Regain

Has anyone ever regained 20-30 lbs. after 2.5 years out after reaching goal? I have am depressed over it. I am thinking about going back on liquid diet to get refocused. Any suggestions? I am taking vitamins, iron, b12, calcium, drinking, keeping food journal. I ate more when I worked and weighed less. HELP! I am willing to try anything! I do not want to feel like a failure any longer. I am scared I am on the road to regaining more weight. (I had RNY WLS 2.5 years ago).   

I gained about 20 lbs 2.5 years out, which I think was due to a medication I was taking then.

Do you  know how many calories you eat now?  How much protein?  Are you getting less exercise than you were before?

I'm not sure how a liquid diet would help, to be honest.  Why do you need to get refocused on a liquid diet?  Don't you need to get refocused on a healthy, long term RNY diet?  That includes dense protein and other solid foods.

I had my surgery 3.5 years ago and over time have put back 20 pounds.  I know the panic you feel, as I am feeling it a little myself.  Liquid is not the answer; getting back to smaller meals, eat protein first, and go back to what we did to reduce is the answer.  I know for me I am overeating; too many calories for my weight to maintain.  I am boosting my exercise, and today will make an eating plan that I will follow....  do not emotionally eat,that's what got me in a position to have the surgery in the first place.  30 lbs is a lot easier to lose than 100+.   Don't use "all or nothing thinking" it will derail you.  I'm right there with you...  let's try to encourage each other. 

I am not at goal yet by I share you worry. In the many past attempts, I always gained my weight back even after 8 years of keeping most of it off, It was like suddenly I had gained 30 to 40 pounds and just said "Oh the hell with it, I am not going to live forever may as well enjoy myself", and I was off to the races. Is this metal illness or what?

I stopped weighing and measuring what I ate and by just looking at what I was going to eat and say, “well that does not look like too much, I am sure that would be OK“...but it wasn't for me. Maybe for some men but I can not eat like most men and keep my weight off.

That is why I am committed to using MFP, and using my postage scale and measuring cups to measure everything I put in my mouth no matter if I am 2 years out of 20 years out. I may be wrong but I think that is the key. You have to know how many calories YOU can have and not gain weight. Even Doctors and you NUT does not know you as well as you do. 

Each of us is different because of age, sex and activity level so you have to look objectively at what you eat and make adjustments so that you can continue on the journey. You know you can do it. Less in, to a degree, and you have to lose, it is a matter of physics.

If you asked if there is anyone who had NOT regained 20 or so pounds after 2.5 years you would get answers from two or three people, but the rest of us had the bounceback regain.  It is a normal and expected part of this journey.  A person would have to be extremely dedicated to their diet plan not to have that regain.

I did not change any of my eating or exercise habits and regained anyway.  My surgeon told me that the intestines grow new appendages that help in holding the food against the walls of the intestines and cause more calories to be absorbed.  It is because the body is smart and heals itself from the starvation that the surgery causes.  At 30 months I gained three pounds and kept gaining three pounds every month until I had added about 16 pounds.  I went to Weigh****chers, cut calories, went back to liquids only, and nothing helped.

What stopped my weight gain was vowing to weigh myself every single day.  No more once a month surprises.  What gets my weight off is a low calorie diet of 800 calories a day.  I cut way back on the protein and eat a lot of low carb vegetables, strawberries, blueberries, yogurt, Quest protein bars, and high fiber breads (one slice a day).  I stopped the protein shakes and drink a lot of water.  That takes off one pound a week for me and that is what I eat now if the scale goes up.

My body is always trying to gain back weight and the daily minute with the scale keeps the fear away and the pounds away.  If the scale goes up, my calories go down.  If it is where I want it, then I eat pretty much what I please.  I have accepted that I will never be normal and I will always have to be on guard about regain.

RNY gives you a nice year of rest between losing weight and then bounceback regain.  Once that wonderful honeymoon is over, then it is back to being a person who must be diligent about weight.  You can control it, but must make the effort.  The scale is my best weapon against going back to obesity.

Thank you for such a transparent and relative post.  You've stated what a lot of people won't say.  For those of us who are presurgical, most people we come in contact with want us to see the glitter and lights of the process, not the true reality of the struggles after the first year.  I'm saving this as a reminder to myself, and to show my hubby who is also scheduled, that the pouch is only a TOOL and preventing regain is up to me!  The regain and feelings of failure are the greatest fear for those of us who are committed to the surgery but fearful of the unknown.  Again, thank you!

I will be 3 years out and other then 7 lbs from my way too lowest I haven't had any regain.  I wouldn't mind a little but I think my weight has been so stable for over a year and a half is because I cut out all sugar and gluten products when I had my surgery.  I know regain.  With my first WLS I hit a low of 120 and a year later I was 135.  I was okay with that but every year I was up 10 or 15 lbs.  I kept telling myself it was bounce back but this was ridiculous.  At about 5 years out I was 150 and okay with that, too, but within the next year or so it really started to soar.  At about 7 years I was close to 190 and decided to do something about it.  I cut out flour and sugar and eventually lost about 30 or so pounds, back to around 150.  I couldn't lose any more but I think a lot of the reason was because my stomach was left too large and I was always hungry.  So I ate big meals but for the most part it was healthy.  That was fine until something happened about a year later.  Basically we were snowed in for 2 weeks and I couldn't even go to the store.  I was forced to eat refined carbs like pasta because that is all we had left.  In a year I regained 70 lbs.

For me anyway, as long as I am sugar free and gluten free my weight seems stable.  I still have pretty good restriction so I eat a lot less then I did and I rarely experience hunger so that helps a lot, too.  As I said, I wouldn't mind gaining some more but I refuse to do it by going back to my unhealthy eating.  I have seen many people feel they got too low so they allow themselves to go wild with the carbs and before long it has bitten them in the ass.  For me it is a lot easier to avoid them then it is to stop them.  A whole lot easier.  Believe me if I could eat them in moderation I would.  I would love to be able to have a few cookies or other treats once in a while but I know myself and there has never been a way I could limit myself.  Once I start I think of nothing else but getting more.  I don't have that problem with sugar free and gluten free things.  I am constantly finding things that I forgot I bought like sugar free candy or gluten free bread.  I had to throw out half a package of gluten free bagels the other day and those were $5.  Pissed me off but I forgot I had them  I never forget when I had regular bagels in the house.  I would tell myself I could have one a day but I spent the rest of the day thinking about them until I finally said to hell with it and finished them.

I had a revision to reduce my malabsorption from my first WLS because I was having a lot of issues like constant diarrhea and gas so I assume I won't have the increase in absorption that many experience after a few years.