Never been on the WLS grad forum before ...

In fact, I haven't even been on the OH site for quite a long time. My Open RNY was 2 1/2 years ago. Got down to my goal (lost 125 lbs.), felt fantastic. I gave myself a 5 lb. swing to go back and forth without
getting freaked out. I am now 10 lbs over my NEVER GO OVER weight. I'm not pretending that I don't know how this happened ... I know it's because we had an extremely good summer, lots of socializing. Drank more wine than I had in the past (totally empty calories) and also ate more junk carbs. I am just hoping to hear from some of you saying, "Yes, I gained a bit back and was able to get back to my goal."
So ... what have been your experiences? Any encouragement would be so appreciated!! Thanks!

I'm working on getting 15 lbs off. Things had been going reallly, really slowly until this month and it seems like my weight loss mentality has kicked back in. Going back to the basics was the hardest part.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that you're not alone. I'm fighting it right along with you.
- Iris

Good for you for sticking with it AND nice to know that the weight loss mentality CAN kick back in! I will keep plugging along and wait for that to happen. I've increased the exercise again and cut back on the junk!! Thanks for the feedback and encouragement!!

 Hi there. I am 6 years post-op. I completely understand your issue.  I originally lost about 110 pounds, most of it in the first 6 months and I was pretty much done losing at about a year. I started in the 260ish range and got down to about 150 (give or take 2 pounds, which is completely normal).
       At about year 2.5 post-op I gained about 15 pounds over the course of 8 months or so. I'm not pretending like I don't know how it happened either!! A few too many glasses of wine, followed by the attitude of "Hey, my boyfriend just ordered the pasta, I can too".  I did as most people suggested, got back to the basics and you can lose the weight. I did "go back to the basics" and I was totally able to lose the 15 pounds.
       Then after a while that pesky 15 pounds crept up on me one more time and 6 years out of surgery still lies on me, only now that I am older it has decided to land itself in the shape of a tire that is wrapped around my midsection!! 
       But strangely enough, I'm not that freaked out about it. I guess because even at the times that I KNOW I was eating horribly I have retained those same 15 pesky pounds, but never any more, for the last 3 years!!!! I have literally been the same weight for 3 years!! That has never happened in my entire life! I'm sure you and many of us have been yo-yo dieting for years.  Or at least every time I have checked in 3 years, which means at the gym or doctor's office.  Don't get me wrong, I am not planning on eating pizza for every meal and not fighting the bulge, but I am trying to be thankful every day that I was able to have this surgery and that I am healthier and happy.
   Good Luck!!!

I gained ten pounds this summer by eating the wrong things.  I thought that I was cured of obesity, but found out that I am not cured.  I am not going back to basics because I don't believe that I can stay there for life.  I am working on getting the weight off but with a plan that I can stick to.

My plan is more exercise and Weigh****chers meetings.  I have my first weekly weigh in on Thursday.  I am following their point system and was really amazed at how many points are in what I thought were somewhat conservative choices.  It is also so hard to stick to my prescribed points and to see how efficient my body now seems to be at holding on to the weight.

My three year anniversary date of surgery is October 16.  My surgeon's office has a program for people three years out, so I will be interested in seeing what that is about.  The bariacticeating.com site also has a new forum for people three years out.

It is a different world when we get beyond the weight loss surgery honeymoon.  I do believe that it not only the extra food, but the body learning to adjust to the malabsorption, the pouch becoming larger and the body being able to tolerate more foods.  I am willing to do whatever it takes to not go back to being obese again. 

Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions.  And thanks seven11 for sharing that you are only stuck with 15 additional pounds.  It is so encouraging to hear that you did not gain everything back.

Mary Catherine,
Congrats on your upcoming surgiversary! Thanks for replying. I think you're right about needing to figure out how handle the ability to tolerate more and different foods the farther out we are, etc. I guess we will never stop learning how to work this tool we are fortunate enough to have gotten! Trial and error ... but we'll keep at it!! Thanks again.

Wow! At 6 years out, to have gained only 15 lbs and maintain there is fantasti****ep reading that most people get down to their lowest and then have a bit of bounce back gain, where if they work it right, they can pretty much stay at that point. So good for you to realize it and not stress about it! You're at a normal weight and I'm sure your health in general is so much better than before surgery. How much more success can we ask for, right? Thanks for the reply. And continued success to you!!

Hello! I am soon to be 5 years out and I too, have been struggling with regain. I never made it quite to goal (6 lousy stinking pounds!) before i started to gain, gained a total of 28 (over 2 years) and have lost 15 of that (in 2 1/2 months) by getting back to basics. The thing i struggle with the most is not drinking with meals and slider foods (aka junk carbs). Another thing that is key for me is excercise. I had pretty much stopped all forms of excercise during the time I gained.  Just wanted you to know you are not alone! Hang in there, you can do it!

Highest weight 310 RNY weight 286 lowest 161 current 174

Yay for starting the loss again!! I needed to know that was possible again. I too have started drinking with meals, which I hadn't done before. I know the things I'm supposed to do (and not supposed to do), so I guess it's just time to get back to it! Thanks for the encouragement. Good luck to you in your quest!

Well, I KNEW I was right to come back to OH for help and encouragement. You guys are all amazing. Thank you so much!! I got the help and advice I needed here the first time around, so I figured when I had this new issue, it was time to get back here and start again.
Let's all get ourselves back on track! Thanks!!