Hello everyone,

I have decided, after the hardest year of my life, that VSG might be the solution. I know my story sounds impossible and hard to believe, but allow me to explain what happened.

In September of 2014, I began taking a medication called Aldactone to help with acne. I took a really strong dose for about 8 months. Around 4 months in, I started noticing that my clothes felt tighter, until one day my jeans didn't fit anymore.

I started working out longer and harder, replacing my regular cardio days for more Insanity, HIIT and strength, until I was working out 6x per day instead of 4-5x, and at higher intensity than ever before. I have been eating clean and low carb for years, so the only thing I did in respect to that was to make sure I wasn't getting even any 'bites' here and there of someone else's cookie or chocolate -- ever. It didn't occur to me that the medication could be causing this.

I kept working out harder, and restricting my diet more and more, while I kept gaining incontrolably. It didn't make sense -- I had maintained my weight of 130 for years, felt great, and had a normal relationship with food. I knew that as long as I put my effort in every day and ate sensibly, everything was fine. Fast forward to May 2015, nothing fits anymore, I look in the mirror and my face looks completely different -- I am NOT this person. I had gained 25 lbs while exercising like a mad woman and eating as healthy and restricted as I ever had. That's when it clicked: it had to be something more than what I was eating / how much I was exercising. I began to suspect about the medication. Sure enough, a quick google search turned up a thread with more than 200 posts with stories exactly like mine. I was devastated. Girls who were doing everything right, who started working out more, eating even more carefully, only to find that nothing they did stopped the weight gain.

It's been more than a year since I stopped taking Aldactone, and I haven't gained any more weight, but I also haven't been able to lose a single pound. I do Insanity 3x per week, Body Pump 2x per week, and Power Yoga 1x per week. I bike everywhere I need to go. I walk a lot. I eat a high Protein / low carb diet. I never splurge. I'm even afraid of dark chocolate at this point. And yet, most of the time I'm in a room I'm the fattest girl around. If only people knew how much effort I put into my workouts and my diet EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

I've decided to do the VSG, even though technically I'm a low BMI (currently 155lbs at 5'2). I know some may disagree, but nothing else I've done in the past year has worked. I'm out of options and I'm depressed.

My major concern is regarding mental energy after surgery being on such a low amount of calories. Currently I'm taking some appetite suppressants, and although they do seem to reduce my hunger, I notice that I find it hard to think and concentrate (even though I'm not starving)... I feel lightheaded and with very little energy to think. How are you able to think hard and work when you're eating so little? I'm a researcher, so I constantly have to be reading papers, looking up protocols, doing mental math, and just thinking hard most of the time. It scares me that I'll be useless after surgery from eating so little.

My second question is related: are you always cold / are your hands always cold after surgery? I notice also on the appetite suppressants that even though I'm not as hungry, so I can get away with eating less, my hands get really cold.

I haven't lost nay weight on the appetite suppressants, either, in case you were wondering.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Edited June 22, 201610 yr by purplelink

Have you had your thyroid checked? Adrenals? Blood work? Vitamins? How many calories do you consume day?

I would go get your thyroid checked... weight gain, mental fog, lethargy and feeling cold are classic symptoms

I don't know why, but for some reason that medication i remember has an effect on thyroid.. i will try and remember where from though

Edited June 22, 201610 yr by AussieGirl81

To answer your questions.. I do not have much energy, mental or not physical. I'm having my thyroid and such checked now.

I am always cold. I've read that is common after VSG. I'm glad it's summer now, I had surgery in January.

Are you tracking your food intake? As much as you work out you may not be getting enough calories. Have you seen a nutritionist? Have you had your blood work done to check hormones.. Try those first. I don't know where you're from etc. but most insurance companies have standards to meet to even qualify for surgery.

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Its very common to feel cold all the time after wls..... i was freezing for months after i had my band.

For the OP i do not feel that all the issues are weight related... they sound like classic hypothyroid symptoms... especially when that med is known to affect the thyroid hormones.

What were you tested for?

T3, T4, reverse T3, reverse T4 and TSH, thyroid antibodies?

I'm not sure what all they sent me for. It was 6 vials of blood worth

working out that much I wonder if your calories were too low?

did you do the whole food tracking, work out tracking thing - what did your calorie deficit look like?

Reason i ask, is that thyroid tests can be sometimes inaccurate if they test for TSH alone... usually doctors use that as the only method to diagnose thyroid issues, when they should be testing for the others mentioned too.

I hope everything comes back okay... keep me posted on how you go...

Thanks everyone for your responses.

I was actually diagnosed hypothyroid since 2010, so I've been on a high dose of NDT (natural dessicated thyroid, 3 grains per day) since then, all throughout the time I was easily maintaining my goal weight, and also during the Aldactone medication period.

At such a high dose, my thyroid itself is entirely suppressed, so it's only the thyroid med providing all my T4 and T3. This dose allowed me to maintain (and even lose a few more pounds) before starting the Aldactone, so I really cannot bring myself to believe that I can't lose weight because I'm not on enough thyroid medication.

Last month I was checked for thyroid levels and both T4 and T3 were high, so my doctor indicated to lower the dose. I haven't, of course. My TSH was really low but that's normal when you're on NDT. Of course she doesn't know that, so she freaked out.

I haven't been tested for cortisol.

As for not eating enough, wouldn't this be an equivalent of the 'starvation mode' that most people here claim to be a myth? I just think that if I'm working out a lot and eating less than I expend everyday, then that should result in fat loss, right? I think of people here who write about stalling a few weeks after surgery (at 800-1000 cals), asking if it might be due to not eating enough, and getting many replies telling them that starvation mode does not exist, calories in, calories out, etc. Isn't this kind of the same here?

I live in San Francisco, but I'm from Mexico so I am thinking of choosing a surgeon either in Tijuana or Puerto Vallarta and paying for it myself.

It sounds from your responses that you donget cold and have low mental energy in response to the dramatic caloric restriction, which scares me

Thank you for your responses again!

@@purplelink I wonder if the sleeve will work in your situation? It's about restriction and you are already doing that on your own. I would go to an endocrinologist for further testing before going to the extreme of surgery. Your exercise seems on the excessive side and you may have screwed up your metabolism having such a high calorie deficit. Again - I would get more opinions and see if there's an underlying medical issue at play. Surgery is life changing and at 155lbs - I'd be reluctant to have it - especially if you are already restricting calories and eating high protein low carb. Hope you get answers!

Edited June 22, 201610 yr by KristenLe

At your weight and with your issues I frankly don't see what benefit WLS would give you. I could be wrong, but my suggestion is to talk with a nutritionist to make sure you are eating enough for your exercise level and continue to seek more information about your other issues.

I think starvation mode is real. Not sure why people think it's a myth.

Even weight watchers say you won't lose until you eat all of your points.

Mexico Drs are far more relaxed than US Drs on the guidelines. So I'm sure you can find someone that will help you

I will say overeating was not my issue, and I didn't binge eat. My weight increase was due to eating the wrong things complied by medical issues and medication. This surgery has helped me come off the medications and lose the weight. Almost to goal with 14lbs to go!! I had surgery 1/12/16. Good luck to you

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Thanks everyone for your responses.

I was actually diagnosed hypothyroid since 2010, so I've been on a high dose of NDT (natural dessicated thyroid, 3 grains per day) since then, all throughout the time I was easily maintaining my goal weight, and also during the Aldactone medication period.

At such a high dose, my thyroid itself is entirely suppressed, so it's only the thyroid med providing all my T4 and T3. This dose allowed me to maintain (and even lose a few more pounds) before starting the Aldactone, so I really cannot bring myself to believe that I can't lose weight because I'm not on enough thyroid medication.

Last month I was checked for thyroid levels and both T4 and T3 were high, so my doctor indicated to lower the dose. I haven't, of course. My TSH was really low but that's normal when you're on NDT. Of course she doesn't know that, so she freaked out.

I haven't been tested for cortisol.

As for not eating enough, wouldn't this be an equivalent of the 'starvation mode' that most people here claim to be a myth? I just think that if I'm working out a lot and eating less than I expend everyday, then that should result in fat loss, right? I think of people here who write about stalling a few weeks after surgery (at 800-1000 cals), asking if it might be due to not eating enough, and getting many replies telling them that starvation mode does not exist, calories in, calories out, etc. Isn't this kind of the same here?

I live in San Francisco, but I'm from Mexico so I am thinking of choosing a surgeon either in Tijuana or Puerto Vallarta and paying for it myself.

It sounds from your responses that you donget cold and have low mental energy in response to the dramatic caloric restriction, which scares me

Thank you for your responses again!

Well.... now that i have confirmation that my guess was correct about you being hypothyroid i would NOT suggest that you go through sugery at such a low BMI...

I would suggest that you go back to your endocrinologist and get a thorough work up and ask to change your thyroid medication. .. because obviously the current one is no longer working and you are having symptoms.

With your non functionality of your thyroid, even wls won't be useful at this stage.... you will only cause further stress on your body....

I would get your endo to check your thryoid, pituitary function, and your cortisol (24hr urine)... once all your testing is done... find another endo for a 2nd opinion and see what they suggest.... your T3 & T4 being high whilst your TSH being low means you still have a thyroid issue, which is not being fixed by your meds.

Like i said in my other post... i am 99% sure that med plays havoc with your thyroid.... please please please explore all the avenues before doing something so drastic as wls at your low weight.... you will find once you are on the correct dosage the weight and symptoms will quickly improve.

Do you have Anemia? After WLS due to this condition, I never had any energy, felt cold while living in Florida and became depressed plus other symptoms.

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