Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

First time experiencing unusual weight gain since WLS



Recommended Posts

Hi. I noticed that my weight has started going up like crazy over the past four days. I was 76.5 kg on 26 April 2023 and I weighed 80.2 Kg this morning (30 April 2023). I usually weigh myself after going to the toilet in the morning, around the same time, before eating or drinking anything and wearing only my "birthday suit". Gaining 3.7 kg over 3 days is definitely unusual and alarming. This afternoon I also noticed that my feet were swollen and felt a bit numb.

Then I remembered that I've been eating a lot of pickles that my wife made for me. I read somewhere that there is a strong connection between increased dietary salt intake and weight gain due to Water retention but the studies were all inconclusive. The recommendations were to just drink a lot of water, exercise and wait it out.

Anyone experienced a similar situation and how long did it take to get back on track? It is frustrating that I'm experiencing this while I'm only 6 kg from my goal weight.

Edited by omrhsn

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm nowhere near goal weight but as a professional yo yo dieter for many many years, it sounds to me like classic Water weight retention. Swollen feet is a sure sign and the fact you have been eating increased amount of sodium. It's frustrating but temporary.

3 hours ago, omrhsn said:

The recommendations were to just drink a lot of water, exercise and wait it out.

^^Good advice^^ and reduce your sodium intake. Good luck reaching your goal.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

it was the pickles. Yes - sodium makes some people retain Water like crazy. Plus there is no way you'd gain 3.7 kg of real weight in three days. To do that, you would have to eat 28,000 more calories than your body needs in those three days. So yea, no. It's just water.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree. I think it was the salty pickles too. Awful feeling though when you see those higher numbers on the scale & wonder what you’ve been doing wrong. Over time you’ll discover things that make your weight fluctuate a little more than usual. I’m up a little at the moment because I’ve been eating my chicken & barley Soup - an extra serve of carbs & the extra Fluid does it every time for me but it will be gone in few days.

Try adding lemon juice to your Water or drink some tea - both will make you pee more & help flush out the excess fluids.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had a similar gain of around 1.5kg recently, and it was due to an injured knee (played basket ball on a knee that's still not 100% after breaking it late last year 🙃). The knee swelled up noticeably, and after a fortnight of compression and rest, the swelling finally went away and took the 1.5kg gain with it. I'm back to slowly losing again.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, BabySpoons said:

I'm nowhere near goal weight but as a professional yo yo dieter for many many years, it sounds to me like classic Water weight retention. Swollen feet is a sure sign and the fact you have been eating increased amount of sodium. It's frustrating but temporary.

^^Good advice^^ and reduce your sodium intake. Good luck reaching your goal.

Thanks! Hopefully this will go away soon. Good luck to you too. You are doing great!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

it was the pickles. Yes - sodium makes some people retain Water like crazy. Plus there is no way you'd gain 3.7 kg of real weight in three days. To do that, you would have to eat 28,000 more calories than your body needs in those three days. So yea, no. It's just Water.

Thanks for your feedback! 28,000 calories in just three days is insane even for the old me haha

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Arabesque said:

I agree. I think it was the salty pickles too. Awful feeling though when you see those higher numbers on the scale & wonder what you’ve been doing wrong. Over time you’ll discover things that make your weight fluctuate a little more than usual. I’m up a little at the moment because I’ve been eating my chicken & barley Soup - an extra serve of carbs & the extra Fluid does it every time for me but it will be gone in few days.

Try adding lemon juice to your Water or drink some tea - both will make you pee more & help flush out the excess fluids.

Thanks for tips. I have been drinking a lot of tea since yesterday. I'll turn it into an iced tea with lemon juice to maximize the effect. I was really shocked when I saw the scale going up. I've learned my lesson now haha. No more pickles for me

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Smanky said:

I had a similar gain of around 1.5kg recently, and it was due to an injured knee (played basket ball on a knee that's still not 100% after breaking it late last year 🙃). The knee swelled up noticeably, and after a fortnight of compression and rest, the swelling finally went away and took the 1.5kg gain with it. I'm back to slowly losing again.

I hope you are feeling better now. Hopefully my "swelling" will go away soon.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Here is an update. I've been drinking a lot of tea and Water since yesterday as per the advice I found on the internet. I'll add some lemon juice to my tea and turn it into an iced lemon tea. I was 80.6 kg this morning and my face is more round now and my cheeks are fuller. I think the water is retained on my thighs haha. I never thought I will see these numbers again but here we are. No more pickles or salty foods for yours truly after this.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I truly hope that it is just Water retention from the pickles and you body will be able to reset. Have you noticed that your body retains water because of the hot weather? Or maybe you are just more aware now that you are a lower weight? Just a thought. Good luck with everything.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Possum220 said:

I truly hope that it is just Water retention from the pickles and you body will be able to reset. Have you noticed that your body retains Water because of the hot weather? Or maybe you are just more aware now that you are a lower weight? Just a thought. Good luck with everything.

Thanks. It happened to me in the past (foot and face swelling etc) but I was not paying attention to my weight then. That was before the WLS. I've been going through what I ate over the past few days and it include salty food, processed / canned food, chicken Soup from a restaurant that I know uses bullion cubes in their Soups to make it more flavorful (hello MSG!). So I think it was just a bad food combo that resulted in the water retention. I hope this goes away soon.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Water retention is absolutely a thing; I actually had the exact same thing happen with pickles! I woke up the next day and had gained 3 pounds because the day before I had decided that the 35-calorie each halved dill pickles would make a great guilt free snack and ate a few of them the day before. So much salt! Take it easy for a day or two, drink some extra fluids and if that's what it was, it'll go away in a few days once you get things flushed back out.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I tend to suffer from Water retention even after surgery (albeit not as often), mostly when sitting for prolong times, drinking too much water, drinking too little water, walking all day or the inevitable plane ride. I use dandelion tea which is a natural diuretic and increase my water intake to avoid dehydration. If it is too extreme, usually after flying, I will take a furosemide that my doctor prescribed but a water pill will work as well.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, pintsizedmallrat said:

Water retention is absolutely a thing; I actually had the exact same thing happen with pickles! I woke up the next day and had gained 3 pounds because the day before I had decided that the 35-calorie each halved dill pickles would make a great guilt free snack and ate a few of them the day before. So much salt! Take it easy for a day or two, drink some extra fluids and if that's what it was, it'll go away in a few days once you get things flushed back out.

I'm drinking a lot of Water and I think (hope) it is getting better. My face looks slimmer and I can see the wrinkles / excess skin on my thighs which is a sign that the swelling is less now. I've avoided the scale this morning. Otherwise, I will go crazy if I saw a number that is higher than yesterday's. Pickles are banned in my house now haha

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×