OK lately I've been hearing that A LOT of wls people have gained or are gaining a lot of weight back after wls. I actually just met a lady in my panni class a few weeks ago that gained 50 lbs. back in a 2 year period...hearing this is TOTALLY freaking me out.

I go up and down between 1-3 lbs. and that's the MOST I've gone up. Are there any sleevers out there that have gained 10, 15, 20, and up??? If so, how long did it take for you to gain????

Also, by any chance do you drink with your meals??? I use to be really strict about waiting the 30 minutes to drink after meals, but I'm finding that it's easier to drink sooner than the 30 minutes, and I'm wondering if that will contribute to weight gain.

Right now I'm really trying to maintain (difficult stage to be in) and not counting or watching every bite I eat, because I really don't want to lose any more (for the MOST part I do make healthy choices), but on the other hand I'm freaking out about gaining my weight back after hearing about all these other folks.

Any feedback would be appreciated!

God, I hope not!!! (That there aren't any that have gained their weight back, that is)

I will be watching this thread for sure. Very interested in any answers

OK lately I've been hearing that A LOT of wls people have gained or are gaining a lot of weight back after wls. I actually just met a lady in my panni class a few weeks ago that gained 50 lbs. back in a 2 year period...hearing this is TOTALLY freaking me out.

Did she have RNY? There seems to be a slight weight re-gain associated with that.

There is a lady posting here, maybe in the Tell your story forum, who is a few years out and has gained. I can't remember her screen name but you may look there. It's recent, within the last few weeks.

I think it might have something to do with whether or not you do the emotional work.If you don't work on the things that gave you issues with food you can fall back into the same problems. Slider foods are easy to eat and they taste good. I think weighing regularly and taking action if you gain a couple of pounds will keep that from being a problem for you. It is slipping into denial and the old ways of eating and eating around the sleeve that causes weight gain. The sleeve is a tool m that is all. It would be nice if it guaranteed weight loss and maintenance but that just is not true.

We are the captains of our sleeve ships and I for one am committed to not joining that weight gain statistic. I think if you set a firm policy to weigh, and to take action if the scale creeps up then you will be fine. It will take you a while to determine what your maintaining intake looks like but trust yourself!

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/22089-almost-four-years-sleeved-a-cautionary-tale/

here is her story

I'm the one who wrote the above story. I definitely blame myself for the problems I've had, and did not want to scare any newbies. But you need to know that the procedure will not keep the weight off, only your own attention and perseverance will do that. The sleeve is just a tool.

My main issues were over eating due to emotional/comfort reasons, drinking while eating (esp soda), continuing to eat junk food, eating too many empty carbs and not exercising enough. I only walked for about 20-30 mins a day, and this wasn't enough after the first 100lbs just came off on its own. I needed to step up and finish the journey but psychological and personal issues just derailed me.

I regained over 50lbs, in three years.

I wish I had stopped my backwards journey at 5 pounds gained instead of over 50.

I'm now back on track and have lost 22lbs. Still a long way to go, but I am trying to shrink my stomach back to its post-surgery size and am being restrictive about my eating. I still feel hungry, and am still addicted to carbs.

As long as you stick to your post surgery plan - eating Protein first, not drinking before, during or after a meal, exercising as much as you can, avoiding carbs, avoiding soda and caffeine, sticking to small amounts of food per meal you'll be fine. :D

The other thing to be aware of is that I am DEFINITELY IN THE MINORITY. My surgeon has done over 500 procedures and I am one of just THREE failures. Failure is a technical desription meaning failed to lose 50-60% of excess weight.

I hope one day to NOT be a failure

I posted a five year study that talks about regain stats.

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/22835-5-year-study/

Fuel to the fire - feedyoureye. I am freaked out enough already. Don't want to go back.

Did she have RNY? There seems to be a slight weight re-gain associated with that.

YES all of the people I've heard that have gained a lot back or all of their weight back have been RNY...ARE THERE ANY SLEEVERS OUT THERE that have gained weight back????

Like I said in my post I gain 1-3 lbs. and then drop, but that's the most I've gained. Are there any sleevers out there that have gained 10, 20, 30 lbs back (besides Last Chance)?

I'm the one who wrote the above story. I definitely blame myself for the problems I've had, and did not want to scare any newbies. But you need to know that the procedure will not keep the weight off, only your own attention and perseverance will do that. The sleeve is just a tool.

My main issues were over eating due to emotional/comfort reasons, drinking while eating (esp soda), continuing to eat junk food, eating too many empty carbs and not exercising enough. I only walked for about 20-30 mins a day, and this wasn't enough after the first 100lbs just came off on its own. I needed to step up and finish the journey but psychological and personal issues just derailed me.

I regained over 50lbs, in three years.

I wish I had stopped my backwards journey at 5 pounds gained instead of over 50.

I'm now back on track and have lost 22lbs. Still a long way to go, but I am trying to shrink my stomach back to its post-surgery size and am being restrictive about my eating. I still feel hungry, and am still addicted to carbs.

As long as you stick to your post surgery plan - eating Protein first, not drinking before, during or after a meal, exercising as much as you can, avoiding carbs, avoiding soda and caffeine, sticking to small amounts of food per meal you'll be fine. :D

The other thing to be aware of is that I am DEFINITELY IN THE MINORITY. My surgeon has done over 500 procedures and I am one of just THREE failures. Failure is a technical desription meaning failed to lose 50-60% of excess weight.

I hope one day to NOT be a failure

UGH AND I started drinking diet soda again fountain only...OK one thing I will get back on is WAITING 30 minutes before and after eating.

That is so awesome you have lost 22 lbs. you are half way to losing that 50 lbs. girl! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The study that feedyoureye posted concludes this:

At 5-year follow-up, a mean EWL of 55.0 +/- 6.8% was achieved, indicating that SG leads to stable weight loss. Beside significant weight regain, severe reflux might necessitate conversion to gastric bypass or duodenal switch. After an immediate reduction postoperatively, plasma ghrelin levels remained low for the first 5 years postoperatively.

Parsing that out, it means that yes, SOME people do regain weight. But EWL -- excess weight lost -- was still >50% at over 5 years. This means that for MOST people, MOST of the time, MOST of the weight will stay off.

Realistically, most of us will probably drop quickly, then plateau, then stay at low weight for a while, perhaps with a long slow drop to a "real" low weight. Then, most of us -- again, speaking statistically -- will probably regain 10-30 pounds over a long period, because that's just how the curve seems to be shaped. A lot of that is genetics, a lot is age. If you look at the weight curves of NON sleevers over the same time span, you'll see about the same curve!

So, statistically speaking, the sleeve IS durable weight loss, compared to ANY other method of weight loss that is current known. This doesn't mean that you'll never regain any of it; you likely WILL regain a little from your absolute low (if you think about what "absolute low" means, you'll realize that that means there's nowhere to go but up, since that's your ABSOLUTE low). And of course, if you sabotage yourself, you can regain quite a bit.

But with the durable ghrelin loss, and with the determination to work WITH the sleeve instead of sabotaging it, yes, you can lose the weight and keep almost all of it off.

sleeve 4 me - I can understand your fears. At about one year out, you are completely healed, and you have met goal. Maintenance is the part that we have all failed in the past - why will this be any different???

A couple of reasons WE WILL SUCCEED!:

1. We have a wonderful tool called the Sleeve.
2. We have this forum ... did you ever stick with a support group for a year before?
3. See #1
4. See #2
5. Repeat as necessary.

You've seen my struggle with going up and down a bit the last few months. I haven't really noticed any difference in my eating, but when I add it up, I'm between 1500-2000 calories a day. That worked for the first part of maintenance, but I think the honeymoon is over. If I choose to be a lazy butt & not exercise, I need to be at 1570 calories or less a day or risk gain. BUT, I have a tool that helps me be satisfied and not hungry at those calorie levels. Protein fills me up & stays with me. Pre-surgery, 1500 calories just wouldn't have done it. So, I am refusing to call this a diet. I do have to watch what I eat - for the rest of my life. But, I'm not dieting - I'm eating healthy and enjoying the occaisional treat - just like all "normal" people (especially those of us over 40) have to do.

We are in this together. Please PM me if I can provide any help or just a shoulder to cry on. I'm there for you my friend!

I love seeing the stats on the ghrelin levels. I have also seen studies that show that increase of reflux follows the curve of the weight gain almost exactly! Any Reflux I have had seems tied to what I eat for sure... crappier food, fried food, sugar = more reflux......= weight gain...?

The study that feedyoureye posted concludes this:

Parsing that out, it means that yes, SOME people do regain weight. But EWL -- excess weight lost -- was still >50% at over 5 years. This means that for MOST people, MOST of the time, MOST of the weight will stay off.

Realistically, most of us will probably drop quickly, then plateau, then stay at low weight for a while, perhaps with a long slow drop to a "real" low weight. Then, most of us -- against, speaking statistically -- will probably regain 10-30 pounds over a long period, because that's just how the curve seems to be shaped. A lot of that is genetics, a lot is age. If you look at the weight curves of NON sleevers over the same time span, you'll see about the same curve!

So, statistically speaking, the sleeve IS durable weight loss, compared to ANY other method of weight loss that is current known. This doesn't mean that you'll never regain any of it; you likely WILL regain a little from your absolute low (if you think about what "absolute low" means, you'll realize that that means there's nowhere to go but up, since that's your ABSOLUTE low). And of course, if you sabotage yourself, you can regain quite a bit.

But with the durable ghrelin loss, and with the determination to work WITH the sleeve instead of sabotaging it, yes, you can lose the weight and keep almost all of it off.

I guess all the talk around me hearing about so many wls people gaining their weight back just got to me and freaked me out. Especially since I've been trying to maintain and not lose anymore and yet not gain is tough too. I guess I will eventually find that happy place of maintaining. Thanks for all the feedback.