comments on weight loss.

WLS allows for a metabolic reset of your fat storage/energy system. It allows your body chemistry (super complicated) to defend a lower set-point, but google Dr. Matthew Weiner on The YouTube and watch all of his videos and you will learn about it. Unlike what @VIN_IN_AL says, my program (major university) told me no caloric threshold for calories. My real advice (RNY) was to get 60-80g of lean, dense, low fat protein in daily from as many sources as possible for diversification, to eat 1-2 bites of low glycemic veggies, and don't eat much fat--but if I did, to use tiny bits of healthy fat. And to get in 64oz water + daily vitamins. Beyond that, they were fully aware that during WLM (weight loss mode) I averaged between 650-850 calories per day and my sweet spot seemed to be something like 750cals. The doctor and my RD never said a word about it, nor did either encourage me to artificially inflate my calories because of some mythical theoretical mumbo jumbo just to hit some "magic threshold" to prevent "starvation mode" (a myth). I hit first goal at around 8-9months despite having a crapton of metabolic issues and shortcomings including being on a cancer drug that shuts down my hormones and causes weight gain in most people. (See the rest in my signature). I'm now maintaining at 131lbs this morning at 1100 cals average. That means preferentially some days I eat 700-800 cals per day (3 days per week) and some days I eat as much as 1400-1500 cals per day depending on appetite or what I'm doing. Over the week it averages to about 1100 cals. I'm not in starvation. My vitamin status at two years is fabulous and there ya have it.

I'm really struggling with the decision to move ahead with surgery or not. Here's what I don't understand. How are you not destroying your metabolism by only eating 750 calories a day? Will you never be able to eat regularly again for risk of packing on the pounds? I did the HCG diet years ago (it's terrible. Never ever do it) In a nutshell... you gave yourself a shot every day that kept your body from realizing that it was being starved and then ate about 750 calories a day while your body worked hard to function as usual. The weight dropped off. I lost quickly over about 3 months and then stopped the injections and slowly eased back into a regular diet of about 1500-1800 calories a day. AND THE WEIGHT JUMPED BACK ON so fast I was floored. I was eating a healthy, well balanced diet on the low end of daily intake for my height and weight and activity. But I gained a pound a day until I was 20 pounds heavier than I was before the diet. Explain to me how this forced starvation doesn't do the same thing? My stomach will stretch. We know it does because we are told we can slowly eat more over time. Won't my metabolism think I've starving and halt? Am I really expected to only eat 800 calories a day for the rest of my life or expect to gain?? Thank you for sharing facts and experience.

I'm really struggling with the decision to move ahead with surgery or not. Here's what I don't understand. How are you not destroying your metabolism by only eating 750 calories a day? Will you never be able to eat regularly again for risk of packing on the pounds? I did the HCG diet years ago (it's terrible. Never ever do it) In a nutshell... you gave yourself a shot every day that kept your body from realizing that it was being starved and then ate about 750 calories a day while your body worked hard to function as usual. The weight dropped off. I lost quickly over about 3 months and then stopped the injections and slowly eased back into a regular diet of about 1500-1800 calories a day. AND THE WEIGHT JUMPED BACK ON so fast I was floored. I was eating a healthy, well balanced diet on the low end of daily intake for my height and weight and activity. But I gained a pound a day until I was 20 pounds heavier than I was before the diet. Explain to me how this forced starvation doesn't do the same thing? My stomach will stretch. We know it does because we are told we can slowly eat more over time. Won't my metabolism think I've starving and halt? Am I really expected to only eat 800 calories a day for the rest of my life or expect to gain?? Thank you for sharing facts and experience.