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Yes to weight gain during and cravings. The really bad period I had last month I lost 10 lbs after it ended! And I had only gained 2 in water weight during! How weird is that?! Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Fortunately, my husband is supportive of the changes I've made in my diet which are reflected in the foods that stock my kitchen. Junk food is replaced with healthy protein - based snacks and shakes. If we do splurge it's usually when eating out where we can split something and no leftovers are brought home. I haven't been hungry for the " trigger" foods but why take the chance? I get plenty of chances to exercise discipline at work where the cookies and doughnuts show up this time of year???? I don't think of this lifestyle as a diet anymore, since diets have a beginning and an end , usually accompanied by weight gain. I'm trying for sustained change in food preferences and in making exercise a part of my daily life.

I couldn't resist replying to this topic. I am so fortunate to have a husband that loved me for who I am inside and has always been attracted, even at my biggest. he never saw how big I really was, but now really enjoys the benefits of a skinny partner. I realize that I gained my weight because I wasn't getting my needs met with food and some of my dances with my dysfunctional biological family and other issues I learned growing up (feelings about myself and who I was) really sabotaged me eating. i had developed an addiction to food, where that was what I was living for. Now that I feel so much better about myself and have eliminated the negative forces in my life, I realize that I really love my life now. Recently having lost both my in-laws, and watching the dumb a** behaviors of my BIL & SIL, I realize that I am so so happy that I am not like them. I also realized that I don't have to allow negative people in my life. Yep, that is freeing. As soon as we get done with my in-laws estate, we will not have anything to do with them. It's sad adding additional losses to our lives but worth it. So, so off track. From my experiences and scope of practice, now that people have chosen this avenue to enrich his/her lives, we are getting our health back and skinniness which adds a new level of confidence which is scarey for both us and our spouses. It would be well worth while to take advantage of this time and redefine our relationships with each other. this is a time to embrace our partners and include them in our dance. I highly advise see a therapist or counselor to get help with finding what our emotional triggers are to eating food. Not being able to endulge in food to self sooth leaves an empty void in us. If we don't find a different coping skill to deal with the void, we will end up back where we started with weight gain, or worse, a leak, that can lead to more series complications. This is our journey and I hope we can all make the best of it. I am so in love with my life today. I have so much richness in all areas and as I said above, I am eliminating all negative people in my life. I love me! I also love you all. Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Thank you SO much!!! :mad: My anxiety is through the roof right now. Not only am I worried about my insurance approving this procedure, but I feel I can't talk to my doctor about it since he is reluctant to do the procedure due to the amount of weight I loss on my own. All I did was follow the diet the nutritionist gave me to a T and exercised like a maniac. I hardly thought I'd lose 20 pounds in 6 months (for insurance approval), so I tried really hard.... now I am stressing over it. So frustrating. I am working with my therapist on these issues too. It's nice to have the opinions of those who have actually been where I have been though(the dieting, weight gain, etc.). That's why I posted. I needed support of those who can relate to what I am going through-- 17 years of obesity. Thank you again!!! Now it's time for me to take some deep breaths and just see what happens. Amy

How are things going with your MGB now? How is the aid reflux? R you happy with the MGB compared to the sleeve? Have u reached your goal with no weight gain?

It's never too late to make changes. So many people are struggling with weight gain. Your experience and support in this area is needed. People need to know you can get back into weight loss mode. Keep inspiring! thanks for your post.

Me! I am in process of revision from VSG to RNY. My sleeve was dilated with the end of my esophagus due to stricture/dysphagia. This caused VSG to fail resulted in 65 lb weight gain. I have completed all pre testing. I have psych eval on 1/9 then we submit to insurance. Hopeful and ready.

I have lost weight, gained it back, lost it again, gained it back etc many times. WHen I was skinny I would find some of the best clothes and I always refused to throw them away. Even when I got to my low weight when I could wear those clothes and they still didn't fit I kept them. Now I am at a lower weight then when the clothes used to fit me and now they are too big. It makes me feel great to look at myself in those clothes and remember all the frustration I used to feel towards them because now I love them so much more because they are now too big. I would keep the those clothes and have them as motivation. Then when you are too small for the clothes you can have a good laugh at all the anger you had towards them

I’ve been making myself a little crazy and losing sleep worrying, so I’m hoping I can get some of your thoughts on this. I’ve completed my six months of medically supervised weight loss appointments. I’ve had the sleep study, EGD, psych eval and all of that jazz. I called my doctor last week to ask how long it should take to hear back regarding scheduling my surgery, they said that they have to submit everything to my insurance company and then it will take 2 weeks to hear back after that. Okay, that’s all good, but then I did a google search for my insurance company, “McClaren” and “Weight Loss Surgery.” And I found a website for a hospital here in Michigan that does weight loss surgery (not one I’m going through, just a random one that my Google search found), they listed requirements of a bunch of different companies, including mine. For my insurance company it says that they require a “Medically Supervised Diet for 6 Consecutive Months. food & Exercise Journal, Showing a consistent weight loss with no weight gain.” Here’s the thing, the last month of my supervised diet, I gained weight. I’m not sure why. I’d had the flu for a couple of weeks that month. I wasn’t eating much, I really expected to lose but didn’t. So, has anyone ever been denied coverage because they didn’t do well during their MS diet? If so, what happens? Do you have to do it again? The whole six months over again? Is there an appeals process? My insurance coordinator at the doctor’s office isn’t very familiar with my insurance company, in fact she said that this is the first time she’s worked with them. She’d told me that they want to see you “lose a few pounds, here and there.” I’m totally freaked out about this. Could I have totally blown everything in one bad month? What do you think?

I have no clue why this popped up on my phone this morning but as I read first post then second a few more then I stopped reading. I forgot I had the app honestly because I stopped being on here. I had just decided to do the surgery a few months ago, went to the seminar, my first appt was done and I was still up on the air about it. As I started to go through the process, all of the testing read more and I joined this forum to get other people's experiences, see how you all are doing, looked at some on youtube videos I guess to see if I really wanted to do it this time. I started the process three years ago and stopped halfway said I didn't need it because I eat healthy salads, veggies not alot of food, bake not fry and I excercise but here I am three years later. Still weigh the same as when I started, I'll lose it and gain it right back but never go over what I've been. It wasn't my time back then and one thing that I read that I absolutely agree with is that you truly have to mentally prepare yourself for this. I've made my decision based on the fact that I want to be healthier without all the meds I take daily. I can and will honestly say I don't have a problem with food because I barely eat. Which is also a problem lack of eating which I've been working on. I have health issues high blood pressure, asthma, pseudotumorcerebri, and REM apnea as to why I qualify for the surgery because your BMI has to be 40 or above mine is and was 38 my first dr visit. My weight gain came from me taking the birth control shot years ago and I have never been able to go back to under 200 lbs and currently 248 I'm 5' 7". I'm scheduled for surgery Dec 6th and I have my last pre op test today. No backing out this time. I am stocked and ready to start my liquid diet in 2 weeks. Wish you all the best of luck on your journeys ????

I'm already researching plastic surgeons for all the work I am likely to need when I hit goal. Boobs top the list---they needed to be put back where they belong even before I started losing--big breasts + pregnancies + nursing + weight gain & loss = dire need of attention!

Even when I was small I had DD boobs and not small DD's Large DD's almost popping out of my bra. My breasts are probably the only thing I like about my body now. Ive gone through the weight gain and loss all my life and it never really affected my chest area at all. I didnt breast feed my son because I was iron deficent anemic and I was on pain medication because he ripped in 3 spots. So the dr recommended that I didnt breast feed. Plus I also heard that it is terrible for your chest it actually causes them to sag and I love mine. What I am concerned about is my lower abdomen and my tattoos when I need a tummy tuck.:thumbup:

I haven't gained any weight i spoke to my nut and she wants to put me at 2000 calories per day. I thought she was crazy I humored her and asked how many more calories do I need to eat while pregnant and she said 300 more per day so I'm going with 1750 for the day that will keep me at my current weight. Since I'm really at maintenance now. I'm going to be seeing a perinatologist soon so not sure if he is going to recommend a amnio or not. My OB wants me to gain 15 lbs max he's a real stickler when it comes to weight gain.

Welcome jen!!!!! In my opinion, (I am 2.5 years out) and was heavy my whole life...... the sleeve is the best thing that ever happened to me. Could I have lost more weight? yes. The sleeve seems to work varrying degrees for people. Some people lose all their excess weight, some 30lbs. It depends on what you put in, and what you want. Post-op life is so much better (weight gain is not like before when dieting) but there is a risk of going back. I see the scale go up a few pounds then I blow an imaginary horn in my head. I can eat entire small box of cheezits in a few hours. I also can only eat 3 oz of steak and a few bites of veggies. It all depends of choices. What I am getting at is the sleeve is amazing but it is not guarantee to be thin for the rest of your life... (although I wish it was)

Hey VV. I haven't been through the fire yet, but I feel your pain. I can only imagine how it must feel to sit around people and not be able to eat any of what they're having. I'm really worried about that. But, try to keep in mind that very soon, you will be able to eat small amounts of what everyone else is eating. And from what others here say, you'll be satisfied with that small amount. Counseling or joining an existing WLS support group should help you develop some good strategies to deal with these kinds of situations. I'm doing individual now and might switch to a support group post-op. I personally think scales are evil and should be avoided in the early stages of weight loss. Any weight gain or lack of weight loss can send you in a downward spiral immediately. Instead of weighing yourself, keep focusing on the change in how your clothes fit and let your weigh-ins happen at the docs office. Also, please continue to be careful with your diet. It sounds like you're doing a really good job with that or you wouldn't be so frustrated. :crying: I'm nobody to preach about good eating habits, but better safe than sorry. I would consider contacting your surgeon's office to see if someone can review your diet with you. Maybe there's something you could be eating that's more satistying but it just hasn't occured to you yet, or you forgot about it. I've heard of people being blamed for post-surgical complications, like leaks, because supposedly they ate something they weren't supposed to early on. I personally think that's rubbish in most cases, but we know it's a possibility. Why risk it?

Hi, I am a very satisfied patient of Dr. Maese and have been for over a year. Thanks to him and having restriction, I have lost 90 lbs that wont' be coming back to stay. That being said, if I had the choice to do it over again, I would without a doubt have gotten the sleeve. No way on the bypass. The sleeve is so easy, its not even funny. My husband got the sleeve 10 months ago. He lost 100 lbs in 3 months. He eats 4-5 ounces of food at a meal. His stomach cannot stretch because Dr. Alvarez took out the fundus which is the stretchy part of the stomach when he did the surgery. There is no dumping or malabsorption, no weight gain because you can only eat 4-5 ounces of food forever. The rates of weight loss are similar to the bypass without the complications and mortality rate. It will become the "GOLD STANDARD OF WEIGHT LOSS" and surpass the bypass in this country within 3 years. We are the only country that toots bypass as the way for weight loss surgery. Europe and Australia use the band and sleeve. I have major acid reflux with the band, things get stuck and no matter what or when I eat, I have to get up and walk around to get things to start moving. Its very frustrating. There are some things I can and can't eat. I have restriction one day and none the next. And no, I am not too tight and no, I did not have any problems with reflux before getting the band. Just know that there is another alternative. Don't get another band and deal with this b.s. all over again. And please, don't get the bypass. Research the sleeve. Misty www.mymexicopsjourney.com My blog and pictures from getting plastic surgery after weight loss.

I was sleeved 4/16 and have had two periods since. The first one was brutal because I hadn't had one in 2 years. Dr put me on birth control and the second one wasn't so bad and not heavy like the other. Thank God! Pcos sucks. Weight gain, excess body hair, thinning hair and possible infertility sucks. And no one knows anything about it unless they have it. No one else understands either. My weight loss has been pretty good. Had about a 3 week stall but seems fine now. Surgery weight was 284 and now I'm 210. Hopefully these pcos symptoms go away. Hubby and I want a baby. That was the main reason for surgery. I'm 30 will be 31 in August. My clock is ticking really fast!! The 18 month wait is gonna be the hardest!

Sandi, I've been experiencing the same thing this week. No loss, and actually a bit of regain. I am certain though that I'm eating more than you... I'm just trying to strike a balance between need for food (belly hurts if I don't eat every so often), energy (need to play T ball 3 times a week with the kids), and boredom (I'm tired of most of the foods I've been eating). Breakfast 1 premier protein Lunch 3oz of soft meat (cold cuts, rotisserie chicken, tuna, egg salad) + something to add interest like a cracker or two 1 oz of cheese Snack 1 Fage or Light n Fit yogurt Dinner Usually a small portion of what I made for my family (minus the carbs, breads, or starchy veggies) Evening Snack I stay up really, really late, so I typically have some yogurt or something in the evening. Not sure this is helpful, but there is it. My worst issue is with constipation. I'm pretty convinced that the weight gain has to do with food in/nothing out. Gross, but there it is. I'm taking steps to solve the issue. Sigh.

I hope you do get some answers as it sounds awful. Cushings is something that causes lots or weight gain so if this is the issue it’s a pity they didn’t test and rule it out prior to surgery as then you may not have required the WLS as well. Are you still bleeding or has that resolved?

Yes and honestly my OB said the same thing to me when I was pregnant with my daughter in 1998! Basically when I was blaming my excess weight gain on not being able to exercise (had some spotting early on) he didn't pull any punches and laid it on the line for me.

Because in the back of your head somewhere she is right sorta..Every other diet tried the weight lost reappeared with extra...It is one of the major fear of losing weight...It can happen if we get lazy or to confident.. So 2 things are important.. 1) Fix the head and the body will benefit from it.. 2) never let your guard down. Keep a weight gain number in your head and revert back to the beginnings of the sleeve to lose it....weighing yourself once a week, not becoming obsessive with it... She said that because that is what everyone does who diets traditionally...You have taken a huge leap to make it permanent. But we both know it will be a life long battle!

How exciting, and how exciting to have the surgery when you are young! When I was your age I was over 200 lbs. and managed to lose over 70 lbs. on my own (low cal diet, lots of exercise). I kept the weight off for a couple of years and then got engaged and then married, and started eating like a "normal person" again, and poof I started gaining weight like crazy. So now it's nearly 20 years later, and I have been back over 200 lbs. for the past 15 years or so, and every year I have told myself "THIS is the year I lose that 100 lbs again!" Every year I tried to lose weight and some years I would lose 20 lbs. But it's a LOT harder to lose weight in your 30s and 40s than in your 20s and I never was able to keep any weight loss off for more than a year. So now I've decided 2011 really IS the year I lose the extra weight, but this time I will have a powerful tool to help me and that is my VSG procedure. I'm so happy for you that you won't have the yo-yo diet & weight gain hell that I've had for 15 years. Yay for you!!!!!

yes, too bad they couldn't get their facts right about the procedures. But as to whether someone has WLS as a preventative measure opens a whole other line of thinking. I am not sure if it is much different from a "starlet" having WLS so she doesn't have to face any weight gain, than one of our low BMI folks having the band because the need to stop before they do get as big as I am, or bigger. I think that says something about our socity when someone who is tiny under goes something as drastic as WLS so they don't become a fat cow at size 6.

I am a lil behind on posting as I was not to encouraged as this week I gained weight. I have read plenty posts about the dreaded 3 week stall or weight gain but I was convinced I would beat it...Not... But all in all it has been a good week. I started eating soft foods and it was a welcome addition. Eggs with cheese was my first meal. I have made some othe recipes from Emily Bites andTheworldaccordingtoeggface. Most of them have turned out pretty good...I even managed to eat some shrimp and handled it okay considering I did not like shrimp pre-surgery...However at 21g of protein and only 1.5g fat and 4g carbs, it will become a frequent visitor on my menu. Still eating about 2-3 ounces of food before I get full and still adjusting to making sure I chew my food well to avoid that stuck feeling in my chest. My body still has not figured out how to resume regular bowel movements. I could probably lose a few pounds justing taking a good ole dump...lol TMI I know...My heartburn has also become more frequent over the past couple of weeks so I am resolving to taking priolsec or something of that nature with my daily vitamins. I started but stopped but realizing at least for now this is not possible. This week I hung out with my cousin who had lapband surgery in Jan 2012. She has had minimal success with it. I was so amazed at how much she could eat compared to the amount I was able to eat. Now mind you she had 7 months on me but I still thought our eating habits would be the same. I took a high protein, low carb potluck dish over it went over well but all the things she made were so high in carbs or fatty. She also tend to graze which all the reading I have done said this is a way you "eat around" your band or sleeve. I also notice that her pantry was riddled with things I would be afraid to bring in the house because all willpower would be gone...I do not say all this to judge but i do so it to say that even with the surgery we have to still exercise healthy eating habits. The surgery is only a tool and if we do not use the tool properly it is unable to perform as intended. I was careful not to judge her because I did not want to come off as a surgery eating expert after just 4 weeks of diet compliance. It was just an eye opener to be cognizant to not let my old eating habits that led to me being overweight erode the sleeve. On to the good news...I started out my journey a size 18..Well, this week I got into a size 13/14 jeans I had bought about two years ago...A phenomenal feeling that was...so despite having gained two pounds this week, I looked over it as I twirled around in the mirror 4 sizes smaller than I was a month ago...And so many folk are noticing the weight loss and that too is a really good feeling. Something that nags at me is that thought no less than 20 people have told me I lost weight, my ex-boyfriend has not acknowledged my weight loss...I know he is an ex and I should not care...Obviously there was something that put him in the ex category and it wasnt good so I should let go. Easier said then done but that is another story. I also measured today (09/16/12) and was pleasantly surprised at those numbers as well. I first measured on 08/23 so just under a full month Neck -1 in Thigh -3/4 in Hi Wasit (just below breast) -2 in Natural Waist 2 in Belly Button (Abs) -3 3/4 in Chest 1 1/2 in Hips 2 1/4 in Biceps 1 in Shoulder -2.5 in.....Total Inches Lost 16.75.. :D VSG 08/17/12 HW 232 08/13/12 SW 227 CW 210.4

The term emotional eating is thrown around a lot, but not everyone understands what emotional eating really is. Emotional eating is eating and overeating that occurs when we use food as a way to cope with a feeling, situation, or a need that is not physical hunger. Emotional eating is eating that happens when we want to eat but our bodies don’t really need the fuel. Common kinds of emotional eating are “nervous eating,” eating when you are bored, using food as a “reward” (to feel good), or eating when you are lonely. Because this kind of eating isn’t tied to a physical need for food, it can easily cause weight gain. Here are three things EVERY weight loss surgery patient needs to know about emotional eating: 1. Many people don’t know that they are emotional eaters. How’s that? Well, emotional eating isn’t always as straightforward as feeling a feeling (“I’m anxious”) and then making a choice to eat. Here’s the tricky part. Over time, if you’ve learned to use food as a way to cope with certain feeling states or situations, your brain can stop identifying that you are eating for emotional reasons. Here’s an example. If when you’re stressed, you reach for a snack to comfort yourself, over time, your brain stops telling you, “You are stressed and you are going to try to cope with it by eating a cookie.” Over time, your brain may start skipping the emotion and move directly to interpreting that stressed feeling as physical hunger. You might not even realize that you are feeling stress. Your thinking will go like this: Something stressful will happen and you will start wanting a snack. You might even feel physically hungry. Food, not stress, will be the central thought in your mind. If you are someone who feels hungry “all the time,” emotional eating could very well be playing a hidden role. 2. Emotional eating and self-blame, shame and guilt go hand in hand. If you are feeling “out of control with your eating,” odds are that emotional eating is happening. The problem is, if emotional eating goes unrecognized, or if we don’t take it seriously, it’s easy to fall into a trap of guilt and self-blame for not being able to “stay in control” of your eating. Shame and guilt are never helpful when it comes to long term weight loss. They tend to breed isolation, negative self esteem, decreased hope, and ultimately more emotional eating and self-sabotage. If you are struggling with emotional eating and you don’t learn the tools you need to cope with the feelings, the odds are that you will continue to feel out of control with food. 3. If you don’t take control of emotional eating, it can take control of your weight loss plans. Research studies of individuals trying to lose weight find that people who eat for emotional reasons lose less weight and have a harder time keeping it off. The journal Obesity recently published an article concluding that successful weight loss programs should teach clients how to cope with emotional eating in order to improve the clients’ ability to lose weight and not regain it. The risk of weight gain is not the only reason that emotional eating is important to address. Failure to address emotional eating—using food to cope with feelings and needs and circumstances other than physiological hunger—can also contribute to difficulties with cross-addictions after weight loss surgery. If emotional eating is something that you struggle with, it’s important to know that no diet and no weight loss surgery will fix that for you. Taking control of emotional eating requires learning new effective ways to cope with your emotions. It’s not about the food. It’s also important to know that learning new tools to cope with emotional eating can be one of the most rewarding and life-changing gifts that you can give yourself. Learning new ways to cope with life issues and feelings allows you to tackle life head-on. When you do this, food becomes simpler, and your life grows bigger, and ultimately, more rewarding. Melissa McCreery, Ph.D. is a Psychologist and the founder of Enduring Change Coaching. She helps her clients create and live the life they crave. She is also the creator of the Emotional Eating Toolbox 28-day Program for Taking Control and Moving Beyond Dieting. Sign up for a free 5 part Self-care Package Audio Course, learn about upcoming WLS seminars and other programs or contact her www.enduringchange.com.