Gaining weight nearly 3 years post gastric bypass

[Jessiemay 8]

Hi everyone, I having a really hard time and I can’t seem to understand why this has happened and how to shift the weight.

i am nearly 3 years post op and I have gained nearly 4 stone in the last 1.5 years, my portion size has stayed the same I eat my Protein I take my Vitamins I exercise I work almost 24/7 as a care assistant. The only thing I would say I do wrong is I don’t allow enough time for meals I eat the correct foods just don’t allow the time that I should for meal times.

I also eat my fruit and veggies, and sleep perfectly fine, I’m just soo confused and don’t understand why the weight isn’t coming off! I have spoken to my surgeon and my gastric doctors and they just tell me to exercise and allow more time for meals I have started to allow more time and already exercise 4 times a week.

Advise anyone?

[Tamarita 30]

Are you measuring your portions and tracking your food/calories? A big problem for me is letting that go and not realizing my portions are slowly growing.

[RickM 1,747]

One of the characteristics of the gastric bypass is that the caloric malabsorption that you have initially which helps with your weight loss that first year, dissipates after a year or two (unfortunately, the nutritional malabsorption persists, so you still need to take your supplements!). So, if you lost all your excess weight within the first year and were stable at, say, 2000 calories per day, after 2-3 years your stability point may only be 16-1800 calories and you have to cut back a bit to compensate. With the VSG, I didn't have that extra bit of malabsorptive help in the losing phase so my loss was maybe a bit slower, but then I didn't have to compensate for its loss as I worked into the maintenance phase.

Beyond that, we all have (with any WLS) the tendency to experience portion creep as get more comfortable with our new life, our diets become more varied and we get more casual on tracking things.

[catwoman7 11,211]

yep - as others have said, start tracking again. Figure out what calorie range you're eating at now, and then cut back a bit from that. Maybe cut 100 calories for a week or two and see if that gets your weight loss going again. If not, then cut by another 100. Rinse and repeat. You'll eventually find the spot where you're losing again. It'll be slow because you're pretty far out, but it should start up again when you get to the right spot.

[Jessiemay 8]

Thank you for your replies, my portion sizes are a small appetiser plate and I always follow what my surgeon told me too, I take all my Vitamins and minerals and supplements too!

in my first year And a half I lost 8.5sts and then stabilised then the doctors mucked around with my hormones and contraception and then that’s when the weight started to go on and now I have gained nearly 4 stone

[Jessiemay 8]

Okay I will the calorie count ago and see where it gets me any more advise will be welcomed xx

[summerset 5,265]

So it might not be a surgery related problem after all?

[Jessiemay 8]

Well possibly not but I’m not sure I have had tests and my hormone levels are normal apparently.

[Mello1 227]

4 minutes ago, Jessiemay said:

Thank you for your replies, my portion sizes are a small appetiser plate and I always follow what my surgeon told me too, I take all my Vitamins and minerals and supplements too!

in my first year And a half I lost 8.5sts and then stabilised then the doctors mucked around with my hormones and contraception and then that’s when the weight started to go on and now I have gained nearly 4 stone

Aha. What do you mean by hormones and contraception? It may well be the medication you've been switched to. You may also wish to have a conference with your doctor or bariatric surgeon about that.

[Jessiemay 8]

Well when I had the surgery in October 17 I Was on the implant and I suffered really badly with heavy bleeding so I spoke to the doctors and they took my implant out and started me in the injection well that just sent me phyco so they took me off that and put me back on the implant and then they discovered that they had done it wrong and it wasn’t working so had to re do it and I have had the implant in for 1.5 years and don’t seem to have had any issues with it.

[Jessiemay 8]

I am also on other medication as well I have got arthritis in my lower spine and am on codeine and tramadol for the pain

[GreenTealael 25,330]

7 minutes ago, Jessiemay said:

I am also on other medication as well I have got arthritis in my lower spine and am on codeine and tramadol for the pain

Are you on any type of steroids?

Perhaps research your meds carefully and see if any cause weight gain ❤

[Jessiemay 8]

I do have asthma and I am on a brown inhaler but I haven’t been on steroids as such for about 6 months I only go on steroid tablets if I get a chest infection. I will have a look into my other meds and see if they cause weight gain.

[Jessiemay 8]

I just want to say thank you to everyone that has given me advice I shall take everything on board and give everything a go and will post regularly to let you all know if anything has changed thank you ever so much.

[FluffyChix 17,415]

14 hours ago, Jessiemay said:

I am also on other medication as well I have got arthritis in my lower spine and am on codeine and tramadol for the pain

All of this will cause/contribute to weight gain/prevent losses. In addition to the hormones. If you are drinking any calories (alcohol), that will also put the weight on like nobody's beeswax. I could be guaranteed to gain 5 lbs overnight any time I took my old pain meds that I no longer take.