Question:
I am almost 2 years out and I have gained 30 lbs in the last 3 months...
I have gained weight and have fallen into a mild depression, why is this happening? I follow the rules and excersize. In 3 months I have gained nearly 30 lbs... help!!!! I have scheuled an appointment with a therapist but I fear it will not help. — Libby N. (posted on August 31, 2004)
August 31, 2004
i too am 2 and a half years out...started at 440 got down to 260 gaines
35lbs back!!!!!!!! still cut all the carbs...drink so much water i could
puke..and getting fatter and fatter..i do not know what this is happening
to me!!! i feel like a failure
— tylerswife
August 31, 2004
Been there, doing that! I'm 2 years out also. Started at 440, down to
230. Back up to 280. Talk about depressed! Of course, I stopped
following the rules almost totally. I have now climbed out of my
depression and am determined to get back on track. 9 days and counting of
being "good"; back down to 268 already. We can do
this!!!!!!!!!!!
— jen41766
August 31, 2004
Have you had your mechanics checked? That's always the first thing. Then,
you can be clinging tenaciously to a bad program, so there's another thing
to check. And the final issue is if you have the right surgery FOR YOU. And
you know, pre-op, we THINK we know what we know, but we cannot see into
the future. I knew less than nothing when I did my pre-op sniffing around
(1993). I had known 3 people who had WLS, all were not very healthy, but
they, they'd all lost over 100#. Lucky me, in that I had a doc who knew how
to avoid the unhealthy part, but I had very little choice in my surgery
type. Again, got lucky in that it fit me. But I see very often that both of
those pieces are not in place.
— vitalady
August 31, 2004
One thing we forget as we are loosing, is that most of us will have some
rebound weight....although we hope we'll get really skinny before that
happens and we'll bounce back to a "normal" size...I know that's
how I thought it would happen. I'm three years post, I had regained 10 of
my 150 lbs lost in the blink of an eye, at a point were I wanted to *loose*
another 10-15 lbs. Then for the next year and a half I fought like H@ll, in
a state of half insanity, against gaining any more back (and believing I'd
loose more). I would under eat for a few days and over eat for even more
days. I was starting to binge with the idea I would "start my diet
tomorrow", yeah that old cycle. I finally wore myself out, and just
stopped thinking about it, and consequently, I gained another 10-15 lbs.
However, I think I am stablizing now...and when I get the urge to diet,
because I want to get skinny, I make myself eat what it will take to
maintain (which is about 2200 cal for me, at my age, activity level and
weight). Doing this, keeps me from getting that feeling, that I must eat
this thing (all of it) NOW, or I'll never get it again. I keep trying to
imagine I'm as big as I started, and if I were that big, I know I'd wish I
were the size I am now...this size that I now feel is too fat. So, I really
*try* to appreciate where I am, to live now, in this moment, and not wish
for that skinnier version of me. I have to remind myself of a lot of things
through the day...the most important being, I'm a good person, no matter
what size I am, and the people who matter will always love me regardless. I
think for many of us, we will never be free from our food thoughts and
compulsions/obsessions...and it makes me sad to carry this burden, but this
is life...I really don't have any great advice, except to exercise...I know
I would have put on more if I didn't. Exercise has become part of my life
at this point, like brushing my teeth. Know that some rebound is pretty
typical, and do the *best you can* with your food choices. Remember,
maintaining is half the battle. Best wishes. -Kim Open RNY 7/17/01
282/155/125 (I'm 5'2")
— KimBo36
September 1, 2004
True bounceback weight gain is normal, but my understanding is that
bounceback weight is about 10% of what you've lost. So it sounds like your
situation is a bit more than normal bounceback. Sometimes our habits
change so gradually that we don't realize they've changed, so my first
piece of advice is to really check out how much you're eating and
excersizing. Fitday.com is a free website that will help you calculate
calories in and calories burned. And, don't give up on the idea of
therapy. It's really good that you recognize that you're developing a
problem and reaching out for ways to solve it while it's still small. Best
wishes.
— Vespa R.
September 1, 2004
Just wanted you to know I'm 3 years out-lost about 160lbs the first
year(started out at 436)The lowest I got down to was 285 and I felt
great-then this past year I've gained slowly....5lbs...then 10lbs and now
it's almost 30lbs. I'm hating it! I can't believe I can really feel the
difference in 30lbs-but I can. Jeans are tighter and I feel bloated. I
started a new regime.....take my vitamins with water(in the am), then an
hour or so later(8am) I have a cup of fruit(watermelon, orange and grapes)
then an hour or so after that(10am) I have about 3/4 cup of lowfat cottage
cheese with a few cheese chunks-later in the day I'll have a Pria bar to
snack on or BBQ Pork Rhinds or even more cheese-when I get home I have a
salad with cheese, sunflower seeds, chicken(canned or cooked)with Dressing
and I'm pretty much good to go....Now I am going on the 3rd day...lol..so
we'll see how it goes-for me, I think the trick is eating a few small meals
throughout the day so I don't GORGE! I have a problem with wanting my
belly to feel full before I go to bed-I've been eating some popcorn etc-I
should probaly eat some more fruit-we'll see how it goes. Obviously us
gainers need to change around the way we're eating in order for us to
lose...I haven't been doing any major exercising at all....except a lil
weight training/arm lifts etc.
— Heather D.
September 1, 2004
Please remember everyone is very different, not only in their weightloss
surgery expirience, but how much/fast they loose, and how much
rebound...don't get caught up in comparing yourself to other people.
— KimBo36
September 1, 2004
I was 2 years post op in July. I can't believe the things that I can eat
now. I have to be very careful because all of the sudden I will realize
that I ate a whole sandwich or whatever it might be.I have gained close to
ten pounds now. I don't want to gain all of my weight back. No matter what,
I would rather fight with 10 pounds instead of 130 pounds.I'm still happier
than I was before and will always be greatful for the surgery.
— nikki R.
September 1, 2004
I am 11 months out and I'm finding that I don't pay as much attention to my
eating as I did in the early months so I wind up eating more just because
I'm not focused on it. I just ordered a little gizmo to help me focus a
little better on my eating and slow down a bit. I've also started
measuring things again just to be sure my portion sizes haven't gotten out
of hand and I'm writing things down for a few days just to be sure I
haven't drifted too far off track. I suspect I'll have to do that
periodically for the rest of my life. My advice would be review the rules
and make sure you are following them, weigh and measure and record for a
few days, change your exercise a bit and by all means, see that therapist.
We will all be subject to regain for the rest of our lives and need to have
a plan for dealing with it before it gets out of hand. I've got a plan, I
just hope I can activate the plan if I start gaining. Also, if you aren't
participating in a support group, I'd encourage you to do that or at least
participate in the grad section on this web site. Good luck to you in
getting things going in the right direction again.
— scbabe
September 1, 2004
I'm so happy to know i'm not alone. it seems like it hits us all about the
same time. i too am almost 2 1/2 years post op and have gained 30 pounds
back. i keep seeing my stomach getting bigger and my hips wider. i had a
tummy tuck last year and was into a size 10 and felt great, now i'm back to
a 14...still beats a 30/32 but depressing!!
— candymom64
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