Search the Community

Last week I weighed in at 227lbs. Yesterday at the hospital they said I was 224.9lbs. I went home after my endoscopy yesterday and weighed myself it said 233lbs. I weight myself today and my scale says 236.8lbs. I’m just short of four months post gastric bypass has anyone else had this issue? I don’t really eat food to where it’ll make me gain weight. Throughout today I ate one whole pickle one egg and four oz of chicken. I don’t understand why I’m gaining weight.

I take the gapapentin for pain control for tardive dyskenesia (no cure). It has weight gaining properties that complicate my situation. I have verbal approval from the insurance company and my appointment with the surgeon next week. Is there anyone out there who as dealt with this.

i'm lucky to have the hourglass shape, and i love being short, but i can't wait to be truly petite. all the women in my family are tiny (none of the men are heavy either...except my dad..we are the only ones). anyways, my mom is 4'10" and most of her life she weighed 85 lbs (she is a nice healthy 120 now, and she thinks she's fat :faint:..haha..she still wears a size 5...but i do joke with her that she just might be considered obese now.. (haha..she has bad health problems and really doesn't need any extra weight, but her new med's caused a quick weight gain..she always sayed things to me out of concern..so now i'm returning the favor..although she is almost 50 and i would rather her be an older woman with some meat on her bones...). anyways..back to the subject, i have a cousin who is the same as my mom 4'10" wears a size 0, a sister who has had 4 kids and is 5'0" and half my size...lol. only one girl in the whole family who is taller than me..... so, i'll be glad when we can go to christmas gatherings, etc., and i won't feel like the giant (hhahaha...it's hard to believe i'm the giant at 5'2").

Hi, thats really interesting, as far as the doctors are saying, is the hiatus hernia is caused by weight gain and when its repaired you need to lose the weight as well or it just comes back! As I've been struggling with a hiatal hernia for years and finally they're going to repair it, now I'm baffled😳😕 Well all the best to you hope your surgery fixes that problem🙏

If you don't eat, your body will think it's starving and it will hold on to every little calorie, every bit of fat, everything to protect you. That will be what causes you to gain weight, or at the very least, not lose. You have to learn to walk that fine line between eating enough to stay healthy but not too much to cause weight gain. It's a learning curve, and takes a while to figure out. But you'll get there. Just make sure you get your protein in first, then carbs (from veggies and fruits), HEALTHY fats, and enough calories. The first 2 weeks, I never had more than 600 calories per day. Weeks 3 and 4 it went up to between 800 - 900 per day. Weeks 5 and 6 I was around 1000 per day. Once I was completely cleared for all exercise, I went up to 1100 - 1200 per day on non work out days and between 1300 - 1400 per day on work out days, depending on what work out I was doing that day. You absolutely HAVE to give your body the fuel it needs to survive and thrive. The point of the surgery isn't to starve yourself into being skinny. It's a tool to teach us to make better, healthier choices and stick with them.

I have a screwed up thyroid and my endo suggested the surgery as well as I was just not able to get on top of the weight gain. Both the endo and my surgeon said mine won't be the type that will go away after surgery but I would go down in dosages and so far they are right. Surgeon did say a lot of people are able to come off the meds. I was on 3 thyroid pills a day (T4 and T3 in the am and another T3 in the afternoon). After close to 4 months, they re-tested me and my levels have gone up so they just took away my afternoon pill. I'm hoping it doesn't slow down my weight loss because I felt absolutely fine on the dosages I was on...guess we'll see this week. Good luck to those still waiting for surgery.

You can do it; but you can't do all of it all the time every day 100% perfect and certainly not starting from day 1. This is the lesson I've been struggling to learn. Yes, you can give up soda. No you don't have to give up artificial sweeteners. There are still many WLS patients who use artificial sweeteners and maintain a healthy weight and didn't grow horns and didn't develop cancer, whatever. There is a TON of junk science around artificial sweeteners. Like, they say that they cause weight gain. That is not true. The few controlled scientific studies there have been show that when people eat the same number of calories, artificial sweeteners do not cause weight gain. Also, I found that changing my pre-surgery diet to increase protein and decrease sugar made me feel less hungry and crave sweets LESS. SHOCKING!!! I couldn't believe it. But I'm not perfect. I still eat a little ice cream sometimes and I still eat fruit every day. I'm still months away from surgery and I'm struggling this week. I had to increase my medication that causes hunger/weight gain because I'm having bipolar symptoms, so I'm eating more, but still trying to focus on protein first, and I can't believe that between that and traveling to Miami last week for work, I am still losing weight. (But yesterday afternoon I was so hungry I cried... so yeah, I'm not going to lie it's really hard.) Try not to expect perfection. It is SOOO much. You have to do the work, but you can take it at your own pace and on your own terms. And take everyone's advice/rules with a grain of salt - I know at least one successful maintainer on here who drinks diet coke regularly. Nothing is forever, failure is not final.

When we first got married I was at 174. Then I had babies and several surgeries so my weight gain started. I has cheated on me before so I would not be surprised if he did again. Thank you everyone for the support. I really don't have anyone to stay with. I can do this. It will be hard but I can do this.. If he wants to leave after I loose my weight I really don't think I am going to stop him. Like someone said he is controlling. Thank you again Sent from my N9518 using the BariatricPal App

I agree with AvaFern! After this time you know what you need to do. Yes, it is hard. I have a 10 pound regain too. I'm trying 5:2 to drop it and I'm limiting drinks and treats to 2 days per week. So, I'll have two days of semi fasting with very low calorie lunch and dinner, three days of three meals and two healthy Snacks, and two days where I can splurge with cocktails, desert, etc. I'm hoping that will do the trick. If not, I'll have to cut back more. One final thought: You can't hate yourself thin. So next time you start beating yourself up over the weight gain, ask yourself what you would tell your best friend and then say that to yourself instead. Lynda

Hi All, I'm new to the forum & need a little encouragement & support to keep me on track. I recently went to see my PCP and she suggested that I have the lap band surgery due to the numberous health concerns that have came about over the past few years due to the large amount of weight that I have gained. At first I was upset that she even suggested that I have the surgery but after I thought about these last few years and how much weight I have & all my health problems I decided that she was right & I needed to start taking this big weight gain seriously. I'm 34 with 2 kids and I am the biggest I've been in my entire life even while pregnant. I am really interested in the gastric sleeve for a number of reason but my insurance (Anthem) won't cover the procedure. I was sad to find this out and got in a big funk and said the hell with it I'm just not going to have anything done. I decided to look into the lap band procedure more and saw so many success stories that I decided to go forth with the lap band surgery. I had to remind myself that this surgery is not just about me but my kids as well. I use to love to go out & do things with my family & friends but since I've gained so much weight I hate going outside now to even go grocery shopping. I hate how people look at me & the one's that haven't seen me in awhile always start the conversation off like "Hey I didn't even know who you were you gotten so fat" I feel like running & hiding at the site of old friends. I've actually shut myself off from the outside world. My 13 yr old actually told me mom your a loner.....I felt like I wanted to die inside. Because he was right that's how I really feel at times. I lie to the few real friends (2) I have about why I can't go out just so I won't feel like the elephant in the room. Today was the day I decided to do something about it and contacted the surgeon's office to schedule my 1st appointment. From my understanding my insurance doesn't have any waiting periods or anything of that nature I know I have to see several specialist & attend a support group or two. I did the seminar online because I just hate going out since I've gotten so big. But I'm starting to get excited becasue I know today was really a big step for me & I can't wait to be a success story not just for me but for my kids as well. Blessings

Oh, MrsMikey! I am so sorry about you having to take the predisone. Many members of my family have had to take it. I know what a horrid medication it is. But at the same time, it is a wonderful medication in that it has kept them alive and in my life. All of them gained weight while taking this medication. I understand what you are going through. It must have been terrible to be told you need to take again it to help your condition. I admit that I don't know much about your condition. But all I can do is encourage you to hang in there. The medicine is important for you to take. Most times it is the only option for the condtitions for which it is prescribed. I know it takes a toll physically and emotionally. But know that you have the band in place for when you can step down the dose and to help you lose the weight when you are feeling better. I don't believe that there is anything you can do to battle the predisone caused weight gain while on it. Other than focusing on the fact that it is helping you feel better and the hope that you can one day come off it. It sounds like you have maybe 6 months left on this round. You have made it a year and a half, you are nearly there! Do what you can to minimize the gain (I know, not much!). Welcome to lapbandtalk, we are here for support! Denise

I think your doing awesome, throughout my weight loss I've lost a lot for a bit then not so much! If your weighing yourself often you could even see a pound or two weight gain at times, but the great part is it does come off !! So don't get discouraged, You are and will do great!!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have had my band since 2008. Had to have many unfills due to acid reflux, I now have 5.5 in my band, I started out with 7.0 in my band. Well to make a long story short, I have gained 22 pounds back, I have restriction which is good I think, after not eating much and some exercise the weight has not come off... About a month ago I realized I'm in menopause with the sweats, depression and everything that goes along with menopause... The weight gain is from this nasty menopause... What do I do???? I have good restriction and still gaining weight! My doctor seems to think I'm crazy? Anyone with this problem?

i understand she wants to lose 20 lbs - but you can't blame yourself about her gaining she continues to do everything amazing, from eating to exercise - don't know what the problem is that she can't lose - she just has to continue with all the right stuff i agree seeing the doc might help - BUT if that weight doesn't come off......don't blame yourself your wife continues to be your big supporter just continue to be supportive to her, like she always was/is to you don't "not get excited" (terrible sentence)about your weight loss, and don't keep your success to yourself weight was always an issue with my mom my whole family was "normal" size - except me. mom ALWAYS "reminded" me that i needed to lose weight. as a teen-ager, instead of a b'day cake - i always would get a candle on a weight watchers cupcake through out all my years up and down with my weight, i finally have lost 103 lbs post WLS - with the "assistance" of the sleeve - but of course i know "I" did the hard work to lose the weight, i know i "will" be successful keeping my weight off i feel guilty about my daughters weight gain all the time while i was heavy - i "cried on my daughters shoulders" in other words just told her how upset i was about my weight.-it was a constant discussion about ME, not her weight which was fine so the cycle continued about weight being such an important subject since the birth of her 3 kids (12,9,4) she kept gaining to the present point - i know she want to lose the weight, but we all know hard it is - trust me i NEVER bring up her weight (she needs to lose about 75 lbs) i also blame myself for her weight gain, since weight, weight, weight was such a subject for me (and for her to listen to me) but............. now that i've lost 100 lbs, i don't think its right either to celebrate my victories with daughter not wanting to talk much about my weight loss with daughter i think i'm kindof the pot calling the kettle black i know i "should" embrace my success with my daughter, but its hard and i DO feel guilty, sad that at 38 she is now getting heavy when i was her age emotions, feelings - we all have them, and they can be hard to deal with congratulations Butterthebean on your weight loss, I can't fathom "seeing" 172 lbs gone!!! goal here you come!!!

.... here is the rest of the list... Generalizations about Gut Bacteria Each healthy human maintains a subset of a couple of hundred of the couple of thousand different species of bacteria found in humans around the globe. The diverse community in each individual may differ in species, but has approximately the same complement of genes in people sharing the same diet. 1-200 different species of bacteria per person 1-2000 different species of human gut bacteria 1 million different genes among the different bacteria Most genes are involved in digesting plant carbohydrates, i.e. soluble fiber, inulin, pectin, fructans, algal sulfated polysaccharides, etc. Diet diversity, e.g. the Modern American Diet, reduces the diversity of the gut bacterial community, presumably because the rapid change in foods permits survival of only generalist bacteria that can digest many different foods. Simple diets produce gut flora diversity, but only if there is access to diverse bacteria. Health may result from diverse gut flora developed from a simplified diet and ample bacterial resources. Obesity and other diseases may result from simplified gut flora developed from a changing, complex diet and a sterile environment/isolation. Vegan and paleo extremes can lead to healthy gut flora diversity, if the gut bacterial community is permitted to adjust to the diet composition by avoiding rapid changes and providing diverse bacterial sources. meat contains complex polysaccharides, e.g. glycosaminoglycans, such as chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate proteoglycans, which are bacterial fodder equivalent to soluble fiber. Probiotics are unique bacterial species that do not persist in the gut of adults, but dominate the gut of milk eating babies and stimulate development of the gut and immune system. Probiotic bacteria can temporarily provide developmental signals for immune system development that are normally provided by a healthy gut flora. Damage to Gut Flora is Not Repaired by Diet Alone There is little or no effort being made by the medical industry to develop approaches to repair gut flora damaged by disease, unhealthy diets or medical procedures. This is similar to a surgeon stepping away from removal of a diseased organ without closing the wound. Antibiotics leave a gut flora that will remain permanently damaged without systematic, monitored repair. It might also be suspected that disruption of gut flora by antibiotics and the introduction of large amounts of new foods, such as high fructose corn syrup and vegetable oils may contribute to or cause the modern prominence of obesity. After all, gain or loss of weight changes gut flora, obese individuals have damaged gut flora, and trading gut flora between fat and lean animals, trades weight gain/loss behaviors.

I would like to ask a question on this thread that relates to balance of hormones and shifting the body into fat metabolism. It is related to this thread topic and response above, I promise. A lot of health stores sell a product pair called Dim and DHEA for shifting the balance of sex or anabolic hormones in men towards more optimal Protein synthesis. Dim is short for diindolylmethane and DHEA is short for dehydropiandrosterone. Long names, I know. Both hormone precursors are naturally produced by our bodies or can be extracted by the body from cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage. Dim and DHEA supplementation works by freeing up the available "free" testosterone and reducing bad estrogen in the body in order to develop more "manly" characteristics and improved protein synthesis. Many elite athletes uses these supplements to get their body into optimal conditioned form. I have read that DHEA can be a precursor to either testosterone or estrogen metabolites and has a certain probability of metabolizing into either. There are good forms of estrogen and bad forms of estrogen. The good form of estrogen is needed by both men and women to support the shift of body composition to more muscle rather then more fat. Bad estrogen does the opposite which causes the body to store more fat and, in men, leads to other undesirable "womanly" Characteristics. It seems like a gamble as to which metabolite is going to form after the treatment of sex hormones with DHEA. Dim is used to reduce the bad estrogen levels in the body. A lot of weight gain can come from too much bad estrogen in the body. For men, 400-500 mg dim is recommended for increasing fat metabolism and promoting weight loss / lean muscle. Maintenance dose of dim is 100-200 mg. Recommended dose of DHEA is 100 mg. Given my short description on natural hormone therapy above using Dim and DHEA, why would DHEA be recommended at all in combination with dim if there is a chance of the outcome being good estrogen versus bad estrogen metabolites? Why not just use a recommended Dim dose alone to increase the availability of "free" testosterone in the body. Is there a clear advantage of using both Dim and DHEA together? From my initial understanding, the answer is no to the above questions. I would love to hear an opinion from someone else.

Math is good if she slept in bed all day. However, she walks quite a bit and I am sure does some other exercise. That is why her point of easy gain is so confounding. Maybe it is the case of having a low BMR. Are our stomachs never going to process food like bread, nuts and avocados on a daily basis without turning it into weight gain? This is more of a question from the community and not one that applies to myself (my diet does not include toast).

Hello to everyone out there! My name is Tina and I just got home from surgery. My doctor was Dr. Jawad out of Ocala, Florida. Not sure what to post about me, but here goes. I have been trying to loose weight forever. Diets didn't cut it. I had spinal fusion last year, which was a long recovery which meant little to no exercise which meant more weight gain. My husband is active duty Air Force, and I bill insurance for our local hospital here in Valdosta, Georgia. I didn't think Tricare would pay for the Lap-band, just the bypass. My family doctor had said she would have no problem getting me approved for the bypass, but for me, there were just too many things that could potentially go wrong. When I found out Tricare was covering the band, I about jumped for joy. I was shocked that Tricare approved me for the surgery so quickly. I am about 110 pounds over my ideal. Most people didn't believe me when I told them what I weighed (255). Everyone called me a liar :omg_smile:. I have never been a skinny girl. When I got married I was 170 and a size 10. I would LOVE to be that size again. I really wanted the surgery for health reasons. Less weight = less strain on my back, which means I can hopefully postpone another fusion for decades. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, thyroid issues, and my mom was recently diagnosed with type II, which is something I did not ever want. I feel okay, just really bloated.... My husband and family have been really supportive in my decision. I look forward to talking to everyone and getting to know you. There is a local support group locally, but somehow, the fact that there is someone else out there online at 2am if I need to talk makes this more appealing.:scared2:

Welcome to the site, Many of us struggle with weight gain. We can give some tips and be your cheerleaders. Take what is useful and ignore the rest Some options for getting your diet back on track. I'm sure these are things you already know... Go back to your plan - Log your food hit your protein goal...May help to set it higher 70-130. I use myfitnesspal to track..Many other trackers out there Get rid of temptation foods in the house: Go grocery shopping cook your own meals. Salty and sweet healthy options. Take your own meals to school/work You may have noticed your restriction is less. Eat vegetables with your protein to fill the extra space and keep calories low. The bulk and fiber will help with hunger. Head hunger, snacking or when you are at the end of your calorie allotment for the day. Buy a veggie tray.When hunger kicks in eat as much of the tray as you like. If you try to bargain with yourself for other options..Ugg thats head hunger. Find your discipline to not go to the other options... Motivation: Finding motivation will be your walk...What motivates me may not motivate you. what has worked for me: We all have things to overcome in life - Sometimes it's not motivation it's perspective. A person in hospice care would gladly trade places with our weight loss struggle. Never give up !This video has been around a long time. I still like it.

This is a very insightful presentation by Dr. Mitchell Roslin on the physiology of weight gain. http://vimeo.com/user1985459/roslin

I don't have a gallbladder so my body doesn't break down foods like other people so I'm used to gas, acid issues, occasional heartburn or reflux if really bad. By my second and third child being C-sections the gas and pain was bad. Currently I suffer with dermatitis, arthritis to most of my joints, hair thining plus bluh, bluh. I've tried all conventional methods to lose weight nothing has been sustainable. I'm at my biggest ever and I'm feeling it all over. Depression and boredom along with allot of different circumstances have meant weight gain. Please keep sharing because your all insprational to me and all you have to say is a big support. No one understands unless you experience it yourself. Thanks girls.

Man, I'm just so discouraged. I am up to 145. I have gained 10 pounds. I feel like such a slug. All of my jeans are fitting extra tight. I went and had a fill about 12 days ago, got down to 141, but now am back up again to square one. I can eat more now too. I was so motivated after my fill, but now I am just stuck. I feel like I'm never gonna get back down to 135. I know, to most 145 is a wonderful weight to be at. But in my head, it's terrible. I know I should be greatful, but I feel like this is just the beginning and I'm gonna end up back up to 219. What's worse is that right now, I have no game plan. No way to combat the weight gain. Mentally, I am just exausted and stuck. I have lost faith in my ability to keep going. Every single day, every single hour of following the bandster rules is a complete struggle to me. I don't know why. I feel like a food addict. I think about food every hour of every day. I know something is not right in my head. The only stress I am feeling right now is the stress of building a new house. That's it. Nothing major. So what is wrong with me? I am tired of the mental roller coster ride...

It always worries me when people ask will they still be able to eat ‘real food’ or eat like a ‘real person’. It is real food you are eating & will eat. It’s just healthier & more nutritious than you likely ate before. Remember the food you used to eat contributed to the weight you were when you decided to have surgery. You are a real person too. You just have to choose food that enables you to lose weight & then maintain your weight. But we’re all different & what works for someone else may not work for you regardless of their weight or if they’ve had surgery or not. While in the weight loss stage, especially the early stages, yes, you will be on restricted diet. But once you reach the third & fourth month post surgery you will be testing what foods your tummy will or won’t tolerate, exploring healthier food options & healthier cooking methods. Yes, your portion sizes will be small, they’ll be protein heavy & you may need to include supplements or shakes to meet your protein goals but this will settle in maintenance. You’ll still be able to eat out & socialise with friends. You just may have limited choices during your weight loss phase. I’ve been in maintenance for a year & I just eat smaller portions. (Most people eat very large servings of food that are above recommended portion sizes so your meals may seem really tiny.) I really don’t make or eat meals that are different to other people. There are foods I avoid or limit because they don’t work for me or contributed to my weight gain in the first place but I still have lots of food options. Sure I don’t eat bread, pasta or rice but there’s always alternatives on menus if you’re out. It doesn’t stop me dining out, eating with friends, or hosting dinner guests. I ensure I get all my nutrients from the food I eat not from supplements, shakes, or alternative foods like low carb breads or plant based proteins, etc. I can eat any meats, vegetables & dairy products. I can eat most fruits ( though some are a bit hard on me like mangoes). I eat small amounts of whole or multi grains. I avoid a lot of sugar & sweet foods. I don’t eat spicy foods because I have a sensitivity to them but I’ve always had that so no change there. This is what’s working for me. Congratulations on starting your journey. Good luck.

I think you are right in some areas. Research and knowledge is so important. But I also think that dedication to improving your health is the most important.. not 100% because that would mean we were perfect..And we know none of us are. I was one of those that thought I had it all sewed up. I knew what I was getting into and researched it for 2 years. After the surgery I realized I knew nothing at all. Sure I watched a few videos on how the procedure was done. Followed experiences on You Tube. Spent some time on here reading others experiences. Here is information you need to continue and succeed. Fight your way, day to day. Learn to fix your brain by reading how others did it or are doing it. Fight your fears by seeing how others have handled it. And realizing that it is a life time war that you win one fight at a time. I could broad cast my own loss every day on here but that is not the real deal. I lost my weight differently then most people on this forum and lived to tell about it. I never ever thought about stalls, weight gain or loss. I have gone by what I felt like and clothes sizes. We don't have a support group here either and it ticks me off so much because hundreds of people in my area have had WLS and it is like the biggest secret in history. Go where you learn the most and be as prepared as you can. My experience was that I would never have been ready if I looked into that completely..And never could I have looked into it completely anyway..I think you and I need to use every venue available to us. And start making a dent in the spots where there is no support or help for us. There is so much more then losing the pounds. There are the emotional, mental, physical and constant self doubt and not to mention how others treated us and now treat us differently. It is such a merry-go-round it makes my head spin.

I worked out on Saturday and Sunday and did pretty well with food, but got a pretty bad sunburn on Sunday. This morning I was up 3.5 pounds! I'm pretty sure it's inflammation from the burn...anyone else experience this?