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Just wanted to let all you pre-op peeps know how my experience was so hopefully it may quell some anxieties. After all knowledge is power. My surgery was scheduled for 1 pm on 12/5/2012.The day before I had my preop appt with surgeon and also was on a full liquid diet. My surgeon did not require a 2 week liquid diet prior to surgery but did say no weight gain. I had first seen him in Sept so had packed on 10 lbs since then, i think not so much as a farewell to food but frankly I have dieted for 51 years after I decided to have the sleeve I gave myself a break. So when my date was set for 12/5 that meant I needed to get 10 lbs off fast. I started two weeks before really cutting back and the last 5 days was mostly liquids and arrived at pre op only 1 lb over. The doc didn't comment and I am sure it’s because only one pound could be due to a drink of water in the hallway. I also went to the hospital to preregister as arranged by my doctor’s office. That evening at 5 pm I had to drink a 10 ounce bottle of Mag citrate; if this is your demon, pour it over ice and get it down as quickly as possible. Although they say it works in 5-6 hours it can take 11 hours. If you have been on a liquid diet the results should be rather gentle. I also had to shower the night before and that am and clean myself with hibiclens (help reduce infection) I could shampoo but no conditioner, no hair products, deodorant, powders etc…(flammable in OR)The night before I also had a farewell to coffee party, I could drink liquids until midnight so I had 4 cups of coffee drinking the last one at 11:45 pm:P I arrived on 12/5 at 11:00 as instructed, they had called while I was en route to explain the doctor was ahead of schedule so hurry and get there so I could get under the knife;) again I took a babywipe bathe with antiseptics before getting in my gown, they started an IV and I was wheeled to surgery, after speaking to the anesthesiologist and my surgeon. I made them both very aware that fear of pain was not an issue for me but nausea was so they could have round the clock meds ordered to alleviate that. Thankfully, in my hospital they wait till you are under before inserting catheter. I recall laying on the table saying oh this pretty comfy and that is the last thing I recall till waking up in the recovery room. My surgery took an hour and I was in the recovery room for an hour and half still enjoying my sleepy time when my impatient daughter (who had been told recovery was only an hour and a half then she could see me) demanded to be let in. I heard her say, "How do we wake her up?" and opened my eyes. I was moved to my own room shortly there after and attached to a million pounds of things. Oxygen, I had to use it as every time I fell asleep (which was all the time those first hours) my O2 level dropped. This being the beginning of sleep apnea. Thankfully surgery should correct that. I had a pain pump, heart monitor, I had the intermittent pneumatic compression devices on my legs and IV. This meant an extreme effort was involved anytime I wanted or was forced to get out of bed. I used my pain pump every hour when I awoke that first evening (Wed, 12/5) My surgeon does not let gastric sleeve patients have anything, not even ice chips the first day/eve/night. As I had told them I was terrified of being nauseated I was given meds for that (zofran and reglan and prilosec) around the clock. My room was freezing, it said 68 degrees, which is how I usually like a room, but I must admit since surgery, i don't know if its blood loss or what I have been stoking my furnace and keeping it at 72 or 73. My pain was not bad, but I know you need to stay on top of pain and not let it get out of control, besides I had been heros during all my childbirths and c-sections and had already warned everyone at this stage in life I was gladly taking whatever drugs were available to me. Thus concludes the day of surgery.

You are quite right. After surgery, you shouldn't have carbonated beverages. Although I haven't seen any studies on this, I suspect the carbonated bubbles create microscopic explosions in the stomach that stretches the pouch. As your stomach gets microscopically larger, it allows you to eat more. Over time using carbonated beverages produces a larger stomach and weight gain. Also it accounts for why when I went cold turkey with diet cokes, my stomach got slightly smaller and I lost weight.

I have been drinking Cokes for the past 50 years or so. During the initial trials on "flip-top cans", I was one of the subjects interviewed. That is how long I have been drinking them. Around 10 years ago, I transitioned to Diet Cokes because I was gaining too much weight. That transition didn't stop my weight gain. When I applied for Bariatric Surgery, I was told that I had to give up caffeine and carbonated beverages. Generally I had a 6 cokes a day habit. So I went cold turkey. I didn't realize how addictive cokes were. My body experienced major withdrawal symptoms. My whole body ached for two weeks, every joint in my body seemed to ache. But then after two weeks, the pain went away. I have not had a carbonated beverage for the past year and a half. By the way, when I gave up Cokes, I lost 20 pounds of weight just based on that change alone.

Hello MsPris, thanks for the info on the weight gain. I sure was freakin out about that! Good luck on yours girl!!!

Hi! Hope to be banded soon, but funny you should mention the weight gain. Last evening I attended the required Support Group meeting and one of the surgical nurses, spoke about just that. She said, she'd seen people weigh as much as 20 lbs. more than the day of the surgery. The reason - all the IV fluids they give you. Not to worry she said. Hope that puts your mind at ease. Congrats! Feel Better! ...and good luck!

Thank YOU, ladies, for the helpful comments. To answer the question: What do you eat? Truthfully, not the right things; I've fallen off the wagon. I don't do Protein first, even though I know I should. I've been eating slider foods (ice cream, crackers) and not enough veggies/protein. Cowgirljane, I think your dietician had good advice. I need to go back to the smaller portions. I need to stay away from the binge-trigger foods and start drinking more Water again. I know this; I just need to do it. Supersweetums, two years out and you're maintaining! That's awesome. I love to hear that. Your changes certainly sound livable and probably what most thin people who haven't been sleeved do. We are overfed in our society. I have no doubt that a lot of my hunger is head hunger. I just remember the first few months it was so EASY; I was rarely hungry at all. I was on that losing-weight high. And pre-sleeve I would gain weight so quickly (5 pounds a week was a real possibility), so it's true that the sleeve is keeping the weight gain in check. And I'm probably not eating as much as I was (it's hard to remember) - I just know I'm eating so much more than four or six months ago. It SEEMS like I'm eating so much, but I bet it's still not more than maybe 2400 cals/day (I was eating 1000 a couple months back, however). I am starting the 5-day pouch test tomorrow; I've done it before and it works for bringing me back on track.

I'm so nervous I gained 2 pounds in between my 2 required NUT appointments. I was also on 2 steroids for bronchitis surfing this time. The NUT said it could be from that, but I am extremely nervous that my insurance will now deny due to the gain. Ugh. Anyone else have this happen? Wht was your outcome? I have BCBS of SC.

I had surgery (bypass) on Mar 5. I have steadily lost .8lb each day. I have written down every calorie and every gram of protein. My question is On Thurs I ate 400 calories and 75g of protein walked for 25min. On Fri I copied everything to a tee from the day before except 1 sugar free popcisle at night and my exercise was doubled but I gained 3.8lbs. Anyone explain the abrupt weight gain? Sat I went down 1.5lb (same) food intake but less exercise only 45min. I know alot of ppl stall at 3wks but this wasnt a stall it was a gain....

Emma, I am in the same boat. I have diligently performed every prerequisite defined by my insurance company. I meet all the requirements and am now simply waiting for a response. It's frustrating - I called the insurance company last week and they said I would have a decision by last Friday. Monday, I phoned and was told by my (prospective) surgeon's nurse that they asked for additional information, which was provided. I phoned the insurance company again today to learn that it is still 'pending' review. My wife tells me that if I meet all the requirements, that it should be no problem. However, I fear that something will come up - they'll think I didn't try hard enough to lose weight, or that my high blood pressure isn't enough of a contributing factor (my BMI is 38.6 - it needs to be 40+ or I need to have another contributing medical problem like the hypertension), or maybe they'll pull my pharmaceuticals and find that I forgot a blood pressure medicine dose here or there... I literally feel like if I am accepted, that I will be on the path to return to a healthy, vibrant lifestyle and a bright, exciting future (my weight gain has been gradually up and down since a normal weight in high school 26 years ago). If not approved, I'm destined to suffer poor health which will eventually cause my career to fail, ending in an early, miserable death that leaves my family to fend without me. I am not normally this dramatic but I feel like this is my last shot. So I wait and I pray and I tremble. The waiting is hell...

There is no reason for rebound weight gain if you have changed your lifestyle. In my 18+ months at goal weight, I have never gained more than normal monthly Water weight (a whopping 2 lbs most months that is gone within a couple of days) With a good lifestyle change, staying at goal weight without a rebound is realistic.

I had severe acid reflux (GERD) prior to surgery. That is why I went with RNY. I am 28 months post-op and acid reflux is a distant memory now. Good luck on your surgery. PCOS can cause weight gain and make it difficult to lose weight. Maybe someone on this site can tell you their personal experience with PCOS pre surgery and how surgery affected them.

If you're relying on mostly liquids because you can't keep regular foods down, you're likely too tight. A band too tight actually can (and often does) lead to weight gain because you're stuck drinking calories or relying on slider foods. In fact, most people who gain with a band too tight will start losing again once they get a slight unfill and can actually eat a variety of healthy foods again.

After RNY gastric bypass surgery, the three most important requirements are meeting your Protein, Fluid and Vitamin daily requirements. food is secondary because your body is converting your stored fat into the energy that drives your body. Weight loss is achieved by meal volume control. During the first 8 weeks following surgery, I was limited to 2 ounces of food per meal, 3 meals per day. That is a minuscule amount of food, only 1/4 cup per meal. This volume was slowly increased over the next 1 1/2 years to 1 cup per meal. My program limited me to Full liquid stage for the first 4 weeks and the pureed stage for the next four. Then I transitioned to solids. So there is nothing in my opinion that would prevent you from slowing down your transition to pureed foods. The main reason for liquid and pureed food stage is to allow your staple lines time to heal in your stomach. So if you transition to solids too soon, that would be my concern (not weight gain because your meal volume is incredible small.) The following article describes my experience with RNY gastric bypass. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

Congrats on 105! Glad you’re doing therapy to help with binge eating. Are you looking at pouch rest for a weight gain? or behavior change? Pouch reset is basically going back through your food progression. (Liquids, soft and real food) It may help with surgery restriction. Some feel it’s too restrictive. Some go back to real food basics. Months/years out, you can consume more food. This is normal with the sleeve. (it has not stretched back to normal size) It's unnerving when you experience this for yourself. Weight gain seems easy. losing is slow. You may have less body fat to burn. This will make weight loss slow. Finding strategies to fill/satisfy your new sleeve compacity. It’s important to log and stay within your weight loss/maintaining calories and macros. Eat dense protein Eat as much veggies as you want until full Carbs and sugar will make you crave more of the, Keep healthy sweet and salty options on hand. Get temptation foods out of the house. If you crave pizza, Make healthy pizza. Find healthy recipes that you enjoy. Join a weight loss challenge

Congrats!! I can relate to the weight gain after having back problems. Sounds like you're doing great now!

I wanted to preface this post with this optimistic fact. My husband had the surgery with amazing results and no problems whatsoever 15 years ago - it saved his life. He lost over 150 pounds and kept if off. He's gained and lost the same 25 pounds like your typical middle aged person, but it's been nothing but a blessing for him. We had different surgeons. My experience wasn't so awesome, and I feel it's so important to share a few facts so you choose the RIGHT surgeon and ask the RIGHT questions. I hope I can help people avoid the avoidable. I'm a big believer in the surgery - but I want you to not suffer. Let me help:) What's the problem? The sleeve has a common and serious side effect that I suffer with, and that many surgeons downplay. GERD. But this isn't the GERD you think you know - I'll jump into that later. GERD has up to a 30% rate of occurrence after VSG - that's a lot higher then what my doc told me. https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nyas.14467. Not only did my doctor gloss over it, and convey that it was "really rare", but he didn't really explain what this type of GERD is. I'm going to explain what this type of GERD is, and then I'm going to arm you with the right questions and research to do before you pick a surgeon. Because once it goes bad, your surgeon will pawn you off on a GERD doctor and that's that. Let me help you get proactive and avoid a bad result! What is VSG GERD? Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or chronic acid reflux is when acid shoots into your esophagus and throat. VSG GERD is different - that's why I'm giving it its own name. I never had GERD before the surgery. Now I get VSG GERD after drinking 4 oz. of water. It's NOT triggered by food. This isn't occasional, it's constant without dangerous meds. I now weigh 115 pounds, so it's not triggered by overindulgence or weight gain brought on by binging. Now you might think you already know GERD. Who hasn't had to pop a tums here and there? Not a bad trade off for a morbid obesity cure, right? THIS IS NOT THAT!!!! VSG GERD is an unrelenting tidal wave of persistent, burning acid that causes chest pain (and emergency room visits) that can only be somewhat managed by daily, longterm use of a class of drugs called PPI's. These PPI's lead to malabsorption and a host of side effects. I sit in my local cancer center to have my bi-annual 4-hour iron infusion with chemo patients to name just one. https://journals.lww.com/ajg/Fulltext/2018/10001/Effect_of_Long_Term_Proton_Pump_Inhibitor_Use_on.1227.aspx PPI's are a class of drugs that are only intended for 2 weeks of use because of their fairly horrific side effects. PPI's are linked to depression, blindness, cancer, and early death, (and this is the short list). There are several law firms dedicated to compensation for PPI victims. PPI's makes me feel like I've just downed a bottle of Mayo. I've been nauseous for years. I alternate between taking a bottle of tums a day so that I can take breaks from the PPI - but I always revert back to them after a short break to alleviate the pain. I am seriously at risk for a ton of really serious diseases, and my liver tests are really bad. PPI's are deadly. I'm in the process of finding a surgeon who can help. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-53622-3 The amount of VSG patients converting to the bypass/Linx system/etc. to rid themself of GERD and get off PPI's is exploding. Common sense would tell you that this isn't a" tums" sort of reflux! Hope for post VSG GERD As someone with no energy, horrible anemia, and low final weight - the bypass conversion sounds like a disaster because of the increased risk of malabsorption, but one surgeon told me it might be my only option. Some surgeons are discovering that a revision surgery to treat a hiatal hernial (HH) is the key to relief. I've had several scopes over the years, and they can never find a HH, but according to my husband's VSG surgeon, that isn't uncommon. He feels there is a possibility that my past the doctors missing it. I'm waiting on my barium swallow results. This gives me hope - that's why I wanted to share it. Hope is everything. I'm also going to talk with the doctor who wrote this article. "Laparoscopic Ligamentum Teres cardiopexy to the rescue; an old procedure with a new use in managing reflux after sleeve gastrectomy". Follow me and I'll keep you updated. https://www.americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-9610(20)30814-X/fulltext#gr2 Future VSG patients - ASK QUESTIONS! A few surgeons are now doing the sleeve with hiatal hernia repair at the same time, and some understand how important it is to consider GERD while doing the surgery. Different surgeons have different techniques. Some doctors "get it", and are being proactive because they've seen the pain that GERD causes. Some downplay it. I would suggest that ALL sleeve pre op patients have this discussion with their surgeon before moving forward. If he downplays it, RUN. ASK!!!! Ask your surgeon how many patients has he had who've had GERD. How does/or will he address it if you are unlucky? Ask about his follow up - does he even know what's going on with his past patients? How does he keep track? Has he sent any patients to a GERD specialist? If he says, "oh, only a few of my patients had that" - ask him how he handled it. (My surgeon sent me to the GERD doc and then cut off ties. He was not curious about my results - he did not want to know. He probably still tells patients that it is rare. He has no idea I've been suffering for 14 years.) Bariatric surgeons who've done the surgery and are on the forefront of GERD repair are a good bet. These doctors are rare and you need to really hunt for them. If your doctor does the whole "very rare", etc. (my doctor did), he's either: not reading recent studies, not listening to his patients, not following up on them, minimizing this horrific side effect, or all of the above. Don't settle for a doctor who acts like it's "super rare" or "no big deal". THIS IS A BIG DEAL. Find one that is proactive and discusses HOW they avoid it. I'm rooting for all of you! Let's get the surgery, but let's get it from the right people. Don't pick the guy in Mexico just because he's cheap. Don't pick the guy because he takes your insurance. Spend the money for a few consults to discuss the surgery with different surgeons. Come here and reach out to people who've gone to him/her. I went with a blind recommendation and didn't ask enough questions - and the price is really expensive - I'm still paying.

I haven't had any cortisone injections post-op (nor do I ever plan on getting them again) but I had to respond because it was cortisone injections that caused my first significant weight gain as an adult. I was a relatively thin person until I was given steroid injections to treat pain caused by a car accident. I gained 30 lbs very quickly. Steroids cause weight gain. They also have a myriad of other unpleasant side effects. I avoid them unless there are absolutely no other treatment options.

I have my surgery date set for tomorrow (March 11th). I am getting very nervous that I will not be able to enjoy certain foods eventually again. I am wanting to enjoy all foods just in smaller portions. I no this is a tool to help control food intake but am nervous to give up (pizza, bread, steak, roast) ect. I know some of these foods have also been the cause of my weight gain, but would still like to enjoy a slice of pizza once in a while, or a small steak, ect. Just wondering if other people have went through this or are going through this same phase. I sometimes feel I am to young (28) to have to give up some of the good foods for life. Any comments appreciated.

Did liquids today? Exercised this morning...on the right track again...leaving for FLorida on Thursday...want to lose a few pounds...know I will be eating out a lot while I'm there and don't want the weight gain.

Approved today! :-) Height: 5'2"; Weight at initial appointment: 215 pounds; BMI: 39.3; Age: 43. Comorbities: very high blood pressure. Very iffy. Didn't think I'd be approved. I also logged into my Blue Patient Portal and looked at it to see all examinations and treatments I'd had while with my plan. I actually had a documented history of weight gain, and various treatments/weight loss plans to include HCG, the nasal spray, listed in my patient treatment timeline (yes, I had a really drug-happy PCP before she relocated). So BCBS knew I was getting fat because each obesity related appointment was clearly documented!

Hello All, I was wondering where you guys went? You made a few post in August and stopped. I too had the procedure with a low BMI. I spent 20 yrs in the Army, always on the over weight program. I would lose enough not to get put out. I was tired of the weight gain, weight loss roller coaster, this surgery, I believe is the best thing for me. I wish I could have had it when I was still active duty. I started this journey at 189lbs, my pre-op diet 4 Sep, surgery 17 Sep and today I'm 171. I hesitate to post in the general forums, seem like LBM bandsters aren't received that well. Anyway, good luck to everyone that had chosen this path. I hope to see you on the other side.

Weight was 231 day of surgery came home and now 237 . Do you loose that fluid weight pretty fast?

I "gained" 5 lbs from my weight the morning of the surgery to the day after. It certainly wasn't from eating anything. I was on clear liquid the evening of the surgery. Does the swelling, air/gas, blood cause a "gain"? Did anyone experience this? I'm 5 days post op and I'm just now back to my the weight before the surgery. I'm still on full liquids.

I'm a 51 year old guy that has spent the better part of three decades letting my weight define me. It was always a convenient excuse for anything that went wrong - health, problems at work (fat haters...), relationship issues. etc. A dozen years ago i married a wonderful woman who opened my eyes to this, but it still took me until this year to finally do something about it. Actually, it took my body saying enough, through ever growing pains, high blood pressure and sleep apnea to leave me no choice (if I wanted to have any semblance of quality of life, that is) So, I bit the bullet and decided in late May to have WL surgery. I opted for a sleeve and had the surgery July 29. I am 5"10" tall and weighed 347.8 lbs when I made the decision, and after the two week liquid diet my surgery weight was 331.8. Two months and lots of effort later, I weighed in this morning at 288.2! The journey has not been easy, but really worth it. Along the way, I have begun to exercise regularly (I bought an old Nordic Track and have been using it religiously every day), have fought my food desires (mostly successfully) and recognized that the surgery was only the first phase. I have tried eating what I should not or in ways I shouldn't (bread, pasta, too much or too fast) and suffered the pain and nausea (who though such a little sleeve could make you feel soooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad). I have also had the joy of watching old clothes disappear almost as quickly as the weight. I have obsessed at the scale and fretted over stalls and, God forbid - weight gain. I have watched my friends and family eat heartily and felt the the pangs of remorse. But the I would get up (without pain or strain) and realize that I had indeed embarked on a new life. As I moved around more freely, the regret would slip away. Sorry for the rambling, but at this point, it's a jumble of feelings that I am trying to organize and understand. So far, the problems, while overwhelming at the moment they occur (especially when I eat what I shouldn't or too fast), rapidly fade in comparison to how good I am feeling and how mobile I have become. I remain committed to this journey. Wish me luck!!!!

Try the 5 day restart. It works great. DO NOT get discoraged. Do try to keep a food journel, the my fitness pal has a great one. When I was 3 months in I was still having problems drinking. Your insulin might be slowing you down as well as other meds. A lot of meds have a weight gain in the fine print. But infortunitly, (excuse my spelling) fruits are OUT. My Dr. won't let me hve them cause they have to much sugar. Also, no salads cause they take up to much room in your new pouch. Give the 5 day restart a try, try the myfitnesspal. Keep up with updates for more support. GOOD LUCK!