Horrendous weight gain

[chris2710]

I really don't know how to feel - confused, angry, upset, amazed, surprised, and funnily enough even resigned.
As a L&Der I recently did the four week milk diet, lost 17lb, 7+% of body weight. I had to see the consultant four weeks after that and knowing I had taken my eye off the ball(not weighing myself, allowing a few bad habits to creep back in) I was surprised but not overly that I had put 10½lbs back on after three weeks. Anyway I went back on the milk diet again and during that period managed to lose 13lbs.
Anyway having learnt my lesson I promised myself that this time I would keep a better eye on my weight and eat sensibly. Before I was given funding I followed Weightwatchers and lost almost two stones so I thought I would rejoin them online, anyway I have been keeping to their programme but the weight has been piling on.
Since Monday, I have gained 9lbs, Tues - 2lb, Wed - ½lb, Thurs - 4½lbs!!!!!!!!!, Fri - 2½lbs, this morning my weight has gone down by ½lb. I'm hoping my weight has now settled down and I've stopped gaining, but I can't help but wonder why this has happened to this extreme, especially as I have been keeping to the eating plan.

 

[TwinkleTwinkle]

Aw sorry about this, Chris ... Could it be TOTM related? Could you up your exercise, water, protein maybe? Hope the tide has turned now & it goes back the way it came, xxx :wave_cry:

 

[joffy01582]

i had this after my first time on the milk diet ...then went onto the refeed diet and i put on more than i lost

 

[mariew]

When you go on the milk diet for a couple of weeks, the majority of the weight you lose is glycogen. This is stored in your liver and used by the body when it's not being fed, hence the reason Diabetics have high blood sugar in the mornings when they haven't even eaten. When you go back to eating real food the first thing the body does is replace all the glycogen stores and all the fluids etc your body has not been getting. It also goes into starvation mode and starts storing food as fat in case of another famine (milk diet). If you follow a sensible eating plan now, such as slimming world or weight watchers you will gradually lose weight. Don't beat your self up, this is not your fault. The milk diet is only intended as a liver shrinking diet or is used by some hospitals to see whether the patient can stick to something so restrictive. xx

 

[Yvessa]

Chris, when I went on the refeed I also gained initially. Now I retain water something horrid; are you drinking your fluids? If you are, try having some raisins and/or cranberry juice. If you are retaining water you'll pee more and see a weight loss.

When we go back to eating carbs we store 3g of water for every g of carb on the liver, so don't lose heart!

 

[Yvessa]

Also have found having carbs only at dinner and sticking to protein/veg rest of the day has helped a bit (I am retaining water still but scales are going down!)

 

[PhilT]

my limited understanding and research leads me to question if the milk diet is actually useful as a stand alone weight loss diet. I accept all hospital teams operate differently but from what I have read, heard and from a fellow bypassers relative L & D sound a bit bizzare!!

Rapid sustainable and manageable weight loss can and does FOLLOW surgery once a realistic weight target has been met. The overall accepted use of the milk diet associated with weight loss surgery is to shrink the liver prior to the op and make the procedure a little easier for the surgeon. Added to this in our region the milk diet is NEVER prescribed for those with diabetes, we have an alternative liver shrink plan/diet.
Try not to loose heart and remember why you are having WLS in the first place - dieting either by a fad or standard route has not worked and we have or had other conditions associated with weight gain - so we choose surgery as a tool to later be able to diet healthier - My opinion is the Milk Diet aint healthy beyond its use to shrink the liver.

 

[Josiegirl]

All the info I got from the hospital re the pre-op diets say that the liver shrinking diet is not to be followed in the long term. I was unsure of the reason for that until I read the info on this thread - now it makes perfect sense.

 

[Fuffs]

I am doing a meal replacement diet. I started last week and lost 11lb by this wednesday. I took 3 days off. One day with some carbs and two days low carb and put nearly all of it back on. I upped my water and herbal tea, and 7lbs of it was gone by this morning. Just shows what happens.

Good luck with being back on the losing slope x

 

[Big an Bouncy]

Only use milk diet or liver shrinking diet for pre op,and only a few weeks.High protein and low carb diet like slimming world is better for weight loss.

 

[Fuffs]

L & D make you do it big and bouncy. Not just for liver shrinkage, but also percentage weight loss. If they ask you to do it, you have no choice x

 

[Yvessa]

Having been through and come out of the other side, I have some thoughts on this.

The quantity of milk you are allowed means you are never hungry. Its therefore one of the easiest diets to lose our 5% on. Also, as food is completely not allowed, I found I did not stray once.

Secondly, it allows L&D to make sure that we will follow it for the 2 weeks preop without cheating and reduces the ops they have to resched for not shrunk enough livers.

Thirdly it breaks the cycle of never feeling hungry and allows your bodies hunger signals to resurface.

Last, certainly for me, it made me feel more certain about the surgery, more confident that I could manage the lifestyle changes and have some self belief that I could stick to whatever was needed post op and lose weight! Up until then I had completely given up and a deep dark part of me believed that I'd be one of the people who failed even after surgery.

Of course, these are just my thoughts; by all means feel free to disagree.

 

[Fuffs]

It is nice to hear thoughts from someone who has done it Yvessa

 

[Jen1961]

Thirdly it breaks the cycle of never feeling hungry and allows your bodies hunger signals to resurface.

Last, certainly for me, it made me feel more certain about the surgery, more confident that I could manage the lifestyle changes and have some self belief that I could stick to whatever was needed post op and lose weight! Up until then I had completely given up and a deep dark part of me believed that I'd be one of the people who failed even after surgery.

I totally agree. In the past I have never known hunger pangs, have just eaten anything whenever, hungry or not.

I'm on the low carb low fat diet and its actually been ok. I'm following it religiously but I know when its time for my next meal, my tummy lets me know lol!

The number of times I've walked into the kitchen and was tempted by what lies in there to temp me (the rest of the family's goodies) and have been able to resist the temptation (unlike in the past!) knowing that its for my own good with this op next week. I'm actually starting to feel really positive that this time I'm going to 'do it' and stick to the new way of life we all have to adapt to.


Mariew, I found the information in your post really interesting, it does all make sense to me now

Good luck Chris, stick with the 'program' and you won't go far wrong x

 

[mariew]

Jen you're having your bypass 3 days before me. I am being "done" on the 19th. I started my pre op diet today, i am having a shake for brekkie, one for lunch and chicken and veg for dinner. OMG I am starving tonight, I miss my carbs, roll on monday when I know I'll feel better.
Marie

 

[chris2710]

Thanks everyone.

Still gaining weight, another 2½lbs this morning, must admit to drinking very little, will have to make myself drink more.

 

[PhilT]

Well I have followed this thread with great interest and have tried to remain objective, but have been left feeling for nearly all you L&D people - I think they are abusing what the original milk diet is all about (IT IS FOR LIVER SHRINK PRIOR TO OP) and actually torturing some people.

Yes you have to show commitment to WLS and demonstrate some weight loss prior to surgery but this should be bu conventional means with realistic targets that take into account the individual and their life style and history. Would be interesting to know their performance stats and how many ops are cancelled due to large livers in order to justify this approach to pre op care! I think I am happier having had surgical post op complications (not associated to diet I add) than have been tortured by what I feel is an inappropriate diet. However I fully understand that you have to go with your team and what they say x

 

[Fuffs]

Thanks everyone.

Still gaining weight, another 2½lbs this morning, must admit to drinking very little, will have to make myself drink more.

Well, like I said, my weight went up in a couple of days. 11lb. I have combatted it by drinking plenty of green, oolong, nettle and peppermint teas and drinking lots of water. Now the 11lb has gone in two days plus another 1lb.

Water weight is evil and only upping water etc can combat it x

I can totally see with what you are saying PhilT

 

[happy days]

Well I have followed this thread with great interest and have tried to remain objective, but have been left feeling for nearly all you L&D people - I think they are abusing what the original milk diet is all about (IT IS FOR LIVER SHRINK PRIOR TO OP) and actually torturing some people.

Yes you have to show commitment to WLS and demonstrate some weight loss prior to surgery but this should be bu conventional means with realistic targets that take into account the individual and their life style and history. Would be interesting to know their performance stats and how many ops are cancelled due to large livers in order to justify this approach to pre op care! I think I am happier having had surgical post op complications (not associated to diet I add) than have been tortured by what I feel is an inappropriate diet. However I fully understand that you have to go with your team and what they say x

Totally agree Phil it was hard enuf for the ten days think this hospital is messing with people's head. It certainly doesn't seem very fair.

 

[Yvessa]

I have to admit to saying the same things while on the diet. However, my GP, who does tend to keep up with the research and is very aware of which hospital has the better record swears by L&D. They must be doing something right, right?