Weight regain after 12 years with renewed sugar craving

Question Below Submitted By:  

Linda (a patient from Michigan, USA)

I had surgery 12 years ago and maintained weight loss of 100 pounds all that time… until the last 2 months. I would gain about 10 pounds in the winter and then lose it in the summer with no problem as long as I did a bit more exercise.

Now I have gained almost 30 pounds in the last 2 months with no change in exercise and no change in eating habits.

When I first had the surgery I was good about not eating any sugar… it put me right to sleep within a half hour of eating it. Then the last 6 months or so eating sugar does not bother me at all. Except now I crave sugar. About all I want to eat is something sweet. HELP!! HELP!!

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Patient Responses to the Question Above

weight gain

by: Donna

I too am 10 & 1/2 years out and have gained 50 lbs. back. I lost a total of 175lbs and never did get to any goal. I at least have not gotten all my bad habits back. I do not drink and eat too, I do not use a straw to drink. I do not drink any sweet drinks even milk. There is still things I can not eat or wow.

I feel down on myself, I do not feel well. I mean like dragging a--. I was a support leader for 3 years and that helped me keep in check.

I too am having a problem with chocolate.

12 YEAR CRAVING

by: Anonymous

LINDA, GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING-------AND I KNOW ANOTHER GUY HAD THE SURGERY AND WANTS CANDY ALL THE TIME.

I DO AGREE W/ THE ONE GUY THAT COMMENTED-----WE'VE GOT TO STOP THE SUGAR TRIP AND GET AWAY FROM IT.

I'M NOT EATING SALADS LIKE I WAS OR EVEN THE PROTEIN------BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD GOOD LUCK AND LET'S GET AWAY FROM THE SUGAR--------WE HAVE TO REMEMBER LIFE WHEN WE WERE HEAVIER------GOOD LUCK!!

regain

by: Yvonne McCarthy

First let me congratulate for reaching out.

Secondly you MUST stop the regain right now or it will soon be 50 pounds before you know it.

You didn't mention your age and I was wondering if menopause could be part of it? It put about ten pounds on me after being at the same weight for 6 years and I started bio-identical hormones and I'm good again.

Sugar is one of the most addictive substances known to man. There's a great saying...100% is easy but 99% not so much. It's easier to cut something totally out than to decide how much.

If you stop eating sweet things you will eventually break yourself of the habit. Are you eating/drinking a lot of artificial sugar right now?

Since you really can't cut it all out I limit myself to 8 grams of processed sugar in any food I eat.

Can you possibly go back to your old surgeon or visit a new one? It's very hard to figure out exactly what's going on and I'm not a doc but I'm 11 years out and have maintained my weight. You have done it so you know you can do it. You've just got to get over this hump.

One more question - are you dealing with any more trauma or stress than you usually are? Just a thought.

8 Years out & FEENING for sweets

by: Beth Ward

Hi,

I am approximately 8 years out of Bariatric surgery (Roue-en-Y) & have lost over 151 lbs.

BUT, for the last 7 - 9 months all I seem to want is SWEETS. Why now?

I am 52 years young, in the midst of that ignorant menopause (which is a novel in itself) & this sweets craving thing rears its ugly head which has not helped at all in me gaining back like 25-30 lbs.

I've tried & succeeded in staying pretty far away from sweets in the past (nothing over 10-12 grams per serving), but like I previously mentioned, my sweet tooth is RI-DIC-U-LUS!! I use Splenda or Equal or Agave in most everything, & natural sugar (fruit) doesn't cut it.

I've had a knee replacement last year, which doesn't help because I still can't do a lot of exercises. Any help would be so greatly appreciated!!

Sleeved Jan 2015, 30lbs regain in last 4 months

by: Tracy Walters

Like I said I was sleeved Jan 20, 2015. I'm 5'10", SW 293, LW 179, CW 213. I have not picked up any of old bad habits. I drink nothing at all except water, but in last 4 or 5 months, I have been drinking artificial flavoring in my water. It says sugar-free and caffeine-free. I crave sweets ALL of the time, I would rather eat sweets than regular food.

Question is, is the flavoring causing my sweet cravings?

Had Gastric Bypass over 20 years ago ... Still crave sweets!

by: Gwen Holman

Sugar and I have had an intimate relationship all of my life. We've separated and even divorced; however, we always find ourselves reuniting. We can't seem to do without each other. We have an endless love.

After gastric bypass, sugar had such an adverse effect on me that I had to limit my consumption. I would break out in cold sweats and then I would find myself yawning extensively. I felt an overwhelming tiredness creep over my body.

However, the symptoms decreased and eventually left me. Back to square one .... Just call me Mistress Sweetaholic!

Right now, I am still fighting that battle. I have purchased a Fitbit. For the past year I have been keeping track of my steps. My goal now is 20,000 steps per day.

Needless to say, it seems as if I am walking all day long. However, as long as I make my goal, I am able to eat sugar without gaining weight. I do need to work harder to change my eating habits so that I limit my sweet intake.

Beware: Sugar cravings are saving your life!

by: Gina,

This is my 3rd attempt to try and post this (obviously due to my ineptness.. lol)…

I am being tenacious however, in hopes that my message will help someone, with whom may be struggling unnecessarily with guilt over eating sugar. If your cravings are accompanied by nausea dizziness headaches heart palpitations or any of the other symptoms indicative of hypoglycemia & they occur within 1-3 hours after food consumption, then you may be suffering from the common life-threatening bariatric surgery complication called Post Bariatric Hypoglycemia or PBH.

It affects up to 50% of patients that have undergone bariatric surgery & occurs 1-4 years post-surgery. Although I stated in my title (for attention-grabbing purposes only) that sugar is saving your life it is important to note that sugar will also kill you.

PBH is a response to glucose in your body that results in too much insulin being produced, whereby causing hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), that can cause cravings for sugar, which in turn perpetuates the whole cycle over again: High glucose over produced insulin sugar craving etc etc

Should you have ANY of the symptoms of hypoglycemia, please, get ahold of your doctor immediately and let him know about it & go to the following website. I found it to be extremely informative in my own diagnosis. God-bless all who read this.

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