Weight Gain

[DTDiane]

Hello,
I am going to have the Sleeve Bariatric surgery in a month from now. My friend had it done and she lost a lot of weight, but lately I have noticed that she can eat a full bowl of salad loaded with dressing and is starting to get large again in her stomach. Is this normal? I thought with this surgery that a person does not eat very much and would get in serious trouble with stomach problems if they would overeat. Now I am wondering if this will happen to me and I wonder what is going on with her eating too much.

 

[dianeseattle]

YOU can defeat the surgery over time. Just keep eating more meals more times a day.

Your friend's eating disorder is running the show.

Feel free to mention it. She may not be aware.

This WON'T happen to you unless you work at it. Your weight will come off easily as you eat good, nutritional food.

In the meantime, you might want to spend less time with your friend when food's involved. It's possible that, if isolated, this person may become more aware of inner discomforts and decide to slow down.

But definitely detach from fear that this will happen to you. Make happy plans. Get excited. Read this group. Check archived posts. Shop for smaller clothes.

This is YOUR time, not your friend's. You deserve to be ecstatic about the new life you'll have.

Only your friend can decide which path is right for her. It's an equal opportunity surgery. We're here for you.

 

[missyinacage]

I had the bypass, so not only is my stomach smaller but my intestine has been changed to skip over a part of the intestines that absorb calories.
I'm only a year out and here's the real truth, as I know it:

You will lose weight quickly after surgery.
You will have to change your eating habits for a time, while you heal.
You will have to work to maintain those changes. Forever.

Weight loss surgery is a tool, not a miracle cure. It does not stop anyone from overeating. It does give you quick results and the resulting hormonal changes give you a real chance to change the behaviors that led you to become obese to begin with.

That being said, eating an entire salad doesn't really sound like a bad choice, dressing or not, when she could've chosen a greasy cheeseburger. In the end, you have to choose to use the tool as often or as seldom as you are comfortable with. I will say none of us make perfect choices all the time, and could use more empathy and less judgment.

 

[WazzuCoug]

Hello,
I am going to have the Sleeve Bariatric surgery a month from now. My friend had it done and she lost a lot of weight, but lately, I have noticed that she can eat a full bowl of salad loaded with dressing and is starting to get large again in her stomach. Is this normal? I thought with this surgery that a person does not eat very much and would get in serious trouble with stomach problems if they would over-eat. Now I am wondering if this will happen to me and I wonder what is going on with her eating too much.

The surgery isn't successful because of the reduced stomach size. It can help, but it's not the reason the surgery works, and it definitely isn't the key to keeping the weight off. The surgery works because of specific hormonal side effects that are most powerful during the first year after surgery. During this time you are able to lose weight without your body fighting against the rapid fat loss, which is what it would normally do. It's not a permanent effect though. Eventually, you reach a low point where your body will start to react to foods with a normal hormonal response. At that point, it's all about what you eat.

There is almost always a little bit of weight gain after you reach your lowest point, but usually, your body will then settle into a range that can be managed with good food choices. Most people can eat more food over time because there is a natural relaxation of the stomach in the years after surgery.

You can be very successful after surgery, but it still requires food management and activity. If you load foods up with dressing and other unhealthy choices, no surgery will defeat that. After surgery, success is still dependant on food choices. You can't rely on "my stomach is smaller" to maintain health for life. It does help, but it's not the most effective tool in the battle. The war against obesity is won or lost in the kitchen. You can't compete with a poor diet, no matter how small your stomach is.

 

[Linda Pittsburgh]

YOU can defeat the surgery over time. Just keep eating more meals more times a day.

Your friend's eating disorder is running the show.

Feel free to mention it. She may not be aware.

This WON'T happen to you unless you work at it. Your weight will come off easily as you eat good, nutritional food.

In the meantime, you might want to spend less time with your friend when food's involved. It's possible that, if isolated, this person may become more aware of inner discomforts and decide to slow down.

But definitely detach from fear that this will happen to you. Make happy plans. Get excited. Read this group. Check archived posts. Shop for smaller clothes.

This is YOUR time, not your friend's. You deserve to be ecstatic about the new life you'll have.

Only your friend can decide which path is right for her. It's an equal opportunity surgery. We're here for you.

I have to admit that I fell back into some bad habits for about 2 weeks and it showed on the scale. Now I am starting fresh and following everything!! Drinking enough water, measuring food, keeping a journal of what I ate, looking up nutrition facts for some items so I can journal it correctly. I am going thru a hard period so I think that is why I fell off but I feel better getting back into the rules! You are you, don't go by what your friend is doing.