I'm still new here & still reading some of the stories and still pretty new to the surgery part (I had surgery on August 3rd).

I had a really hard time early on with food, and even still some days I find it very hard to eat anything without feeling disgusted. My weight loss has been steady (it has slowed but my dr said that that is normal). That being said I have worked at eating better, and being 4 months post-op now it is much easier on me as far as eating goes.

Has anyone experienced a gain of just a few pounds despite not changing anything eating habit-wise? I had a small gain (3 pounds, give or take), and I figured at this stage is abnormal. I have recently begun exercising daily (walking on my treadmill, using weights). I have an autoimmune disorder that causes pain/stiffness in my lower spine/hips/knee that makes it so I cannot do strenuous workouts, so I have to stick to walking. Could the adding of exercise cause such a small gain? I'm sorry if it seems trivial, and I suppose to a lot it might be a petty thing to worry about, but in my mind 2 or 3 pounds can (and has) turned into 5 and 10 pounds if you get the idea.

My next appointment isn't until February so of course, I will talk to my doctor about it, but what are some of your experiences at this stage?

Thanks for any info/advice!

You are still early out so I doubt its re gain. Fluctuations of a few lbs are normal during weight loss. Your menstrual cycle, body holding water, ect have a lot to do with those fluctuations .

Exercise is only 10% of weight loss is what I have read and I myself did not exercise to lose my weight because of my lower back. Sticking to your plan will get you to the weight you want to be at. Good luck

An autoimmune condition alone can be responsible for a 3 pound gain. I have rheumatoid arthritis and when my joints flare up, that means extra water retention and (temporarily) extra pounds. Many people use 5 pounds as their "emergency alert" so as not to over-react to those normal small fluctuations.

Edit to add: oh I see you're exercising with weights. That can also cause gain in 2 ways: muscle is heavier than fat, so as you add muscle, you might see a gain, even though it's because you're actually in BETTER shape. Also, the day after a workout, my muscles carry more water but that only lasts a day or two.

Edited December 10, 20205 yr by Jaelzion

1 hour ago, Jaelzion said:

An autoimmune condition alone can be responsible for a 3 pound gain. I have rheumatoid arthritis and when my joints flare up, that means extra Water retention and (temporarily) extra pounds. Many people use 5 pounds as their "emergency alert" so as not to over-react to those normal small fluctuations.

Edit to add: oh I see you're exercising with weights. That can also cause gain in 2 ways: muscle is heavier than fat, so as you add muscle, you might see a gain, even though it's because you're actually in BETTER shape. Also, the day after a workout, my muscles carry more water but that only lasts a day or two.

Thank you!

menstrual cycle, water retention, "bathroom backup" (i.e. constipation or full intestines) can all cause weight to fluctuate by a couple of pounds. And strength-training can also cause a slight gain (muscle weighs more than fat), but that's usually temporary, too. So to answer your question - a gain of 2 or 3 lbs here and there is not abnormal. As long as you're sticking to your program and the general trend is down, you're good!

Any time you change things up on your body (new food, more food, less food, new exercise) it's going to react until it's certain what you're doing to it.