Search the Community

For me (a year into maintenance now), calories continue to matter. In fact, all macronutrients (Protein, carbs, fat) and Fiber, sodium, etc. matter to me. There are a bazillion stories in the naked city about WLS patients who've regained weight who have no frickin' idea how many calories (or Proteins or carbs) they're eating. If I start gaining weight I would at least like to know why. Therefore, I track all my food / drink in My Fitness Pal. My therapist would like for me to become a more "instinctive, healthy eater." By that he means that my instincts about what I want to eat and what I do eat should magically equate and result no weight loss, no weight gain. Yeah, that ^^^^ was written in sarcasm font. I'm so not there yet.

As a society, I believe we are conditioned to thinness. Even as a former "fattie" at times I already find myself somewhat looking differently at a larger person than a thinner one. And I WAS that person. People feel free to ask if we've lost weight and even somewhat angrily. Lol. But not so with weight gain. I got used to hearing it from everybody I knew when I initially lost weight and like FYE, it stopped when I picked up a few pounds I had lost. And began again when I re-lost the weight gain. "Are you STILL losing weight?" You are SOOO thin? almost accusingly. Lol

It took me a full week to get rid of the weight gained from surgery. It took 2 weeks to get rid of all extra gas. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

So today is August 19th and I am now over 4 months post VSG. I thought I would write an update on a few things that I regularly see asked on this forum. 1. Hair loss- I am definitely shedding more, and it is pretty annoying, but not alarming. I noticed it start at about 3 months out, and decided to add another protein shake to my daily intake. I figure it will last another month or two, based on what I have seen other people post. Honestly, though, it is not something I am worried about. I am not having huge clumps of hair fall out, and thank goodness for that! I have really fine hair already, LoL. 2. Vitamins and water- I take my vitamins and drink at least 64 oz of water daily. Those are two things I don't mess with. The one supplement that is not included in my vitamin is iron though, and it tends to give me stomach issues. I am able to regularly eat 1200 calories per day, and my blood tests have come out normal, so I am on kind of "wait and see" pattern for that one. 3. Caffeine and soda- The food police will not appreciate my moment of honesty here. I do drink caffeine but it doesn't bother me at all. I drink the grape flavor of crystal light, and the small amount of caffeine helps me get going in the morning. Yes yes, I know that not all doctors approve of it, but I need a boost. And for soda, even before surgery, I had a calorie-free soda at night as a "bedtime snack". It was always my reward for drinking at least 100 ounces of water (I miss being able to chug water, lol). Well, I now have a small glass of sprite zero at night, as long as I hit my water goals beforehand. 4. Portion sizes - I feel like I can eat decent size portions, similar to a kid-sized meal. I see people post that they can only eat 2 or 3 bites of food, and that just is not me. For example, we eat breakfast tacos (with low carb tortillas) often. I can eat just over half of a breakfast taco. If we are eating crispy beef (or turkey) tacos, I can eat one whole one. I can also eat a small chicken breast, turkey patty, fish, etc. Honestly, I eat just about everything, although I make it a habit to make healthy choices most of the time (I am totally eating half of a strawberry shortcake cupcake as I write this, but don't tell anyone, lol). I still don't like rice (nothing new), and definitely can't eat fried foods anymore. I had issues with that after I had my gallbladder removed (5 months before surgery), and it is even worse now. 5. Daily caloric intake - I am eating roughly 1200 calories per day and I am losing weight really quickly. I have lost 45 pounds since the day of my surgery, which is a good amount considering I started with a lower BMI (38). Today I weighed in at 184 and my personal goal is 170. My doctors think I will easily surpass that, but I would be content at just hitting that weight. I worry about that though, because my doctors want me to lose more. At a height of 5'6, they prefer that I weigh 140-150. If and when I get to 160, I will increase my calories to maintenance , and hopefully stay between 160-170. 6. Excess skin- I am doing ok with this right now, although my arms look like wings at this point. Saying that, they have looked this way for years from previous weight loss and weight gaining patterns, so I don't contribute it to my VSG. I may consider having surgery in the future, but not until we are done having kids and I build my muscle back up. As for the rest of my body, I am doing well, no issues to report. I hope that it remains that way, but time will tell. I think at this point though, even losing 20 more pounds will not make enough of a difference to justify plastics (outside of my arms).

@shondelrobert Your band was merely "installed" last month. What they don't tell us in the consultation is that it could take months to get to the restriction level (sweet spot) where your hunger diminishes and your not able to consume the same volume of food at one sitting. I'm 7 months in and countless fills later and I "think" I've finally made it. It's been a long road. Some only take 1 fill, some 4, some 10...Restriction with lap band you have to sneak up on it, it isn't immediately out of surgery. If I were you, I'd stick to chickens and meats and vegetables for now. Stay away from sliders and junk foods that you can eat a lot of because they're filled with the most calories and will cause weight gain. Right now any weight loss will be from your very own will power and discipline.

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?

I would be hesitant to use the implants. They tend to be associated with weight gain, more than the pill. My surgery center didn't say I would have to use additional BC, but I don't have sex, so maybe they didn't discuss it? I know a lot of people have used Mirena (IUD) after surgery and done well with it. I also used to take BCP continuous cycling because I was sooooo miserable when I had my period. I hadn't had a period in over a decade going into surgery. They told me to stop the pill to reduce the risk of clots. I stopped 6 weeks before surgery. I am now 5 months out from surgery and I STILL haven't had a period despite being off birth control entirely. (and thank you @pintsizedmallrat. I identify as gender fluid and that is one of the reasons I worked so hard not to get periods.)

I have had some hairloss, make sure to get your recommended protein!!! That is important! Get it all!! From what I've read on the board, some experience it worse than others, but it is not really preventable. Some have tried hair supplements, but it didn't prevent it. Don't worry it will grow back! That is what I have read on other threads here. If you don't get your protein in it will be worse! I haven't heard of strech marks with weight loss, weight gain is another story though. I'll search the posts here to see if I can come up with anything. Best of luck!! Use this site's search engine to reseach any questions you might have, it will help you! I have found out, that ANYTHING you experience at least one person has experienced it as well and you can read their posts for support!

I have read A LOT of research studies on the theory that diet soda causes weight gain, and the evidence is far from convincing. Dr. Matthew Weiner (a bariatric surgeon with a huge YouTube presence) says he doesn't mind if people drink fizzy water, but doesn't want his patients drinking diet or regular soda. The belief that it stretches the stomach isn't really true from what he says, and from other evidence, but also it just doesn't make sense. But he says, many people just find it uncomfortable. Like @PolkSDA said, it can be hard to find non-carbonated unsweetened drinks on the go other than water. I travel a lot for work, and I had given up soda 6 months ago as I prepared for surgery, and when I started to travel more again, I gave up and started drinking diet soda again. I've stopped now that I'm on my pre-op diet. One thing I did at first was carry packets of sugar free drink mix (like crystal light, but I don't like that brand) and a water bottle and just refill it and add a packet of drink mix. That worked when I didn't want plain water. I met a woman on a trip who drank Coke Zero from day one and drank it with her meals. She said she had gained some weight back, but she felt it was from too much alcohol.

I absolutely wish I had done this surgery when I was younger. For me the weight gain was medication induced and I was not overweight at 23 but at 28 or 30…I wish I had done it then. You can get the weight off BEFORE it has a chance to take a huge Toll on your joints and wreak havoc on the rest of your body. And Huge bonus is your skin is more likely to bounce back on its own. If you are truly ready to make the commitments to change at this point In your life I say go for it.

My 15 year old neighbor had sleeve surgery after years of therapy, "fat camps" and depression. Three months after surgery and a pretty significant weight loss, I actually saw her smile for the first time! She began walking, working out and would actually engage in lengthy conversations. Fast forward 5 years...…she's in college, enjoys hiking, is in a serious relationships and looks wonderful. Her parents had to go through a lot of family counseling and do a lot of research to find a surgeon who performed bariatric procedures on children. But they knew it was in the best interest of their child to set her up for a healthy adult life. So in answer to your question, you should have the surgery when you are mentally ready to commit to a healthy future. Sleeve surgery only works in the long term if you make the necessary life style changes in that first year after surgery. If not, the weight gain will put you right back where you are now. So I would suggest that age isn't as important as attitude. Good luck with whatever decision you make!

I had surgery two and a half years ago. I, too, had an extremely traumatic childhood, part of which involved being frequently left home alone without food. That obviously led to a host of eating/food issues and a considerable weight gain in adulthood. I've lived with a fear of starvation since childhood, so was also concerned about whether I could go through the various eating stages for the surgery. What really bolstered my confidence was when I was able to severely restrict my food intake a few weeks *before* the surgery, paring down my calories to about 800/day, which is what I would live on for the year after surgery. After the initial fear wore off, it actually became easy. I was really shocked at how easy it was. Plus, I was lucky to have weekly therapy to discuss my progress and concerns. The surgery resulted in my losing my lifelong fear of starvation. My brain now knows that there is always food available to eat, that I won't be threatened with hunger, etc. It has been really uplifting. I hope this happens for you, too, whatever your childhood issues were.

I was downing carbonated drinks very early on, I had no specific prohibition. Probably week four? I drink several cans of diet sodas a day, it’s how I get my water intake needs met. never had an issue with bubbles or cravings or weight gain or blood sugar levels etc. ymmv and your doctor may not approve…

There is a lot of conflicting stories & advice out there about whether you can drink carbonated drinks after WLS, but apparently there’s little scientific evidence to support either the yes or no position. The only evidence is that drinking carbonated drinks increases weight gain. There’s also information coming out that artificial sweeteners are just as bad if you go down that route. (Basically they trick the body into thinking it’s getting sugar but isn’t so it stores more fat to compensate for the perceived reduction of glucose - which the body does need.) Plus artificial sweeteners continue to feed your craving for sugar. As with many things after surgery, some can & some can’t. It’s really your choice if you can & it works for you. Personally, I gave up carbonated drinks years ago because they aggravated my reflux & gave me horrendous hiccups. I only had bubbles in a gin & tonic & champagne but too many of them & urrgh! So no change for me (though I drink less alcohol & drink it less frequently now).

Oh Megan, you're not alone! My experience is EXACTLY the same. I gave up even trying to eat breakfast a long time ago, and lunch is very small and either Soup or crackers. But evenings, I could eat a massive amount of food! I was living like this for a long time, and not losing weight because I was eating too much at night (and/or eating junk). So, I just got another fill. Now I feel like my restriction level is great--I still don't eat breakfast (just slowly sip tea with some soy milk), and lunch is tiny. But my evening eating is now nicely restricted, so I feel quite full after just a small amount of food. I feel like the level is perfect, but guess what? Now I have major heartburn and am waking up every night with acid reflux (sometimes I even vomit). So, obviously that's no good. I'll probably end up having to get the fill removed if this doesn't get better. And then I'll be right back to where I was, with not much restriction at all in the evenings. Anyway, just so you know, you're not the only one in that boat. And I struggle with making poor choices, and being hungry, and cravings, etc. If I didn't have issues with food, I wouldn't have needed the band in the first place! I've only lost 40 lbs in 10 months. I'm ok with that, though. The way I see it, this is a learning process. I am tweaking my restriction till I find what works best for me overall, and then learning to work with life at that level of restriction. Don't be too hard on yourself! In my opinion, that kind of thinking can actually lead to behaviour that causes weight gain. As long as you've lost weight, that's good. Just keep heading in that direction--it's a heck of a lot better than gaining!

I'm only three months post-op, so I can't speak to the long-term life of a gastric bypass patient, but based on what I've seen of my experiences and what others have said on here, most people live a fairly "normal" life after gastric bypass. As The Greater Fool said, not everybody gets dumping syndrome, and a lot of the people who do see it as a benefit of surgery because it deters them from eating certain foods. I don't even know if I get dumping syndrome because I haven't tried eating anything that would cause it (I was told to stay under 15 grams of sugar and 15 grams of fat in any meal to avoid dumping). If you are someone who gets dumping syndrome, it's not something that happens every day; you can control it by not eating the foods that cause it -- which are often the same types of foods that cause weight gain. Hunger varies a lot from one person to the next. "Head hunger" is a thing for any type of WLS, and you may already know about that from your lapband. Most gastric bypass patients maintain some amount of restriction for life, and most say that if they eat the foods they're supposed to eat (focusing on lean protein and veggies) and follow the rules about not drinking with or right after meals, they get full with a much smaller amount than they used to. There are certain foods that people call "slider foods" because they go down easily in larger quantities, and you have to be careful with those because they can cause weight gain. I don't think "accidents" are all that common. "Accidents" are associated with dumping syndrome, so if you eat the wrong things (foods with too much sugar and/or fat), it can happen, but again, for most people, it's not something that happens all the time. The opposite problem is actually much more common. Drinking can be an issue. Alcohol has a stronger effect on gastric bypass patients, so we can't drink much, and drinking at all is generally not recommended (especially in the first year). After the first year, you probably could have a glass of wine, but you'd need to be really careful not to drink too much. I just had family visit and they don't know about my gastric bypass surgery. I was able to serve "normal" meals all week and eat small amounts, and my family didn't seem to suspect a thing (maybe they did and just didn't say anything, I don't know -- but they raved about the food I served). Omelets and low-fat chicken sausage for breakfast. Grilled chicken salad for lunch. BBQ chicken and ribs (with sugar-free BBQ sauce on mine) for dinner. There are some things a gastric bypass patient probably won't be able to eat, like fried foods or bread, but there's lots of "normal" food that we can eat. All that being said, your weight is relatively low. I don't know your BMI since you didn't enter your height, but my highest weight was 341 pounds and my weight the day of surgery was 270, so I had a lot more weight to lose than you. On the other hand, GERD seems to be a big factor for you that wasn't an issue for me. Only you can decide if it's worth the risks for you based on your own situation. Even at my high weight, it was a hard decision for me that took a long time to make. Maybe you could have the band removed and see how you do on your own before you make that decision?

Thank you for sharing. I am not a physician but consider myself literate and pretty well educated, but I too had trouble following much of what he was trying to say (and I have read up on the study/studies? he seems to be relying on). For instance "gaining the weight". Does he mean gaining weight? Gaining some weight? Gaining more weight? I could go on... Another big piece that is missing is how the medical community in general treats obese patients. There is a recent thread on BariatricPal that has some real horror stories. Unfortunately, they seem to be more common than not. I agree that General Practitioners and other MDs need a great deal of education about obesity, weight loss surgery, and post-surgery care, however far after surgery. You are spot on when you note that too many post-op patients are thrown to the wolves post-op when it comes to mental health issues. I will definitely have to think about this to see what additional response I could provide.

@PolahBeou Sorry that you are having issues. At 5'5" and 114Lbs. Your BMI is 19.0 Low end of normal. One more pound will be underweight. You said "So far, every doctor I've visited has recommended more exercise and protein. " Wow, exercise contradicts weight gain. Who are these Dr's? Seek new Dr.s and pressure them. Advocate for yourself until you get the help you need. Suggestions (not medical professional advice) Sop exercising. You are burning calories that your body needs. If your surgery restriction is tight, Eat small meals all day to stop weight loss and gain weight. The only way you gain weight is eating extra calories. (High carb and fat) Try a medical grade weight gaining shake and a Liquid/powdered carbohydrates. look on Amazon or GNC

Today is my 4 month surgiversary. I can't believe how time flies. I am down 47 pounds as of today and need to lose another 28 pounds to get to my goal. I am very happy with my sleeve, it is a great tool to weight loss. The only thing I wish is that I was more of a fast loser. This last month, I have only lost 6 pounds. I would be happier with 10 pounds a month loss. But I will take any loss over the weight gain I used to experience. I am very thankful to God for this opportunity to make my health, life and happiness sooooo much better. I feel sooooo good. Thank You everyone for all of the sharing in this forum it has truly made my journey much easier.

There are a lot of variables to consider. IMO, BMI is flawed....the formula is based on an average body composition. It does not take in consideration frame size, bone mass, muscle mass, large breasted vs small breasted (boobs are heavy!), body shape (ectomorph, mesomorph & endomorph). If you were overweight in your youth and/or the majority of your life, your bones had to accommodate more weight so therefore are most likely larger and heavier than someone who has been slim most of their lives. Thirty years ago, the general rule for women was a baseline of 100 pounds for a 5 foot woman and 5 pounds for each additional inch. That is an average, but for me at 5'5", I am chubby at 125, where as; my daughter at 2 inches shorter, looks amazing at 135. Before the weight gain in 2012, my natural shape was hourglass (metomorph) with broad shoulders, heavy chested, small waist and slim legs on a small/medium frame. My daughter is rectangular (ectomorph) with broad shoulders, heavy chested, thick waisted, narrow hipped and thicker legs on a medium/large frame. My best weight is 112 to 117 but my daughter, even though she is 2 inches shorter, looks best at 132 to 138. Weight is a personal matter. You have to find where you are comfortable and a weight that can be easily maintained. Listen to your body and listen to your doctor but don't let others get into your head.

You are awesome. The weight gain could be a combination of muscle gain and inflammation from using all those muscles that you have not been using for so long. Did you get yourself any kind of walking stick/hiking pole/cane? Not only will it help with balance but it will transfer the impact and strain of walking to your upper body muscles so your lower body muscles (and joints) will not get so fatigued. I noticed that even Walmart is selling the hiking poles now. They are right next to the tents in the sporting goods section. I am a firm believer in them. I don't hike without them. Keep up the great work. You are definitely my inspiration. I don't tell my wife much about what I read here on this forum but I have kept her up to date on this thread. It's a great story.

I was banded on Thursday. The whole time I was in the hospital, I felt great! Just sore from the band area and incision site. When I got home? Not so much. I've been having a tough time with pain, also a hard time getting liquids in. Forced down 2 Protein shakes over the course of the day yesterday in very tiny sips. Took 2 hours to drink one. I am having chest pain when I swallow, and I think it's just because it's so tight in there from the swelling. As for the 10 lb weight gain, I weighed myself when I got home too and it said I weighed 6 lbs more. I weighed again this morning, and it's back to what I weighed the morning of my surgery. I think it's Water weight from the IV... they really keep you "juiced up" in the hospital so you don't dehydrate. Give it a couple days and weigh again. You KNOW you didn't gain weight during that time... just let the swelling go down and you'll be fine! Good luck!

I didn't feel so hot after either. And the weight gain is because of the IV. It took about a week and the scale really started to move down. If you are worried check with you doc. It might help you rest easier.

Yeah, I have to do all the standard things like 6 months of supervised weight loss visits, nutritionists, psych, etc... I just thought the weight clause was particularly cruel. I'll be taking @summerseeker advice and putting heavy things in my pockets. LOL I can't even tell what stage my cycle is in to make sure I go in with the period bloat (hysterectomy) so that's super annoying. @SleeveToBypass2023 I don't get an option about which insurance plan we have, this is through my partner's workplace. It costs too much to go with someone else. But I'm glad you didn't have to fight as hard to get your surgeries, BCBS was good when we had them! @New To This23 That sounds like a nightmare! I am so sorry you are going through that! I am worried about this scenario because my body is given to weird spurts of weight gain that have nothing to do with what I'm eating or how I'm exercising. I did 18 months with a nutritionist and lost 10 lbs, which was really due to the Ozempic I started. LOL I've never been able to lose more than 15-20 lbs, my body is just wicked stubborn. I will keep my fingers and toes crossed that you make that weigh in with room to spare!! Keep us posted!

I had surgery nov 13 th, had my first dr visit, down 11 lbs ( even after a 7 lb weight gain in the hospital from the iv) and diabetes gone!! Sugar completely normal already no more diabetes meds or cholesterol meds!!! This was the main reason i went through with this, my health. I backed out once but had the courage to finally do it, and it takes great courage. It was traumatic, although not too much physical pain and it gets a little easier every day. I am on a puréed diet now, trying to get as much fluid and protein as I can. My Dr said it gets easier and the first month is the hardest. All the best.