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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 don't think anyone here can really tell you if you should or shouldn't as it's a forever decision and some people might not be suitable for it. You just need to be 100% honest with yourself and what you want in life and what you're happy to sacrifice to have it. But I will be brutally honest with you and tell you my experience. Are you happy to spend the rest of your life unable to eat normal size meals? Are you happy spending the rest of your life prioritizing nutrition and protein and avoiding high calories/high sugar foods? You'll even have to monitor when you eat and drink as you can't do both at the same time. These are some things people don't realize you will have to do. I think there's a big misconception out there that you get the surgery, and the weight just falls off and you don't have to do anything but it's so far from that, people do fail with this surgery, people do stay obese and some even gain the weight back once they've lost a little, it happens. You will struggle, you will have to see a nutritionist, you will have to learn to eat right, you have to learn to focus on getting as much protein as possible and if you eat sugar and chocolate and cakes, the weight will just come right back only this time you'll also have deficiencies. Even so, it's not a bad thing. I think all of that is a lot easier than being obese and I'm happy to have this as a life, if it means I can run without knee pain. Also there's more deaths caused by obesity than the surgery, having the surgery adds years to your life, just make sure you go to a legit surgeon. I wanted the surgery 12 years ago, when i was only 215lbs, had 0 stretch marks and was still pretty young, but many people talked me out of it and I decided to go hard core instead and crash dieted my way to 150lbs, within a year I was at 200lbs again and then after another year 250lbs, then crash dieted again to 175lbs, then I went all the way up to 265lbs and yoyo'd like that for 7years. My weight gain had started when I met my now ex, before I met him I was tiny and fit, it took me many months of therapy after I left him, to find out I was dating a narcissist that was feeding me to keep me fat and then using my weight as justification to hurt me and call me names... and prevent me from leaving him thinking i wasn't good enough for anyone. Every time I had lost the weight in the past, he would freak out and make me feel bad, accuse me of trying to get fit to leave him and that was part of the reason I think I yoyo'd so bad. I was doing it for the wrong reasons, and i lived with someone that enjoyed watching me in pain. So the dieting would have never worked. I got the surgery thinking that it would be the end of arguments and part of me thought it would make him happy in the long run and things would change but no, our relationship ended and now I'm actually glad, because if I had stayed with him, even with the surgery, I'd still be obese. Am I happy I had it done? Yes, but there's times when I'm sad I can't just eat a normal meal at a restaurant, thankfully you can take left overs home and eat the rest as another meal later . There's people that will never understand and will say you cheated, talk behind your back and just be rude. It's gotten to the point I don't tell anyone I had the surgery because I'm tired of justifying it. Overall for me it was the right thing to do, even if i wasn't in the right mindset at the time, because it helped end a toxic relationship, it fixed my binge eating disorder, I got therapy and have been working on myself physically and mentally with the aim to maintain my health for life. I've still got a long way to go but i'm already feeling better about myself. I actually bought a corset for the first time in 10 years having loved them when i was younger... And it fit and looked good!!! My insurance wouldn't pay for the surgery, so i used all my life savings and I'm still happy I did. Take the time to really think about this, look at all the pros and cons. Decide if your reasons for wanting it are worth it. It is an amazing tool to help you lose weight and I think with the right guidance many people will benefit from having this done but you need to decided it you're one of them. Either way, if you decided to do the surgery or calorie count, we're always here to chat and support you. All the best on your journey to a healthier life.

Thanks do you think it’s to late if I have messed up. I fear I have stretched out my stomach I know it’s only been 3 months but I never thought I have any weight gain especially not this early. However it wasn’t the same scale but I know my clothes fit a little snugger then the week before. I also was on birth control that gave me crazy side affects

Thanks do you think it’s to late if I have messed up. I fear I have stretched out my stomach I know it’s only been 3 months but I never thought I have any weight gain especially not this early. However it wasn’t the same scale but I know my clothes fit a little snugger then the week before. I also was on birth control that gave me crazy side affects

I recommend logging every that you eat, specifically calories. If you do, then what does it look like comparing the two months? When I get frustrated because of weight gain, for example water weight, I am aware that I can easily fall into the old habit of feeling defeated. Now I look at my calorie intake and determine whether it is real or just water weight. It is a way not only to make sure the weight will continue to come off (or maintenance in my case), but also, keep me sane from self-defeating feelings. and actions that usually follow Like if I am eating 1300 calories according to my journal, week to week, and one day I gain 5 lbs., I know there is no way that the 5 lbs. I gained is fat and it must be water weight. So it gives me guidance, accountability and more importantly, peace of mind.

Most of my adult life I maintained my weight at 117 pounds with exception of two periods lasting a couple of years that I packed on extra weight. With dedication and vigilance, I was always able to lose the excess.....until "The Great Weight Gain of 2012". None of my previous successful weight loss tactics were working and when I hit the 10 year mark of struggling to lose the extra weight; as well as, growing health issues from the added weight, I accepted the fact that i now was unable to fight this battle alone. I chose my goal weight of 112 in anticipation of the common regain from the lowest weight acheived to allow myself a five pound alarm system....in hopes of never seeing the scales above 117 again.

Oh Thank you !!! I think I'll go to my family doc ,now that I don't have to worry about weight gain !

I gain weight on steroids, every time. It makes cravings so intense and all I can stomach for days after I take them is ice cream. LOL It is weird and annoying. I know I'm not the only one that gets cravings on steroids. That said, if I needed them, I'd still take them. I'm prone to bronchitis and immune compromised. We never want it to turn into pneumonia so I end up on steroids for it each time. I think my weight gain averages about 10 lbs per round, which is frustrating but not worth risking my health for in the long term. But that's just me, everyone will have their own opinion and experiences. Have they tried giving you an inhaler for the bronchitis? You can get a steroid inhaler. I don't gain weight or have cravings with that. And they are really effective!

Lyrica, though a wonderful drug for nerve pain, does have the unfortunate side effect of increasing your appetite. My mother’s GP told her straight out she’d never lose weight while she was on Lyrica & her antidepressant & all she could do was work at maintaining the weight she was at. Might be worth a conversation with the insurance company to allow some leeway because of being prescribed Lyrica. Can’t hurt (& get it in writing if they say okay). I wonder if the strict requirements around no weight gain before surgery is more about your commitment to the surgery & wanting to lose weight. Same with any requirement for losing weight (except for the immediate pre surgical diet.) Thankfully our insurance companies in Australia aren’t so strict … yet. No approval requirements from them. Though they are certainly getting more restrictive.

Yeah, I have to do all the standard things like 6 months of supervised weight loss visits, nutritionists, psych, etc... I just thought the weight clause was particularly cruel. I'll be taking @summerseeker advice and putting heavy things in my pockets. LOL I can't even tell what stage my cycle is in to make sure I go in with the period bloat (hysterectomy) so that's super annoying. @SleeveToBypass2023 I don't get an option about which insurance plan we have, this is through my partner's workplace. It costs too much to go with someone else. But I'm glad you didn't have to fight as hard to get your surgeries, BCBS was good when we had them! @New To This23 That sounds like a nightmare! I am so sorry you are going through that! I am worried about this scenario because my body is given to weird spurts of weight gain that have nothing to do with what I'm eating or how I'm exercising. I did 18 months with a nutritionist and lost 10 lbs, which was really due to the Ozempic I started. LOL I've never been able to lose more than 15-20 lbs, my body is just wicked stubborn. I will keep my fingers and toes crossed that you make that weigh in with room to spare!! Keep us posted!

Finally. Surgery day is here! God, I can't do this without You. I completed my 14-day clear liquid sugar-free and caffeine-free diet along with some protein drinks. I didn't cheat once. That in itself is a miracle! I've lost 10 lbs. during this time, and 25 lbs. overall (since January 1st). I was placed on prednisone (steroid) twice this past Spring, which set me back. It causes. much weight gain whenever I'm on it and it takes many weeks to get the weight off. So as I was losing, I'd gain weight while on that medication. So frustrating, but it's behind me, hopefully forever. These two weeks really prepared my mind for this journey moving forward. I will work to continue strengthening this new mindset. Not easy, right? I appreciate the input this forum - you beautiful people - has provided. I hope optimal health and strong minds for you all. Onward! 💟

yes, however i do think menopause has something to do with weight gain/loss.

The sugar alcohols used in many artificial sweeteners cause problems for many people: diarrhoea, bloating, discomfort, … Personally I try to avoid or reduce as many artificial sweeteners, sugar alternatives & sugar as I can. It’s hard because it’s in almost everything you buy. I did it to kill my sugar craving - it has. (Artificial sweeteners & sugar alternatives still feed your desire for sweet.). Also there is a lot of research being done into how artificial sweeteners still lead to weight gain, affect your immune system, etc. But this has been a personal choice for me. Generally if I want something sweet I’ll eat some fruit. But again it’s been my choice to do this. I have made chia seed pudding & used vanilla extract as flavour. There is natural & added sugar in it but it’s very little. Also added milk powder which gave some sweetness (& extra protein) & a natural sugar. What about a fruit crumble? Cook up apple, berries, rhubarb or other fruit & sprinkle the top with a mix of rolled oats, coconut, nuts, a little plain flour, cinnamon a little butter & bake until golden. Use a little monk fruit for a touch of sweetness if the fruit is a little tart & in the crumble topping. Congratulations on your daughter’s weight loss. So wonderful she’s been inspired by you to make changes in her life too.

I was sleeved in Mexico in 2009, and two years later I lost my gall bladder because all I did was focus on protein and nothing else. I wish I had known that we CAN overdo protein. I wish I'd known that too much protein will kill your gall bladder, your kidneys, and your liver. I wish I'd exercised from the get-go instead of waiting 3 years to finally start getting on that elliptical. It would have given me more muscle tone and less hanging skin. I wish I'd stuck to my exercise instead of letting myself get overwhelmed with all the tragedies I experienced from 2014-2020. I wish I'd gotten therapy instead of looking to Xanax, Ambien, and alcohol to distract me. I'm 23 days out of a revision from a sleeve to a bypass due to weight gain. This journey is going to be much harder than my sleeve. Treasure your sleeve, work with it, respect it. *Edit: You're goal right now should be to hydrate and keep walking. Even just the shuffling around the house is good. It helps prevent blood clots and helps flush out the anesthesia and water retention from the IV fluids. Shuffle around the house 3 or 4 times a day. Count 500 or 600 steps each time. It gets easier. Don't be bending over to grab stuff from the floor. Ask someone to help or get a $10 extended arm grabber thingy. That helped me a lot when I would drop my sock or my vitamin on the floor. 😊

So there have been talks about pregnancy and babies with my boyfriend. With history of PCOS, my cycles have become regular and I have been ovulating for the last year or so. We may try for pregnancy may be sometime next year. My question is, anyone here who got pregnant after WLS? If yes, did you end up losing your post pregnancy weight? Or was it difficult to bring it back to pre-pregnancy baseline? Currently I am happy with where I am with my weight. But also, looking forward to starting a family if destiny permits. But, the weight gain cycle of pregnancy concerns me. Putting on the weight will naturally happen but I was wondering if the bypass tool will help me lose the weight post pregnancy. Any thoughts, experience shall be great!

My doctor is recommended I have a bypass revision done (currently 5 years put on my sleeve) as I have severe GERD and weight gain. For those that have had this done….. which bypass did they do? Full ? Mini? Or? and did it help? Thanks in advance.

I get it. I too had about a 3lb gain after being stable for a year or so. Yes a small gain but just like you it was concerning to me. My fluctuation had been 48.5-49.5kg but suddenly I was 51kg. I liked being under 50kg & I too worried it was the beginning of the end. I am a believer in your body settling into it’s correct set point & what it needs to function effectively which may be at a higher weight. Building muscle will result in some gain. Becoming more complacent & less vigilant in your choices, making adjustments to your way of eating to better suit your lifestyle, medication changes, or your original way of eating was too limiting all can contribute to weight gain. For me, I discovered a contributing factor was my HRT was no longer working (absorption issue after my gall removal. I also had increased my protein intake due to the same absorption problem. Changed to a patch, made a slight adjustment to the protein sources I’d added (legumes be gone - well reduced) & slowly I lost not all but most of that gain. I now fluctuate between 49.5-49.9kg & have been stable for about 6 months. Funny thing is I do eat more than I did at the lower weight (about 1300 then & about 1500 now) which, according to those BMR calculators, is about right for me. If you want to nip the regain in the bud, maybe start with tracking your food intake for a couple of weeks to see what may be contributing. 100 extra calories can result in a 10lb weight gain over a year. You mentioned you’ve been snacking more & that may be contributing. May be drop one or two of those snacks, reduce your snack portions or look for a lower calorie alternative. But only change those things that are sustainable & don’t affect how you want to enjoy your life. You have to decide if the changes you may need to make to your eating are worth weighing a little less or whether being a couple of pounds heavier is an acceptable increase. And what an acceptable fluctuation may be for you. Unfortunately, I think we will always have to be vigilant. We have too much history with eating & weight gain not to be. All the best.

Hello All, I had my bypass on Valentines Day this year. So, I'm roughly 4 months post op. Prior to my surgery I was taking Wellbutrin 100mg 3 times a day. I haven't had any weight gaining issues with this medication. It actually had been helping me not want to overeat a bunch. Recently my Dr decided to add Zoloft 50mg daily in addition to my Wellbutrin. I haven't started taking it yet because I am having mixed feelings about it. I know I need something to help with the irritability I've had an increase within addition to what I am taking now. I do trust my Dr and him saying that he thinks that I am a good candidate for the medication, and he hasn't seen any weight issues ect, I am though however terrified if I start taking this medicine, I will start gaining weight back. So, my question is those who have been on this medication, did you have any side effects and or weight gain with this medication? And if so, how much weight did it cause you to gain back?

Another case of I’m glad I didn’t get rid of these shoes or boots this time. Bought these about 10years ago back when I was in my old usual weight range (before my menopause weight gain). I kept them because they were so lovely even though I thought they were too big at 38.5 (now a 37.5-38) & them being wide around the calf. I decided to put them on yesterday for the hell of it & they fit. A little big but thick socks helped then I remembered they did run a little small. Yes, I can put my hands down the sides but putting them over pants helped. Wore them today & two people stopped me to tell me how much they loved them. One was disappointed when I said they were about 10yrs old as she was going to ask where I bought them to get herself a pair.

First, congratulations on your weight loss. It’s a fabulous achievement - please remember that. The hard truth is not everyone gets to their goal weight. Your goal weight is a number you chose for various reasons significant to you but your body has it’s own goal weight - its set point. This is the weight your body is happiest at. It is a weight that’s easiest to maintain & your body will keep pulling you back to. Your set point is what makes it hard to lose weight & easy to put back on any you did lose back. The surgery lowered your set point from what it was but you can’t control what the lower level will be. Be careful as you can increase your set point again by eating to excess & making poor food choices. Yes, increasing your physical activity & building muscle will increase your hunger. The trick is to balance the hunger with the calories your body needs. Check your basal metabolic rate to give you an idea if what calories your body may need to maintain. Seeking support from a therapist may help especially with your cravings & late night hunger. Many find therapy very beneficial to support their weight loss & manage their maintenance. Therapy will help you identify what’s behind your cravings & hunger & reflect on your relationship with food. Your surgeon or team should be able to refer you to a suitable therapist (one who specialises in disordered eating & is knowledgeable of bariatric surgery). All the best. PS - I found it helpful to get the ‘bad’ food out of my house. If it’s not there I can’t eat it. I know it’s not always possible especially if you have a family but even if you got rid of the your favourites would help. Try to pick a healthier option. Want sweet try some fruit. Want salty or crunchy try roasted fava beans or chick peas. Of course even ‘good’ food eaten to excess will lead to weight gain.

Hi all! I’m 18 months post op from my VSG and I’m still 24 pounds out from my goal weight. My highest weight was 313 and surgery day I was 289. I’m currently 204. I was able to get down to 197 a few months ago but I have gained some back. I’m battling constant hunger. I have been strength training a lot the past 6 months, which at first I attributed to my increase in hunger, but the past 2 months it’s gotten out of control. I eat anywhere between 100-130 grams of protein a day. Drink 120 ounces of water a day. Take my vitamins. I just can’t shake this hunger, which in turn makes me have bad food choices, usually later at night. Has anyone else struggled with this at this point in their journey? And what advice do you have? I’m terrified of weight gain and desperately want to reach my goal!

I had surgery eight years ago at age 55. No diabetes, though - just obesity. SUPER obesity. Also, borderline sleep apnea that I didn't know about until I did a sleep test for surgery. I lost 235 lbs and gained back about 20 lbs in year 3 post op (a 10-20 lb rebound weight gain after you hit your lowest weight is very common). Maintained ever since, but it's work. On the other hand, before I had surgery, the most I could lose was about 50-60 lbs, and every ounce of it would come back. Happened dozens of times. So yes - weight loss is sustainable after bariatric surgery as long as you monitor yourself. I had strictures at two months out and four months out. Very easy fix. The PA at our bariatric clinic told me it was the most common complication, and that they happen to 5% of gastric bypass patients (and if they're going to happen, it'll be during the first three months post-surgery - they're very rare after that). I personally wouldn't call something that happens to 5% of people "common", but that does give you an idea of how common complications are. Basically - they're not very common. about 30% of bypass patients have dumping syndrome. I've never had it and most of the people I know haven't had it, but some of us do. It's caused by eating too much sugar at one sitting (or for some, too much fat at one sitting seems to set it off). It's because food passes through to your small intestine much more quickly once you've had bypass, and your intestines go into overdrive trying to deal with the sugar (or...fat). It can be prevented by limiting the amount of sugar you eat at one sitting (which we should be doing regardless, even us non-dumpers). good luck in your decision. Honestly, I should have done it years ago. My only regret is that I waited that long to have it done. My life has changed dramatically for the good. I'd go back and have the surgery done every year if I had to - it's been terrific!

I didn't get to my goal weight gained 3 kg and I tend to bounce around that 3 kg

Thank you Arabesque! I kind of get in my head at times because i really think menopause did a number on me as far as weight gain and inability to lose it on my own without surgery. I know everyone is different and we should not compare the rate or amount of weight loss to others. I just wonder at some point if menopause will interfere with the amount of weight i am able to lose as it seems my hormones seem to be sabotaging me as far as hot flashes, etc. My "banana" was born on 4/12/23 and I've lost 37 lbs. I suppose not bad for 2 months. I average 400-500 calories a day. I get about 60g of protein per day. I will be honest and say i don't exercise as much as i should. Water is hard for me to drink the amount you are supposed to so i did switch to decaf black tea with splenda and of course that is easier for me to drink more of it but still dont think i'm getting the 64oz of liquid.

The steroids will have contributed to your weight gain, nasty things, I detest them. To drop some weight eat Vegetables and salads with low fat meats and fish. Try and contain any fats used in cooking and use fat free sauces/ mayonnaise etc. Try not to eat carbs other than the ones in fruit and veg. So no breads, pasta, rice, potatoes. Dont drink anything other than sugar free drinks, tea and coffee without sugar or use a saccharine. Low fat dairy is fine. No snacks other than sugar free popsicle's Its basically what you will eat after surgery. Good luck