Why/how do people regain?

[KellyRenae 5]

One of the reasons I’ve hesitated to start the process of getting the surgery is that quite a few people I’ve seen get it seem to regain weight back. Like half of it.

Why do we think that is? I know I can be committed to a complete lifestyle change but of course I’m human.

Do some of the effects that help with weight loss in the beginning actually stop working? Can your metabolism slow down? Does your stomach start to stretch out again?

I’m 43 so menopause is looming....lol
Help me feel that this will be a good decision. I know that it is seen as a tool and that you still must work hard. But does that get to the point of things being as hard as they were before surgery? Because if so what is the point?

Please be kind.... I’m just scared.

[Paula.Hamilton 9]

The way my doctor explained it to me..... You can out eat anything...

[GreenTealael 25,377]

There is a plethora of reasons for gaining weight prior to metabolic surgery (WLS) but from my experience, IMHO for those of us on the otherside , the usual suspect is a caloric surplus compared to your needs for your new BMR

Hopefully other's who have insight will chime in

Good Luck !

[New&Improved 1,780]

Generally people get lazy or think that just because they lost a decent amount of weight they can start to indulge but no you cannot healthy eating and living is a life long process.

Just like on 600lb life they go oh I've lost 100lbs time to pig out and I'm like no darling you've still got 300lbs to go if you start to get complacent and think I'll have one treat it can easily turn into multiple treats and you can go right Off track.

You have to have very strong will power.

Other reasons is living with people who continue to eat junk and keeping junk in the house is not a good idea.

There are so many bad influences in the media but you can just drive past the takeaway and go to the grocery store, I'm still amazed the amount of people on my 600lb life who have never cooked a meal and eat take out everyday like how can you even afford to do that...??

I got rid of every little bit of bad food out of my house and never bought it again so it was not there and I've always been one to cook at home so I just studied healthy options plus I found a Protein Shake that tastes really good and I lived off shakes for months with the BYPASS I didn't even feel like eating for a long time.

I've now lost 156lbs and feeling great.

After I hit maintenance I admit I've had a few treats but I still keep an eye on my weight and everything.

This is a life long process you cannot think oh I've lost weight now I'll start to pig out...

[catwoman7 11,214]

letting bad habits slip back in. You really have to be diligent for the rest of your life to keep it off.

[JessLess 1,163]

With the sleeve. there are slider foods that you can eat quite a lot of because they don't sit in your sleeve. Ice cream, milk shakes, pie, cheese, get the idea? You will still get hungry, probably. It's like being on a diet for the rest of your life, I just fill up much more easily and try to avoid slider foods and sugar, so it's easier to stay on the diet.

[New&Improved 1,780]

I can only speak for myself but the bypass has totally changed the way my body metabolizes food.. even after 6 months post op I still have days I'm not hungry so I don't even need to eat much to get full...

[WInston223322 160]

I have no clue but not to kill this subject - I think they just can not get there Head On Straight

I LOOK AT IT THIS WAY - NO F@#CKIN WAY AM I EVERY GOING TO DO THIS AGAIN, I BUSTED MY ASS TO GET THE FAT OFF AND THE ADDICTION UNDER CONTROL! IT SUCKED BUT I DID IT! SO NO WAY WILL I GO BACK TO BEING UNHEALTHY AND OUT OF CONTROL EATING HABITS! I LEARNED MY LESSON BIG TIME AND PAYED FOR IT.

Now this is my time and no food is going to ever kill me again

[KellyRenae 5]

Thank you for these posts!

[AZhiker 2,252]

7 hours ago, Superman84 said:

I can only speak for myself but the bypass has totally changed the way my body metabolizes food.. even after 6 months post op I still have days I'm not hungry so I don't even need to eat much to get full...

I was like that too, Superman, at 6 months, even past a year. Like you, I lost my weight very quickly, hitting goal at 6-7 months. For quite a while I was fighting to KEEP the weight on - I kept losing and was stuffing myself to keep from losing more. Then at about 13 months post op, a few pounds started to slip back on. I've gained 7 and can feel it. So now I am really watching things - getting more exercise, exchanging some grain based carbs for more veggies, cutting out the snacking, concentrating more on eating a prescribed volume instead of chasing restriction. At this point it is all about lifestyle and following through on the healthy habits I learned in the first year. But, there is definitely a honeymoon stage in the first year, and after that, things do start to change. I also think I may be absorbing more nutrients/calories now, and the restriction is definitely less. There is no magic now - just embracing my new body and life wholeheartedly with healthy choices.

[catwoman7 11,214]

29 minutes ago, AZhiker said:

I was like that too, Superman, at 6 months, even past a year. Like you, I lost my weight very quickly, hitting goal at 6-7 months. For quite a while I was fighting to KEEP the weight on - I kept losing and was stuffing myself to keep from losing more. Then at about 13 months post op, a few pounds started to slip back on. I've gained 7 and can feel it. So now I am really watching things - getting more exercise, exchanging some grain based carbs for more veggies, cutting out the snacking, concentrating more on eating a prescribed volume instead of chasing restriction. At this point it is all about lifestyle and following through on the healthy habits I learned in the first year. But, there is definitely a honeymoon stage in the first year, and after that, things do start to change. I also think I may be absorbing more nutrients/calories now, and the restriction is definitely less. There is no magic now - just embracing my new body and life wholeheartedly with healthy choices.

yes - I agree with that 100%. And I suspect anyone who is more than a couple of years post-op would agree, too. Things change after that first year or so, and you have to really work at keeping that weight off, or it'll come right back on (or some of it, anyway - although a few people gain back every pound they lost)

[New&Improved 1,780]

37 minutes ago, AZhiker said:

I was like that too, Superman, at 6 months, even past a year. Like you, I lost my weight very quickly, hitting goal at 6-7 months. For quite a while I was fighting to KEEP the weight on - I kept losing and was stuffing myself to keep from losing more. Then at about 13 months post op, a few pounds started to slip back on. I've gained 7 and can feel it. So now I am really watching things - getting more exercise, exchanging some grain based carbs for more veggies, cutting out the snacking, concentrating more on eating a prescribed volume instead of chasing restriction. At this point it is all about lifestyle and following through on the healthy habits I learned in the first year. But, there is definitely a honeymoon stage in the first year, and after that, things do start to change. I also think I may be absorbing more nutrients/calories now, and the restriction is definitely less. There is no magic now - just embracing my new body and life wholeheartedly with healthy choices.

I completely understand and I'll be keeping an eye on my weight and I know not to get complacent and that over time I'll have to adjust my intake to see what works for me long term..

It's all trial and error and will need to figure it out as the months and years go forward

[ms.sss 15,662]

@KellyRenae : people gain weight because they take in more calories than their body burns. Period.

It was/is easier the first year after surgery because you physically cannot eat more (in volume of course, if you just eat Cookies then yeah, you'll eat around your surgery).

Also, we are much bigger in the beginning, so its a bit easier to shed lots of weight. The smaller we get, the less calories we need (unless you supplement with regular exercise). The amount of calories it took for you to lose 15lbs in 1 month before will not be the same amount of calories to lose those 15lbs now. It may even cause you to gain weight, depending on your BMR.

As several of the posters said above, its going to be life-long thing to maintain one's weight (especially for us ex-morbid-obesers). Keep an eye on it, re-evaluate, adjust as needed. It's not going to be a "set it and forget it" kind of thing.

I was pretty strict during weight loss phase, and for many months after that. I slacked off in Feb/March (by not exercising daily, not weighing myself every morning, eating too many Desserts, etc) and gained 6 lbs. Previously this would have taken me 1, maybe 2, weeks to get rid off with very little effort. This time around it took almost a month with dedicated effort. Soooo...it was a good reminder to me that if I don't keep an eye on things, things can go south relatively quickly, and losing a 6lb gain is waaaaaaaay easier than losing a 40lb one.

Good Luck!

[WInston223322 160]

You veterans are scaring the hell out of me .... but thanx just about a year now so better start paying attention

Thanx for all the insight

[summerset 5,265]

19 hours ago, KellyRenae said:

Why do we think that is? I know I can be committed to a complete lifestyle change but of course I’m human.

People gain because of a calorie surplus. How they're creating a calorie surplus, there is more than one reason. Exercising less than they're used to (injuries can happen any time), changing to a physically less demanding job, eating more food or eating more calorie dense food, getting older, having to take meds that promote weight gain etc.

Some people simply engaged in a gung-ho lifestyle after surgery that was unsustainable in the first place. They burn out and start to eat more and all the beloved foods they restricted for so long. The usual gut reaction to this is to be even more stricter for some time with an even worse backlash.

You need to find a lifestyle that you can keep up with even in times of personal crisis. This might be a very vague thing to say but this sustainable lifestyle is highly individual - you have to find your own way to manage your long term weight loss. Sure, you can look for tips & tricks but in the end it's more trial & error than anything else.

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Do some of the effects that help with weight loss in the beginning actually stop working? Can your metabolism slow down?

You will be able to eat more with time before reaching your point of "maximal possible portion" so to say at maybe about 1.5 years after surgery. So the restriction is one effect that will wear off at least up to some point. I can only speak for myself but it's still way less than I could eat before WLS.

Your metabolism will slow down up to a certain point. "Slowing down" in this case means that you need less energy to sustain a lighter body. There is less tissue that needs warmth, blood supply etc.

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But does that get to the point of things being as hard as they were before surgery? Because if so what is the point?

So far not. But I don't take it as guaranteed that it will never change. I'm just hoping for the best so to say.