Search the Community

How often do you do cardio? Have you ever experienced a weight gain after doing a week of cardio? I have noticed when I bumped up my cardio I have gained 3 pounds..I dont get it.. I know muscle weighs more than fat..but I could not of gained 3 lbs o muscle in one week. Does anyone have any suggestions?/ and what do you eat for breakfast....do you eat oly three meals ...any snacks?

I did not have to do the six month diet before the surgery, so I can't give any advice for that or changing doctors midstream. But here is what I can advise you: CHANGE DOCTORS!! 1. Any doctor who "can't be bothered to read the reports from other specialists" is NOT someone that is focusing on your health and your best interests!!! A doctor should not only try to gather as much information about you and your health, but definitely should READ the information he does get! 2. He is your doctor - which means that the specialists are giving their reports to him with the idea that there is one person who is reviewing the info and able to create a complete picture of your health. There are many diseases, disorders, syndromes, etc that can cause weight gain. That can prevent weight loss. That can cause other irregularities in various way. So one specialist might only have 2 pieces of a ten piece puzzle. They will never know if there is a piece missing. Only the main doctor having all the pieces will know right away that there are only 9 pieces or there are 11! That is his job!! 3. Weight loss is a very complicated science and they are discovering more and more that there is so much more to weight gain/loss than simply calories in vs. calories burned. The idea that if you "simply eat only 1500 calories" it is guaranteed that you will lose weight is NOT true. And a good doctor should be working with you on that. Helping you, not berating you! The fact that you are seeing a nutritionist - someone whose only job is diet and nutrition - and the doctor is contradicting their advice should be a huge warning light in your head! 4. If the s**t hits the fan, you are going to have to rely on this man to help you and your family through an incredibly difficult time. Is this the man that you really want to hold your hand through the rough stuff? You don't have to be best friends or anything, but you sure as heck better feel that your health and welfare are of the upmost importance to him. He has already shown that isn't true with him by not reading those reports. 5. You and your doctor are supposed to be a team! He has extra knowledge and you are paying him for that expertise. He works for YOU!! Together, he and you are supposed to be trying to get you in the best health possible. He is no different than any other service industry employee. Would you buy a burger at BK and allow the guy behind the counter to belittle you? And when the order came over and it was wrong, would you just take it if he said, well I just couldn't be bothered to actually listen to your order! That would never fly! And you have to try and think that way. You have a right to be treated well. I'm not sure what the deal is with switching doctors now, and I do realize that the last thing you want to do is start from square one again, but I really have to say that you need to switch doctors. I just can't get over that he didn't read those reports. Keep looking until you find a doctor you are comfortable with. There are tons of doctors out there and at least a few must be covered by your insurance, right? Find a GOOD one!! :cursing:

Aww thank you! I wanted to lose 50lbs more as well but my age would not allow me as I was running out of time :thumbup: So I said after this baby I will just start over and get there I know I can do it as right now I feel I can't the weight gain is tormenting me to pieces..it's like I had not been through all the weight loss at all at this rate..but I know it will come off I just have to be patient have this baby and get back to the band rules and regulations..being able to eat what I want right now is liek WOW, loking forwared to the restriction again can't believe I am saying this!

Thanks ladies! Although i know my mirena has contributed to some of my weight gain (food started tasting really good after i got it--like REALLY good-lol), ive heard about the hormone issues. And even though its in a different location, you just never know. Plus i dont want any hinderances during my weight loss stage. Sent from my SM-N920T using the BariatricPal App

I had that happen! At two weeks post op I hit a stall, and I gained 5 pounds in 5 days. I was so frustrated! But, here is the way it was explained to me: Right after the surgery your body starts to burn glycogen that is stored in your muscles. After a couple of weeks your muscles start to rebuild their glycogen supply. With the glycogen it has to store Water. All of that extra water it stores leads to weight gain. But, while it's doing that, your body is still burning fat! Don't worry, you'll get through it and the pounds will start coming off!

I agree. I have hypothroidism. Low thyroid hormones which makes your TSH levels high. Synthoid is a synthetic hormone to replace what your body isn't making. Weight gain is just one of the symptoms.

Um I have love that I got my sleeve, am wouldn't change it for the world. That being said my boobs are not small then they where when I was in high school before I gained all my weight. I was naturally before weight gain a 34D a large D after I gained I was 40F and a large F. Now 7 1/2 months later and almost 100 pounds down I got measured at Victoria Secret I am a 36B, oh my gosh a B. I actually teared up when she told. My boobs have always been one of my favorate things about my body and now well they are gone. I am learning to deal with it and am saving to get them bigger and lifted. However again I would choose small boobs and being healthy over my big boobs any day, but it is a bit depressing I will say, lol!

This is bad for those of us on this journey. Yes I heard Mirena doesn't do major weight gain, but at this point scared to use any BC until I at least finish my weightloss. What I'm thinking is, I think these BCs mess with our metabolisms, because the changes I noticed were like the way I was before I had the surgery. But I'm hoping someone has be able to kick start their weight loss again, and if so, how? Sent from my SM-N920T using the BariatricPal App

banded, popsicle, and clairey -- I agree with plain, jb, and luv. However, I know your frustration, I have been there. As a matter of fact, I am not far from it. I had surgery May 9th, lost 15 lbs from pre-op to 2 weeks post-op. I plateaud for about 3 weeks. The last 6 lbs have been yo-yoing up and down for about 5 weeks. I have had one fill (6/27) and still feel very little to no restriction. By very little I mean, if I take a large bite of something, chew it 2-3 times, and swallow, I can feel a little discomfort that lets me know the band is there. But if I eat at a normal pace, take a normal bite, and chew thoroughly. I can hold an enormous volume of food. I also have a large appetite. My stomach lets me know quite often that it is empty. Unfortunately, I have to wait 6 weeks between fills! Grrrr! This is what I'm currently doing to keep losing: 1) I watch my carbs. My meals consist of Protein and veggies. Right now, I'm not even eating fruit, but you may not want to be that strict unless you are "low carbing" (Atkins, etc). I don't eat bread, crackers, flour, sugar, milk, yogurt, etc. I try to keep my carbs below 30g. And they only come from eggs, cheese, and vegetables. It controls my appetite, keeps me from craving junk and sweet, and keeps me satisfied with each meal. 2) I get in enough protein 60-70 grams. I drink at least one Atkins or SlimFast LowCarb each day as a snack, often with string cheese, almonds, sometimes both! If Breakfast is on the go, then I'll have a Atkins Protein Bar or Protein shake. So, sometimes I end up having 2 shakes. 3) I drink TONS of Water. The standard 8 - 8oz servings plus and additional 8oz for every 25 pounds I'm overweight. Some is in the form of unsweet tea or crystal light. 4) I exercise. I am trying to work back up to daily. I was doing well, but got off track a week ago. But at least 3 times a week. My weight loss has been fluctuating on a daily basis since exercising (don't know why). And my scale has not shown a loss in about a week, but I can tell I'm losing inches, so I'm sure it's the whole muscle increase phenomenon. 5)I journal my food intake on thedailyplate.com. I try to do it everyday, but sometimes I don't quite make it. But I'm very consious of what I consume. I try to keep my calories between 1000-1200. After I lost the first 15 lbs. I plateaud for about 3 weeks. I don't think I was consuming enough calories. When I began to eat, I began to lose. Then I continued to eat and began to gain. That's what started the yo-yo effect, but low carb has prevented that. 6) I also post regularly, usually at least onece daily, for support and accountability. Several weeks ago, I was also very disgusted, frustrated, and discouraged. But reality finally set in that I was in bandster hell and I could either wait it out with weight gain or maintenance, or I could work my butt off to lose while waiting for restriction. I have good weeks/days and bad. But I'm pressing on. Some people have been blessed with good first fills or large weight loss right after surgery, others, like us, have not. I feel that most people who have lost large amounts of weight, thus far, have been where we are and worked by making lifestyle changes to get where they are. I am determined to get there, bandster hell or not. Good luck to you! Keep us posted! :biggrin:

Im not sure I think it just depends on Ur surgeon I go August 6 to meet with mine and they said she will start me then and I will be 4 months in so I'll have a month or so to get it all done then can submit it to insurance ) I just hope my weight gain doesn't set me back any I have gained 4lbs last month

People think being tight is the answer. I think one reason is because we are so desperate to succeed, not fail and we want it now. While I long for restriction ( I haven't reached it yet) the answer is not being so tight that solid food doesn't go down. You will then just eat "slider" food that goes down easily, won't stay in your pouch long enough and you'll be hungry again sooner. Eventually being too tight, IMO, will lead to weight gain. I believe that instead we must use the time to listen to our bodies and learn the signals our newly banded stomachs give us about being full. We won't have the "old lower belly" fullness we used to have. I am not opposed to a low calorie liquid day or two to jump start weight loss, but eating that way long term should not be the goal. My goal is to be able to eat salad, apples, chicken and other Healthy food that will keep me and my pouch satsified. At two 1/2 months post op, maybe I am still just nieve (sp?) but this is how I see restriction at this time.

This may or may not be a stupid question but during my 6mth pre op diet can my weight fluctuate? I weighed 272 at my initial visit I'm 5'8" that puts my BMI at 41.3 today was my 2nd mth visit I've gained 11lbs! They have me so stressed about not going under a 40 BMI that I'm gaining weight like crazy. So Dr is saying just don't go under the 40 BMI which will put my weight right at 263, so it's ok to go up and down right? But I should weigh less than my initial visit?

"My 600 Pound Life" on TLC is my current guilty pleasure. I think I have watched parts of the show before in the past but now that I am getting ready for my sleeve surgery the show makes much more sense now. I am nowhere near 600 pounds, halfway there so I'm proactively stopping the weight gain madness. I've tried to watch as many episodes as I could find on Netflix and the Internet, I still have not seen any with guys at this point. I did find on Netflix, "The World's Fattest Man" which was a little disappointing because they dragged out the pre-surgery process to the very end and basically with only a few minutes left he has the surgery. I was thinking were they actually going to show this guy die. Fortunately he survived and he is doing well according to the Internet. Another show I have found recently was on HBO called "The Weight of the Nation". That show is more geared towards the entire weight loss industry and obesity crisis in America. It's a little long-winded but informative. I find watching these shows are therapeutic and help make this process a little more real as I complete my required steps to surgery.

Today at around 7 I will be attending my seminar. I'm nervous not really sure what to expect of what will happen. I need this, I don't just want it I need it in order to survive. I had a nightmare last night and now I really don't know what effect the rest of my personal affairs will have on my surgery. I bring this up only because with the weight gain many things have changed in my life. I was athletic in high school, very active, and focus on the tasks that I had to complete. With the weight gain myself esteem seemed to evaporate. I allowed myself to do and engage in activities that I knew were more damaging to my mental and emotional well being. I guess one of the areas that have really been affected has been my love life. When I was what society thought was acceptable I never really had a trouble finding someone to love or be attracted to me. It seemed as if men were more interested in me as a person. Now it seems as if I live my life as a sex toy to be played with at the whim of men. I know that this might nit be true. And I also know that this has alot to do with me as a person but I can't help but wonder. I have come a far way in knowing who I am and what I want. I don't want to continue being the fat girl, the sex toy the person that gets used. I have fought hard to hang on and rebuild the sancitity of normalcy that is my mind. I guess this is turning into some kind of confusing rant so I'll try to wrap it up. My new life is being embarked upon.

Out of curiosity, was Dr. H who did your surgery? I have the exact same issue... literally, EXACTLY. I was banded in 2006, got down to 140 lbs, had what you're going through now, had my band un-filled and promptly went back up to 230 -- much of the weight gain happened within the first few months of the unfill as my body went from starvation mode into normal eating as I couldn't even keep my own saliva down. Who did you see for your follow-up? I was seeing a doctor out in Joliet who was SO wonderful, but it's much too far for me as I live in Chicago. It's been 2 years, and I'm ready to tackle this again...

Well, my wife has been dieting and trying to eat about the same thing as me. Understand she is NOT banded. She has done terriffic, but the reason I got banded is because I believe everyone can lose weight until biologically we are driven to start eating too much again. I just believe, for most people it is inevitable to regain on a diet because we have in our basic genetic code too many things that work against us. I watch how hard she is working and I remember how difficult it used to be, and it really makes me feel bad. In fact it is down right upsetting. I wanted her to get either banded or get a gastric sleeve at the same time as me, but she just doesn't want to do it. She wants to lose it on her own. Well she is a strong women who has proven she can do it, but it is a terrible thing to watch how hard it is for her. I also feel that she has lost the weight in the past and can do it again, but has also always gained it back. Why can't she see how futile it is without some help? I'm just really frustated for her, and I feel guilty, about how well and how much easier this is with help. And then I dred what I think is inevitable, the biological need to eat will force her back into weight gain and make her feel like a failure.

Hi... My name is linda...I've been approved for lap band surgery and my surgery date is Nov 14. I've been "going through the process" since January. I thought I wouldn't get the surgery until next year. So I'm a little shocked that it is happening so soon. But I'm happy! I found out three days ago, and ever since I've been eating like crazy. I guess it's the "Last Supper" syndrome. I weigh 265, the highest weight I have ever been in my entire life. I had two babies fourteen months apart, and it took a real toll on me. But most of my weight gain is due to overeating. Like most of you I have been on diets most of my life. The most I ever lost was 40 lbs five years ago. I dieted (low fat) and exercised (walking and lifting weights), but couldn't maintain it and gained it all back and quite a bit more. My surgeon is Dr. Bonanni in Reading, PA. I'm a sahm with four children. I look forward to reading the posts here and posting myself! Linda

My doctor helped me make the decision. He said I was a candidate for RNY or Sleeve. At first I was going to go with sleeve. During one of our appointments two things changed my mind. 1 the chance of weight gain is higher with sleeve. 2 he said the chance of leaks after 2 weeks are actually less with RNY. Besides taking care of the diabetes those two things changed my mind.

Prior to surgery the doctor had me on a 2-wk partial liquid diet and I lost 10 pounds. Now 5 days post-surgery I am up 13 lbs. Is this normal? Has this happened to any one else?

the best advice I can give is follow weight watchers type diet while you have no restriction. Of course, we've all had a hard time staying on diets and that's why we got banded, but most of us can diet for four to six weeks. At least you'll hold off the weight gain until you get good restriction. Track your Protein and be sure you get at least 60 gms. a day. Give up white carbs, like white bread and potatoes. If you must eat bread, change to low carb, whole wheat or whole wheat pitas. Substitute the bagel and cream cheese for a cup of Kashi go lean Cereal with 1/2 cup of skim milk. or try the Special K low carb cereal or how about the low sugar instant oatmeal. Milk should only be skim, yogurt non fat and if you're looking for easy to cook/microwave meals...lean cuisine and weight watchers are good choices. Look for the lowest calorie, highest fiber choice of any food that you are eating. A couple hundred calories a day really adds up. Restriction could take several fills, so you want to do the best you can during this time, so you don't get frustrated. And making the above changes will help you later down the road when you do get restricted and even later when you're in maintenance, as you'll have replaced a lot of the old bad habits.

Many posts about this. Many of us can hold more food as you progress out from surgery. Its seems to be a shared experience for sleevers. Your stomach is not back to normal size. (stretching is rare. You can always get it checked out by your Dr.) Now that you can hold more volume it is important to keep within your calories and macros. The extra volume does not mean you have to overeat or make choices that will cause weight gain. Where your calories and macros should be at this point? You may want a consult with your dietician. We are all different what works for me, may not work for you. Restaurants and travel: Look up menus online to see what bariatric friendly options you have. If you can, go shopping and buy no cook items. If you don't finish a meal you can take leftovers home. Use a bariatric card for small portions.

Sounds like you are exactly on the right track to me. We have to learn not to be afraid of feeling a little hungry for a little while. The band is not supposed to mean that you don't feel hungry EVER. It is perfectly normal and perfectly ok to feel a little hungry as meal times approach. What the band is supposed to do is to stop you eating a meal sized for 3 people (as I used to do every night) and to stop you feeling like you're starving in between meals. By the time you tighten it up to the point that you feel no hunger at all, you are almost certain to be too tight and won't be able to eat properly, leading to dependence on generally high fat/high carb/high suger slider foods and weight gain. It's meant to be a tool, not a miracle cure, so it does require a little work on our part. I think you are doing exactly the right thing - controlling mild hunger before meals. When it starts to get to raging hunger or the meal sizes start getting large again, that's the time to tighten the band in another notch.

2new, I am in your boat except I will say this stay away from the special K, and a lot of Protein drinks, they have tons of sugar which will just make you GAIN weight not lose it. Many many protein powders and drinks are designed for weight gain not weight loss. Just because it is whey isolate doesn't mean its for you. Also gummy Vitamins are almost all loaded in sugar, look more for the chewables, there are several that have the calcium in them and Iron as well, and that dissolve fast. For some taste tests you can if you wish check out my blog, I video tape all the products I am trying and ive tried many of them, and add at least 4 taste test per week, in video form. I also have a bunch of products coming from a company that saw my blog and wants me to taste test their products, I get no money at all here, I am actually making this blog into an ebook 1 year post surgery as an adjunct to help men get past the stigma of bariatric surgery. if you are interested it is at http://cuttingthefatwithaknife.blogspot.com

maybe water weight gain....I dont know much I havent had mine surgery yet. but could be

Add me to the temporary weight gain club. Almost monthly, I'll pick up a few lbs for a week or so, then I'll lose it and a lb or two more. I don't know if it is a coincidence or not, but the weight gain is greater after I've eaten fruit - like strawberries, grapes, or watermelon.