how is it possible to gain?

I am not a wlsg but I need information only you can give, if you don't mind. I am new to this site so please forgive me and ignore this post if it is concidered in bad taste for me to post a question here. First how is it possible to gain weight if your pouch only holds about 4 oz. after a year? I cant't think of any foods that have more than 300 cal. in that amount. In fact I wonder if any of you may have trouble with starvation.   I also would like to know how many actually gain the weight back, do you gain all of it back.  I was also told that most patients with wls have to get I.V. Iron after a few years, Is that true of any of you? Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Needing an iron infusion is not common. People gain back from eating too much and too often. If you eat 4 oz every hour and it's cookies, milkshakes, candy, chips, crackers, and other high calorie high fat foods, of course you can gain. This surgery won't prevent you from grazing constantly all day, and for most it won't prevent from eating junk food. Neither will DS or lapband, you can regain if you eat junk, and too much food too often.  Reasonable portions, 5-6 hours apart with lots of water between meals keep the weight off, along with exercise according to your ability.

thanks for your reply,it answers some questions.

Hi, There are several reasons for weight gain.  One very common one is our expectations are set too low, or goal weights.  Our bodies lose weight at it's own pace and also will lose what it wants to lose.  Of course, exercise and food choices influences how much we lose.  In all my research, the first two years is the optimal weight loss timeframe.  Success depends  on how much you need to lose during that time.  For me, I got too thin.  Unfortunately, I was given some bad advice from my surgeon saying I can eat whatever I want.  Good eating habits is always good regardless of surgery. I gained alot of weight back because of this bad advice.  The good news is, the surgery still works if you take the time to go back to exercise and good eating habits.  I lost 20 of the gained weight by going back to the program I originally used while losing my initial weight..  It was alot easier because of surgery than it would have been if I had just gone on a diet (which usually fails) and then gain back more.  My weight has been stable and I am happy with staying at around 135ish.  I could use a little nips and tucks, but clothes cover alot of that. I wouldn't say most patients have to have infusions.  I know of a few across the board.  Keeping track of your iron levels is always a priority.

Hello, I was reading your last post and i have been steadily regaining for about 1 year now.  I had my surgery in Oct. 2001 and lost 153 lbs.  and now i've regained 40 and extremely depressed about it.  In your post you mentioned that you went back to the basics and I was wondering if you would mind sharing the specific things you did.  Any advice would be appreciated.  Thanks.

Hi, Well, what have you changed over the year?  What habits have you formd or what good habits have you dropped?  Sometimes, it IS our fault.  Did you reach your goal?  Remember, the first two years are the best years for maximum weight loss (according ato all my research), so we have to work a little harder after that.  I have lost about 20 lbs due to working at a horse ranch and drinking more  water than snacking.  So the tool still works.  It didn't take that long either.  So, you just have to look at your life style.  Maybe keep track of what you eat for a few weeks and see what changes can be made.  As far as exercise.  I am not the best, but I do take Irish dance classes and riding lessons.  Unfortunatey, I don't practice like I should but I am maintaining my weight though. Anyway, I don't know if this helps.  Hope it does. Paula

If a WLS patient doesn't dump on sugar there is always Antony Worrall Thompson's Snicker Pie to do the trick.  .  A single slice of the "calorific pudding" provides over 1,250 calories from sugar and fat alone - a serving equivalent to around 22 teaspoons of fat and 11 teaspoons of sugar. DeeDee

In the beginning there is no possible way to out eat this surgery~capacity is super small, dumping is usually a problem at that stage~this is the stage when you will drop weight rapidly. During the first year its REALLY important to work on lifestyle changes~following "the rules", starting an exercise routine, seeking therapy if necessary to deal with emotional eating issues, food addictions, etc.  Now at 2.5yrs out could I out eat this surgery~YES! If I made the choice to eat junk, graze all day long on unhealthy foods, drink milkshakes or eat ice cream~the things that slide right thru, leave you hungry and craving more and are high in calories. Now that's not to say that everyone that has gained weight is eating poorly~it is sometimes hard to find the right caloric balance for your body. It seems some people maintain on 1200 cal while others are able to maintain nicely on 1800cal or more daily. Alot of that depends on your workouts, metabolism, body makeup, etc. I allow myself to bounce around in the 150's (150lbs being my lowest weight and 159lbs being the highest weight that I will continue to try to not break). It amazes me when I've been eating improperly how quickly the scale will jump back up to the higher 150's! Also amazing is the ability of the pouch~if I work my pouch it will continue to work for me~so when I see that I'm getting to that upper limit, I cut back and try to eat how I really should be eating all along and the weight will slowly drop back off. I am thankful that so far this has been working for me and I hope it continues to do so. Also, my pouch capacity is pretty large now~not like before surgery, but I can certainly sit down and eat like a "normal" person so the volume of food does come back the farther out that you get.  It takes some trial and error, but most people will find that right balance and be able to reasonably maintain it for the long haul. I have also found that seeking therapy for my eating addiction has been an essential part of this journey for me~I really feel its the missing link for alot of people that have had wls.  Hope this help!!!!

I'm 11 months post-op and not really qualified to answer your question, but I did want to tell you about some changes I've noticed just in the past couple of weeks. I used to eat my tiny meals and stay full for several hours, and now I could eat again in an hour or so. Especially if I eat something high in carbs. I still can't eat much at a time, but I can see a battle ahead to keep from eating all through the day. Still not sure if it's best to eat three meals, or eat snacks all through the day. I get conflicting reports on that. My new plan is to eat half an apple in the morning, and the other half in the afternoon. We'll see how that goes. :)

All of the answers I recived from the members here were helpful. I know a lot of people regain some of their weight and some regain all of it. I  have learned from you, who have been through it, to work the program. If I stay on the program, measure my food and keep out the junk, I have a better chance of keeping it off. It is also good to know that if I do regain some I can just go back to the begining and get it off.  Keep up the good work. Your experiances have given me hope.