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So I'm 5 days away from my 8 month anniversary of VSG surgery and finally admitting that my old habits and obsession with snacking have not miraculously disappeared because of WLS. On May 28th, I had lost 60 pounds and was so positive that I'd reach goal by my 8 month anniversary. But rather than stay focused, eat healthy and follow the plan, I got over confident and reverted back to snacking on all the high carb, high sugar, high salt comfort foods that had originally caused my weight gain. I stopped going to my monthly support group meetings, stopped my daily involvement in on-line bariatric and weight loss support groups and as a result, I've gained 8 pounds rather than losing the last 6 pounds that would have gotten me to goal. I know what I have to do to get back on track. Any suggestions on how to break my addition to carbs? I'm focused on Protein today with the hope that once I break the carb cycle, I can get back to making better food choices for my late night Snacks. Yes, the honeymoon is over!!

There's a site called bariactriceating.com that has a bot, back on track for weight gain, this may help you..good luck.. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using the BariatricPal App

I also fear going back to the places I was as I lose this weight. As I hit new milestones I think "this is what I was doing at this weight in my life". The emotional and physical abuse I suffered was the main reason for my weight gain and going through it again will be hard. I have spent the last 24 years of my total 30 on earth building up this wall of fat to protect me. I am ready now to get it off and hopefully deal with the reasons behind it. Thank you for sharing this. It really hit home with me. And also gives me hope that I can go through it and make to the other side.

According to my nutritionist after you enter the Maintenance phase, your meals should consist of equal parts of protein, fats and carbs but always put protein first. Fats are important because they help to control hunger. It is common to have some limited weight gain after weight loss surgery. They call it a 20 pound bounce. The important thing is not let go beyond this 20 pounds. Most times this weight gain is due to a poor choice of snacks. Snacks should be limited to primarily to whole food options: nuts, natural nut butters, fruits, veggies, boiled eggs, string cheese, yogurt with berries and almonds, tuna pouches. Avoid processed packaged foods as much as possible. Also do not expect to lose weight at a rate similar to right after surgery. Generally if you gained the additional weight over a couple years, then it may take a couple years of watching what you eat to get back down.

Grilled tilapia, roasted asparagus and ... yeah ... that's it. I started my pre op two weeks early and no food funerals were had. I figured I had enough food to get me to 264 pounds and I'd eventually have anything I wanted again. No need to started my pre op with a crap load of carbs that would only make it harder and why risk (minor) weight gain just to have to lose it?

Thank you for this explanation! I was getting concerned too. I only found out about this group last night. I am having gastric sleeve surgery tomorrow morning. Today is my one and only liquid diet day. But reading other people I was getting so worried. I am at a lower BMI, but qualified for the surgery because of a list of co-morbidities. My weight gain is hormonal. Gained more than 100 lbs after having a hysterectomy 7 years ago. I went from thin, healthy and energetic to overweight and tired with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. (It’s been a rocky 7 years.) I am 5’11” and am currently 258 lbs. Highest weight was 283. My goal weight is to at least get below 200. That is about when all the health issues started. Would be wonderful to get back to 150-160 lbs, but given my hormonal issues, that is probably a stretch.

Since having my surgery on October 20, 2011, I have set a "main" goal every year. Year one was obvious, get to the weight that my body wanted to be at. Approximately fourteen months post-op I hit 155 lbs, my weight loss leveled out, I felt great about my weight, about myself, and about what I had accomplished. Year two. I had read so many times about "bounce back weight gain". Usually ten or fifteen pounds but sometimes much more. I researched everything I could find and there appeared to be no physical or metabolic justification for the weight gain. It was/is quite common, but I could find no science to explain it. So my year two goal became to avoid the bounce back. I established a window of 151 to 156 lbs that I was determined to maintain. I changed my weigh-ins schedule from my year one weekly weight checks to year two daily checks. My weight in year two was seldom below 151 (maybe two or three times) and never above 156. Year three. As you get further out veterans who have "been there done that" often drop off of the forums. It became more difficult to identify potential "bumps in the road" that were common in the third year post-op period. Then over a period of time I read a number of posts by a five year veteran who repeatedly stressed that maintaining your weight becomes more difficult, m u c h more difficult, after the two year mark. And responses to this member's posts seemed to confirm that many had experienced the same difficulties. Once again I looked to science for an explanation and possible suggestions for avoiding or at least minimizing the challenges. And once again I was unable to identify any credible science to explain the problem. So my year three goal became more of a mental challenge than a physical one. I had lost 130 lbs. And I had maintained it for a year. The goal for year three became to maintain my commitment, and my focus, on following my plan that had resulted in the success I had achieved. Stay positive. Stay patient. Monitor my weight daily and respond very quickly to weight changes. Making slight increases or decreases in my calorie goal depending on whether I needed to gain or lose two or three pounds. Exercise to my ability. Continue to maintain a food log. The result? I frankly never experienced any identifiable change in my diet, in the effort required to maintain my weight, or in my confidence that I was in complete and absolute control of my weight. No changes. None. Zip. And my weight this morning? 154.2 I only have one problem - I'm at a total loss for a year four goal! Everyone's thoughts, suggestions, ideas or experiences are most welcome!! You guys have a terrific day and regardless of where you're at in your journey always remember - follow your plan and you're gonna love the new you!

Not quite sure how to "tag" someone yet - but in response to gingeryank's post - I've been type 1 diabetic for 13 years - I was diagnosed when I was 17. I was a skinny kid back then and didn't know anything about the disease. As you grow and learn I've managed to live a fairly normal life work related / social life related you just need to be careful. What lead me to the sleeve was a bunch of steroid injections in my injured hand from sports and about 100lbs of weight gain in a year. Insulin is a growth hormone it puts weight on people. As you gain weight you need more insulin. With the steroids it was awful. I had the sleeve done on 3/9 and my pre op diet started 2/26. Since 2/26 I am down just over 41 lbs and am taking a fraction of the insulin I used to. I feel better every day. I would think it's helping I'm just concerned with any longer term issues that may arise. I don't know many type 1 diabetics that have had this done. If anyone else has I would love to hear a story and about your successes! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

thanks for the advice, I will definitely throw out the fast food. Surgery is 9 days away omg. The advice and stories told on here helps so much. I will be documenting every bit if my journey. I'm not looking forward to the gas pain, that's the only thing I am worried about, ugh. But this will be a new me, As Frust8 has said, it will be a rebirth in a sense. I'm ready to not get winded walking up my stairs, or walking in a grocery store. I stopped going to the mall because it entails so much walking. I used to enjoy running, but I now even dread walking. This is the tool that I need to help. What issues have you guys developed because of your weight or any connection with weight gain? -I have PCOS -insulin resistance - infertility -anxiety -depression - I've developed a lot of skin allergies - moodiness - chronic back pain - plantar facisitis, I work in a hospital so I'm always on the move and on my feet. This irritates my tendons even more plus all the weight gained. - and all i wear is sweat pants and t shirts. It's the only thing that fits me comfortably. I went dress shopping for an event and I picked 3 dresses to try on, they were 2X and 3X. My husband waited while I tried them on I tried the first one, I couldn't fit my arms through at all, second dress. I could barely pull down past my neck, the third dress I didn't attempt to try on. So I walked out that dressing room feeling defeated and disgusting because I used to be in a 8/10. As I walked out my husband asked what was wrong, they didnt fot or you dont like them? I told him and as we are walking to check out, I began crying, no stop. Defeated, I need this. I'm not myself, I want to enjoy life again.

I have a friend who went though the surgery and started to experience weight gain on only 1400 calories a day . She started working with a very good Nutritiomist and physiologist and started dropping weight while eating 2000 calories a day . She works out differently , heavier weight workouts versus cardio and eats some really different protein rich things

Lost story short, My mom is not being supportive of me having surgery. Honestly, it kind of sucks. My husband, sister, sister in law, brother in law, and best friend all are. I've only told them... but my mother is telling me I can lose the weight on my own. She knows how much I suffered with my weight all of my life... But she doesn't understand that PCOS, Endometriosis, Hypothyroid and Hypertension all cause water weight/weight gain (idk if she just doesn't believe it?)... Do/Did you have a family member or friend who wasn't supportive?

There's no good answer here. Some people even show a weight gain.

OMG! This thread was written for me! I am currently experiencing weight gain and am sooooo depressed! I recently had a TT and I have done nothing but consistently put on weight. I am up 5lbs since my TT and have no excuses. I eat like a pig and can't seem to stop myself! My daughter and BF keep telling me to stop and slow down and the more I am aware of what I'm doing the more I want to keep eating! I can't seem to figure out what is bothering me and why I am obsessed and DEMAND to sabotage myself! I'm screaming out for help but I know I am the only one that can stop this insanity but I just can't seem to do it. Because of this thread I am going to start tracking my food again on myfitnesspal.com and I am going to start walking for exercise again. Thanks to everyone for the inspiration and insight!

Hi all! I want to share my story because I feel like things are "hopeless" again like they did all of those years I had been dieting prior to having my gastric sleeve. I was sleeved in September of 2010 by Dr. Aceves in Mexicali. I had a wonderful experience there and would do it again in a heartbeat. In fact, I feel like I may need to do it again since the weight gain has started. I started at 240 lbs and the lowest weight I got to, which was last year at this same time, was 150 lbs. At that time, I stuidly felt like I was losing too much weight, as I wanted to stay curvy, so a friend of mine who has had the lap band, suggested I find something high calorie to substitute my daily intake with so I was getting enough calories to not lose any more weight. Being an emotional eater, this should have been a huge red flag for me, but here was an excuse for me to overindulge, so I took it. cheese was what worked for me. I ate a lot of cheese.. sometimes, nothing but cheese once I figured out it would go down easy. After that I moved onto processed crackers and Cookies, again, things that go down easily without getting full and without getting the sick feeling. I weighed myself yesterday and I'm back up to 167 lbs. Two months ago I was at 163 lbs, so i'm rapidly climbing back up the scale. I do go to the gym, was twice a week, but in the last two weeks i've bumped it up to 3 times a week. I do strength training with weights and cardio. I am fairly active on the weekends, as I am fortunate enough to live in an area where everything is either walking or biking distance. The problem is, and i'm suspecting this will be most of our problem here on this site, is that we are emotional eaters. And it was great at first with the sleeve because you literally could not eat anything.. .or you were so afraid to eat anything that you just wouldn't eat it in fear of getting "that feeling" (you all know what i'm talking about). I can take the literature and read it over and over... my doctor can send me emails and tell me what to do (eat your Protein first, dont snack, etc). In a perfect world, if I could do that, then I wouldn't have needed to have weight loss surgery in the first place. My brain tells me to eat for comfort, eat when you're happy, eat when you're sad, eat to Celebrate.... and the hard part is, now that I've figured out what I can eat with the sleeve, its becoming more and more difficult to overcome this feeling. I have been in therapy for about 8 years trying to overcome this emotional eating issue, but its so easy to go back to what we know, rather than change it. Not making excuses... i'm just reaching out to others who may have the same feelings and eating disorder as I do... and maybe if we can get rid of that shame we feel by sharing with each other, we can overcome this need to eat to stuff our emotions. Because I do feel very shameful that I paid all of this money, risked my life in Mexico to have this surgery done... and now i'm sabotaging myself and undoing the very thing that I've wanted my entire life... to be thin and "normal". Whatever normal is... If you haven't had the sleeve yet, please, make sure you get in tune with yourself with regard to the emotional eating, becuase although the first year or so of the weight loss is great! If you dont get your disorder under control, it will all come back, eventually. I said at the beginning of this post that I feel hopeless, but by letting me share here, I do feel a little more hopeful than I did when I started writing this. Thank you for listening. Nikki

Wls has opened up so many opportunities for me. I have rhuematoid arthritis and losing the weight has allowed me to decrease the medication that was causing my weight gain. I have been on steroids for about 6 years and hopefully next year I can come off of them completely. My answer to why be this drastic an have the surgery is simple. With the surgery you still have the cravings you did before, but instead of having to rely on your will power your stomach not only says no - but screams HELL NO! I started where you are 256 at 5'3 and I am down about 85 after 6 months. I feel sexy and confident, and more like a woman ( if that makes any sense).

Thank You Suzie, SommerBrez, and LilMissDiva. I really appreciate ya'll taking time to write me back. Suzie: I know this won't be a quick fix, however, I don't want to go backwards either. I know I need to be more patient with myself its just hard to when I see so many people already getting to their goal. I guess I don't factor in how much time they invested to get there. SommerBrez: I'm so glad I'm not the only one feeling this way. I get my fill in a week and a half. I hope to see some change after that especially since I will be able to work out then. LilMissDiva: what about the sodium? I do try to keep a low sodium diet but thats because high blood pressure runs in my family. How is that contributing to my weight gain?

High sodium contributes to Water retention, which we all know translates into weight gain. It's just speculation based on my own experiences. If you are on a low sodium diet, this is probably not the case for you. Just throwin stuff out there.

It has been 2 1/2 years since I was banded. I got down to size 10 and my lowest weight was 155 lbs. My husband and I were traveling in March to May this year. I got sick with a kidney infection on our drive to Florida. My stomach got upset with my IBS and I was nauseated. My band got really tight in the middle of all that and the end result was MILKSHAKES! My stomach was so upset and my band so tight that I was living on very little food but could drink milk and milkshakes felt very comforting. They settled my stomach and filled me up. I got antibiotics when I got to Orlando but they made my stomach more upset. I was throwing up a lot and had terrible heartburn, throwing up if I laid down. I spent most nights sleeping sitting up. I was in misery. It was not caused by my band but my band got into the middle of everything. I needed a defill but was out of my country. I tried everything - bland foods, eating mushy or liquids, using antacids constantly. Nothing helped. We got home from our trip to Florida and I got more antibiotics because I felt like the infection was still there. I also got a small defill. We were leaving again only 10 days later for Hawaii for our 40th anniversary. When we got to Honolulu for the first week, I got really sick again. I was very nauseated and throwing up. My band felt very constricted again and I stopped taking my antibiotics. My stomach settled down but the band stayed very tight. When we got home from Hawaii the first week of May, I was sick again for about 4 days, vomiting and nausea. My band seemed even tighter and I could hardly eat anything. It was hard to even drink tea. My band seemed to have tightened on it's own again. Then I started having choking episodes and I felt like my stomach/pouch was up in my throat. I had a few episodes where I couldn't breathe and had to concentrate to relax my throat and let the food or drink go down so I could get my breath. I was terrified. I could not understand what was happening. It seemed like the band had slipped. I phoned and talked to my clinic and they advised me over the next few days to get a big defill. I did that and my stomach and band settled down. I had severe gas pains for about three days following the defill that doubled me over and I was in agony, pacing the floor and crying with the pain. Bandster hell. Finally that stopped. I then felt no restriction and was eating too much and too much junk. I started gaining weight and felt so upset with myself. I tried to stop overeating and watch what I was consuming but continued. I needed my band refilled. A month after my defill of 2 cc, I went back for a fill of 1 cc. that gave me back some restriction but I was still gaining weight. We had our 40th Anniversary party on Aug 7 and I felt self conscious and fat. I changed dresses to cover up my 14 lb weight gain. Other people didn't notice but I could feel the extra weight around my middle especially. I missed feeling svelte and beautiful and in control. I have had a lot of company and been too busy to spend any time on my Curves program or eating patterns. I am feeling more restriction now but have had another setback.After all the problems with my stomach, my doctor sent me for tests. One test I had on Monday this week was a barium swallow. The radiologist asked me questions before the test about what had been going on. He was not knowledgeable about lapbands but could see it in the xray. He told me that it was sitting on top of my stomach not like the picture on my lapband card I showed him. I guess my band has slipped and I am anxious to get it back to normal again before I gain too much weight. I wish I could control my eating and lose some weight through just diet. I really love my band and how wonderful it made me feel to lose all that weight in the first place. Wish me luck! :wink2::glare:

Hey Everyone, I haven't posted here in some time. I'm still dealing with the loss of my husband. It has been almost 6 months. When he was diagnosed in January I was almost at goal but now I've gained 40 pounds back. OH LORD.. I'm so ashamed but I swear. I don't eat a lot but I take in a lot of liquid calories and I can't seem to stop. Three cups of coffee every morning made with my Keurig which I use milk in each cup. I do use skim milk but I would think that each cup of coffee has around 250 calories. Milk, creamer, etc. I drink a shake for Breakfast, and lunch, then I eat a meal around 5 pm. I don't have trouble with food. I never eat fast foods at all. But the stupid coffee!!! GOD HELP ME! Frappes... THE DEVIL! Also, fudgesicles. Now these fudgesicles have 80 calories... but when you can't stop eating them...... ugh. I know what I need to do but I can't do it. I need control. I have been walking everyday. Doesn't do anything to keep the weight from coming back. I've gained 22 of these pounds since I buried my husband in June. It just keeps coming and I can't stop it. I'm so out of control. I'm going to gain it ALL back!!! I never thought I would be back here. I was 300HW, LW 168, CW 212. Going right back to food for comfort as I've always done. I miss my husband so much!! I know he wouldn't want this for me. Taking care of him for 6 months and seeing him suffer so much. I know I need counseling as well or something but this weight gain... it just keeps coming everyday. I still don't get how I'm gaining so fast. I would have to take in 3500 calories over the 1200 I need a day to live and maintain. AM I really taking in 4700 a day!???? NOOOOOOO!! I don't get it. Help... I need some sample menus from you all at goal... some advice... some diets you are doing. Just give me a plan to go by. I can't remember how I ate before. Thank you!!! The pics attached are me at my lowest, six months ago, and now.

This is the approach that I use: I strictly avoid processed sugars. I have a sweet tooth and that is one of the major causes that contributed to my weight gain over my lifetime. I limit myself to artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda and sugar alcohols), to natural low calorie sweeteners (such as Stevia) and to the natural sugars found in fruits and milk. I had diabetes. That went into remission when I left the hospital two days after surgery and I have not taken any diabetic medicine ever since and my blood sugar levels are good. I test my blood sugar levels periodically. [Currently over 5 years post-op] I read the labels of all food that I consume. I look at the grams of sugar per serving. If it is above 5 grams, I look at the ingredients. The ingredients are listed in order by highest percentage, and if the first 5 ingredients contain processed sugar (in any of its many forms), then I avoid this food, like a plague. I also restrict myself to about one meal per day containing complex carbohydrates (such as pasta and bread). I also avoid all carbonated beverages. I lost 20 pounds pre-op solely on eliminating carbonated beverages from my diet and I will not go back.

Interesting article. Basically supports what my thinking has been. I just wonder how long does the procedure have to be done before it is no longer referred to being "in it's infancy"? They state numbers referring to patients 6 years out, so, that would appear to me to be out of it's infancy ... But, I reached goal 8 months post and have been maintaining the same weight for over 2 years now. In the article, they state "failure" of a procedure if you have regained 22 pounds or more. That seems like a heavy statement because I have read on here many folks who have regained this and more, but were able to lose it again when they recommitted to comply with the basic guidelines. To me, that is not a procedural failure, but rather an issue with the patient's compliance. As far as why there is weight gain, the article states: There have been so many pissing matches on this forum with regards to the "cheating" question. I'm not going to get into that battle again. Just be ready to accept the consequences. It is difficult for me to support an alcoholic who won't stop drinking ... Bottom line, IMO, is that if I were to gain 30 pounds, it will be due to my "cheating" the sleeve, not the failure of the procedure. I also believe that if I were to return to rigorously following the guidelines, I would drop that 30 pounds. Does this point to a failure of the procedure?

Brief background, got lapband about 11 years ago (starting BMI was 43). I did well and kept off 55 pounds (BMI 33)... until I started aspirating at night. I had a barium swallow which showed a distended esophagus and a endoscopy which showed reflux. Doc said band needs to come out. I had band unfilled, and as I expected, I've gained weight. I've gained about 30 lbs in the last 5 months (current BMI 38). I want to revise to a gastric bypass. I am well aware that I need surgical help to keep at a healthy weight. Prior to banding, and since being unfilled, I'm constantly hungry and never feel full. I finally felt "normal" with the lapband. When I'm not constantly hungry, I can maintain a healthy weight. But, even with the extra 30 lbs, my BMI is still not over 40, which as I understand it, would make insurance coverage easy. (I have Maryland CareFirst BCBS) My doctor has me doing all the things needed for insurance approval for the revision, including being on a supervised diet. But I'm gaining weight. This does not surprise me -- there was a reason I needed surgical weight loss in the first place -- but I'm getting mixed messages from my doctor and from my diet supervisor (who works for his office). Diet supervisor tells me that I'm less likely to get insurance approval due to my weight gain since being unfilled and being on the supervised diet. Doctor has made vague statements saying that the reflux found on the endoscopy may be enough to make it go through insurance successfully. Diet supervisor wants me to lose a significant amount of weight in the coming month, to try to offset my gains, by going on the pre-surgical diet early. Very honestly, I'm hesitant. If I do end up having to get up to a 40 BMI to have the surgery (12 more pounds...), I don't want to yoyo any more than I have to. And if the reflux finding will get me approved, I don't want to starve myself without the benefit of surgical help. Anybody been in any kind of similar situation? I can use any advice or commiseration available.

Hello. I had my surgery on Tuesday. When they weighed me after surgery in the hospital I gained 5 pounds. I chalked it up to bloating and tried not to let it get to me. I weighed myself today and I still weigh the same amount. 5 lbs more than the morning of my surgery. Is that normal 5 days out??? Please be honest with me.

Thats wonderful news I am so pleased for you. I know how you feel about the weight gain but try and relax and not worry to much. (I am a fine one to talk!) Anyway October will be here before you know it. :clap2::clap2:

well, it looks like i have to wait til october. october 4th to be exact. my doc wont do surgery before then, she says my stomach needs to heal completely before the next surgery. so, i have 3 months to wait. i guess at least there is a pot at the end of my rainbow, its just the weight gain in between that im afraid of.