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Coops,, have you considered a medical issue or medications? Why Aren't You Losing weight? By Carol Sorgen WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature Reviewed By Charlotte E. Grayson, MD You're following a weight-loss eating plan. You're exercising almost every day. You're proud of the new healthy habits you've learned. Yet week after week, the scale barely seems to budge. What gives? Chances are your food portion sizes have crept up (time to get out the scales and measuring cups again). Or your workouts may not be quite as intense as you think (start checking that heart rate). But if you know you've followed your reducing plan religiously, there's another possibility: A medical condition -- or medication -- may be to blame. "If you haven't been able to lose weight and you can't understand why, you need to determine whether there's a medical condition underlying your weight problem," says Peter LePort, MD, director of the Smart Dimensions Bariatric Program at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in California. "You need to cure that problem first before you can address the weight issue." Medical Reasons for Weight Gain Several conditions can cause weight gain or hinder weight loss, says Rebecca Kurth, MD, director of PrimeCare at Columbia-Presbyterian Eastside and associate professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University. Among them, Kurth says, are: Chronic stress. When you live with anxiety, stress, or grief, your body can produce chemical substances -- like the hormone cortisol -- that make your body more likely to store fat, especially around the waist. That's the type of weight gain that really increases your risk of serious health problems. (Extra weight around the hips and thighs poses fewer health risks.) Cushing's syndrome. This happens when the adrenal glands (located on top of each kidney) produce too much cortisol, which leads to a buildup of fat in the face, upper back, and abdomen. Hypothyroidism. If your thyroid is underactive, your body may not produce enough thyroid hormone to help burn stored fat. As a result, your metabolism is slower and you will store more fat than you burn -- especially if you're not physically active. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This disease, the result of a hormonal imbalance, afflicts more than 5 million women in the US. Common symptoms are irregular menstrual bleeding, acne, excessive facial hair, thinning hair, difficulty getting pregnant, and weight gain that is not caused by excessive eating. Syndrome X. Also called insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels), syndrome X goes hand-in-hand with weight gain. Syndrome X is a cluster of health conditions thought to be rooted in insulin resistance. When your body is resistant to the hormone insulin, other hormones that help control your metabolism don't work as well. Depression. Many people who are depressed turn to eating to ease their emotional distress. Hormonal changes in women. Some women may gain weight at times in their lives when there is a shift in their hormones -- at puberty, during pregnancy, and at menopause. Two other considerations: people tend to gain weight with age for unknown reasons, and though it's not a medical condition, drinking alcohol in moderate to excessive amounts can sabotage your efforts to lose weight. Alcohol (including beer and wine) is a refined carbohydrate, similar to sugar, candy, and white flour. Besides adding calories, alcohol may raise blood sugar and insulin levels, which can contribute to weight gain. A Prescription for Weight Gain? It's not only medical conditions that can add pounds. Some medications can also cause you to gain weight, or keep you from losing it, says Ken Fujioka, MD, medical director of the Scripps Clinic Nutrition and Metabolism Research Center in San Diego. "It's not only medical conditions that can add pounds. Some medications can also cause you to gain weight." This was from a quick search.

Seppi, I still have my *3* cups of morning coffee - daily. Im not giving up my coffee Some nights I have reflux, some I dont. For me - it depends on what i eat for supper (or very late in the evening). I avoid anything tomato based in the afternoon - and also alcohol. These 2 things cause me to have reflux - Along with other things, but these come to mind. Also, about the water... sometimes Ill drink a glass of milk at night and it HELPS - SOMETIMES! The thickness of the milk seems to wash any undigested food through.

I'm sorry about your ex, Dibaby44. But I have to reiterate that marijuana is not physically addictive. He may have used it like he was an addict, and perhaps been mentally addicted. But it is not physically addictive like cigarettes, alcohol, or illegal drugs like meth, cocaine, or the such. There has also never been a reported incident of an overdose related death from marijuana use. It may affect someone's life in a negative way, and it does affect short term memory while you are smoking, however, those are supposedly reversible affects from the studies I've read. Anything used in excess can be harmful to ones life and their loved ones... and that part stinks for everyone involved. I'm not trying to be a huge proponent of smoking marijuana, but I've done a lot of research on marijuana use, and I know a lot of facts about it. I hate that people believe it's some kind of dangerous horrible drug. Personally, I believe the use of marijuana is much better an alcohol or cigarettes... and nowadays, particularly for medicinal use, there are far better ways to get the benefits rather than smoking it too. Autistic children are reaping benefits from the marijuana oils ingested in cookies/breads/etc. Now should a bariatric patient smoke after surgery? I have no idea. I do know my doctor is very adamant that smoking cigarettes can affect your stomach after surgery, so perhaps using the oils would be a better choice? And for the record, I don't partake in marijuana use. Why? Because it's illegal in the state I live in.

Good Morning! Im in for the challenge!! Name, real or screen~Michelle Age~35 Weight on January 31st~198 Goal Weight for February 28th~188 Exercise Goal for February~To exercise atleast 4 times a week and stick with it!!! Dietary Goal for February~Less carbs Personal Goal for February~Less alcohol Date Banded~2.22.10 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~ 40lbs

Staples take 4-6 weeks to heal. Until then you should be on a restricted diet of puree foods. If you eat solid foods within this timeframe, you risk "pushing" a staple out of place, which will eventually cause leakage Also, no fruit or acid products, bc it deteriorate the stsples before it heals. Same with alcohol.

I was at GNC last night buying some Quest bars to try out and they have that special going buy 3 get 1 free. I'm not sure if that's all the time or not but it made it nice to buy 1-2 of every flavor I want to try. My NUT recommended them to me. When I was in the store, the (rather attractive) muscle-bound guy at the cash register tried to talk me out of them, saying they weren't a complete Protein, had sugar alcohol in them, blah, blah, blah and how I should try these other Protein shakes instead. He even used "air quotes" when he said my "nutritionist" shouldn't be advising patients to eat these and that I should see a new NUT. So funny... I'm trying to just get out of the store with my products. Wonder if they get better profit or commission on selling GNC Protein powder???

I am a 21 year old girl who had the surgery 10/22/14. It is the best decision. I have ever made in my life and I would never ever take it back. So far I am 130 pounds down and I feel amazing. Some things I wish I knew? Well, I knew what would happen physically, there would be pain, less eating, weight loss, loose skin. On my clear liquid diet I was very week I could barely make it up the stairs and I passed out from trying, so we started my full liquids a couple of days earlier. That was the only thing physically that I wasn't expecting g was how week I would be from the liquid diet. What I wasn't prepared for was the mental issues. I wear a size 16 now and when I look in the mirror I still feel like I wear a size 30. It breaks my heart. Your self esteem grows but not as fast as you lose the weight and I wasn't expecting to feel like this. It's hard to see yourself as beautiful. I also struggle with losing my food addiction. And not putting it toward something else like shopping, alcohol, sex. It's been so rough mentally. Just know when you lose the weight it is good to have a good support group and you won't yourself immediatly but you will with time

Hey GR8 what do you mean by no drinking ??? any fluids at all or do you me alcoholic beverages!!

I was 165, so up a tad but I think the dreaded "carb bloat" accounts for it! Groupie I am with you, I can eat a little of anything and be perfectly happy - I feel "normal" about/around food for the first time in my life! Loving, loving, loving my band :biggrin: BUT . . . still SO much head work to do! I had to deal with some super-intense emotions this week for the first time since being banded, and it was really hard because 1) I knew I could not "stuff" my feelings with food - it would all have come right back up thank you band!; and 2) I needed to avoid drowning my feelings with alcohol - the stats on bariatric surgery patients developing a replacement addiction with alcohol are staggering - like 35% - so I am hyper aware of that one (not that I don't drink, mind you; I only wish to avoid "needing" to drink). SO how do I deal with these feelings? I went for a run; I went to the gym and pumped iron; I went to church . . all of which helped, but the bottom line is that I can't avoid/stuff/medicate intense feelings anymore. I have to actually feel them, and they are uncomfortable . . . . it's hard, people! By far the hardest thing about this journey. Good luck to all in this new year!!

Nope no alcohol . They say I can drink after a year . A friend of mine had vodka on the rocks after 3 months . Why wouldn’t have alcohol in my view if u r trying to lose weight

Yes, I am panicking and am a bit depressed as well. I think I have researched too much. I've read medical abstracts about complications, bulletin boards where people list all their bad experiences, etc., etc. I am questioning whether I picked the best surgeon. Another one in my area has done 2000 bariatric surgeries and has never had a single death. I only have very basic information about my own surgeon. He said one patient died from alcohol poisoning after drinking large quantities of alcohol early in his healing process. Hope I can calm down and be more optimistic before my surgery.

Hi my husband and I have been married and hpjust celebrated 25 years of marriage , this surgery only enhance my love life my husband loved me unconditionally regardless of my weight but he went to every appointment and seminar with me regarding my weight loss procedure as well as he went to every appointment I had for my tummy tuck and I am now 9 days post opt from having my tummy tuck . He has been awsume and our love life and marriage is stronger . I agree with the above statement that your marriage does not end as a direct result of wright lost or gain there are other underlined factors there . It is so nice to be healthy and have energy to engaged in activities that I once use to partake in as well as activities I never would have tried rather physically or sexually because for one I was not physically able to or had the self esteem to try . Now I do because I am comfortable in my own skin . My confidence is unstoppable and it shows I smile more I am now taking pictures which I never did . Remember communications is everything and reassurance is everything . You will get attention that you are not use to as well as you might even loose friends because they are intimidated by the new you , but remember you are worthy of being healthy and happy and you don't have to apologize to anyone for that . Also the addiction you were referring to is caused by people who use to use food got everything from stress, comfort , or love and they have replace said addiction with alcohol, shopping, and sex this cross addiction needs to be monitored and discuss with your significant other as well as a professional if needed . Good luck .

I bought several bottles of different flavored protein drinks - most of which I thought tasted nasty. I passed my unopned ones on to a friend who was having surgery. I did the same with a tub of protein and all of the chicken soup protein packets that I had ordered. I should have ordered one of those sample packets before I ordered anything in quantity. The other thing I would do different is do more work on my head in addition to making my food choices. The food stuff was easy for me early on. But now that I am normal and eating mostly how I will eat from now on, I realize the psychological stuff that led me to have a bad relationship with food is still there. I don't do the bad behaviors (mostly) but it's like an alcoholic taking it one day at a time. I wish I had started working on this stuff 6-10 months ago.

Quick update. I'm 10 months out and I still can't believe how I feel, how I changed the way I eat, and the way I look at food. Occasionally I do have a sweet desert or an alcoholic beverage but I keep my carb intake to a minimum, and when I do have carbs it's before I go to the gym so I can utilize what I just took in. Just keep in mind that surgery is just a "Tool" use it correctly and it'll work. Good luck to everyone on their journey.

@@aubrey222 -- I agree, a lot of the first week or two feels like rehab. I'm a recovering alcoholic (sober 14-1/2 years) and as I was going through the pre-op classes I could see that a lot of what they were teaching felt very similar to the first months of sobriety, and I use a lot of those same tools I learned when first sober now that I am newly sleeved (just under 2 months out). In AA we ask what has to change -- EVERYTHING and nothing. The point is we still have to live our lives. We have to get up, go to work, shower, take care of the family, all that. But now we have to take care of ourselves. This is MY responsibility, just like staying sober was (is). Just like it would be dumb to drink to punish a perceived slight from someone (what we called "drink at them"), it would be dumb to "eat at them" too -- I'm only hurting me. I don't really know where this came from this morning, lolol -- I just took the thread topic and turned it all inside out.

A lot of drs are different about these things, and I've been wondering about them too. Especially coffee?? I knew a lot of them said to wait a while on alcohol and I had also heard about it hitting you faster and harder. This is the first I've seen mention of never drinking either again. Hmmm. I will have to ask my dr too. I rarely drink alcohol but I love my coffee! Kelly

At the Mexican surgeon, their recommendation is to avoid caffeine except for decaf -- which does, btw, have some caffeine in it -- and wait until after the solid food stage to drink alcohol. They're just not really all that concerned with alcohol especially after the stomach starts working properly which takes a while. That said, one thing you should be aware of is that there are reports of leaks and other problems much later in the story, at nine months or near one year.

@@Dub More good advice and I will take it to heart. I have already somewhat simplified my eating to gjve myself the best cgance to succeed at this..high protein, low carbs, almost no sugar (real or fake), no caffeine or alcohol, no white or corn flour, almost no processed foods (I have an occasional adkins or high protein lean cuisine when I just don't have the time to cook). I have lost 40 lbs so far so I am on my way I think. I have bought several of those flavored tunas but have only tried two so far... lemon pepper (loved it) and buffalo wing (not awful but a little strange) I have been afraid to eat to many in a short period of time because of mercury. Is that silly? Do you know how much an adult can safely eat?

When you move from a food addiction - because you just can't ram it down your gullet like you used to - to other addictions like alcohol, drugs - anything that gives you a serotonin hit...

Anyone who doubts that food is an addiction just like alcohol or cigarettes should read this thread. I confessed my lifelong binging to my (skinny) mom a few months ago, telling her about how my sister and I would stop at the drive thru on the way home from school the moment we got our licenses, and then eat a full dinner an hour later. It only got worse the older I got. One of my earliest memories is lying in bed at about the age of 7 and fantasizing about ordering a stack of 20 big macs. I didn't want a pony, I didn't want a million bucks, I wanted 20 big macs. What's up with that?! The band is great for bingers once we get the right fill level, but I know that I would also benefit from some counseling. My mind is not working with the band right now.

OMG that's a powerful story. It has to be good for you to get it off your chest and know that it can help someone else. You know if they can call alcoholism a disease, they can darned sure call MO one too. I swear you either are suseptible to it or not, and grows into a worse and worse problem over time. If you are predisposed to MO, you are almost powerless to control it. I feel sometimes like we are banging our heads against a wall trying to communicate with the medical profession. So many of them still believe that dieting is the answer. We all know that it isn't! I am hoping that I can go from looking like Mrs. Ozzie Osborne before, to within a couple of years after getting the LB, looking like her now.

Moscato ws my favorite evening drink when sitting in a cafe in Rome late at night. It is so fruity and delish. The alcohol content tends to be lower than other wines so it may be "safer" to have a glass when you are cleared for alcohol. Every doctor is different about when a patient can have alcohol. For example, my doctor said 3 months.

A relative of mine experienced problems with dental anesthesia resistance as a result of marijuana. Not sure if this issue is documented in literature. My recommendation is to not use marijuana (unless medically necessary), tobacco or alcohol. Pre op I drank alcohol. Post op no more. Several o my relatives died on a ventilator from lung cancer due to smoking. I have never smoked a cigarette in my life and never intend to, though I was forced to be a passive smoker in my childhood (grew up in a smoking home). My suggestion is that, if possible, get rid of all substances. By if you cannot, then go for moderation. I want optimal health and am of the opinion that marijuana, alcohol and tobacco do not optimize health.

i've been smoking since I was 15 and im 23 now and when I found out I was going to have surgery 2 months ago I stopped. its nothing bad like people think. I don't drink alcohol, I think it should be illegal Fred Montana JR

Hey everyone, I'm looking for some advice/support with regards to my eating habits and dealing with a stall. I'm 9 months post op VSG and I had my surgery on Sept 16th 2016. My highest weight ever was 310 pounds, my surgery consult weight was 285 pounds, and I was 265 pounds the day of surgery after the pre-op liquid diet. I'm now 183 pounds for a total loss of 102 pounds since my pre-op liquid diet, and 82 pounds since the day of my surgery. My goal weight is 150 pounds and I'm 5' 7". Now I'm not new to stalls at all - I've gone through every stall in the book so far. I've had major stalls at 3 weeks post op, 1 month post op, 3 months post op, 6 months post op, and now here I am stalling again at 9 months post op. But what has me really worried this time is that I thought I had finally broke my stall a few weeks ago but my weight shot back up again today, and I even gained weight! I've been stuck at 183 pounds since the beginning of June, but I weighed in two weeks ago at 178 and I was thrilled. I had been eating 600-800 calories a day, 70-100 grams of protein, and below 20 grams of net carbs (most days being around 15). I thought I had broken through my stall but after seeing 178 that one time, I weighed in over the next few days around 180-181 even though my eating habits didn't change. I got really frustrated and told myself I'd do a little experiment...I thought maybe I wasn't eating enough, and even my nutritionist advised me to increase my calories and carbs because I've been eating this way since the very beginning post op. Starting last Friday, I tried for one week to eat 900 calories a day, still keeping between 70-100 grams of protein, increasing my water intake to over 64oz a day, and eating slightly higher carbs (below 30 net carbs per day) to try and break the stall. (By net carbs I mean I subtract both sugar alcohols and fiber from my total carb count). So I did that for a week and promised not to weigh myself for the whole week until again next Friday, and lo and behold when I weighed myself today I gained weight and am now back at 183 pounds! I don't know if I'm losing inches because I don't measure myself - but my clothes size has stayed the same and I feel like my progress pics since last month look the same. :/ Maybe that's just me though and I'm psyching myself out, but I'm feeling so upset and frustrated and depressed, I don't know what to do! I weigh and measure everything I eat down to the gram and track everything on myfitnesspal everyday. I eat clean - no ice cream, pizza, chips, etc. or other junk whatsoever. Some staples in my diet are premier protein shakes, chicken, shrimp, low fat cheeses, nuts, low fat greek yogurt, protein granola, peanut butter, and eggs. I always stick to non-starchy veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, brussel sprouts, cucumber, green beans, and spinach. Things I eat occasionally are half a slice of a high fibre/high protein low carb pita or loaf, a protein bar on long days at work where I do some heavy lifting for an extra boost, or a high fibre/high protein muffin cake (Smartcakes) sweetened with erythritol as a treat (just tried these very recently though - while they have good stats I don't know if I'll continue to buy them or avoid). During my little 'experiment' this week, I increased my carbs mainly from healthy sources: small amounts of strawberries, high fibre whole grain cereals, and lots more veggies like broccoli and cucumber. I ate more frequently in the day by adding an extra snack or small meal to up my calories to 900 a day, but I never eat less than 3 hours apart. I never eat and drink at the same time and always wait at least 30 minutes between drinking and eating. On days I'm low in fibre I'll add fibre-enhanced crystal lite to my water to get in enough fibre each day as well (still can't tolerate plain water yet sadly - makes me really nauseous). I cook using cooking spray to make sure I'm using as limited amounts of oil as possible. I take my PPI, multivitamin, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin D3 + Calcium supplements everyday as well. Here is myfitnesspal account where I have my food diary visible, so any advice on what I'm eating would be really appreciated: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/avatarkorraa As for exercise, that's been a bit of a challenge because I've been experiencing some severe chronic fatigue and muscle weakness ever since my surgery. I feel really exhausted, light-headed, dizzy, and weak all of the time, and even simple tasks like walking up the stairs has become more much challenging since surgery. I know people are supposed to feel like they have much more energy after WLS, but sadly for me it's been quite the opposite (and I'm very young too to boot - only 21 years old). I don't know if this is because I'm not eating enough or because of some other underlying health problem, though. My labs are all perfect but I do suffer from PCOS sadly, and I have pretty low blood pressure. I'm not completely sedentary though - my job requires me to do some moderate heavy lifting once a week (which is difficult to do in the state I'm in now but I try my best) and I'm certainly not housebound or anything as I'm always out and about running errands. I really do want to implement some sort of formal exercise program into my daily routine though, but sadly I have next to no energy all the time and my muscles and joints are in a lot of pain everyday. Eating closer to 900 calories this week helped me feel a little more energized, but not by much. In the meantime I'm following up with my doctor to see if there's something I can do about this so I can start exercising soon, because I really want to . Anyways, any advice/support would be really appreciated! I really want to reach my goal of 150lbs but it's so hard not to get discouraged during times like this. Seeing the scale shoot back up to 183 pounds today really scares me and I just don't know where to go from here, and I'm honestly too terrified to eat anything now. Thank you so much for reading and I wish you all the best on your respective journeys!