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Hello Everyone out there! I have been slogging my way for the past 2 weeks through a combination of ReduceXS, Macleods Dietary Formula and Optifast. I have lost nealry 4 kgs but don't have a great deal of energy though I do feel better about myself already. I am being banded on March 23 and trying to be as vague as possible about why I am going into hospital and missing out on work for a few weeks. Have told everyone that I am on a bet with my husband to lose 30kgs before going to Bali in October. How up front have you all been with family and friends about having the lap band inserted, do you try to keep it a lifetime secret or does it eventually not matter at all? I have 25kgs to lose, on a 180cm frame, I can't wait until I can fit back into those precious "small" items of clothing that I have not been able to throw out over 15 years of weight gain- then I can throw them out - hahah. A general question - how much pain when you wake up from the op? Do you know that something major has been done ? - I have had laproscopic surgery for endometriosis but really didn't feel anything, and How soon before I can drive a car? hugs to everyone.

Hello All, I had the gastric bypass on Aug 22 (5 weeks post op), and I have stalled several times since surgery (lost weight the first week, stalled weeks two and half of three, lost weight half of week three, stalled week four and five). I have lost a total of 18 lbs since surgery, but have gone up two lbs, and lost one of the two, and am pissed! I am following my surgeons guidelines perfectly! I drink at least 90 oz of Water, eat 80-90 grams of Protein, stay under 800 calories (usually around 600-700 calories daily).... I don't snack, avoid carbs/sugars, and unneeded foods. I walk at least a half hour a day (usually more), and take my Vitamins. What can I do to make the weight come off? And what is up with all the stalls and weight gain?! I'm regretting this decision daily! I was able to lose a significant amount of weight prior to the surgery (HW: 370, SW: 248, CW: 230). Am I doomed to not lose?!

There are two types of weight gains/losses. Most of the weight you lose in the beginning will be Water loss. It depends on how much you have to lose. The more you weigh, the more fluids you retain. Fat loss is what you really want. So don't pay much attention to short term gains as they can be just Fluid retention. I can go up or down 7 lbs in one week(all fluides) if I go nuts and eat chips, ice cream etc. If you are eating healthy foods and keeping your caloried count down you probably are not gaining fat. tmf

I'm not a big juice drinker, I'm a believer in eating the fruit. I dont buy juice because its no better for the kids than soda, full of sugar, high calories, and they tend to guzzle it. so I'm raising them the same way i was raised - skim milk or Water to drink. I've also got ingrained in me the habit of not drinking calories. I would no more ingest a couple of glasses of juice a day than eat a family block of chocolate daily. Fast track to weight gain. I drink water. Its one of those healthy habits lots of fat people have. Calorie wise, you might as well be drinking Coke. Although if you truly dont eat any other fruit, then a glass of juice in the morning is probably a good idea. In case I sound too virtuous and perfect, I wake up and head straight for the coffee, before i can do ANYTHING else.

Howdy folks, I am 1 year 3 months out, I was 10 lbs from goal weight...had some devastating life changes, lost my bro, whom was my bff...I lost weight then gained 11 lbs back. I am struggling......just had a double mastectomy with the start of reconstruction, thank the good lord I did this prophyalactly, I don't have cancer, I have the cancer gene.....so needless to say I have been thru a lot of crap..this is not a pity party I am actually very strong emotionally and physically, I just fell off the wagon, while I am recovering I am extremely cautious of my calorie count since I cant run or use the elliptical for a while. Just had my surgery Jan 17th. I need to reconnect with fellow sleevers to help stay on track. I guess I am looking for some encouragement... Kimster

The dreaded stretched sleeve debate..lol I'm going to copy my response and keep posting it. What you are describing is normal for the sleeve. It's not "stretched" this is the progression out from surgery. The restriction is still there. After surgery your restriction is tight. The restriction will change. Surgery few oz Might get 600+ calories first few months 4 oz five months to a year 6 oz to 8 oz 1200+ calories One year out half a plate. five to ten years a full plate "Grazing" is usually the cause of weight gain. You have a new point of volume and sensation of full. If you eat high calories throughout each day . (calories can be combination of good and bad food choices) It's the same effect as if you didn't have surgery. An excess of 500 calories will cause you to gain weight. A tip that may help: Try eating every 2 to 3 hours. Protein first and eat vegetables until the point of full. The bulk and fiber of the veggies will help with hunger. I can eat 5 to 6 oz of protein with a cup and a half of chopped salad. takes a while to eat but, it keeps my weight down and I feel full. Medical professional explanation to back this up below: Dr. Matthew Weiner Published on Mar 16, 2015 "Stomach Stretching" is the term used by many weight loss (Bariatric) surgery patients to explain the changes in their appetite and food consumption after surgery. Dr. Weiner explains what's really happening and how to prevent it.

Tomorrow will be one week since the surgery. I'm feeling pretty good. I still get an ache at the largest incision site, but nothing strong and no other issues at this point. Yay. Except the issues of itching incision sites, keep catching myself almost scratching but one touch of a staple and I stop cold. Yesterday I felt really hungry for the first time. I had already had my required minimums of Protein and Fluid, plus some. Seriously debated ignoring the hunger as it was at about 8:30 which back in my GERD treatment days was a time you should not eat or the stuff would be flowing back up when I slept. Finally just decided to heat up a cup of soup, blenderized cream of mushroom. Spooned it bit by bit until over half was eaten and was finally feeling full, or satisfied not really full. Hunger was totally gone. First pleasant surprise, no GERD type symptoms overnight. Awesome!!!! After the surgery weight gain I'd dropped a pound a day so I figured this would be my first day that I might not lose that pound since my calories were up (like almost 700 total LOL) and lo and behold I dropped 2 pounds more when I hit the scale this morning. So it may not be lightening speed but I've lost 5 pounds post op and I'm tickled with it. I've always been a slow loser so this is quick to me. I'll enjoy it while I can. I have always been a daily weigher so the fluctuations do not bother me. Actually in the past when I ignored the scale for any amount of time I was met with a gain so I will continue the daily weighs my self accountability. It's also a great way for me to see patterns of loss, gains and plateaus. Now to go get something for breakfast/lunch and then another lovely shower and walk. Life is good.

Hi this doesn't have to do with your weight gain but I am waiting for my approval. I am having my band removed as well and they are doing the sleeve. How are you feeling, compared to the band?

I underwent my 1 1/2 year appointment with the nutritionist and doctor. One of the points I brought up was the story that I heard that the stomach begins to heal at 1 1/2 years and absorbs more calories. It turns out that is a "myth". The main reason for the weight gain (in the maintenance phase) is that individuals begin to graze and when they graze they expand their stomach and then take on more weight. They also said that after RNY surgery, the part of the stomach that absorbs sugars and fats has been cut away. Therefore if one eats too much sugars or fats, the intestines don't know what to do with this and pass it through the system (diarrhea). But as time goes on, the intestines begin to adapt and absorb sugars and fats. I am 18 months post-op and my pouch is still tight. I can tell because when I eat solid foods like steaks or chicken, at some point before I consume a cup, my stomach begins to warn me not to eat anymore. I attribute this tight pouch to my meal plan. From almost the beginning, I focused on consuming high Protein home-made Soups and chili. It is a softer food that because the ingredients were mixed had more flavor. Also it was easy to take the required amount using measuring cups and easy to heat using a microwave oven. Also the food went down smoother and didn't generate that painful experience when you eat too much. At the moment, I am about 10 pounds below my goal weight. I stay away from processed sugar. I rely on natural sugars found in fruits and milk, in synthetic sugar such as Splenda and other natural sugars such as Stevia. In the beginning if I grazed I concentrated on grazing on Proteins. But now I mainly graze on fats. Fats have the ability to take away hunger. I stay away from grazing on carbs. I do graze. But I also monitor my weight daily. I laid out what I was eating and my meal plan with the nutritionist. Their take was just keep doing what I am doing.

I've had a mirena in for over a year. I use it for heavy periods and after the first few months of spotting it's been spectacular! I'm not anemic for the first time ever. I haven't noticed any weight gain or trouble losing. Just one other perspective. I've never taken birth control pills so I wouldnt know about that.

Urgh! Green has got the blues. She has just come home from spending a number of days in the Canadian wilderness at her in-law's cottage. Bad food, many, many bug bites, some weight gain, and, oh yah, really bad food! Apart from the trillion goddam bugs not too many animals, eh. haha :heh:

Just got back from my pre-op appnt and i'm so annoyed with myself. I knew the liquid diet was going to take care of the 10-15 pound required weight loss so just ate whatever for the past months. Now ive gained 10 pounds. Doc wasn't happy with the weight gain and wanted me to lose that in addition to the original 10 pounds. Thankfully its just made me more resolved to stick to the liquid diet. No more fooling around. I guess its just Optifast shakes, soups and Healthwise drinks for the next 2 weeks. I can and will do it!

Post-Surgery Weight Regain: Mental Health Regular readers will appreciated the importance of mental health factors both as a promoter of weight gain as well as an important barrier to weight management. It is therefore no surprise that in our systematic review of weight regain after bariatric surgery, published in Obesity Surgery, we found substantial evidence for the role of mental health factors both in failure to lose adequate amounts of weight or to regain any weight lost. Out of the sixteen studies included in the review, all studies that examined this factor, implicated uncontrolled mental health issues as an important cause of weight regain. These included, binge eating disorder, depression and addictive behaviours (alcohol and drug use). In fact, there was a linear relationship between the number of reported psychiatric diagnoses and the magnitude of weight regain. Overall, patients with two or more psychiatric conditions were approximately six times more likely to either lose no further weight or regain weight than patients without psychiatric problems. At least one study reported that 80 % of patients identified pre-operatively with an eating disorder, and who did not receive any treatment pre-operatively, had recurrent feelings of binge eating at 6 months post-operation. In addition to binge eating, some researchers describe a new sub-clinical disorder described as “grazing” (consuming multiple small meals with feelings of loss of control with eating), the incidence of which appeared to increase after surgery and was associated with an increased tendency for weight regain. Interestingly, one study found that completion rates of behavioural modification therapy increased to 91% when performed post-operatively, compared to 14 % when done pre-operatively. Nevertheless, it probably makes more sense, when possible, to address mental health issues prior to undergoing surgery. In summary, our review finds ample evidence that a wide range of mental health problems can lead to maladaptive eating, which if unregocgnised and untreated will prove a persistent impediment to surgical weight loss. This is why extensive mental health assessments and interventions both prior to as well as following surgery should be a routine part of bariatric care. If you have experienced specific mental health issues to be an important factor in weight gain after surgery, I’d like to hear about it. @DrSharma Edmonton, AB Karmali S, Brar B, Shi X, Sharma AM, de Gara C, & Birch DW (2013). Weight Recidivism Post-Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review. Obesity surgery PMID: 23996349

I have always been big, I am 6'2 so in high school I was nicked name Jolly Green Giant. At that time I wasn't offended because I was big but most of it was muscle. I was very fit even thoiugh i was thick. I was huge into sports, so I could eat what I wanted and not gain. Then after Hs I got married at 18. Boy that was a BAD diet. My weight creeped up into the 250. I stayed in the 200's the first 5 years of marriage. Then our dreams came true. We were pregnant. We had been off birth control for five years and trying, testing, crying, wondering if it would ever happen. I had a wonderful pregnancy, never sick, nothing. Then I started having back pain real bad, I called me doc and he said that is normal your body is getting used to stretching. Well this pain lasted over a week. Finally One night around 12 or 1 I told my Dh I needed to go to the hospital. I went and they gave me a shot and sent me home. I went to my Ob the next day to just check. To my shock, They could not find my babies heartbeat. This could not be happening to me, Not only could we not find the heartbeat, it it looked as if my child had passed several weeks ago and I had not known it. I was admitted to the hospital to have a dnc, it was now thought I had been in labor for weeks and my body just couldn't do it. This lead to alot of weight gain due to depression. We had a baby girl. She had passed from a genetic disorder called Turners syndrom. God knew what he was doing because, Although some do live with Turners, It is a very hard diease to cope with. After a year we tried again and low and behold I was pregnant. I got over 300 for the first time in my life. I ate alot because I was so scared of misscarring. The yoyo effect was now a life style for me. I was up and down for the next five years and through two more pregnancies. At 28, I am in nursing school, married, with three perfect children, and missrable beyond belif. My feet hurt I am in the worst shape of my life. I am on zoloft just to get through the day. My Bf mention to me, her sister who had the lap band and had lost over 200 lbs. I thought about it and started researching it. I am now scheduled in 10 days to have my band. And My Dh has decided to do it with me, so we will be a team.

Hi Cam... thanks so much. I really appreciate all the info. I remember the pain well and if i get it all over again than it was ment to be and i'll try and be big and brave. I dont want to be fat anymore ( oops!! must be getting close to that time of the month as im getting teary writting this). Doesnt help when my 6yo daughter just found the underwear hidden away that i wore on my wedding day in 1994... she just walked out with them on and they nearly fit her. The whole Bra doesnt even fit over one of my boobs now. Just shows that a 40kg weight gain over the past 12 years = HUGE!!! :-(

yeah the reason my dr said to loose weight and git fitter as i have asthma and its only associated with weight and that can put me in as a high risk and that it is a longer waiting list also he wants me to be healthyer for the op. any how maybe he is just trying to get me off my ass and give me a good reason to start now, than to wait untill i get the band ..i have not been on a diet for about 4 years hence the big weight gain i have a BMI of 52. dr nottle asked me to come back after i have been to see the other doctor and diatisian... and to make it a few weeks after i see physician so all the test results will be back... i dont care when i get in to have band, as i think that taking the first step to a better health is more than doing nothing at all and if i have to wait 12 months or more that is fine. as id never be able to afford to go private. and as for duromine my dr put me on it. as a kick start and nothing else. he made that clear to me when he said to me about going back on it.. dr nottle knew i had been on it and never said anything about it. i guess he has seen alot of people that would try anything at all to loose weight. i guess i can ask him his thoughts on duromine on my next appointment.. i have msn if you want to add me for a chat bronnie if you would like to add me. i first saw dr nottle in december thanks kayene

Sue, that's GREAT news!!! I'm so happy for you. Don't be embarrassed about the weight gain. If we could control our weight on our own, I'm just sure none of us would be having surgery. I know I wouldn't have spent $13,500 out of pocket either.

Took my waterproof dressings off today - 6 days post op. Have 4 puncture points/incisions. 3 are tiny and the longest is 2 inches long. They don't hurt any more unless I stretch or lean on them or carry too much. But it still feels very tight and swollen - and I'm still lethargic as my body heals. Have attached photos for the more curious amongst you. The one at the top (just under bra line) is barely even visible any more, the other 3 have a fair bit of bruising around them.... NO weight gained or lost without band so far.... I returned to work today (but working from home) however will get back into the office tomorrow. I have an office job but I manage over 50 IT staff so its high pressure role and I know the fatigue will be tough this week.

I don't know what else to do, my weight keeps going up regardless of working out daily and counting calories. My insurance doesn't cover WLS so we're thinking going to Mexico. Has anyone with pcos and constant weight gains has success with the sleeve? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Okay so I’m late to the party, but here is my $0.02. 10 years ago I lost ALL of my hair when I was on chemo for TNBC. The single biggest risk factor for any kind of cancer is obesity. Eventually chemo ended, the hair came back (it was really weird hair for the first year— it was frizzy and a bit orange) and by 12-18 months post-Chemo, nobody would’ve known I was bald as an egg previously. I’m 4.5 months post sleeve, and I’ve noticed some thinning— especially around my temples and on the top of my scalp and it’s slightly annoying because I’d rather not cut my hair until I hit goal and don’t feel like emphasizing my face until then. If it thins much more I might have to cut it. Another side effect from having breast cancer is 2 reconstructive surgeries and scarring, etc. the side that got the radiation is much firmer than the unaffected breast and at the end of the day there’s only so much plastic surgeons can do. 🤷‍♀️ I’ve also got stretch marks in various places across my thighs, abdomen, and upper arms from rapid weight gain and pregnancy. My skin prior to surgery totally was a wreck to start with. I wanted to go into this detail because I’ve already experienced all of these things you’re worried about, and I was morbidly obese! How I look at it now is I can have all these issues and be fat, unhealthy, unhappy, and at continued high risk for cancer recurrence, or I can be fit, fabulous, and happy and decide later if I want/need plastics for excess skin. Honestly the plastic that I want most of all will be Lipo on my thighs. Even when I was in my 20’s and weighed at or under 135, I HATED my thunder thighs and I had massive cellulite even when I was a size 4/6. *sigh Edited to add... I’ve lost 61 pounds and have gone from a size 22 to a size 14 since February 6th.  

I was diagnosed with hypothyroid about 10 yrs ago and even after starting synthroid I struggled with with severe weight gain. To make a long story short.... I finally found an enternist who would actually take the time to listen to me. She explained to me that thyroid medication is one of those medications where there can be a huge difference between name brand and generic. After 9 yrs of taking levothyroxine, she put me on synthroid (take exactly as instructed) and my levels have been in normal range every since. It's a little more pricy for name brand, but definitely worth it! I'm 3.5 weeks post op and have lost 15 pounds. Im 35 yrs old and I haven't felt this good since I was in high school.

Not being able to exercise does make it harder. I didn't exercise at all from my surgey in November until May, but once I started walking ( I was walking some before surgery and then stopped after surgery) it made a difference. Spring was when I stopped losing, not having restriction, but the walking stopped any weight gain and actually I have lost a few more pounds. Water aerobics would be great, especially during these hot summer months! You're an experienced and successful bandster, you know what to do to get to where you want to be.

TOM and colds/virus are notorious for affecting restriction. it often follows that the week before and during make it tighter as does any cold etc. i was always like this and now on combined HRT the pattern has stayed the same. On the bright side, i have avoided the weight gain sometimes seen with HRT :thumbup:

Renee!! I'm so sorry you're having to go through all this right now!! This whole process of jumping through insurance hoops is so stressful!! Is there anyway you can get on a waiting list with your pulmonoligist office so if someone cancels an earlier appt you can get in before the 17th? I have a cpap that I never wear...I hope they don't say anything to me about it!!! This is such a hard time of year to have our final appts (mine's tomorrow too) with all the food from the holidays. My surgeons office though wasn't too concerned about any weight gain so hopefully yours wont be either! I know its hard but try to stay positive...it will all work out!! Let me know if you need to chat/vent!!

I know it's not an appeal...just sounds like a lot of the rigamoro of appeals others of us have gone through...just as frustrating and annoying. I meant in the future you could try and combat the weight gain by keeping food logs...always helps me. Got to try somehow.