10 years out and gaining...

I need some help! I am 10 years post op and am steadly gaining. I started off at 250 and lost down to 145. I am now at 192. I saw the largest increase in weight gain in the past 2.5 months where I put on 15 lbs. My eating is the same. I know that I can work out more but I need some advice.

I tried to call my old surgeon's office and they just referred me to a nutritionist...they would not even see me to consult (honestly I was frustrated at that).

Thanks,

TM

Maybe they need verification that you're not eating horrible first. I would suggest you journal your intake for a while, at least a week. Make an appointment with a nutrition specialist and see what they say.

If you aren't eating horrible and you are moving alittle (seriously, you can't gain 15 pounds in 2.5 months and not be eating thousands of extra calories AND moving more than a slug..) the nutritionist will verify that it's a problem that is internal..and then the surgeon needs to be seen.

If you discover your eating is the problem, that's totally fixable..

Thats strange that your old surg. wouldnt even see you for a consult! Just from that, you might want to consider getting a new surgeon. They should be following you long term (not just for a few years after the procedure). I would have been seriously frustrated too!
I agree there is a process to follow when you experience weight gain & starting off w/ logging your exercise & intake is step 1. You will need this information when you go see the NUT - of which i would also do.
If you havent tried the 5DPT, look into that as well. Its about getting back to basics & reconnecting w/ your pouch.
If youre not getting much exercise, start incorporating it.
Lastly, my Dr & other research i did confirmed that 20 or 25% of WLS patients experience this as the pouch gradually begins to stretch out (allowing us to eat more). After finding a new sergeon, i would talk about what "options" are available for you.
I recently had the Stomaphyx, but before i finalized my decision to move forward with that, i spent 2 years trying to get my regained weight off the normal way - dieting, eating right, getting exercise (some daily) - really doing what i was supposed to do. Only after did i see that my efforts werent working, did i conceed to having the revision done.

Good Luck to you!

 I have had the lap band in 09 and cannot loose any weight either I have hit rock bottom and am trying everything and anything for this to work Best of luck!!

 Hello:

Just a question:  Other than solid food intake, what liquids are you consuming?  Remember, there are so many liquids out there than can cause a great deal of weight gain in a short period of time such as alcohol, fruit juices, soda, etc.  

I agree with the previous poster that you do need to find time to work in some exercise, even if it is taking a walk for 30 - 45 minutes a day.

Good Luck!

Rob


Surgery Date:  02/16/2009
Heaviest Weight:  288
Surgery Weight:  272
Lowest Weight: 149
Current Weight: 165
Goal Weight to maintain:  154

 I had my surgery when I was 21, ten years ago this november.  I dropped from 250 to 142 then up to about 150, where I stabalized.  I even made it through a pregnancy without regaining weight (obviously I gained, but it all came off within 6 months of birth).  Then I turned 29, 30 and now 31.  I jumped to 160 just from stress and natural changes in my metabolizm.  I also noticed I had little to no muscle mass left.  Although I didn't gain too much weight it set of major alarms for me and I got my butt back to the gym twice a week for an hour (something I had not been doing).  After three months I am back down to 155 and I know 150 will come without too many additional steps if I keep up the weight lifting and exercising.  I say this because our bodies change and some weight gain is a natural result of aging, but it is strange to me that you made it up to 192 without freaking out.  Were you weighing yourself regulary?   Maybe it is a medical issue?  I can't imagine you gained 15 lbs in two months the old fashioned way and were then surprised by it.  I would go to your primary and have them run some tests.  There are also medications that contribute to weight gain... maybe its something you are taking?  As they said above, you'd have to be in serious denial to say that you are eating the same while packing on 15 lbs in two months, so I suspect it must be something else.  Best of luck to you.

I was having the same problem until I discovered HCG. I have posted about this before any I usually get daggers from certain people, but I can't not respond since it worked so well for me and I am now back to goal weight. I had RNY in May 2003 and lost all my excess weight, and remained there til 2005. When my appetite returned, so did the cravings and some old bad patterns of eating. I continued gaining weight at about 10 pounds a year. As of last May I had regained 60 lbs. Then I came across an old friend who had just done HCG and lost 30 lbs in 45 days. She told me she had done it with sublingual HCG and that she didn't have any hunger issues. This friend is a PE teacher who does not believe in fad diets, so I gave her story more credibility than I might have otherwise done. Well, I started on HCG in late-April, and fast forward to October and I had lost 50 lbs. I did another short phase of HCG in February and lost the last 10 lbs. I'm now at a very happy 130 lbs. I could not have done it without HCG!

If you want to know more, email me at betsy at crittendens dot com and I can send you some info.

You can track my history on this site back to 2003 if you are in doubt about my story (of RNY and subsequent struggles).

Betsy

 What is HCG? Just curious.

 Human chorionic ...I forget the G.  It's a hormone produced by pregnant women n the embryo.  It was used for weight loss n keeping muscle, became very controversial and pulled off shelves as over the counter.  Wikipedia has the whole story on it, I read it a while ago when someone else brought it up on another forum.  I only use all natural products, I won't put that stuff in my body.  I had the surgery to save my body!  I'm not saying anything bad about it and I'm glad it worked for some people, I just won't do it. 

My diet has not changed. I don't drink juice or soda. I actually gave up diet soda in January. I am drinking water or flavored water. I am still drinking one high protein drink in the morning.

I tried the depo shot as a birth control method and I honestly think that may have been the trigger. As the medicine wears off, I am slowly able to lose the weight. I've lost 4 lbs. The weight did creep up quickly (almost over night) and my diet did not change so I am leaning toward hormonal.

I very active. I have two labrador retrievers who need daily walks since I don't have a back yard. We generally walk about 1.5 hr (total) per day and I walk about a mile to the train for work and back.

I did find it extremely rude that the doctor's office did not want to see or allow me to consult with him. I don't think it is the doctor but his staff. My regular doctor was not alarmed by this so he just asked me to inform him of any changes...that is kind of frustrating.

Thanks for everyone's input.

TM