Hello all,

I had GS in Aug. 2020. I lost just over 100lbs, but never made it to my goal weight of 125lb. I got down to 138lb, which actually almost seemed a little too thin, and people thought I was starting to look sickly. That was at the end of October 2022. Since about December, I have gained 20lb, and I have NO idea why. It's so incredibly disheartening. I'm 50 years old, so I think menopause could be a real issue, as nothing else has changed with my eating/drinking/exercise habits in that time. I don't know if I should reach out to my surgeon, my OBGYN or my regular PCP. I'm also under an INSANE amount of stress, so I'm guessing cortisol is a contributing factor as well. Has anyone else been down this road? What's the best way to address it? Soooooooooo depressed!!!!

First of all, give yourself a break; being 2 1/2 years out and having maintained most of your weight loss is a win, so give yourself credit for that. You said yourself you're under a tremendous amount of stress. Any of the options you mentioned (your surgeon, your PCP and your OBGYN) would be good options just to rule out anything that could be contributing (menopause, stress levels, or even just taking a good hard look at where you can make do-able changes that would help). Maybe even all 3.

I know you occasionally hear of people doing what they call a "pouch reset" where they follow an abbreviated version of their initial post-surgery diet (i.e. doing only liquids for a few days, then moving on to purees, etc), but I haven't done it and can't speak from experience how well it works. There's information out there on Google if that's something you'd like to read more about.

Check out Ozempic or Mounjaro. Could give you the nice jumpstart on losing again, and reset that pouch. Just an idea!

Dr. Werner addressed it on Level 10 life. He said after the first year, you should be eating more veggies and working out more. He actually said “a pound of vegetables a day.” I am eating two cups of veggies more per day and I can only say it’s helped me. My doc is trying to sell me on the medication. I’m hesitant about the side effects. You are not alone.

I understand your frustration. However, 20 pounds is definitely not "gaining like crazy." It's fairly common to gain +/- 20 pounds in the second year after surgery and beyond. Very few of stayed at the low weight we reached in the year after surgery.

Your focus now should be to stay more or less where you are without gaining more, and your best bet would be to consult a nutritionist. Your surgeon wouldn't be very relevant at this point in your journey.

Many people claim they have "stretched their pouch" and can therefore eat more food, but my surgeon claims that is an urban myth and is essentially impossible. Our restrictions do ease over time and we are able to eat a greater volume and variety of food than we could at first.

Also, a "pouch reset" does not shrink your pouch and increase your restriction. It's really just a psychological/motivational tool to get you back on track with healthier eating habits. Personally, I think it's a bit extreme, and you can do the same thing by simply re-focusing and shifting your mindset. However, if it works for you, then go for it.

a 10-20 lb rebound weight gain after hitting your lowest weight is EXTREMELY common. It's just your body settling in to its new set point. That gain is not inevitable, but it seems to happen to the vast majority of us during year 2/3.

if you don't like it, you can always eat less and lose it, but if your body wants to weigh around 148 lbs, then it'll be a lifelong struggle to keep it at 125. Is it worth the struggle? That's a question only you can answer. For some yes, for others, no. I finally gave up the ghost. It just wasn't worth it to me, and I'm at a healthy weight, so...???

I am also 5'6". Our normal BMI weight range goes up to 154 lbs, so at 148 lbs, you're within the normal range. You're fine where you are. Your surgeon will almost certainly agree with that.

Edited February 22, 20233 yr by catwoman7