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No one is demonizing carbs. There is no such thing as NO carb diet. Low carb is instructed by many surgeons/dieticians. All plans are different. I am carb sensitive. I am a type one diabetic. My body does not process carbs or sugar correctly. I keep my carbs in the range where I lose/maintain my weight. I distance run. I carb load for seven days pre-race. It’s instant weight gain. I go back to weight loss mode to work it off.

I’m five years out with the sleeve. I’m maintaining in the 130’s. I bounced back from surgery and had no complications. For me it was a great choice. This site is mainly people researching, are new and in weight loss phase, had weight gain or complications. Understand that many people that are maintaining no longer need support on this site. Read this link to see the positive stories to give you a balanced look at outcomes. https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/423992-what-you-had-no-surgery-complications/?tab=comments#comment-4758950 For newbies We are not ALL doomed to regain. There is no way for me to avoid offending the people on this site that have had regain. What I am saying is not judging them. Have compassion. There are reasons why people regain (medical issues, complications, eating disorders, pregnancy and not following plan. - Anyone who has stretched their surgery needs it diagnosed and therapy to control overeating. I would hate to see anyone stretch a second surgery. If they need a restart, I hope the second one works for them. Bottom line, the only reason any of us gain weight is eating over calories and macros.

First off, what is a ketogenic diet? The ketogenic diet is a very low carbohydrate, very high fat, low-moderate protein diet. Historically, it has been used to control epilepsy in children. When you don’t give your body carbohydrates (your body’s preferred fuel source), it begins to use and break down body fat as a source of energy, which is called ketosis. The breakdown of fat leads to the production of ketones, and the ketones are what begin to fuel your body (instead of the carbohydrates you were feeding it before). This process can take a few days to achieve, and when done correctly, can be tested by measuring the ketones in your urine with a dipstick. If ketones are present, this means you’re in ketosis. What does the macronutrient profile look like? FAT – A ketogenic diet should include healthy fats such as fats from fish, seafood, eggs, nuts, vegetable oils, dairy, and some meats. There is a lot of poor information on the internet that encourages people to have the majority of their fats in the form of cream, lard, bacon, and fried foods, which are not good for our heart. CARBOHYDRATES – The ketogenic diet is described differently depending on the source, but on average it means limiting your carbohydrates to 5-10% of total daily calories. For bariatric patients eating around 1200, 1500, or 1800 calories/day, this works out to 22, 28, or 34 g of carbohydrates/day, respectively. That’s very little! Foods rich in carbohydrates that are limited/eliminated in a ketogenic diet include: grain products (e.g. pasta, rice, bread, etc.), fruit, many vegetables (e.g. potatoes, corn, carrots, squash, etc.), some dairy products (e.g. milk, yogurt), legumes (e.g. chickpeas, beans, lentils), and sweets and sweetened beverages (e.g. chocolate, ice cream, pastries, juice, soda, etc.). That’s a lot of food groups being restricted! PROTEIN – On a ketogenic diet, protein is considered low-moderate (depending on your protein requirement), or around 15-20% of total calories. For bariatric patients eating around 1200, 1500, or 1800 calories/day, this works out to 52, 65, or 78 g of protein/day, respectively. Are these protein targets in the range that your dietitian has recommended for you? For many of you, likely not. FIBRE – Fibre falls under the umbrella of carbohydrates. Because you now know that carbohydrates are very limited on a ketogenic diet, you can guess that fibre will also be very limited. A diet very low in grain products, fruits, most vegetables, and legumes means that constipation is going to be a real issue! I heard that a ketogenic diet leads to rapid weight loss. It’s true in the beginning, but the important factor here is to understand what kind of weight loss this is. Yes, it’s true that reducing carbohydrates leads to weight loss, however the weight that’s initially lost is mainly water weight, not fat. Here’s a behind the scenes look at what’s going on: Your body always wants to keep your blood sugar well controlled, so it stores some sugar (or glycogen) in your liver. When you’re sleeping, or fasting, your body uses this stored glycogen to send some sugar into your blood, to be sure that your blood sugar doesn’t drop too low. Glycogen is stored in your body by attaching glucose to water. So when we empty our glycogen stores, we’re actually losing a fair bit of water as well, and that’s the initial weight loss that you see. The weight loss that follows from there is partly muscle loss if you’re not meeting your protein needs (which as discussed above, might be the case) and fat. While ketogenic diets have been shown to be better for weight loss than other low fat diets, the results are only true in the short term. In the long-term, there doesn’t appear to be any difference. You’re also more prone to rebound weight regain on a ketogenic diet once you re-introduce carbohydrates again (whether by choice, by cravings, or by obligation because you feel unwell without them). But I thought that the ketogenic diet was proven to be effective? The ketogenic diet isn’t a new diet at all. It’s actually been used for almost 100 years to treat children with severe epilepsy who don’t respond to medication. However, even these children don’t stay on the ketogenic diet their whole lives, they only do so for a temporary amount of time. These children are followed very closely by their doctor and dietitian to very slowly bring carbohydrates back into their diet. Despite what you dietitians say, I want to try the ketogenic diet! Ultimately, it’s entirely your decision to try what you want. We (as dietitians) are only here to guide you through the evidence that’s out there, and as of now, there’s no research on the ketogenic diet after bariatric surgery. There’s also not enough long-term research to know and understand if the ketogenic diet is safe for your heart in the long-term (i.e. more than 12 months of being on the diet). Three of our biggest concerns as dietitians are: 1) Are you meeting your protein needs? 2) Are you emphasizing healthy fats; 3) Are you just looking for a quick fix? If you’re using the ketogenic diet as a “reset” just like the last fad diet you tried, you’re only feeding the yo-yo dieting pattern (just playing devil’s advocate here!). Can I be on a ketogenic diet my whole life? The honest answer is we don’t know. We don’t have research on the long-term effects of following a ketogenic diet. It’s suspected that it may lead to higher cholesterol levels which may lead to heart disease, but more research is needed to conclude this. Does being on a ketogenic diet guarantee that I’ll keep the weight off? While more research is needed, one study showed that the participants who were very strict about following the ketogenic diet were able to keep off the initial weight loss for up to 56 weeks (or a little more than one year). We don’t have the research to say if in 10 or 20 years that their weight will still be stable or not. We do know however, that if you don’t find the ketogenic diet realistic for your lifestyle and you end up coming off of it, you will regain the weight (if not more), as with any temporary diet. Is the ketogenic diet safe? While it may be generally safe (meaning you’re not going to die) for most people, you should always check with your doctor, especially if you have heart disease, liver disease, and diabetes, as this diet may put your health at risk. The ketogenic diet is not considered safe for those who have chronic kidney disease. The ketogenic diet has received a lot of criticism because it’s a very restrictive diet, eliminating many foods and therefore many nutrients that are important for health. Following this diet puts you at high risk for micronutrient deficiencies. Make sure you discuss additional vitamin supplementation with your family doctor or dietitian. What are the benefits of a ketogenic diet? Aside from weight loss, following a ketogenic diet has been shown to improve blood sugar control in those with type 2 diabetes, lower triglycerides, lower LDL cholesterol (the ‘bad’ cholesterol), and raise HDL cholesterol (the ‘good’ cholesterol). Although these benefits sound attractive, know that other low fat diets have produced similar results, and would be safer in the long-term since they’ve been better studied and are less restrictive overall. What are the risks of following a ketogenic diet? Liver disease? – More research is needed, but several rat studies have shown an increased risk of developing liver disease. While results from rat studies don’t 100% translate into humans, animal studies often give an indication or at least a starting point for how something will affect the human body. More research is needed in human subjects. Muscle loss. – Another risk of following a ketogenic diet is muscle loss, because most patients aren’t able to meet their protein goals. Losing muscle may put you at risk of weight gain. Working with a dietitian while following a ketogenic diet can help you be sure you’re meeting your protein needs. Earlier death? – Like we’ve mentioned, there isn’t enough research yet on the long-term risks of following a ketogenic diet, but a recent study found that low carbohydrate diets (less than 40% of calories from carbohydrates) was linked to earlier death, compared to having a moderate-carbohydrate diet (50-55% of calories from carbohydrates). Remember that a ketogenic diet has around 5-10% of calories coming from carbohydrates. How did they explain this increased risk? The risk with a low carbohydrate diet seems to be because the carbohydrate calories are often replaced with more animal protein and unhealthy fats, rather than plant-based protein and healthy fats. Note that this study was not on bariatric patients, but again, the findings are interesting. What are the side effects of a ketogenic diet? Side effects during the adaptation period (i.e. in the beginning of following a ketogenic diet) include: brain fog, fatigue, headaches, nausea, strong smelling sweat and urine, constipation or diarrhea, and poorer exercise performance. Long-term side effects include: bad breath, micronutrient deficiencies, and muscle loss. What are common misconceptions of the ketogenic diet? Many people believe that it’s a carbohydrate-free diet, meaning no carbohydrates at all. This isn’t the case. You can have in the range of 20-50 g of carbohydrates per day (depending on how many calories you’re eating). If you don’t know what this looks like in terms of food, speak with your dietitian. Another misconception is that a ketogenic diet is high in protein. This also isn’t the case. A ketogenic diet is moderate in protein for the average person (who hasn’t had bariatric surgery), and is therefore typically low in protein for a bariatric patient. As you likely know, low protein puts you at risk of losing muscle which will affect your overall weight loss, and put you at higher risk of weight regain in the future. Other than muscle loss, what are other negative nutrition consequences of following a ketogenic diet after bariatric surgery? Low in fibre – The smaller food intake that you have after surgery already makes getting in enough fibre difficult. This partly explains why so many people are constipated after surgery. A ketogenic diet significantly limits most fibre-containing foods including fruit, most vegetables, grain products, and legumes, so your fibre intake decreases even more. Constipation is therefore even more of an issue! High in unhealthy fats – Many people don’t follow a ketogenic diet correctly and include too much saturated fats (or unhealthy fats) in their diet. For example, they may choose bacon, sausages, and lard, over fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. A diet high in saturated fats has been linked to heart disease. Low in many micronutrients – A ketogenic diet is also low in important vitamins and minerals such as thiamine, folate, vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium. While you’re prescribed vitamins and minerals supplements after bariatric surgery, these standard prescriptions don’t account for you following a ketogenic diet. If you do decide to follow a ketogenic diet, it’s important to have your doctor or dietitian re-assess your vitamin and mineral supplements and for you to continue doing blood work regularly. Will I be able to exercise just as much while on a ketogenic diet? The downside to following a ketogenic diet is that it may actually reduce your exercise performance (across anaerobic, aerobic, and strength related exercises) in the short-term. If you’re doing low intensity exercises such as walking or a leisure bike ride however, you shouldn’t notice a difference. More research is needed to understand how a ketogenic diet affects exercise performance, especially in the long-term. I’ve been having episodes of low blood sugar after bariatric surgery. Can I follow the ketogenic diet? If you’ve been experiencing low blood sugar after surgery, it’s not recommended to start a ketogenic diet. It’s important to understand why you are experiencing low blood sugar as soon as possible. Here are some of the most common reasons for low blood sugar after bariatric surgery: Dumping syndrome due to high sugar intake Going long periods of time without eating Not eating enough carbohydrates or not spacing your carbohydrates out during the day Excess exercise An overactive pancreas Diabetic medication that is not adjusted properly Speak with your dietitian to figure out why your blood sugar keeps dropping. I plan to try the ketogenic diet for a few weeks and then come off of it. If that’s the case, then don’t bother. The reason this diet works for weight loss is because you are in ketosis (which in itself takes a couple of days to achieve because you need to use up your glycogen stores). If you come out of ketosis, you will no longer see the effects, and thus begins the yo-yo dieting effect. Always remember – Temporary changes yield temporary results! I’m already on the ketogenic diet, how can I come off of it safely? If you’ve already started the diet, reintroducing carbohydrates can lead to bloating, unstable blood sugars, and weight regain. To minimize these effects, begin by including whole grain products, rather than refined processed carbohydrates (e.g. white bread, breakfast cereals, pretzels, etc.). Whole grain foods include quinoa, brown or wild rice, oatmeal, bulgur, and barley. Sweet potatoes would also be appropriate. Include 1 to 2 tablespoons at only one meal per day for up to one week. If you’re feeling okay, begin including one fruit at one snack for a few days, and then try reintroducing yogurt and milk. But aren’t there doctors and health gurus out there promoting the ketogenic diet? Yes, there are, but there also were doctors and health gurus promoting the Atkins diet, the Pritikin diet, and the Dukan diet back in the day. There will always be people out there trying to capitalize on the newest fad diet to sell you on the weight loss dream and to take your money. It’s easy to point fingers and put the blame on specific foods or food groups, but ultimately the only way of eating that has been proven effective time and time again, is moderation. As dietitians, we know very well that ‘moderation’ (which means something different for each of our clients) isn’t sexy, but it’s key to having a healthy long-term relationship with food. I’m pregnant and I want to follow a ketogenic diet. Following a ketogenic diet during pregnancy is not recommended. While your body can handle being in ketosis, the production of ketones is harmful to your baby’s development, particularly their brain development. SUMMARY… – A ketogenic diet is very low carbohydrate, very high fat, low-moderate protein diet. – A ketogenic diet should emphasize healthy fats, but many sources online emphasize online unhealthy fats (e.g. bacon, sausage, lard, cream, etc.). – A ketogenic diet is very low in carbohydrates. This means that it’s not only grain products that are limited (e.g. pasta, rice, bread, etc.), but also fruit, many vegetables, some dairy products, legumes, and sweets. – By default, a ketogenic diet is also low in fibre which results in constipation in many patients. – A ketogenic diet is considered low-moderate in protein. Most bariatric patients aren’t able to meet their protein needs on ketogenic diet which results in muscle loss. – We don’t know the effects of a very high fat diet on health long-term, but it likely isn’t good for heart health. – Many of the benefits of a ketogenic diet (e.g. weight loss, improved blood sugars, lower triglycerides, lower LDL cholesterol, increased HDL cholesterol, etc.), are similarly seen in low-fat diets (while being way less restrictive overall). – There are many unpleasant side effects to following a ketogenic diet including constipation, poorer exercise performance (at least short-term, no research on long-term performance), muscle loss, bad breath, and micronutrient deficiencies. – You likely need to take additional vitamin and mineral supplements while following a ketogenic diet. Regular blood tests are still very important. – A ketogenic diet is not recommended in a variety of health conditions, and is even considered dangerous for some (e.g. patients with chronic kidney disease and pregnant women). Always check with your family doctor and dietitian before making drastic changes to your diet. – The ketogenic diet has not been studied in people who have had bariatric surgery, so the short-term and long-term effects are unknown. – The ketogenic diet is very restrictive and is therefore not sustainable for the majority of people. Eating out and socializing around food become almost impossible. Our final thoughts… Many patients are quick to blame carbohydrates for weight regain. Instead of jumping to a ketogenic diet, we recommend reviewing the bariatric basics and booking an appointment with your bariatric dietitian. If you absolutely insist on trying a ketogenic diet, we suggest a “modified keto diet” that consists of more plant-based protein and healthy fats, with enough protein to be sure you’re maintaining your muscle mass. What are your thoughts on the ketogenic diet? Have you been tempted? Are you currently following a ketogenic diet? – Lisa & Monica, your bariatric dietitians P.S. For more tips on healthy living after bariatric surgery, follow us on Facebook (@bariatricsurgerynutrition) or check out our highly praised book HERE!

I have just got back from a months holiday overseas and am really pleased that in spite of not eating very healthily I still lost weight. Down approx. 1.8kg and almost at goal. The main reason for the not eating as healthily as I should have should have is that for most of the holiday we were staying with other people so restaurants were selected that suited the larger group. We started off in California where we ate mainly Mexican or burger/ribs. I have to say that I like the fact that your restaurants allow and encourage meal sharing as it meant I could have some of hubby's food instead of having to order a huge plate of my own. I know the US has a reputation for huge meals but some of them are so oversized its not surprising so many people struggle with their weight, 4 sliders is not a starter and a sandwich is supposed to be 2 slices of bread not 4 plus chips! It was great to be able to eat ribs without spending the rest of the night in the toilet throwing up which is something that happened to me on countless occasions when I had my band. Then it was onto the UK home of the pub and pub meals. They are fine the first or second time but pubs are like Mexican restaurants - all the same once you get to no 3! We also ate a lot of lunches at store and stately home canteen style cafes. So I was sharing sandwiches with hubby and also sharing cake! One place I loved in both the UK and Hong Kong was Pret a Manger - they had lovely quick easy healthy options like Bircher muesli, yogurt with fruit, sandwiches etc. Our final destination was Hong Kong. This was the only part of the holiday where hubby and I were on our own. We should have had lots of lovely Asian food but we were so busy we mainly ate on the run. The "pasteis de nata" in Macau probably weren't the healthiest breakfast choice but they were fabulous. So essentially I ate a small portion of whatever I wanted without worrying about weight gain. Poor hubby did have lots of leftovers to eat and his relatives in the UK kept commenting on how little I ate although I thought I was eating heaps! I drank alcohol but not in huge quantities. The serves of wine and cider in the UK are huge, they would never allow that much to be served in 1 glass in Aus. I ate cake and I ate chocolate and even had an icecream. I ate that very cautiously as I was terrified I would dump but luckily I didn't. I did have 1 or 2 minor episodes of dumping ( nausea, shakes and palpitations) but that was when I deserved it for doing something stupid like eating chocolate first thing in the morning! Prior to my op I was very concerned as I kept reading about people that had accidents post op.I had visions of having to always carry spare undies or wear adult diapers. Luckily that hasn't been an issue although when I need to go I need to go - sometimes I had to find a loo in a hurry and the hardest place to do that was Hong Kong. Travelling with the bypass has been so much easier than travelling with a band and the variety of food I eat is so much greater and healthier.

I would like to here from some members that may have had weight gain a year out from surgery. I know it’s from my eating habits and poor exercise regime. I have started back this week to exercise and I need to work on improving my eating habits. I started at 250, my lowest was 172, and right now I’m 186. My ultimate goal was to get to 150. I feel like such a failure, one of my biggest fears of having the surgery was failing and I feel that has happened. I looking for encouragement, guidance and I’m hoping that being honest and up front in a large group will help with accountability. Thank you for your support in advance. MKT

I want to lead off by saying I am an outlier. I had a very easy surgery and recovery. I have an iron sleeve, almost nothing bothers it, and hasn't from the beginning. I have lost 100% of my excess weight, am below my goal weight, and have maintained for nearly 6 months now. So, take what I say with a grain of salt, knowing that I have been supremely lucky, and the stars have aligned for me, for now (who knows what the future holds though). I am also a foodie. I eat out very frequently, both for business, and just as my personal lifestyle. I have not have any issue eating a very wide range of food (with one exception, I'll get to later). My first business trip was 3 weeks post op. It was a week long wine and dine event, with elaborate meals, dinners being upwards of 20 courses. I ate ahead of my plan, and had little tiny bits of just about everything. I don't recommend this, but it caused no issue for me, other than a weight gain of 3 lbs when I returned. I have been on multiple international trips post op. I ate meat pies and drank beer in Scotland. I ate pasta and drank wine in Italy. I ate falafel and drank tea in Egypt. BUT, it wasn't all just eat whatever I want, but smaller portions. I balanced "off plan" meals with being very disciplined, especially when I was home. For many months, until my hunger returned, I was routinely under 500 cals a day. I took advantage of not being hungry, and not having head hunger triggers, by eating to only get my required protein in, and therefore consuming very few cals, many days. Now that I am in maintenance, I have been fortunate so far. My BMR appear to be north of 1500 cals a day. I still have a fair amount of restriction, so I am able to eat relatively freely. But I log everything I eat and weigh myself nearly everyday I am home. I am willing to adjust my diet and cals in order to maintain at a weight I'm happy with (which may eventually end up higher than my current weight). But even if I do end up having to be more careful with my diet, it will always be a combo of disciplined and splurge meals. It will just be about finding the balance between the two. On the topic of digestive issues, I have had no accidents, no diarrhea (other than the occasional that everyone gets from time to time). I was constipated early post op, and added Benefiber to every non-water liquid I ingested. I can get nausea if I over eat, but it passes quickly. I have only gotten sick twice, and it was vitamins on too empty of a stomach. The only negative consequence I have had, is dumping-ish symptoms, from time to time. Occasionally it is random, but the most common trigger is liquid sugar, such as Vietnamese coffee, or Baileys Irish Cream for example. I just get extreme nausea and my heart races. So I've given up any large quantities of sweet beverages, or anything similar, like ice cream, pudding. So, it is possible to live a normal foodie life, post sleeve. But this journey is very, very individual. It is a true YMMV situation. So just as there are outliers who have lots of complications & food sensitivities, I am an outlier that has had practically none. I am at one extreme of the bell curve. Hope that helps!

I guess I am lucky -- my doctor is only requiring a liquid pre-op diet for one day. And I have been told NOT to drink protein drinks before surgery as they cause weight gain. Good luck!

these popped up in my fb memories today. i used to binge eat/overeat. i had decided to use MFP to help me curb how much i ate, but instead i used it as a competition tool to see how much i could fit in me. i was probably around 175 or so in 2012. the comments are mostly me joking about how my ads are all for diet pills now and my friends joking I'll be one of the feeder fetish chicks eventually. the last photo is from 2018 when i was 286lbs and considering bariatric surgery. spoiler alert: it wasn't my thyroid that caused my weight gain. why the eff did i do this to myself!? jesus. Sent from my SM-G930R4 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi there. I think Frustr8 was trying to answer your questions about any advice we could give you and multivitamins for hair loss. She told you that: -She takes Vitamins D, A and Prenatals with Iron -She believes she experienced some hair loss but it's hard to tell since red heads traditionally have less hair -With the minor hair loss she did experience, it was isolated to her bangs and was a simple fix that her hairdresser solved by giving her one of those haircuts she had when she was young -At around 3 months, she incorporated hair, skin and nails vitamins into her regimen which seems to help fight hair loss -She was having a difficult time swallowing capsules and even though she had by-pass, they gave her really bad acid reflux which is typically only an issue for those that opted for sleeve so her Dr. approved a multivitamin in a gummy form instead. Be careful with those and read the ingredients as many contain corn syrup and processed sugars which is not allowed after surgery since it can lead to "dumping" and get you back to being sugar-addicted which leads to weight gain. Go for gummies that are 100% fruit juice based instead -She now notices that she can no longer even tolerate the desserts and sweets that she used to love. She had a bit of a jelly bean this past Easter and vomited immediately. She was trying to be helpful and offer you some advice, insight, tips, that she noticed from her own experiences that could be helpful to you. Like you asked. Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

When I ate a pickled onion (small cocktail one!) ... when I ate a slice of 'LivLife Low Carbs Seriously Seeded Loaf' - 68cals per slice, 3.8g carbs per slice!! 0.22g sodium per slice. And, after just being away at the weekend - the weight goes up when I don't weigh myself every day! I tracked my food - kept below 1000cals, 25g carbs... maybe I didn't drink enough water??!! Eating anything new seems to cause a weight gain it seems ... "huff".... @GreenTealael fantastic topic!

5 day pouch reset may be a good restart for some. Good advice. Some other things to think about. It doesn't adress the the mental side of staying on plan. It also may be too restrictive if you are years out, have extra sleeve space and are trying to trouble shoot hunger, you may want to try other options. some do keto. Intermittent fasting, vegan. It may be trial and error to find what works for each of us. Trouble shooting extra sleeve space. I eat dense Protein and other foods on my plan. I eat as much veggies as I want until full. I log to make sure I stay within my weight loss calorie and macros Years out weightloss calories may have to be dialed in specifically to the individual. 600 to 800 calories is not realistic for me years out. Maintenance phase is a different animal. Getting back into weight loss mode after a weight gain is not a one size fits all. Sent from my SM-G930T using BariatricPal mobile app

After WLS, I Gain A Little Weight When…… I go on vacation and eat what I want and don’t weigh myself. Now that I’m years out, the weight gain is fast and its slow to get back off.

I've had a mirena for a year. No weight gain from it

I believe I have ruined m y opportunity I had my sleeve procedure on Nov 2017 ans since then I have lost 100 pounds but in last few months I have gained like 30 pounds I trying hard no to gain more now I can eat more I am hungry all the time I can eat like the normal person I am so depressed and whenever I try to keep track and get on the wagon one more time I fail i think I have get back to point zero or before the surgery . I was obese since I was child I failed all types of diet I have tried and now it is the same I can't do any diet for more than two days I can't believe how fast the stomach got stretched and gaining weight . I have failed my surgery which make me so depressed.

Hall says his findings have implications for the diet wars — vegan versus low-carb or low-fat diets. "They all have something in common. ... Proponents of healthy versions of those diets suggest that people cut out ultra-processed foods." He says that this elimination might account for at least part of the success that people have on these diets. Popkin says the take-home message for consumers is, "We should try to eat as much real food as we can. That can be plant food. It can be animal food. It can be beef, pork, chicken, fish or vegetables and fruits. And one has to be very careful once one begins to go into other kinds of food." https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/05/16/723693839/its-not-just-salt-sugar-fat-study-finds-ultra-processed-foods-drive-weight-gain?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science Full study is linked in NPR article

What do you consider a (melodramatic) Emergency these days? Late to work? 2lb weight gain? Bad date? Spilled coffee? Sour yogurt? Budget due? Teens? How do you combat it? How do you process your emotions now instead of letting them eat away at you? Or you eating them into submission? What tools & (let's be honest) foods are on your emergency bag to keep you from going into shock?

Actually about 3 months ago I gained about 4 pounds back...someone at work said my pants looked tight and I cut carbs completely for 8 weeks (KETO) and lost those plus a few more...I really think weight gain that is significant has to be from spiraling out of control with grazing and poor food choices...I mean that's how I gained those 4 pounds and it scared the crap out of me! Are you gaining?

Hi @GradyCat okay sooo I’ve just stepped on the scales again and it’s gone from 116.7 to 116.9 Kg. On the edge of a breakdown! How do I control this weight gain is it normal because I am seriously not even eating unhealthy or anything !

Hi guys, so I’m exactly 1 month post op today and my start weight was 125Kg and I went down to 115.9Kg but this was in the first two weeks maybe even week. Since then I haven’t lost anything which was stressing me out, but what is stressing me out even more is I decided to get on the scales today and it came up as 116.7 and I checked in different places just to be sure. I’ve literally not added anything major into my diet I haven’t gone astray. So I’m still on protein shakes and I’ve only just this Tuesday started soft foods so literally yesterday prior to that I was having lentil soup as a meal 200grams of it for dinner and two protein shakes and water . I haven’t even eaten any foods today I really don’t know what’s going on. I’m actually so upset . Did anyone else experience this?

I don’t carb load unless I'm running a half or full marathon. I'm forever carb sensitive and its automatic weight gain. This is my week leading up to my half marathon. I’ve gained five pounds with two more days of carb loading to go. Looking forward to race day on the 18th. Weight loss mode starts the 19th

Knee pain can be quite debilitating and cause misery ,I had a knee replacement in 2014 after trying so many pain management techniques, it turned out that I had early arthritis and the cartilage in my knee had worn out so it was bone rubbing on bone, fast forward 5 years and weight gain and the knee pain came back. Now with VSG done 3/7/2019, am managing the pain and doing my walks and dropping weight gradually, I trust that when am about 70 pounds lighter the discomfort will be manageable. But please check the root cause of the pain and get help so that when you do the VSG you can exercise without so much discomfort.

I understand how weight gain can mess with your head. You are not alone. Many are here working a weight gain off on their own or having revisions. Surgery is only a tool. I think @round2wi explained things better than I ever could. Counseling is a good option to address your overeating issues. As for stretching, get it diagnosed by a surgeon to see if its due to complications, a botched surgery or overeating. If its overeating, get counseling so that you don’t stretch a second surgery. What I wish sleeve patients would know before surgery. (this might not be your situation) The sleeve might not be the right choice for some people. Your restriction will become less over time. It’s not back to full size but, you can hold more food volume. This is common experience with the sleeve. Just because you we hold more food does not mean we have to eat over our calories and macros and gain weight. It’s easy to graze/ eat around any type of bariatric surgery. Eating several smaller meals of healthy and non-healthy foods that total over your daily calories/macros. You don’t feel any surgery restriction with small meals. It’s as if you never had surgery. You will gain weight.

Get it diagnosed if your surgery is stretched. I am hearing it can be from the procedure performed wrong, complications or overeating. If it’s overeating, get counseling so you don’t stretch a second surgery. (I'm hoping @JamesL73 is opening a revision thread. I would like to understand more about this topic) I'm five years out. My situation may be different than yours. I had weight gain in my third year and worked it back off. Did your Dr's let you know that you would feel less restriction as you progress out from sleeve surgery? This is a common experience. Mine is not back to full size but it is larger. Just because I have extra stomach compacity does not mean I have to eat over my weight loss/maintenance calories/macros. Some things that help me satisfy the extra room: I eat dense protein and foods allowed on my plan. I eat as much veggies until the sensation of full. (ditch shakes, bars and soft foods. They won’t keep you full years out) I eat five to six small meals. It helps to keep my blood sugars level. I log to make sure I’m staying within my calories/macros Keep healthy sweet and salty options on hand to satisfy cravings. Once you add extra carbs and sugar you crave them more and they cause hunger. Detox off them. know you will feel crappy for a while. It will pass. The main killer of weight loss is grazing. Eating several small meals healthy and unhealthy options that total over your daily calories and macros. When you eat small meals, you don’t feel any surgery restriction. The sensation as if you never had surgery. You will gain weight.

I'm about a month and a half out from my surgery, and I've lost 43 lbs. My scale number on Friday morning said 315 lbs. This morning, it was 317-318. Think this is just normal fluctuation? My diet hasn't changed, and I'm getting in my 60-80 grams of protein a day and all my water. I did try something this weekend that I ordered from the bariatric pal store, the guilt-free brownies that have 22 grams of protein in them per brownie. (Could only eat half a brownie at a time) I still ate under 700 calories per day. Weight gain makes little sense to me at this point unless it's just fluctuation or retaining a bit of water