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There are two phases to weight loss surgery - the Weight Loss Phase and the Maintenance phase. The strategies for each phase is different. This is the approach I used in the Maintenance phase. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf It is common to have some limited weight gain after gastric bypass surgery. They call it a 20 pound bounce. The important thing is not let go beyond it. According to my nutritionist, meals (at one year post op and beyond) should consist of equal parts of protein, fats and carbs after the first couple years post-op. Snacks should be limited to primarily 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. Before surgery, I had constant hunger. When I was eating a meal, my mind was thinking what I would have for my next meal. It was incessant. Now the interesting thing that occurred after my RNY surgery was that I completely lost my hunger. It was not difficult to plan my minuscule meals because I wasn't really hungry. This condition does not last forever but for about a year and then the hunger returns. It just isn't as strong as before. I also had a sweet tooth before surgery. Chocolate by itself isn't the primary problem but the sugar is. During the winter I normally drink a cup of hot cocoa. But it must be the No Sugar Added variety. Also Adkins makes a number of chocolate treats that contain artifical sweeteners that might satisfy your sweet tooth.

Best of luck to you. On making a decision I am going with the mini gastric bypass. After some major research that's what I have decided to do I also have had weight gain. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using BariatricPal mobile app

I've been on Cymbalta for years. I have tried 3 times to get off of it - - just can't. I works great for my pain. I didn't really have weight gain from it. I did from other meds and issues (broken leg, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, essential tremor disease and on and on)

I am 6 days out from surgery, and have been loosing about a pound a day. Until this morning, I weighed myself this morning and was +1.3 pounds. Is this normal? I know your body can fluctuate weight daily, but still a pound and a half gained??

This might be a totally different topic, but it's poop related...somewhat. I find this really interesting. http://www.bbc.com/news/health-31168511 A woman has dramatically gained weight after a stool transplant from her daughter, doctors report. It is a genuine medical procedure to transplant healthy bacteria into a diseased gut, but US doctors think it may have affected her waistline. She quickly gained 36lb (16kg) and is now classed as obese, the case report in Open Forum Infectious Diseases says. A UK expert said the link between gut bugs and obesity was still unclear. A faecal microbiota transplant - also referred to by some as a "transpoosion" - is like an extreme version of a probiotic yogurt. The aim is to introduce good bacteria into the gut and it was officially backed by the UK health service last year. New treatment It is used when people have stubborn Clostridium difficile infection in their bowels. This can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain and cannot always be treated with antibiotics. The 32-year old woman, who has not been indentified, had an infection that could not be treated with even the most powerful antibiotics. Dr Colleen Kelly, from the Medical School at Brown University, said the option of a faecal transplant was discussed and the woman wanted to use a relative - her daughter. The daughter was overweight at the time and was on her way to becoming obese. The procedure did clear the woman's infection. But Dr Kelly told the BBC News website: "She came back about a year later and complained of tremendous weight gain. "She felt like a switch flipped in her body - to this day she continues to have problems." She started with a Body Mass Index of 26. Sixteen months after the procedure she had a BMI of 33 and three years after it, a BMI of 34.5. Caution Previous research has shown that transplanting gut bacteria from obese people into mice led to the animals gaining weight. Dr Kelly said limited conclusions could be drawn from a single patient, but called the case a warning as "there's not a lot on safety evidence out there". Dr Kelly has now changed her practices and "as a result I'm very careful with all our donors don't use obese people". Dr Andreas Karatzas, from Reading University, said: "You have to bear in mind that this person was saved. "If you run the risk of losing a patient, you don't bother about what could happen 20 years later." However, he said the evidence that gut bacteria affected human waistlines was still inconclusive. "There is some evidence in animals, but we have to be careful - it is a different organism. Just because it happens in animals doesn't mean it happens in humans as well."

Been reading through a lot of the comments for the past week. I know everyone's situation is different. About 4 years ago I went on the Optifast diet and did the Kaiser diet program. I lost about 40 points overall. I have unfortunately gained it all back. I know beer and inactivity (cubicle job) plays a good role in my weight gain along with snacking after work. From what I have read on here, a lot of doctors require you to go through a weight loss program like Kaisers. I think part of the problem with going to the class I had with the Kaiser program is that I was the only male in the class of 12. I know about portion control and triggers. I really want to plan on having this surgery next year. My insurance (Blue Cross Colorado) will cover the surgery minus my deductible or about $4k out of pocket for the sleeve surgery. I am wondering what other costs I should plan for. I am going to max out my FSA contributions so that most will be taken out of my paycheck. Few questions for the group: 1. What other costs should I anticipate for the surgery both, before and after. 2. What is the average recovery time after the surgery? (Need to schedule this off work.) 3. How soon did you return to work? I know I will have more questions. Need to go to my primary care doctor and let them know I am interested in this program to get the ball rolling I know. Thanks for the help and responses!

I am almost 3 months out, and have had no complications as of now. I did have issues with constipation, but remedied that by leaving low carb for a more natural diet. I also had issues with acid reflux, but I got rid of that several weeks ago by going on a regimen of good old APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. Gassygurl, perhaps this will help you as well. I take 2 Tbsp per day. It is really good for you as well. Before the ACV, I was taking Prilosec...didn't want the side effects of long term usage. Lainey, having second thoughts is completely normal. We all have them. I was ready for surgery after decades of battling weight gains (and losing), but I still had thoughts of backing out. I am happy that I didn't give into them. I will say that you must get your snacking under control if you intend to be successful long-term. This surgery helps you to eat less, but does not stop you from eating sweets and salty snacks. You can still eat just as much as you did before surgery. I go out to eat with family and friends every Thursday after my daughter's volleyball game. I eat well. I can find a salad or protein and veggies anywhere, so it isn't an issue.

Going well, for the most part. Trying to follow all the instructions to a T and make the most of this opportunity. Miss food, miss chewing, and miss crunchy-salty food. My weight dropped pretty quickly for 8 days then yesterday didn't move, so I'm wondering about that. I'm also wondering about my sleeve size since I can put down more than a half-cup of soup easily, and if that will mean eventual weight gain. Probably thinking too much about that stuff. I'm exercising and that feels good. How about you?

Well, I was just diagnosed with this yesterday.....I've been having some serious aches and pains in my hips, knees and shoulders that I thought was just weight related..... Turns out I have an autoimmune disease called Polymyalgia Rheumatica. It's a form of arthritis. Treatment is prednisone. I had an intermuscular injection yesterday to start working on the inflammation. Not a fan at all of prednisone. It can and does increase hunger and can cause swelling and weight gain. Yay! I sort of had a feeling that something wasn't right but I didn't think is was something like this. My Rheumatologist (yes, I have one of those now) says I need to postpone my surgery until we can get this in remission. I cried all night. I have come so far, listened to people say I was taking the easy way out, have had very little support from my family but I continued on the journey to get healthy. Now my own body is fighting against me and telling me I can't have the surgery........

Whatever you decide cook WAY less. If you eat out, eat off some one elses plate. You will be able to eat mashed potatoes or candied yams. Getting it done just before the holidays might sound tough, but look at the bright side- no holiday season weight gain this year. Also, I started to feel a lot better with more energy about the 1 month, so although the food experience will be much different, you should still be able to enjoy good company. Good luck!

On paper it is as easy as calories in and calories out. This is what my surgeon had mentioned. But he said life is not so black and white and there are other factors that contribute to weight gain that are often ignored. The person that tells you that it is calories in and calories out is just another internet champion whom thinks they know it all.

I've been stalled for 6 months but a lot of it is my own fault. I "took the summer off" as I was traveling a LOT (gone 5 of 11 weeks, and then 5 consecutive weekends after Labor Day), so it was hard to keep up with my exercise routine (an hour of stationary biking a day). I was also grossly tempted by food and drink- a week in New Orleans? HAHAHA, but it was OK. I learned what I can and cannot tolerate. All in all it was a wonderful summer and I didn't gain any weight, but I also didn't lose weight. I know why- not measuring portions, not exercising regularly, having an adult beverage several times a week. I think if you examine your eating habits and lifestyle activities, you'll be able to find some places where you need to "realign" yourself; I sure know I can! Don't worry about a goal weight. Instead, focus on healthy and strong. My surgeon never set a goal, although they gave me a weight range within which I could reasonably expect to be a year post-surgery. I AM THERE... now I want to lose another 15-20 pounds and keep it off. I am 61 and I know that age brings on the creeping weight gain- a pound here, a pound there... and I never want to have my eating and body out of control again! Know that I am with you on this journey, and I'm starting off anew with measuring portions, cutting carbs (although I don't eat many, I have let the occasional french fry or chocolate chip cookie back into my life), making healthy choices, and working my muscles and body. I know we can both get there!!

Wonderful!!! You are a true inspiration!!!! I was just reading an article that talked about this. What it said is there are 2 types of lymphadema. One is due to a mechanical defect in the lymph-pump system. Basically the fluid accumulates because the pump that removes it is broken. That is a type that is less likely to respond to weight loss. The second type is pretty much caused by being heavy. The heavier we are, the more volume of fluid that goes into the legs... the more fluid in the legs, the more has to be pumped out. After a certain point, the pumps get overwhelmed and can't keep up with the amount of fluid. Since the pumps are still working, weight loss removes the excess burden, and the condition gets better. The article didn't really go into how to tell which one you may have.. but it would seem to follow that if the condition only showed up after weight gain, then there is a decent chance that it's the second type. This is all based on a single article that I came across. I'm in no way an expert on this condition, but hopefully it's true that in some cases the condition can get better!

I have come to realize from being on this site that every surgeon is different. I have gained 20lbs since my consult to now which has been 10 months total, 6 of which was my 6 month diet (which didn't work for me) and then three months of sending requested paper work from my doctors office to the insurance company and the review time it took). At any rate, I went in for my pre-op appt yesterday and the surgeon never mentioned a word about my weight gain. As long as insurance approved it, he is good to go. It's a shame some surgeons are such a pain when it comes to this.

Hi all, so I have a question because I'm freaking out a bit. The day off my bypass 13 days ago I went into the hospital weighing 275lbs. After surgery my weight went up 10lbs while still in the hospital which I understand is from the IV fluids and what not. However after coming home, I dropped to 264lbs and in the past three days I have gained 3lbs. I know that's not a drastic gain but I'm still concerned. Has anyone else had weight gain after leaving the hospital during the first couple weeks post op ? Sent from my Pixel using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello all! This is my first post here and I am thrilled to have this resource available at my fingertips. I have been reading posts for about two weeks and decided it was my turn to ask for your opinion. My relationship with food has been a lifelong struggle. After a while I gave up hating myself and tried to work on self love, which really just turned into justifying my bad habits. I started this gastric surgery journey at over 300 pounds after seeing a candid photograph of myself. I didn't recognize the person I saw in the photo. I had been ignoring health issues far too long that I knew were related to my habits. I began to make small changes like eliminating soda and fast food. I knew, though, that I needed to make a longer lasting change and the sleeve sounded like a great tool to reset my eating habits and relationship with food. My first appointment with the surgeon was June 8 2017. I weighed in at 294. I had four months worth of nutritionist visits, all of which I fluctuated between 295 and 297. Then I had my psychiatric evaluation on August 23 2017. My weight that visit was 299. The psychiatrist cleared me, but was very insistent that he typically wouldn't clear someone who had gained five pounds since their first visit and that my surgeon wouldn't perform the surgery unless I was down 5-10 pounds. My current weight is 290. My pre-op appointment is November 8 2017 and my surgery is scheduled for November 13, 2017. I am a nervous wreck. I have started going to the gym five days a week and doing half an hour of cardio. I don't restrict what I eat, only how much of it I eat. I know I will lose some weight as a result of the liquid pre-op diet but the psychiatrist's words haunt me. I am convinced after paying such a high deductible and all I've already been through that for some reason my surgery will be postponed. Has anyone else had a similar issue? How was it resolved?

@CamillaCallie just done all my pre op testing. It was really just blood work more ? From the Dr. EKG that's it. I have to start my clear liquid diet tomorrow because of the weight gain I have to do 3 weeks. But other then that it was fine.

Many of you probably don't 'know' me from these forums, but I have been around for several years. i'm almost 4 years post VSG. I have struggled through many chapters in my life since my surgery and have regained a good amount of weight. since I carry ALL my weight right around my middle, I look horrible and my self esteem has tanked. Since my surgery I changed jobs and moved, lost a parent, had to change doctors, and gained a master's degree. I'm currently in the final few classes to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. on top of all that, I had managed to lose enough weight initially to be off all my medications-GERD and BP. Now i'm back on both. My GERD has worsened with the weight gain and i'm at the point where I can't lay on my left side if I've eaten within the past few hours because the food and acid will backwash into my throat. i'm miserable. I have been to the psych doc, the NUT, to the surgeon, and to my GP. none of them can give me an exact direction of what to do. my GP says they simply don't know enough about bariatrics to guide me. The bariatric team trialed me on Contrave, I got so sick I had to stop. I tried Keto and spent two days in misery from all that fat. My brain is the issue and I don't know how to get it back under control. I am taking straight Welbutrin for the time being to see if that will help with behavior AND with appetite. my surgeon is very concerned that from the GERD, i'll need a revision. I don't really WANT a revision, I know that the GERD has worsened because I carry ALL my weight in my waistline and it's pushing up on my sleeve- badly. I have an EGD this week with my GI doc which will look at the GERD and also the condition of my sleeve. I have no excuse, the regain is completely my own doing. One day about 20 months ago, I thought that drinking a diet ginger ale at work would be ok, and it has spiraled out of control from there. I am trying badly to get off of soda again, which I think is really the first step. As I walk this very difficult road to get back on the path where I belong, I ask for your prayers, positive thoughts, and vibes.

https://www.sweathelp.org/hyperhidrosis-treatments/treatment-overview.html Since weight gain didn't cause the problem, weight loss can't be expected to fix it. But if additional weight has piled normal sweating on top of the hyperhidrosis, then at least weight loss could help that aspect. Good luck!

I have had hyperhidrosis (auxiliary) since highschool, even when I was fit and on swim teams. I think the condition has at least worsened since then. But being a rare disorder, few people can say if getting older (now 45) is a factor. I know that weight gain did not cause it. Many sources will say being overweight is a factor, but it was not for me through high school and college. But has anyone experienced the condition being reduced after the surgery? Sent from my XT1609 using BariatricPal mobile app

Yes. Are you taking photos? Sometimes a side-by-side visual from where you started and where you are now can show a difference that you can't see from day to day. Have you tried taking your measurements? That can provide a real numbers that things are changing. Also, even if your regular clothes feel the same (remember, larger plus sizes can accommodate 20-40 pounds of weight gain/loss), perhaps you can try some smaller clothes that were too tight for you in the past. I was surprised at how well some clothes fit after 20/30 pounds lost. Grant it, some were a little tight, but considering I couldn't even zip or button them up before meant that things were changing. One more thing to consider as you lose weight - of course, we all want to avoid spending money on new clothes as we drop weight, but I think most of us are able to "shop" in our closets for smaller clothes, at least for a while. That said, look at your clothes - do the pants/skirts have elastic bands, or are they button/zip? How fitted are your shirts? Do the collars on shirts look bigger (your bra strap is showing). Where are the shoulder seams - are they hanging down the side of the arms? How much material is there in the underarms? It's not about whether or not you fit inside your clothes, but do they fit you? I have to say people noticed my weight loss a lot more when I wear clothes that fit me properly.

First of all, congratulations on being a survivor! My husband was also abused from 5 years into adulthood. My weight gain was from severe depression and insecurities. Plus, I love food. It was my best friend, so I thought. My doctor told me I had to weigh at least one pound less than the date we met the first time or my insurance wouldn't pay. I gained during the first four of six monthly visits. I ended up losing the weight I gained and now I'm on my liquid diet and I'm below the cut-off, so I'm good. Check with your surgeon about the weight gain. Docs and insurances are all different. Best wishes to you. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using BariatricPal mobile app

Will the dietitian clear and approve to move forward if I have gained weight? details below... pardon the lack of punctuation, I am on my phone I have my final visit with the dietitian this week. I was doing so well until the mental health professionals threw a wretch and sent me way off track (long story short, I was a victim of childhood abuse and sexual abuse while in college... it pretty much was a how can someone go threw this and hold their life together and said I couldn’t do the surgery because I “needed” there help because well how Can I live when something like that happened) I stood up for myself and yes, the things I have been threw was terrible but I am a stronger being because of it. After the assault, I gained a lot of weight, by a lot I mean like 70lbs in a few short months... then continually climbed due to the depression that had set in. Wanting to have the surgery in the first place is to take back that part of my life. In doing so, I went off track and back to depression. My view was that since I was abused, that is the only thing I will ever be so why bother mentality... anyone had a similar situation?

My anxiety is at an all time at the moment. My surgery date isnt until October 30th and I start my liquid diet October 16th. I'm not stressing about the surgery but the weigh in with my Surgeon. She wants to do a weigh in on Tuesday October 17th but the probably is I gained 15 lbs!!! I gained all that weight in 5 days. There are a lot of factors... 1) I didn't drink any water for 3-4 days 2) My period has been on and off for 2 weeks because the birth control in my arm was expiring so I got a new one put back in 3) stressed 4) lack of sleep and have been sleeping late. I know you can gain some weight from water retention, being on your menstrual and being stressed out but 15 pounds?! This is really bad timing. If im not the same weight or have lost anything that means my surgery will be postponed and that isn't an option for me. I plan on starting my liquid diet a little bit in advanced ( Sunday 10/15 ) This has to be all water weight but i don't know if it's possible to lose 15 pounds in 3 days. This is all just bad timing

My anxiety is at an all time at the moment. My surgery date isnt until October 30th and I start my liquid diet October 16th. I'm not stressing about the surgery but the weigh in with my Surgeon. She wants to do a weigh in on Tuesday October 17th but the probably is I gained 15 lbs!!! I gained all that weight in 5 days. There are a lot of factors... 1) I didn't drink any water for 3-4 days 2) My period has been on and off for 2 weeks because the birth control in my arm was expiring so I got a new one put back in 3) stressed 4) lack of sleep and going to bed super late. I know you can gain some weight from water retention, being on your menstrual and being stressed out but 15 pounds?! This is really bad timing. If im not the same weight or have lost anything that means my surgery will be postponed and that isn't an option for me. I plan on starting my liquid diet a little bit in advanced ( Sunday 10/15 ) This has to be all water weight but i don't know if it's possible to lose 15 pounds in 3 days. This is all just bad timing