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Hi, I have bipolar and severe anxiety. Like you, I have worked really hard on my mental health over the last couple of years to get into a good head space. My mental health is now pretty stable and I'm working and have good relationships with my family and generally happy and stable for the most part. A lot of the psych med's I've been on for the last 20 odd years cause weight gain, which is part of the reason that I was over weight. Four months ago I had the VSG, I maintained a close relationship with my psychiatrist up to the surgery and post op. The sleeve has had zero impact on my mental health, my medication hasn't changed at all, although in saying that it is pretty standard if you have bipolar that you will be on medication for life. I'm sorry I can't tell you that it has improved, but I'm glad that it has had zero impact, I did have some concerns my mental health could get worse due to the stress of surgery. Good luck with your surgery and mental health.

I have suffered from anxiety/depression/PTSD for the majority of my adult life. I am on Celexa 40mg and Xanax as needed for anxiety at bedtime. Recently (in the last year) I’ve worked very hard on my mental health issues: developing new coping mechanisms, upping my visits to my therapist, etc because I knew I wanted this surgery and I wanted to make sure I was in the best mind frame. The psych consult could have gone better and my second visit with her was when she informed me she would only conditionally approve me for surgery due to my anxiety and depression. This of course made my anxiety and depression worse, but I soldiered on, saw my therapist more often (the psych was NOT the best person and she made me uncomfortable so I refused to continue seeing her), but that’s another story all together. I received my clearance from the psych and the doctor, nutritionist, and physiologist two weeks ago and now I’m scheduled for next month. I say all of that to ask this: how many of you that have had the sleeve had pre-existing mental health issues, specifically anxiety and depression, and did the symptoms lessen and/or were you able to dose down on your psych meds at some point after surgery?? While I realize that my mental health issues have little to do with my weight as it is a legitimate chemical imbalance, I do hope for some improvement and for the possibility to go down to a lower dose of Celexa (which btw, is known to cause weight gain) since I’m on the highest dose. Any experiences you guys are willing to share would be super helpful!! HW & CW: 251 GW: 145 Height: 5’3 Age: 31

If you gain, they won't do it. I know some will say you can't gain, some 10% weight loss, but no matter what, any weight gain on the period before, no one will do it. I'm sorry.

I'm embarrassed to admit I gained 25 pounds in the 6 months that elapsed while awaiting surgery. I still had surgery without any resistance from the surgeon or insurance company. So, yes, it's still possible to have surgery after pre-op weight gain depending on your surgeon and insurance company. Some surgeons will promptly cancel for a major weight gain whereas others don't care. Some insurance carriers won't approve payment for surgery with a major weight gain while other companies don't care.

I'm 6 months out and also don't/haven't felt hungry. I eat at restaurants with friends, but always end up taking home about 2/3rds of most meals. I do make wiser menu selections, but I haven't missed the old way I ate at all. No regrets. Still losing so will need to see what happens when I start to work on maintenance, but with the weight loss I have been able to become way more active and I believe this will help me prevent weight gain.

Well, I don't have your medical thyroid issue. However, I have had a knee replacement - 8yrs ago. I have arthritis in a few joints. The joint stress has been greatly reduced since wlsurgery in October. I have had some work/family tragedies along your lines, add my brother's suicide/homicide, my best friend's son's suicide, outsourced job, and a house fire into mine but I don't consider those issues relevant to deciding on needing wl surgery. Ask yourself if your present conditions will ever improve without surgery? Or will your current path continue with even more weight gain and more joint misery? Only you can decide. I offer condolences for your losses. Your son very likely had cancer prior to surgery, and while malnutrition contributed to the his condition, it could also be said the obesity could have been a bigger factor as well. Good luck with your decisions.

Hey everyone! *waves* THE SHORT STORY I've been hypothyroid for fifteen years. Is bariatric surgery effective and worth the risk for hypothyroid patients? THE LONG STORY So, I'm considering WLS. I can't believe I'm actually thinking about it. My husband had WLS about three years ago and is doing fine. He's regained some weight but is still far ahead of where he was. My son had WLS around the same time. He did not do well. He had extreme absorption issues and had to have a feeding port installed just weeks after his surgery. We lost him in November 2015. The official cause of death was cancer, but we wonder if the malnutrition contributed to his developing cancer. For me, my thyroid died somewhere around 2002. I was on the Atkins program, had lost about 70 pounds, and was on my way to single digit clothing size! Then, bam - one week I gained four pounds. The next week six. And then eight. All while still working out daily and eating the Atkins way. DNA? Age? Splenda? Who knows the cause, but my thyroid was done ... completely. The weight gain, it turns out, wasn't the worst part of hypo for me. It was the depression. My doctor put me on synthetic thyroid that didn't help at all. Finally, in 2009 I found Nature-Throid and a doctor who would prescribe it. Nature-Throid eased the depression, but my weight slowly and steadily continued to climb. In 2015, my hair began falling out. My skin had always been dry. Now it peels off in sheets. And I put on an additional fifty pounds within months. I chalked a lot of those symptoms to stress. The last few years have just been awful. In January 2015, my husband had emergency surgery to place a stent in his heart and I blew out my knee. Mid 2015, I had to shop for a nursing home for my mom. If you've ever done that, you know there aren't any good nursing homes. Mom died on Christmas Day 2015 ... six weeks after losing my son. August 2016, my brother was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. Next, I made a super poor career decision and lost my job in December 2016. My brother died January 30, 2017. Yet, I'm still standing ... just barely. Because both knees are now bone on bone. My blood pressure is fine. I'm not diabetic. No heart disease. Except for that damn thyroid, my blood work is all healthy. But I'm at an all-time high of 311 lbs. It hurts to move. It hurts to stand. I carry a lot of the weight in my hips and thighs which even makes it hurt to sit. I hurt and I don't want to hurt anymore. If you've read this far, thank you for letting me rant. I'd love to hear from other hypothyroid patients. What has been your experience with WLS? Pros? Cons?

I had a very similar issue (10lb weight gain at 6 weeks). It turns out that I gained 14lbs of water weight, 1lb of muscle and lost 5lbs of fat. IMO, there's no need to do any adjustments diet-wise. You might consider investing in a scale that measures water and fat mass separately. They run for ~$40 on Amazon.

It could be your thyroid is out of whack. My wls coordinator said some people have thyroid issues and it causes stalled weight loss or weight gain.

I had lap band surgery 2014.. lost about 60 pounds. Started having problems 2017.Emergency surgery for removel in July. Dr would not convert to sleeve too thin.. I now have gained at least 25 pounds, is this normal?

Hi everyone, One last update before Christmas. I am down 13.6kg (30lbs) since my procedure about 14 weeks ago. I was nearly 17 kg heavier this time last year and will be nice seeing in a new year lighter than the previous one. I think I am finding my esg groove. My portion sizes were getting relaxed as was some grazing so I have gone back to tracking what I eat and weighing some foods again. I have been at the gym most days since I joined even when I had good excuses not to go. I am enjoying the feeling of sore muscles and breaking a sweat. I really don't typically love exercise but I am realising that it's essential for building muscle and keeping my metabolism up. I did pay dearly this week after drinking a large volume of water very quickly. I felt awful and it didn't go away for a day. My dr said I wouldn't be restricted with fluids which is normally true, unless your an idiot like me and skull a giant glass of fluids. Oh man, it hurt. Definately won't be doing that again. Part of me wishes I had achieved a bigger weight loss at this stage but I have to be happy with slow but consistent losses. I guess we all want to wake up skinny but I do see my behaviour changing a lot during this journey. I really want to achieve a 20kg loss by the time I see my dr for my 6month review. I am still seeing more progress in my clothing sizes than on the scales. Just bought a size 12 dress for Christmas Day which feels great. Merry Christmas to the wonderful esg community. Here's to a healthy and happy holiday and keeping the weight gain contained!! Mel x

Some celebrity trainers say that gluten causes weight gain. I personally would like to try to be gluten free as much as possible.

Ok it’s update Monday. I’m going to continue to post here regardless of whether or not anyone else is reading it, lol 😂. I need to do this and am grateful for anyone who joins in. My biggest accomplishment this week: (not really weight related but nonetheless): Realizing that my husband still thinks I’m attractive even though I’ve gained 15-20 pounds in the past few months. I’ve been so self conscious and only worn baggy loose fitting clothes to cover up my weight gain but he really doesn’t seem to be bothered by my extra weight. This is very good for my self image but is not going to stop me from moving forward with the esg. It is because of his nonjudgmental attitude that I want to be the healthiest I can be for him and for myself. On a side note— someone else in this forum mentioned that their husband has always been fit and lean and that bothered her, I think it was Mel?, in any case my husband is exactly the same. He’s been the same size for the past twenty years without ever “dieting”. It annoys the sh.. out of me but it’s true. However, he recently quit smoking and I’m so proud of him but he has put on like 10-15 pounds because of this. I could care less about those pounds. I’m so happy he’s quit. 🎉🎉🎊🎊 My biggest challenge: Realizing that I am getting closer to my procedure date and I haven’t changed my eating habits at all. ☹️ I have to start making an effort towards this. When do you guys think is the best time preop to really clean up your act? I have seven weeks left to go.

I vote scale. Don't need to weigh frequently, but weight loss can creep back quickly. At the advice of my surgeon: If you weigh weekly, you'll never miss a 5 lb. weight gain and can adjust in the moment and not have to dig out of a hole.

Yay for an interesting and lively discussion/debate, y'all! I'm inclined to agree with @loey13 based on my reading and countless exhortations to eat breakfast from dietitians and my therapist (an eating disorder specialist). I think that it's possible we could all agree on the following statement: If you skip breakfast, you may develop more hunger, leading you to eat more throughout the day, which could lead to weight gain. Thoughts? There are obviously exceptions to every rule so hopefully that is a reading of the study's conclusion that could apply to most people generally.

Without knowing what you’re eating I’d guess that you’re eating too many calories. Focus on these steps and see if you get better results. 1. Log everything you consume with an app like MyFitnessPal (MFP). 2. Do not drink with meals; instead wait 30-60 minutes after eating. 3. Weigh/ measure your food with a scale as we don’t always eyeball portion sizes correctly. 4. Eat dense protein first then non-starchy vegetables. Fill up on these items before eating other foods. And minimize consumption of processed food (e.g. crackers, bread, protein bars, etc.). 5. Do not chase being full. 6. If you’re consuming artificial sweeteners, try limiting or stopping them as some studies indicate they may lead to weight gain. 7. Walk as much as possible in your day-to-day life. Good luck, you can do this!

I attend the OAC's Your Weight Matters National Convention every year. It's an awesome convention that offers top-notch education for those that have had or are interested in weight loss surgery. I encourage all of our members to join me in 2018! Here are some of the sessions that I thought stood out from the rest of the available sessions: YWM2017: Understanding Your Body's Response to Exercise and Hunger YWM2017: Point/Counterpoint: Which Impacts Weight Gain More - Genes or Environment? YWM2017: Living Nutritiously - Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice YWM2017: Point/Counterpoint - Are All Calories Created Equal? YWM2017: I Lost Weight, Now How Do I Keep it off? YWM2017 Event Welcome - The Power of Coming Together: The Harm of Accepting Weight Bias YWM2017: Looking at Your Nutritional Needs after Bariatric Surgery YWM2017: Sweet Dreams - The Relationship between sleep Health and Your Weight YWM2017: How to Turn Struggles into Your Greatest Strengths YWM2017: The Secret Life of Pets and Human Obesity YWM2017: Transforming Your Lifestyle - Building Healthy Behaviors YWM2017: What's Preventing Your Weight Management Progress? YWM2017: Doc vs. Surgeon - Deciding the Best Treatment Approach for Patients

Wow that's amazing! Yeah I'm already fighting weight gain but it's so hard because since I no where have no fluid in my band everything goes through and I'm hungry all the time!! I have to control myself...especiallly since I'm able to eat EVERYTHING with no restriction. I just want this out and revised to be 100% on track with my weight loss goals. Being hungry all the time I still terrible! I really hope I have similar success as you have had!!!

One thing we don't talk about is the link between mental health issues and obesity. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/758035 Everything from the biology of some mental health conditions contributing to extra weight....to behaviors (lack of sleep, poor impulse control, addiction, emotional disregulation)...to the weight gain side effects of meds used to treat them.....a massive number of folks with mental health issues are heavy. Not to imply we all struggle with mental health issues....but a big chunk of us probably do. Put a population prone to mental health issues together in a room...and it might get interesting. I absolutely agree with cocojay on all points. We should make efforts to always be kind and try to live and let live. It's important to keep in mind that posters here and on all weight loss message boards might be suffering from mental health issues that limit their self awareness, emotional regulation and tact. Not playing apologist for crappy behavior....just sayin....there's a reason. Having a good reason for behaving like a turd doesn't absolve you from accountability, though.

Wowsers.. that's almost a pound a day! Were you not getting your vitamins/protein requirements with the band in? Start working toward nutrition goals, without eating extras. 60-80g protein 35+g fat 75g -100g carbs Aim for about 1200 calories, which will stop the weight gain, and probably get the scale moving back down. If you DON'T lose weight on 1200 calories, then you need to get your thyroid checked. Here is a sample menu: Breakfast: 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese and 1 whole piece of fruit (apple, orange, banana, etc.) Lunch: 1 egg and 1 cup pinto beans and 2 T. salsa Dinner: 4 oz protein and 1 cup veggies (green beans, spinach, etc), and 1 cup white or sweet potatoes with a pat of butter. optional: 1-2 cups lowfat milk If you are still hungry, concentrate on non-starchy veggies.

You didn't feel good at 115. What weight do you feel healthy at? I understand the freakout over a weight gain. It's great that you are right on top of this gain and working it back off. I have given myself a 10 pound bounce range to maintain. When the scale moves up. I go back into weightloss eating mode logging food to hit calorie and carb goals. When I get it back to where I feel healthy I try to balance it out with healthy carbs. I seem to be chasing the same 10 to 15 pounds up and down.... I maintained easily the first two years. At three years out it changed. It's easy for me to gain and the weight comes off slowly. (frustrating) I had to dial in my diet to find the point where my body loses weight. I used a tdee calculator..If interested in the info let me know. Most of maintaining has been trial and error for me. Wish you the best, Jenn

In my opinion. A revision is not something to be considered unless all things have been tried. There is an increased risk when going in for another surgery. Also you do not get the reset you get with the first surgery. The best thing to do in my opinion when you gain. Is to: Go back to tracking everything you put in your mouth. Make sure your Fluid is in check. Make sure your Protein goals are reached. Reduce carbs for excelerated loss ( I don't eat low carb but if my loss reduces I up my protein and reduce carbs) When hungry eat protein it's so filling and your working your tool as you really feel the restriction. Make sure to not drink calorific drink's it all adds up. Try and get more sleep. And so on and so fourth. If someone tries this for months and no movement then perhaps discuss a revision but at this stage it seems to soon.. Not to mention the weight creeping up that much from eating once a day (what is it you eat that once a day ?) A dr visit is warranted before a surgeons visit to see if there is anything contributing to the weight gain. That is just my opinion though. Sent from my Vivo 5R using BariatricPal mobile app

Also go to your doctor to see if there could be other contributing factors to your weight gain. Sent from my Vivo 5R using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey there, I have been away for a very long time too. I have also gained weight by drinking Frappacino's and sugary things. It is like, I just got tired and gave up. I had a vision that my body was way to skinny at 146lbs. This was really irrational thinking on my part. After reading all my old friends story, it does seem a bit normal to put on some weight, but just how much weight is normal? I am realizing now that I still need to get back on the wagon, do a cleanse (no sugar), and promote good health in my house. I find myself really really sad. My son is 34 years old and the past year or two, he has become enormously obese. It breaks my heart. So I am looking into the Paleo way of eating. I still drink a lot of Protein shakes daily. But I have let bread back into my diet. I guess what I am saying is that I am really sad over my weight gain. I hate that I am up a size. Dieting just isn't as easy as it was in the beginning. I'm also tired. Everything everyone has spoke about here, rings true for me too. I need to get back into checking in with others to keep on track. I spoke with a case manager at my bariatric center and she told me that in order to loose weight, I need to eat less than 1000 calories. I am so happy I ran into all my old friends on this post. It brings me back to reality. It is still work.......

Hi I am to going to have a sleeve to bypass revision due to serve GERD and hiatal hernia. I also have AETNA. Did you say you did not have to do the 3 or 6 month program again? I'm really hoping I don't have too. I do have a bmi of 40. I did have some weight gain back from the sleeve. Look forward to hearing from you 😊