Question:
Just wondering if anyone has ever gained their weight back after a couple of years?

Hi, I am now 9 mths post op from rny and doing great so far, down 125#. But I was just wondering if any of you long term post ops or if you know any, if they ever had a problem with gaining any of their weight back? I know we have all came so far in this journey and I don't want it to happen to me, I try to eat the right foods and all, Ibut I am always worried that I will be one that gains everything back so I was just curoius if anyone has had this problem. thanks so much for all of your guys responses.    — Melodee S. (posted on November 3, 2003)

November 2, 2003
Good morning, Two years plus post op and maintaining. No gain, but you definately can eat more. I just watch what I eat. Halloween and candy everywhere, it is hard don't kid yourself.
   — MICHAEL Z.

November 2, 2003
2 yrs post op(surgery 8/03)....I've gained 20lbs now....It started April this year....and I must of had some bad months there because I haven't lost any for the past 2-3months. I attribute it to overeating at night....I always hated going to bed with an empty stomach and it just seems that I graze big time right before I go to bed. I do great all during the day.....come 8pm, I ruin it! I also haven't been exercising like I KNOW I should. I feel like I should of lost a LOT more than I have...but, now...its up to me!
   — Heather D.

November 2, 2003
2 years post op RNY and no gain. My mother is 27 years post mason shunt, which is very similar to the transected RNY, she has gained back to a size 14, but uuuhhh I could live with that after that many years.
   — RebeccaP

November 2, 2003
DON'T BE FOOLED INTO COMPLACENCY BY THE PEOPLE THAT HAD SURGERY & HAVE NOT GAINED THEIR WEIGHT BACK...MY BEST FRIEND GAINED 100 LBS BACK AFTER A 130 LB LOSS...NOW SHE WANTS SURGERY AGAIN...DO YOU WANT TO BE LIKE HER OR JUST MAINTAIN??? THERE IS A TRICK TO MAINTAINING & IT IS SOMETHING WE ALL HAVE TO LEARN WHILE WE ARE LOSING BECAUSE WE HAVE (MOST OF US) HAD A LIFETIME OF EATING LIKE WE WANTED & THAT IS WHAT GOT US WHERE WE WERE....SO GOOD LUCK ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS & YOUR MAINTENANCE,,,,
   — BLSLIM77

November 2, 2003
I know two sisters that had this surgery together about 3years ago. One sister is just as big as when she started out. I guess it's a matter of deciding that you're making a life change from old habits. You can't lose the weight and expect to resume eating the bad foods that you'd eaten before. I'm pretty early in this journey. Thankfully I find that I don't even think about sweets or fast foods. I just pray that either this mentality remains or that I have the strength to stay away from unhealthy foods and habits.
   — [Deactivated Member]

November 2, 2003
I have 2 friends that are 4 & 7 years post op. Both have gained back a considerable amount of weight. You can be sure that watching them sends up the warning signs for me. I have always said it's pretty smug to state we've lost this weight forever....I go up and down about 3-5lbs (am 2yrs post op)but have gotta tell you, when I see 5lbs... I'm back to the basics (protein, water & exercise) cause NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS THIN FEELS!!!
   — Denise W.

November 3, 2003
I'm two years plus post-op, and I work hard not to gain weight. I had a tough time emotionally at one point when my Dad was dying, I turned to carbs, and gained 8 pounds in 2 weeks. I have to watch very carefully, but the difference is, it's POSSIBLE. I don't think I work any harder than my thin friends, but I do constantly battle the carb addiction. You can't eat anything you like and keep the weight off. At least I can't. However, if I'm careful, and follow the program, I can be successful. Read the pouch rules. There's a story there about a woman who gained all the weight back, but after getting back to the rules, lost it all again.
   — mom2jtx3

November 3, 2003
I'm about 26 months post, I got down to 129 (I'm 5'2.5") and like with a blink of an eye jumped right back to 145 around 22 months post. I have been really struggling to get back down again...my goal was 125 since I'm so short. However, I have just been hovering between 140-145 and it is taking a lot of emotional self battling to just do that. A big part of me wants to scream *ENOUGH* and attack Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby with a vengence....I have eaten 6 peanut butter cookies (large ones) this morning...I think I'm picking up momentum for a real landslide here. My screwups are getting closer and closer between occurances, and with much more volume each time. Do I dump?, Nothing I can't live through. I'm scared. -Kim open RNY 7/17/01 282/140ish/125
   — KimBo36

November 3, 2003
There seem to be 4 components to maintaining our wt loss. A good surgery, a good program, staying in touch with support groups with long term post-ops (learn from what they did right & what they did wrong), and YOU. I've regained twice, both were ME. (sugar). It wasn't substantial, and I reversed it, but it surely put the scare into me! I have the other 3 components, so the only vairable is ME. There is a reason I am stil around at 9 yrs. I see what has happened to my peers who had surgery, thought they were "normal" and went on to live their lives (good surgery, good program, no support). Not all have regained 100%, but all have regained substantially. Scary, isn't it?
   — vitalady

November 3, 2003
I had open RNY in 11/01. I started out at 240 pounds & by this past July, I weighed 109. Everyone was telling me how awful I looked. Even my sister said I looked like skin hanging on bones. Of course, being over weight all of my life, I would look in the mirror & not see the "skinny" person, just the hips, thighs, and stomach. But I did start trying to eat a little more & actually for once in my life, try to gain weight. I'm female & 5'5". My original goal was between 130-135. I have gotten up to almost 120 & will aim for 125. But if that doesn't happen, I am happy right where I am at.
   — Lori M.

November 3, 2003
I wonder about gaining the weight back too. If you exercise consistently (4-5 times a week), will this keep you maintaining? Or is it just how much you eat?
   — mrsmyranow

November 3, 2003
I had a friend who lost 80 (didn't make it to her goal) then gained back 50 of it. But she even admits she ate too much junk food (snack cakes, etc) After seeing her regain, I decided not to have surgery, (2 years ago), but now that I scheduled for surgery, I am using it as a lesson. I know it's possible to regain, and I will still have to continue to work at losing weight and watching my weight, at least the surgery is giving me a tool to increase my chances (greatly) of success. Just keep an eye on it, if you're not gaining, don't change anything you're doing, set a number (maybe 10 lbs) and if you go up that much get back on track.
   — Patricia T.

November 3, 2003
Hi Melody, Yes, I know quite a few RNY post-ops who have made it to goal, and then steadily regained their weight over the years following their WLS. Several have had their original RNY made more distal. Others have had their surgery converted to the DS. Others have decided there is no hope for them. In the course of my work I've had quite a few surgeons say that they feel that it's NOT in fact a patient who fails at a particular surgery - it's the surgery that has failed the patient. I believe that wholeheartedly. Yes, you can go out of your way to sabotage yourself. No doubt. However, we are all different people, and have different life experiences, different health histories, and different sets of criteria as to what we want out of life. I knew I would never be a successful RNY post-op. I had just about given up on the hope of surgery because I knew I'd be one of the ones stuck regaining their weight after a while. Then I heard about the DS, and realized that there was simply nothing I could do to sabotage it. It was such a relief. I think the advice you've gotten thus far is good. Run with it! Blessings, dina
   — Dina McBride

November 4, 2003
My surgeon explain that this surgery is JUST a tool and that you have a 6 to 9 month opportunity to lose the bulk of your weight and then it will taper off. You still have to eat like you are on a regular diet (watching your fats and carbs). Just because we had the surgery doesn't mean we can go back to eating the foods that made us fat. The old habits that made us fat are still with us. For example one of my bad habits is eating late at night and eating in front of the tv. I'm concern too about gaining my weight back. It's a struggle to get those old thoughts and habits under control. I'm 7 months post-op down 130 lbs. I'm trying to look at food as just something I need to live on but not living to just eat food, which is what got me in trouble in the first place.
   — Linda R.

July 11, 2004
I had my RNY 3/2000, I was 261 (size 24), got down to 140 (size 9), kept it off until I got pregnant in 11/01, gained 25 lbs with my pregnancy...gained 25 more breastfeeding...now I'm in a size 16 :o(. I'm sure I could get back down by eating right and exercising, I've done a couple of diets, lost up to 20lbs, but gained it back.
   — Jennifer H.

July 30, 2004
Hi, I am a twenty eight year post op bypass surgery desperate woman. I was 327# pre op and have maintained 169 to 190 for most of those years. I am currently at 200 # and desperate to get back to 170 range. It seems that nothing is working!! I exercise regularily and have been a weight watcher all my life. So yes, you can gain it back. Jlynn
   — joyce C.

July 30, 2004
I am 2 1/2 years post RNY, every 2-3 months or so another pound drops off somewhere. I have never gained an ounce. I don't exercise but I do walk on occasion and I keep really busy with work and yard work. I just don't cruise the kitchen like I used to.
   — Connie M.

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