Weight regain 3 years after bariatric surgery… I eat right!

Question Below Submitted By:  

Kristi (a patient from PA)

It has been almost eight years since my weight loss surgery, and in the past 3 years I have gained 30 pounds! I still eat small and concentrate on proteins… but still I continue to gain!

I am so upset because it seems as soon as I had my tummy tuck and had been keeping my weight loss at 170 pounds down for 5 years, I started to steadily gain! I can not understand why. I need serious help or I will go off the deep end.

I worked so hard! I was 320 before and at my lowest was 139, then I went back to 150 where I stayed for a long time. I decided to have tummy tuck surgery, then the gain began. I also had hernia repair 2 years ago, and since then I have not been able to lose any regained weight.

Please help!

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Patient Responses to the Question Above

Weight regain

by: Anonymous

I had my gastric bypass in April of 2009. I weighed 315 lbs. I now weigh 240 lbs. I need help. I know what I'm doing wrong. I'm afraid I've stretched my stomach out & ruined my surgery. I'm feeling hopeless. I will be seeing my Dietitian in August.

Gaining after surgery

by: Sandy

I had my gastric bypass in 2006 and lost 200lbs. I went from a size 34 to a 12 and love it. I can tell if I gain a few pounds by my clothes. I really don't need a scale. But believe me I am anal when I do this so I start the protein for breakfast but I drink a full glass of water one hour prio too. I snack but it is usually a slice of cheese I never eat after six pm. I use a small plate. I do make a veggie smoothie for lunch.

Keep thinking how far you have come and how successful you have been. I use a food journal because I was shocked how bad foods can sneak in the day's food amount and I know I didn't remember eating the wrong foods. Go back to basics and walk. You can do it. You proved that, just refresh yourself. And don't give into larger sizes. You can do this as it is a life commitment.

I am turning 70 yrs young soon and love my new life with the ups and downs. I would have died from complications of diabetes and heart without my grifter surgeon. I thank everyday for him. Good luck,stay positive and stay on course.

Regain

by: MLE

I feel your pain! This November marked 5 years since my surgery and I've gained back about 50 pounds. I had major complications from the surgery (they didn't think I was going to make it) so I couldn't eat real food for almost a year. I also got paralyzed from the waist down so when I gained back about 20 pounds after I healed up and began walking I didn't worry because I knew most of it was muscle gain. But since I put on the 30 pounds my lower back pain has been slowly creeping back. Before surgery I weighted 507. Now I'm about 320.

The difference is I know why I'm gaining- it's my fault. I'm a sugar addict. I mean BAD. Bu I've tried to make some changes to make it healthier. I know I'm going to eat a cookie but if I make them myself it's healthier. Which brings me to my advice; think if you have been eating out more.

Restaurants put fat and sugar into things that you wouldn't normally if you made them. I almost always get ill when I eat out. Even healthy choices might be deceptively not.

Me too!

by: Jen

I had surgery in 2008. I'm still eating right, but ever since I found out about the internal hernia, I've had a hard time distinguishing the pain of overeating with the pain from the hernia. I don't have the money to have the hernia surgery yet. I don't know how much I've gained because I won't step on the scale. I'm scared!

Weight regain after surgery...

by: Traci Baker

Kristi-My thoughts for you: Take a few deep breaths and remind yourself that our lives are not defined by the number on the scale. Try starting by remembering how far you have come from your pre-op life and never loose site of that. The idea is to help remove the stinkin thinkin and find something positive to help your frame of mind. After working so hard then having 2 surgeries can you take a look at your life then compared to now and ask yourself what has changed? (Environment at work/home, routines, habits, food, exercise). Agreeing with what Yvonne said when you log your food that is a good visual way to see things in black/white and it can act as accountability. Are you taking a full 20-30minutes to eat? Are you drinking while you are eating? Set yourself an attainable goal and tally your totals after each meal so you can re-evaluate for the next meal if you need more protein etc. If you bite it write it! Try adding the time you eat and any emotions next to your food entry to see if there is a pattern to when you eat, how you eat and what you are eating? Something short that works for you.Are you eating solid proteins? Do you get 60-80grams a day? How is your fluid intake? Are you staying hydrated with non-carbonated, decaf beverages? Are you taking in too many calories with your fluids? Sometimes we don’t realize how many calories we are consuming daily from our favorite drinks.Do you have a support system? Accountability partner? Family member? WLS friend? Do you attend support groups? How much exercise are you getting? Have you tried changing the routine? Set goals to challenge yourself, try weight lifting or yoga. Ask a friend to exercise with you, make a commitment to each other and be accountability partners.Focus on being healthy and feeling good in your skin and don’t let a number define you.Take care

Related Pages:
- Diet Journal Reviews
- Bariatric Diet (What you eat)
- Bariatric Eating (How you eat)
- Weight Loss Surgery Support
- Life after bariatric surgery - experiences from other patients
- Exercise after bariatric surgery

regain

by: Yvonne McCarthy

Here's what I would suggest.

Log your food.

Make absolutely sure you eat something or have a shake for breakfast because if you don't eat breakfast you will throw your body into starvation mode.

Are you eating later? Are you more stressed out? Are you getting some exercise? Go back to basics.

Eat protein first, veggies second then fruit.

Are you eating sugar? I'm glad you said something now.

The more you gain the harder it will be to get off.

Don't make that 30 pounds into a monster.

Don't give it power. Look at how much you've lost and compare how little that really is.

KNOW you can do it.

I really think you're probably eating some calories you're not aware of so definitely write them down and see where you are.

Hope that helps!

me too

by: rachel

I know how you feel, it's been 3 years since my surgery. I am so worried that I've just totally ruined my whole life because I failed at this surgery.

I know how it is, I feel like such a failure, because this woman at work had the surgery and she's all skinny and here I am huge as a cow. . . it's awful.

I am going to start on the liquid diet that I came home from the hospital with, and hoping for the best there. . . good luck to you!

Green Smoothie Cleanse saved me

by: Was out of control too, my solution

Had my sleeve surgery in 2012, went from 275 to 189; stayed there a couple years then went out of control.

I found the JJ Smith's Green Smoothie Cleanse book and joined her Facebook page.

Let me tell you, I lost my sugar and caffine cravings and started eating clean. I had gotten up to 218, started the cleanse 10/05/16 and today 12/12/16 I'm down to 203 and still losing. I did the cleanse for 10 days then did the modified cleanse for 30 days (2 green smoothies [recipes for each day is in the book] and a regular dinner), started the cleanse again 12/5 (the whole FB group starts together) great encouragement and tips!!! I'm going to do this until May or as a life style change, my goal is wright 175 (5'7). I'm learning to take it slow while reprogramming my brain.

Also I add 2 scoops of protein to my shakes instead of 1. Good luck and God Bless all of you!

no weight gain

by: ben

I weighed 420lbs and now I'm at a steady 230lbs, some days 225lbs.

You have to follow and maintain your diet and exercise.

something to try

by: Nancy G

Try dropping your carb level to no more than 20g , eat 3 meals a day, no snacks. This worked for me. Don't overdo the protein as excess protein can be turned into glucose believe it or not. 3 oz per meal is about. Educate yourself about "insulin resistance". I highly recommend reading the book "Obesity Code" by Dr. Jason Fung.

Weight gain - so worried I’ve stretched new stomach after R& Y

by: Carol

It’s been 8 years since R&Y WLS - 290 to 145 and kept it off for a good 6-7 years until things started going wrong in my life and I regressed to old habits - compulsive eating, stopped exercising - hopefully you DON’T know the drill.

I am so upset and depressed after gaining at least 45 lbs back. I know I need to go back to the way I was after surgery where I followed every rule. I just wanted to say I can relate to those who have regained although in my case it’s clearly due to the way I eat and don’t exercise. I’m glad I found this site, there are a lot of good tips.

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