Search the Community

Anyone have breast lift and implants after weight loss surgery? Looking for someone who did and had high profile implants put in. Help.

Hi! I’m so sorry you’re going through this. It’s difficult to balance for sure. As a diagnosed BP I can relate. My surgeon and psychiatrist have given me positive reviews on the gastric sleeve. I’m 8 months post op and have been doing well. I can honestly attribute much of the initial weight gain from BP depression and BP meds. I was at an athletic weight until 27 years old. Then diagnosed. Not sure if you’ve experienced this - but it took years to find the right mix of meds that worked. Now that I have found the right mix, I am stable and my weight has been stable. I would definitely discuss medications with psych and ask for an honest opinion if the meds affect weight. AND CONGRATS 🎉 ON YOUR POSITIVE GAINS!!!! You’ve come so far!

The drinking thing is something that I have noticed that most programs don't handle very well. The "sip, sip, sip, all the day long" thing is necessary for most for some period of time, depending upon how much inflammation we may have in the stomach after surgery. If it is seriously inflamed, then yes, it takes small sips to get fluids through - think of drinking through a pinched soda straw. If there is not significant inflammation, then your new stomach is more like a normal, or even large soda straw, so fluids will go down fairly easily, though it will still be a restriction from real chugging or gulping. I didn't have any significant inflammation, so I could sip a bowl of broth (maybe 6-8 oz?) and a juice box (with straw) within a half hour or so sitting - in the hospital. I still diligently sipped away for the month and a half or so when I too a drink from my bottle between swimming laps, to no distress. I probably could have done that a few weeks before but was still scared into sipping everything. No, I couldn't (or didn't) gulp or chug it, but just normal swallows of water. Lesson here is to gingerly try little larger sips, working up to "drinks" and see how things go down. If things are backing up, or not going down promptly, back off a bit and go at a bit lesser rate for a while. The not drinking before/during/after meals thing is also a bit flexible. The before meals thing is again, and inflammation concern, and they want to make sure that the fluids are clear from your stomach before eating so that it isn't competing with the limited food that you can eat. Once fluids are going through fine, drinking up to the point of eating is fine (and some surgeons recommend this practice.) Drinking during a meal again, competes for space with the limited food that you can eat, so should be avoided (small sips if something is dry is OK.) Also, drinking with and after a meal has the effect of "washing through" the food that should be staying in the stomach for a while to provide satiety - drinking too soon can lead to earlier hunger and overall over eating during the day when we are trying to keep eating to a balanced minimum for weight loss. After ten years, I am still not comfortable drinking much of anything for a while after a meal.

I recently looked into this and am at the stage of deciding which surgery I want: Re-Sleeve or Bypass. I'll preface the following by stating you can research many articles on "pubmed.com" to read published papers by physicians. There is a re-sleeve procedure and it's either done by plication or utilizing Overstitch; key difference is that part of your stomach is NOT cut and removed, as is done in the initial sleeve. The stomach is made smaller by suturing to make it smaller. In my case, revision, even if it is to a re-sleeve, would be covered by my insurance. Re-sleeves can be done endoscopically (through the throat, no incisions on the abdomen); this is the approach I am being offered. Bypass would require abdominal incisions as it is performed laparoscopically. Bypass would yield a greater overall weight loss, initially. There's a study that indicated the long term weight loss between those re-sleeved vs. conversion to bypass levels out and is similar. Articles: Re-sleeve Gastrectomy - An Efficient Revisional Bariatric Procedure - 3 Years Results Re-Sleeve Gastrectomy for Failed Primary Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Short-term outcomes of revisional surgery after sleeve gastrectomy: a comparative analysis of re-sleeve, Roux en-Y gastric bypass, duodenal switch (Roux en-Y and single-anastomosis) Laparoscopic re-sleeve gastrectomy as a treatment of weight regain after sleeve gastrectomy Weight Regain After Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Look at the Benefits of Re-sleeve Reverse: Laparoscopic revision of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass to sleeve gastrectomy: A ray of hope for failed Roux-en-Y gastric bypass As to which procedure has higher risk, in general, risk increases with every subsequent surgery. In this case, it would depend on the approach your physician would take to re-sleeve; endoscopic or laparoscopic. Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty versus laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a case-matched study If both options would be performed laparoscopically, then it would be a matter of you deciding which procedure you feel the most comfortable with to achieve the long-term results you are looking for. Endoscopic surgery is performed using a scope, a flexible tube with a camera and light at the tip, allowing the surgeon to see inside and perform procedures without making major incisions, allowing for easier recovery time and less pain and discomfort. Laparoscopic is performed by making several small incisions in the abdomen, which increases risk when compared to the SAME PROCEDURE performed endoscopically (no incisions). The approach with the highest risk is open. Bigger incision. Bigger incision, bigger risk. One type of surgery that has taken off in the last few years is minimally invasive spine surgery. Many spine surgeries can be done laparoscopically versus open -- even fusions. The difference? Patients that have it done laparoscopically can have it done in an ASC (ambulatory surgical center), meaning they leave the same day, no hospital stay or large incisions in the back. And...always remember, whichever surgery you have, it's a TOOL, not a magic pill (those don't exist either). Hope this helps!

In your shoes, I would continue to wear pants and long sleeves in light weight fabrics or sun-guard fabrics. Rayon is very comfortable in hot weather. I'm very pale and burn badly. I have been treated for actinic keratosis (pre-cancerous cells) and don't want to risk worse. I never go out in the sun without a hat or clothing to block the sun. I NEVER sit in the sun and always seek shade. Even my swimwear is covering. I wear bicycle-shorts bottoms and 3/4 sleeve t-shirts in swimsuit material. I've even got capri length bottoms but haven't worn them. SPF70 sunblock!

Ugh. The longer I look at the boards, the more mental health pathology I see associated with weight loss surgery. People are nutty. Ignore the nonsense. I won't even begin to guess why you've seen a weight bump. Sometimes it's just a damned mystery. The human body is freaking incredible at surviving...and it has tons of tricks up its sleeve to maintain homeostasis when it likes where it's at and doesn't want to change.

*Not a doctor, just personal experience plus asking doctors a lot of questions* Not everything is food related after surgery, especially if you are diligently tracking and seeing a dietitian. The temporary weight loss/gain could be: 1. Dehydration causing water retention (noticed reduced urination? May need electrolyte supplementation) 2. Disruption of normal lymphatic activities because of surgery (excess fluid still in circulation, puffy or swollen anywhere?) 3. Slight level of constipation (still have waste that has not vacated despite amount of trips to the bathroom) 4. Inflammation after surgery (edema of the abdomen because of the laparoscopic procedure-usually immediate and not super common) 4. Return to your maintenance weight after temporary drop (happened to me in the first 2 months- 2 weeks post revision I hit 10-12 lbs lower than my maintenance weight then went back to normal) 5. Hormonal response (menses/menopause - I ALWAYS gain before my cycle ) 6. Incorrect scale/discrepancy of scales used (I always weighed different amounts on doctor’s scales vs mine) 8. A combination of things Please let us know what the surgeon says!

Ultimately, it's no one's job but yours to figure out the best stuff to put in your body. People will always eat awful stuff because it's readily available and tastes good. People will equate offering food with offering affection, support, etc. (even though for someone trying to lose weight, this is backwards and crazy...it's just habit and they don't think about it) For some people it's a manners thing...I can't eat in front of someone else without offering to share, regardless of what I'm eating. Doen't matter if I'm eating a protien bar or a donut...if you're hanging out with me and I think you might be hungry...I'll offer you half. You can always say no. Sometimes, I make a mindful decision to eat junk food. I budget for it in my daily calories and I like proving to myself that I control food and food doesn't control me anymore. I like eating junk now, because I don't enjoy it as much as I used to and I don't feel out of control. I know that sounds crazy....but seriously...there is a satisfying victory in consuming 200 calories of something I used to be totally out of control with...and go...you know what? That's good, but I can take it or leave it now. I LOVE that I can take it or leave it now. And I really love that I'm being dead honest about that, because I have spent a lifetime lying to myself about food. I very honestly am not as reactive about food as I used to be...and that's a HUGE victory. Yep, I still like fat, sugar and salt. Most people do. But I can take them or leave them, and I can budget a sensible serving and not have my nutrition day ruined. I credit part of that to revamping my eating habits and microbiota due to the surgery, and part to food addiction work with my bariatric therapist. Both have been incredibly important.

My surgeon said the average was 60% of excess weight and did a calculation to tell me what that was - but never set a goal weight. I had an idea of where I want to be but I also acknowledge that I’m not sure what my happiest weight will be. I just kind of picked 150 pounds but if I’m happy and comfortable and active at a higher weight, I’m good with that too. I also heard that wherever you are around three months is likely half of what you’ll lose altogether.

I picked a weight that was “healthy” aka not obese, that I had maintained before.

Stress can cause weight gain so my best guess would be maybe that? Because it sounds like what's going on right now would stress anyone out. Sorry you're going through all that and I hope you can figure it out and that little bit of extra weight drops off!

I am not working out. I can't due to other health issues. I walk on a regular basis but that's it. This isn't muscle. I average 50 oz of fluid a day. I already saw my dietitian. This is not diet related as I was successfully maintaining pre revision while eating more. I absolutely cannot physically eat enough calories to be gaining weight. I am also vomiting up much of what I eat. My maintenance TDEE is 1548 calories to maintain 140 pounds. I am tracking my calories and averaging 800 in my fitness pal daily. I measure everything. Even if I was off at all I am not eating double that amount of calories. It's literally impossible. Again I was successfully maintaining while eating more. This is completely unexplained weight gain and not diet related. I am so tired of suggestions to see my dietitian when I just saw her. I have a diet plan from her that I am following. I have a follow up with my surgeon next week.

How funny! That's my one year anniversary date! I agree, screw that BMI scale! I was shocked when my family doctor told me I was okay to get my knee replacement now. I said, don't I have to wait until I lose all the weight first? He said I was ready now. He kept telling me how good I was doing. Made me feel great! Best of luck with your surgery!

I want to preface this that I am not an expert, but I also didn't notice how much water/liquids you are currently consuming. I know that if you don't get enough water in, that you will retain it until you have enough. If you are eating the proper calories which it sounds like, you wouldn't be gaining actual weight. Are you working out more? If so, then you might also be gaining muscle. I hope this helps but that is all that I can come up with. If you do continue with this weight gain problem, then checking with you dietician/surgeon may be a good idea as well.

Congratulation on having the surgery and entering this journey. For me, I have lost all that I have wanted to lose at this point. My doctor wanted me to weigh around 175 but I kept on losing and ended up at right around 160. I have been able to maintain my weight within a 5lb variance since I made it down to 160 by eating more. If I ate less, I would lose weight again but only if I tried to do so. As I am not trying to do that, I increased my intake and now consume a reasonable amount of calories daily. My wife and I had surgery on the same day. She had a bit more to lose than I did and she still wants to lose another 40 or so lbs while I have made it to a maintainable weight. To increase my calories I have added 2 additional snacks a day. Almost every day I have 1-2 oz of low sugar trail mix to help increase the calories. The high calorie nuts have definitely helped me in stabilizing my weight. I do have other mixed nuts on occasion but I tend to prefer the trail mix. My portion size has not increased too much lately so that is why I had to add more snacks during my day. For now this is working for me and I plan to keep it this way until the 2-3 year regain that is likely. Unlike some of the others, I am just now entering my maintenance phase. I do feel like I look quite a bit older now but I was already losing my hair and balding. I'm not sure if this will change for me or if I will look a bit younger again, but this was also bound to happen to me as balding is common in my family.

Weight goals are achieved by a combination of changes in diet, exercise, eating habits and keeping your emotional life in balance.

I had a revision for GERD/hiatal hernia repair/esophageal dysmotility 7/13. The goal with my revision was to continue maintaining my weight. I had been in maintenance for 7 months the day of my revision. I was 144 pounds the day of my revision. At two weeks post op my weight was down to 133. I met with my dietitian who gave me a goal of 600-800 calories a day initially and to work towards getting back to 1200. She gave me meal plans for puree and soft foods Week 3 I had gained back to 137. I was alarmed but thought maybe the initial weight loss was just water weight and it would even out. However it didn't stop. Week 4 I was back up to 139 and this week (week 5) 141. My fear is that if this continues i will be heavier than the day of my revision. I am not constipated and am having regular bowel movements thanks to miralax. I asked in a revision "support" group on Facebook but got mostly blame filled posts telling me to go back to my dietitian and that I must be eating too much or ridiculous suggestions to ask my doctor for phentermine. I am diligent about weighing and measuring food and tracking what I eat. I was successfully maintaining my weight post sleeve so it is infuriating to be gaining weight while eating less. I am still struggling with esophageal dysmotility and vomiting due to that. I can't get over 800 calories a day because of it and am weak and tired. I did see my gastroenterologist this week and was told I need a esophageal manometry done but we have to wait until I am fully healed from the bypass. I am still eating soft foods. I have a follow up with my surgeon next week. I want to add that I am not interested in losing more weight. I can't physically eat more and I do not buy into the idea that eating too little would cause weight gain. I just want to maintain my weight. I am really trying to eat as much as my dietitian has suggested but it's hard.

Hi rjan, I enjoyed reading your post. I was sleeved in July 2020, having a SW of 200# at 5’4”, similar to your stats. I am losing weight at a REALLY slow pace at this point. It has taken me 8 mos. to lose the last 10 lbs!! I figure it’s due to 1) a relatively low starting BMI, 2) my age (68), and 3) having the sleeve vs. the bypass. But your post is personally encouraging to me; I’ll keep plugging along!

The same happened to me. I ended up 18 pounds below my goal weight before I stopped losing. Honestly, I looked a little skeletal, and I posted here at that time that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stop losing weight. Well, I did--and I gained 15 pounds. I stabilized there and have been able to maintain without too much work for the past year.

I’m looking at having an extending tummy tuck with lipo, and a breast lift/augmentation sometime early next year and the costs are going to be roughly in the 25k range (insurance won’t cover any of this as it’s an elective cosmetic procedure and my insurance doesn’t cover anything related to weight loss). I’m curious what most of you that had more costly surgeries used for financing? Did you do a personal loan, Care Credit, other financing options, or credit card? Any tips would be helpful!

I like his videos. He’s not rude or condescending. I think if more teams told people to expect a little gain it wouldn’t be so devastating when it happens. I was not given that information until I joined the community and people made it sound like Armageddon instead of normal.

this was really a really good video - thanks! And yes - I've heard from the get-go that most people gain 10-20 lbs (about 10% of what they lost) after hitting their lowest weight. I swore it would never happen to me, but it did! I've come to terms with it finally. My challenge now is just keeping it there and not letting it go up anymore.

My guess is that it may be related to medications, as many of the mental health meds have weight gain or increased appetite as a side effect. There are some that are considered metabolically neutral-check in with your psychiatrist about that. On the other hand, 16 lbs above “normal” BMI is really not bad! Many, many bariatric patients never reach a “normal” BMI and their surgeon will tell them that going from obese to just over weight is a success. Congrats on all you’ve done so far!

I've never heard that about bipolar disorder's effect on weight loss. There are a lot of WLS patients who are bipolar, though - I've seen MANY people post about being bipolar in the seven or so years I've been hanging out on bariatric forums. my weight loss finally stopped at 20 months out. Those last six months or so my loss slowed to a crawl, though - we're talking like two pounds a month some months. So don't give up yet! You may still have some loss and get down to where you want to be. But it's true that the closer people are to a normal BMI, the tougher (and slower) weight loss becomes...

I didn't mean the weight scale. I meant the BMI scale/chart. Nice to know it's not just me that feels that way.