I have read that a few years after surgery many people regain 8-10% of their weight. Is this referring to 8-10% of what they lost after weight loss surgery (including loss calculated from the first visit since apparently that is included in the expected percentage of excess weight loss from surgery) or is referring to percentage of total excess weight or is it referring to percentage of the weight they lost down to? These statistics drive me crazy because it is never totally clear to me what they are referring to!

Well first of all, just remember with WLS, statistics mean absolutely nothing when it comes to YOUR personal outcome. According to the statistics I should have only lost 60% of my excess weight. Instead I've lost over 100%. Instead of gaining regaining 8-10% after the first year or so, I've actually just lost an additional 4 pounds (4%) at 2 1/2 years out.

But of course in order to make the statistics "work", that means someone else out there only lost 20% of their excess weight and someone else regained 14% at 2 years out. Don't get too hung up on everyone else's numbers, because when it comes down to it, you are the one who chooses which end of the spectrum you will be.

Yes of course some people regain. But it's probably because they went back to making unhealthy choices. But that should not discourage you from surgery.

STATISTICALLY, yes it's true.

I've seen it personally and in these forums. Things that you were doing before suddenly causes gain that it didn't before. Gain that you could lose easily before suddenly becomes harder to almost impossible for some to lose. It's seems to happen around the 2-3 year mark, but then I see people who nip it in the bud settle at that little bit higher weight, or work extremely hard to get back down to their lowest.

And @@Sophie74656, that's only partially true. You can't blame years out gain just on bad habits. I think its a combination. There are some metabolic and hormonal changes that seem to happen, also. That coupled with some bad habits that may have come back that never really effected us before and then do because of those changes is more than likely why.

After almost a year of maintaining the same weight, there was a couple weeks I inexplicably went up almost 4 pounds! I was doing nothing different than before.

It's been well over a month, and after doing several changes, including changing up my exercise routine and working out more, it will not come off. I'm chalking it up to the normal bounce that happens. I have to be uber vigilant from here on out to make sure I don't gain any more!

I don't want to scare people, but just make sure people are aware that it may happen. I'm still fairly early out at almost 2 years. It gets even harder from here.

Well.. Closing in on a decade of this banded life:

It truly is a life style make-over that we need to maintain through the years as I see it. No more on and off dieting....

Seems like a small regain is likely.... Though some have not experienced that.. By stats, many others must bounce upward.

For me, a liquid Protein day occasionally does seem to help keep my hunger at bay

for a period of time. If I (very) occasionally overdo , I seem to get more hungry the next day, and thus have to have a light day, or the lapband road is paved with land mines.

Gotta say, this was one of the best decisions of my life, and I am grateful for the availability of WLS . Without surgery, I saw nothing but yo-yo, unsuccessful weight gain....

Now I feel like I can live at a comfortable weight and life just goes on..... May it always be so!

I am thankful.