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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.

Hi. New to this community. I’m just about 6 months out. Lost 55lbs. I’m only 4ft 10 inches, so real hard to loose. I’ve been at a stall this month, but no weight gain. Having gallbladder surgery tomorrow. Kind of bummed. Glad to have found this site.

I have had 22 surgeries to date, thus LOTS of incisions. And lots and lots (thousands) of stitches.... One thing I have noticed is that not all wounds heal the same. I have had 3 surgeries through my belly button, and NOT the sleeve (too much scar tissue). I have had holes develop, and I think the reason is the scarring pushing up from underneath makes it look like the "hole" is getting larger, when in fact it is actually healing from underneath. Scar tissue is thicker, denser material than the tissue that was originally there, so misshapen formation is not uncommon, and eventually the scar will smooth out with a little ridging over the area where the scalpel was used. The skin on the body is not necessarily the same in one area that is is in another area. Skin that has been stretched from weight gain will not be of the same thickness necessarily as skin in an area the hasn't been stretched so much. So it seems reasonable that scarring will heal differently and may even look different on different parts of body. One thing to look for as a danger sign would be draining. Redness is common, to a degree, because the skin is angry it has been disrupted and it is in pain. Now it has to heal, and it wasn't planning on that! Just keep an eye on it, it will be painful for awhile, it is a deep scar. Always contact your Dr.s, even if they say the same thing over and over again, if you have concerns - it's what you've paid them for! Good luck to you, And keep us informed!

I first looked into weight loss surgery about 15 years ago. Things were different back then; the sleeve was not a common procedure (and not covered by some insurance companies), and the place where I attended an information session was mainly doing gastric bypass as an open procedure. They would only do laparoscopic surgery on patients with lower BMIs, and I wouldn't have qualified. I didn't go through with it because my family talked me out of it. The risks of complications were higher then. I have been lucky enough to have good health for most of my life. I'm in my late 30s and until the past year, I never went to the doctor or took any prescriptions during my adult lifetime. For all those years, I thought it would be crazy to take the risk of having weight loss surgery when I was perfectly healthy. I was afraid I would lose my good health to complications of weight loss surgery. I looked into it every so often, and when I remembered all the restrictions, I couldn't stand the thought of giving up my diet sodas and pizza and ice cream, letting my pouch rule my life, getting sick if I eat the wrong things, and having to take pills every day for the rest of my life. But aging takes a toll and my good health was starting to slip away. I found out from my work physical that I had high blood pressure, and they urged me to see a doctor. When I went to a doctor, I was diagnosed with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. It's gotten increasingly difficult for me to get around, which became a vicious cycle as I became more sedentary and gained even more weight, and the weight gain continued to decrease my mobility. I had a BMI over 60 at my highest weight. I came to the realization that I had a choice: I could keep going the way I was, keep gaining weight and losing mobility, see my health continue to decline, and probably die of a heart attack or stroke before I turned 50. Or I could have weight loss surgery, because I sure as hell wasn't going to be able to lose that kind of weight on my own. All that stuff I couldn't bear to give up for a chance at losing weight started to look a lot smaller compared to the life I was already giving up more and more every day at that weight, not just health-wise, but in my social life and my career as well. I went into it thinking that I wanted the gastric sleeve. It seemed less extreme, less risky than gastric bypass, My surgeon recommended gastric bypass because my BMI was so high. He said that for lower BMI patients, there's not a big difference in outcomes between sleeve and bypass, but for high BMI patients, the difference can be significant. Both are very safe procedures with low complication rates nowadays. So I ended up getting gastric bypass. I've since read a lot more information that has confirmed in my mind that gastric bypass was the right choice for me. I've seen a lot of people get their sleeves revised to bypass because of GERD and/or unsuccessful weight loss, and I don't want to have to get a revision. I had my surgery on July 16, and it went well. I was discharged from the hospital the next afternoon, and I had surprisingly little pain. I didn't need any pain medication, even Tylenol. The first few days were miserable (mainly due to gas pain from the gas pumped into my abdomen during the surgery), but I healed quickly and went back to work in a week and a half. I've stuck to the post-op progression plan very closely, and not gonna lie, the liquid phase is hell, but it went by quickly and it was much easier once I got to purees and soft foods. I haven't had any issues with anything I've eaten so far other than a feeling of food getting stuck sometimes (which isn't pleasant, but it works its way through after a few minutes). I lost 70 pounds before surgery and 40 pounds so far after surgery, for a total of 110 pounds. And now my BMI is about the same as yours, which is kind of depressing. But I have had great improvements in my health, like my blood pressure in the normal range and my latest A1C was 5.2 (down from 8.1 in February). My mobility is improving. I started out wearing size 26-28 and now I'm wearing 20-22. I still have a long way to go, but I'm getting there. I'm not far enough out yet to know how this is going to work out for me in the long run. Obviously, I'm pleased with my results so far, but from what I've read here, the first year is easy. Here are some of the cons that are not so obvious: I haven't told anybody other than medical professionals about my surgery because people can be very judgmental about it. How many people you tell is a very personal choice that can be difficult. It is really stressful to keep this secret and try to hide this surgery that affects my life so very much! (But also stressful to endure judgment from people who are clueless about WLS.) The fear of regain keeps me up at night. I'm doing well now, but I've seen soooo many people lose a ton of weight and gain most or all of it back. I've yo-yo dieted all my life and I would be absolutely devastated if I went through all of this only to gain the weight back. Food is everywhere. I feel like I'm constantly being bombarded with ads for food and restaurants, seeing decadent recipes on social media, and watching other people eat foods I love but can no longer eat. It's rough going to the grocery store and seeing a great sale on something I love only to remember I can't have it. Maybe you get used to it after a while, but right now, I have these sad moments every day where I miss the food I used to eat. Even if you reach your goal weight, you're still not going to have a great body... unless you go through the pain and expense of plastic surgery. It will still be a heck of a lot better than where you started, but not the same as someone the same height and weight who was never obese. I think it's important to go into this with your eyes wide open, understand what the tradeoffs are, and accept the things you will have to give up or deal with for this shot at changing your life. Most people say it's worth it.

That first drop is so exciting but there is the leveling off and even sometimes a gain prior to getting fill right and adopting to new lifestyle. I lost 10 pre-op, 10 immediately post-op, then another 4-5 which I then regained. Just got that off again following my first fill. I recognize there will be ups and downs, water weight gain and loss, etc., but I know I'm on my way to good health no matter what. You are, too!

I made some poor eating choices 2 weeks ago (about 5 weeks after surgery) and experienced some weight gain. When I went for my fill the doctor was very firm about sticking to the proper food to eat & way to eat them. Also about exercise. It was hard to hear because I was already hard on myself. The fill has really helped & I have had an excellent week of eating well & exercising every day! I did have my first "frothing" episode a few days ago eating cantalope of all things. I think I ate too fast & didn't chew enough. I won't being doing that again!

I thought high levels caused weight gain. But I was thinking cortisol was a stress hormone? I must be thinking of something else because you would want a stress hormone to be low. Good luck on your journey, I bet someone will know the answer and help you out

Reminder: the Importance of Diabetes If you don’t have diabetes, someone in your family might if obesity runs in your family. You may remember a parent, aunt or uncle, or grandparent who had diabetes and suffered from complications. 29 million Americans, or 9.3 percent of the population, have diabetes, or high blood sugar, and most cases are linked to obesity. Type 2 diabetes is the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S., but it gets worse. It’s a risk factor for heart disease and high blood pressure, stroke, and high cholesterol. Uncontrolled blood sugar can lead to kidney failure, blindness, infections, and amputations. In total, the U.S. spends about $245 billion per year on diabetes. Medications for Diabetes Diabetes medications can help keep your blood sugar in check in various ways. The following are some common types of diabetes medications. Increase insulin sensitivity. Reduce the amount of sugar your liver releases to the bloodstream. Increase insulin production. Prevent the kidney from reabsorbing sugars. Slow down metabolism of sugars and starches. Diabetes medications help, but each type has drawbacks. They can cause weight gain, increase your risk of infections, harm your heart, and lead to nausea and vomiting. Unless you’re on a good health plan, these medications can also be expensive. The Effects of Weight Loss Surgery on Diabetes When considering weight loss surgery, you probably think about the number on the scale, how nice it will be to shop at regular clothes stores, having more energy, and improving your heart health. It turns out that weight loss surgery has a big effect on diabetes, too. People who get weight loss surgery often see their blood sugar levels drop and are able to decrease their medication doses or get off of medications entirely. You’d expect to have improvements in diabetes if you lose a lot of weight after weight loss surgery. After all, your diabetes was probably caused by obesity. Whether or not you get surgery, you’re likely to have better control over your blood sugar levels if you lose a lot of weight. However, it turns out that weight loss surgery has a bigger impact on diabetes than what you’d expect just from losing weight alone. In some studies, patients have had their blood sugars lowered as soon as a few days after surgery! In just a few days, you can’t lose enough weight to explain the drop is blood sugar. There must be another explanation. As it turns out, researchers do have a lot of theories about what causes the health improvements so quickly. It may have something to do with the way your body processes carbohydrates. There could be increases in insulin sensitivity. Multiple hormones are probably involved. Researchers don’t know all of the reasons for sure, but these results are pretty consistent. The gastric bypass is most likely best at resolving diabetes quickly, following be the vertical sleeve gastrectomy. The lap-band isn’t as effective, but lap-band patients do tend to see at least some improvements. Each type of weight loss surgery has its own advantages and disadvantages, so be sure to ask your surgeon for advice. The Weight Loss Surgery Diet and Diabetes Surgery is only part of the solution to controlling diabetes or preventing pre-diabetes from developing into diabetes. If you want maximum benefits and lasting effects, you also need to take a look at your nutrition. For weeks, months, and years after weight loss surgery, your diet will largely determine your weight loss and blood sugar levels. Fortunately, the weight loss surgery diet is also a diet that can lower your blood sugar levels. First, stick to your low-calorie diet. If you’re not counting calories, serve yourself only the portions and types of foods that your surgeon allows. The low-calorie diet lets you lose weight and as you do, you’ll find that your blood sugar is in a healthier range. Next, there’s the protein content. You already know that you need to focus on protein on your weight loss surgery diet. It keeps you full to help you lose weight, and prevents symptoms of protein deficiency. Another benefit is that it doesn’t spike your blood sugar and insulin levels like carbohydrates do. When you eat fewer carbs and more protein, your blood sugar levels will be more stable. There are a few other ways you can plan your weight loss surgery diet to also be healthy for your blood sugar. Better yet, these tips will also make your diet higher in nutrients. Instead of refined grains, select whole grains, such as oatmeal and whole wheat bread and pasta, whenever possible. Eat plenty of vegetables, since they’re filling, low-calorie, and unlikely to spike your blood sugar. Choose unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, instead of saturated fats, such as butter, to promote heart health and better control your blood sugar. Eat high-fiber foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, beans, and fruit, to feel less hungry and to prevent blood sugar spikes. Type 2 diabetes can be an inconvenient disease to manage, and it can cause all kinds of devastating complications. If you have diabetes or prediabetes and are thinking about weight loss surgery, it’s important to know the facts. Weight loss surgery can help resolve your diabetes and get you off medication, but it’s not likely to be too effective without a good diet, too. Just like with weight loss, weight loss surgery is a tool for diabetes management, and you need to follow a healthy nutrition plan to get the maximum results.

You're not a failure. I've never been able to stick to a "diet" unless I was on prescription diet pills. I had already had a six month medically supervised diet 2 years ago and so I didn't have to do that now but I've had a hard time with my food intake too and my NUT appt. is next Tues and I don't want to show any large weight gain. If I'm up a pound or 2 no big deal. So this week I started tyring to just eat clean - chicken breast, veggies. I weighed myself and I'm 5 pds. heavier than my initial appt. with the surgeon. I think I can drop the weight before next Tues. I don't think the insurance will deny you because you are going up & down 1-5 pounds a month - it just shows you need the surgery.

Are you on any type of steroids? Perhaps research your meds carefully and see if any cause weight gain ❤

I have a GB consult tomorrow, with a possible surgery date for August 3rd. I only had 1 terrible attack, a couple of months ago. I have been looking online for info about weight gain/loss and how the liver is affected. I don't know why I'm on the fence about this surgery, but I know the pain from an attack is unbearable. For those of you who have had it removed, would you recommend it and are you having any issues?

This is so very true. I pat myself on the back for deciding to get banded rather than live the rest of my life either in constant diet (i.e. hunger and deprivation) mode or (worse) constant eating/searching for more food mode. When I check in on some of the blogs I used to read "for inspiration"--blogs authored by overweight/obese writers who document their "journey" to lose weight by traditional (non-surgical) methods, I shake my head at what an exercise in frustration that life used to be for me. Those bloggers continue to roll that stone up the hill--they weigh more today than what they weighed this time last year--and believe that one day, they will beat this thing with their diet and self-discipline alone. I believed that for myself, too, for 30+ years. Then I finally admitted to defeat and researched WLS, deciding on a lapband. This year, I'm not scared of the holiday season nor am I associating this time of year with a freefall into food and resultant weight gain. I weigh almost 50 pounds less today than I did at last year's Thanksgiving. But more importantly, I am not salivating at the idea of how much I will eat at the Thanksgiving meal, nor frustrated at the idea that I'm going to have to count "points" or starve myself all day so I can eat a bunch of stuffing and pie. And I know I can wake up the next day not hating myself because I didn't stick to my plan. I am so very grateful to my band, and that I took the courageous step to have this surgery.

First the average weight loss statistic for sleeve or bypass is about 65% of the weight you have to lose to put you in a healthier range. Of course some lose more & some lose less. Now the why. The surgery will reset your body’s set point. This is the weight your body is happiest at & is easiest to maintain. Your set point could end up higher or lower than you’d prefer. Life. It can throw crap at you & make it more difficult to lose or maintain your weight (stress, emotions). Health conditions & medications. Some meds are notorious for increasing your appetite & causing weight gain & some health conditions limit your ability to lose all the weight you want e.g, restrict mobility. Personal choice. Some feel happier at a higher weight. Or they make food choices that better complement their life & how they want to live their life. Your body reaches a lower weight but resettles a bit heavier. A bounce back regain of 10+/- lbs can occur. And so on. I understand your fear of regaining. I mean we all have a lifetime of experiencing weight loss & the inevitable regain. This is the first time in my life (was almost 54 when I had my surgery) I have ever maintained my weight after losing for longer than a couple of months. The difference is I did not go back to eating in the sane way as I always did. I worked out a way of eating that I’m comfortable with, doesn’t make me feel like I’m missing out or making sacrifices, allows me to live my life as I want, is sustainable (very important) & works for me & my body. I changed my relationship with food. My choices may not work for you or others & some may think it too restrictive. I din consider it a die but just how I eat. I avoid as much sugar, sugar alternatives & artificial sweeteners as I can so no sodas & sweets only a couple of times a year (e.g. Christmas). If I want/need sweet I eat fruit. I prep & cook most of what I eat - mostly lots of whole foods & low processed ingredients. I rarely have takeaway & haven’t had fast food since before my surgery. I keep my carbs lowish & choose whole & multi grains more complex carbs. No bread or similar products pasta or rice (choice & also sit heavily in my tummy). I also chose not to exercise. I didn’t want to have to spend hours in a gym or run or cycle miles every week to maintain my weight. I’m happy with the stretches, resistance band exercises & sit ups I do. (Takes a total of about 25 minutes over a couple of sessions a day & wouldn’t burn 30 calories - LOL!). It works for me & my body seems happy at this weight (set point). I’ve basically maintained my weight since my surgery. Chat with your surgeon about a realistic goal weight after surgery & what you might experience & your dietician about how your future of eating might look. Research & avoid trendy diets - if they worked & were sustainable no one would have weight issues. You may find this video informative. You may find this video informative. Dr John Pilcher has many great videos on a variety of topics. Dr Matt Weiner is very good too.

My situation is/was a lot like Coltonwade above. I married my husband when I was a size 8. I gained 100+ pounds too. My husband NEVER criticized me or berated me or confronted me about my weight gain. It was never mentioned and he said he loved me all the time. We just started having sex less and less often until it was almost non existant. That was NOT my choice. So I knew it bothered him. I didn't know just how much until I listened to him cry his eyes out one evening about hating to see me so unhealthy and how it broke his heart that he was going to have to wheel me around in a wheelchair one day and that I would die young. I was stunned. I went to a lap band seminar the next week and had an appointment for a consult soon after. It took 11 months to get approval but I didn't give up. My DH didn't even know what a lap band was, so he didn't suggest it, but once I told him about it, he was on board from the get go. He is my biggest supporter. And just like Coltonwade's DH, he said the same thing...."I got my wife back!" He's been so happy about it. It actually strengthened our marriage. It needed a shot in the arm. We are closer than ever. Although I know for some it doesn't work out that way. He is a little more concerned about men taking an interest in me, and seems a little more insecure, but as a result, he's a lot more attentive. I respond to the attentiveness with a healthy lust, so it has worked out great. Maybe he's just scared about the surgery itself. Men are so funny about things like that. You would be surprised if you could hear their true feelings.

I am about to schedule surgery, and admit I have had these fears. I worry not about not having much of a stomach--just the risks of cutting a major organ which absorbs nutrients out of the body. Do the nutrients get absorbed in the small intestine? And, are you still hungry all the time? When you go out or eat with friends, do you just really stick out or can you get part way through an appetizer at least or some soup? How about drinking--I don't drink much at all, but enjoy a glass of wine a few evenings a week and the occasional beer in the summer. One thing which is true--if I had known in my 20s how irreversible the extreme weight gain would ultimately be, I might have prevented it. But, I didn't. Coulda, woulda, shoulda isn't going to get me golden years with my dear husband and a chance to be Gammie to yet unborn grandchildren. Whatever the downsides are, I accept them, but just want to be realistic and very, very careful about what procedure and which surgeon. Thanks everyone. Don't know what I would do without this group.

I had my first fill on 11/17 and I have no restriction. 1.5cc I have lost 30 pounds since surgery 9/8. Since my fill I have not lost any weight. Gain 2 pounds lose 2 pounds kind of thing. I am scheduled for another fill 12/30, I hope and pray that will give me a jumpstart to weightloss. My doctor will only give you a fill if it has been 4-6weeks since your last fill anyway. I am hoping I can lose 10 pounds by Jan 8 which will be 40 pounds in 4 months.

hey guys and girls just a heads up. I got a gastric bypass recently that i did not need to have. thats right you read that right i did NOT need the surgery. I have an underactive thyroid gland which can cause pcos , irregular menstrual cycles , ALOT OF WEIGHT GAIN ,very bad mood swings , feeling of depression that never goes away and many more other things. My doctors never thought about checking my Thyroid gland with the TSH , free T3 & free T4 test to rule it out before giving me the surgery or even thinking about the surgery. I did ask my doctors every chance i got if there is an alternative treatments and they just said flat out no. and now a few months later i find out from my GP that i have a underactive thyroid gland and i didn't have to have the surgery. Underactive Thyroid gland means that your thyroid is not producing the hormones needed in your body and the rest of your hormones you have are all messed up. PLEASE GUYS AND GIRLS BEFORE EVEN THINKING ABOUT SURGERY DEMAND TO YOUR DOCTORS TO GET THE TSH , FREE T3 AND THE FREE T4 TESTS DONE! you may not need a gastric bypass!

also I do empathise..I suffer with Plantar Faciitis..last year I had to have injections in my feet as they were so painful..people who hasnt experienced this..you cant even take one step..it IS excruciating! Then what happens...you become less mobile to zero.that equals weight gain!