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Here Goes; I have been in denial & coming back home to this forum has made me "see" that I have a lot of work to do & accountability. In the Spring of 2020 during the height of COVID my neighbors dog ran out on me and as I stumbled while trying to get away from the dog I fell, hit the concrete, & couldn't move. I had broken a bone in my back. I cried at every day for at least 2 weeks due to the pain. I was immobilized and the work I did outside of my home that had me active, lifting heavy items, & always moving I could no longer due. Here 1 1/2 years later I continue to have back issues. If I walk too long, lift too much or sit too long I am in pain. Although I can't consume a lot of food at one time, I know I am getting calories in with the wrong things. After surgery I was no longer able to drink straight water, it would make me nauseated and it would come back up so I know I am not getting enough fluids in. I am vitamin deficient (lab results) and I have put too much of my time into helping family & friends that honestly, I forgot about me. I was at 163lbs now I am at 190. I was 33lbs from goal now I am at 60lbs from goal. I know to some it may not seem like a lot but most of us know losing 5lbs takes a lot of effort! Bariatric Pal Forums: Coming back home & reading posts after being away so long has made me look at myself in the mirror & remember what I did in the first place that made my weight loss successful. SO HERE I GO: recommitting to myself; committing to the 30/15 rule (wait to eat 15 mins after drinking and wait to drink 30 mins after eating), COUNTING my calories & making sure I get in my grams of protein (which Unjury is a great brand), finding health zero cal/sugar enhancers to get my water in daily; & getting back to strength training that would not put a strain on my back. I don't know about you guys but COVID time gave me an excuse to cancel my Planet Fitness membership 😕 Am I going to do what they call a "pouch reset"? Nawhhhh...I'm doing a recommitment to self reset. I know what to do & I have all the tools (food scale, portion control serving utensils etc.) I am raising the bar once again for my life. Thank you Fitness Pal Family for always being here and giving all of us prodigal children a home to come back to. eating reset back to basics.doc

I followed every rule pre and post-op and can't understand why people are/were so indisciplined that for a few weeks they couldn't be compliant. Isn't a lack of self control the reason we had surgery in the first place. Hey, if someone wants to cheat that is on them. I chose not. I did not have surgery to see the disappointed look on the faces of my family because for a few months I couldn't control myself and ate the same things that made me morbidly obese. I need to have healthy eating and a lifestyle become a habit before I sabotage myself. Will I have a little something unhealthy in the future maybe or maybe not. The sleeve as I have heard continuously is a tool to help us get on track, not something to be ignored and pushed to the side as we decide. For all of those with no self control, think of it this way. Would you break and arm again after it has healed because you couldn't control yourself? I will not deprive myself of going our socially with friends or family, but I will make smart choices each time. I have cooked things my family wanted like fried chicken and pork chops. I have made cookies with my family after being sleeved. However, not once did I even take a bite. I have helped my wife in the bakery she owns, but did not sample like I did in the past. Remember significant weight gain can be in the future of all who don't practice sound judgement and self control.

I don't agree w some of you just because there skinny don't think they dont worry about weight gain ... You all feel the need to think its something else you do have skinny ppl that worry just because the see fat ppl and that the reality but it's hard to put yourself in their shoes because some use aren't there yet but I've been called skinny I worry about my weight but a person that doesn't kno me would think other wise because I'm skinny I think we should be mindful of others we hate when stereo type us for being fat and we do it to skinny ppl for being skinny

Whey protein isolate is very insulinogenic. Although blood sugar may go down after drinking a wp drink, it's going down because we've dumped a crap ton of insulin on it. Now, when you have PCOS, we already are insulin resistance to begin with and so we dump maybe 10X as much insulin in response to the wp meal which results in? Weight loss slowing, stalls, or gains. My gains were influenced primarily as a result of fluid, not true weight. But I had the frustrating response of starving myself and seeing a subsequent gain or lack of loss. Yes, excess anything causes weight gain. Even fat. Here is a very helpful article that explains it very well. The doctor is a noted nephrologist and fasting specialist. He deals in metabolic medicine. His name is Dr. Jason Fung. https://idmprogram.com/insulin-index/

Don't weigh every day! It'll drive you nuts. The body drops fat on its own schedule and the way it does it sometimes causes weight GAIN, because part of the process of the fat cells shrinking is that they take on Water, first. So you end up retaining water in your fat cells before they release it with the waste. If you're going to use the scale, use it every couple of weeks. Two days is not a stall. However, one thing you definitely need to do is get your minimum amount of Protein, no matter what. If that means you need to switch to a different drink (there are a ton of them) do it. Or even get some of the flavorless powder and mix it in with your crystal light or something. Just get that protein...it's crucial to the healing process and more importantly, you MUST maintain as much of your muscle mass as you possibly can. That muscle mass is what burns calories for you all day long. If you don't have that, your calorie-burning machine is compromised...and then no, you won't lose weight very fast, because you won't be burning many calories. Trust me, when you run the caloric deficit that we are in the weeks following surgery, your body is going to find that energy somewhere...and while being in ketosis will cause your body to seek energy from fat, it takes a lot longer to convert...muscle is a lot faster. So you WILL lose muscle mass if you don't protect it. Actually, you'll lose muscle mass even if you DO protect it, but you're going to lose a lot more if you aren't providing protein sufficiently. Nutrition is no joke, and post-surgery we have to take it even MORE seriously.

I had a toast (just a sip of champagne) 2 months after surgery. About 3 months out, I started having a glass of wine every now and then. It's never had any adverse affects on me at all, I didn't get "tipsy" as quickly as some, it was pretty much like it was before surgery. I may have 1 glass of wine a couple of times a month............ so no weight gain because of it, no problems at all

3 weeks I'm a wine drinker 99% of the time Very rarely, like once a year I might have a cocktail Since surgery I have had 1 glass of wine 4oz No issues, didn't feel tipsy or anything after No weight gain No addiction issues

Helllllllllllleeeeewwww Everyone! Just dropped in to snoop a bit.... Doc, I know you're so proud of your son, your link was quite touching. Patty, have a great trip. Betty, sorry to hear DH lost his job and finds one really soon, before he gets use to the easy life. Darcey girl, as for the weight gain, it's alright, you're human and you're allowed, now just get your a$$ on track and start losing again, I will follow, cause if I keep it up, though I haven't gained, I surely haven't lost. Love you girl. Eileenie, you're support group all in one person. Cindy, wooohooo, you go girl, isn't it amazing how quickly that year goes, OMG, I'm past year and a half now and still stuck at the fluctuating 50-52, as Eileenie would say, WTF! It seems that my destined weight is 165ish, what everrrrrrrr, as long as I can get some 12's on, I'm having a great day. Hugs everyone, I've missed ya and I'll catch up with you other lovelies later.

I've just had major abdominal surgery for rectal cancer with my lapband in place, that involved removal of a good deal of bowel and rectum and creation of an ileostomy. I've had a bowel obstruction since, and still my lapband is just fine. If its in there and well healed (as it would be after a year and a half) then a competent surgeon can work around it. I was extremely lucky that my colorectal surgeon had started his career with lapbands and by pure chance, workign with my lapband surgeon, but its not an insurmountable problem. I now have to eat a diet that's quite high in white bread, rice and Pasta and as such I am unfilled, there was no need to remove the band at all. Its there in the future when my stoma is reversed if I need to refill it, I will, but so far have had no weight gain. I've had chemo and radiation prior to surgery and am now having chemo again. of course it makes me sick, and of course sometimes I do get so nauseous that I vomit, I've got chronic diarrhoea and due to having my intestines exit before my colon, I am probably not absorbing the nutrients from a lot of what I eat. Both my surgeon and oncologist are on my back about my weight, but even through all this, I am eating well with an unfilled band and have enough energy to run and go to the gym. However, my band wasnt unfilled until right before my surgery, I got through a round of chemo and radiation with the fill in place. It can be done in seconds, at any time, so dont necessarily rush off and unfill if that's not what he wants to do. I feel for your husband, it really is the cruelest blow to reclaim your life and your health, to achieve a lifelong goal of weightloss only to have something like this happen, to make you think you might lose it all. But it really does not have to be that way.

Every good story starts like this "Well, you see, what had happened was... If only weight loss and gain,and loss and gain, and ..well you get it, was such an easy story to tell! So for me what happened was life. You see, I'm a southern girl. To say that food is a big part of my life is an understatement. I consider myself an eastern North Carolina BBQ expert! I have driven across the state of North Carolina charting my course around the best BBQ restaurants in the state more than once! My mother could out-cook Paula Deen any day (now that's the truth!) My grandmothers probably created every recipe in the Southern Living cookbook collection! Genetically, I am pre-programed to cook (and eat) all that is delicious!!! When we have a pot luck at work everyone wants to know what I made- It's guaranteed to be good. Did I mention I make custom cakes "on the side"? People love my cooking! It's been a blessing and a curse all my life. I wasn't overweight in high school,but the potential was there! Like most women my weight gain began after having kids. I gained 75 pounds with baby #1, lost most of it fairly easily (I was only 20). Baby #2, I was more careful with that pregnancy, I exercised regularly and only gained 18 lbs! Lost my best friend to breast cancer a year later and ate my weight in "friendship bread" (a delicious cake for those who aren't familiar with friendship bread, make sure you NEVER eat it!!) over the next few months - From September to January I had gained 60 pounds!!! I woke up one morning (literally) and looked at myself in the mirror and didn't know it was me. I was actually startled when I saw myself that day. I decided I had to do something, so I just started walking. Everyday I walked at least a mile or two, slowly I began to jog and then run. I lost 65 pounds over the next year. I ate nothing white- no sugar, no white flour, white pasta, white rice, white bread. If it was white or prepackaged I didn't touch it. I lived like this for about 4 years. If I would slip off my program, I would quickly catch myself and get back on track. I exercised daily , sometimes twice a day. No cake at birthday parties, no splurging during the holiday's, I stayed on a tight leash. At my smallest I was still overweight by 15-20 pounds. I was happy enough with my fitness level, my size and weight but I had to follow my program to a "T". If I slipped I could gain 5 pounds overnight. I got pregnant with baby #3 at 29 years old. I gained too much weight (60 lbs), and it was so much harder to lose than it was when I had my first two babies. I had so much pain in my feet I could hardly walk some days. Found out I had plantar fasciitis in both feet- OUCH! I needed to exercise, but my feet hurt so bad I couldn't, so I didn't. I slowly began slipping back into bad eating habits. For me sugar is the devil, so are carbs- love that white stuff!! Once I start I can't quit, it's like crack! lol!! I didn't want to go back "there" again so I once again tried to get back on track.I took almost a year. I went back to my program, started exercising again. I was feeling great again. I went through a few changes in my career over the next few years, finally going to work for the government in 2008. I was excited about the new job, but had no idea how much different sitting a desk would be. I had never worked a desk job before. Over the last three years my weight has steadily increased. I have gained over 50 lbs. in the last 3 years. I was already overweight when I started there, I've tried to control it but it has gotten so far out of control it's not even funny. In the last three years I have: begun taking two blood pressure pills daily, sleeping pills for my insomnia, prilosec for my reflux, naproxen for my other aches and pains and I can't tie my shoes with out cutting of my oxygen supply! I have to stop in between flights of stairs, I am chapped and chaffed in places I shouldn't be, even my rolls now have rolls. I've taken diet pills, every fad diet there is, spent hundreds (maybe thousands) on pills, supplements, exercise equipment and DVD workouts. Well, I just can't do it anymore. I can't wake up at 4 am, dirve the van for the van pool, work all day for some arrogant SOB, make dinner for my family when I get home at 5pm. Clean up ,check homework, take care of a house and give my husband and my kids the attention they deserve. Food has become my comfort,even though it is the cause of my misery. I'm sick of having no energy, no drive and no interest. I am tired of being tired and I want to be myself again. I have set a terrible example for my sons and I've finally decided that enough is enough! So.....on July 29th (just 12 days from today!) I am having VSG! I know it will be hard , but it will be worth it to have my life back. Some people won't understand, some will think I took the easy way out, some may even be jealous. i just don't have time to care about what anyone may think about my decision. Either they will support me or they wont. Please, wish me luck as I do the rest of you. I need all the support I can get, especially at those family gatherings with my own "Paula" and her fabulous meals! I think her feelings are gonna' be hurt when I can't eat her cookin' any more! She'll just have to get over it now won't she?

Here is my workout routine every week. I have been faithful for a month now, but did drop off for some months, which I know contributed to my weight gain… L Oh well. *Picks myself up and dusts myself off* Sunday: 6:30 AM – Treadmill 5K; 6 PM – Stationary Bike 7 Miles Monday: 6 PM – Calisthenics (30 Mins) & weight training Tuesday: 6 PM - Stationary Bike 7 Miles Wednesday: 4 AM – Treadmill 5K; 6 PM – Calisthenics (30 Mins) & weight training Thursday: 4 AM – Treadmill 5K; 6 PM - Stationary Bike 7 Miles Friday: 4 AM – Treadmill 5K; 6 PM – Calisthenics (30 Mins) & weight training Saturday: 6:30 AM – Treadmill 5K; 6 PM – Stationary Bike 7 Miles

Talk to your doctor about whether there will be absorption issues. I take a lot of medications and was told I should get the sleeve because the absorption issues are really with bypass, not sleeve. However, birth control in general can be really iffy after WLS because you become much more fertile, so they tell you not to rely on pills alone. I don't know if nexplanon would be sufficient. However, common side effects of nexplanon include weight gain and mood swings, both things you want to avoid after WLS. If Yasmin worked for you before surgery, it might be best to stick with it (my surgeon requires me to be off my BCP for a month before and after surgery to reduce risk of blood clots), but also use back up birth control like condoms. The reason that they want you to use condoms or some other barrier method is all the hormonal changes after surgery - fat cells release estrogen. So, obviously, I'm just some random person on the internet and you should talk to your surgeon and whomever prescribes your birth control, but this is what I've learned from my research. Good luck!

So I got the news I'm expecting. I thought I was done having kids but I guess god has another plan. I am a little frustrated because I don't want to gain weight back but at least it is for a beautiful reason. I am 6 months post opp but I'm 10 weeks pregnant. With my surgery and previous weight loss I've lost 110 pounds. So far I have not gained anything but haven't lost. I'm exercising everyday and doing Zumba and walking. I did a 5k recently too. I plan to keep working out because I only want to gain 20 pounds and thats what my dr said too. I know that sounds crazy but I think this week I dropped a few pounds do to morning sickness too. So my question is what is everyone's weight gain with pregnancy stories....????? (:

It has been over seven years since my surgery. I have gained a lot of weight back, what have you done to get back on track?

Hi all, I’m new here and only 1 day post op. I was excited to get home and step on the scale but I’m up 7 pounds! I also have my menses. Anyone else experience this?

I knew things were bad; my hip hurt, my knees hurt, my feet hurt, and we were in Amsterdam with nothing but tall, gorgeous, thin women.....I was 223. Then one morning I woke up and my husband of 20 years was having a melt down of sorts (this was very rare; we never fought).....when I asked him what was wrong; he launched into a long speech about how much my weight gain had bothered him over the years but he kept thinking I would figure it out; but I kept getting fatter. We spent the rest of the day getting the monster out of the closet; talking, crying, yelling, lots of stuff came out. I knew I couldn't do it on my own and within a month I had the surgery. It was the best of times and the worst of times......but now, 9 months out and a few lbs from my goal weight, I can say it was the best decision of my life and I've had the best year of my life.

I'm not condemning the cheeseburger, but I'm just saying: why get sleeved in what I am assuming is January only to consume a 300-500 calorie burger in one sitting? Why would you just not eat 1/3 or even 1/2. I'm not perfect, I drink juice, eat ice cream, munch on crackers I eat Cheetos, and have had Chinese food. But I also limit myself to just a taste. I'm 100+ pounds lighter and I will never allow myself to eat my way back up the scale. Call me scared of weight gain if you must The sleeve is a lifestyle change. It alone will not make you thin. You also must change your thoughts and approach to food. It is hard, but that's part of the journey.

Any tips on weight gain right after a race? I'm assuming it's still a lot off fluids floating around and my muscles are all still definitely inflamed! ((And oh so sore!)) I'm up 2lbs since last week. Nothing crazy. Drinking lots of Water and indulging in a massage this morning. Hoping to see a drop soon....between walking to and from the corrals and the race I logged 17 miles on Sunday! Insane.

Your rate of loss always slows as you get closer to your goal weight. You can always depend on that. The heady high rates of loss you experience at the beginning don’t last. You can also stall any number of times along the way. The small weight gain you are seeing at the moment could be related to your health issues or it could be your natural weight fluctuation becoming more noticeable as you get closer to your goal. It could also be your body resettling after your holiday loss & getting you back to where you would have been without the holiday. I’d go for option D - stop panicking & let your body catch up & I’d also add wait for your health to improve. Doesn’t hurt to do a check of your food choices, portion sizes, calories, protein & fluid intake, etc. Though you may be currently struggling with food, there may be something you are missing or could tweak to keep you closer to your plan. All the best

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'm not sure it is a simple as "he dumped me because I got fat." My GF and I challenge each other all the time physically. We are both 53 and we both want to be there for each other in the long haul, and that means taking care of ourselves. In many relationships the weight gain is an overt sign that something else is wrong. I know there are superficial jerks who would leave because things are not as perky as they used to be, but I also know women who quit taking care of themselves, their homes, their relationships et.al. (same could be said for guys, but we are usually the more superficial sex) so the reason for leaving is all of the above, but since everyone else can see the weight, they assume that is the cause.

Same thing with me i finally hv a period i really dnt want bc but i know i may need something i dnthv kids yet but want to wait a while but scared of implants &weight gain

Im with u but I think im gonna do depo for one round the weight gain I will watch but my friend just became pregnant on the nuvaring plus I dnt want to be inserting things lol I really need b/c asap Mzshay35 RNYTalk

@FluffyChix: The weight gain is indeed because of "not following the rules". However, as with other strict diets this whole bunch of strict rules can't usually be followed forever. Willpower wears out. There might be a few exceptions who can follow the whole book of rules forever (as there is with other diets; after all there are people who maintain their weight with WW etc. as well). To not make WLS into just another diet or diet in disguise that gives you great success in the beginning and makes you miserable a few months or years down the road: implement rules that you can follow forever.

I haven't had any major complications, but there are definitely mental aspects to post-surgery life that I didn't really think about. First, you can't overeat - even if you have the worst day ever, you can't turn to food for comfort. Is that a con? Not really, but it does mean you have to find new ways to deal with your issues. Prepare yourself. Second, there are times that you are going to be pissed off that you can't eat what others are eating or as much as they are eating. I didn't expect that at all. You just have to change your way of thinking! You can't take a break from your new lifestyle. You will get sick and/or potentially cause harm to yourself if you don't follow your diet guidelines. This is 100% commitment for the rest of your life. I'm not saying you'll never eat normal foods, but you have to be committed to eating nutritious foods in the right quantities. Make sure you are ready for that before you take the plunge. I didn't have any major food issues before surgery . . . I just neglected myself for too long, which led to my weight gain. That being said, the mental aspects have still affected me from time to time. They are all manageable, but I definitely think this is more of a head game than people realize before surgery. Good luck with your decision! Even with all of the above, I do NOT regret my decision. I feel better than I have felt in years, and I'm really happy I went through with my surgery!!