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I live on the scale. I probably get my 10k steps by walking back and forth from my living room to my scale hehe. I also log every bite I put in my mouth and every sip that I take, every minute I exercise. For me, it's all about accountability. I try not to let the temporary water gain freak me out. If I'm taking in 1000 calories a day of clean food and exercising an hour a day, logically I know the weight gain is either muscle or water. I have to do this (everyone is different), or I'll find myself near 300 lbs. again. It's the only thing that works with me. It's my way of ninja. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

Good Morning all! My dad passed away last year from ALS so I have been in counseling since his death. I was depressed last year and I sought help IMMEDIATELY. I quickly learned that I had other unresolved issues and I have been working on them ever since with no medication. Side effects have been horrible for me as far as weight gain. However, the reason I gained weight is because I quit smoking. I don't regret that but the weight has been horrible. I've tried everything to lose it and I am frustrated because its gotten worse. I like my doctor and I wanted his support but I don't need him to proceed. My doctor visits will be cut if I lose this weight. If all of his patients take control and lose weight half of his practice is gone. That is a fact... My choice is clear...

Yes and yes! You have to have the mental fortitude to be stronger then desires. It would be so easy to just have one, but one leads to 2 and 1 week of bad eating leads to 3 months of bad eating if not careful. And that is where the weight gain will occur. Be strong! Put your health goals ahead of desires. True story today. My wife and I were at an aquatic center grand opening today and their idea of refreshments was 1000s of little cupcakes and regular size Cookies. Go figure. Ignoring for a moment of how such food ended up at a place of fitness,I just want to say how easy it would have been to eat 1-3 cup cakes (bite size) and/or a cookie or two. There is not any aspect from surgery that would have prevented me from doing this. No restrictions, no slimes,etc. I had to make a decision of not indulging even though I could probably had gotten away with it due to my fitness levels. I had to leave the room. It just was not worth it to start down that slippery slope so +1 for mental fortitude. Put your health goals first before your desires and you will be strong enough for when those temptations arise.

That's why I ask you to LIST EVERYTHING YOU'RE EATING! Gah. How hard is it to do that? At 6 months I'd lost most of my weight. At 9 months out I was at 1st goal of 150 and surpassed the weight goal my RD/doc had set for me. I'm now at 14 months working on my last Goal #3 of 130lbs. I'm at 137.8lbs today. So I'm clearly doing something right. There are stalls all the time. I continue to eat the foods that I know work for me. I meet my lean protein goals for the day, I keep my healthy veggie carbs low, I keep fat low. I keep calories in a range of 650-850/day for losing mode. And that's what I do. It works. You cannot game the system. If you are stuck for months, then you are clearly eating too much or too much of the wrong things for weight loss. It's as simple as that. You are maintaining. Or regaining. I take 2 drugs that can cause weight gain. And I have to be extra sharp to eat to my calorie/macro window so I can lose. Weight loss isn't impossible with underlying issues, it is just a matter of being much, much harder.

Once I moved to mushies I did not get full from just a few bites! I had to carryfully measure everything. For week 3 I could have low/no fat cottage cheese and ricotta. I made a Italian bake cottage cheese, ricotta, grated Romano, some egg white with jarred spagetti sauce bake in the oven. The next week I was able to add egg whites. I would cook the egg whites and at the end add cottage cheese which would melt. Yummy. At that point I was also able to have canned tuna/chicken; which I mixed with low fat laughing cow cheese. I bought no sugar added apple sauce flavored with strawberry, raspberry to which I added splendra. Regarding weight gain if you are physically able start an exercise routine. I was back at the gym on day 4 and at day 14 I returned to swimming.

you're in the three-week stall. Happens to almost everyone. Just stick to your program and stay off the scale if you have to. It usually lasts 1-3 weeks. as for the 2 lb bump up, if you've been following your plan, that's not a true weight gain. Could be water retention or constipation. Or maybe a hormone-related gain. Just give it a couple of days.

Congrats on your maintenance, for me, I am not sure I will ever maintain because my weight gain/issues were always mental, and always will be. Although for the most part im ok with it, it keeps me on my toes and I eventually progress downward on the scale. Not to say it doesn't fluctuate up once in a while...I'm coming out of a very cold snowy winter here in the north east but have begun to tackle the ten pounds I put on during "hibernation" LOL...however, I thank my band every day because I know it would have been a lot more than 10 lbs without it.

I am testing my plan.... eat some off plan stuff a few of the days of holiday.... 5:2 fast one or two days a week, and so far so good. Up two pounds over my high bounce a couple of days, at my high end of bounce the last couple of days, fasting tomorrow.... then I should be good until New Years day.... I make sure to write it all down in MFP and try and get in some walks. Today I was over plan by about 700 calories.... the most yet, but with the fast tomorrow, that should balance it out. Not burying or hiding my indulgences helps me to stay in the drivers seat... writing them down helps me to face the facts about my choices, and not get caught by surprise with an unexpected weight gain, or a run-on unconscious eating spree. I suspect I will have carb craving for a few days... but thats the price of eating some real sugar and such in higher quantities. I have enjoyed most of them.

I agree. I feel the same. I felt sad for him. I probably should have mentioned that he is 17. He was "prepped" for this surgery for one year. I had a talk with him and he said he's still losing. But I told him that from what I hear, it's not gonna stay that way if he continues like that. Anyway, I can only hope that as he grows, he realizes that he needs to change behaviors... Oh, he has his whole life in front of him, I hope for his sake that he can turn it around. It is not until 2 plus years out I would say that bad habits really start to rear their ugly head in weight gain. I didn't even realize they would do the surgery so young.

@Stevehud This is true! I still love mine, and don't want to lose them LOL! I have had them since I was in grade school, they are part of me... I agree with whoever said that if they have always been pretty big that you will lose less of them. Mine were large at a normal weight from normal breast tissue/fat, but kept getting bigger in proportion to my weight gain. When I lost to goal with the band they went back to my pre-gain size, but not as perky.

Post is getting a little old, but have to say this has been my experience. B-52 nailed it. All the tearing of muscle creates inflammation which, I believe, is mostly Water retention. My weight always jumps for a few days after starting a workout. I jumped 3 pounds almost overnight this last time. This initial weight gain though falls off within a week then I usually see a huge weight drop.

[i think links are not working on the iPhone and ipad apps. Also, not sure if others will see this, but there are a lot of HTML tags appearing in posts. I think lipstick lady copied the text from the link, but on my ipad app, it's unreadable because the HTML tags.. QUOTE=LipstickLady] How to Be a Good Ally to Fat People Who Appear to Have Lost Weight <div style="font-size:14px;margin:0px 0px 15px;color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:'proxima-nova', sans-serif;background-color:rgb(233,246,254);"><span>November 14, 2013</span> | by <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://everydayfeminism.com/author/bevinb/'>Bevin Branlandingham</a> <div style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:'proxima-nova', sans-serif;font-size:16px;background-color:rgb(233,246,254);"> <div style="background-color:rgb(245,245,245);text-align:center;"><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://everydayfeminism.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/10079750784_0fc03ca2c1_z.jpg'><img height="199" src="http://everydayfeminism.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/10079750784_0fc03ca2c1_z-300x199.jpg" width="300" alt="10079750784_0fc03ca2c1_z-300x199.jpg"></a> <p class="" style="color:rgb(170,170,170);font-size:12px;">Source: <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.flickr.com/photos/bevin/10079750784/'>Flickr</a> <p style="font-size:16px;"> <p style="font-size:16px;"><i>Originally published on </i><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://queerfatfemme.com/2013/10/04/how-to-be-a-good-ally-to-fat-people-who-appear-to-have-lost-weight/'><i>***** Fat Femme</i></a><i> and cross-posted here with their permission.</i> <p style="font-size:16px;">Our culture normalizes talking about bodies all the time. <p style="font-size:16px;">There is especially a lot of value placed on weight gain or loss. <p style="font-size:16px;">Turn on a television and just listen to diet chatter. It’s pervasive, obnoxious, and well-meaning individuals perpetuate it in our personal lives all the time. <p style="font-size:16px;"><b>I like to create an environment in my life that is about substance over small talk, where compliments are genuine and weight is value-neutral.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;"><i>“Oh, but Bevin,”</i> you may be saying. <i>“I really mean it as a compliment when I notice you’ve lost weight!”</i> <p style="font-size:16px;">But, well-intentioned friend, <b>just because you’re well-intentioned doesn’t mean what you say doesn’t have a harmful impact.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">Weight loss doesn’t mean I look good. <p style="font-size:16px;">I believe I look good at all of my weights – all bodies are good bodies. <p style="font-size:16px;">And I know your perception of me might have changed because you are socialized to believe smaller is better, but I would like to gently invite you to do something different with your non-pliments of <i>“You look so good!”</i> when someone has lost weight. <p style="font-size:16px;">It’s also important to remember that the well-intentioned friends come in all shapes and sizes, fat, thin, and in-between. <b>1. How About Don’t Talk About It?</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">I strongly subscribe to the philosophy that <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://queerfatfemme.com/2013/10/04/how-to-be-a-good-ally-to-fat-people-who-appear-to-have-lost-weight/%E2%80%9Dhttp:/queerfatfemme.com/2013/06/24/my-bodys-nobodys-business-but-my-own/%E2%80%9D'>my body is nobody’s business but my own</a>. If I want to talk about it with someone, I will and I do. <p style="font-size:16px;"><b>I completely understand the inclination to ask questions about an obvious change.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">I am a naturally inquisitive person. My friends call me the ***** Oprah because of my tendency to really like to get into the meat of people’s stories. <p style="font-size:16px;">But as I’ve learned how to become a more sensitive and compassionate person, I have had to learn that <b>sometimes you <i>just don’t ask</i> and you stay in the dark.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">It feels kind of impossible not to be nosy about it, but I do it anyway because it’s not my business. <p style="font-size:16px;">Also, <i>what if you’re wrong?</i> <p style="font-size:16px;">A friend of mine just said she gets asked all the time if she lost weight when she puts her hair down! <p style="font-size:16px;">Being nosy and being inquisitive are natural things that I am still working on curtailing. But I think it’s worth it to do the work to be sensitive because I don’t want to hurt people’s feelings. <p style="font-size:16px;">I want my friends to feel like they can be their most vibrant and awesome selves around me. <b>2. Wait for the Person to Bring It Up</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">Have you ever noticed that lots of straight people will out themselves to you within about ten minutes of conversation? Sometimes as short as two. <p style="font-size:16px;">Straight people in a heteropatriarchy are reaffirmed all the time about how great, normal, and important their straightness is. Therefore, they have likely not had the experience of having to hide or code their sexuality to people. <p style="font-size:16px;">They don’t really play the <i>“pronoun” </i>game and affirm their heterosexuality without thinking about it. <p style="font-size:16px;"><b>The same is true for lots of people who have lost weight.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">In a diet-obsessed culture, it is super normalized that weight loss is a good thing. People who are excited about their weight loss will probably bring it up because it is normalized to talk about people’s bodies whether that is right or wrong. <p style="font-size:16px;">So <b>let it happen if it will organically.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">People don’t stop to think about whether or not weight loss might be a sign of someone’s increased health or not. I know many people who have had cancer that lost a lot of weight rapidly. <p style="font-size:16px;"><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://queerfatfemme.com/2013/10/04/how-to-be-a-good-ally-to-fat-people-who-appear-to-have-lost-weight/%E2%80%9Dhttp:/www.candyekane.com/%E2%80%9D'>Candye Kane</a> (an amazing blues singer) said on stage once, <i>“I don’t recommend the cancer diet.”</i> <p style="font-size:16px;">Maybe just <b>ask them what’s going on in their life and talk to them</b> organically. <p style="font-size:16px;">The core questions you have about them may just come to light. But, again, their body is none of your business unless they bring it up. <p style="font-size:16px;">If they do bring up their weight loss in a positive manner, you can do the work of someone working in solidarity with fat people by saying, <i>“I think you look great at any weight, but I’m really glad you feel good in your body right now.”</i> <b>3. Mention a General Compliment That Is More Neutral</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">If you <i>really</i> want to compliment someone because you genuinely think they look good, there are lots of things about someone’s appearance you can go for. <p style="font-size:16px;"><b>Instead of mentioning weight loss thing, if you want to compliment someone, you can go for something else.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;"><i>“Your hair looks great!”</i> Or maybe: <i>“I love this outfit!”</i> <p style="font-size:16px;"><b>There are a bunch of different ways to express positivity to someone that don’t take into account weight loss and reinforce that weight loss is the only way to look good.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">I can see friends who come at me when I’ve lost weight sort of looking for a way to talk about my appearance without going down the wrong road because they know I loved myself X number of pounds ago and they don’t want to bury themselves in the wrong kind of compliment. <b>4. Comment on the Self</b> <p style="font-size:16px;"><i>“You seem particularly present tonight. I don’t know what it is, but you just seem extra YOU today. I love it!”</i> <p style="font-size:16px;">If you must say something to the person, I suggest the foregoing. Kris Ford gave me this quote. <p style="font-size:16px;">I think it’s really great! <p style="font-size:16px;">What a remarkable way to get to the essence of what your weight loss compliment is really about. <p style="font-size:16px;">When we stop to think about what we really mean when we’re talking to people, we might be able to clearly communicate without hurting them. <b>5. Absolutely Don’t Ask Someone What They’re Doing</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">Oh my God, my family is so into this discussion. <p style="font-size:16px;">I zone out when I start to hear diet talk, Weight Watchers, walking the track, whatever new thing they’re doing. <p style="font-size:16px;">I truly believe in <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://queerfatfemme.com/tag/health-at-every-size/'>health at every size</a> and will totally pipe into discussions of fitness, feeling good in your body, and other things from an <i>“All Bodies Are Good Bodies</i>” perspective. <p style="font-size:16px;"><b>But I have <i>heard “What are you doing?”</i> question so many times, and I just absolutely hate it.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">Again, often folks will offer it if they want to. But in general, the<i> “what you’re doing” </i>question is such a standard thing people think is okay to ask, but it’s actually really personal! <p style="font-size:16px;">I have a super close friend I asked this question of because I genuinely had no idea how she had lost weight and wondered. But I’m close enough to her that when she dropped that it was an eating disorder, it was a safe® space to talk about it. <p style="font-size:16px;">I also learned from that moment to <b>tread even a little more lightly with that stuff, to open those kinds of conversations with gentle warnings, or to open slowly.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">Because people who are just hanging out or going about their life maybe don’t want to just talk about their traumas out of the blue because you want to comment on their bodies. <p style="font-size:16px;text-align:center;">*** <p style="font-size:16px;"><b>I struggle with what to say to people when they comment about changes to my weight.</b> <p style="font-size:16px;">True fact about me: I tend to be an emotional non-eater. <p style="font-size:16px;">If I am going through a rough time, I will likely lose some weight. I lost sixty pounds when my fiance left me. And every time someone commented on my weight, I would say, <i>“Bad break-up.”</i> I would kind of grumpily respond to a nonpliment with snark. <p style="font-size:16px;">I don’t always want to do that, but I really leave it up to how I am feeling in that moment. <p style="font-size:16px;">Sometimes I go with, <i>“I think I look great at any size.”</i> <p style="font-size:16px;">Often, especially if it is a friend or loved one, I go with a very long explanation of what lead to my recent weight loss so that they understand what I’m going through, that it’s been a real struggle, and that the weight loss is a byproduct of a larger initiative to resolve a chronic condition I have. <p style="font-size:16px;">Sometimes, I just respond to weight loss nonpliments graciously because it’s not worth the fight. <p style="font-size:16px;">I learned to respond to compliments I didn’t agree with back when I was still self-hating. <p style="font-size:16px;">I would do things like respond to compliments with, <i>“Oh, I don’t look good. I still have xyz wrong with me.”</i> And I replaced that with a simple <i>“thank you”</i> until I was ready to really hear and absorb good things about myself. <p style="font-size:16px;">A friend told me once, <i>“Hi skinny,”</i> in response to weight loss. <p style="font-size:16px;">My response was, <i>“Um, I don’t identify as skinny.”</i> Because anytime I’ve ever lost weight in my life (as someone who has a lifetime of fat experience), I have always been fat. <p style="font-size:16px;">And, in the case of my beloved Grandmother, I accept her compliments graciously and deeply appreciate when my mom pipes in with, <i>“But we love you at any size.”</i> <p style="font-size:16px;">Because sometimes it’s not worth the fight. <p style="font-size:16px;">But it is amazing to have my mom acting in solidarity with my politics and values around all bodies being good bodies at any size. <p style="font-size:16px;">This was not always the case, but working with her in love, respect and compassion through the last twelve years of my participation in body liberation activism, has actually been really rewarding.

Well, I'm sorry that you've noticed a change since your weight gain. I think you will definitely notice a difference in how he treats you after surgery, not just in public, but I'm not sure you will resent it--especially if you can think of it as a celebration time--you're feeling better, looking great, enjoying your life more, and you're probably going to be sending out a lot more positive energy in general. It would be really odd if your life partner didn't notice that and treat you a bit differently (not because you're "not fat" any more, but because you're feeling and looking and acting so much more energetically, if that makes sense). Long story short, of course it would be amazing if people didn't treat us differently when we were heavy--my DH loves me no matter what, no matter what size--but I can tell you that our relationship is stronger, better, hotter, closer in every way since the surgery--and this was a guy who loved me like crazy before.

I was shocked. Before my massive weight gain I was 270lbs. Avg pant size 38. I started to develop sleep apnea which really got bad over time. When I finally got checked it was in the severe stage 65 episodes a minute. by time I was diagnosed I was 380lbs and pants size 52 (I like them loose). All this happened within 3 years. I had about 10 new pants I havent wore since weight gain. Im 10 weeks in, and now im at 287lbs. Im still very big, but the weight loss didnt hit me until I didnt have any clean pants (havent done laundry... I work 2 jobs.. dont judge im not lazy..lol). I had to attempt to try one of these pants on since I had a party to go to and all stores were closed. I jumped into a size 44 and it was still too big. I believe im currently a size 40 I jist havent checked. Its summer I been wearing shorts all summer and surgery was in jun. So we will see. Sorry for long story im just really happy with my surgery getting to sizes I havent seen in years.

I typed up a whole blog introducing myself and such, but I will give a much shorter version here! :smile2: I'm Ryan, I'm a 27 yo single mother, current (and heaviest weight) is 267, and in the process of getting banded (hopefully, if God allows!!) I am from Savannah, GA and will hopefully be banded in January. I have quit smoking in order to get banded, and have mulled over this decision for quite some time... luckily I work in a hospital (don't let that fool you, it's not like i get any special privilages or anything with the surgeons!) and have found a testimonial which finally gave me the last "umph" to believe in myself and know that I CAN and WILL be successful if/when I get banded... and I just wanted to share it with you... Mary Ann Bowman Beil On June 22, 2009, I celebrated the 5th anniversary of my bariatric surgery. For all of us who have had bariatric surgery, this anniversary date is one of the most celebratory days of our lives. It is a milestone accompanied by a sense of reflection and recommitment. I think that the bariatric patient’s surgery anniversary date should be dedicated to sharpening the tool we’ve been given. I will never forget when I first determined that I would have bariatric surgery. After the long deliberation that most of go through to reach that definitive moment, Dr. Angstadt and Dr. Whipple would constantly remind us all that the surgery was just a tool. No matter how often I have heard them both repeat this gentle admonition, I experienced the exquisite sharpness of the almost complete loss of appetite and hunger in the first year after surgery. This seduced me into the belief that my surgery had so perfectly sharpened my tool of resistance that perhaps it was a solution for me, not just a tool. This is one of the great blessings but myths of the life of the new bariatric patient. But it is a feeling that you want to claim, remember, and strive to recover. When you realize that it abates, you will have to sharpen both the tool and your skills to stay the course of exquisite good health and maintain the lifestyle success that the surgery has now let you glimpse. I have found that there are certain “stones” that you must claim as your own and use with almost religious zeal to keep the tool of bariatric surgery sharp and effective. I think every person who has this surgery builds their own cairn out of the stones that they discover work best to encourage them. So here are a few of mine. Stone #1—Quiet Reflection This one takes different forms for different people—prayer and meditation, transcendental sauntering, yoga, sitting quietly, being. Take your pick, but this is an important discipline as it keeps the bariatric patient in touch with the one thing that our weight and former dependence on food distanced us from—our feelings. You must think about how you feel, stay aware of how you feel and set your compass each and every day to make all of the choices that keep you feeling good, feeling lean, and feeling in control. Stone #2—Meaningful Movement Do something. For me the compliance to this particular “stone” is profoundly personal and it took me almost four years to figure out that I would exercise far more consistently if I would work out early in the morning versus in the evening when I almost always had a conflict or flagging motivation. Committing to a time that no person or event could challenge and making it virtually impenetrable from interlopers made this one of the most significant assurances for me. If I start with this stone on the cairn—even if it is just a 45 minute energetic walk—everything else seems to fall in place. Put simply, if I even reluctantly walk over and pick up this stone (no matter how heavy) and carry it to my weight loss cairn each morning, I know that I will virtually run and, with little effort, pick up the rest of the stones that day and stack them on the monument of the day’s success. Make this stone anything you like—for me it is walking, rowing, dancing, or maybe a touch of light weightlifting that I should actually do more often. Stone #3—Liturgical Vitamin Ceremonies My vitamin consumption has become an almost holy symbol of my intent to honor the body this surgery gave me. I bought a tea box (a wooden box with 12 square compartments) that sits next to my favorite chair. Every morning and night I open it up to behold the vitamin selection that assures my good health. There they all are—the multi vitamin, the Co-Q10, the Calcium, the Colace (still needed from time to time). I take Vitamins several times a day, and each time I take one, I whisper “I am good to me.” Stone #4—The Security of Staples Always, always, always have the staples you need to stay the course for good health. This takes discipline and a list (laminated and always with you). For me, the staples are hard boiled eggs, fat free cottage cheese, Montreal steak spice, Lite Havarti cheese, apples, blueberries, fat-free yogurt, and Crystal Light. These must be in my reach at almost all times or I will most assuredly make the same bad choices that caused my weight gain. Make your own list and carry a small cooler in your car everyday if you must—and I have—so that you have no excuse. Never, never go home without knowing that you have the staples you need there. I do better without too much choice. An important related “stone” to this one was a hard one for me to acknowledge and eventually convince the rest of my family to join me in honoring. I cannot have any food in my house that is not desirable for a weight-loss patient to consume. Once that first year of no appetite passes and hunger makes its inevitable return, the same temptations you once knew will be back. Even though you will feel rotten if you succumb, it is just too tempting. I find the de-temptation of the home environment and replacing it with staples (symbols of on-going health) is critical for me. Any family member frustrated by this strategy can find plenty of excuses to sneak out of the house for a non-healthy treat. Stone #5—Surround Yourself with Stone Masons This has to do with the ongoing support we all need in life to achieve any of the goals we set before us, particularly the goal of good health after weight-loss surgery. For some, this may mean participating in support groups. I have had a mixed reaction to formal groups for bariatric patients. Prior to surgery, I found the groups to be absolutely inspiring with so many stories of success transformation. They were a remarkable source of hope during a time of despair. However, not long after my surgery, I found that most support groups were negative. The participants focused on what wasn’t working, what they couldn’t eat, or what they didn’t like. Since I had been totally prepared for the changes that my surgery was intended to bring, I did not find what I wanted in a group. Look intentionally for a support group that absolutely encourages the excitement (and yes, reality) of a body that has been readjusted completely to bring about a transformation. Yes, our cups may now be literally half full, but our lives and futures are virtually overflowing. Surround yourself with people who see it that way and, do as I did, select your own personal support team. The people on that team are your stone masons who will help you set the stones you choose in place and secure them for life. Stone #6—Celebrate and Play At least once a quarter, take a day to do nothing but Celebrate. Keep a list of the things that you always said that you would do when you lost the weight—take a hike, ride a horse, go to a concert, climb a mountain, go sit on the beach and watch a sunset, shop, etc. Write down everything you can imagine and, like a bucket list, do them one by one. Plan these important days, give them to yourself and review the stones in your weight-loss structure. If you can, take the day off on your surgery anniversary and honor your good health. Stone #7—Share the Joy Take some of the new energy of life that is most certainly one of the extraordinary benefits of weight-loss surgery and give it away to somebody who needs it. Do this in whatever way the world calls you to give something back. People carry “weight” in very many ways and I think we end up with an obligation once ours is gone, to help others carry their own or lose it as the case may be. Stone #8—Lighten Up and Face the Facts The reality of my numbers is as follows. The last time I weighed prior to surgery, I was a precious but substantial 327 pounds. I would lose a total of 167 pounds, 18 of which have found their way back. Of course, this predictable weight gain is a fact that strikes sheer terror in the heart of any person who has struggled with weight loss and knows how easy and devious the return of pounds can be. However, using the stone stacking method described here, I have discovered how to maintain my weight within about a two-pound fluctuation over the past year. Put simply, the balance of stones and habits for me that I have in place right now will accommodate maintenance. What I also know is that if I want to be as lean as I have been (which I very much would), I will have to exercise a bit more and trim some additional calories out of my diet to create that outcome. These are facts, not magic and not a failure of the surgery. Just a reminder that I will have to continue to use my stones in different ways everyday for the rest of my life to sharpen the tool of my surgery and create the monument to good health that I want my cairn to be .

What the heck is "mindful eating" anyway? It might sound like some hippie thing, but it backed by real science. You'll be losing weight and feeling great again, all while enjoying food to the fullest. Check it out here! Mindfulness basically just means paying attention to something - without judgment. Mindful eating is paying attention to your food, and to your appetite cues - again, without judgment (that's the hard part!). Dieting vs. Mindful Eating: Diet = Weight gain: 95% of people who diet will regain the weight they lost within 5 years. 2/3 of those people will regain more than they lost, ultimately resulting in overall weight gain. All about willpower and rigidity. Relies on external cues. Restrictive and depriving. Food & body are the enemy. Mindful Eating = Weight loss: Studies show that mindful eating programs result in weight loss, fewer calories consumed, lower fat intake and increased self-confidence (Timmerman et al., 2012) All about trust and acceptance. Relies on internal appetite cues. Permissive and satisfying. Food & body are the ally. Which would you prefer? For me, I'd much rather give mindful eating a shot. Especially since dieting was what led up to most people having bariatric surgery in the first place. Step-by-step how to eat mindfully: Pick a calm and quiet place to sit down and eat. Check in with your hunger. Are you physically hungry? If not, wait until later when you are hungry. The food will be much more satisfying if you enter the experience hungry. Choose a food that will be satisfying. Give yourself permission to eat that food without judgment (toward the food or yourself) or guilt. Use all of your senses - look at the food, touch the food, smell the food, taste the food, feel it in your mouth, move it around and notice the way the texture and taste changes as you chew. Chew slowly and thoroughly. As you swallow, feel the food going down your esophagus and into your stomach. Notice how the food feels in your stomach. Ask yourself if you want more. If so, take another bite and repeat until you feel satisfied. At the end, take a moment to express gratitude for the experience, for the food, and for your body. Carry the awareness of mindful attention to other areas of your life - you'll be shocked at what a big difference this makes! Be patient with yourself. The practice of mindful eating is just that - a practice. Your mind and attention will wander, you will inevitably catch yourself judging yourself or the food. That's ok - it's normal. Just notice it, and return your attention to the experience. Practice this as often as you are able. Of course, it's not possible to eat mindfully 100% of the time, so don't be rigid with it. As you get more skilled at mindful eating, it will become more effortless and second nature. See, I told you this wasn't just for hippies! Mindful eating is very doable for all of us. We just have to make the conscious decision to do it. Paying attention to our food and our bodies allows us to get infinite more pleasure out of life. Give it a shot and let me know what you think. Share your experience in the comments below. What was it like to pay close attention to the taste and texture of the food? What was it like to refrain from judgment about yourself for eating the food? What surprised you about mindful eating?

For a while I thought about how much more energy I have. I recently realized that I am returning to how I was meant to be. I used to have this much energy before my major weight gain, and I am returning to that level. As I got bigger, my energy decreased. Emotionally, I am returning to my previous levels of happiness, too. It is as if a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders (wait, that's exactly what happened!!!). Many people from different walks of life, friends and just acquaintances have all said that I glow. I just hope that it is not from the barium in my pre-op tests! @@Icantbelieveit said they just looked forward to things again, I have to agree, big time.

Once you get the sleeve the extra weight gained after the band is out comes off super quick Lapband Nov 13 - Removed Sept 16 Gastric Sleeve Jan 16

I'm on Omeprazole daily. And as of today I actually gained 4 pounds!!! Like, how?? Why??? It's so demoralizing because I didn't have these issues when I did keto. I steadily lost, I didn't have a fear of eating, I only had 1 short stall. My issue was that I couldn't keep it off once I lost 100 pounds (in 9 months). I'm finding it's 10x harder to lose weight after this surgery than it was with just doing keto. Only now I can't do keto again because I had the surgery and I have to have low fat instead of high fat (both require low carbs, low sugar, and high protein). I thought maybe if I did keto again, then it would be easier to lose and the surgery would help me keep it off. But then I read that you can't do keto once you have the surgery. So I ended up afraid to eat because it seems like everything causes weight gain....and now here we are. *sigh*

Yes, totally normal! It'll disappear soon. I had my surgery Monday, came home with weight gain on Tuesday (but had heard about that on YouTube so was expecting it), and today, I'm 5 pounds below my day-of-surgery weight.

:happybday2: :happybday2: :happybday2: HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHERRY!!!!!!!! :happybday2: :happybday2: :happybday2: Hope your special day is happy, and full of great surprises! A wonderful person like you just deserves a wonderful day the way I see it!!! In fact I think all of you deserve to have a great day. It is supposed to be windy here again. I am so sick of wind! It messes with me wanting to get outside and exercise. I am renewing my efforts. I figure with Spring, and Easter, it is time for new beginings---so it is back to basics for me. Like Cindy the scale is playing games with me, I see the infamous 199 and by the next day it is 201 again---and I have had enough!!! Going to try to work it off, watch what I eat a bit (not gonna go totally nutso here!!!), and see if I can do it with this fill. I don't feel hungry, I am begining to eat just because I CAN! I hate to chance another fill, and get too tight, and start all the trouble that can lead to. I think in all honesty, my fill will be ok, if I respect the foods I put into it!!! I like being able to eat anything---I do not want restriction that causes me to eliminate foods---so it seems heaven forbid, I may have to pick up my pace here!!! I began Monday, and am now back to seeing 201 on the scale again---it had went up to 203 again. I think one thing I really need to pay attention to is my sodium intake, because I retain water like crazy!!! For the last several years pre banding I took a diuretic as part of my high blood pressure meds, and now, if I eat chinese for instance, it is an instant 4 pound weight gain---which has to be fluid---it goes away quickly---but it sucks seeing the weight go UP! So watching my salt....that's hard! I actually got into a bit of a "discussion" regarding my band, and my SIL with my MIL on the phone last night, and neither of us hung up very happy! She tells me she has a message for me, and the message is (done in a Kindergarten sing song) "Ha ha ha I have lost 80 pounds!" It just struck me in the wrong way!!! So I told her I was glad my SIL had lost weight, I wasn't sure who decided I was against her doing so, but they were wrong, that I would no longer discuss my band, nor my weight loss with either of them, I was sick of her acting like a 5 year old. Of course.....I had to add that no this was not jealousy, I had lost more than 80 pounds, and I would never again tell any of them how much! This is an 80 year old woman telling me what a 58 year old woman said. It has been building, all along for the last year! She had tried making it a competition at first, then she had complications from being too tight, so I had to hear how bad the band was---and amazingly now that she found the right place of restriction, they love the band again---and I am the enemy! The two of them are very close-as I am with my own Mom, but I don't appreciate being made the common denominator for them to pick at---and it has been non stop....little jabs. I know I have to have a TT---I have had a muscle tore loose on the left side of my stomach for many years---courtesy of my ex husband and a well placed boot. And they make non stop comments about how my stomach really needs work, and how atleast the way SHE is losing, is feminine and attractive, as men like broader hips. I would love not to have the issue I do with my stomach---I cannot help how I am built otherwise, I have now and even at my heaviest had slim hips and legs--it is the way my Dads family is built. My DH tells me to make gray hair comments, because she went gray in her late 20's. But I can't do that! Ok I'll quit----thank you for listening, I have been stressing over this! Whew----thanks so much for always being there!!! My Mom went and did her sleep test last night following her problem waking up after her knee surgery. The technician told her she fought sleep all night long, that she would hear back today, that her condition is quite serious! I hate that she had the problem, but I believe it was a blessing in disguise, we had tried to get her to ask about her sleep before, and her worthless PCP blew her off! I am so glad she is going to get help! I am off to lunch with my friend Marie, here soon. She wants a burger at Fudruckers (oh do NOT try to get my 2 yr old granddaughter to say Fudruckers---it ends up a 2 syllable fu'uckers----sounds SOOOO bad!!). I think I can get a salad, or some chicken---and if not, I'll do better tomorrow!!! Everyone take care, will get to personals next time, I used up all my time and space venting---thank you AGAIN!!! Kat

Getting banded has been really great so far. My surgery went without a hitch and I was out of bed and rarring to go almost immediately following. Its early days, but I remain hopefully optimistic that this will work out in ways that all the other diets that I have tried have not. I consider myself a professional inexpert dieter --if its out there I have tried it. Low carb, no carb, nutri whatever, ww, fasting, diet pepsi and cigarettes, opti, medi, HMR, slimfast, diet pills (Rx and OTC) added to the mix to keep my appetite in check. My best and longest successful dieting foray was from the winter of 2000 through the summer of 2003. With boatloads of Water, a low carb diet, and as much exercise as I could stand -- I managed to lose about 90 lbs (this left me still needing to lose about 50 or 60 lbs to achieve a healthy weight by American standards and certainly by my standard). However, the long plateau worked to undermine my dedication and the weight began creeping back at a pretty steady clip. I never again got to my high of 292, but at my first weigh in with the lap band surgeon I was about 268 or so. It was a tough decision for me to make. For a variety of reasons I wasn't interested in a bypass....and it killed me that essentially I am paying someone to restrict my food intake. But the yo-yo dieting had really defeated me. I have been forturnate in that I am a relatively healthy fat person -- but I knew that time was working against me and the older I got -- the less likely that that trend would continue. So it was with alot of baggage that I started shopping around for a bariatric doctor to explore the lap band. The whole insurance thing was/is a hassle. They cover, but I couldn't find an in network provider (in NYC or NJ), just out of network with a threatened 70% coverage amount. I haven't seen any bills yet. I will certainly provide updates as that situation unfolds. Post surgically I have "officially" lost 14 lbs.... this is a little sketchy in my opinion. They weighed me at the hospital the day of .. and I was a whopping 274. I think working the day before from home, planted in front of my computer all day with no food after 3pm and no liquid (because I can be overzealous in following pre-surgery instructions) had me retaining major water. If I go by my last weigh in at the doctor the week before my surgery my weight loss as of 12-19-2007 is closer to 4 lbs. Post surgically, I was bullied by my doctor to lose about 10 lbs. Surprisingly, I have found that I am not at all interested in monitoring my weight other than whatever I am forced to do when I go to the doctor. I mean why torture myself? That's why I decided to get the surgery, right? This should not be interpreted as not monitoring my intake.... I have. Although I didn't do so good with the whole crushing pills until 1 month after surgery. Yuck! I just couldn't. I have tried my best to limit my intake, eat three times a day with no snacking and don't eat and drink at the same sitting. The last has proven to be the toughest thing. Also, it has put me in jeopardy of not taking in enough water -- I am trying but if you can't drink during, or up to 30 minutes before or after, and can't gulp it down like medicine.... I am reduced to totting around a bottle and taking sips all damn day. It has proven to be my greatest challenge so far. :faint: But generally speaking -- its so far so good and I am hopeful that I will have lost another couple of pounds when next I see my doctor 1-15-2008. And if I haven't... that's alright. The average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year is like 5 lbs, right? If I managed to dodge that bullet -- its all good. Later,

I had my surgery July 9th and my weight loss was great. I started my birth control once I got my period, stepped in the scale one morning and all of a sudden I gained 6lbs. The weight is coming down about a 1lb a week and it's very frustrating. Has this happened to anyone? I feel like getting off the BC but if I got pregnant that would be a whole separate problem. Please help Kellee

My Obgyn took me off the pill when I discussed I was having the surgery. I Have the implant in my arm low estrogen so no weight gain or crazy hormones. No issues thus far that are noticeable I'm only 3 weeks out though hope this helps good luck

Because you posted to this board, I assume you want opinions and/or advice. So here are mine. The WW diet plan is not the correct diet for a lap-band patient. I know this having been a WW member several times throughout my life (lost weight, gained it back). I'm curious, what is it about WW that you are thinking will work for you? Writing everything down? Counting points? Weekly support meetings, Weekly weigh ins? food guidelines? It takes will power to be on WW, so I don't think your issue is sheer will power. If you can identify your needs, I, and I suspect a few others on this forum, can offer more suggestions. I would suggest that you save the weekly WW fees for fills.