Search the Community

I was going to post this on mfp but I thought I’d post this here. I drink a bunch of water almost everyday. I know I drink a lot more then the recommended amount. I usually try to watch how much I eat and also exercise. Sometimes from day to day my weight fluctuates. Could this be due to too much water?

Hi there- DO NOT GIVE UP! You have a great tool now you just have to commit to working the tool. I'm 5 years out and have had small weight gains, tried to use excuses to keep eating crap but just decided I wanted to look and feel better! So I went right back to basics- the first thing that caught my eye was that you don't eat breakfast- START EATING BREAKFAST RIGHT NOW! It is proven that people who eat breakfast weigh less than those who don't AND it will be easier to get in all of your protein. The first thing you want to do is take everything out of your diet besides protein for a day or two or 3 to adjust your eating habits and hunger...Once you start down the carb road your hunger follows quickly. So eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, chicken, shrimp, sliced lunch meat turkey and cheese- no bread, no pasta, no rice, no potatoes..Whenever your hungry take in some protein....After a few days of this (when you are no longer ravenouse every hour) limit your calories.Make sure you are getting plenty of fluids...but not with meals....no diet sodas or artifically sweetened stuff....and figure out a plan that can get you to the gym before work- I'm at the gym 6 days a week by 6:30 am and at work by 8:30 - and I'm a woman and have to do my makeup and my hair and gossip in the locker room so you should be able to make it in and out and to work on time.....send me a private message if you would like more - I'll give you my email address (or u give me yours) it's quicker and easier to talk. Sandi2004

I hope that in a year I look at this post and laugh at nervousness and say to myself, "that was the smartest thing I have ever done." I am a few days out. Have not lost weight on the pre-op diet, though there is the issue of scale discrepancy and possible monthly water weight gain. Reading the messages from everyone else that far out, I have started to tell myself I don't want the words "I need to work on my protein" or "I should be exercising more" happen. I'm 35, work full time. Just had a big breakup (he didn't want kids -- thanks for telling me now!), financially trying to get it together for the last 15 years, and I am ready for a change. Yikes!

You're getting ahead of yourself. The band absolutely has to be loosened. Being unable to tolerate even small amounts of liquid is bad. The alternate is being hooked up with IV. I have no idea what will happen once the band is loose for a while. That's why I say you're getting ahead of yourself. Speculating and worrying about events that are still in the future will only make you more and more miserable. It's not always easy, but try not to think about it at all. Just take each step with the doctor and see what happens with each. How much Fluid comes out depends on how little remaining will be best. Expect quite a bit. Put effort into eating as you should to avoid or minimize weight gain. Above all is dealing with whatever is going on with the band.. Your weight is secondary right now.

Started 14 day liquid diet weighing 300 lbs. went to the hospital on March 30th weighing 271. Now 7days post op and I have gained weight, I now weigh 285 pounds?!?!!! What is the deal!!?!!

Hi Micki. Your honesty will serve you well on the next leg of your journey. So many of us get stuck, and digging out of old behaviors we thought we had conquered can be disheartening. They say with alcoholics, one of the goals is to fall off the wagon for shorter periods of time each time. For us, when old behaviors crop back up, we shouldn't be surprised. We spent a lot of years cementing them into our brains. The nice thing about the band is that it will essentially allow you to be a laggard for awhile without that rapid weight gain we USED to get when we screwed up. Catch your breath for however long you need to, and when you are ready, get back to work. List the basics of living with the band, and figure out what you want to tackle first. Keep a log of your calories for a few days and see what bad stuff has snuck back in. This is all about how we learn to live permanently with new behaviors, and sometimes it's hard work. Don't kick yourself. It's just all part of it for some of us. I had a stretched pouch. I went in for a fill and was already full, but she could see from the fluoroscope pics that my pouch was bigger. She says it happens from things we do wrong, or even from doing nothing wrong. I'm very restricted in the morning, so even liquids in the morning could take too long to go through and stretch the pouch as they sit there. Many people then get a complete unfill or a partial unfill and let the stoma rest. With mine, I went back on liquids for 3 days and I was good as new. I also started sipping rather than guzzling my Breakfast. I guess the big deal with stretching is that if you try to live with too tight a restriction for a long time and with the subsequent stretching, you can get into a more chronic problem. I know when she told me I had a stretched pouch, I thought the world as I knew it had ended, and it turned out to be an easy fix and a cautionary tale. I keep a list of the rules of living as a bandster taped on my refrigerator, and I'm always finding something I need to do better, or that I just didn't do for awhile. Congratulations on your journey so far! Oh, and I also found out that for me, I am the worlds best at talking myself out of going to the gym. But I put Tony Horton's 30 minute routines on my portable CD, turn the sound off and turn the TV on, and I watch 1/2 hour of TV while I do his worout routine, and it's over before I know it. I find that I'm not going to be a major athlete in my life, so I need to have lots of different strategies for getting in exercise. I also found that sitting and watching TV is my worst emeny, so exercising in order to give myself permission to watch seems to work.... I hope you get lots of responses to this thread. I'll be interested to see what others are doing.

Please join me in listing your wow moments here. It does not matter how minuscule you think your achievements are, I feel that they could still be inspirational for others. I read a lot of challenge / re-commitment threads and I feel that we need one full of successful / inspirational stories. I will kick start the thread with my most recent wow moments. Shopping on New Year`s Eve with the hubby, met a friend we have not seen for over a year now. She said hello and Happy New Year to DH and proceeded to ask whether I was his sister. She then said, tell the Mrs I say Hi and will see her shortly. I responded by saying the Mrs. says Hi back and we should really get our diaries to schedule that meet. Imagine her face? Shopping is fun now because everything / anything looks good on the frame. WOW I must also state that this is the 1st X`mas period during my adult life that I had enjoyed as much as I could without weight-gain at the end or feeling the need to go on a diet soon afterwards. Feeling well and not lethargic as usual.

Hello all, I am NOLA Lady. I am 4'10" n on the day of my surgery I weighed in at a whopping 230lbs and was in a size 18/20. I was extremely regimented, listened to every instruction and was ahead of my group in weight loss because of it. In six months I lost 100 lbs and went down to a size 2. I was so excited that I could finally shop at Victorias Secret & Cache that I became a clothes horse. I have a closet full if fine clothing. I am in sales n marketing and my career took off with the weight loss. I quickly rose to the #1 sales rep as I am a petite blonde in a male dominant field. I have kept the weight off for four years effortlessly and have stayed in my size 2. I went through a really rough time on my job at Airgas. The men hated me because sales came effortlessly to me because if the way I looked. Not once did I dress in appropriately with low cut shirts and or mini skirts. I was always professional in a business suit or when at a refinery or chemical plant I was in jeans n Airgas shirt and steel toe shoes nothing attractive about it. I went through an extremely stressful time and was forced out by men who could not handle being beat by a woman. They lied on me made up rumors and heck one guy went as far to not give me any accts out his branch for 5 years. When I confronted him two days later he gave me a new acct Southern Comfort Strip Club said I could sell them beer gas! Text book sexual harassment case that any attorney would have had a field day with. I did not pursue I found another job n moved on. However the stress I endured was overwhelming to say the least. I was forced to leave a job I loved was passionate about successful n the best of the best. Well I am a stress eater n a eater of the wrong things chocolate chocolate n more chocolate. I put on 25 lbs in one year and went up to a size 12. I am sick to my stomach about it. I so want to get back on track yet I am now overwhelmed with depression. Between being forced out a career I loved n enjoyed so very much and now the weight gain after spending $15k out my own pocket for the VSG surgery I am so depressed about things. I keep trying to drink my 42 gram Myoplex every day n take my Vitamins yet I am so down n out n overwhelmed with depression that I feel immobile n unmotivated. I feel like I am sinking into a black hole n can't stop myself from swirling down into the quick sand. Please help!! Does anyone have any advise or words of wisdom for me??? Toolgirl16@gmail.com

Ok guys! So I've lost 2 kilos, 4.4 pounds. BUT! This is in 6 weeks. I'm a pre-sleever working through my food issues to get sleeved June 2013. I've been struggling this month- extreme hunger at night, fatigue, cravings, pms with out the M! So I see the head of the clinic today, I paid full fee for the pleasure, only to be told that the general doctor who had been treating me had prescribed endep (for my sciatica) in complete contraindication with my regular cymbalta. Not only has it been causing the severe fatigue, but it CAUSES weight GAIN!!! And hunger, and Water retention, dry mouth, emotional lability! So, in order to treat weight-related sciatica, the doctor gave me a pill that causes gain?! And a high dose of it to boot!!! Soooooo angry!!!! I've been going crazy the last few weeks! I thought I just didn't have the willpower! Then I find out its not a question of willpower at all! It's a miracle I didn't GAIN weight, and that would have been very very bad!!! Now I have to gradually come off the stuff so I don't get insomnia and all sorts of other side effects... And I thought the OxyContin had been bad!!! Bloody endep! Bloody doctors!!!! So anyway, here's hoping all you folks on myfitnesspal will notice a marked improvement in my eating again over the next couple of weeks, and my friends and DH notice I'm less cranky!!! To everyone on any medication: please get a second opinion, you never know if even the doctor you trust implicitly (as I did) can miss something big!!! Peace!

We'll always have PCOS, but the reduction in body weight means a reduction in insulin resistance. It may make conception easier for you, or it may be no change. I am one of the lucky few who has not suffered infertility...just weird cycles, multiple miscarriages(4 full term pregnancies in there too), weight gain since puberty, and some of the other less than feminine side effects.

Hey everyone -- At the risk of boring those of you who know my story: I was banded in 2003. Slipped in 2004. Had it repaired in 2005. Slipped again in 2006 and had it removed in March! With the exception of some weight gain(s) when I had no fill, I was down about 70 pounds from my high on my 3/13/06 removal date. Since then, I've increased my exercise...more frequently, longer periods of time and greater intensity. I try eating better -- less junk, more fruit, etc. But like most of us, I am far from perfect. My calorie intake would suggest small, slow loss or at the very least, maintaining my current weight -- not weight gain. And Yes, my head drives most of my eating. Despite my efforts, I keep slowly gaining. First three pounds...then another three...then another three... and I just feel so out of control that it will be only a matter of time that I'm back to my all time high (257). As of today, I've regained 15 pounds in almost three months. My BMI now is 35. My insurance now excludes bariatric surgery, but I feel so panicked and desperate that I would find a way to cash-pay. I don't want to do the band again. But I feel like since I failed, I might not be successful with something that would be irreversible! I don't know if slips were my fault or fills that were too tight -- my money is on me -- overeating and then vomiting. So I'm actually looking into other options...Optifast (great if I want a guarantee to gain any weight lost back), RNY or DS. Would a Doctor even perform it if I'm only about 50-60 pounds overweight now, as opposed to the 100 when band was first placed? Geezer Sue, if you care to weigh in (pardon the pun), I'd love to hear your thoughts. And, I'm accepting any encouragement that's out there. It's sooooo frustrating when I feel I'm doing enough that the scale should show some maintenance in weight at least, not the constant $$%%^%^& gaining. Thanks, as always. Elizabeth:scalesno: :cry

@@CowgirlJane i admit. Carbs are a slippery slope to me. It seems to be wheat thins. I know i need to get them out of the house. All they do is trigger more hunger. I'm thinking of trying plant based to see if that changes things. I know none of us are exempt from weight gain. Still trying to find a balance. My fear of gain is keeping me on task right now. But I'm hearing it is harder after the two year mark. I'm thankful for the vets and their honesty.

Hi all: On May 20th, I had an abdominalplasty and brachoplasty. So far so good, except that I have gained about 10lbs! I am scared of my mind. Has this happned to any of you? Any suggestions as to what I should do? I was thinking of doing my post WLS diet. Just Protein shakes and Soups. What do you guys think? Thanks!

Don't remember how much I gained in swelling but instead of my usual 00-2 i was wearing size 4 for many months!! Keep following your plan, get your protein and liquids. Also, wear compression as long as you can, the longer you do, the better the final result will be. Once I could wear my own, I bought extra firm compression garments, which I wore for about 6 months. The weight gain is very scary, but it's just swelling. Congrats and best of luck for a smooth recovery.

Honestly, I wish people had offered me legit help back in the day. It's a bit different because my weight gain started when I was a little kid (though my parents did nothing out of the belief that I didn't need my diet policed and that I'd find my own way to healthy eating), and obviously your husband is an adult, but I don't think offering help and support and policing his diet are the same thing. Maybe just say to him, "I've observed these behaviors, and I don't know what they're about for you, but I know for a lot of people they may mean x,y, or z. If you're happy, I'm happy, but if you're not happy, there are thing we can try (therapy and nutritionist for starters), and I'll support you and help you all the way. I won't bring it up again, but if you decide you want to bring it up or try something new tomorrow, next month, next year, or in ten years, let me know." I really wish someone had said something like this to me, not just when I was a kid, but also as an adult.

I can relate to how you are feeling Janie.. Right now I'm feeling real fat and bloated even though the scales show NO weight gain, but and my clothes are still fitting really loose I know it is from my monthly cycle getting ready to start any day now..I always feel thisway right before my cycle..its in my head I think!

Hi everyone i have a question. When you are loosing weight and you feel like your clothes are looser , and you see it in your face . You feel like your hanging down stomach is smaller ,You start feeling your ribs you look down at your legs and they look smaller. All the little things that you notice whereas other people might not notice. Guess i am rambling but You feel like you are loosing some without even getting on the scales. Do yall know what I am talking about? WELL since I have started loosing I have felt like it, except for this week. I was sure i had gained this week and was really surprised when the scales showed a half pound drop. But I am uneasy about how I feel. I am wondering if anyone else has felt this way. I dont feel like I am loosing but gaining even the scales say differently. I read on another post that a weight gain or loss could take up to 10 days to show up on the scales. This maybe one of the silliest and vague posts yet But anyway thanks...Janie

concerned, yes and no, I think that healthy is 2-3 lbs a week, while others say 1-2 lbs. The problem with losing weight fast is the rebound of weight gain. Be sure your drinking a lot of fluids from keeping yourself from getting dehydrated. Be sure to eat atleast your minimum amount of calories otherwise your body will go into starvation mode and you will stop losing weight and be actually behind on your weight loss. Its a slow process but if you follow the rules you will be fine. Congrats on your weight loss, just be careful your losing it the healthy way!!! Best of luck with your continuous success, your Beautifil Chriper!!!!

I had VSG on 5/25/16. SW: 245. I lost 10 lbs in the first week after surgery, then stalled for the next 2.5 weeks. Then I GAINED 2lbs over the last 3 days. I drink 2 Protein shakes per day and eat pureed diet (Beans, lean meats, cheese). In total I get 7-8 cups of Water a day and 80-100g of protein. I am so frustrated! I am trying hard to follow the program, but I feel like I'm a failure. I feel like this is just one more thing that doesn't work. Has anyone went through this? Advice?

I have a major sugar problem. Cold turkey is the only way. I read once that if you are craving carbs/sugar then you are eating to much. For me this is soooo true. I have had two stalls followed by weight gain since I had surgery. Both times were when I went on vacation and had sugar when I got home I couldn't stop. It takes we a week of trying before I can get a grip on the situation. I think the most important thing is to acknowledge when the sugar monster has you and don't let it go on, kick the problem ASAP. As soon as I stop the sugar/carb intake I start losing again but I can't help but think of the 3-4 weeks I wasted.

@Live43day you are going to do great. Your medical knowledge from your professional training will help you understand the science behind the diet and importance of following your surgeon's plan. Things I'd wished I known ahead of time: *There is nothing magical about the surgery. You have it and you follow the plan. Hunger isn't much of a factor later on and it make following the simple diet extremely easy. *There will likely be some weight gain during your brief hospital stay. It's not that you've done a thing in the world wrong and nobody is going to bark at you for it. It's just a few pounds and it come off QUICKLY. It's nothing more than IV, Fluid retention and some mild inflammation. Don't let it freak you out or bother you in any way. Mine was 8+ pounds and it was gone by the 6th day. It's expected and your surgeon sees it all the time. *Let the rest of the family be responsible for their own meals. Don't pull yourself into to kitchen if you don't need to be. Let them take care of themselves for a couple weeks and you just stick to your plan. It's not being antisocial.....it's just you keeping things simple for right now. *Walking is your friend. I was up 4 hours after surgery and didn't really want to be. My only reason was the soreness and pain from an umbilical hernia repair done at the time of my bypass, too. The sleeve never bothered me. Still hasn't at Day 11, either. The walking will help work out any residual gas you may have. *sleep as well as you can the 2 nights leading up to the surgery because it seems like their job in the hospital is to keep you awake. I kid you not they were in there taking my temp, checking my vitals or doing some task every few minutes....all night long. Funny stuff. *Don't get worked up about the surgery. Stay calm. It's going to go well. Some folks have anxiety because they are having "elective" surgery for weight loss. For me it was simple as I'd already had three prior weight related surgeries: ankle tendon repair that was blown out playing golf (heavy weight made it much worse on that ankle) and two umbilical hernia repairs (too dang heavy and big around the middle). More weight related surgeries would certainly follow over the years ahead if I didn't get the weight off. I was finally IN CONTROL by having this sleeve surgery. Taking a positive step to get things corrected. Yeah....I reached a nice calm state the days leading up to the surgery. *Sipping vs gulping. I'd read all about it....heard all about it.....didn't understand the concept at any real level unit post-op. A sip is a small amount. This little nugget of understanding took me some time to grasp. Even now....at Day 11, I reach for my Water glass and without thinking I'll take a huge swig out of it.....then stop and not swallow it but allow it to trickle down my throat. It's becoming an adopted behavior. So glad I haven't had to face the same principles while eating due to remaining on the "3 shakes per day" diet. I'll have to figure out eating in a few weeks. Glad I don't for now. *The scale is not broken. I'm a daily weigher. Most here don't advise it....nor do I. I simply can't not weigh. I'm stupid that way. During the early days in my bariatric program I bought a really nice scale. It's always read within ounces of what my doctor's scales read. It also talks. Leading up to the surgery I'd hope on it in the mornings and get my reading and roll along with it. Now.....sorry, I'm laughing right now as I type this......now, I get on it....get my reading....and shake my head and say no way, this thing is broken. I'll let it turn off. I'll restart it....zero it.....and then get on it again for a second....and third reading. The weight loss during the pre-op 14 day diet and post-op has been at a rate I'm not familiar with.....even when I was killing it on Atkins a few years ago. It will amaze you.

Hi, I am 1 yr post op and have 6 mls in my band. In August I started a new job and during my orientation I have been switching between day shift and night shift every few days. My eating habits are crazy trying to eat at night and then eat during the day. And now I'm just hungry all the time and I've gained 15 lbs. Does anyone have any advice on how to get back on track and to not feel hungry at all hours of night and day? I will be permanent night shift when my orientation ends.

I'm on steroids for chronic back pain and was very concerned about weight gain. It hasn't happened but I understand the frustration behind weight gain when you haven't indulged.

@@chellede Your doing well. Don't stress it, you are going to lose and you are not that far out from the surgery date. TOM and sodium and 101 other things can cause weight gain on a scale. You could go the gym and have some lactic acid in your muscles and see a bit of gain so don't weigh ever single day. Once a week maybe hide the scale all the other days. Try to stick with what your doc told you so that your compliant and keeping your pouch at the right size. Take your time to eat what ever it is and enjoy the aroma, texture and flavor of the food. Keep up the good work!

@@Cognorati001, I was always a "normal" size. I didn't gain my weight until I had my daughter & was diagnosed with thyroid disease (which also contributed to my weight gain)-I was 30. I managed to lose weight again but it only last for a couple years. I spent almost 12 years overweight before I decided on the surgery. I thought since I spent half of my life with no weight issues, it would be easy to return back, especially since I'm married. I do struggle with it some days-especially when I get attention from men. I would encourage you to speak to a therapist. Life doesn't miraculously get better with weight loss. It can definitely help. I am over the moon excited & wouldn't change a thing but...... It is a new normal and you have to learn how to live in your new skin. Best wishes.