Help, I'm Gaining Weight!!!

[JennK2008 12]

I was banded Sept 2009. I was doing a great job and lost 114 lbs( only 12 lbs from my goal), then I got severly dehydrated and had to have my band completely unfilled. I gained 28 pounds in 2 days and my feet and legs swelled up bad!! I went to urgent care and they couldn't find anything wrong with me and recommended that I go to the ER so that I could have more tests done than what he could provide in the office. After every test imaginable I was given a clean bill of health with the only diagnosis being that I was retaining Fluid since I was so severly dehydrated.

I went back to my surgeon 4 weeks after being unfilled and was given 2ccs. I went back 4 weeks later and got another 1.5ccs another month and .5 ccs. I was well on my way to losing the weight again with a total of 4 ccs in my band. That was last August and I have struggled with 5-7 lbs back and forth. With the holidays and being at Disneyworld for Christmas I put on approximately another 3 lbs.

I went to see my surgeon on Jan 13 and he said I was already too tight and suggested that I have some removed. I needed a fill!!! I was upset since I was hoping a fill could help me start losing weight again. With that being said I thought I'm getting this weight off come hell or high Water, I have been extremely careful and logging EVERYTHING I put in my mouth and I'm gaining weight!!! I am doing the Protein Shakes for Breakfast, and being extra careful what I'm eating for lunch and dinner. I have had absolutely no slider foods until yesterday when I had 1/2 cup of frozen yogurt and yes I measured it. I got on the scale this mornig for the first time since Monday and I was up another 7 pounds!!

Help, I'm gaining weight, feeling discouraged, and am open to any suggestions any of you might have.

[Cazzy 725]

It could still be retention of Fluid, i would measure your input and output on fluids for a week and then ask your doctor to look at the figures u have logged.

Might also be an idea to look at the composition of the food you are eating, salt is a definite no no if u tend to hold fluids, or maybe u are very sensitive to carb intake, you have to make yourself your own expert, mix around your food, try eating different times, change what food you do eat, are u getting enough veg like broccoli all the anti oxident foods, all the metabolic foods that help u metabolise food. You can look these up on the net, but green tea (ugh) chilli dark green veg all help, im not saying they are miracles, but changing small things can lead to better weight loss.

Make sure you weigh yourself the same time every day/week whenever u monitor it, normally first thing in the morning b4 u drink anything. Slider foods arent necesserialy a no no but u just wont get the signals of being full or restricted from them, just make sure the slider isnt bad for you. I have a veg Soup every day for lunch made at home, Soup is classed as a slider but many of us here have lost our weight using Soups for a meal.

Good luck with sorting this out

[elcee 3,341]

You should probably go for some blood tests. You may have some kind of endocrine imbalance that could be causing it.

[Kimberly Collins 15]

This is what happened to me when my thyroid went south. I had other symptoms as well, but as soon as I started thyroid meds, I lost 50 lbs in 3 months. I stalled a lot this past year when I decided I had to get serious and lose the other 60 lbs I need to lose (banded in 2005) and despite working out and being really good, It took me 9 months to lose 20 lbs. It was my thyroid again. I would push your doctor for an extensive hormone work up. Mine didn't actually show up on blood work for about 6 months after my severe symptoms started, then my levels of TSH were through the roof. After a few years of battling this, my doc and I figured out that any thyroid level above 1.2 or so, despite that being a very normal number, causes issues for me. I guess what I am saying, is thyroid issues can take time to manifest themselves as far as blood work goes, and just b/c you TSH is in the normal range, it might not be in a range that is normal and works for you.

I hope you get this figured out.

[honk 780]

I understand you are food journaling and probalbly counting calories. In your situation where you are gaining I would not be having frozen yogurt. My doctor doesn't really want me to be so tight I cant eat food for breakfast. Perhaps you are still too tight. Are you weighing your lunch and dinner Protein?

[vlp1968 83]

I agree it could be your thyroid. I lost my insurance at one point and stopped taking my thyroid medicine. I swelled up big time. I wasn't weighing myself back then, but I am sure I gained tons. Your issue deffinately seems to be Water retention. I wouldn't worry about my weight, keep doing what your doing and get a workup done by your pcp. Good luck!

[tym4me 206]

I can kinda understand. For me its not really the amount i eat or when its the what i do REALLY well when i stay away from carbs whites ie flour sugar rice bread an so on. I lose really well with just my vegs an Protein. When i get on the scale an see an increase i know it was from the other day if i broke down and had those oh so badly delicious carbs.

[JennK2008 12]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I called and talked to the nurse in my surgeons office today. ( She is absolutely wonderful I must say!) After we went over everything I had been doing in the last week I am calling my pcp tomorrow and making an appointment to have some bloodwork done and go from there If it ends up not being a thyroid issue then she will get me an appointment with a bariatric metabolic doctor to see if he can help me some how. I am going back in 2 1/2 weeks for a follow up with my surgeon.

I am also going to get back on track exercising beginning tomorrow night. I had planned on it tonight and ended up having to work late unexpectedly. Right before the holidays I would work out 45 min to an hour every evening 4 nights a week.

Once again I thank you all for expressing your thoughts with me!