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I have been hypothyroid since 2009. I take 75 mcg of synthroid. Major weight gain since then after being obese my whole life. Got my first appointment with the bariatric surgery team at the Mayo Clinic in November. Interested in seeing how this all turns out.

First off, Thank you to all the well wishers. I didn't have that hard of a fight. I met 2 out of the three items for their criteria. I'm just glad I have finally been approved. I know my life is going to change for the healthier. As far as the weight gain goes, yes, I do have to gain back what I busted my butt to lose. And to answer the question yes it is for insurance. 43.9 is not the same as 45 as far as BMI is concerned in their book, so I need to maintain 45 or better. I will keep all of you posted, thanks again for the congrats and the well wishes!!! Mike

On my liquid phase I lost about 16 pounds. I'm on my 3rd week (mushy foods) and after going from the liquid stage to the mushy foods I went up about 4 pounds. On liquids I was on about 300 to 400 calories a day to now about 700 - 1,000 per day. Why the weight gain if the calories are still low (under 1200)? When does the weight start coming off at a normal rate of 1 to 2 pounds a week? Once I start regular food and go to maybe 1200 will I gain all my weight back? Please let me know if this is typical in the beginning? Thanks,

Congrats on your maintenance, for me, I am not sure I will ever maintain because my weight gain/issues were always mental, and always will be. Although for the most part im ok with it, it keeps me on my toes and I eventually progress downward on the scale. Not to say it doesn't fluctuate up once in a while...I'm coming out of a very cold snowy winter here in the north east but have begun to tackle the ten pounds I put on during "hibernation" LOL...however, I thank my band every day because I know it would have been a lot more than 10 lbs without it.

Hi Everyone, It is exactly 3 months today since my surgery, so I would like to give a summary of the main changes and improvements in my lifestyle now. I started with a BMI of 35.44 weighing 213 lbs. I am 55 years old and was having huge problems with aches and pains in my lower limb joints. I need to wear orthotic inserts in my shoes and have stopped wearing high heels. The lack of mobility was contributing to my weight gain, and my weight gain was contributing to my lack of mobility. Both problems were getting worse. Now, I have lost 37.4 lbs since surgery and have a BMI of 29.22. (I did not do a pre-op diet.) I have noticed a marked improvement in my joints and overall agility and flexibility. I still need to wear flat shoes but can now feel comfortable in sandals without orthotics for short periods and also can wear a much greater range of footwear again. I have a wedding coming up in October and hope to be able to wear high heels for the day. I am also sleeping much better recently. I have dropped approx 1 size in clothing from a UK size 18 to a 16, and sometimes a 14 and lost 4 inches from my waist, which was and still is my real problem area. I am enjoying this change in eating habits and newly acquired lifestyle and I am very pleased with my overall results. Regards, Booklean

There were many reasons for me choosing WLS in the first place, and the biggest drive force was for me to be able to conceive, have a healthy pregnancy, and deliver a healthy baby without the complications of obesity during pregnancy. I've been waiting 3 long weeks to share this news with all of you, and am happy to report I AM PREGNANT ! ! ! After 14 long, exhausting, and emotionally draining months, I'm finally pregnant. I am considered high risk for several reasons, and VSG does throw me into that category along with other medical issues I have which are NOT related to VSG at all. I have an idiopathic clotting disorder and the cause, reason is still unknown. We do know that I am missing certain Protein factors in my platelets, but other than that, they can not pinpoint the cause or even give it a name hence the "idiopathic". We know the treatment is similar to that of Von Willebrand's disease, but all of my work ups have been negative for VW factor. It's kind of crazy, and I have a feeling I will be having more lab work due to the disorder and pregnancy. I have that "mother's intuition" that we are pulling for Team Blue, and if all goes well, I will have a repeat c-section and tubal ligation since I will be 35 yrs old a month after the baby is delivered. My husband is elated, overjoyed, and of course stressed. He's become the food police all over again, and worries that I am not eating enough. BUT, per the recommendations, I am getting enough calories/protein/carbs currently. They expect me to gain 25-30lbs during the pregnancy, and I kind of snickered at that thought process, but I am not saying it won't happen. I've never read any WLS patient gaining that much post-WLS except band patients. So, we'll see how the weight gain goes. Thus far, I am experiencing sore boobs, crazy food cravings for anything spicy, and fatigue. I have experienced zero morning sickness and for that I am very grateful. I've been cleared to continue my Celebrate multi, b12, and Calcium. The formulation of these Vitamins actually exceed the values of any prenatal on the market, and my labs looked stellar except for my platelets were low normal (which is normal for me). Today was my first ultrasound appointment. I knew the day we conceived "Little Sprout", and had the due date spot on. Everything was perfect, strong, steady heartbeat at 150bpm, everything looked good internally. I'm being referred to a civilian high-risk ob/gyn team and my pregnancy will be co-managed between them and the base provider. All this means is that I'll have double appointments that most pregnant women have to go through. Sorry for the quality. The base equipment is a bit dated, but we were able to hear the heartbeat, and of course I cried. My husband was able to attend, and he just stood there staring at the screen kind of in awe. It was truly the most joyous event I've experienced. Thank you for all of your continued support and encouragement. I would ask that you keep our family in your thoughts and prayers. This is going to be a long process, and Sprout is due November 5th. This place is kind of like my 2nd home so I'm sure I'll be posting more updates as the months progress. . Oh and I don't have much of a belly bump at all yet. I'm bloating, but my clothes are fitting the same, and I have not gained any weight to date. I'm not any hungrier than I was before pregnancy, just insane cravings for random foods I would not have eaten. It'll be interesting to see how I look this pregnancy. I was around 200lbs when I was pregnant with my son 13 yrs ago, and gained 37lbs so I was just huge and round. This time I'm interested to see how my body changes, and hopefully I'll get the cute baby bump that I see on everyone else.

I'm JEALOUS!!! That is one Cruise I'd love to take and you thought I meant the weight gain...lol No actually I think you'll do fine What would you do if you were having the sleeve done next month? Try to lose weight or say to heck with it? I know what I'm going to hear "If you're not ready to change your diet then you're not ready for the sleeve". I AM ready. My band failed after 3 1/2 yrs (totally my fault, NOPE sorry I don't believe ANYONE is at fault, no matter what happens with the Band. frequent vomiting) and I NEED something to help me take off the rest and maintain forever. It's why I got the band in the first place. I hate dieting We ALL go into WLS because we need that extra TOOL When you have the sleeve I'm assuming you'll be on a pre-op diet? I think this will be a perfect time to get back in gear, personally I don't know that I could go on a cruise and not enjoy the Food and from what I've read concerning the sleeve your not going to be going 'full steam ahead" with eating even if your head wants to your body isn't going to let you, it seems most have a slowwwwwwww and steady restart. So stop fretting, what's done is done your GOING TO DO AWESOME with your Sleeve!!!!!!! ~~~Good Luck on your Journey ~~~

I have had wine a few times, I am almost 6 months out. I too got tipsy after 2 glasses. The big thing, I think, is the fact that alcohol is high in calories. Drinking your calories can easily cause weight gain. So I try to keep alcohol to special occasions and not too excess.

I really dislike the fact that there are a million people out there who are looking for a quick fix that will work and are being taken advantage of. I know, i was one of them but I am also a skeptic and don't believe any of the commercials- but i really wanted to and wanted something that would work. the one size fits all approch is as missused by the medical community as by the commercial marketers. How many times have you heard " why just eat less and excersize and you will loose weight. Why can't you do that?" It is just not that easy for some and there are other reasons for weight gain. Neither drs. or weight loss "experts" can push a one size fits all approach, that is why i like the band- you have a tool to work with that works- if you work with it.

At a normal weight I only had a B cup. Then I breastfed and got a lil larger. Weight gain made me a C almost D. I'd take the B's as long as I can keep some hips and booty!.

I have dieted off and on most of my adult life!! And if anyone would ask me if they should do it I would say go with your heart!! Do what you feel is right even if others don't!! But I agree I was just a few months from turning 30, but I say that it was a great time, I was done having kids, didn't have to worry about the weight gain there. But anyway long story short lol YES IT IS!!

I had a paragard for 3 months. It slipped too low. After a lot of bleeding& pain, I got it out. My midwife didn't believe the bleeding was from poor positioning even tho the strings were much llonger every month, I've never had unprotected sex& made me pay for an std panel. All clear. I'm concerned about uterine scarring. The insertion was fine. I had the cervix softening med, but after that I had contraction like pain, bled 10 days the 1st month, 14 days the 2nd, & all of January. No time for sex & was really inconvenient. My normal periods were 4 days. I'm starting the minipill& praying for no weight gain or negative effects.

Ok Ladies....... I am 6 weeks post op tomorrow and just started my first period since surgery and the scale shows I gained 3 pounds. While my brain tells me the gain is likely due to my period, I can't help but feel maybe it isn't. Anyone else experience this?

Pinky, Have you been tested for sleep apnea, I was shocked when I found out I had it, because I am overweight but not huge. I had symtoms of fatigue tiredness, body aches, my bloodwork checked out ok so dr. sent me to rheumetoidologist (sp.) and sure enough I have it, my Dad had it and I have a brother and sister with it. The weight gain comes along with it because you do not feel like doing anything and when you do it makes you tired. I have a CPAP machine but I pull the mask off every night cause I hate it. I am going to look into surgery that is supposed to correct it. Anniemay

Until we reach true restriction we should all be getting fills. Once you can only eat less than a cup of food at a sitting and stay satisfied you are at your sweet spot. Weight loss should average 1-2 lbs a week. And NO doctor should make you feel bad about weight gain of how much you lose. As a PP stated a little "talkin' to" in one thing but belittling is out of the questions. Best wishes!!!

Please don't beat yourself up. I had so many food funerals that I gained 10 pounds from when I initially saw my surgeon in November to when I saw her again in December. Thankfully I'm doing the preop diet and have lost everything that I gained. But looking back I'm really angry at myself because the weight gain just made my goal farther away.

@@andersonrivera, Yes I knew I would have surgery, I just had to wait to go through my insurance process for approval. I do not regret having VSG surgery. My weight had spiraled so much out of control it was affecting not only my physical health but also my mental health. I love the fact that with this tool you only need a few bites and your full. One of the reasons for my weight gain was portion control and this helps keep me on track. Yes I like drinking after my meals. I was a person that would drink glasses and glasses of juice before, during and after my meals and would get a lot of extra calories that way. By having it after my meal it allows me time to chew and actually taste my food! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Yes and yes! You have to have the mental fortitude to be stronger then desires. It would be so easy to just have one, but one leads to 2 and 1 week of bad eating leads to 3 months of bad eating if not careful. And that is where the weight gain will occur. Be strong! Put your health goals ahead of desires. True story today. My wife and I were at an aquatic center grand opening today and their idea of refreshments was 1000s of little cupcakes and regular size Cookies. Go figure. Ignoring for a moment of how such food ended up at a place of fitness,I just want to say how easy it would have been to eat 1-3 cup cakes (bite size) and/or a cookie or two. There is not any aspect from surgery that would have prevented me from doing this. No restrictions, no slimes,etc. I had to make a decision of not indulging even though I could probably had gotten away with it due to my fitness levels. I had to leave the room. It just was not worth it to start down that slippery slope so +1 for mental fortitude. Put your health goals first before your desires and you will be strong enough for when those temptations arise.

First....HUUUUUUUUUGGGGG!!! You will get through this. YOU WILL. I did, and so will you. My divorce and the mess leading up to it is a huge factor in my weight gain. Do what you can to avoid this. It will only make you more unhappy, and unhappy with yourself. I don't know what circumstances are leading to the divorce, but mine was messy and I almost ended my life over it. It wasn't until I realized that this IS a new start, and i am no longer controlled/manipulated/emotionally abused by another, unloving person. Set a day that will be your RESTART. Not only should you change your diet that day, but start thinking about yourself differently. You are free to be you, to better you, and to find people who will life you up (and vice versa). But start with YOU. Focus on you and your needs. Don't fuss with the finding a date and such. That will come when you have emotionally healed. If you don't want to go out on a date a friend set you up with, then DON'T. You need to be emotionally ready for dating. So smack a friend if you have to. I did. She finally got the point. Also, you have us to lean on...sort of. Good for you for asking for help and encouragement. Trust me, hiding everything away is not very healthy. So message me if you need to. I'll be here. Take heart. Read my signature, and what Christopher Robin says to Pooh Bear. This truly did help me get through all the pain of my broken marriage and divorce...and another woman who went through the same things gave it to me. It had helped her too.

I am 33 years old. MY starting weight was 360 and I am 5'10''. I have lost about a hundred pounds in three months. I exercise often and try to get all my fluids. I still have some skin issues but I have noticed that they are in places that I previously had stretched my skin from weight gain. (example: under my arms) Honestly, it is not yet a serious "issue" for me and I have noticed that places that seem a bit "saggy" one day have improved and tightened up a bit in the weeks to follow. I do not think there is a clear cut answer to your very valid question. I question, I might add, that weighed heavy on my mind prior to my surgery. Everybody's experience is different because there are way too many factors involved. I truly hope that all goes well for you in your journey. Good luck.

I am 6 months out, so as the others said, I can't speak for the weight gain in the long term, but as with any weight loss surgery, there is still a lot of work involved with exercise and making good choices. You could easily put the weight back on, I'm sure, if you don't stick to a high Protein low carb diet. At this point, I still can't eat more than a 1/2 cup of food at a time and I was told by a year I would be able to eat a cup, so the stomach stretches but that is not anywhere near the capacity I had before surgery! As for the Vitamin deficiency, I take a Multivitamin and vit d with Calcium once a day and my labs have been perfect every two months since I had the surgery.

Yes, Dorothy Sue, I did. Actually, I lost only 53 or so pounds over a year out. My goal was about 150. Then in the last 4 years, I gained 26 or so pounds and plateaued at 300 for a few years. I had ditched the whole WLS rules and went rogue. Too many reasons to give a hoot. I failed. But something in my Soul recently urged me, excitedly, to start all over again. I use BP as a big motivator, teacher, best friend. It eventually worked because I am now full on into my bypass diet, with the support of my husband, who must follow a diabetic lifestyle. I'm excited, hoping it's not a "honeymoon phase", and doing very, very well. Though I must say that getting in "enough" food has been a challenge. But with all the support I have, I know I can do it! Are you having issues with weight gain/regain? Polly

Thanks for sharing your personal stories everyone. I have a slippage and am angry right now. I started having problems at the end of last summer. I couldn't eat anything and was throwing up everyday. I had a upper GI fluoroscopy and was told I was fine. I wanted all the liquid taken out for a few months to let my system recover, but said no that I should just have some liquid taken out. I listen to my doctor for fear of gaining weight (which he said would happen guarantee) and only had 1 cc taken out. He's a doctor and I'm not, he should know best. However, I made it clear I had stomach aches and something didn't feel right with a list of my symptoms. I have been to 3-4 visits these past few months and each time is i was unfilled a little bit, so I felt better. Now my band is in the middle of my stomach instead of at the top it has been slipping slowly for the last 9 months. I should have listen to my gut instinct. My timeline: -2 1/2 years with the band (lost 70 lbs total) -First 6 months not much weightless, higher filled each doctor visit -6 to 17 months lost weight -1.5 years with the band had my first problem -Went through a year of lower adjustments and now need surgery -This past year no major weight loss or weight gain (3-9 lbs up and down) Whoever is reading this, I'm not pro or anti-band right now... I am angry and scared. I don't want to have another surgery. I have less than a week to make up my mind and don't know if I should have the band removed or repositioned. I have no answers or insights just questions. Good luck to all who are having problems and hope we each come to the conclusion that is best for each one of us. Any more info, studies or advise, please keep sharing.

@par1959 I was going to say the same thing... How much is the true question... I have heard of the small weight gain once you have hit your goal & are year or more out... between 10-20lbs... Thats what my Doc & Nut told me... I just cant see how someone would gain all the weight back when your not eating like you use to....

Oh this makes me soooo excited! I am a 40DD, and would LOVE to be back to a B. I hate the weight of them and how much bigger I look with them too. I did lose a ton of weight twice before after 2 of my kids and I don't remember losing much up there...I was smaller before the weight gain too.