Weight gain & Health Issues

[Gigiheart 6]

Hi everyone! I'm 5'2 236 lbs BMI is 43. I'm scheduled for gastric sleeve on August 9th.
After doing some research I'm seeing that many gain back if not, all their weight. I totally understand that this surgery is merely a tool, but up to me, to change my bad eating habits. I'm just wondering if anyone had permanent or serious health changes due to the surgery? Eg; fatigue due to Vitamin loss, hormonal changes, permanent Hair loss, no weight loss at all, etc.
And anything you would share with me!
Thank you!

[catwoman7 8,678]

the people who gain it back are those who let bad eating habits slip back into their lives.

most people do experience a 10-20 lb rebound gain after hitting their lowest weight. It's not inevitable, but it does seem to happen to most of us. As far as gaining it all back, though, yes, it happens to some - but not most. If you monitor yourself, though, and keep up with the good habits, then you're not going to gain it all back.

serious health changes? That would be super rare. You're much more likely to experience serious health issues by staying obese. Most people see vast improvements in their health after surgery.

Fatigue is common the first couple of months after surgery - surgery is a major stress on your body (any surgery - not just this one), and you're taking in very few calories to boot. After that, though, you'll probably have more energy than you do now.

hormonal changes are temporary. That should all stabilize sometime within the first year. Permanent Hair loss would be extremely rare.

no weight loss at all would only happen if you don't follow the program.

[Gigiheart 6]

Thank you Catwoman7 🤗 valid true points! I start checkering out but you are so right about serious health issues if I remain morbidly obese 👍🏼

[Arabesque 3,610]

As @catwoman7 said some of those changes you mentioned are just temporary. Like Hair loss usually persists for about 3 months & your hormones settle once you’ve lost most of your weight (oestrogen is stored in fat so as you lose all the excess oestrogen is released into blood stream).

Large weight regain can occur because of complacency & people slipping back into old eating habits. It can occur because how they were eating wasn’t sustainable &/or was too restrictive. It didn’t allow them to live their life as they wanted & hindered them doing what they enjoyed. Or they didn’t do the head work to understand & learn to manage their old eating behaviours & what drove them to eat. All things the surgery doesn’t do anything about. But it does give you the time to explore these factors.

Also remember the average weight loss at about the three year mark is 60% of the weight that had to be lost. This can include the bounce back ‘resettling’ weight gain, complacency & adjusting to a more flexible eating plan. Or it could just be the weight your body is happier at.

Sure there is always a chance to develop an issue that has to be monitored but it’s rare. Comparatively, there are very few complications from weight loss surgery. Some of the issues may not have anything to do with the surgery. I have a Protein malabsorption issue. Not from my 3 yr old sleeve but from my gall being removed last year. (Malabsorption issues are very rare with sleeve.) I have low BP. I had a genetic predisposition before surgery now it’s all the time because of my lower weight not the surgery. Gerd is probably the highest risk after sleeve - about 15-20% I believe. But it can be managed or treated by a revision to bypass. Some issues may be revealed because you likely are being monitored medically more closely now then before or your weight & associated comorbidities may have been masking what were pre existing conditions.

You’ll likely read & hear about people with problems because they they post to seek help & support. They don’t often post about what the cause was or the remedy. In comparison, people tend not to post or talk about their successes. I know many people who’ve had the surgery. No one has experienced long term or developed new issues because of the surgery. A couple regained most of their weight because they went back to their old eating habits.

Certainly the benefits far outweigh any temporary side effects or the very rare problem.

[Gigiheart 6]

Thank you!!!

[ms.sss 12,508]

On 6/22/2022 at 3:30 PM, Gigiheart said:

I'm 5'2 236 lbs BMI is 43.

We have practically the exact same starting stats!! (Same height, but i was just 1 lbs shy of you at 235 😉)

To answer your questions (and note that this pertains to my experience and may or may not be yours), no, i have not experienced and “serious” long-term or permanent health issues.

I’m 3 years, 8 mnths post.

My energy came back and then some by 1 month; the hair that started falling out at 3 months already started growing back about 6 months; my last set of labs done in March this year say im the picture of health. And i have maintained below goal weight since reaching it at 7 months post-op over 3 years ago.

I do have a couple of slightly annoying changes due to the surgery/weight loss though, but nothing i can’t deal with, nor anything that would make me regret having it done:

1) i am gassy/have mild acid reflux now, lol..but im on medication that keeps it at bay and i adjust my lifestyle to accommodate it: go to sleep on empty stomach, take lactose pills before consuming dairy, etc..

2) i am a lot weaker than i used to be..in terms of strength like lifting heavy things or opening jar lids. I figure i just need to build back more muscle, but im lazy i guess. Plus there’s always someone around to carry or open things for me anyway Lololololzzz.

There are those out there that do experience some serious issues, but I don’t believe its the norm. You won’t know how YOU will fare until you do.

Good Luck! ❤️