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@@toveylapgal don't be down. The great thing in my opinion about Lapband surgery is that you get all your learning right up front. You learn to balance your lifestyle and your weight loss and your new band buddy from day one of surgery. RNY paitents and sleeve patients are forced from day one to modify eating but over time they can start to increase their intake and the result of that can be weight gain. The reason for this being that they did not slowly learn to change their diet and lifestyle but were forced to do it as a result of surgery. With the band you have a good 4-6 months of solid learning, adjusting and modifying. The band is also adjustable so when you feel you are getting off the rails you can quickly adjust., All the learning that I gained in the early months and the first year of banding have helped me to change my entire way of living and associating with food and exercise and overall health. Recently I had to have my band nearly emptied and all the Fluid removed due to a stomach dilation from medication I was on. Having no restriction it in the past it would have been easy for me to gain 20 pounds in a month. Thanks to all my learning and lifestyle changes the whole month without a fill I actually lost weight and did not gain. The weight loss was not HUGE but it was not a gain. I just had a fill yesterday to put some fluid back in. They don't put it all back in at once...so I am still going with the flow until I reach that sweet spot again. As for eating after fills...every one and every Dr. is different. The important thing is to do what feels right to you. You don't want to go back to solid foods and get stuck. It will take some time for the fill to settle in...so go slow with it. Try liquids for a couple of days, then move to mushy then soft then full solids as you can tolerate it. If you find that you move to a phase or your already in a phase and things are a bit tighter then go backwards and go to mushy etc. Just watch your portions in doing that because when we consume the slider foods it's easier to eat more then it is when you have to work at chewing and swallowing as you do with solids.

I decided to look into bariatric surgery a couple of years ago. I was always thin, until I hit about 40. Then I started to gain every year. I have Rheumatoid arthritis so my mobility is impacted,had a hysterectomy, arthritis meds can cause weight gain, etc, excuses, blah, blah, blah! But, I just turned 55; I have legal guardianship of my 10 yr old grandson who has some neurological issues. I am the only stability that kid has ever had and I decided that I needed to do something to make sure I was around for him for awhile yet. I also want to be able to do things with him. I didn't want him to someday be embarrassed when some kid asked him who was the fat, old lady. I'm 23 days out. I'm doing well. Surgery weight was 200, and I will go for my 1month post op in a few days. I think I'm gonna be a slow loser seeing as my BMI was a little lower to start with. But, that's okay. Like I said, I'm 55 and the skin doesn't bounce back like it used to. I just want to be able to go for bike rides, go swimming, etc. with my boy BEFORE he gets "too cool".

I have only told 3 people, my husband, my best friend and a friend I have been re-connecting with from High School Husband doesnt want me to do it because he doesnt want me having surgery. He thinks something bad will happen. Its because of him that I went to the nuritionist and dr before hand to see how I can change my diet (its already what it should be) and to see if there are any other problems with me that could lead to the weight gain (perhaps one... but nothing major) Best Friend: When I told her I went to the seminar she said "You arent going to do that". Mind you she is about 110lbs and eats anything she wants... one of those people :frown: obviously she can't understand how it is to be overweight and everything that comes along with it. Old friend: She was 100% supportive. We trained together to walk a marathon for charity and she saw how I ate and all the exercise I did and my lack of weight loss compared to her so she thought it would be a good idea to go for it :eek: SO yeah, everyone gives you a different reaction.. just sort of have to role with it and od whats best for you!

I don't think anyone has ever noticed whether I am drinking or not during the meal. Seems like a weird thing to keep track of when out with friends, doesn't it? I got the band so that I could lose weight, so that means following the rules. I wouldn't get the band if I still wanted to continue on with my eating habits as they were pre-band. So, even though this is a hard rule to follow for me, I am still going to do it because my goal is weight loss, not steady weight or weight gain. And since I spent all this money on the band, I am not going to drink while eating and defeat the purpose of the band, seems silly to me.

No I dont judge people on their weight gain or loss or if they stay the same. I support people just like people have supported me. I take a personal issue with Spartan because in a previous post he said "thats why military men would rather be deployed than spend time with their wives." Seeing how I am a military wife, that statement pissed me off! Everything he says has no value to me. What a stupid thing to assume! So yep I have zero tolernce for someone like that!

Hi fellow Junies! Sounds like all are doing well. I get my fill on July 31st. Everything has been going great except that I have GAINED 5 lbs. I'm so depressed! I walk 45 minutes a day and have just started to introduce soft foods. I am doing what I am suppose to but 5lbs--that means I've lost only 5 since my surgery on June 10. I wanted to start school looking a alot thinner, but at this rate I not going to look to much different. My doctor will only let me walk for the next 2 wks. Since I had a hiatal hernis removed, he's keeping me low profile exercise until the end of July. Has anyone else experienced weight gain? Boo-hoo!

Hi, Rahnava... I too was sleeved by Dr. Garcia..Surgery day was April 27.. So far I've lost 55.3 lbs post op, but I lost 16 lbs pre op..for a total of 71 lbs. I completely understand about the 5-6 lb weight gain during TOM. I'm currently going through it right now and its' so frustrating, but even if we're smaller and at our goals this would still happen..I see it as one of the woe's of being a woman.. You'll break out of the 60's I'm sure of it.. I was stuck for about 3 wks at 300 lbs and within 2 days... i literally dropped 4.5 lbs. I upped my workouts and spent more time outside sweating and I believe that helped a lot... I agree with Lauranbob... 60lbs in 6months is awesome! Sure we'd like for it to be more, but I've found that we all lose differently.. I've read on here where some have lost 100 lbs by month 4 but that clearly isn't in the cards for me.. As long as we're losing that's what's important, right? My goal is to lose 9-10 lbs a month. Anything extra is just icing on the cake... Sometimes I've exceeded that and other times like this month I have not.. I've only lost 7.8 lbs for July, but it's 7.8 lbs less on me than before. I have about 100 lbs to loose myself. So I figured 9-10 lbs in a month in a 10 month period is feasible. I don't think I'm reaching for the stars with that amount... We can do this!! Set backs..stall's or whatever you call them are bound to happen.. But as long as we're following the plan we can't lose... Stay encouraged, okay?

"Surgery through the nose" Good grief, I should be happy that there won't be any scars but all I can think of are all the nose picking jokes the guys down in service are going to come up with. Question though for any of you that have had this or know someone who has. Do you know if they have had to go on anytype of hormone replacement therapy? I know the pituitary gland is like some sort of master gland that regulates other hormones and their glands such as the thyroid, growth hormone and prolactin. My particular tumor is affecting my prolactin growth, so I don't know if they remove the tumor is it only going to effect the prolactin hormone growth or all the hormones that the pituitary controls. It may sound petty but my biggest fear is that the surgery will screw up my thyroid levels which are perfectly fine right now and that I thought I had heard that thyroid problems can cause weight gain. Just what I don't want after all the time, money and effort I've put into this band.

What happens is.... once you reach your goal determine if you continue to lose weight/gain, or what. If you determine that you still lose weight you would go to your doc for a slight unfill. Somewhere between .2 and .5cc depending upon many factors. After a while, like 1,2,3, or 4 weeks you reaccess...are you gaining again? If so, go back for that fill. Are you losing still? Go back for a slight untill. Are you maintaining? Then you are done. I've often wondered what happens now. I met goal and had an unfill in January of the .3cc. I'm maintaining. I see the scales go up a few pounds but they tend to come right back off without dieting or exercise...just a fluke of sorts. But those extra pounds, like those w/o WLS...tell me to watch what I eat or drink. When I gain a few pounds the first thing I do is watch the soda pop intake. That usually does it for me. Fill Centers USA called to check up on me as they haven't heard from me in 3 months...but all is well. I'll call them when I need them!

Pregnancy is a difficult time to remain compliant with our diet...but some weight gain is expected, so be accepting of that. With 2 of my pregnancies, I gained 85 pounds, and then 65 pounds, and I did not have the band. I lost all of the weight both times, but it took over a year to do so. Don't allow yourself to get too concerned, as then it will become a recurrent cycle for your thoughts. As Dee wisely mentioned, keep,drinking your fluids. Any Snacks should have Protein. Try to only eat bandster friendly foods. Make it more difficult to get to those foods which you know you to be less preferred for a bandster, and measure your portions for everything. Be ok with any weight gain, it will only be temporary. Best wishes for a happy Labor Day!

You've got to get yourself in a better place. You can't fight this battle if you are run down, depressed, stressed to the max, and sleep deprived. Please find ways to cope with this. Do you have any friends that can lend you a bed for a few hours? It would be nice if you could leave one evening after your daughter is asleep and go sleep at a friend's. A night of peaceful sleep will do wonders. I, of course would cook a wonderful meal using all of the labeled food. After all your daughter has to eat! Stress can cause the scale to move in the wrong direction. Don't worry about it. The weight gain is not real and will be reflected soon. Meet with your lawyer and campaign to get him moved temporarily. That is your best option. Once removed, change the locks so you can rest peacefully.

I researched a lot before I even went the bariatric route. I knew what I was getting into before I even talked to the doctor. But my acceptance was different because I went through the bariatric clinic on the military base and you don't have to go through all the hoops most insurance companies have you go through. I still had to go to seminars, I did four 2hr long nutrition classes, I had to go to support groups, and the psych evaluation. I still have two more classes I need to do for pre op one is an hr and the other is 2hrs. They expect you to start eating better and exercising, but we didn't have to go on a diet. They said if we went on a binge and gained weight then that would show them you're not ready for the surgery and they wouldn't do it. But for me my weight gain wasn't because I am an over eater, binge eater, ect. I gained weight from PCOS it caused me to have a metabolic disorder. So my body was just making me gain weight because it wasn't processing my insulin correctly. Basically my body is slow to let go of fat, but also holds creates more fat then usual. I would have to work out 3x's harder then the average person to lose pcos weight which is ridiculous and why I havent been able to lose it. It sucks because most of my life I was thin everyone in my family is thin... but lucky me I was the only one to have PCOS. I just keep gaining and gaining and its not from eating poorly and massive amounts of food its from PCOS that's why I always said its the Devil! lol But back to my original question. They never said stop eating everything we wont be able to eat after surgery at a certain time before surgery. I know for sure they expect you to stop on your pre-op diet, but before that all they said is don't gain more. So like you can see some stopped well before and some rode it out until the 2wk pre op diet and still cheated. I just wanted to see what the majority was. Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

Thanks for this post! I am almost 6 years out and just this past year I have started gaining weight again....7 lbs in one year! And although, like you , I didn't have terrible eating habits; it was just a slow gain over a number of years before my surgery, this weight gain is due to bad habits and I must get control over it. Thanks for inspiring me. I am not in the US either , and went from learning about the sleeve to having it done within a month. (Self pay). I was early on in the Sleeve game....so wrote a book about it. Where are you? In Europe? I'm in Amsterdam, but I'm American.

1st let me say I am glad to have found this Forum. I found it yesterday after google 'ing bariatric support groups at the suggestion of my nutritionist. Along with a list of "what to start doing to get used to it" items she said I should find a support group for obvious reasons. I have very little knowledge on the subject bariatric surgery other than what I have learned from my visits with my surgeon and his group so far and what very little i learned from my brother having lap-band several years ago. Well gotta figure no better way to learn than to ask those that have gone through or are going through what I plan to. I've been reading topics here since yesterday and have come across some things I didn't know or even think about. So I figured I'd give details of my current situation and see if others have anything in common and if they could give me some ideas of what to expect. It's been just over a month since I first saw my surgeon and came to the decision to go through with the sleeve surgery. I did not initially go to see him for it though. His name was on a list I received from my primary care doc after she told me the lump on my belly button was an umbilical hernia. When I went to see him he said he could repair the hernia but there was a high chance of either it reopening or another opening somewhere else due to my weight and big ass gut (not his words). After his, what I 1st felt was a sales pitch, He showed me some videos gave me some info to read and suggested I take some time to think about it and talk it over with my wife. We read, I showed her the video, we talked about it and decided it was probably the smart thing to do. Over the past few years I've put on a significant amount of weight and it seems every time I try to diet it off, I pack more on. A little bit of medical history for ya...... According the old trusty BMI system I've been heavy since my late teens early 20's but that is because of my height. I was pretty fit and muscular back then. Stayed pretty fit but did gain weight heading into my 30's and put on more the older I got. I've had back issues since my late teens due to a vehicle accident but it was never anything more than a good cracking my back couldn't relieve. My line of work has always been very physical, so along with getting older and the weight gain my back issues became worse. Now about to hit my mid 40s I've been out of work for going on 3 years due to osteoarthritis, slipped/herniated disks and sciatica. I have very limited movement and seem to be stuck in my "snowball". Also because of the weight I am on blood pressure, cholesterol and get happy meds. I do not take pain killers other than occasional 800mg ibuprofen. I have an addictive nature and am terrified of getting hooked. Speaking of which I am an "alcoholic". On the wagon and have it under control but still might as well mention it. Damn I am one F***ed up specimen. Well, I'll leave it at that and hope for any feedback, experience or suggestions/advice that any of you care to give. Thanks so much in advance for reading and feedback. Sorry this turned out so LONG. J

Thank you Arabesque! I kind of get in my head at times because i really think menopause did a number on me as far as weight gain and inability to lose it on my own without surgery. I know everyone is different and we should not compare the rate or amount of weight loss to others. I just wonder at some point if menopause will interfere with the amount of weight i am able to lose as it seems my hormones seem to be sabotaging me as far as hot flashes, etc. My "banana" was born on 4/12/23 and I've lost 37 lbs. I suppose not bad for 2 months. I average 400-500 calories a day. I get about 60g of protein per day. I will be honest and say i don't exercise as much as i should. Water is hard for me to drink the amount you are supposed to so i did switch to decaf black tea with splenda and of course that is easier for me to drink more of it but still dont think i'm getting the 64oz of liquid.

I woke up this morning and I'm heavier than I was last month at weigh in like .5lb...I'm so mad at myself and on the verge of crying cause I think I just screwed myself!! Did anyone gain during the 6month weightloss period and if so did you end up getting approved or denied?

Thanks for the support. Today I am 7months pregnant and she is doing well. She is over 2.5lbs and kicking lol. When I went to take my glucose test today they say I lost 7lbs since a month ago. I continue to eat but not as much especially with the heart burn. I take in small portions and sometimes I don't even have a appetite but I force myself to eat to get nutrition. I must admit I do look in the mirror at times and am thankful to be able to have a child but also in the back of my mind I worry about my weight gain. To date I have gained about 18lbs which is probably all baby. I do plan on working hard to get back down after the baby is born because I have many clothing to get back into and I enjoy not being so winded when walking and I want to be able to play with my daughter without feeling sluggish. Blood pressure has been good as well as the remainder of the pregnancy. I look forward to one day lying on my stomach Lol. Thanks again

I'm not going to post my weight (gain or loss) for awhile. I really need to concentrate more on other areas and the scale is driving me mad. So, I'm going to put the scale in the closet and, if it's ok, I'll post my weight again in a couple of weeks.

I'm considerig LAP-BAND® (I researched about 4 years ago also) but I have some concerns I want to ask about before I approach my dr's so I know what to ask them about when I make appts. Last year I had to have a pacemaker/icd implanted due to malignant heart arrythmia's (NSVT, Vtach & Vfib episodes), NCS & OI. I have neurocardiogenic syncope problems and my blood pressure & HR drops due to autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction. Through testing, it showed I didn't have anything wrong with my arteries - no kinks, blocks or clots. I developed obstructive sleep apnea last year also. I don't think its attributed to weight gain, because I've gone up and down the weight rollercoaster for many years and didn't have OSA until recently. I've read others have pm's and have the procedure done, so I assume it's ok? What about ANS or syncope problems, arrythmia's and OSA problems, anyone have these and have the procedure done? Any effect beta blockers or vasodepressors have on the band itself since I have to take those 2 meds for life? (ProAmitine & Zebata) Do I need a certain dr since I have these problems and would need my PM turned off? I know I would need a different type of knock out drug because I can only take certain meds as is. Any recommended dr in FL, also how do I find out the cost? thanks in advance and any suggestion is appreciated

Hi All! I'm 51, born and raised in Massachusetts, and married 28 years. Like so many of you I've battled being overweight ALL my life. I have NO "skinny" pictures in my family album. "Chubette" was a word I grew up with (pre "plus size" lingo for those yunguns out there...). I have lost over 100 pounds TWICE in my lifetime with the disappointing and devastating weight gain occuring within two years afterward. (Neither time did the 100 pound loss actually put me in the category of "thin".) There have been MANY MANY in-between weight losses ranging from 10-60 pounds at a time, NONE of them have obviously "stuck"! :faint: That is why I AM SO EXCITED :biggrin1: to DARE to BELIEVE that THIS time it will stay GONE FOREVER! I am not so ignorant to believe that it won't come with hard work and persistence, (As my history shows...) but what I needed most before banding was HOPE! Hope that THIS time will be different! That THIS time, even if not "thin" by the world's standards, I CAN BE less heavy and healthy (and STAY that way!) I read about the lap band on the internet years ago when I was in behavioral counseling for weight loss (which didn't work, obviously)... the hospital was just introducing the gastric bypass at the time which was offered to me, but I refused. I told them, SOME day, when this band comes to the U.S. (they had never heard of it) MAYBE I'll consider it! Well, SOME day has finally arrived for me and I feel wonderful, grateful, and HOPEFUL! A great BIG thank you to everyone who posts, I have "devoured" every wonderful word over the past couple months! This is a place of HOPE and I so appreciate you all! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

I agree: ongoing support is necessary or at least knowing it’s there if you do need it. The ongoing support is the main reason I stay active on this forum plus being able to pay it back by offering others support because that can reinforce my behaviours. As is reading about others’ stories like yours. I’m also glad I still see my surgeon’s colleague for follow ups (6 monthly now) & I’m 4.5 yrs out. It’s probably more of a chatty catch up now but she is there if I ever need her. I also get the worrying over small weight gains. I find myself watching the grams/ounces & not just the kilograms/pounds some days. Before surgery I’d just shrug off any gain or simply not weigh myself so I could pretend I hadn’t gained. Now I think I’ve worked too darn hard to let my weight get away from me. But sometimes life gets in the way: you or a loved one has a health issue, you’re prescribed new meds, relationship, work, financial challenges, etc. arise, & you can’t control all those things. All you can do is decide how you manage them & their impact on your life. Maybe track your food for a while to check your food choices, portions sizes, nutritional content & whether you’re still meeting your protein & fluid goals. That way you can discover where you may have drifted off track. Then start by making one or two changes then in another week or two make another change or two until you’re back on your path. All the best.

Chrissy, I'm sorry your husband is being a jerk but I'm worried I might be in the same situation... I just ended a 23 year relationship mostly do to my weight gain at least that's what he blamed his cheating on... But now I have the most awesome guy in my life who fell in live with me being fat... After dating a while I told him I was having wls ( I'm still Pre op) and he said he'd support me... I mostly believe him but there's this nagging voice that askes, will he really feel the same after I loose the weight... Some guys like bigger women, don't know why but they do and I'm hoping he loves me for what's inside not outside. Probably my insecurities talking but I still am worried... Sent from my iPhone using RNYTalk

Pam, you've discovered the one thing that makes being banded so different from anything and everything we've tried in the past. So many people considering banding want to know why this might work where everything else has failed. Well--this is it! It works because it doesn't go away!! Of course we have to change our habits, and of course it can be hard sometimes. But this little band of silicone is our tool to help us stay on course, or get back on course when necessary. I've done what you describe several times. Changing our lives to the extent necessary to put morbid obesity behind us forever is not something that can be done overnight. Our bodies and minds NEED to take "breaks" once in a while, think about something else for a few days/weeks/months, get used to the new reality and internalize it completely. If we continually think we're on a "program" then occasional lapses in vigilance only lead to a sense of failure. I've worked hard to just BE smaller, eat less and more healthfully, and not treat my banded life as being one of constant dieting. The band is there when we're ready to refocus. Lapses don't lead to weight gain and disappointment and failure anymore!! :)

So I was having issues with heartburn and acid reflux over the last month or so and I was really starting to get concerned. I called my doc and had to wait a week and a half for an appointment since he was on vacation, but I wanted an x-ray because I need to see if something was wrong with my band. When I got to my appointment, he didn't want to x-ray me because he said I had all the classic symptoms of being to full. He actually showed me a chart and sure enough, every symptom I had was on it under the category of "too full." I couldn't believe that I had never seen that chart before. If I had, I wouldn't have gotten so worked up and worried. Anyway, he took out the 1/2 cc I got back in March and I felt better by the end of the day and haven't had any symptoms since. He said I might gain a couple of pounds since he loosened it but it would level out and he'd see me again in a month to readjust if necessary. I thought I'd post this in case anyone else is having the same symptoms I was having. Your band may be too tight. Symptoms were: Heartburn on and off all day, night cough or occasionally choking on your spit at night, acid reflux, regurgitation of food, weight gain or no weight loss. It also modifies how you eat because you will automatically gravitate toward unhealthy choices because you start eating what doesn't hurt. So, please don't let your band get too tight and ignore the symptoms. Long term and they can be dangerous.

I got sleeved July 7th and I get off liquids tomorrow(yay eggs!!) So far my sleeve is total steel, but I've noticed my pallet has done a 180. I used to be able to drink 500 calories of milk a day (easy) and now.. I don't like the taste. Same with all my juices. Now, the only liquid I like is water. What a huge blessing! Especially considering milk probably contributed to a majority of my weight gain.