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For me it's exercise. A five-mile run minimizes bloat and water weight gain while functioning as a natural antidepressant (a.k.a. runner's high). Exercise also minimizes cravings for junk because your body will demand better forms of fuel.

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. 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 looked this up, and the causes of weight gain from it are all general things like increased appetite, maybe slowing of the metabolism, etc. There is no reason to think bariatrics won't be effective. A slower metabolism means you just can't eat as many calories as someone with a faster metabolism. So you may always need to eat 1200 rather than 1800 calories. The good news is your new, smaller tummy will make 1200 calories a LOT more do-able than before the surgery.

I love your exuberance about your coming WLS. Wish I didn't have so long to wait for mine! But I just have a question cuz we're all SO very different! No judgement here, just curiosity. I'm using this time while I wait for surgery to research all the things. All. The. Things. Trying to figure out and get my head in the game so I don't act like the movie Groundhog Day and repeat the weight gain after surgery. I do not want to ever have to lose weight a second time. So from the things I used to eat that are now sitting strapped to my ass (and have been for about 47 years), to the knowledge that once a food junkie always a food junkie...I know I have to stay away from certain things. One of those things would be beer (other than a once in a blue moon thing, or maybe only a pull off someone's bottle of beer). Why would you work so hard, go through so much pain, money and endure so much upheaval, just to look forward to going back to eating and drinking the same stuff that got you to the dance in the first place? I've no problem with the idea of eating 4oz of a steak in the future. I don't believe that's what made you or I fluffy. But the beer? Um, yeah...not to mention that even after 6mos to a year, alcohol is really pretty hard on the liver. The surgery isn't magic. Things that made you fat before will still make you fat for future you once you start ingesting them again. You will be able to figure out how to eat around your restriction... In my unsolicited pre-surg opinion, it seems to me, that a really good activity would be to look at the things that contributed to your present health situation. Catalogue them. Write them in red on your mirror so you read them every day--and often. Then steer your new anatomy and path so very far around those previous things that you cut a very wide berth from them!? Don't you agree? I'm pretty sure you know that a 4oz of steak and big bowl of sauteed greens and garlic didn't make you husky. Right? Sorry to offend you and not trying to kill your joy. Just seriously curious about what's going on in your mind right now as you process what's about to happen to you?

Today I am back on the blog after four years! I lost a total of 87 pounds and about 2/3 of that weight came off after the gastric sleeve in 2012. i wanted to give an update, a cautionary tale and maybe a not-so-depressing perspective of one who has not been a weight loss success. Busyness and stress has always been my enemy when it comes to weight loss. It often takes me by surprise and whisks away any structure and success I have built into my life. One day I am doing well and eating and exercising and then BAM! It all goes out the window. Even my house gets messy and cluttered during those times of extreme stress and time pressure. I work a job that is not just 9-5 so I take much of my work home, I work from home often and get extreme deadlines like grant applications etc. Before I initially lost weight before surgery, was a very busy time, but I put the accountability of a structured weight loss program into my schedule. This is the only way I initially lost 30 pounds at the beginning. I also started working out with a trainer. Although it is the cost of a vacation every year, I need it to be successful. When I had the weight loss surgery, I had quit my stressful administrative job and was in a window of time less busy (even though I was working). All went well with my weight loss after surgery (even though slow as was my history of weight loss) until I started a new job. Once the stress of the job was getting to me, I stopped the morning walks and began to eat more frequently and less clean. A bad case of pneumonia and 40 days of steriods, further put me back and I gained weight. Now, I am facing some serious foot pain from plantar fascitis, nothelped by weight gain. All this downhill trend happened as my career has blossomed. However, if truth be told, I prefer a healthy body to work success. Looking back, I am humbled by the setback and have felt moments of panic. However, something in me has shifted as I ponder my failure. All in all, I am still down over 50 pounds from my initial weight (228 from 282). Although the failure of weight gain from 194 hits me in the face, I have come to a gentler self-assessment and I like myself better than ever. I can now look in the mirror and feel okay about my curves. I lost a bit from my highest weight regain (240) although it has taken a year to take off. So, all this to say, count your blessing and jump back in. Love yourself in the process and never give up. If I had given up, I would easily be 300 pounds. I am now concentrating on getting back to the losing mode and it is workomg...slowly. Limiting to 3 small meals and 2 small snacks if needed, drinking a lot but separating from food, doing some exercise every day and finding joy in the process. For me, finding joy includes time with my loved ones and having quiet time as I pursue God in my life...I am even going back to some ballroom dance classes. Dance on everyone! I wish the best for all of you! Tell me your story...I love to read them.

Wow I feel your pain...I’m in a stall for about 3 weeks now and don’t know what to do to break it lol. No weight gain or loss.

Hello! I'm new to the forums. For the last two weeks, I have been reading stories of amazing transformations, overcoming hurdles, regrets and fears. It's positively overwhelming! I'm currently at 118kgs, 26 years old, have been overweight all my life due to many ailments that started around the age of 9. The weight gain was a side effect which, in turn, kickstarted PCOD, thyroid, Insulin resistance, fibromyalgia, deficiencies etc. To top it off, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis 2 years back-which hasn't made things easier. My doctor has been suggesting a Bariatric surgery for a few years now, but I could never muster up the courage. Instead, I kept trying endless diets, fads, shakes, exercises etc. Always managed to lose between 6-10 kgs but it never sustained. Now that I'm unable to exercise due to constant pain, I've given up all hope of losing weight. Decided on getting a sleevetonomy 3 months back but was told have to get my ESR levels (due to RA) down first. I would really want to get the procedure done in November. Just wanted to ask if anyone ever had irrational thoughts and endless anxiety about the procedure? Cause it's keeping me up at night. I've never really gotten any surgery done, or even stayed at a hospital overnight. Anesthesia scares me, waking up mid-surgery scares me, endoscopies scare me, the thought of dying scares me, along with the stupidest things like not being able to wear innerwear during surgery, needing a catheter etc etc. I really need to overcome this!!! Did anyone ever experience similar bouts of panic? -Maggie

Hi Everyone- I am trying to find myself once again after completely losing myself post goal. I had the surgery in December 2011 and honestly it was too easy. The weight just came off and I had to remind myself to eat. I actually got "too" ambitious and made myself gain weight to a place that felt healthier to me. I did really well for the first 3 years. I had some weight creep on but these past 3 years I became full on menopause and it has not been pretty. The hot flashes and the metabolism changes were rough. I was so religious about the food intake and I think that is when my small caloric intake had a huge collision with menopause. My metabolism was non-existent. I played tennis 4 times a week for 90 minute sessions and the weight started creeping up. Long story short, between not making myself a priority (zero self care) and no metabolism and allowing sugar back into my life (never again! I was like a druggie when I detoxed this time) I was a wreck and 45 pounds over goal. I tried to find support groups but the 30-somethings didn't have the same problems that I did in the face to face meetings. I was too far away from my original surgeon to talk to him and my new surgeon just said to stop eating and move more. That was so unhelpful. It actually gave me a sense of shame that I just felt was failure and it caused me to curl up in a ball and I didn't try to do anything else. Still not sure if I have done the right thing but I have a new ob/gyn that is marvelous. He didn't say "just deal with it" when I talked about what seemed like never ending hot flashes. He actually took a look at me as a whole person-not just a pair of ovaries. We did gallons of blood work but he was able to get me on a hormone regimen where I don't live in a perpetual sweat. Then I asked him about the weight gain and metabolism issue post menopause AND the fact that I was post-WLS. He stuck with me and is helping me find the answer. I am his first WLS patient on this serotonin weight program that a colleague came up with and it appears to be doing the trick. While others on this program have a hard time with the protein and veggies ONLY diet, it was easy because it was like remembering what it was like post-surgery all those years ago. It is easy to follow. It does have a phentermine component but he explained the chemistry between the serotonin and phentermine and how it helps boost my metabolism. I did have to face the sugar and wheat demon...I am winning the fight so far but it is a big demon so I am on high alert. 10 pounds down after 2 weeks and 35 to go until goal. The number is so much smaller than before surgery but I imagine it will be just as hard to reach. Those last 10 are nasty boogers. So my question is...I needed a RX to wake up my metabolism. Is this going to a chronic issue because we can only eat small amounts of food? My doc has composed a suggestion of food pairings that I alternate every 2 weeks to keep the metabolism going now that is has woke up. I play tennis at least 4 times per week for 90 minutes at a time. I am not a sedentary person and yet my whole body turned on itself at menopause. Anyone else have issues with weight regain after full onset of menopause? Did you struggle with your body thinking it was in starvation mode all the time? What did you do? I might be crazy for going to this extent, but the weight gain was bringing previously extinguished co-morbidities back. I had to do something to get my health back. This was my answer. Would love to hear if you are in the same boat. I like the scale going down again but i have to admit that I was more than a little sad that I had to find a way to give my Gastric Sleeve a boost to start the train rolling down the track again. I thought it would be a lifetime tool and it needed a boost for sure. Thanks! Teachkdz0507

Thinking Wellbutrin, it is the LEAST likely to cause sexual side effects and weight gain, which those two things are more important than the obsessive. Also, maybe combined with an ADHD medication, to help with energy and focus. Here is an exerpt from: http://www.bipolar-lives.com/benefits-of-wellbutrin.html (Note, I am not bi-polar) We know from clinical studies that Wellbutrin is more than just an effective medication to take if you suffer from bipolar depression. Wellbutrin is as effective as an antidepressant such as Zoloft, Prozac and Paxil, and is more effective than Effexor. Additional Wellbutrin benefits: Helps compulsive gamblers who have other bipolar disorder symptoms Helps smokers kick the habit (under the name of Zyban) Used as a treatment for ADHD Unlike so many other antidepressants, Wellbutrin does NOT induce fatigue Increases alertness and energy It is on the FDA approved list for treating Major Depressive Disorder as well as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Reminder: Wellbutrin is FDA approved for treating major depression but NOT for bipolar disorder. ... There is evidence that Wellbutrin medicine can help with social anxiety and generalized anxiety. However, it does not help against panic attacks and may even make them worse. (This is why I stopped taking Wellbutrin. For someone who does not have panic problems, Wellbutrin may still be a good option, especially in combination with an anticonvulsant mood stabilizer or with lithium.) Substance abuse? One of the best known benefits of Wellbutrin is how it helps folks quit smoking cigarettes – and marijuana! It may increase sensitivity to alcohol – or it may not – the evidence is inconsistent. Impulsive behavior? Wellbutrin has been shown to be helpful for compulsive gamblers. It should be kept mind though that Wellbutrin is a medicine with stimulant properties and there is not enough data at this time to understand how it may either fuel or control impulsivity. Obesity? Wellbutrin has been trialled as a weight loss aid and is unusual in being an antidepressant that contributes to weight loss rather than weight gain. This is extremely important as people with bipolar disorder suffer from higher than normal rates of obesity and are up to 3 times more likely to die from related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

2 words - water and shock! It's a great way to kick-start your body during a stall. First thing, eat. Don't diet. Gain a pound. Eat things you don't normally eat. Don't be afraid to eat something off your diet plan. Don't follow your plan. Skip the protein for a day. Don't drink as much fluid. Gain a water pound. Your body stalls because it gets into a pattern. Get it out of the pattern. Shock your body. Then, go back on your meal plan and drink water. More than usual. Water only, lay off other fluids and any artificial sweeteners. Do that for two days. Your body will not only lose the water weight gain but be shocked back into the normal weight loss pattern. Great advice from my nutritionist but it worked like a charm. It's a marathon, not a sprint, and your body can't be constantly in a weight loss mode if it becomes too complacent. It needs some change from time to time. Good luck! And don't worry about stalls. They are natural. Everyone here has experienced them, myself included and the advice I got from these good people really helped. I wish you all the best! You're doing great!

I was sleeved last November. I just now, last month actually, started my period for the first time. I had a bit of weight gain, but it has since went back down. The period is here again this month, and it's much worse than last month, and I gained a bit back, but I am sure it will go back down as soon as this part is over.

I was sleeved 7/12/16, and my husband and I just found out this week I'm pregnant. This is #2, but the 1st post-op. Of course, I let my surgeon's office know, and the secretary gave me the recommendations because the Dr and RN were off on Friday. So naturally I turned to Dr. Google, and it's made me a wreck! I've been taking prenatal vitamins since we started trying for #2, supplementing my B12 and calcium. My B12 was already sky-high, and studies I've been reading say that such high doses can increase risks for autism. I also am worried about what my intake should be. Should I be increasing my proteins at all? What should I be aware of with weight gain? Any thoughts or ideas would be super helpful.

I'm on the same journey. I had my lapband 14 years ago and 4 children from then on. I maintained weight at 125 for over a decade. But scar tissue and acid reflux problems caused me to get my band emptied in June and I have gained 33 lbs since June:( I had my endoscopy last Monday and I'm getting revision to sleeve on October 3. The rapid weight gain has been really hard and made me very depressed honestly. Keep us posted on your journey ❤️

Hi, my surgeon has recommended that I have the Fobi ring fitted when I have the sleeve operation, to help prevent future weight gain. Has anyone had experience with this???

My insurance didnt care about weight gain between appts but between your initial weight and final weight before submitting you could not show a gain-ie no net gain. Be sure you know what your ins stance is. Aetna is who i have and they would have denied coverage.

That's the mindset that I am taking on to the future. My bread, cake, biscuit/cookie consumption is a most serious aspect of my life of weight gain. I will do my best to NOT reintroduce breads, cakes, biscuits and "cookies" ever again. I am building resolve. At 61, this is truly my golden ticket that started sliding too far away 25+ years ago.

After my RNY gastric bypass surgery, I do not recall my stomach swelling. I had some weight gain because they pumped your body full of fluids in the hospital. This weight gain took less than a week to go away. After surgery your body also produces a lot of gas. Walking helps with this condition. The blood thinner medicine that I took caused my body to bruise very easily. My body really looked like I had been in a boxing match because of the bruising. But after a month this went away.

Congrats on your surgery success! Weight gain during pregnancy is largely under your own control. If you don't eat too much, you won't gain much weight. You'll want to work closely with an OB/GYN and/or nutritionist to come up with your dietary plan. Since you aren't underweight, you don't need many extra calories. An average of 200/day over the course of the pregnancy (100 extra the first trimester, 200 the second trimester, and 300 the last trimester) should give you the right amount to grow your baby... you mostly just need plenty of vitamins, protein.. general nutrition stuff. This minimal caloric increase should result in only a 15lb gain, which will come right back off almost instantly. 15lbs isn't much, I know.. and your doctor may want you to gain more than that (always listen to your doctor!).. but at least this gives you one way to look at things, and something to compare the doctor's recommendation to. If the doc wants you to gain 30lbs, then you'll eat 400 extra calories a day (again, fewer at first, more later). (If you said you were a size 4, and struggling to maintain your weight, I'd be giving very different caloric advice..) Talk to a doctor before getting pregnant, so you'll know the plan and can start supplementing early if necessary. Good luck!

Hello my fellow sleevers I am looking for some insight / stories on pregnancy after being sleeved. I am knocking on my 1 year 10/6/17 and the husband and I have decided we want to try for baby #2. I really want to try but am a little worried about weight gain. Pre surgery I was 325 size 20/3x. Before I got pregnant with my 1st I was 230ish size 16 and gained almost 100lbs with that pregnancy My fear is I'll end up back where I was before surgery. I am current 225 size 12/L which I'm happy at. I also have PCOS which scares me Has anyone got pregnant after surgery? If so how was it/is it? Did you have an issue or gain way more weight than you expected? Were you able to lose the weight? Thank you all for reading

I have enough data to confirm that I've beaten last week's inexplicable weight gain. Over the past few days, not only have I lost all the weight I gained over the previous week but as of today, I'm at a lower point on the scale than I was the day before the gain started, being down 0,4 kg (0,8 lbs for the Americans here) from my lowest point and down 1 kg (2,2 lbs) since yesterday.

When I was in my teens I wasn't fat but thought I was!! I weighed 125 to 135#'s but I wasn't like the other girls I wasn't tiny and petite. So even when I was thin I always felt out of control. My mom never had veggies, or potatoes. We lived on meat and gravy on bread. I never developed good eating habits. Then I met my hubby and got married when I was barely 17 and he moved me away from my mom, I couldn't wait to feel normal. I got prego but still, my weight gain wasn't bad. I started eating whatever I wanted, you see my hubby and I had one giant thing in common FOOD!!! He weighed 350#'s when e were married. Years passed I gained weight, pound on top of pound!! Had my 2nd child at 23 but I became a Diabetic on pills then shots. Losing weight wasn't a problem but I never learned how to keep it off. At one time I weighed 285#'s. My diabetes just kept on getting worse until I could not control it at all. We both have a little more in common now, food isn't our main focus!! We have 8 grandkids that fill our hearts to the brim with love!! We are closer now than ever. So I have a lot to be happy with. I had my WLS and I have been in maintenance for 3 and 1/2 years, hubby has lost 200#'s total. Life is AWESOME!!!

The person who explained in detail what the sugars will do re: weight loss & weight gain is absolutely correct. Since my surgery from 1980 I went from 264# to 132# so very quickly. In all of these years i never gained an ounce. May of 2016 I put on my first summer outfit as I live in snow country so live in heavy clothes all winter; My clothes were loose on me. Somehow I had managed to lose another 12# over the winter. Wasn't eating or drinking anything any different. I was 120#. I was actually ecstatic. For some demented reason which I do not understand to this day I started drinking a 12oz bottle of Coca-Cola from Mexico over a 24 hour period daily. I am so addicted I can't believe it. But I wasn't worried as I was still my 120#'s. Well in June 2017 I put away my baggy heavy clothes & grabbed cutoffs & knit top. They were kinda tight??? It's now Sept 2017 & my stomach area (I didn't have plastic surgery as I didn't know the insurance would have covered it & really didn't need it after the weight loss) this has gotten back to being fat & saggy. I can barely fit into the 132# clothes but this stomach is making me sooo sad & depressed & i can't stop drinking these darned things. I'm praying that with walking & stopping this nonsense that it will go away but I have no idea. Listen to what has been said about the calories & calcium loss. I'm a living testament as to what a 12oz soda a day can do to a once upon a time extremely successful gastric bypass that's stayed in great shape for 36 years. DO NOT PICK UP OR CONTINUE TO DRINK CARBONATED BEVERAGES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH SUGAR.

I'm embarrassed to admit I gained 25 pounds between the initial consultation appointment (October 2014) and the month of surgery (April 2015). The weight gain was due to food funerals, a.k.a. eating my favorite foods one last time before saying "goodbye." I also couldn't control my ravenous appetite. Luckily, my surgeon and insurance company were very lenient and didn't care whether I gained or lost weight during the pre-op phase as long as my BMI remained greater than 35.

I have used a CPAP for years, full face mask too. I'm used to it. You learn to adjust to the tubing and the mask itself, I mean you have to. One of the reasons I'm excited about this surgery is getting off the CPAP. I started out well but as time went on it wasn't as effective and I wake up really tired. I think it's likely due to weight gain. I have an appointment with my sleep Dr. in October to make possible adjustments.

I was banded in 2006 (private pay) and thought I did fairly well going from 220lb to 150lb in the first year or so. Over the next 10 years, I had my third child and managed to maintain about a 55lb loss. I was and remain dedicated to work outs 4-5 days a week. However, I never felt like I ever found that "sweet spot" with my fills. I had to make a 14 hour round trip for fills and the surgeon I had was the least compassionate, most fat phobic person I've ever encountered. How he got into that line of work I'll never know. Unfortunately, he was the only option in near my home town at the time when Lap-band was fairly new in Canada. I spent most of the time either feeling hungry or nauseated/stuffed and if I'm honest with myself, I think a threw up at least once almost every day of that 10 years (surgically induced bulimia?) Last year things got bad with my band. It became way too tight (even when completely unfilled) and I experienced terrible reflux at night and could barely tolerate fluids. It had to be removed. Luckily another surgeon closer to my home had started to do band surgery and was willing to remove it. He said with the earlier versions of the Lap-band, they often become inflexible and too tight after a long period of time. With this surgeon, my only option was to replace it with another gastric band (Mid-band is his device of choice). I could not convert to a sleeve or bypass as this is not offered as a private pay option in the province where I reside. There is a 5-7 year waitlist for government-funded weight loss surgeries. He said he wanted to see how I did with it out and that he "had faith in" my ability to keep the weight off. Well, I think we all know what the research says about gastric band removals. Despite my best efforts to watch what I ate and maintain my exercise routine, I regained almost all of the weight. Even though I eat a healthy diet (way healthier than what I could tolerate with the band), in less than a year I found myself 10lbs shy of my highest weight. My blood sugar and blood pressure are creeping up and I'm noticing more PCOS symptoms again. So, I started researching self-pay options for gastric sleeve surgery out of province. The surgeon I consulted with feels that the MGB is the best option for me. I'm not thrilled about paying for this again along with airfare and hotel. And not only do I get the pleasure of paying for WLS twice, it's extra because revision surgery requires more OR time. But I think my health is worth it. I'm booked for September 28th and have started my 2-week pre-op liquid diet (blech!) Part of me is scared that the surgery won't work. I feel like I have the slowest metabolism in the world. This, combined with my meds that promote weight gain and my PCOS, makes it feel like the odds are against me. However, my surgeon reassures me I'll do well. I've found reading about others' successful revisions also very encouraging. Thanks for reading my story.