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I am 20 weeks pregnant and 1.75 years out from the sleeve. I lost 130 pounds. At 5'11" I weight around 160. I am up to 183 as of today. That is 23 pounds weight gain in 21 weeks (21 on Wednesday). I have NO clue whether or not I am going to lose this weight, but my restriction might as well be a thing of the past. I can eat my FACE off! I am so hungry all the time! I am hoping that the hunger goes away after baby, but I don't know. I was in maintenance when I got pregnant...I wish I gotten pregnant while still losing, but hey. I am pregnant for the first time at 36! That is a miracle. I have gained weight all over and still can squeeze into my clothes from my thighs, but can not button anything in the tummy. Shirts are little snug in the arms but mostly in my tummy. I feel big, but I am not going to let it get me down. I am not working out which just is terrible. I can not function in this cold weather and I am waiting for the warm weather to hit so I can go walking. Did i mention I can eat? Like everything! So scary!

AT 5+ years, I am still a work in progress. I still maintain at 55% EWL. I gained over 35 pounds in the last year+. Easy as pie. Literally. I can eat anything, and in large amounts if spread over time. I still do not drink with meals unless I have Breakfast out which is not often. I reach for food when emotional or stressful situations come up. I know it... I watch it, I work on it. I mostly write down what I eat, and watch Protein, but those weeks that I don't, I gain. It is not easy to get off. Yes the sleeve still works. I eat less at any sitting... protein first really makes me feel full faster. I continue exercise, and recommitted again.... just finished the 5 day "pouch" test with a 5 pound loss and a lowering of the Carb addiction. One step at a time. The head has to be in the game, just like before weight loss surgery. The sleeve helps... it is a tool, just like they say, and has helped me to maintain at least 50 pound loss for 5 years. I had a weight gain at 2+ years and worked to get to goal after that... so I know I can do it. I think for me, this is something I need to watch and plan every day.... when I don't I gain. I am very happy I got the sleeve though.... VERY HAPPY. Kindle, so true! I didn't see that.

Hey @@alishams86, I too have the nexplanon implant (this year in November will be my 3 year mark), but I was wondering if you have been noticing significant weight loss with it? I'm losing weight but not as fast as I thought being a bypass patient (and compared to others). I also felt like the implant had alot to do with my weight gain prior to surgery and after having my first child, but I have kept it because I like it's convenience and I just said I would work at trying to eat better and being more active. With that being said, have you noticed any weight changes or are you losing weight at a slower pace, or is it just me? Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

I was hopeful that losing weight would help to reduce the amount of facial hair I have, but I'm down to a size two and still dealing with it. I had been taking 200mg of spironolactone ever since being diagnosed with PCOS at age 19, but over time it had become much less effective and caused numerous undesirable side effects like depression, fatigue, and weight gain due to the increased appetite it gave me. I slowly tapered off of it, and finally stopped taking it all together. This has meant that I've seen more facial hair growth, but am not contemplating going back on it because I'd rather deal with one problem than multiple ones caused by this medicine. I just started taking birth control again on Sunday to help with facial hair, but am going to discontinue it because it's causing severe insomnia, nausea, and hot flashes (I'm 20 years too young for menopause). I was also given a prescription for Vaniqa at my recent doctor's appointment, which is a cream that helps to retard hair growth. It takes about 8 weeks to see any results, and the 1 ounce tube was $169. o.O I bought it anyway because desperate measures and all...... In reviews of it I read some women called it a holy grail product that had changed their life for the better, and others said it was not only ineffective but caused breakouts. I am hopeful that a method I've just started trying will be effective, and the medicine and cream won't be necessary. I recently started having it removed with sugaring and have been fortunate to not have any breakouts as a result. It's painful, but not excruciatingly so. I live in Los Angeles, and the woman who did it for me came highly recommended on Yelp and only charged $6 for the chin (I was trying one area at a time). I don't know how much it cost elsewhere, but it's definitely less than electrolysis and laser (which I was told wouldn't work for me because my hair is blonde). Ladies on another forum, Soul Cysters, had recommended a product from Amazon that you apply immediately after removing facial hair (whether by waxing, shaving, threading, etc) to prevent ingrown hairs and acne, and it's been really helpful. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C4YJL96/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I'd felt trapped in a cycle where removing hair caused breakouts, which made me want to hermit as much as possible (which is dismaying because I want to show off the weight loss and go out there and have fun), but the facial hair made me want to hermit as well. I've only been using this product for a few weeks, but thus far it's been a huge relief. You can have higher androgen levels without having PCOS, and that will cause excessive facial hair growth too. PCOS can also be tricky to diagnose because the name is a bit of a misnomer. My endocrinologist said that many women with it do not actually have cysts, so they look at other criteria like your hormone levels and symptoms. Women who are not obese can also have PCOS and facial hair. I'm a young professor, and because of that my students tend to confide in me more than they would older professors. One of my 19-year-old students was telling me how depressed she was due to facial hair and acne caused by PCOS, and she's very slim. If she lost any weight she'd be medically underweight.

I had a similar problem with gaining weight right after surgery, I flipped out about it. But I've figured out (from reading many posts) that it was from a lot of different reasons, us women have hormonal changes and that can cause weight gain, retaining water which comes with that causes you to gain weight, and not having a BM will really mess with your system. My husband is on the low carb diet, I read an article that says if you actually add in carbs 2-3 times a week you will actually lose more weight than if you had 0 carbs. Good luck.

I was banded on 2/26. Thank you to everyone for posting your experiences. The gas and burping, I was told, is a side effect from the surgery. I found a comfortable position to sleep in and have not been doing too bad. I eat sugar free popsicles, yogurt, pudding, and broth, plus decaf green tea, Water and decaf coffee. It feels like someone kicked me in the stomach. But I did get my period this morning, which sucks, but I will deal with it. I am, as I am sure you guys are, looking forward to getting back to normal. Melanie PS, weight gain is just the gas they put in you for the surgery...

Ah ha, that explains my weight gain. It's the trophy! I'm not setting it down though, too many people trying to get their hands on it.

i really like the iud, i have the copper one and it doesn't cause weight gain, it lasts a super long time to. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I don't have kids but I can share what I went through. I was thin until high school and then I was only 15 - 20 pounds over weight. My mother wanted me to lose weight. I wanted to lose it too but it wasn't killing me. She actually put me on diet pills. By the time I graduated from high school I was 105 pounds. At 5'1" I was right on target and felt great. Of course, I started gaining again in college and I gained even more back. College didn't work out for me so I was back at home. My father died when I was 19 and we had a hard time with it. She was always on my case about what I was eating and always offered to pay for another diet plan. I lived with her and didn't want to here her telling me how bad the food was I was eating so I hid it. I would be angry with her and eat just to spite her. I wanted to be thin and I would try different diet plans and lose some weight but would always gain it back plus some. Her constant harping about my weight really bothered me and I am not blaming her for my weight gain because it was my choice to eat. I know she wanted what was best for me. However, I got to the point where I would drive through some where on my way home from work and get a small cheeseburger so that when I ate my small meal I with her I would be full and not suffer. We've discussed this in the last few years and she finally learned that the person has to want to lose weight and change or it won't happen. She gained about 20 pounds a few years ago and it bothered her so I told her to join WW. She did and lost the weight and now works for them. She loves her job and is much more understanding. She sees people that lose weight and some that just can't succeed. She has been super supportive of my LB journey. I don't know if anything would have kept me from reaching 221 pounds but I feel it definitely didn't help. I was 15 pounds over weight but that wasn't good enough, I had to perfect. That attitude is not healthy. Be sure to let her be a part of the decision making in her weight loss journey. It sounds like you are doing the right thing and I wish you all the best.

They told us to actually expect some weight GAIN post op until several days out because of all the fluids they give you and the swelling etc going on.

Reading the comments is scaring me. I am getting banded on May 17th. It was my understanding that you will basically always measure food and the lapband helps suppress the appetite. Reading this, it looks like everybody is really hungry and struggling with weight gain. Does the band not help???

Don't worry about slight weight gain post operatively..depending on your pre op diet some will be glycogen stores, Fluid, swelling, try to choose healthy soft options. When your on hard crunchy god you will easy less and feel fuller... Sent from my GT-S5830 using LapBandTalk

"can't keep most regular food down" sounds like you're too tight and I've heard many say that will stop weight loss and even cause weight gain. Just a thought. I hope others will chime in on this.

@@SWEETTEA I don't want to derail the thread, but yes, I had a doctor explain it to me that way. We have the disease obesity. And like any disease, there are treatments and there are cures. WLS is a treatment for the disease, not the cure. Eating right, exercising, tracking calories etc is the treatment, not the cure. That's why if you stop the treatment, the symptoms of the disease return (weight gain). Made total sense to me.

Thanks so much! Had a really rough night last night and just confirmed - Can't live like this. I am gonna call the doctor (sorta locally - 2 1/2 hours away) and see if he can't get me in soon. What really scares me is 1st: getting a complete unfill and possibly gaining weight and 2nd: having the band completely removed (even temporarily) until any slippage can be "fixed" and the weight gain. This has become my lifesaver and the thought of not having it leaves me insanely panicked!! I would rather give up an arm than gain my weight back. Does anyone know, if it is slippage, does that always need to be removed and replaced? This sounds dumb but can't it laproscopicly be repositioned? Scared - Jody:scared2:

Friends - I am shocked. After a 3 day weekend away with no scale, I climbed on this morning. I have GAINED 3 terrible pounds. Unacceptable. What could have happened? All the healthy grilled fish! All the steamed vegetables and green salads! All the walking! All the vigorous anniversary sex! (I warned you) I suspect sodium. Seriously, in a fit of irritation, I went to the websites of the restaurants we visited over the weekend, intent on looking at the nutritional information. I was sure I would find hidden carbohydrates in their salmon fillets, or fat in their steamed broccoli. To my horror, none of the restaurants even HAD nutritional information posted (shame on them!). However, I did learn that you have to ask if you want them to NOT put butter and seasoned salt on the steamed veggies. I also learned that fish is often grilled in butter unless you request otherwise. Sneaky stuff. I have told myself that the weight gain is a result of Water weight from the increased sodium content of restaurant food. Not sure if this is true, but it makes me feel better. I shall not change my ticker. I shall not get depressed and eat a pint of ice cream I shall not try to do a whole Tae Bo DVD in order to burn off those lbs. I shall drink a lot of water today and hope for better thing during tomorrow's weigh-in.

You know, that is probably what caused my mom to have a hysterectomy in her late 20s early 30s. She had most of the same symptoms that I have now. I have to admit that, at times, I wish they would let me have a hysterctomy. I am so tired of the extra hair on my face and the acne. I don't have thyroid problems at this point. My PCP thought that might be part of my problem when I first started having my PCOS symptoms. She finally just said metabolic syndrome for my weight gain and insulin resistance. She put me on the metformin about 3 years ago. My GYN finally diagnosed the PCOS this year.

I was diagnosed with PCOS about 12 years ago. I only had periods once or twice a year. I struggled with weight gain, infertility, amenorrhea, facial hair, and fatigue. My band has saved my life.... I am almost 1 year out and have lost 86 pounds. I have to agree with the carb thing. My weight loss for the past 3 months has been pretty much nonexistant. I low carbed during the first 6 months post band and then decided to start taking in carbs again. Bam...weight loss stopped. I am low carbing again and beginning to see the scales move. I really do think that there is something to carbs and PCOS not mixing well. Anyway, I am 11 months out I have normal periods, lots of energy, 86 pounds gone, my sex drive does exist now. I still have problems with excess hair, but I dobt that will ever go away completely on its own. I have begun laser hair removal. And believ it or not I am getting my tubes tied this month. That is just wild when I have struggled with infertility for so long, but it would appear that I have become fertile again, but we have 1 bio son and adopted 1, so we are not planning to have anymore. I say all that to say this, YOU CAN DO THIS!!! Yes PCOS sucks, and makes it harder, but not impossible. Cut out carbs, exercise and log what you eat!!

Has anyone here had a gastric sleeve and also has Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)? I just need to know that someone else safely had it done and didn't have a major multi-systemic reaction to the surgery or in post-op. I'm prone to anaphylaxis but I've had other surgeries (knees and shoulder) since diagnosis and with my surgical team being cautious I made it through surgery without having a major reaction. I previously had a consult with a bariatric surgeon and she said she wouldn't touch me; that it was too risky. But that was maybe three years ago and I'm definitely more stable now than I was then. My pain doctor wants me to get a second opinion so I'm going to meeting with a bariatric surgeon in a few weeks and also meeting with my mast cell doctor. I was just hoping that someone who it has experience with it could reassure me that it can be done safely. Concerns I have: - my diet already has to be restrictive because of the MCAS. I worry about getting enough protein in when I have to avoid tree nuts and all meat products. I can have milk (lactose free) and eggs. - I read that my meds have to be crushed or split post-surgery. Is that for forever? I have some capsules that I take that can't be crushed or broken. I also have liquid medication I take that gets diluted I'm about a cup of water. I use that water to take all of my pills, and there's a fair amount of pills. - exercise is an issue for me. I've anaphylaxed during an easy yoga class before. I've built up to be able to do seven to ten minutes on a seated elliptical or seated stepper. But I'm not going to be running any 5ks anytime soon. Is it still an effective surgery if my workout options afterwards are extremely limited because of my MCAS? - if I'm on meds that have caused weight gain for me, is it possible to still lose weight while being on the med? I can't safely go off of the meds unfortunately. I think I'm just scared to get my hopes up that this surgery could be a safe and effective tool to help me lose weight. I'm 5'4 and 400 lbs. I need help. The likelihood that my surgeon will be familiar with or educated in mast cell diseases is really low and I know that I'll have to do a lot of advocating for myself. If you've made it this far thank you for listening. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hey Karen, thanks for your note. My surgery is Monday, and nothing was said about the weight gain. I'm all set to go. I didn't have to have the liquid diet or a pre-surgery diet, so guess I was pretty lucky. I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

The recent statistics from the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) has reported that about one-third (33.8%) of U.S. adults are obese. That number rises every day, and keeping up with it is more difficult than keeping up with your stocks. I work with the finest bariatric surgeons in the U.S. They are dedicated to helping their patients lose weight in an effort to thwart diseases, and minimize current disease progression. I also run several 12-step food addiction groups in the city of Houston and online in many cities. I talk to morbidly obese patients everyday. I teach them, counsel them, eat with them, and spend endless hours reading their journals. These patients have a story to tell, but we aren’t listening and we continue asking the wrong questions. To be sure, obesity is genetic and many times the social milieu of obese patients I work with is chaotic with issues of abuse, abandonment, shame, ridicule, and anger. The genetic role helps explain the body type; the way food may be processed, stored, and proportioned. It cannot explain what keeps the person from changing the behavior that contributes to obesity. In my work, during step 4 of the 12-step addiction group, the group members begin making amends. They look at how their behavior got them where they are. They quit thinking about how they were abused, and begin to consider how they hurt/abused others. The step is painful, gut wrenching and overwhelming for all of these patients. It is also the step I ask them, “How do you benefit from being obese?” At first they look at me as if I am crazy. After all, they are weight loss surgery patients, and have gone to extremes to lose weight. They laugh, shake their head, and say, “Mary Jo, what are you smoking?” Then the room gets quiet. One of the bravest patients will say, “My obesity gives me an excuse. I am not held to the same standards as others; they don’t expect it, because I am morbidly obese.” Another will chime in, “My obesity keeps men away; I was sexually abused by my dad for 4 years of my life.” A statistic that no one likes to talk about was one mentioned in Bariatric Times in 2007. As many as 20 to 40% of obese women have been sexually molested, harassed and/or perpetrated (they know it’s higher than that but can’t ascertain the exact amount). Yet another will talk about how her/his marriage is so distant that food has become their lover/best friend. They are lonely, and they eat to comfort that incredible sense of loss. Another part of my job focuses on the group that failed the weight loss surgery. If you have never been morbidly obese, or gone through a weight loss surgery only to have the weight come back, you cannot understand the depth of failing these patients feel. They are cursed by their unresolved reasons for going back to food. They don’t understand it, and often those who love them most don’t either. A Gastric Bypass, Gastric Sleeve, Lap Band, or Duodenal Shift is never going to successfully keep weight off if the patient has no idea why they are eating, and experience a fear of stopping. Many of the cravings patients feel are emotional; totally unrelated to real hunger. How can a weight loss surgery of any kind manage emotional hunger? It cannot. When we evaluate patients who struggle with obesity we talk frequently about denial. I am beginning to think they are no more in denial than we, the health care professionals. We can talk food all we want, but most of my patients know what healthy food is; they could write a cookbook with the calorie count included! They know food like most of us know our lover. What they need help with are the tough questions. One of those questions is, “What are the benefits you are experiencing from your obesity?” We have to ask this, and we should ask it prior to weight loss surgery so we can begin the process of helping them understand this part. People drop old behaviors when they are no longer benefiting from them. You don’t need to be a weight loss surgery patient to begin the yoyo dieting process. If weight protects you from receiving attention, and you have been sexually abused in your childhood, then when you begin losing weight you are going to turn to food to manage the anxiety you feel when a man gives you eye contact. When patients begin to understand what they are protecting or avoiding with their weight, they can effectively work a weight loss program and keep the weight off. It is also important to look at obese children’s homes especially if there is a substantial weight gain. Many times, something is going on at home that is causing this child to medicate their anxiety with food. Society continues to be judgmental and negative with obese people. One thing is clear: shaming or ignoring obesity is not helping curb or decrease the numbers.

I completely understand what you mean! I think the difference for me is that I was so STRICT in the past that if I "messed-up" by eating anything that was unhealthy, I just threw it all away. This past weekend, with permission from my nutritionist, I had a half cheesesteak (no mayo, lite cheese and the bread gutted) and a piece of my birthday cake. It was my birthday and I was not going to jeopardize the surgery or outcome. I had that meal and 4 cocktails.....with no weight gain all weekend. I was so excited. I think I have actually learned to eat in moderation and for the first time in my 40yrs.....listen to my "full" button. Please let me know as you go through your appt how things go for you...how much do you have to lose?

I am a pre-op lap bander (shooting for feb date) and have a crazy question! Did anyones shoe size change post lap-band? I have been wondering about this as my shoe size increased with my weight gain. Thanks for everyones input- love this forum!!

now I'm scared to death LOL.....I'm less than two weeks out and just not sure of anything.....i think I've just read to much of everything! My best friend had this done months ago, and was up walking the same day and has had no problems, I'm mean NONE and then I read on here and its all bad for the most part except for people who are months out of having the sleeve done. And whats up with the protein......I bought the Nector, fuzzy navel and the crystal sky, I don't like chocolate, vanilla or strawberry shakes, well, these things taste awful LOLOL....how are you supposed to get protein if you cannot stomach the protein shake stuff...... I'm taking extra vitamins, biotin, B12, Iron, every time I read something that tells me what I should be doing, I go buy and start doing LOL I am soooo excited and yet so worried...... I keep telling myself I need to slow down, take a deep breath and just let this happen..... I've have other surgeries, hysterectomy, bladder, breast implants prior to all the weight gain, can it really be any worse than any of that???? How long before I can start to work out again? Is anyone else feeling like they are on a merry-go-round prior to surgery? please tell me it was all worth it and OK ......not just months out down the road LOL good luck everyone!!!

Well, to butt in (pun intended) where I do not belong. Here is a man's perspective. First off, know that I was thin for years and then blew up like a blimp. My wife married and lived for 15 years with a thin and fit Guy. Then I got big with a weight gain of well over 100 pounds. When I had my surgery and lost the weight (I am down to 205, with 10 -15 to go). I bought new underwear. Not tightie whities either. Colors - I call them my new look. Here is the deal. I am a weight loss Guy. I know how awesome it was to buy medium and not XL2. But with men it is just hardware. Trust me on this. If you have lost that weight and look good -- that sexy new underwear will be an awesome inticement. It's the girl we love, looking better than ever and in a sexy package. And trust me girls the package is important. Which brings me to my point (sorry a bit long winded). I don't care about your size. The joy of buying sexy when you hit goal is great. But for all the rest: thinking about surgery, just had it and a long way from goal, maybe just now looking into it --- regardless you are still beautiful. Please take the extra time to dress up for us. We love you. We want to feel good about our spouse or girlfriend. You may feel terrible about your appearance and not want to make the effort. But trust me it is appreciated. No matter how you look, no matter Where you are on your journey, no matter how you feel about your appearance : remember this - you are still beautiful and if you have some one in your life, they want to feel good about you. They want to be attracted to you. That is part of why they love you. So as I shut up and head back to the boring men's room, let me close with this. Get rid of the "holey" panties. Be beautiful. Look beautiful. All the time. Don't wait to hit goal. Do it now. And hey, is that lace ..... sorry, gotta run.