Bounce Back -vs- Weight Gain?

. Do you believe there's a difference between the two? ...and WHY? My question is prompted from a recent conversation/visit I had with my Surgeon. Prior to this visit, I had NOT seen him since my 3 month PostOp appmnt (military hubby, we move a LOT). During that visit, I was at goal, down 230 pounds and maintaining for the last 18 months, within 10 lbs. Anyway, before I go into the conversation I had with my surgeon, Im curious. Do YOU think there IS or is NOT a difference between "bounce back and weight gain" ...and why? All opinions encouraged and respected ~ Lei

I have experience some of whatever it might be. I hit dead bottom at 194. That was a the 10.5 month milestone, and required a bowel prep prior to a lap cholly. More normally I weighed around 198 - 200. That is where I was when you saw me in Tulsa. Since then I have put back on about 12 pounds. Where I did gain was in my legs. At the lowest level, my legs looked like toothpicks, particularly in the quads. Guys generally do not want to have skinny legs. My quads are back, but at the expense of the scale staring at me with 210 written all over its face. If I had to differentiate the two, Bounce Back -vs- Weight Gain, I would describe the bounce back as a "fall back" position. Say I went down to 150, six months later I am at 160 and holding there. That would be bounce back. The 150 was never a viable weight for me, and keeping it there would be untenable. Now if seven months later I was a 163, then 165, etc., then I would begin to describe that as being weight gain. Let me throw another fire on the log: It is often described as being normal for a person to gain weight over time. Is that acceptable? Let's say its two pounds a year. Are you buying that? Nowhere Man/PH/Jay

Hello Beautiful lady!!!!! Great post...It actually made me sit here for quite awhile pondering this question.....I really hadnt thought much about it until now.....BUT since you brought it up Im thinking that in my case the body does do a bounce back thing...I can remember back in the day when I was very very young I would starve myself to an unhealthy weight and my body would stay there for like a week....no matter what I did...starve or eat lightly the scale went up and then maintained at a 10 pound higher range...I would love to be down to like 105 (hahahahaha) I am small framed and only 5'1 (I am also 46 years young) but no matter what I do....my body likes to be where it is now....it seems to always "bounce back" ....I think our minds and bodies probibly need to work together a bit better...who knows maybe we would be more satisfied.... I think that our bodies know whats best for us health wise... I look forward to reading the responses you get with love and peace stacey

Good question Lei -- and something that is very personal to me, though I suspect I am currently going thru both. Tell me what you think, as I absolutely respect your opinion. My Dr gave me a goal of 156. I had reached 160 when I had my LBL in January. After the LBL and that skin was removed, I got down to 152 -- within weeks I had "bounced" up to 156. Held steady there thru my brachioplasty and breast lift/augmentation surgery in May and again thru my medial thigh lift in June. Kept fluctuating between 155 and 160 throughout this whole time despite the extra skin being removed on these surgeries. I chaulked it up to water weight, swelling and not being able to exercise during recovery, but also knew that it should be lower since so much skin had been taken off. Now, I am back up to 165! Definately weight gain which I am having a devil of a time getting off. Still haven't made my ultimate goal of 150 and feeling very frustrated! Nannette

My opinion is that there is a certain amount of body "adjusting" done after about 18 months. We get that sunken in look and then we just fill out a bit and maintain for awhile. That I call the adjusting period. The pounds that are added from year 2 on are weight regains. Pounds from poor eating habits. Just my Opinion..... Darlene

Good question!! I've thought of this too. Could it just be my body adjusting to a weight it's happy with???? Maybe?? I had my wls surgery on 4/04 one year later on 4/05 I was down to 147. And decided to have my abdominalplasty. I did lose a few lbs after the surgery but nothing below 140. In December 2005 my weight was 160, Today, I'm at 167. Sucks, But, I've been fighting/trying to lose those that regain of 20lbs since April 05. When I look back at pictures of me at 147 I look skelatal!!! Too thin. People told me I am too thin. (5'4) that's not too thin!!! But I felt great. I know the weight crept back on because I could eat more and more frequently. I discussed this with my nutritionist and she suggested 'more water'. I surmise, it's a bit of both, My body adjusting and a bit of poor eating habits and not as much exercise. Too bad we can't go back to the six month post op after wls surg!!!! L

I join in the applause for a great question Lei! I've been pondering this for some time actually. IMHO the difference may be important. "Bounce back" might be where are weight is stable, our bodies are healthy and we're happy (ha! are we ever really??) with our weight. Perhaps that is the weight we aspire to maintain. "Weight gain" seems more like the 10-20-30lbs many of us are fighting here. Not a weight we want to settle on - and accompanied by the fear that the gain will be ever-increasing as is our past history. For me the reason for the gain is clear - not exercising enough, not eating as well as I should. It doesn't feel healthy in other words. And Jay - no, I don't think gaining weight every year is acceptable. Obviously it adds up fast, as do the years! I don't think being a slave to the numbers is helpful, but let's face it, they are another useful tool in evaluating our health. Finding the weight where we feel good, deciding how much wiggle room we want to give ourselves and working to maintain - a lifetime assignment! However frustrating the job may be I think we can all agree it is so well worth it! Bette

I agree with everyone!! I think we have to honestly determine where we feel the most comfortable and healthy at. From there I think we should give ourselves maybe a 5 pounds leeway. Anything after that I would consider gain. A steady gain would not be acceptable to me. But then again even if I did gain 2 pounds a year I'd have to live to be 106 to reach where I was at my surgery weight! Oh wait, the women in my family DO live that long! So please tell, what did the surgeon say?? Michelle

Hey you.......Actually, I have no Idea. My Psychiatrist has me on drugs that kind of put my brain on a hiatus from moment to moment from time to time if that makes any sense at all....It can be kind of fun and ACTUALLY now gives me an excuse when my wife says "don't you remember us talking about that?"......Um....DUH!!!??? Anywho...Good to see ya again and I'll be in your neck of the woods in August visiting my cousin and her hubby. We plan to be in the D.C. area and then hopefully in the Virginia Beach area for maybe a day to see the Navy stuff...maybe we can hook up and have lunch or a latte or whatever!! Be good or be naughty....quite frankly, my dear...I don't give a damn!!!...Cap'n K-Man

When I bounce back into old habits, I gain weight. tee