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vine's- i have read your journal for the first time today. it was interesting (and unsettling) watching you morph from excitement and NSV's after your surgery to where you are today....very unhappy and depressed (my interpetation). i have been there. this is the third time in my life i have been at my current weight...i have always been able to get down to 190 or so...and then i gain every lb plus back....it scares me to death to know it could start at any moment...today could be the day i start gaining...it keeps me on edge always... although i feel great about how i have done so far, this last week or so i have been feeling out of sorts, eating things i should not...feeling not so good about myself...these are all signs that my weight gain is about to start...i am struggling to keep it under control. with that said, i want you to know that you were one of the people who inspired me and help me to make my decision about getting the band. you cannot give up. you cannot let them get the best of you...you must continue to fight. stop concentrating on the weight loss for now, and concentrate on getting well. i pray that they are able to get your cushings under control. don't do this to yourself. some things are beyond our control!! lastly, it really made my heart hurt when i read that it hurts you (and other turtles) to see tickers with weight loss on them....i am so sorry it hurts people...but it is just so important to my own personnel journey....it is in no way meant to be hurtful.. i am sending good vibes and prayers your way. i will continue to stop in and see how you are doing!

In 2004 I had the lapband done and suffered with it for 7 years before I had it removed.I lost weight gained weight,found with therapy what I thought was normal...lost that again and regained it all back. After having the band out in 2011 it took a while to get brave enough to do the sleeve.With the bad experience I had with the band I never really thought I would actually do the sleeve. The thing was that diet and not dieting took up all my mental energy for way too long.I have been thoroughly stuck for the past few years.It was just time to get unstuck and the sleeve seemed to be the only to do it. The surgery was done on the 13th of March and today is the 17th,day 3 after surgery. Today I have been drinking tea with milk,chicken broth,consomme,yakult light and hot water.It all goes down great.The only thing I cannot drink is any kind of juice.It falls hard into my stomache and I realized that it makes acid as my chest tightens and I struggle for a while to get it to open every time I had some.I must confess the yakult (drinking yogurt) did the same just now...maybe I will just give this a pass for another day or two. The only Thing I am not sure about today is the headache that keeps coming back every 6 hours.I am drinking enough,have slept enough not done too much today....just not sure why Im getting this terrible headache. O,one more thing.Every time the dr stops my blood pressure meds before surgery I come out of the hospital at least 5kg's heavier...10 pounds...(the tablet have a very powerful diuretic in it) And this time is no different.My weight is not even back to what it was before surgery so I have to be patient and wait until I can start drinking it again,which seems to be a week after surgery. This sleeve is really going to be a prosess of changing my habits and make me more patient...as I have decided to learn to go with the flow and to not sweat the small stuff so much anymore. Cant wait to see what the next few days bring. xxo

Hi. I am sorry you had a weight gain. I never heard of PGX. Have you thought of going back to your surgeon and dietitian for help? They maybe the best people to help you get back on track. Good luck.

What causes weight gain after sleeve surgery? The exact same things that cause it before surgery. Too much food and no exercise. The surgery is only gonna give you a helpful tool to limit you intake. The rest is up to you. You have to change all your eating habits and get you bod moving. Yeah, yeah, yeah.....I know....you dieted and exercised before. Really, you gonna stick with that story. The surgery is your chance to get it right. Eating small portions require you eat the correct nutritional food or you will become weak and tired. Eat too much and it will hurt. As you adjust to the new eating guidelines and begin losing weight, you'll gain the energy to exercise and workout and do all the things you've been missing. Then over time, these new guidelines will develop into new lifestyle habits which will stay with you when you reach your goals. So in the end........you won't overeat the wrong foods and sit around on your ass doing nothing and gaining weight. -

A fluroscope is used for fills. The dr has me drink a Fluid that he watches pass through the band to gauge the amount of fluid needed in the band. Upper GI is when the dr uses an endoscope inserted through the mouth to view the esphogus and stomach. Everyone I know that has a band has either spasms or gerd or both. Anyone know why this is? Anyone out there that doesn't have either? I am frustrated by the spasms and the gerd but not wanting to get my band removed. Afraid of the weight gain. I also have Fibromyalgia and Osteonecrosis both of which complicate matters for me. The FM can and does cause the spasms and gerd along with a host of other things and both limit ability to exercise. Would like to know if others that have FM have similiar banding issues.

14 lbs in a month is amazing! That is a lot for one month. I'm thrilled to get 8-10lbs a month. A friend posted her weight loss post surgery, as she said it isn't about how fast you get there, but where you end up. She lost 100 lbs, it took over 14 months, fo the last 7-8 months it was 1-2lbs a month. Also, I agree with dr. Matthew Weiner's perspective on exercise. That there are a lot of benefits, but impact on weight loss is negligible and in fact it can create a risk of injury that can then impact mobility and then cause weight gain...I am active, but not doing heavy exercise right now, I walk and get in 10000 steps a day, I will eventually start weight training, but carefully because every single one of my weight gains was precipitated by an injury. Rotator cuff, torn acl, tennis elbow to name just a few.

Today Tell Newyear's Day The Average Person Will Gain 7pound's Of Weight. Due To Over Eating And,( Also Liquid Calorie's ) Add Up Fast. Putting Off, There Daily Walk. I,will Do It Tomorrow. Mine Is Over Eating Candy! That Is My Down Fall! I'allow My Self To Eat Some What Of Junk Food One Day,a Few More Hundred Calorie' Intake That Day Then Fight The Calorie's The Rest Of The Week! I Hope Every One Out There In Band Land Will Have A Safe And Loving Time With Your Family's And Friend's Over Christmass!!! And Also Remember To Think About All Your Choice's Of Food,however If You Been Fitting A Few Pound's For A While Now Is Not The Time To Let Your Self Go With Eating As You May End Up Fighting For Another Month.weight Loss. Well Good Luck Most Of All God Bless You All! Have A Safe Hoilday! And No Drinking And Driving "i Want To See You All Here Back After Christmass.johnq

Did anyone gain weight pre op?? I was weighed in May, and I've gained 10lbs since then. My surgery is in Sept. and I meet with my surgeon tomorrow, and I'm so nervous he will turn me down. I have been working really hard, but I still gained..help....

I'm sorry that you are struggling.... the food addiction and pyschological issues that go along with it are horrible! I've been in therapy for 8 years trying to overcome it ,but its incredibly difficult, since most of us equate food with love. It's something that we learned at an early age, its comforting.... and its very shameful, which is why we mostly eat/ binge alone. And if we're not alone we're always "explaining away" why we're eating what we're eating. It's especially shameful to have gone through weight loss surgery only to be having the same problem. I have been trying a new approach to this... and I don't know how long its going to work, or maybe it will be a new way of eating for me, but a friend gave me this book called The 21 day Virgin Diet, written by JJ Virgin. And its basically a book to see if you have allergies to foods.... foods that maybe you are having an allergic reaction to, that causes inflammation or weight gain, and we just don't realize it. The summary is... you cut out dairy, eggs, gluten, soy, corn, sugar and artificial sweeteners for 21 days. After that, you reintroduce these foods, one at a time for a week at a time, to see if your body has any reaction to it. I've been doing this for about 8 days... and have lost about 4 lbs. But i'm trying to not make it about the weight for me, becuase that takes me to a bad place. If I can convince myself that maybe I do have a food allergy... maybe cheese, although i love it, isnt the best thing for my body to be ingesting? Or maybe i shouldnt be eating soy? Sometimes, we can convince our brains that this is not a diet... I mean, you can eat as much as you want, just not any of those things.. therefore.. i'm not restricted, therefore, its not a diet. I figure its worth a shot... i have nothing to lose... you may want to look into it and see if its something that might help. Take care! Nikki

Yikes! I think Hop_Scotch was merely trying to explain that various factors could be contributed to a stall and sometimes knowing if a change has occurred or not could be a factor as to whether or not a stall is taking place. I think I can simply answer your question if you'd like. Common only applies to the person who is experiencing it. For myself I lost I think 22 lbs quickly before my pre op, then being on pre op I lost some more. Post surgery I lost 14 lbs in about 9 says then BOOM a stall. I was in that stall for 5 weeks. No weight loss no weight gain. I was not working out to the extent you do because I am pending a knee replacement so I have some mobility issues. After the 5 week stall I then began losing weight again without any problem but at a much slower rate which for me was disheartening as I thought I should be losing more but according to my team I am losing at an average rate of speed and amount. There are loads of threads on the dreaded stall. You could do a search for them if you prefer to read what others have posted versus having to provide your details.

Neat idea for a thread. I too, am "A lady in waiting," for my surgical date that is. Been approved by the insurance and I feel I am almost obsessed with getting this done. I am on three message boards and call my doc's office everyday waiting for them to call me back with a date. Fears? Ummmm ... my biggest fear is that I won't lose the weight I need to. Fear of dyng? Not too much, I think when it's our time, it's our time. I am 58 and have had a good life, not that I want to leave but I am willing to take whatever risks there are to lose the weight. The payoff is worth the risks to me. I had bylateral knee repalcements 4 years ago and have many more problems with mobility than before. Weight has been a contributing factor and the knees have caused even more weight gain. I have been reading threads about how co-workers and freinds can be pretty mean. I think I have decided not to say anything for awhile. Once I lose a substantial amount I will probably say something.

I think it's more likely that individual results depend on a whole shopping list of variables. For example, I think it's easier for men to lose weight, lose it more quickly, and see changes in weight more quickly in response to diet, than it is for women. I know you are also doing weight training - you're very likely reducing fat stores but increasing muscle volume. And of course muscle weighs more than fat. Now compare that to my situation. My activity level is fairly constant. No weight training. Average calorie intake closely monitored. Average calorie expenditure comparatively constant. I'm two plus decades older than you are. And I'm a guy. So the number of variables likely to affect my weight, up or down, are considerably fewer than they are for you. I know you are actually below your original goal weight and trying to lose a little more. That would point to the strong possibility that you're running up against your set-point. As recently as 2009-2010, set-points were considered by many to be theoretical. That has changed in the last few years with more and more research yielding strong evidence that set-points are very real. The human body is (unfortunately) much more receptive to weight gain than it is to weight loss. When we had to hunt and gather to survive, obesity was not an issue. Starvation was. So our bodies evolved defenses to protect against starvation. Your body will literally fight to maintain the set-point that it's at. Set-point ranges are usually about 10% of your total body weight. So if you weigh 150 lbs, each set-point range is about 15 lbs. If you're at the top of your current range, losing a few lbs is relatively easy. On the other hand, if you're at or near the bottom of your current range, your body will defend the set-point by reducing your metabolism, slowing your heart rate, etc. Making it considerably more difficult to lose even modest amounts of weight. Sorry, probably a lot more information than you wanted. To answer your question directly, I think the more experience you have logging, the better you become at interpreting the information in your log and identifying how changes in carbs/fat/protein/exercise/water will translate into weight changes. I always enjoy reading your posts and exchanging ideas with you music! Have a great day!!

Hi everyone I was just wonder if anyone else gained weight right after surgery? I was 209 when I went in for surgery that morning and when I got home 2 days later I'm now 217 grrrrrr. So I thought ok its just the Water weight from all the fluids they pumped in me from the IV but its been 4days and I'm still 217 will this weight come off? It really makes me mad I haven't ate nothing but my protien shakes and some sf Jello and sf popsiclkes. Please let me know if this happen to you the first week of surgery. Thanks Belinda

Drinking liquid calories (although the stomach limits the volume of food that you eat, it doesn’t prevent you from being able to drink large amounts of calories), Not delaying your fluids from your solids (drinking and eating at the same time - only after surgery - appears to result in the rapid transit of the food you eat, in other words it “flushes” the food out of the stomach the same way flushing the toilet with water empties the bowl. This results in an empty stomach and a true physical hunger leading you to eat more. This is often confused with people thinking or feeling as if they have stretched their pouch), Grazing/Picking and nibbling (surgery operates on the stomach, not the mind, thus the reasons that may have lead some people to overeat before surgery may remain, such as emotional eating, stress eating, using food as a coping mechanism, etc. Some other reasons for weight regain that are less common but still possible include: An enlarged gastric pouch A fistula Intestinal adaptation New medications that may induce weight gain (i.e. anti-depressants, some forms of chemotherapy, etc) A poorly controlled thyroid (synthroid doses need to be adjusted after rapid weight loss). For further nutrition advice or to read our blog, visit our website and like our Facebook page for up-to-the-minute information: Bariatric Surgery Nutrition Bariatric Surgery Nutrition

I have one on my lower back right above my rear. It is fared really well with my weight loss so far. But when I got it, I was careful to have it positioned in a place that wouldnt change too drastically with weight gain or loss.

Hey! First off, congratulations on even making the decision to go through with the surgery.I have aetna and I got approved in September. My surgery is scheduled for November. With aetna they required a 3 month supervised visit with the NUT & NP. I started that in June. I also had to provide my highest weights from two years ago, have a psych evaluation, which was the most boring thing ever, and a sleep study. Aetna'so policy states that you can't have a net gain...AT ALL. So when I had a weight gain of about 2-3 pounds I wanted to give up. My NUT told me they would write an explanation in my reports for that weight gain. My sleep study test came back negative...which was a bittersweet thing. My only real health issue was that I was borderline diabetic and that I had been overweight pretty much my whole life. I surprisingly got approved about two weeks after all my paperwork was sent in. So Aetna isn't always the big bad wolf lol. Good luck!

I have had this my entire life also. Weight loss greatly magnifies this effect for me. I have tried every known sleep inducing agent that has a short half life, yet they always leave me with the "hangover" or they simply stop working altogother. My solution? Low dose lithium, we're talking 75mg, 150mg, maybe a max of 300mg (as opposed to the 900mg-1200mg range which is for bipolar). It can even be used every other day. It doesn't work instantly, I allow about 2 weeks for the effects to become noticable. At these doses it will not sedate you, but it will keep you asleep without feeling drugged. Also, the effects at this dosage are drastically different than those attained at high doses (lack of weight gain, etc). And I don't have bipolar, nor does it run in my family, I just happen to have a history of long enduring insomnia.

Some meds do cause you to gain weight. Ask your doctor if your medication is associated with weight gain.

Our Dr doesn't have us eating carbs until 6 months out...I will hit my goal weight hopefully in 1-2 months...Carbs are hard to digest as well right now at my 3rd month out..Id stay away as long as possible since that is our source of number one weight gain anyway...until you hit your goal weight..I just look at bread and gain weight...Good luck!!

This is something that scares me. My SO wants to start having children 5 years from now and I worry about weight gain, cravings and the possibility harming the baby if I don't properly. I wonder would the child be under weight, malnutritioned or sickly because of the decision I am making now. I understand how you are feeling.

I can answer these questions with my experience. I just passed the 21 months out point. I'll be completely brutally honest with you and anyone that asks me. I have been maintaining my weight loss VERY EFFORTLESSLY at the age of 34 for almost a year. I have a 5lb bounce around on the scale any given week. I can tie it to my indulgences of high sodium foods, and my "girls nights out" with copious amounts of alcohol. I do not ever get in any formal exercise and have NOT for a solid year. I've had spurts here and there of working out at home for a week to 10 days, but nothing consistent at all. I honestly I do eat anything and everything I want. Here's the kicker, I don't want to eat a lot of junk food. Why? Because my body runs best, I feel best physically when I feed my body a nutrient dense, Protein full diet, BUT I eat Cookies, chips, pretzels, rice, bread, Pasta all in moderation. Of course, about 85% of the time, I eat protein first, but sometimes all I want is some veggies. I do not count anything other than protein and calories now. I keep white carbs in moderation to some degree, but if I want mashed potatoes and gravy, guess what 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes and a little gravy didn't make me FAT, 4 cups of mashed potatoes with gravy on top of a 12oz ribeye with mac-n-cheese, 3 dinner rolls, and 3 glasses of sweet ice tea made me fat. Moderation is the key. I will add that I have zero metabolic issues, nor is my body sensitive to carbs. I do not get the "eat a carb, crave a carb" nor am I an emotional eater. Therefore, going into this, I feel I beat the curve quite a bit. I was a volume eater. The sleeve will work just like any other weight loss surgery works. RNY and DS can be considered failures as well. Not one single weight loss surgery is bullet proof. So, a tool working long term is only as successful as the person using the tool. Just like a hammer to a nail. You can choose to keep your eyes open, steady your arm, and aim with precision as you go to drive that nail in with just a couple of dings, or you can wield that hammer blindfolded, with a swagger in your swing, and you'll more than likely miss the nail, hit your finger or dent the wood. Make sense? ? ? I will add that I am eating the same amounts currently that I was eating a year ago, but that quantity is double what I could at 2-3 months. The sleeve matures over time. There is minimal stretching. When I say double amounts, I was able to eat 2oz dense protein at 2-3 months out, today I can get in about 4-5oz of dense protein with a couple bites of veggies. You can cheat any of the surgeries, and the sleeve can be eaten around. I know the tricks, I employ them on occasion. Drinking warm fluids or having a glass of wine with my meal relaxes my stomach, therefore I can fit a bit more in, a bit more = 1-2 ounces of mashed potatoes, or mac-n-cheese on top of my chicken. To this day, I can NOT eat an entire chicken breast without stretching my meal out over 40 minutes. I can barely eat 1.5-2 poached eggs. What I'm saying is that there is a max capacity to the sleeve, but the restriction you have the first 6 months will change, ENJOY that time, maximize your weight loss, and become diligent with changing your lifestyle. Any weight loss surgery success is defined by either compliancy or complacency and with some mechanical failures on the other surgery types you can find that a specific tool "didn't work properly". It's a choice you make. No one else, the surgery doesn't fail UNLESS it's not performed properly because there is nothing mechanical to fail with the sleeve like there is with the band or RNY. The other issues can be metabolic issues, or carb sensitivity, or some people lose differently. Stoma and pouches stretch, malabsorption of calories, fats and carbs stop after the adaptation process occurs in the intestines, and then RNY patients are having to rely on restriction only with a stretchy pouch, a blind stomach left behind making ghrelin at a higher level vs. Sleeve patients. With the band, the list of issues with it are long, detailed, but the reasons the band can and does fail are numerous. Pouch stretching, not being able to get a decent fill, then there's the physical issues with the band itself. I can go on and on. But, I know plenty of VSG'ers that are 2-4 years out (mainly on obesityhelp.com) that share my opinion on weight regain with VSG, their experiences are pretty similar to mine. There are several out there maintaining fairly effortlessly as well, and live a life of moderation. I've seen 20-40lb weight regain on a couple of patients that are 3-4 years out, and every time, they admit, I quit eating the proper foods, life happened and I turned to my old friend for comfort, or they just gave up and expected to eat ding dongs and hos hos without consequence. Most naturally thin women I know don't eat packages of hos hos on a regular basis. Most naturally thin women do watch what they eat, and do not shovel shitpots of craptastic food into their body without consequence. At least none of my naturally thin friends can eat like I did pre-op and not see weight gain. If you have any other specific questions, please feel free to contact me. I'm extremely open and honest.

I need help. I am 3 years out having had the vertical sleeve surgery February 2013. I went from 220 lbs to 134 at my lowest weight. I felt amazing! I fluctuated from 135 to 140 and that was fine by me but over the past year my weight is now around 154 lbs. I'm hungry and overeat all the time. Don't get me wrong, I'm miserable after I eat that much but I have continued to over eat. If anyone can tell me how to get back on track I would deeply appreciate it. Thank you for any information you can provide. Sincerely, Linda H.

Hey guys! I'm new to this site and been having a hard time finding info on PCOS and the sleeve... I have severe PCOS and my symptoms are out of control... between the hot flashes/sweating, hair loss, no energy, of course the weight gain..all the fun stuff. Just wondering if any ladies who have had the sleeve w/ PCOS notice any changes since surgery!? I'm anxious and so excited about my upcoming sleeve!! thanks!!

Well my rapid weight gain was caused by thyroid and PCOS. So I am gathering all medical records that relate to either and bringing them to my plastic surgery consult. I will then....pretty much beg for him to write a recommendation for reconstructive vs. cosmetic. I'm sure they'll do the usual pictures too. Going to make sure I practice my "most" saggy skin poses...haha.

Jaylo, keep faith, When I had my 2nd fill, I also was able to eat just about any quantity I wanted, so of course, I gained 4 pounds. I also had my band done May 16, 2008. I went last Thursday 8/7/08 and got my 3rd fill, this time they gave me 2 cc because I was so upset about the weight gain, this brought me to a total of 6cc. Boy am I ever restricted. I have to eat so slow, it seems like I'm eating backwards, doesn't matter what I eat, everything hurts if you don't eat slow. I had a half cup of refried beans mixed with a lot of taco sauce to make it liquidy and melted some cheddar cheese on it with a side 2oz. of sour cream, it took me 1 hour to eat it. I have to wait at least 5 minutes after every 2 spoonfuls. However, I have now lost the 4 poounds I had gained and think that I may well be at the sweet spot. Doly718