Is a weight gain normal?

[Quixotic 0]

Hello, all. I was "sleeved" on Nov 18. I lost a lot of weight preceding the surgery (40 lbs) thanks to Phentermine. Then I lost another 15 pounds in the week around the surgery because those Protein Drinks (isopure) are only 160 calories each. But once I started in on Soups in phase 2, I just stopped losing and haven't lost a pound in the last two weeks. In fact, I gained 3 pounds. I feel hungry a lot and can eat nearly 2 cups before my body says "stop" (hiccups are the warning). Is that normal? I don't want to overstress my stomach but also expect the surgery to help out in the Portion Control.< /p>

Since I lost so much before, I'm not too worried, but I'll be concerned if I don't start losing again soon. I suspect that the problem is that liquids aren't constrained by the size of the new stomach, so I can eat more before feeling "full." I also suspect that the weight gain is just recovery from the surgery, not a gain in body fat. But I don't know what to expect.

Anyone else able to eat more than they thought a 60ml stomach should hold? Any advice about portions and hunger management? Anyone else gain weight after surgery? How long did it take until you started losing again?

Thanks for your comments.

[Dansha 16]

I am 4 months post op and I am lucky if I can eat a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. What are you eating if I may ask?

Deb

[TijuanaPlication 87]

I was surprised to find out the liquids including things like yogurt and Soup go down pretty easy. Solids fill me up pretty fast so long as go I very slowly, plus they help me stay full for quite a while.

I'm going to start WW soon and see what their new ProPoints Plan is like (it emphasises protein). I'm on mushys still, so will wait 'til I'm back to solids.

I guess it's one of those things we have to be careful of and ensure we don't out eat our pouches. That's obviously what everyone is referring to when they say that WLS is simply a tool!

[Quixotic 0]

I am 4 months post op and I am lucky if I can eat a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. What are you eating if I may ask?

Deb

I eat just about anything (now three weeks after being sleeved). I don't eat red meat for health reasons (I didn't before, either) and don't eat raw veggies for now because I'm afraid the Fiber will get "stuck." And I stay away from "fattening foods." But I can eat about 2 cups of "soft" food before feeling full. If I eat chicken and cooked vegetables, about a cup or cup and a half. I eat cooked Cereal (oatmeal or cracked wheat) for Breakfast, plus some Protein source like Isopure. During the day, I eat lots and lots of cooked veggies (I like veggies), fish, chicken, shellfish and a little fruit (not too much because of the sugar content) and Greek yogurt (yum!). I often supplement with whey Protein (isolate).

I'm surprised to hear how many people like Dansha have so much trouble eating. I've had a couple of bouts of nausea if I overdid it, so I know the sleeving was real, but otherwise I've been lucky with my recovery (including an hour a day in the gym on the elliptical plus some light weights). I'm so normal, I just hope I can still lose weight!

Good luck to you, Dansha, and you, TijianaPlication. For what it's worth, I didn't do well with WW because they allow too much starch and fat. I may eat too much, but as long as it's chicken breast, fish and veggies (I avoid starch), I have still been able to lose weight.

[aquamama 0]

Hello, all. I was "sleeved" on Nov 18. I lost a lot of weight preceding the surgery (40 lbs) thanks to Phentermine. Then I lost another 15 pounds in the week around the surgery because those Protein drinks (isopure) are only 160 calories each. But once I started in on Soups in phase 2, I just stopped losing and haven't lost a pound in the last two weeks. In fact, I gained 3 pounds. I feel hungry a lot and can eat nearly 2 cups before my body says "stop" (hiccups are the warning). Is that normal? I don't want to overstress my stomach but also expect the surgery to help out in the Portion Control.< /p>

Since I lost so much before, I'm not too worried, but I'll be concerned if I don't start losing again soon. I suspect that the problem is that liquids aren't constrained by the size of the new stomach, so I can eat more before feeling "full." I also suspect that the weight gain is just recovery from the surgery, not a gain in body fat. But I don't know what to expect.

Anyone else able to eat more than they thought a 60ml stomach should hold? Any advice about portions and hunger management? Anyone else gain weight after surgery? How long did it take until you started losing again?

Thanks for your comments.

I am only two weeks after surgery and finding I can eat almost anything but very little of it. I did gain weight three days after surgery which I know was Water weight. My biggest problem is I am full long before my taste buds quit. I feel great except still sore in my insision area. I can not even drink more than a half a cup of liquid at a time.

[emilygrace 5]

Quixotic, doesn't your surgeon have any postop eating guidelines? It's very unusual to be eating the types of food you're eating at 3 wks out, let alone the amounts.

[divajksn 4]

Quixotic,

I was thinking the same as the previous poster. Just curious are you or were given any type of post op guidelines. I am not sleeved yet but already have the post op diet information. It says to be on the"full liquid" diet from day 3 until two weeks and then your are on pureed foods (mushies) until week 8. It's not until week 9 that you go to soft solid foods. Again..I won't be sleeved for another 3 weeks but I am reading the post diet guidelines. Just something to think about...wishing you the best.

[TijuanaPlication 87]

I've also found that going slowly helps. Just take a break when you've had some food and if you give it a minute or too, you'll probably find you're able to stop.

I am only two weeks after surgery and finding I can eat almost anything but very little of it. I did gain weight three days after surgery which I know was Water weight. My biggest problem is I am full long before my taste buds quit. I feel great except still sore in my insision area. I can not even drink more than a half a cup of liquid at a time.

[HetKF 33]

I had surgery on 11/29 and have lost 26 lbs. Now, it has seemed since I started pureed food (mushies) I have stalled. No weight gain....just not moving. I am getting in 60gm's of Protein a day and doing what I am supposed to. Although, at my last appointment he told me he expects a 21% weight loss by 30 days. So, I am good as of right now. Thing is, you can't exercise for another so many weeks. I live in Michigan, so walking outside right now is not an option. I need to invest in a treadmill I think .

[thinoneday 445]

Hello, all. I was "sleeved" on Nov 18. I lost a lot of weight preceding the surgery (40 lbs) thanks to Phentermine. Then I lost another 15 pounds in the week around the surgery because those Protein drinks (isopure) are only 160 calories each. But once I started in on Soups in phase 2, I just stopped losing and haven't lost a pound in the last two weeks. In fact, I gained 3 pounds. I feel hungry a lot and can eat nearly 2 cups before my body says "stop" (hiccups are the warning). Is that normal? I don't want to overstress my stomach but also expect the surgery to help out in the Portion Control.< /p>

Since I lost so much before, I'm not too worried, but I'll be concerned if I don't start losing again soon. I suspect that the problem is that liquids aren't constrained by the size of the new stomach, so I can eat more before feeling "full." I also suspect that the weight gain is just recovery from the surgery, not a gain in body fat. But I don't know what to expect.

Anyone else able to eat more than they thought a 60ml stomach should hold? Any advice about portions and hunger management? Anyone else gain weight after surgery? How long did it take until you started losing again?

Thanks for your comments.

Hi, I'm out 1 year now and am lucky to eat 1 cup of anything. I can bearly finish a whole sandwich. I can still only swallow 5 gulps of a liquid before it "hurts" . What size bougie did your doctor use? When I was sleeved back in Dec 2009 I woke up HUNGRY! I never lost the hunger thing they are so proud to say you'll lose. . .but i've dealt with mine as you can see from the weight loss. . . I really don't know what to tell you, other then portion control and exercise. . . good luck!

[Quixotic 0]

Hi, I'm out 1 year now and am lucky to eat 1 cup of anything. I can bearly finish a whole sandwich. I can still only swallow 5 gulps of a liquid before it "hurts" . What size bougie did your doctor use? When I was sleeved back in Dec 2009 I woke up HUNGRY! I never lost the hunger thing they are so proud to say you'll lose. . .but i've dealt with mine as you can see from the weight loss. . . I really don't know what to tell you, other then Portion Control and exercise. . . good luck!

To THINONEDAY (soon), I don't know the size bougie used on me, but it's pretty clear it was larger than the ones used on most everyone else. Either that, or my stomach had greater elasticity. I have a followup next week and I'll ask.

I do find, as TijuanaPlication suggested, that "soft foods" and liquids go down easier and may be consumed in larger quantities than solid food. Now that I eat foods like fish, I can't consume as much as before without feeling really full. I suspect the quantity tolerance also is much less for foods with lots of fat in them. My diet is really low in fat (and no breads). SO I can eat more. (The preceding doesn't explain why Dansha is challenged even by cottage cheese, though. Is it non-fat, Dansha?)

To answer the question about my diet instructions, it was basically 10 days on liquids, a week on baby foods or Soups, then a week on soft foods. That 3-4 week period is supposed to take care of my regimented diet and limited exercise phase. After that, I'm supposed to just "be careful" and stop when I feel uncomfortable.

I've seen a lot of different dietary instructions for sleeve patients - much more variability than seems necessary - but I've also seen a wide range of patient tolerance, from those that are eating "normally" after little more than 2 weeks to those that are still restricted after several months.

Also, I've seen some widely different limits placed on activity. My instructions were to keep it light (except lots of walking) until 4 weeks, then proceed with more rigorous exercise, even free weights and the stairmaster, as my body permits. I follow the spirit of the instructions and just listen to my body, which has kept me out of trouble so far.

Thanks for the good comments.

[Quixotic 0]

Quixotic,

I was thinking the same as the previous poster. Just curious are you or were given any type of post op guidelines. I am not sleeved yet but already have the post op diet information. It says to be on the"full liquid" diet from day 3 until two weeks and then your are on pureed foods (mushies) until week 8. It's not until week 9 that you go to soft solid foods. Again..I won't be sleeved for another 3 weeks but I am reading the post diet guidelines. Just something to think about...wishing you the best.

Thank you, Divajksn.

For those looking for dietary information, I recommend The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery (which I downloaded to my Kindle from Amazon). I also had many nutrition classes I had to attend (and tests I had to pass showing I understood the guidelines).

I suspect pre-surgery prep is a strong factor in response to surgery and post-surgery diet. I had to go through a strict diet and education program to qualify and was already 50 pounds lighter by the time I got home from the VSG surgery. I hated the wait, but it ended up being time really well spent (to my surprise).

I do follow the guidelines set for me, but they don't seem as restrictive as the ones I read from people on this Forum.

[Quixotic 0]

I had surgery on 11/29 and have lost 26 lbs. Now, it has seemed since I started pureed food (mushies) I have stalled. No weight gain....just not moving. I am getting in 60gm's of Protein a day and doing what I am supposed to. Although, at my last appointment he told me he expects a 21% weight loss by 30 days. So, I am good as of right now. Thing is, you can't exercise for another so many weeks. I live in Michigan, so walking outside right now is not an option. I need to invest in a treadmill I think .

To HetKF:

That's an amazing result. However, weight loss that fast sounds like muscle loss and dehydration as well as fat loss. I lost a huge amount in the 10 days around surgery when I was hardly able to move, but I don't think it was all that healthy. I felt weak and my face looked gaunt. So when I started on soft food, I tried to eat as many pureed vegetables as I could along with the Protein. When I was able to go back to the gym, my suspicions were confirmed that I was much weaker than before. So I focused on getting back up to my previous exercise level (weights and aerobics) even though that nullified some of the weight loss from calorie restriction. My waist did get smaller even though I didn't lose weight for almost two weeks.

I read about people that are in the soft food phase eating cheese and drinking apple juice or other sweet drink. That just can't be good. And by the way, I was told that you need 100 gm of protein, especially right after the surgery, for tissue repair. If you aren't getting enough protein, that could lead to muscle loss and a slow recovery.

Your surgeon's comment has me worried for you. Telling you that you should lose 21% (about 50 lbs) in a month is setting you up for disappointment and might induce you to do something unhealthy. I heard that the most you can expect to lose is about 4 lbs per week if you do everything right. If you lose 15 or 20 pounds in a month (and don't lose muscle or get dehydrated), you should be thrilled and pat yourself on the back.

If anyone has better knowledge of how much we should be able to lose in a month, please add your comments.

[HetKF 33]

To HetKF:

That's an amazing result. However, weight loss that fast sounds like muscle loss and dehydration as well as fat loss. I lost a huge amount in the 10 days around surgery when I was hardly able to move, but I don't think it was all that healthy. I felt weak and my face looked gaunt. So when I started on soft food, I tried to eat as many pureed vegetables as I could along with the Protein. When I was able to go back to the gym, my suspicions were confirmed that I was much weaker than before. So I focused on getting back up to my previous exercise level (weights and aerobics) even though that nullified some of the weight loss from calorie restriction. My waist did get smaller even though I didn't lose weight for almost two weeks.

I read about people that are in the soft food phase eating cheese and drinking apple juice or other sweet drink. That just can't be good. And by the way, I was told that you need 100 gm of Protein, especially right after the surgery, for tissue repair. If you aren't getting enough protein, that could lead to muscle loss and a slow recovery.

Your surgeon's comment has me worried for you. Telling you that you should lose 21% (about 50 lbs) in a month is setting you up for disappointment and might induce you to do something unhealthy. I heard that the most you can expect to lose is about 4 lbs per week if you do everything right. If you lose 15 or 20 pounds in a month (and don't lose muscle or get dehydrated), you should be thrilled and pat yourself on the back.

If anyone has better knowledge of how much we should be able to lose in a month, please add your comments.

Thank you for your response. Thing is, I am not weak at all. I have a lot of energy. So much in fact, I over did it recently and ended up paying for it around the spot where he took my drain out last week. I am doing everything they are telling me to do but within the last 4 days nothing has budged at 248. Literally since I started pureed food. I don't understand it? Not sure what to do and I see him again next Thursday. I initially was having issues getting my fluids in and my protein. Everything was disgusting and just did not go down very well. Within the last week I have been doing a lot better since I add that true lemon to my Water. The unflavored unjury is helping immensely!!! I was only told between 60-75 gms of protein a day. I know every Doctor is different. I appear and feel to be healing quite well. My incisions are almost completely healed. I am just in the itching stage at the moment. What vegetables were you able to puree that did not taste gross? I was told to stay away from broccoli and cauliflower etc...I welcome any suggestions. So, healthy is 4 lbs a week? Would be nice if it would do it..lol. I have not gained back any weight at all...and I'm thinking if it were dehydration....and now my Fluid levels are better wouldn't I??? Prior to surgery I did not drink enough EVER and was chronically dehydrated. I was a Diet Pepsi addict. I'm doing much better now.

[Dansha 16]

To THINONEDAY (soon), I don't know the size bougie used on me, but it's pretty clear it was larger than the ones used on most everyone else. Either that, or my stomach had greater elasticity. I have a followup next week and I'll ask.

I do find, as TijuanaPlication suggested, that "soft foods" and liquids go down easier and may be consumed in larger quantities than solid food. Now that I eat foods like fish, I can't consume as much as before without feeling really full. I suspect the quantity tolerance also is much less for foods with lots of fat in them. My diet is really low in fat (and no breads). SO I can eat more. (The preceding doesn't explain why Dansha is challenged even by cottage cheese, though. Is it non-fat, Dansha?)

To answer the question about my diet instructions, it was basically 10 days on liquids, a week on baby foods or Soups, then a week on soft foods. That 3-4 week period is supposed to take care of my regimented diet and limited exercise phase. After that, I'm supposed to just "be careful" and stop when I feel uncomfortable.

I've seen a lot of different dietary instructions for sleeve patients - much more variability than seems necessary - but I've also seen a wide range of patient tolerance, from those that are eating "normally" after little more than 2 weeks to those that are still restricted after several months.

Also, I've seen some widely different limits placed on activity. My instructions were to keep it light (except lots of walking) until 4 weeks, then proceed with more rigorous exercise, even free weights and the stairmaster, as my body permits. I follow the spirit of the instructions and just listen to my body, which has kept me out of trouble so far.

Thanks for the good comments.

No quite sure what you mean by challenged by cottage cheese. My typical day of eating is as followings. Breakfast at 3am is usually a container of greek yogurt and then I have a snack about 7 or 8 am which is a Protein shake. lunch is at 1. I would have a 1/2 cup of 1% cottage cheese. If I still feel I can eat more I will have maybe 1/4 to 1/2 cup green Beans and then a snack at 3pm is another Protein Shake or 2 oz. of cheese. At dinner !/2 cup to 3/4 cup of roasted chicken and some green Beans. I HAVE NEVER EATEN TWO CUPS OF ANYTHING at one sitting. I don't believe I could even if I wanted to. This is my surgeon's and my nut's nutritional guidelines.

You are sooooo early in the game I would be careful as to NOT to stress the staple line, Good luck!!!!!

Deb

P.S. I energy levels and labs are great.