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I used the preop phase to ease people into the fact that I'm making lifestyle changes. So I told them that I was trying to lose weight by replacing two meals with high protein shakes and having a low carb dinner. I also bought a 64oz water bottle and have been toting around non stop. Since I had my surgery in Mexico I said I was going to visit family with my parents (my step dad is Mexican and his family lives in Tijuana) couldn't be more perfect. While I was there I made sure everyone took plenty pictures of food as well as tourist sites so I could post them on my social media to make things seem more normal. Now that I'm back no one has noticed too much of the weight loss, the few that have I just keep advertising my protein shakes and exercising my will power when they bring in food for employees. I saw someone post once, "No one asked me the details about my weight gain or how I got there, so they don't need to know the details of my weight loss or how I'm getting there" LOL!

Hi Jen, I have PCOS and I was put on Metformin as well as BC pills to help regulate my cycle and reduce the symptoms of PCOS (acne, weight gain, etc.). I've been on this combination 1 full year and it has helped to regulate my cycle better and reduce the acne. It has done absolutely nothing to reduce my weight gain, but I do know of others it has helped in that regard.

Ok, let's have some drama for the weekend and shake the tree!!!! Question: Is the only difference between meeting your goal and maintaining it long term versus losing some of the weight and regaining part or all, only about following your diet, weighing/measuring/logging and exercising (i.e. maintaining healthy diet/exercise practices)? ORRRRRRRRR Does weight gain at year 2 or 3 "just magically happen" through no fault of your own and despite continuing to eat the SAME exact healthy diet you were eating to lose and initially maintain? I mean, if you're still eating 1000-1200 cals/day and exercising 4-5 days a week, 45 minutes a day--will you regain the 10-20lbs regardless of how pure you are? Or is regain ONLY gonna happen when we revert to old poor food behaviors and overeating/eating crap or eating around our surgeries? I'm honestly terrified of being in this second group. I want to know what I must be on-guard about after surgery. Like I can't fool myself into believing that after surgery moderation in everything will allow me to lose and maintain my losses. It's just illogical. I never had balance before. I crave bad crap. Often eat emotionally. Etc. If I don't revise ALL of those things, it seems to me, I'm just a few bites away from regaining all the hard won losses? True? Or false? Will all of you who've maintained their losses please share your secrets for maintaining your weight losses without a regain or only a tiny regain, please????

Correction everyone, my BMI is 29. Just got back from my OBGYN and she let me know that I've gained 10 lbs since I last saw her 6 months ago. She is concerned with my cholesterol levels as well as my weight gain over the last 5 years. However, she wants me to try Weight Watchers before I go through with WLS. I've tried weight watchers before and it didn't work for me. I just seem to struggle with my weight and can't lose it. I'm worried about becoming a diabetic like my other family members. Anyone have a jump start diet they know of that would possibly work? I think I will try and see what I can do once again on my own for the next several months and if I can't do it, then I will opt back to the sleeve. I was just hoping to be a little smaller for swimsuit weather coming up. ????

That's simply not true. My weight gain was a DIRECT result of high doses of oral prednisone as well as IV decadron combined with lack of movement due to rheumatoid arthritis for 9 long years. It completely destroyed my adrenal function. I ate very healthfully with an occasional snack. But nothing in crazy excess. I simply lacked metabolism, my RMR was zilch and physically I couldn't move. The only way I could lose weight after many consultations, crying at different docs offices, was WLS. Coupled with some of the studies showing that some people with autoimmune disorders were showing signs of remission, my decision was made. And it was the best one ever! I was in some form of extreme pain almost daily for 9 years. Since surgery- one flare that lasted 2 days and was very manageable.

I am a vet lol. Never thought I'd be happy about that. I am so happy we have this post. Thanks Susan. I agree on no complaining about stalls and the earlier process of our weight loss. I really do like hearing from others about how their doing when in maintenance and about whether they have weight gain etc. right now I'm doing food. I do look kinda baggy too. Noticed how skinny I look in the mirror and went wowZa. I do love my body. /)

Some of the weight gain could be muscle if you are working out especially if you upped your workout. Also as women we can gain five pounds in a day due to hormones and our monthly cycle. As long as you are eating well I would just watch and see if it was just a fluke. You could also try if you are not already eating very low carb.. less then 20 grams a day... Just a thought...

Think of it this way. After surgery, for some people, there is no difference and they can eat pretty much what they want...until they get enough fill(s) to feel restriction. Then they start living as bandsters. For a very few, there is some weight gain during that time, known as "bandster hell". Then with restriction later, the fun begins..... Remember too that people who talk on this site are often looking for support for difficult times, so it appears that there are more problems with the lap band than therereally are. People who aren't haveing prolbems are less likely to post...they're just out living life. Believe me....I had cravings, binge eating, and grazing problems...and all the usual failed diets. For the first time in my life, with the band, I am losing and comfortable. When I screw up, I just stop losing..until I get back on the program. The band waits for me to get it together. I can live with that....

Those damned grocery store displays is right. We are surrounded by temptation, damned commercials, damned ads in magazines. But Tricia is right, the first line of defence is keeping a 'clean' house. I have 3 young kids, 11, 8 adn 6. I often feel as though I have to have 'something' in the house, 'for them' But often I am eating more than each of them. So I am starving my kids off sugar. That can only be a good thing, or at least training them that treats are for weekends. But certainly I feel your pain. I am all for throwing them in the garbage. I had to do that with much of the crap candy from Halloween that my kids had. I didnt' even want them to eat it. Good luck with this, it is a very difficult thing to do. hugs here is a good article I read on Canada.com Michelle Lang, CanWest News Service; Calgary Herald Published: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 KANANASKIS, Alta. - With an abundance of cheap, high-calorie food all around us, eating is replacing cigarettes and alcohol as the new "drug of choice,'' says a University of Calgary scientist. At an Alberta obesity conference on Tuesday, Jaideep Bains argued food may have more addictive properties than many people realize, with both eating and drugs activating the same regions of the brain. Back to Body & Health A molecule called orexin, for instance, is critical to stimulating appetite and also makes the brain more sensitive to the effects of cocaine, noted the neuroscientist and assistant professor at the university. "It's not drugs and alcohol that are the drug of choice these days it's food,'' Bains said. "Feeding behaviours are not dissimilar to addictive behaviours.'' The Alberta Obesity Summit is a two-day conference bringing together scientists from across North America to discuss their research into the growing problem of bulging waistlines. Bains also told the conference that stress appears linked to eating and addiction, triggering both behaviours, particularly binge eating and relapses in recovering substance abusers. He noted stressed-out university students, for example, may "pig out'' during exams. "Stress could make cravings (for food and drugs) more profound,'' he said. "There's also some thinking it could relieve stress. That it's a coping mechanism.'' Another presenter at the conference said it's never too early to start tackling weight problems, arguing a predisposition to obesity could even begin in the womb. Rhonda Bell, a human nutritionist at the University of Alberta, noted a Dutch study of pregnant women who were malnourished when their country was occupied during the Second World War had children with increased obesity rates. Bell's own research in animals also suggests early eating habits have a profound impact on weight gain later in life. In one study, Bell introduced fructose, a type of sugar, into the diets of rats between seven- and 12-days old when they would normally be feeding on milk from their mothers. The rats grew up to be 20 per cent heavier at 12 weeks old than rats who consumed a normal diet in the first weeks of life. Her research also found rats on high carbohydrate diets passed their weight problems onto their offspring. ``We look at kids and say `they can eat anything. They're so resilient.' But that isn't always true,'' she said. University of Calgary scientist Keith Sharkey said research presented at the conference suggests obesity is a disorder of the brain that's also strongly influenced by early life experiences. He said more research needs to be done to understand obesity so scientists can advise policymakers on how best to intervene in the problem. "We're not in any doubt as to what we have to do,'' said Sharkey, who helped organize the conference. "We're in doubt as to the best way to solve it.'' © CanWest News Service 2006 Oh ya, and love yourself enough. <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Hello everyone. Fellow sleever here. After years of yoyo dieting and disappointing weight gains I finally made the decision to look into a weight loss tool that works and after months of research, psych evaluations and nutritionist visits I was finally approved for the gastric sleeve. I am scheduled for surgery on the 30th of this month. I'm a little nervous and excited but extremely thankful I found this forum, your posts are very helpful.

Hi, I'm on Meds that I have to stay on, Ive been on them for 10 years but it resulted in me gaining 70 pounds in the first two years. I've tried many things but it doesn't budge. Would gastric sleeve help me? Thank you.

Travelling down was not great, my compression band was really irritating! It is heavy, and it creases, and put pressure right on the ends of my incision! While I was in Texas, I went shopping, and found a firmest control type of high waisted compression he told me I could move to after 2 weeks, and let me tell you it made a HUGE difference!!! It is made of soft sleek material, as opposed to the other that was stiff. I bought 1, to see how it did, and have already been back to buy another! I am allowed to move to less firm control after 4 weeks.....so will see what I do then. Other than that the trip was uneventful. I was concerned about weight gain! I am on antibiotics---so have to eat 3 meals a day with the pills to avoid making myself sick at my stomach. Since we were there such a short time, we didn't really open up the house much, so did not turn on appliances---so ate out the entire time, or with relatives. But I only come home 2 pounds up, and when the swelling from the heat went away so did the 2 pounds. But that means I am still sitting at 177----time to get busy I guess!!! I did end up with some infection, which he said was highly common when the fat necrosis begins, due to the moist areas. It was grown and only shows a strept type infection, no staph type grew. It is still oozing, and has some open areas. My incision is not curved, it is more angled, following the angles of my body. It begins on one hip, and goes down on an angle to the "corner" of the pubic bone, then straight across, way low, right at the pubic hairline, then when it gets to the other side it angles back up to the other hip bone. From the edge of the pubic bone on both sides up to the hip bone it looks awesome! Healed almost invisibly!!! BUT the straight across part looks horrible, oozy, and has a couple of holes in it. He says it is ok, but I am concerned, and looking forward to my appointment Wed. to see if it should still be this way. I want it better!!! It does not hurt. There is no real pain left. Occasionally I stretch further than before and a muscle twinges, but nothing bad. I went for a motorcycle ride last night!!! It felt wonderful! Didn't go far, just a maiden voyage since surgery!!! DH said he sure could feel the difference in room on the bike! My size 12's are still what I am wearing, they are loose enough to be comfy and yet look like they fit. One of the biggest differences in the compression garments is how my clothes work with them. The old one was made with this ace bandage kind of like texture, so it helped hold up clothes that were too big. The new one being slick----does not!!! Almost lost a pair of pull on capris! I was walking in a store in Brownwood Texas, and felt like the crotch was twisting----nope, they were almost falling off!!! I would have been so mortally embarassed!! LOL!!! Anyway, gonna go check on the girls coming up!!! Just wanted to let you know, the travelling was fine----I did get my Dr.'s ok first though!!! Kat

i have never used depo but because of my gradual weight gain after high school i haven't had a period in almost 5 years.. dr told me that if i loose weight then i willstart to have cycles again so your weight could def be a factor in the no periods.

I definitely understand what you're going through. I have been experiencing depression and anxiety since getting my band. My issues focus mainly on fear of the band itself; something going wrong with it: slippage, erosion, etc. I am constantly worried about it. I also have a feeling like "oh my gosh, what did I do!?!?" Certainly if I dont lose at a good pace, that will make me upset. I do find Wellbutrin helps me. I don't know where I'd be without it! I'm so glad I stayed on it after surgery because I know without it I'd be a mess. Maybe you could talk to your doctor about it. It doesn't cause weight gain and I do feel it's helpful. With regard to the weight loss, I would say to try and remember this is a long journey and it will take time to achieve the final goal, but you can do it!

Let's see, starting weight 240, sleeve on 12/26/12. I'd say I dropped to 183. Revision to bypass 8/14/14 starting weight around 183. No reflux after revision. So here is the doozy, I got pregnant and had twins oct 2015. As of July 2016 I was 166. However, as of today I am back to 183 (my body is obviously comfortable here), even though I am not! I noticed weight gain from July until December (166-181). I had an upper GI done and my stoma is stretched. My pouch is fine, not stretched at all. So my stoma is rounded now which allows good to pass through too fast, so much so that I'm allllllways hungry. So now I am in the insurance stage for approval for a revision. At which time if approved my doc wouldn't either redo my bypass or staple the stoma so it doesn't gather food and push it through quickly. Revision was easier than sleeve, mainly bc I knew what to expect and the pain meds I had the first time didn't help so I knew what they needed to give me from the start of recovery. My sleeve I was supposed to do one night but bc of pain I did two. My revision was two nights bc it was a revision and they needed to see how my body would react. My second revision would be one night stay. The issue I am having now with my stoma is rare, don't let it scare u. Oh and days off of work, sleeve I did two weeks but it was over xmas vaca so I had the time and just took it. Revision I think 4-5 days and mainly bc of being tired not bc of pain. Please ask me anything else!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I was sleeved on 10/9 and during the 1st 2 weeks lost 18 lbs. When I went on puréed foods I stalled for 5 days and now I've gained 2 lbs. I started to add unflavored protein powder to my food and wonder if this is the cause. This is so frustrating to go thru all this to not only not lose but to gain so soon. And please don't bother with the "you lost 18 you should be so proud" remarks. Something is amiss with my surgery. I've never read about anyone gaining so soon. I follow the diet and portion and only drink water and 0 cal drinks.

I'm totally there with you, I'm 7 weeks post op (a June sleever) and the 3 week plateau did come with a pound or two weight gain and nooooo weight loss for a week. Here is week 7 and I've gained 2 pounds! Here we go again. Booooo! I'm right with you in calories too, I hear about ppl who can BARELY stomach 600 calories, I'm between 800 - 1100. I'm 5'8". While your caloric intake is higher than others at your stage, you aren't eating enough to GAIN weight. Your Protein looks good, Water is good (I'm not doing well in the water intake department), exercise looks good. Remember, you will hear this throughout this site and the SAME thing happened to me with my first stall, getting into 'onederland' sometimes takes a while. My first stall at 3 weeks I was at 201 and stuck like Chuck. One week later I lost 4 pounds! We have different set points, maybe this is yours. I am now stuck again at 7 weeks, same issues as first stall and even though I know it will pass I am discouraged. But stalls come and go from what I hear, so we better get used to it. Just keep truckin' along and stay positive.

This is ridiculous, yes, I’m not done. I know how weight gain messes with your head. Depression, shame beating yourself up. Much of getting back on track is the mental battles. If your struggling Talk it out with us, find a counselor, find some books on the issues your battling. Night snacking is my battle – some of my go to items - veggie tray with hummus, strawberries dipped in Hershey’s sugar free syrup or sugar free popsicles. Nip it in the bud and stop. Exercise/ increase your activity. Find what you enjoy. Do it even on days you don’t want to. Below is my reason why I get it in. Video "where does the fat go when you lose weight?"

I FINNALLY had it happen!! It took a day and a half, but at least things happened. I watch Survivor, and just knew I was going to be like that guy that was taken outta the game !!!!! ROFLOL It took with it, my pound weight gain!!!!! (ok, so I know it didn't - but the pound dissappeared and thats all that mattered!!!)

Hi MelAnne, I'm so very sorry you are struggling so. Sweetheart, you are only 3 weeks out, and your body is still in the WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO ME phase. I think just about everyone goes through this. But you said you were gaining weight. Okay, was this gain when you moved from liquids? It is so very frustrating for this weight gain, but it isn't really, it is a matter of your colon now having matter in it, where it was empty before. I believe it was Capt'n Jack who said that the colon can hold up to 15 pounds of matter. Now, you are absolutely right, the band does not work for everyone. The band does not work for me, but I have other things going on. If you are continuing to gain weight even after you have had your prper fill, you will want to talk to you doctor about this. Do not let them push you off, because weight gain on little calories can be a symptom of a very serious condition. Getting filled is not a game, a lot of people get good restriction with their first fill. But the band does not work without a fill. It isn't designed to work without one. Any weight loss before your first fill is BONUS. Please don't be so hard on yourself.

Ok Ok Ok...Hold on right here Becky. You told me men are turned on by cimmamon and you were looking to get the old man active.lol lol. So I sent a receip that if made right would do the trick. This plan was to get husband active so you could burn off some calories Hmmmmm won't say how. YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO EAT THE CIMMAMON BARS TOO. Suppose since I didn't add the footnote to the e-mail I sent about YOU not eating any will result in me being sued for your weight gain. Ha go ahead. means you have to make a personal appearnce in court same time I do and then I can give you a big hug...lol I made them damn cimmamon bars last week for a church function and was so proud of myself that I doidn't eat a single one while at home. Got to church and couldn't stay out of them. Wife said looks like you eat three pounds of them. Damn thats what I gained this week. She is good.

My thoughts exactly. I just returned from my endoscopy this morning. sleeved over 6 years ago and noticed return of reflux (weight gain) and wanted to check it out. Turns out my sleeve is a little stretched and although I was nervous about bypass, I'm moving forward after today as I am not going back and I know what I didn't do with the sleeve..I fully own my part in this setback. I'm doing the pre stuff for revision to bypass and wondered if I was the only one as this doesn't appear to be a big topic. This is my 2nd chance to get it right.

I think I have hit the 3 week plateau/1 pound weight gain, but I wanted to double check I have my numbers on things all right. I tried to post this as it's own thread but did not like the responses I got. Hopefully, July sleeveers can be more helpful. Is it 60-80 grams of Protein a day? 64oz of Water but do protein shakes count towards that number ? 1000-1200 calories a day? (I am only 4' 10") Is there a fat, carbs, to protein ratio or anything? Using my fitness pal to track my calories, carbs, protein, fat . . . Is their a maximum amount of carbs/sugar per protein shake? I had to stop Bariatric fusion because I could not take it post surgery. 30 minutes no liquids before eating and 45 minutes post eating? No more than 4oz of protein shake or protein soup at a time to avoid stretching stomach? At least 30 minutes of cardio a day? Any certain amount of fruits or vegetables? Anyone have any tips? Just discouraged! I am just about to get below 200 and have lost about 30 pounds since surgery so being stuck is playing a mental game.

Many people experience a fear of failure when it comes to weight loss. This is cemented into their minds by the failures they experienced by years of "yo-yo" dieting. RNY gastric bypass surgery is a whole different experience. After surgery I completely lost my hunger. I found that it was not hard to lose weight when hunger was not constantly and incessantly gnawing at my bones. Back to your problem, weight gain during the pre-op stage. Here are some recommendations: Begin attending Bariatric Surgery Support Group meetings. They are generally free. Walk 30 minutes every day. Give up all carbonated beverages. I lost 20 pounds on giving up my 6 diet Coke a day habit pre-op alone. Read the calorie labels of everything you consume, especially at fast food restaurants and try and pick low calorie foods. I use to love milk shakes at "Steak and Shake" but after reading the number of calories in a milkshake, I gave that up for life. On the other hand a crunchy taco at Taco Bell isn't bad nor a bowl of chili at Wendy's.

@@rydersmama, congratulations on developing all of these new problems! And thanks for this great thread. Yes, being cold without 100 lbs of fat to insulate is definitely a problem that didn’t exist before weight loss surgery! It’s nice that I can fit into the extra layers of clothing that I need, though! Another one is the annoyance of people telling me that I don’t need to… “You don’t need to watch what you eat.” “You don’t need to skip dessert.” “You don’t need to work out so much.” Well, yes, actually, I DO need to! That’s how I am able to maintain my weight loss! It is so flattering that people see me as someone without a weight problem, but it is annoying when they think I can maintain my weight without any effort – almost nobody can, even most people who have never been overweight work really hard to prevent weight gain! All these “skinny people problems” are such beautiful reminders of how far I have come, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.