Search the Community

I had WLS in December, 2014 - 4 months ago. My pre-surgical starting weight was 259 lbs. This excess weight came from eating too much (volume), rather than the wrong foods or junk foods. I'm not vegetarian however I have always incorporated a lot of raw food habits into my diet. To those who are not familiar with "eating raw" - I'm not talking about crudités or peeling a banana and eating it. I'm taking about "raw" lifestyle foods like breads, crackers, wraps and veggie burgers that have been created using nuts, seeds, flax, hemp and vegetables, often in a dehydrator. Before my surgery, I incorporated a lot of raw cuisine into my diet and used my dehydrator constantly to make delicious foods like raw falafel, flax crackers, pureed veggie wraps, kale chips, mushroom burger patties, etc. Since my December surgery, I have stayed away from raw and been stringent about adhering to a low carb, high protein diet. (Yes, this included meats). Lots of salads, raw fruits and veggies, but no "raw cuisine" per se. In the 4 months since my surgery I have dropped 45 pounds and feel terrific. Or I should say, I HAD dropped 45 pounds, until 2 weeks ago when I started eating raw cuisine again. These past 2 weeks eating mostly raw, I am sad to say that I gained almost ten pounds back. Ah, the irony. Eat well! Gain weight! I had missed my beloved VitaMix and my Excalibur dehydrator terribly, having not used them since two weeks prior to my WLS. I decided a couple of weeks ago to get back to incorporating delicious raw cuisine back into my diet. Foods I created over the past two weeks from my old favourites included nut cheeses (cashew...mmmm mmmmm!), walnut-spinach pesto, nut burgers, raw "onion rings", sesame seed/hemp seed dressings and more. As I was blending, spreading and dehydrating, I became worried about the sheer amount of fat, calories and carbs that made up the ingredients going into these dishes. Those nuts, seeds and avocados really pack a punch. The ingredients in my raw food dishes were wholesome and nutritionally dense, BUT they contained a ton of unwanted complex carbs and sugars (Mejool dates, for example). So I feasted (in small amounts as only my lap-band allows) on raw falafel, vegan hummus with garlic aioli with marinated vegetables in a flax/carrot wrap, marinated portabello mushroom caps stuffed with cashew/garlic nut cheese and walnut-spinach pesto, raw zucchini pasta with sweet marinara sauce... it was a great 2 weeks. Unfortunately it also triggered some pretty major weight gain. What I've learned: Even with smaller lap-band sized portions, and although most raw food dishes are densely nutritious, they pack a significant caloric punch - too much so to be aligned with my weight loss goals. So I am back to salads and lean meats and steamed veggies, no wheat, no white, no sugar. And, unfortunately, no raw cuisine. (Or at least very, very little). Has anyone out there managed a raw food diet (60% +) and managed to keep the surgical weight off? Would love to hear from you!

There's no weight gain with the Mirena and it is a IUD. My surgeon recommend it to me.

Tonight was the 2nd night for dance lessons. I was feeling kind of puny today. I considered staying home because we can do makeup practice on Thursdays if we miss. I talked myself into just going and not wimping out and I'm really glad. This time we worked on learning the Waltz, which I've done since I was a kid, so I didn't have to work as hard mentally as the Progressive 2 Step. It was fun! There are some guys there that really have a tough time. They've never danced at all. Trying to get a rhythm and this teacher is telling them to count (which I hate). Those of us who are single switch partners a couple of times, so at least we get to dance with different levels of leaders. Some have better rhythm than others. But, it is neat to see them learning and seeing that they can do it. What's neater is that as you look around the room, EVERYONE has a smile on their face or they're laughing. That feels good. I've always loved dancing. It just makes you feel alive all over. When you leave, your body knows it's had a workout, your hair is wet, your makeup is gone, but you just feel invigorated in every cell of your body (except your feet). This Saturday is a dance seminar at Gilley's. It lasts from 12pm til 6:30, then most everyone stays for the regular dance til 2am. Wow! Do you know how long it's been since I spent a whole day doing anything social? much less dancing and laughing and smiling til my face feels like it might crack? Actually, it brings tears to my eyes when I think of all that I have given up with my weight gain. All that I have been missing because of my lack of self-esteem and because my body simply hurt too bad to move it. :mad: This disease is so much more about depression and self-loathing than we give it credit for. What in us gets to that place that gives in and lets it take over our very existence? What hidden strength in us fights our way to the surface to reclaim all that we have given away? I wonder.. It has been a good week simply because I took this one step. My body felt better, my outlook was brighter, I smiled more, I talked more. I bought myself shoes that I never in a million years thought I could wear ever again this week. I was even able to wear them to work the whole day! It's baby steps, but it feels like giant leaps to me!

Newgrandmother.. You're lookin awesome! I had to do a double take on your pic because I thought it was two different people! Hang in there and stay positive. My situation is a bit differnt because all my weight gain was in the last year since my band removal so I still have all my old jeans and just shop in my closet. If it wasn't for that I swear I'd go insane if I had to physically try to find pants that fit. I HATE shopping for pants! Clothing sizes makes no sense to me

Don't give up. You do not need to go on a liquid diet. Have you had any adjustments? I know how you feel I had done great for over a year and now I have been bouncing with my weight gaining andf loosing 5 or 6 pounds. You can do it!!! As you get adjustments there yo will see that your body will not let you eat but so much. When you feel you are full STOP AND WALK AWAY!!! I have been doing this on my own since the start. I had to tell my family that I can not go out with you to eat or when I do I woi=uld only order an appetiser. It is difficult but you m ust take small steeps t change what you have been doing all of your life!!! Hang in there. :D :D :D

To regain some how about going back to tried and true yet healthier things. Fat and carbs are an awesome weight gaining combo. How about Protein drinks mixed with milk and Peanut Butter. Eat nuts a few times a day. Drink milk, eat some Pasta covered in cheese some times. Your type 2 diabetes is not improved by your weight loss? If I were you I'd get some medical tests done. You got to goal really fast by my standards. Really fast for a woman. I'd want to know why since good health is key.

Thx for the responses - I for some reason am hardly ever thirsty - you think bad water intake may be contributing to weight gain? I know a pound or two isn’t a big deal because it will come off but I guess I’m trying to connect it to fluid intake so I can force myself to drink more.

I wish I had the bypass from the beginning but I am a revision from sleeve to bypass. i had no restriction with my sleeve about a year after my sleeve, developed extreme GERD & weight gain. what people seem to forget is that the sleeve was the first step in getting the bypass. Docs figured people were doing just fine in the interim if healing between the two surgeries so the sleeve became “the new wls “. Along with everyone else, I wanted the restriction and malabsorption for the optimal chance of weight loss. And the negative side effect of the possibility of dumping is helpful. I feel as if the sleeve leaves one open to eat an array of things and fall back into bad habits. Although that is one’s personal mindset/decision and not a fault of the tool.

I'm sure someone more experienced than me will be along soon to advise, but in the meantime.... First of all, give yourself a hug and a pat on the back for weighing in and recognising your problem. In years of yo-yo dieting the hardest thing I found was often steeling myself to go back on the scales and see what damage I'd done to my weight. The logical thing would seem to be to take some time to write down honestly what you are doing/not doing that is causing the weight gain. You lost a lot of weight in 2012 so you know what you should and shouldn't do. It's important to be honest with yourself. Then work out how you can address each issue. The easy thing to say would be: "go back to an 800 calorie a day diet for 4 weeks on protein shakes and then calorie count at maybe 1220 pd to lose the weight you've gained". But to do that you are going to have to counter the things that put obstacles in your path i.e. eating through stress/boredom; lack of time to plan etc etc. You've done it before, you can do it again.

Hello everyone. I am thinking of getting the Lap Band and have a couple of questions.... My BMI is 36, now I know that is a little low, but I have high cholesterol, major back pain, and joint pains, and a few other minor issues. I have tried everything under the sun to lose the weight on my own but the weight never comes off. I will admit I have an addiction to food (since I quit smoking) and I know this has led to much of my weight gain. I have a family history of morbif obesity, and other major health issues. I am wanting to get my weight and health under control before it becomes majorly out of control and I have major health issues. And I am on the path to it! So here goes the question... do you feel that I would make a good canidate for this? Do you think I will be approved? My insurance pays for damn near anything. Should I wait till my BMI is more? Thanks for the help. Jenn:crying:

This is very common with weight gain during post op. Some lose and then gain after liquid phase so that does happen. My weight loss did slow down after the liquids phase. Stick with eating protein first etc. Don't start eating all the wrong food cause in the end you will be very disappointed with yourself cause it is very easy gain weight.. losing it is the HARD part.. :cursing:I know it is not easy. But you are doing great with exercising and 9lbs is GREAT!! your body is still healing and your body is adjusting. I started keeping food journal this week and that has helped me cause writing everything down really make you realize how much you are eating. Hang in there and take care

Oh yeah, my metabolism was well & truely wrecked from decades of literally starving myself to try to lose or maintain. That has been a bonus of this surgery: a metabolism that actually works again. I’m truely surprised by how much food I eat to maintain my weight now which would have resulted (& did) in weight gain at my much higher weight pre surgery. I am still a believer of calories in & calories out (not that I’m a regular calorie counter by any stretch of the imagination) but temper it with the calories in are what your individual body needs to function. No one’s body is exactly the same as another’s & therefore our bodies have different caloric needs & we process the nutrients we need from the food we consume differently so we also have different nutrients requirements. That’s why one diet/style of eating will work for someone but not for someone else. It’s why so many of us advocate you discovering what works for you. That’s a benefit of this forum, lots of ideas, suggestions, experiences from which you can start to develop your eating style from people who truely understand the struggle.

Yes, I get nervous as well. Sometimes I think it won't work, because I have to take medicine for longstanding depression/anxiety (these are known to cause weight gain in some people). At the end of the day though even if I don't lose as much as someone else, I will still be way better off healthwise than before the surgery.

hi stephh! i just had my baby 9-28-15. i started at 257 and was reached my goal of 150 when i was 14months out, then two weeks later i found out i was pregnant. i too was only taking in about 700-800 pre pregnancy. around 13 weeks pregnant i started getting insanely hungry, literally every two hours. for me it really didn't ease up until i was about 32weeks. my dr wanted me to take in about 1800 calories a day i ended up putting on 42lbs in total. i lost 15lbs after my c section taking me from 192 to 177. i have been stuck there for the past two minths unfortunately, the scale just doesn't want to move for me. keep taking in as much Protein as you can. keep high protein Snacks with you if you're getting hungry often! congratulations on your pregnancy, you can pm me if any questionsThank you so much for responding!!!!!! I feel like I'm in the exact same scenario you were. I feel so much better knowing that someone else is hungry too. I was afraid of it being head hunger. Congratulations on your new baby! How was your pregnancy besides being hungry? Had you been pregnant before? Was it different? Sorry, I have SO many questions!!! Your weight gain doesn't seem bad to me. It seems like a manageable weight and will probably come off. I already have argued with my Dr about gaining weight... He said I could aim for 10-20 pounds because I'm at the top end of my healthy weight range. So far, I've stayed steady, but I'm not very far along. this was my 3rd pregnancy and csection. my first two were before my sleeve and i was already over 200lbs wih them. i never got sick with my preop pregnancies, but this one i did. i felt like i had two modes i was either hungry or.nauseated lol. they kept telling me during my sonos that the baby was small she was the smallest of.my children but was still a healthy 6.5lbs with no complications. during the first trimester i put on 4lbs. i put most of the weight on in the second trimester and honestly it took me a bit.of time to come to terms with that scale going up. i.worked really hard to get down to 150. which is why im so frustrated with the scale not.moving now. is this you first? when are you due?

Too many simple carbs (sugar) can cause weight gain. Plus....gas & stool you wouldn't like.

I had my final visit before my insurance packet is submitted. I did all the blood work (29 vials!!). I was an emotional wreck at the appt. though. You see this year has SUCKED! When I started the weight loss surgery journey life fell apart. My wife broke her foot and needed 5 surgeries, my dad went blind, then he fell and became permanently paralyzed, then he passed. It has been awful. But I'm running short on my insurance window and I need this surgery. I quit smoking, started, quit. I lost weight, gained. My TSH went up to 9 and I felt so sick. It's been a hot mess of a year. So please cross your fingers and toes that they understand and know that I truly am ready to do this. I feel like i applied at the worst possible point in my life.

I totally agree with this. I feel like at this point with 20 pounds left to lose, it is totally up to me. I can eat almost anything and sometimes can 'fit' up to 8oz at a time. With the band, I would just 'pb' it..I could do that almost at will and that was how I got down to 150 lbs... not very healthy. Now I fight my evening 'head hunger' with a cup of tea and it works. Sometimes I treat myself with a caramel or two, but can stop at a reasonable amount, whereas before....well you know how that used to go. Also, I have stopped all the daytime 'snacking' which was a major contributor to my weight gain after the band was removed. When I get hungry I look for protein first. Again YMMV.

Hello everyone, Well my name is Angel and I just recieved word from our insurance that they approve Lapband and I had seen the commercials almost everyday and just decided to see the doctor to see if I qualify, I did! I have been battling my weight now for 4 yrs ever since I had my eptopic pregnancy I have just been getting bigger and bigger no matter what diet or new exercise I did. Well we finally got stationed here in Jacksonville and I went to meet my new doctor and tell her everything that has been going on, we did the blood work and also found out I have PCOS which not only explains the weight gain but my infertility as well. So now I am medicated for that and again was approved for the lapband so I go and meet with that doctor. I am really excited and have read through some of the forums on this site and I just feel more ready to get this done so I can start my new life too. Well I will let u all know how my appointment goes! Talk 2 u then!Oh i did forget to mention I weigh 240 and am only 4'11 so yeah it is time for this new life to come already!

Oh I hear you, I would definitely opt to have preventive surgery. I'm 46 now and I don't think I would do reconstruction, but at 25, I think I'd give it a shot.. I know what you mean about the weight.... prosthesis are easier to manage with the weight gain or loss for sure...

The restriction may have kicked in. Alot of people swear that they don't feel their fill until 2 weeks after it. I haven't ever experienced this and I personally can't figure out the "science" behind it, but so many people have said it, that I just got to believe it to be true. Your band can get tighter because of stress. I had this happen when I had to go to St. Louis for a few days. The trip wasn't stressful, but I never felt that I had enough time to eat. Many people notice that their bands get tighter during their period -- well, right before it and when it first starts. My theory, you ask? Alot of women retain Water before their period (thus the weight gain)...I think that affects the band too. Causes things ALL OVER to swell. Also, when you have a PB, you should back off a little bit. If your first PB was bad enough, your stomach might have been irritated because of the PB making you even tighter than you were before. This is very common -- alot of surgeons recommend going back to liquids for 12-24 hours after a PB because of this. SO....in my opinion, go back to liquids for 24 hours. Then start solids again, but VERY SLOWLY. Cut what you think is a bite, then cut it in 1/2. Chew that 20 times. Then swallow. See if that helps. jayme

I to had a leak-scariest thing for me was the weight gain. I felt so helpless. Turns out I needed to have my port replaced. Surgery was a breeze, nothing like the lapband surgery itself. Almost no healing time. Things will be fine before you know it and you will start losing again.

Hey Tiff, nothing in life comes easy sweetie. Your favorite foods are the same exact foods that contributed to your weight gain. It's not that you will never ever be able to have them again, you just can't right now. In the future you can eat anything in moderation but it is wise to stay away from the bad foods. Your surgery is so recent so please give it time to work for you. I am 10+ months out it some days it's still hard for me to consume the needed amount of protein and water. Keep us posted on your progress. Sent from my SM-G928V using BariatricPal mobile app

Perhaps you were obese for as far back as you can remember. Or perhaps you were healthy and fit and turned obese over time. The result is the same in either case — and many of the reasons for why we become obese are also the same. Why We Were Obese A few years ago I posed a question to the BariatricPal community. I asked how it was that people with no history of obesity eventually became obese. What had happened? The answers I got were both accurate and astute. Here’s what people had to say. “…I changed to a career which didn’t naturally burn thousands of calories/day.” The most simple formula for weight loss or weight gain is the balance between calories consumed and calories burned. If you burn more calories than you consume you will lose weight. If you burn less calories than you consume you will gain weight. Read, “Bad Eating Habits that Cause Weight Gain.” “I was sedentary for a long time and gained another fifty pounds.” Sedentary behavior (particularly watching television) can lead to sedentary snacking. Eating food while watching TV causes people to eat more calories, especially calories from fat. “…it became much easier to grab a quick ‘something’ instead of sitting down to a proper/healthy meal.” Time pressures from school, work, and other obligations can cause people to eat on the run or not get enough sleep. Both have been shown to contribute to weight gain. Read, “Healthy Chain Restaurant Meals.” “Low self-esteem. Possibly some depression…” Not only can depression contribute to obesity, but some medications for treating depression can cause weight gain as well. SSRIs often promote weight loss initially, but within six months of treatment many people report weight gain. Read all of the community responses on BariatricPal. Learn what Science shows are the reasons we become obese. The answers will surprise you! Continue reading this article on MyBariatricLife. Weigh-in with your thoughts. What is it that you do to prevent excess weight gain from ever happening to you again? If you have experienced weight regain after your bariatric surgery, what is it that you did to overcome it?

Sorry but you will just have to live with the weight gain until you are off steroids. There's nothing you can do to avoid it. I am so sorry. I would be so frustrated if I were you! But the good news is that once you are off the prednisone, the weight will fall off pretty quickly. Predisone will also m ess seriously with your moods and the condition of your skin. So be careful. Right now just work on getting good nutrition.

I just hit my 2nd trimester and still have the same fill I did a year ago. Just saw the OB yesterday, and he's not worried about weightloss (very slow, nothing dramatic for me anymore, too far out from surgery) until my 20th week, at which point I'm no longer allowed to lose, and if I do, I will need to get some fill taken out. Of course if I have problems between now and then, I would get an unfill. Around week 8 I had a period of a week or so where I was really tight, but I compensated for it with liquids. He wants to see me gain a total of 20 - 25 lbs, which makes sense when you look at the weight gain distribution.