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Thank you all for these tips. I found through my weight loss I became very obsessive and would be self conscious anytime I ate something I wasn’t suppose to : which is good and bad, good bc I’m aware, bad because I beat myself up over it. The weight gain was fast and unexpected. I started today my do over diet, I didn’t realize how off track I. W.a.s because I found myself lost at what to pack for lunch. I appreciate all your support, I forget that this is a life long journey not just a quick fix and I really do need to work at it. I’m happy you guys responded to me and helped. Thanks so much.

Oh, and I'm scheduled for 6/17. (RNY - was gonna do sleeve but I decided on the RNY after talking a lot with my nutritionist and doing research) Was supposed to be May 4th, but was postponed due to COVID-19. I was feeling pretty hopeless that entire month and a half when it was cancelled (cancelled late march..), so I gained some weight. Luckily, my surgeon said no more weight gain and we can still do the surgery. My insurance doesn't have any requirements but the 6 month weigh ins. I'm 16 days away and I"m pushing myself with eating more veggies, more protein and drinking more water. It's stuff I've done before, because I lost ~80lbs on Keto a year and some change ago, but gained it all back. I figured this time, I can do all those changes I made w/keto, and the new tool of the surgery and I should be set. 🤞

Your band can get tighter because of stress. I had this happen when I had to go to St. Louis for a few days. The trip wasn't stressful, but I never felt that I had enough time to eat. Many people notice that their bands get tighter during their period -- well, right before it and when it first starts. My theory, you ask? Alot of women retain water before their period (thus the weight gain)...I think that affects the band too. Causes things ALL OVER to swell. If you had a PB, you should back off a little bit. If a PB was bad enough, your stomach might have been irritated because of the PB making you even tighter than you were before. This is very common -- alot of surgeons recommend going back to liquids for 12-24 hours after a PB because of this. The restriction may have kicked in. Alot of people swear that they don't feel their fill until 2-3 weeks after it. I haven't ever experienced this and I personally can't figure out the "science" behind it, but so many people have said it, that I just got to believe it to be true.

It's too bad that people don't view Bariatric surgery for what it is, a medical intervention. Nothing is easy about it except that the tool we are given causes all our efforts to finally actually work for us. People are plain ignorant about the medical reasons behind weight gain. After all the years of working out and dieting with no results, I say we deserve this. But it's easier for them to think we chose surgery over doing the work. No one has said anything negative to me yet, but if they do, I guess I'll have to school them. LOL

I haven't read through the entire thread, so forgive me if my post has repetitive information. Your stomach hasn't stretched, but it has healed since your surgery, thus allowing you to consume more without experiencing as much discomfort as you might have previously. There's a bariatric surgeon named Dr. Matthew Weiner who has a channel on YouTube with informative videos that I recommend you check out if you haven't seen then yet. He discusses common myths about bariatric surgery, including the misconception that your stomach stretches out. He explains how the healing progress impacts your feeling of satiety and comfort levels when eating. There are general guidelines for everyone who's had WLS or is trying to lose weight, but we also have to figure out what works best for us as individuals. Some people abstain entirely from all bread, rice, and Pasta, and are successful in their weight loss. Some have it in moderation, and are equally successful. I try to not make any food into a "forbidden fruit" by forbidding it from my diet, but instead have it in small quantities infrequently rather than habitually. Others go cold turkey. What's a boatload of food to one person is a reasonable amount for another. I think the key is to learn your body and your mind and do what works best for you. If you ate the second half of the sandwich because you were still hungry, I think that's fine. Your appetite can fluctuate depending on various factors, from what else you've eaten that day to your level of activity. There are days when I'm feeling ravenous and can eat more, and days when it takes me two attempts spaced an hour or more apart to have a cup of Greek yogurt. If you ate the second half just because it was still there, or because you felt compelled to finish it, then it's really not a big deal but you might want to avoid doing that again. I keep insulated lunch bags in my car and office for leftovers. I try to either eat when I'm genuinely hungry, or on a schedule (which helps me to avoid getting to the point where I'm so hungry I'd eat whatever wasn't nailed down). I don't really eat sandwiches all that often, but when I do I typically will take half the bread off and eat it open-face. If I'm really wanting something that feels like a sandwich I'll put the contents on a Wasa crispbread (low carb). In the early stages, tracking what you eat and focusing on your total goals for the day is helpful. There's so many useful tools. Many chain eateries let you figure out specific information for your meals through calculators they have online. You pick the bread, fillings, condiments, etc, and it then tells you the calories, carbs, fat. Subway probably has this if you're interested. I think what's important is putting meals into context. If you've eaten a flatbread turkey sandwich after a strenuous workout that burned a lot of calories, and you've had lower carb, healthy foods throughout the rest of the day, then it's not going to have the same impact as if you'd been sedentary and your other meals were carb-heavy. The Washington Post recently had an article about how it can be detrimental to cut your carbs too much if you've intensified your workouts. There's also plenty of research about how eating too many carbs when you're not exercising enough leads to weight gains or stalls. So you have to determine what works best for your own lifestyle.

I was a slow loser too. I am soon to be 64 and have orthopedic issues that limit my activity, so I am not going to lose as quickly as someone who is able to take up an aggressive exercise program. One of my blood pressure meds causes weight gain. All of our bodies and abilities are so very different, so just relax and stick with your program. Also when I was stuck on a stall that lasted for several month I gave up dairy and the scale started moving again. Hang in there and be patient.

I am 5 weeks post-op, and twice now I have experienced 3-5 lb weight GAINS. The first time was random, and it really upset me. The second time was after I hurt my back and was basically immobile for 3 days as well as taking (liquid) pain meds (hydrocodone). It is very frustrating, especially when I think that I have only lost 20 lbs (+/-) total since surgery, at a time where I thought my numbers would be much higher. Is this typical?? Right now, I just got down to 1 lb BELOW the last 5 lb gain (so I lost 6 lbs, verrry slowly) and now I'm up almost 2 lbs. IT'S SO FRUSTRATING!! Especially when I don't know if anyone has ever experienced such a strange phenomena. I can't call my regular doc since they are closed for the holidays. I have to admit, I am not exercising (because of my back issues, in tandem with the stress of the holidays), and I'm hoping that this, in conjunction with my choosing high carb items (baked potato Soup, cheese soup, noodles, etc) has something to do with it. Please tell me that this is actually what the problem is, so that I can begin that rapid downward scoop that I was looking for pre-surgery!! Or, am I just expecting too much, and should I be happy with my weight loss to date? I began at 245 which is comparatively low for GSS patients, in general (I'm told). Could that be it?? I'm just stumped, and frustrated.

Ok first off I had to have two surgeries for my band. After the first one the band was too tight and nothing went down. 2nd surgery fixed it... I went for my follow up last Friday and dropped 32 lbs since Dec 3rd. Also my doc said that they may not even have to do a fill because the band should still be tighter than most people. I'm already eating people... Lol and I have gained 5 or 6 lbs... Is that normal? How do u know when to stop eating? I can't really tell... Although I'm not eating near as much as before the surgery I think its a substantial amount. So, I'm thinking I need a fill and that appt is not scheduled until 2/12... I'm thinking of bumping it up... Is this weight gain normal?

I had my gastric bypass Rny completed 10 years ago, on May 24th, 2004 to be exact. The surgery went well and the initially results were more then I could have asked for. My initial goal was to reach 150; when I reached 130 I was just amazed! The journey in itself was not always easy. I struggled with holding food down. Now fast forward to today, I can eat regular sized meals and am not limited on the foods. Now as great as this may seem, I am not struggling with keeping weight off. In fact, over the past two years, especially this past year, I have gained a tremendous amount of weight. I feel so defeated and just lost in what I should do. I am 42, so I do expect so weight gain. I recently had my thyroid checked just to narrow down the possibilities. As of now, I am even considering a revision surgery. Not sure if this will be needed, however; I am keeping those options open. Anyone else experiencing this or something similar?

I agree with this- I would say really consider whether you are scared or whether you really think you can/want to do it on your own. I, too have had a health spiral down as my weight has gone up progressively after every diet. I have Hashimotos and suffered endometriosis and a myriad of other things that affected my weight. You can feel good when first on thyroid meds but if it's like my thyroid it's up, down and all over the place and you are constantly battling exhaustion and weight gain. So if it were me, I'd probably lean towards doing it because I have lived the years since one of my besties did it - watching her get and stay healthy and me slowly getting bigger and more unhealthy. I wish I'd done it then. That said, if you don't do it I fully support that.

Here is a study that did something similar, Banded sleeve gastrectomy--initial experience. Alexander JW, Martin Hawver LR, Goodman HR. Source Center for Surgical Weight Loss, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA. jwesley.alexander@uc.edu Abstract BACKGROUND: Isolated sleeve gastrectomy is being used with increasing frequency for the treatment of morbid obesity. This study was done to determine the potential benefit of placing a band of processed human dermis around the upper portion of a sleeve gastrectomy to prevent late dilatation and weight gain. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients underwent a sleeve gastrectomy followed by placement of a band of biological tissue (AlloDerm) placed 6 cm from the gastroesophageal junction. The results were compared to 54 patients with a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (GBP), matched for sex, age, and initial body mass index. RESULTS: All 27 patients had improvement or resolution of their diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and sleep apnea after banded sleeve gastrectomy (BSG) similar to the control GBP group. There were no deaths, but one patient had a pulmonary embolus and another had a presumed leak. Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease generally improved. Overall, results were almost identical to patients with GBP. CONCLUSIONS: BSG provides results comparable to GBP in the short-term follow-up, but avoids potential long-term complications including internal hernias, postoperative bowel obstructions, anastomotic complications of the jejunojejunostomy, hypoglycemia, bacterial overgrowth, and a spectrum of malabsorptive problems. While this study documents the feasibility and possible benefits of this modification, prospective controlled studies with long-term follow-up are needed to establish its place in procedures for surgical weight loss.

Being supportive will help for your daughter, but I wouldn't make too big a deal out of it so that she starts feeling more self conscious. It is getting to be springtime now and there are plenty of reasons to get out and be active. Perhaps you could make it a family thing. Also, cooking at home can make a huge difference. Convenience foods are rarely if ever the healthiest. Eliminate junk food as well and support healthy eating. I would never make it about weight gain/loss as much as just healthy living.

Hi, 5 years ago I was interested in the gastric bypass and even went to the doctor to set it allup and they lost my weight charts for the last 5 years so I couldn't do the surgery. THANK GOD!! Now that the lapband is so popular and more safe I am so glad I waited to get it done. I had one doctor tell me that after age 50 most don't benefit from the surgery and I told him where he could stick it!! Just because we are over 50 doesn't mean we stop living and want to start feeling and looking good again. I have type 11 Diabetes along with many other problems associated with weight gain. It's been now 9 days after surgery and I have lost 15 lbs. I think this is the best thing since slice bread and am so glad I had it done. I know weight loss is going to be slow but I don't care as long as it's coming off andnot going on I am happy. I was borderline helpless and almost to the verge of not being able to take care of myself. I am 5'1" and my starting weight was 227 and now I am at 212. For all of you that have diabetes believe me this is the way to go. I am now down to one actos a day and my BS is doing great. I feel so much more energetic and am looking forward to doing things I haven't done in years. One question for all of you, when can we swim again? :smile:

Ok, so It's been several months since I've visited my page or been compliant with my lap-band. I've been so off track since December. I had lost 83 pounds in 8 months and since December I've gained 27 pounds back! I've been pigging out on slidder foods or "eating around the band" as my surgeon calls it. I haven't even been to see my surgeon since October because I'm embarrassed about my weight gain. I feel like a complete looser and physically feel worse than when I weighed 323 pounds. I'm not sure how to start over or get serious again but I'm definitely going to try. I need to place my focus back on me. I have a treadmill, elipictal, free weights and an exercise bike in the guest room collecting dust! I'm making a public and personal committment right now to get back to being on track. If anyone has experienced anyone like this or has any suggestions on assisting me in my struggle please don't hesitate to comment or e-mail me.

OMG...your blog page was sooooo hilarious. I, too, had lost some weight b/4 intitial visit (13lbs) and was so wishing I hadn't. I had to be BMI of 40 with comorbidities to qualify for ins. coverage for WLS. Lots of water on the way to appt and stuffed my face for 2 weeks b/4 for a amazingly small weight gain of just 1/2lb. The nurse let me "scrunch" a couple of inches when measuring my height. Love that girl!:thumbup:

Thanks! I should also mention that this weight gain came about in the midst of my going to the gym 3xs a week! I like the idea of the 5 day rest. What is that? Sleeve in October of 2011 Lost 95 lbs from heaviest Gained back 25 (working at shrinking that number)

tnks2ph, wish I knew what to tell you. I don't. I don't have any clue about your mental health issues, so I sure as hell would not advise you to drop your meds. Frankly, I think anyone who would say that to a stranger on the internet after reading one post...really needs to do some thinking about how dangerously unwise that is. I know that SSRI meds are infamous for causing weight gain. Some of the other ones are even worse. And shockingly...none of them is anything like pred....which sucks, too....but can't be compared. Best advice I can see that you've been given: "do not stop your meds without medical supervision if you have to choose between mental stability and being thin choose metal stability. i dont think you have to choose but if it comes down to just those 2 options choose mental health. you will take longer to get there but you have the rest of your life to finish this race." For your safety, you need some professional medical expertise on this topic. You won't find it here. Maybe try to get a referral consult with a psychiatric group who works with eating disorders? They might have more advanced knowledge on how different psychiatric meds effect diet and weight outcomes...and have strategies for overcoming the difficulties you're experiencing. There are a lot of people in your shoes. Someone reputable has good answers. Just have to find them. Wishing you the best.

Thanks for your understanding reply, Monk--I wasn't sure how I would be perceived on this thread. I admire you greatly, by the way. 2-3 times a week???? That would have been manageable. We are talking 2-3 times a day when we were first married. I always felt like a failure for not having the desire as often as he did. Last summer I did a survey for the US Dept and Health and Human Services that asked a lot of questions about intimacy and sexual matters and for the first time in my adult life, I felt NORMAL. I would say that the average times most of the people I interviewed (who were in a sexual relationship) was 1-2 times a week. I could live with that I think. As far as the boys--yes, the statistic does seem high but it only applies to boys who FINISH the program and the program takes 2-3 years. Of course, it is much lower for boys who aren't in the program or who leave or are forced out before they complete. it's a court-mandated program--these are multiple offense offenders. As you alluded to, the recidivism for adult offenders is just the opposite--over 98%. Sad. I've often wondered if a big part of my weight gain was "protection" or maybe a hope for decreased attractiveness in some sick way to solve my problem of guilt over sexual intimacy. I don't know. I was hit upon so often as a young married and I never trusted myself to be able to resist every time. Although I always resisted, there was something in me that wondered if I would slip up and ruin my marriage and family, given the "right" (or should I say "wrong") circumstances. I like hugs--most of my kids are very huggy and touchy, though not all. I'm comfortable hugging "my boys" (the offenders)--of course, only side hugs allowed, no frontal hugs. Like you, I know that some of these boys have never had appropriate touching in their lives. Breaks my heart. They have a long way to go but we have seen some great successes and know they can make it if they are willing to do the immense amount of work that changing thoughts and behavior takes. Hmmm, changing thoughts and behaviors--that sounds vaguely familiar.

This thread spoke to me!! I was sleeved 4/10 lost 24 lbs in the first 2 weeks. I haven't lost anything in over a week and I too gained 2 lbs. I've been so upset, I knew there would be a stall but the weight gain was just devastating. I even began counting calories and working out. I was thinking what if I never loose anymore weight!?!? Is that even possible?! I'm glad I'm not alone and I hope this stall ends soon for my sanity!

My friends and family all know I am going to Mexico for the surgery. That's just the kind of person I am, very open and honest. I don't hide anything. My dad is nervous about it being done in Mexico so he is going with me. He said he talked to his doctor about it yesterday, he is very overweight and having some health problems now. She talked to him about the pros and cons and he wants to wait and see how my surgery and progress goes before he decides to have it done. My dad was always super skinny when he was younger and this weight gain is really getting him down so I think he's hoping it works well for me. That just motivates me even more knowing he will be watching me.

Anyone else experience weight gain years after Gastric-Sleeve? I'm almost 200 lbs again and very frustrated. I know a few things I'm doing wrong - not getting enough nutrient dense foods, too many non- nutrients rich foods/calories - not enough water *I hate drinking water - not enough exercise - Depression and stress have taken their toll. Now I need to 'start over'. WIth a busy life - 4 children ages 10-30 and 2 3 yo grandchildren - 3 part time jobs - volunteer positions at church - it's hard to focus on self-care. I need help, encouragement, focus and answers to reverse the effects of it all. Hoping to get some practical advise here to help me get my life back on track. I want to live a long healthy life and just struggle with the enormity of variety and choices in the diet and health world...

agree with "Fluffychix" "you have to your health a priority." I was pushing and fighting for revision "due to GERD, gastritis, a hernia and weight gain." I fought for revision. Lost some battles and now on the road to winning. I can possibly get revised. However, when I achieved my goals over the mandatory next 6 months waiting period? I will no longer need revision. Well, I hope with medical support my weight loss and health goals will be achieved. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using BariatricPal mobile app

Wellbutrin is like lexapro but different from effexor. Seriously, it depends on how you feel. I was given lexapro, I didn't gain and I didn't lose and I didn't feel better same with paxil. I took effexor, which is a tough drug to get used to and a tough drug to get off of! I experienced insane side effects, including major weight gain. The drug made me feel good and made me forget to watch what I eat(seriously). I switched to wellbutrin after a near 40lb weight gain, which was supposed to help me lose, while feeling better, it didn't. But, I didn't gain either. You're not going to know until you take them how it will effect you. It's different with everyone. It's good that you have the sleeve to help in that respect, right?

Do antidepressants lead to weight gain on their own or do they just change a person's appetite?

Every anti-depressant impacts each person differently. Just because the side effects doesn't list weight gain, it could still happen despite best efforts. Be patient - it takes 4-8 weeks for each medicine to prove (or not prove) itself. One of the reasons I had the VSG was to help control the impact of psych medicines on my weight and general health. It's working!