GAINING WEIGHT BACK

Question
I HAD WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY 2 AND A HALF YEARS AGO, GOING FROM A SIZE 28 TO A 2. IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS I HAVE GAIN 25 POUNDS AND AM COMPLETELTY BESIDE MYSELF.  I HAVE NOT CHANGE THE TYPE OF FOOD I EAT BUT I SEEM TO BE WANTING MORE AT EACH MEAL. I HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED  WITH AN ULCER AND UPON STARTING THE MEDS FOR THAT IS WHEN THIS WEIGHT GAIN STARTED.  I JUST CAN'T SEEM TO NOT FEEL HUNGREY. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

Answer
Colleen,
The first thing to rule out is that there is a medical reason for your weight gain and I would consult with your bariatric surgeon immediately. You don抰 mention the type of WLS you抳e had and this is very relevant. There are some types of surgery that reverse or diminish in effectiveness after time and could require a revision. My sense is there could be a medical reason for your weight gain and I抎 like you to contact your surgeon asap.

Having said that, my focus is on the psychological aspect your hunger and the ulcer could indicate increased stress manifesting as increased hunger. I am not sure this is the case in your situation, but it may be worth examining. Twenty-five pounds in two months is a lot of weight to gain and you don抰 say you抳e increased your food intake, but do state that you want more to eat at each meal which indicates you are eating more.

When we increase our food consumption it stretches our pouch which makes it easier to overeat and gain weight, so regardless of why you may have begun eating more your capacity for food intake may be increasing as a result. There are remedies for this, but again you need to consult with your surgeon to rule out a physiological cause.

It would be inappropriate for me to give advice at this stage without a medical check-up ?please do that and then write and let me know what happened ?perhaps we can go from there.
Don抰 lose hope and allow yourself to get caught up in a downward spiral which will perpetuate overeating, there is hope. Take a look at my blog (www.journeyintohunger.com), this may give you a little inspiration. Please contact me when once you抳e seen your surgeon.

Sincerely,
Valerie Wood, LCSW

1. Prev:support group
2. Next:Assessment/process