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im 5 years post. at this point i eat what i feel for, when i feel for it. i don't avoid anything except large amounts of sugar in one sitting (or on an empty stomach cuz im a dumper) everything else is fair game. yes i eat chips and chocolate and hot dogs (with buns!) and all sorts of deep fried stuff and drink alcohol along with my salads and roasted veggies and sashimi and grilled chicken breasts. normally (not right now cuz im super sick), i eat about 1800-ish cals a day without gaining or losing any unintended weight, and can consume roughly 1 cup-ish of food "material" in volume in one sitting. more if its salad, less if its dense meat or fluffy bread. give me a couple hours and i can down another cup of food. so long as my cals stay around 1800 a day, it doesn't matter whats its made up of...at least from a weight gain/loss perspective. from a health-wise perspective, well that is likely another story...cuz im sure 1800 cals of chicken breast is better for my body than 1800 cals of buttered popcorn. so far so good as my last labs (this time last year) were a-ok. we'll see what this years labs say when i get them done at end of month. i realize i haven't really answered either of ur questions. for the latter, i can't really comment, but for the former, below is a screenshot of what i ate when i was 8 months post op (trusty ol MFP!) note i had already reached goal and was in the process of upping my calories to settle into maintenance at this time. it took me another 2-3 months and another 10+ lbs lost before i figured out what my maintenance calories were. (sorry this was so long!)

Hi, I am new here and was looking for someone to talk with. I had my surgery on Nov. 20, 2014. The first month i had real problems, I couldn't eat or drink with out bring it back up. I went for 36 days with out eating or drinking alot, finally drs did a EGD and opened up the bottom of my pouch, sorry for got to tell you I had the Rou - Y bypass surgery. After that I seem to do better I have lost 40 pounds before surgery on my own and have lost the rest after everything got fixed. My weight now is 195 pounds and i started out at 279. But as of now I have been on a two week stall no weight gained or losted and I am really upset about it because I don't have anyone to help me or talk to around here where i live. There isn't any support groups and when i call the hospital to talk to someone there isn't anyone I can talk to. I have to leave messages everywhere and it is getting to me i have been crying all the time and my husband don't know what to say to me. I walk about two miles a day and Water excercise twice a week. I am not good getting my water in or my Protein, it just seems so hard to do. I eat what I am to eat and don't eat in between and have my snack at night. I really need some help. Thanks for listening to me, if any one can help please tell me .

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.

I can't remember if it was my anethesiologist or my surgeon who came into my room before my surgery and mentioned that they had just read a study the showed artificial sweetners actually contribute to weight gain. Interesting.

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!!

@ That's really interesting, thanks for posting it. Does anyone else find it a relief to see more medical research referring to elements of weight gain that are out of the patients control now? I mean, of course I know there are many things that are IN our control that we can do to keep our weight down, but hearing more about the hormones and genes that influence our need for food takes away some of the crippling guilt I have been carrying all my life. Jo x

On paper it is as easy as calories in and calories out. This is what my surgeon had mentioned. But he said life is not so black and white and there are other factors that contribute to weight gain that are often ignored. The person that tells you that it is calories in and calories out is just another internet champion whom thinks they know it all.

Weight gain and stalls can happen, even this early out. Don't panic! Give your body time to adjust and adapt to all of the trauma it has been through. As for not feeling full, that is also common. The surgery can seriously damage your nerves and therefore mess up all the signals from your stomach to your brain. It is VERY VERY important to measure your food and eat on a schedule. DO NOT rely on signals from your body right now. Also, while it is good to be walking short distances frequently throughout the day, don't overdo it. You are still healing and recovering from major surgery. You shouldn't be worrying about calorie burn right now. You should be focusing on healing and getting all of your water and protein in.

The Right Mindset for Smart Decisions It is no surprise that you are at your best when you are rested, relaxed, and confident. That goes for almost every aspect of your life, and it holds true for weight loss. Thinking clearly lets you “weigh” the consequences of the hard-boiled egg versus the French fries for a snack so you can see the benefits of choosing the egg for weight loss outweigh the benefits of choosing the fries for a few minutes of pleasure. Self-confidence also lets you make the right choices. When you are confident, you know that you have the power to choose. You realize that are not a victim of circumstances, and you do not need to eat something just because it is available to you. You know that you have the power to say no to the things you should not eat, and the power to find the things you should. Better Sleep, Better Choices Sleep is not just a luxury to feel guilty about. Adequate sleep may be the missing key to your weight loss program. When you get enough sleep, you have lower levels of a hormone called ghrelin. Ghrelin makes you hungry, and less ghrelin helps keep hunger in check. Getting enough sleep also lowers carb and sugar cravings and gives you the strength to make rational decisions. Think protein and veggies, not potato chips and cookies. Stress, Hormones, and Your Weight In addition to your daily choices, there are behind-the-scenes factors that can cause weight gain when you are stressed. Hormones affect your metabolism and can cause weight gain when they are not balanced. Too much stress, for example, raises levels of a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol increases raise your hunger levels, which can lead to you overeat. It also affects your fat storage. You might gain more fat in your abdominal area, which is a health risk for diabetes, heart disease, and more. Tips for Chilling Out The first trick for relaxing is to get over your guilt. It is not only okay to kick back, but it is healthy. It may be surprisingly tough when you are out of practice, though. Here are some ideas for stepping back from your busy life and giving your mind a chance to recover for a healthier body. Set aside 10 minutes for yourself every day. Meditate, take a bath, read, or do something else that is just for you. Get more sleep if you find yourself waking up tired or struggling to get through the day. Exercise most days. A quiet stroll on the beach or a hike may seem like out-of-reach dreams, but any exercise helps clear your mind. Restorative yoga, a cycling class, and home exercise DVDs all do the trick. Stretch. It loosens your muscles and gives you a chance to think through your day. Weight loss surgery success takes a lot of hard work, but there are some ways to get more bang for your buck without working harder. Take a chill pill, and you might find that the extra relaxation gives you the strength and stamina to lose more weight.

You haven't had any fills yet, so you are probably still eating too much. This healing time is a very rough time for most. Your stomach has almost healed and you have little or no restriction. Most doctors will tell you not to worry about small weight gains during this time, this is the time for healing only. Once you have your fills at the right level you will only eat 1-2 eggs for breakfast, and 2-3 ozs of chicken and 1/2 cup salad for lunch. You should get to where you can eat 3/4 to 1 cup of food total at each meal. At the moment you might be consuming too many calories with the protein shakes also. Try tracking your food intake and see how your protein levels and calories are. You may find that you don't need the protein shakes and this will drastically reduce your calorie intake. Once you get restriction you might be able to get by with 900-1200 calories a day. i try to keep mine around 800-1000 a day.

276 this week...my first weight gain in almost three months; however, there was a lot of deep fried turkey consumed!

Programs vary all over the map in many areas, though the common elements are: Protein - consistent with need, but generally 60-80 g for women (though shorter than average women can do fine in the 50's) and 80-100 g for men. Protein need is most closely associated with lean body mass, hence the difference between men's and women's needs. Eat protein first, then veggies, fruits and starches Eat slowly, chew well Don't drink calories (protein drinks excepted, though you won't need to do them at this point) Avoid drinking with meals and for 30 minutes after meals. Drink a minimum of 64 oz, though the need is often higher depending upon activity and weather. Those are the things that are common to most plans. Minimizing sugar intake is often sited and sometimes a number is put on it; likewise, carb numbers are occasionally specified, though those can be deceiving and best not dwelt on. Calories are sometimes specified in programs and sometimes not. Those that work best seem to cluster in the 6-800 calorie range, but that is hard to maintain in a regain recovery program. It is best to work with your individual metabolic need, which again can be quite variable; Try for 1000-1200 and see how that goes; 12-1500 is often a maintenance level for many women. Keto and vegan/vegetarian are largely irrelevant - they are more lifestyle type diets that don't have any inherent weigtloss properties, though they can be used if one keeps the calories low enough. The key factor is what kind of diet will help you stay away from the high calorie/low nutrition junk that promotes weight gain. Good luck in your endeavor....

Well almost 2 months since my last update and my first refill on December 19th. Unfortunately I am still up 40lbs from before my unfill in September, but I appear to be staying where I am for now. The rapid weight gain has stopped. With a few colds and some other short medical issues since my refll, my diet,appetite, excercise routines have been thrown off. I am now REALLY trying to restrict calories even further than I was before to try and move the scale down. My hunger level was cut down with the first fill, but I don't think I want to get another fill. I can see why new bandsters get so desperate for fills right away. I don't think most are truly "listening" to their bodies, the hunger signals, appetite, portions, etc. It is sooooo easy to get in way too many calories even with proper restriction. I can see why this band appears to fail. I am at a place where I am not PBing, sliming, no acid reflux, no aspiration.I can take meds without them coming back up. I can drink Water before bed without worrying about it coming back up. I am hoping that this fill will be enough to keep the weight off once I am back to my ideal weight without having to constantly count calories and deprive myself. For now, I am really having to work at getting the weight back off. I worry about eating too much and stretching my esophagus. Such a delicate balance with this band these days. I soooo wish I never had this unfill because I HATE this extra weight back on and having to fight it off, but I knew it was necessary. Just be careful about wanting more restriction. This band takes some work and paying attention. I feel like a "rebandster" in a way..without starting back at square one..but regaining a 1/3 of what I originally lost was enough!! I will update as I progress...green zone? I guess..right now I just want out of this fat zone!!! :-)

Hey all! Just wanted to give an update since my refill on December 19th. It has been a bit of a crazy time since the fill. So my appointment started out with a session with the nutritionist for the surgeon. Now keep in mind, these two hardly know me or my journey. He is not my original surgeon and I only met them after the discovery of the esophogeal dilation back in September. It is hard to explain to someone who doesn't have a band what this journey day to day is like. The nutritionist is just reading out of her "proper band diet" papers and just wanted to drill in what I should or shouldn't eat. I am a bit stubborn after 12 years with this device that I know what works or doesn't for me. They were still convinced that my sudden and excessive weight gain was nothing but me stuffing myself with TONS of excess calories right after my unfill that caused the gain. Sigh! I could not convince that even if I went over my ACTUAL calories with an extra 500 calories a day, I should have at minimum maintained on those calories. I gave up, shook my head yes to all her demands and waited for the doctor to come in. Thankfully a nurse came in first with a needle and saline and stuff so the nutritionist didn't talk him out of my refill to start. He came in and repeated some of what she said to him in passing out in the hall. Uggh! So I originally had 2cc of Fluid that he had pulled out in September.When I had my fills way back at the beginning of this, I had numerous fills in Mexico and some up here in Nor Cal..and I believe each time my fills were 1/2cc or less. The doctor decided he would add back in 1cc! I was thinking he was going to trickle me back up. I was happy but a little nervous. I swallowed my cup of Water..definitely felt it gurgle and left. He said come back in 6-8 weeks. When I went in, I was at 196lbs..this is 46lbs up from my usual weight. I was already a little under the weather but the next day had a full blown cold. I didn't get to really test out the band as I was not eating properly..just getting in some chicken Soup and fluids. The next week was christmas and I went home to So Cal for a few days. I had dropped 2lbs since the fill, but came back from christmas trip home back up a few lbs. 24 hours after returning home on the 28th, I got a violent stomach bug. I had at least 4-5 sessions of attempting to vomit which were quite painful. I was scared my band would slip. I called my doctor and got a prescription for zofran (?) to stop the nausea. That helped but diarrhea continued for another few days. I was afraid to even get water and fluids in me. I managed to drop about 7lbs in 3 days from this. NOT a cool way to lose weight. After spending New Year's in bed, I finally was feeling better and started to eat again. I managed to gain back 2lbs of the 7lbs. figured it was fluid loss coming back. As of today I am down 6lbs total from where I was prefill. Most of that achieved from the bug! I am not sure yet if I am close to a "green zone" , I told the doctor it is not the restriction I am after but the removal of the screaming appetite! I missed being able to go all day without feeling hungry. This week has been fairly "normal" work wise and schedule wise and noticed the appetite is more "quiet" than it was when unfilled. I am still trying to figure out what and when to eat. I need to get back to the gym. Been waiting for me and my guy to stop being sick! So for now, I THINK the rapid gain has stopped. My body is probably just trying to figure itself out and I am sure my metabolism is jacked up. Who knows! I am definitely relearning better bandster habits and watching how I chew my food. I can see why it is easy to fail at this band and have issues..overfilled, underfilled, not listening to the signals of full and restriction, using it as a binge and purge diet tool..lots of craziness with this device for sure! I just want to get this excess weight back off and be back to where I can keep it off WITHOUT all the issues I had when it was too tight. It may mean I have to be more careful with calories than before, but if I can keep this device safely in, I will learn to comply! Will come back and post soon with updates once my body is out of sick and holiday mode!!

I went in asking to have the sleeve but was experience bad bout of acid reflux that day and she said she really did not recommend the sleeve because it can make the acid reflux worse. It took me a while to come around to the idea of bypass, but I am finally there. I really don't want to have a revision later either and plus I'm tired of the acid reflux and given bypass can essentially cure that, then I am ready to go with bypass. (PS - those I have known that had the revision was due to either reflux and/or weight gain.)

I know, right? I even have friends that need/want to lose weight but don't know how to get started. They know I have had surgery but they are against the idea. I brought it up once and won't do it again. They weren't offended but made it clear that they won't do it. But it's hard to not say anything! I know that it took me quite a while to get there to accept that this was an option that I would consider. My b-i-l had the surgery and I thought it was ridiculous! But he looks great and feels great. It wasn't until my sister decided to get the surgery that my sibling rivalry kicked in and I decided to do it, too! lol. So childish but I'm so glad!!! But, I don't know what else would have convinced me this was the approach I wanted to take to lose weight. I guess from all the shows on TV (Biggest Loser, Dr. Oz, etc.) where the doctors on there are saying not to do this surgery. I bought into it. As far as the younger girls, you are right. There was always 1 or 2 people that were heavier back then but now a lot of them are. The food in their cafeterias have gotten worse and promote weight gain. I don't know how to make change but I'm sure it can happen somehow.

Hi All, I hope everyone is doing well. I had my sleeve surgery on 5/20. I have lost 24 lbs total since I started the liquid diet the week before surgery. I am very optimistic!! I feel good, no post surgery issues getting my liquids and Proteins in. Surprisingly no discomfort since after the first 2 days. I guess I am lucky there. I just started soft foods. I have been on this weight roller coaster for a long, long time; probably 15 years. Up, down, up, down. I have gained and lost between 50-75 lbs at least 6 times by diet and exercise alone. Unfortunately... I was never able to achieve my goal weight nor was I able to keep it off. So I am truly grateful for this tool. My bigger weight problems started about 10-years ago when I was diagnosed with PCOS and then Type 2 diabetes and later, high blood pressure. I quit smoking 8 years ago which helped chronic breathing issues and annual bouts pneumonia and bronchitis... BUT also caused weight gain. I am also in a high-stress job. I love my job and the pace of my job but it has also contributed to my weight gain thanks to "stress eating". This is all very disappointing since I have always considered myself "athletic" (lol). I like to be outside, I would love to swim, I like to play softball and volleyball. I love to fish and hike. I feel like I am a high-energy person on the inside and I simply cannot wait until my outsides match. The bonus will be to regain my health. I have 3 beautiful grandchildren that I would like to take to Disney World one day but I would like to be fit enough to keep up. Its good to be here... looking forward to interacting with you and being inspired by everyone's journey. Happy Slimming to all!! KD

What type of of Gastric bypass surgery did you have done? I had the Gastric bypass RNY done 15yrs ago and my stomach is only the size of a golf ball. I'm planning on going back to Weight Watcher's with my boyfriend and I did some research on the Internet this past week and I found several sites that talk about people that have had Weight loss surgery, and that are doing Weight Watcher's as well. My suggestion is to go on the Internet and look up the following :Bariatric Surgery Source: Weight regain after Bariatric surger-how to get back on track; Consumer Guide to Bariatric Surgery: Spotlight on: Weight Watcher's; Bariatric Surgery Source: Weight Gain After Bariatric Surgery & How to Avoid or Reverse it; Bariatric Surgery and Weight Loss Weight Watcher's:Bariatric Surgery and Weight Loss; Obesity:5 Ways To Prevent Stretching Your Stomach After Gastric Bypass; Bariatric Surgery Source: Regain of 35lbs after gastric bypass-getting back on track. I found a lot of these sites just by Google the simple question:How many calories are you supposed to to have after having weight loss surgery. I know for a fact that what you said that you were eating in one day is way too much food and its not only going to stretch your stomach back out but cause you to put the weight right back on that you are trying to get off. I know when I was on Weight Watcher's before I had my surgery that you are supposed to measure your foods, and keep track of the foods that you eat, and it doesn't look like you are doing any of that. I know for me that'll be to much food, and if I ate all of that in one day, I'll be in the bathroom with stomach problems. So, my suggestion is to cut way back on the foods that you eat, exercise, drink plenty of Water, and keep track of the foods you eat. Those are the main things that not only will help you loose weight, but are the basic requirements for weight watchers as well. I was and still am a Lifetime member of Weight Watcher's that's how I know so much about it and I'm going back to Weight watcher's with my boyfriend. Sent from my SM-G360T using the BariatricPal App

A lot of people revision to a bypass from a sleeve due to suffering ongoing GERD with medication doesn't help. Others due to weight gain. If you already suffer a lot with acid reflux you may want to chat with your surgeon. I suffered with acid reflux but mine was definitely related to the type of foods I was eating and the amount of food I was eating. If my food intake and portions were healthy I was fine. I discussed with my surgeon and I went with a sleeve. So far so good.

My hubby finds me attractive at 300, and since I don't think I'll ever look like "oh my gosh that girl needs a sammich" I don't see that changing. I agree that we need a lot of research into weight gain, especially in light of the research on the biggest loser contestants and their metabolic rates. I hope that my childrens' generation will have better options for weight control than surgery based on things they're learning about weight gain in our generation. Right now, we have to do the best with what we have. I think some things we never really gain a taste for. I was raised in a religion that doesn't eat seafood, and though I don't practice it anymore, I just can't develop a taste for it. (However, I have noted that I was raised not eating pork either, and I had no issues learning to eat ham and bacon!!) I don't expect to ever LOVE vegetables. I just want to get to a point where my body isn't revolting (gagging and throwing up) when I decide for whatever reason I am going to eat them.

I am almost 5 years post op VSG (surgery date: 06/2013). I started at 272lbs and was at 268lbs the day of surgery. I was able to get down to 199lbs but I seemed to plateau at 215lbs. I stayed at 215 for about 1- 2 years and then all of a sudden the weight started to come back. Today I have gained about 95% of the weight back and I am not sure why. I went back to the doctor and they did the barium test(?) to see if my stomach stretched and they said it did not. They said it was the same size it was after surgery, the doctor was actually quite impressed by it for some reason. I still eat small portions, so much so that my friends that don't know I had surgery think something is wrong when I don't eat all my food. I've tried a few different things to lose the weight but I can't seem to lose more than 20 lbs and it always comes back. I've considered that there could be something else wrong. I have been symptomatic of Hypothyroidism for years now, however, when my doctor runs blood tests (TSH and Free T4) it comes back normal. My doctor refuses to give me a referral to an endocrinologist (I had hormone problems when I was a kid) or do a full thyroid blood test. I feel like I am out of options and I am not sure what to do. Any advice or words of wisdom are welcome! Thanks!

I am to be banded on the 14th also! While my doc doesn't require the liver-shrinking diet, he does require you to lose any weight gained from your first appt. with him to your appointment to schedule surgery. In a nutshell, I gained 6 pounded since May! I have to go to the doc's office to weight the day before surgery and I have to be 6 pounds down. I cut back tremendously this past week, but I think I will put myself on a self-imposed liquid diet next week! Good luck to you all!

Good morning all! Correction!! My surgery date is in fact 9/15/10 and not 9/14/10. Whoops! What a booboo, but hey at least I didn’t not (grammatically incorrect I know) find out and it was the day *before* I thought. Ha-ha now that would have been a big deal. Besides I'm sure the surgeon’s office would have been sending me reminders and it would have clicked eventually. So, all is good on that front! I will need to arrive in San Diego a day early. The reason is I will be riding into Mexicali and shortly after; I will undergo all the wonderful pre-operative testing that is imperative to be performed before undergoing such an invasive procedure. I’m getting ready though! More ready than I have ever been with any previous surgery. I’m also so glad I have the funds to be able to make my own decision this time, and not rely on insurance to make it for me. I need to create myself a to-do list since I will be traveling a distance to get there. I won’t fly in either since I’m scared to fly. I’m not that far anyway. San Diego is only a 7 hour drive from me. I will undergo any extra stress to do what I must. To be perfectly honest, I never thought I’d be so excited to have my band removed. I sincerely have zero faith in it anymore. At some point you become so detached with something that had so much promise. When you get like that, it’s time to move on. I had a choice though, keep the band and risk more complications, weight gains and misery – or work to have it removed, revise to something else and get your life back. I choose the latter. I am a fighter and until my last breath I will always forage on to become the best person I can be. All that starts in the head and it will manifest itself onto my body, my personality and everything in between. If that means cutting my losses and admitting a failure (not in a bad way) and making that into a success then I have done what I needed to do. I would encourage anyone to do this for themselves. The band did get me semi-results before it started going bonkers on me. It was very short lived. Only up to 4 months in, and I had gone from 283 on the day of surgery down to 227. The difference I felt in those 56 Lbs was incredible. I felt so freed of the bonds of that extra weight. I was wearing clothing sizes I hadn’t in more than a decade. I was so energetic and life was just bliss. I want that for myself again, more than anything. I was a much better person, easier to get along with and my outlook was super positive. Well when one goes in the wrong direction, and especially with WLS surgery this can be quite amplified, it can really put a strain on your inner self. Sure the bones can feel it physically, but the heart and mind I think go more into self-destruct than anything else. It spirals and spirals until you wake up one day and realize you have lost total control of that steering wheel. What do I do then? Accept the path I’m going down into certain crash? Or, rather do I grab back onto that wheel and veer it back onto the road. It will be a bit jittery getting back on that road, but at least I did something about it. I do not accept a negative fate. I have way too much to live for, to fight for… So with that, you all know a little where I’ve been and surely now know where I’m headed. Blessings for the day!

I was banded this month. I tipped the scales at a whopping 201 right before surgery but had lost 20 pre-op. I am 5'3" and had (I say...HAD) problems with high BP, joint pain, and reflux. Now in less than a month, thats all gone! My insurance denied, not because I was such a little bit of fluff, but because my empoyer put in an exclusion. Was it worth it for me? YES! I still haven't lost a lot and havent even had a fill yet, but the other aches and pains have gone away...presumably replaced by port pain...sigh. But that too will go away eventually. I have steadily gained every year and I am now 56 and finally figured out that if I keep doing what I always did...diet, I would always get what I always got....more weight gain. I am now committed to eating healthier and in smaller portions and I need my band to remind me when I have had a healthy portion. My docs office figured out that to be successful, I only needed to lose 60 lbs. I doubt if I could have ever done that on my own. My own personal goal is to get down to 120 or a loss of 80 lbs. It saddens me that the insurance industry is so screwed up with their restrictions and hoops you have to jump through. I mean how crazy is it when you read on these boards of people adding weight in their pockets to weigh enough to qualify or those that wonder if its worth it to gain x number of lbs just so their insurance will approve them. I would never judge another person's desire to get to and maintain a healthy weight. I say good luck to us all on our journey.

I have been reading through these posts and its really irritating that people are making judgments based on whether your 300 pounds or 205. I'm 28 years old, and I weight 218 and I'm 5'4, but I have serious health issues. I had post partum Congestive Heart Failure at 25 yrs old, I'm insulin resistant because of my PCOS, and I have high blood pressure. I may only be 37% BMI, but I have health conditions that have prevented me from losing weight despite everything I've tried. I am not someone who has eaten themselves to being fat, or overweight, but have had health conditions that have contributed to my weight gain and my weight retention. 6 years ago, I was competing in Figure Competitions, and was at my peak fitness and health until I was in a severe accident, then taken off my birth control...that became my downward cycle of my PCOS symptoms and the weight started piling on. Now I'm 85 pounds overweight, and despite my efforts I can not lose it. My doctor says I am a perfect candidate for this type of surgery because I have good eating habits and I work out 5-6 days a week. I think that WLS is for all types of people, not just the 300+, or for the people who have been overweight their whole lives. All of us have different reasons and stories as to why we are chosing to take this route, and I believe that if you have weight issues and have been fighting it for 6 years or your whole life you shouldnt judge why others are making the same choice as you to better their lives. There's enough judgment in this world, and if you dont like being judged by your looks or weight, then you shouldnt judge someone for making the same decision as you, but their weight is not where YOU expect it to be to qualify!