Continuing on my Quest for the truth from real VSG veterans, I'd like to pose another question...

I hear and read a lot about "Do's and Don'ts" from so-called experts, dieticians, and nutritionists that we must all follow or risk gaining back the weight we lost once "the Honeymoon passes".

I'm curious, has this happened to any of you?

I'm not talking about a stall or 5-10 pound bounce, I'm talking about gaining back 40% to 50% or more

If so, please share what you think caused it; better yet, if this happened to you and you fought it off and subsequently lost the excess weight, please share your strategy.

Since I know this is a common fear, I'd also love to hear stories from people who were afraid they'd gain weight as they moved the maintenance, but didn't; especially those who strayed from the diet guidelines.

I am very happy with my progress (down 47 pounds), but I'm having a tough time accepting the idea that I'll never be this heavy again...

Thanks

I've known two woman with gastric bypass gain that have gained all their weight back after 1.5-2 years. GRAZING was the main culprit along with denial and defense mechanisms. During the first year post op, its quite hard to over eat. You are practically forced to lower your daily calories. However, the stomach starts to feel more normal after the first year. Side effects from overeating like dumping, sliming, vomiting, tightness, start to lessen or disappear altogether.

Many patients with food addiction issues begin to struggle after their "honeymoon period". You no longer have a substance to satisfy the reward centers of your brain. Most long term successes have learned coping strategies and effectively put them in practice from day one. Implementing strategies similar to the normal eating behaviors of many skinny people is vital. If you overeat on Saturday, then you need to make sure to cut back on Sunday, make exercise a priority, etc.

Its disheartening to read posts on here from those that gain a lot of weight back despite trying really hard. Insight into WHY you do or do not follow through with healthy behaviors in not what really matters. The actual DOING of healthy behaviors is what really counts You either choose to eat Halloween candy or you choose not to. You can't TRY not to eat the candy. Hence the expression, "trying is dying".

Edited October 31, 201510 yr by WL WARRIOR

I had a friend in middle school whose mom had the bypass and she never got down to goal because she kept eating like crap

I think setting certain rules for yourself is important. My rules are 3 meals and two healthy snacks if needed. I do not graze. I track everything I eat on my app. I find these two things very helpful in giving myself control. The sleeve helps control the hunger. These are rules I feel I can live with for the rest of my life.

So Bestday, did you gain weight down the road? What kind of guidelines do you have on your meals?

I think setting certain rules for yourself is important. My rules are 3 meals and two healthy Snacks if needed. I do not graze. I track everything I eat on my app. I find these two things very helpful in giving myself control. The sleeve helps control the hunger. These are rules I feel I can live with for the rest of my life.

Yup, as early out as you are, the sleeve helps control your hunger. That won't always be the case. It's great that you're hard and fast on the rules right now, because that definitely helps someone stay successful, but don't fool yourself. This whole thing gets harder and harder the further out you are as hunger slowly returns and restriction loosens a little.

It's very easy to feel so confident as early out from surgery as you are. I know I was. But life happens, tragedy happens, Holidays and celebrations happen, "normalcy" happens. The weight is gone and compliments about your weight loss are less so your original motivation wanes, and it becomes harder and harder to resist the temptation to graze or over eat day in and day out. That, unfortunately, is the cold, hard truth. That's why it's so hard for some to keep it off.

So Bestday, did you gain weight down the road? What kind of guidelines do you have on your meals?

Uh ... if you look to the left of @@BestDayEver 's post, you can see that she/he was sleeved in May of 2015 and has lost a lot of weight since then.

Uh, I'm on the app, there is no "left" to be seen. I'm happy for Bestday, it's just not relevant to the question at hand.

I think both @@VSGAnn2014 and @@Babbs have summed it up. The sleeve only gets you so far. In the end, it's up to us. I remember feeling like I had been cured of overeating, bingeing, and obesity in the early days. I felt I would never go back to bad habits, and wondered how in the world that could ever happen, and was pretty sure it wouldn't happen to me. After all, I "knew" the secret.

Then life happened. Stressful job. Family illness. Death. Rinse and repeat. Add time to that, and my sleeve is no longer so restrictive, so it's all me now. I have NOT gained a significant amount of weight, but I could. I did gain 3-5 pounds, and it took me 2 months to get it off. That should be an eye opener. I have a healthy understanding and fear of regain, and I know the challenge is only going to get more real as time goes on.

So, I can't answer your question about why I gained significantly, but I think I can offer insight about how I prevent that very real and present threat. I stay diligent, and I force myself to be honest about what I'm doing/eating, even when I don't want to. The thought of going back to my old life is enough to keep me on track, but it's a daily (sometimes hourly or minute to minute) struggle.

Not sure the OP will find this helpful, but here goes anyway ....

I've seen many posts on online WLS forums from people who have gained considerable amounts of weight (40-50 or more pounds).

In many instances they've suffered pretty bad life blows -- became widowed, became seriously ill, had family members become very ill, had grandchildren move in with them to be raised, had to move in with other family members due to financial problems, etc. In these instances they report they've just been overwhelmed by life, not had the energy to support their own health, gone back to "bad habits," etc. These are people whose new circumstances have just consumed the resources they might otherwise have used to build and sustain a healthier lifestyle.

Some who've gained also report that they're now drinking a lot of their calories. In one instance I recall, a woman had become "addicted" (it seems there's really no other word for it) high-calorie coffee drinks from McDonalds and over months of posting about this problem could not seem to kick it. (She was also someone who had suffered the loss of a beloved spouse from cancer after losing her weight.) Needless to say, she also wasn't getting much Protein or other nutritional food that WLS patients need to be successful long-term.

I've seen people cite drinking lots of sweet tea (there are several of those in my WLS support group), Mountain Dew, wheat thins (yes, wheat thins) as the villains in their WLS tragedies. Grazing and all-day munching is also implicated in these regain situations.

Yes, the physics of weight regain (too many calories eaten, wrong foods eaten / drunk, too little exercise) are obvious. But the real question is ... what's behind the inability to create a new lifestyle that would sustain long-term weight stability and better health?

I think setting certain rules for yourself is important. My rules are 3 meals and two healthy Snacks if needed. I do not graze. I track everything I eat on my app. I find these two things very helpful in giving myself control. The sleeve helps control the hunger. These are rules I feel I can live with for the rest of my life.

Yup, as early out as you are, the sleeve helps control your hunger. That won't always be the case. It's great that you're hard and fast on the rules right now, because that definitely helps someone stay successful, but don't fool yourself. This whole thing gets harder and harder the further out you are as hunger slowly returns and restriction loosens a little.

It's very easy to feel so confident as early out from surgery as you are. I know I was. But life happens, tragedy happens, Holidays and celebrations happen, "normalcy" happens. The weight is gone and compliments about your weight loss are less so your original motivation wanes, and it becomes harder and harder to resist the temptation to graze or over eat day in and day out. That, unfortunately, is the cold, hard truth. That's why it's so hard for some to keep it off.

@@MichiganChic Thanks,

Do you have anything else you can share in terms of what the bad habits were that caused the weight gain?

Also, what did you do to get rid of those pounds and why do you think it took so long?

Thanks!

I've put on weight. It sucks. About 16lbs from my lowest weight.

I'm just over 2 years out. Can eat quite a bit more than at the start - obviously - but the reason I am putting on weight, is because within 2 hours of eating, I'm hungry again - and I eat - and not always healthy options (still a carb addict) . It's no joke - nor is it head hunger.

Consequently and after a sabbatical where life seriously got in the way (Family/Relationship Breakups/Deaths), I have returned to the forum to get my brain back into gear and work on getting my weight back to what it was.

Accountability is key - so I'm about to become accountable!

So, for those of you who know me and those of you who don't...

Hello! T'is, I!

Now, where's that contentious yet luscious Lipstick Lady and the rest of the gang? You know who you are!

What've I missed?!

-x-

Welcome back!!! I remember you from when I first joined and always enjoyed your posts and responses. I was actually wondering how you were doing just the other day!! I was happy to see your screen name pop up this morning.

You can kick those few pesky pounds to the curb!! I think a lot of us fluctuate a few pounds here and there as we enter maintenance.

I had recently went from 141 back to 150. It is a slippery slope. My problems are the darn carbs too. Love me some sugar.

I got back on track this week and what has helped me is I found a delicious Greek yogurt from Dannon- it's Carmel Apple pie. I have been eating that when I crave dessert and so far it seems to be working.

This is definitely a life long learning process.

Good luck!!

Thank you, Glitter, that's so very kind of you to say. In all respects!

Feels good to be back.

I, too, will be endeavouring to kick the @rse out of the extra pounds. (She says whilst quaffing a glass of white wine!)

I am back on the Protein shakes (as of today) and am starting to log my food again. I have realised; if you take your eye off the ball for a second, it is now VERY easy to clock up 2,000 + calories.

We went through too much adversity to throw what we were given away through being lazy! So I have made a promise to myself NOT to be so. Besides, I want to look BANGING in a Christmas frock!

Yay! Back on the hamster wheel....<groan>

Thanks again! x

MADAME REVERIE IS BACK!?!?

You don't know me, but you have no idea how much I've enjoyed your old posts, your sense of humor and your intelligence. I've hoped you would appear again.

Your emergence from the shadows will tickle quite a few folks.

@@Madam Reverie

You don't know me either, but I remember your posts. They made me laugh. I think you dissappeared soon after my surgery on August of last year. I had actually asked someone where you had gone?

Welcome back, and hope the forum helps give you the boost you need to get back on track!

MADAME REVERIE IS BACK!?!?

You don't know me, but you have no idea how much I've enjoyed your old posts, your sense of humor and your intelligence. I've hoped you would appear again.

Your emergence from the shadows will tickle quite a few folks.

Ann, of course I remember you! Glad to see you're still haunting these halls, as am I about to - again!

Glad to see you're looking/sounding happy and well. Lets get this party started, shall we?!! x

@@Madam Reverie

You don't know me either, but I remember your posts. They made me laugh. I think you dissappeared soon after my surgery on August of last year. I had actually asked someone where you had gone?

Welcome back, and hope the forum helps give you the boost you need to get back on track!

Babbs, I don't 'know' you, but I saw you around in your early days. Glad the posts made you laugh - crikey, do we all need it sometimes?!

Thank you for the welcome back. Look forward to having some 'banter' as we Brits call it in the not so distant future!