Weight struggles after surgery

I lost about 19 or so pounds while taking behavior modification classes prior to surgery. So I went in at 222 the day of surgery. My all time low after 1 yr was 138 (I am only 5 feet tall). This was in 2005.

It is now 2012 and I'm already up to 196. I have talked to my surgeon. She said "sorry, guess you will have to re-lose weight the "old hard way".

I know that some of the old habits creeped in... but I know that there is no way that I can pack it in the way I used to. I still get very full much sooner than I used to, but evidently it is still not enough.

I feel like no matter how much I try to watch what I take in....and try to be a bit more active, which is hard due to my work life and busy life....but I just cannot understand how pretty much ALL of the weight found its way back on me.

I cannot find anyone who will help me as far as surgically. I feel left out all on my own. When things started to fall backwards was when I could no longer go to my support group - (about 2 or so years out).

My insurance would not cover the surgery as it was not considered "medically necessary". I wish so badly I would have stayed anyway and paid out of my pocket as that is when all hell seemed to have broken loose.

I'm 52 years young and feel miserable and feel like the hugest failure. I feel WORSE than I did prior to having my surgery.....I thought I would have been able to use my tool to its best...but I didn't. I wish I knew what to do next.

So even if it is driven into your head as a tool, it's not always a tool you'll able to TOTALLY depend on.

Comments for
Weight struggles after surgery

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More about your situation
by: Jeff

I'm sorry to hear about the struggles that you've had. So that our community can share thoughts, experiences and recommendations specific to your situation, can you share more details?

For example:

- Which procedure did you have?
- What has your specific diet looked like on average vs your team's recommendations?
- What has your specific exercise regimen entailed?
- You mentioned that "old habits creeped in." Can you be more specific? What are you doing that you know you shouldn't be?
- Please share more details about your surgeon's feedback. What did she say was the cause? Why did she say that further surgical intervention was not an option?
- Things appear to have taken a turn for the worst after you stopped going to your support group meetings. What has prevented you from returning to them and is there anything that can be done to get you going back?

The more details you can provide, the better.

I look forward to your response.

Take care,

Jeff

You regained all your weight?!
by: Molly K.

Hi,
I'm a female and I'm older than you by a decade. I also had bariatric surgery, and I also was a self pay patient. I did it through the internet and booked a weight loss surgeon in Mexico.

I am several months out, and I have very little to complain about at this point, except perhaps that my weight loss is rather slow. I know this is because I am not doing a lot of hard exercising.

I sustained a spinal cord injury, and the surgery to correct it failed. Since then I am unable to even walk very far, much less do hard, aerobic exercises. But unfortunately, without SOME form of regular exercise, you can't really expect to lose a lot and you certainly won't keep it off.

So, I have found ways of moving my body and burning calories that don't compromise my fragile spine. Because I know exercise is totally NECESSARY and I refuse to be defeated.

I am losing, albeit slowly, and I plan to continue to lose and I will keep it off because I totally watch what I eat.

Those are the two key points to having success with this surgery, exercise and a proper bariatric diet.

I believe self-pay bariatric surgery patients probably often fail at sustained weight loss because we did not have the benefit of the psychological evaluation that people who go through insurance in the U.S. are required to have.

It is imperative that, before the surgery, you totally understand that the surgery is just a tool to ASSIST in weight loss, it is not a magic cure that allows us to eat like we did before, or as you say, slip back into bad eating habits.

Of course you gained back weight. You can pack that little sleeve with tons of food, if you eat constantly and make poor choices.

You admit to not exercising, and you also admit that you blew off the group support meetings.

Why did you do that to yourself? You have cheated yourself out of your one chance to regain your figure and lead a normal life.

I really do feel sorry for you, but I also think you may not have been a good candidate for the surgery in the first place.

I think you need behavior modification and lots of education about exactly how the Sleeve or Bypass really works. It isn't magic and you are in the driver's seat the whole way.

I also believe that you could greatly benefit from therapy, because I bet you have other issues in your life that have become problems due to your lack of self control.

Good luck to you dear.

Molly K.

Details?
by: Lap Band Groupie

First of all ((hugs)). I know first hand how traumatic it is to regain big weight, since I did that for 30+ years (the 'hard way'… I'm 52 as well).

I know you're already beating yourself up for it. Instead, remind yourself that you already knew you couldn't do this on your own, that's why you got help to begin with.

Seek out whatever help you can get; find a therapist that specializes in weight loss and get back to that weight loss surgery support group. Yes, it's going to be hard to walk in there, but we're "your people"…we've been there, we understand, and we want to help (I've also found that online weight loss support can be invaluable… start a blog or join an online group).

Now, as far as your surgery goes, I'll ask the same questions as Jeff as it would help us a lot to get some details so we can advise you as to if your 'tool' could be helping you more or not.

Please Read What You Wrote
by: Eileen

Hi! I do feel bad for you but I WAS in the same boat. Notice I say WAS! My surgery (mini-pouch) was 8 years ago and I went from 421 to 230... I lost 191 pounds.

After getting married and having 3 kids, I was back up to 308.

When I caught myself calling the insurance company and thought about going through the procedure again, I hung up the phone and cleaned out my fridge. I joined a gym and a running group and stopped making excuses.

As Molly said, surgery is a TOOL. More emphasis should be placed on the psych eval and HOW a person became overweight to begin with. This is the key to taking it off. Bad habits slip back and surgery patients feel that they can eat ANYTHING they want as long as its small portions...WRONG!

After every procedure, there is a "honeymoon" period during which you will lose weight. Instead of enjoying this period, patients should be learning about proper eating and developing a CONSISTENT exercise routine.

Once the honeymoon period ends, the pounds will be waiting. Whether or not they come back is up to you.

I also agree with Molly -- if you had the procedure again, you would fail again. Stop making excuses and get moving.

We have 6 kids in my house, I work full time and am a student. I have to be a wife and a mom yet I exercise two hours daily. There ARE no excuses.

After picking up running (and a gym addiction), I am 228 (two pounds lower than my surgery weight). I am 5'9 and determined to get to 180--the weight I vow to be before skin removal. It CAN be done. It's skill vs will. Good luck.

weight gain after bariatric surgery NEW
by: Dee

I too had weight loss surgery in 2005. Before surgery my weight was 231 and I lost down to 137.
I have let the weight creep back on. I have joined weight watchers numereous times over the past 7 years only to quit. I don't even have scales in my house now and avoid them. My last known weight was 198. I am 57 years old and am 5'2". I went back to my weight loss surgeron and even had an EGD to see if I would qualify for the ROSE procedure. Only to find out that my pouch has not stretched to the point that I would benefit from the surgery. My Physician was kind Suggested that I come back in a sit down with him and discuss other options. I was too embarrased. I would just love to become a recluse but know that I can not. I work full time but my home is my refuge. I do not enjoy being out with others. I know that most people probably don't judge me. I do that pretty good on my own. I look around me and see a lot of others that had the surgery has put it back on as well. Still this is no comfort.
I want to be in control. I have struggled with weight issues since child hood. Weighing 134 in the 4th grade.

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