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My husband and I enjoy eating out quite often, hence the weight gain. Now I’ve learned to deconstruct meals to take in protein first, then non starches, starches, then fruit. Wish food establishments wouldn’t charge for a full meal when you’ve taken out a good portion of the no-no foods.

Prednisone is quite possibly one of the worst things you could put into your system. When I was a pharmacy tech; we would go out of our way to talk to doctors to find alternatives for it. Perhaps your PCP can give you something else? Besides weight gain, it has some terrible side effects, especially after a procedure like this. What you're experience is quite normal for this medication.

search this site for the word Aetna a lot of people got approved n appeal . I was so terrified of weight gain during the process , I was on laxatives and liquids only 48 hours before each weigh in

Name, real or screen~ amtfms Age~ 39 Weight on December 1st~ 278 Goal weight for December 29th~268 Dietary goal for December~ eat more protein and veggies Exercise goal for December~ got to the gym at least 3 times a week but work out 5 times a week Personal goal for December~ Go through December without any weight gain and no eating while I am bored Date banded~ 09/13/11 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~ 32 One thing that has improved with your health since banding~ more energy and no longer taking medication for reflux.

(Sorry, operator error ) what I meant to say was theres not always time, money etc for a gym, nutritionist etc, for everybody. And sometimes, no matter how hard we try, the body just doesnt cooperate. As a man , you may not have dealt with the female problems , etc. that can cause, /keep weight gain. While you are certainly entitled to your opinion (and again, you have NOT had any WLS) to post your " my way is better " opinion /story on a WLS board was waaaaayy out of line............. and honestly, rather rude. ( I see our favorite "Lipstick Lady" has already jumped in (yay !) , now Im just waiting for SteveHud to make his presence known, so then I can sit back and watch the show........... popcorn anyone ?

The only thing I can't have is diet soda. Some people drink it and have no problems with it. I know that for me, if I take 1 sip, I'm hooked. That will be the only fluid I will drink. I also read about the weight gain in our mid sections from artificial sweeteners. But I can eat anything I want with no consequences. My taste for breads have changed. I don't like them any more. My PCP won't prescribe NSAIDS because Kaiser looks at the sleeve like it's the GBS. But i am so happy I choose this. It has changed my life.

Hi All, Banded two years and noticed in past 6 months that upper stomach has had a gradual swelling...since I wasn't eating all the right foods, thought a bit of weight gain was going on, but weight is stable.. Suddenly I feel a hard lump/lunmovable in upper tummy just below rib cage on left side.. Not painful but eating is uncomfortable as I feel a pressure up under the ribs and into my back on left side.... Went to doc ...did xray.. band seems in place.. .had abdominal ultrasound and waiting results..tech thought I might have a epigastric hernia starting...but the muscle wall has not perforated yet... lump is becoming really uncomfortable any time I eat and laying down on tummy. After reading forums wondering if it's an adhesion from tubing on spleen/intestines, etc...Never had any hernia issues before, so will keep you all posted on what this turns out to be.. Anyone with similar story??????? Down almost 50 lbs, but ready to have band out if it's causing issues... I'll finish my last 25 with WWatchers if this is what happens with the Band....Not pleased at all....

I'm so sorry that you are hurting right now. I can only imagine the emotional pain those words have caused you. I'm sure he does not even realize how deeply he's hurt you and you should definitely (when you've have a chance to calm down and vent) talk to him about how it made you feel to hear him say those words. I'm sure once the light bulb goes off he will apologize and realize that the best way he can help is to be possitive and supportive and not tear you down. A few weeks ago my boyfriend of 3 years tod me that on of the reasons why we are no longer as sexual as we had been in the past was because of my 40 lb weight gain since we've met. I met him when i was around 250 (not thin by any means) and am now around 296. To hear that it was hard for him to be physically attractive to him hurt beyond words and I thought that i would never get over it. I did though and after many talks have learned that even though his delivery could have been better he did not say it with the intention of hurting me but rather wanted to work on it to get us back to where he knew we could be. It took alot for me to try to see it that way but we are now stronger than ever and as I get closer towards my surgury date I trust that he's got my back no matter what. I wish you all the best trying to get rid of the few extra pounds that you want to loose but please make sure you are doing it for you an no one else. At the end of the day your health is the only think that matters...not money and certainly not numbers on a scale. XOXO Cat

Kinda noticed that too, not sure how it all works in US but with us here in Glasgow it's so strict that surgeon appointment is only placed once investigation done by WM team. Psych can cancel you, dietian can cancel you and surgeon won't even look at you if they have suspected weight gain to meet targets. It's insane. I'm so sorry to hear of your family member. Fridge Pickers Wear Bigger Knickers ????

The injectable BC (Depo) is the one I was on. It works very well, you don't have to worry about it, BUT weight gain is a very common side effect. I switched from it because I was having trouble losing. I couldn't tell you whether it helped, lol

So, I just had my blood tests and MRSA swabs in advance of surgery next week (1st March) and decided that I would detail my journey here. Partly because I want to remember to come back on here when things get tough and I need a reminder of why I am doing this, and partly because I want to have a record of what I’m doing anyway, and I figure that having one that others can read, contribute to and, maybe, learn from (if I ever get to the point of having any lessons to teach) is as good a way as any. So, my background… I’m 29, living in London. I’ve always been overweight, ever since I was a kid, but my weight has fluctuated a lot. Generally, when I move to a new place, it falls, until I discover all the good places to eat, when it rises again. About five years ago I managed to get down to about 200lbs, but since then have crept steadily up and now I am about 290lbs. I think as I get a bit older, I’m realising a bit more the impact my weight is having on me. Over the last couple of years – walking has become more of a chore, for the first time, tying a seatbelt on an airplane has become a problem, I feel less and less energy and more strain on my joints. And I simply don’t want that to get worse. I haven’t felt any motivation to lose weight since that last time in 2009, and I had to admit to myself that I never will be able to do this on my own. So I have a choice. Continue to put on weight. Face into my thirtieth birthday at nearly 300lbs, maybe my 35th at 400lbs – who knows. And continue to see my body become more and more unable to cope. Or I stop. I take action, accept that I’m not going to be able to do it alone and take measures that will force me into a position of being healthier. It’s also driven by the fact that I want to have kids. As I’m gay, the most likely way for that is to adopt, but I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t be approved as an adopter at my current weight. And even if I was, I don’t think I could be a good dad as I just wouldn’t have the energy to be rolling around playing with a kid and giving them the attention they deserve. I decided to self-fund for the operation. I have been diagnosed with sleep Apnoea (in December) through the NHS, and since that’s technically a comorbidity, my GP did say that I could be put on the NHS waiting list. But faced with a wait of two years or more, I decided it would be better to just get it done privately. So I met with my surgeon, Ameet Patel, before Christmas. I had hoped to have it done before Christmas, but I was due to start a new job on the 12th, and he said that if I had the operation on the 3rd or 4th January, he wouldn’t recommend me going to work on the 12th. So I decided to wait until Easter when I could take some time off work. As it turned out, there were no available dates at Easter, and leaving it later brings me too close to a trip I have planned at the end of May. So I ended up plumping for 1st March. I’ve had no pre-op diet to follow, so I’ve probably been a bit naughty in what I’ve been eating since I found out my date. I know I shouldn’t but I have been seeing these last weeks as an opportunity for one last hurrah with food. Biggest Fears I was sent my consent form in the post, and seeing the risks in black and white terrified me – especially where it just bluntly lists ‘Death’ as a risk. Even though I’ve talked them through with Dr Patel, and even though I know the risks are very low, they feel very real now. I’ve started to think about things I need to do in case the worst happens, and again, I know it’s a very low risk, but my family live in a different country, so I’m making sure my partner has their number in case he needs to call them etc. The reality of that is kinda scary. I’m also scared of complications – and not knowing whether pain is normal or a sign of something more serious. But my biggest fear is that I just won’t be able to be happy when I can’t eat what I want to. I keep telling myself that being able to go shopping for clothes or go for a run or exercise without wanting to collapse will all make up for any feeling of deprivation – and that I won’t feel that deprived because I just won’t have the same appetite that I have now. But it is probably my biggest fear that I will spend the rest of my life regretting what I’ve done. To combat that I just keep reminding myself that the price of having that total freedom to eat what I want is looking and feeling like I do now – I plan to keep a photo diary of my journey to remind myself that however much I regret not being able to eat what I want when I want, it will be nothing compared to the regret I would have if I had the opportunity to get healthy but turned it down. My Hopes This is the bit that keeps me going. My main hope – what I desperately hope – is that the tales I’ve heard of your tastes changing are true. I would dearly love to wake up from the operation and be revolted by the foods I used to love and suddenly find love for the foods I used to hate. If only I could like vegetables and low fat foods more! My biggest hope is that my tastes will change, so that when I can’t pig out on chips it won’t matter to me because I don’t want to pig out on chips. The same applies – big time – to Diet Coke. I’ve never been one for full fat soft drinks, I find them syrupy. But I love diet coke, and I am really dreading not being able to have it. If I could wake up and not desire it, that would be super. I’m not claiming these hopes are realistic. More generally – like everyone – I hope this works. My thirtieth birthday is in October and I have a vision of how I will look and feel for it. I hope that vision becomes a reality. I also hope that my relationship withstands the change. My partner has been incredibly supportive. I think one of the reasons I put on weight is that he loved me and found me attractive when we first met and I was overweight (but still, I was only about 200lbs) – I think my mind went ‘yay, you found someone who’s attracted to you even when you’re fat…eat away’. But my weight gain has made me feel less attractive and so has impacted on our relationship. As I say, he’s been really supportive and I just hope that the changes don’t result in any changes to how either of us feels about the other. So, having rattled on for too long, let the journey begin…

I see your on ativan I took that for a while klonipin works much better for me also latuda works amazing for depression and anxiety and doesn't cause weight gain. Trileptal is amazing for mood I'm on all 3 it keeps me sane Sent from my SM-T380 using BariatricPal mobile app

I find myself posting this again because it helped me so much today. A good read. Think You Need a Fill? THINK AGAIN By Nikki Johnson Do you remember that feeling you had when you first had your band placed? For a while, everything was great. You didn't experience hunger, you felt satisfied with a small portion of good food, you had more energy, and you were thrilled with your initial weight loss progress. If you are like most people, your experience changed over time, Some of those feelings of hunger returned, and you stopped losing weight. You knew you needed something, so you went to your surgeon's office and asked for a "fill" right? If so, you might be surprised to learn that it is your thinking about your band, and not the band itself, that needs adjusting. The LAP-BAND Bad Word Paul O'Brien, MD, FRACS, is a skillful, compassionate surgeon and a foremost expert on the LAP-BAND System. he was involved in its design in the early 1990's and placed the first band in Australia in 1994. Since then, he has treated thousands of patients and is recognized worldwide for his expertise. When his patients utter that worst of four-letter words, "fill," in his office, they are asked to throw a dollar in the Red Cross donation bucket--a reminder that, according to Dr. O'Brien, thinking about a "fill" is just wrong thinking. How can a concept that we hear about so constantly be so very wrong? Dr. O'Brien's answer is simple: "Any adjustment to the band is something that only takes place in the context of clinical consultation--part of a relationship of trust, honesty and communication between patient and surgeon--that is much more key to the success of the patient than the precise number of milliliters of Fluid in the band. This concept of partnership is the central theme of Dr. O'Brien's new book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership of Weight Loss. Patty's Note: Available on Amazon.com ISBN#9780522854121 Like many people, you might assume that weight gain or a sustained plateau means an incorrectly adjusted band; in fact, you may be right. But you may be surprised to learn that weight gain sometimes results from a band that is too tight. This is part of the reason why the "fill" concept is so misleading. If your surgeon determines that you are not losing weight as you should, then discovering why that is happening is crucial. Sometimes adding fluid to the band will only make matters worse. Life in the "GREEN ZONE" Most people who have the LAP-BAND operation will have an amazing feeling of disinterest in food for the first week after surgery, before any adjustments are even made to the fluid in the band. According to Dr. O'Brien, that lack of interest in food is referred to as satiety. A related but different feeling is satiation, or the feeling you get as you are eating, precisely at the point that you don't need any more food to eat but you do not have an uncomfortable feeling of fullness. These two feelings--satiety and satiation--are what the properly adjusted band helps you achieve, allowing you to maintain your new healthier eating habits. Your careful observation and truthful sharing of your feelings and eating behaviors, combined with the expert care and training of your surgeon and his or her staff, can make the very individual determination of whether your band is properly adjusted much more accurate. In order to help create the most effective partnership between themselves and their patients, Dr. O'Brien and his colleagues at the Australian Centre for Obesity Research and Education have developed a concept they refer to as the "Green Zone". When patients are in the green zone, they experience satiety, satiation after properly-sized small meals, and satisfactory weight loss or maintenance. However, there are also yellow and red zones, both of which indicate that the band is not optimally adjusted. If your band is too loose, you will not have the benefits the band's hunger-controlling mechanism. If your band is too tight, you will have trouble eating properly and may actually gain weight because the foods you can eat more comfortable, that tend to be liquid and calorie-rich, like ice cream and chocolate, do not provide the proper nutrition. Learning to recognize when you have the feelings and eating behaviors that signal a problem can help you give your surgeon the information he or she needs to help you keep the band optimally adjusted. Thinking Adjustment Once you have eliminated the concpet of "fills" from you Lap-Band vocabulary, you will be able to let go of much of the conventional thinking connected to it. Perhaps you have heard talk about the "ideal" amount of fluid in the Lap-Band. While it may be helpful to have some idea of how much fluid is in your band, Dr. O'Brien says there is no magic number. No perfect amount of fluid will provide the best results for everyone. He says, rather, that "whatever volume of fluid is needed to achieve the [feeling of non-hunger] is the correct volume." When you notice that you are feeling hungry or are not losing weight, your body is telling you it is time to revisit your partner in weight loss -- your surgeon. your success absolutely depends on this relationship. So rather than thinking "adjustments," adjust your thinking, and, in partnership with your surgeon, find a lifetime of health! For more information about all of the themes discussed in this article, please see Dr. O'Brien's book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership for Weight Loss, which is available fro Amazon.com. We also invite you to visit LAP-BAND® System Forum - Home for more information and supportive resources.

I am trying to work my way through a slight unfill and then a 10 lb. weight gain. So, it's nice to know that someone else started gaining afte a slight unfill as well. I am going back to the doctor on the 26th to have Fluid put back in my band, and I am hoping that this will get me back on track as well. I too was too thin and that was shy I decided to have the slight unfill. Now all of pants are a little bit more snug than usual and I feel so defeated. All I can do is try not to gain anymore until I can get back to the doctor. I hope that everything is back in line for you and that you're back to exercising and being comfortable once again. Have you lost the 12 lbs. that you gained?

http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/03/30/hormones-link-insomnia-and-weight-gain/5037.html but there is hope! lol! http://www.livestrong.com/article/276188-how-to-raise-leptin-levels/

I think a lot of people kind of go on a "binge" before they are banded. If you are worried though about the weight gain, I would follow the high protein/low carb diet. It will reduce your appetite and of course, you can eat extra protein if you are hungry. Sometimes it is difficult to get th insurance to approve it. They consider it an "elective" surgery but your doctor can write it up as medically necessary.

Hi everyone. Yesterday I met with my weight management doctor and he said I am right on track and I can look to having surgery sometime in February. I made an appointment with the surgeon for Tuesday 12/22. I also have an orientation meeting at the hospital on Monday 12/21. Things are moving right along. I'm getting excited now. I also met with a Psychologist yesterday and she talked about the results of a test I took to determine my state of mind. She said I was more depressed than 90% of the people that come in. I told her I thought all people who were struggling with being overweight were depressed. She said yes, to an extent but with my stats she said that it looked like a person that would have trouble with weight gain even after surgery. That scaires me but we talked about it for awhile and I think we're ok. She also strongly supported the Lap Band surgery and said that the device has greatly improved and it's much safer than the other options. They have lost patients with the other surgeries, but never with the Lap Band. I know there are risks but from what I've read on this site, the Lap Band just doesn't seem to last long-term. She kept saying that the VSG is such a long incision and the stomach acid could impair the healing in the lower part of the stomach. She said I should bring up all these things with my surgeon on Tuesday and see what he says. I know there are risks but the VSG still seems to be the best alternative for me at this point. Thank you all for your support and advice.

Hello all! I have been out of town for the last week and just got back. I was so eager to get back on-line and see how my Victorious Valentine friends are doing. So here's my update. The bad news: I'm hungry! I'm a week away from my first fill, and feel no restriction at all. I can eat as much as I want (but I'm not) and haven't felt overfull since my swelling went down. Staying under 1000 cal. when you're hungry stinks!! I suppose this is band hell? But no weight gain, thankfully - just a pitiful pound a week loss for the last 2 weeks. While I was out of town visiting my sister, it was so hard not to indulge! Besides an unfortunate incident involving ice cream at a movie theater, I managed to stay partially on track. The good news: Last time I flew on an airplane, I just barely got the belt fastened. I knew I was a few lbs away from a belt extender - my worst nightmare. The thing was so tight that my belly was almost hanging completely over the belt and I had to hold my magazine just right so the flight attendant wouldn't notice I was being cut in half by the belt!! This week I flew, and guess what - 4 beautiful inches of spare belt hanging out AFTER I buckled it!! And, for the first time in years, my butt stayed nicely on my side of the seat, and did not pooch out under the armrest and steal space from my seat mate. Now, that is an NSV to celebrate! Whew...it is good to be back! Please tell me some of you are experiencing bandster hell also??

I did the same thing in the last 2 weeks -- ate small portions but more varieties of things than before so that is probably why the weight gain. I haven't yet had a fill so hopefully that will make a difference in feeling more restricted so I will eat less again -- and I will probably go back to the liquid proteins and then mushies to get back into a more conscious eating pattern -- we still need to make the right choices (protein and veges rather than carbs) and get the exercise in -- I hope to start a better routine with going to the gym a couple times a week to start and building up -- don't fret, I'm sure with a fill and getting back on track you will start losing again -- I think we all go through this at different times and just need to get back on track. Good luck and hang in there! Deb

Betty, you're funny because I'm trying to downplay the whole Harley Girl thing. I laugh at our friend, Chuck, all the time. He's 60 years old. One day out of the blue he rode up on a brand new Harley - huge. One of those touring bikes. A month later he showed up on the bike wearing leather pants, leather vest with tons of patches, Harley hat, huge Harley belt buckle, Harley boots. I call him Harley Barbie. I think he looks like an idiot but I love him anyway! Sorry, but this one got me cracking up. The bike is fun, and we did get a few patches for a purse and a welding cap, but I don't want to be a biker mamma! Chris even tried doing weird things to the beard he's trying to grow. I told him that if I wanted to marry a biker, I would have married a bad ass dude with tons of money! I don't like driving the bike because my fingers go numb (carpal tunnel) but I'm doing it to stand up for all women across the country - gotta teach men a lesson for all womenkind! He thought he bought himself a $30,000 toy. B.S. I gotta fight fire with fire, and it gives him grey hair every time I get on that bike. As soon as I'm licensed, I'll disappear for hours at a time. I'll probably just go to a friend's house and park it in the garage, but I'll tell him I took it to the mountains or something. He will NOT win this game! I can't do the weekly weigh-in challenge. Too frustrating. I gained all my weight back that I lot in August, which means if I gain even one pound tonight, I'll have gained weight in August. I got up, walked my dogs, made my shake, had some extra water and measured out a tiny little tuna lunch. My portion control has gotten way out of hand along with my drinking. I obsess over everything, so I've even exercised more than normal. Now I don't want anyone blaming my weight gain on muscle, cuz I haven't beefed up too much. Problem is I'm a compulsive overeater. The band alone isn't doing the trick for me, so I have lots of extra brain-struggling to deal with. It's all in my head. My big, fat, stubborn head!

I'll answer the same way kgremmy did. *What are the major differences in pregnancy before and after the VSG procedure? None at all. ( I was sleeved in November 2011) *Did you have weird cravings? It seems like you would not because the Ghrelin is gone. Nope. Never had craving with my first pregnancy (before VSG) and neither had cravings with my second pregnancy (after VSG). I just wanted to eat all the time. Probably because can't eat much in one sitting. *Did you gain a lot of weight? Was it a struggle to gain the weight? Gained a ton of weight! 55lbs. Wayy wayy wayyyyyyyy too much. I voiced my concerns to my doctors, but they said it was ok and didn't seemed concern about it *Were you nauseous? more than normal. Not at all *Were there any concerns about taking in enough food for the baby? Never, I was constantly hungry and believe that's the reason why I gained so much weight. *Anything else noteworthy? Yes, eventhough I had no weird cravings I did want to eat the "comfort food" You should just snack as much as you want, but stick to veggies and fruits and nuts. *It is strange but I can't seem to fine a lot of information on this topic. I just want to make sure I am prepared...* I know, I fell the same way. I had my baby 3 months ago. Healthy little boy. I lost 30lbs within the first couple of weeks. I still have to loose other 25lbs to be on my pre-pregnancy weight. It is not coming off, but to be honest I have not gone back to eat the weight I was eating before and I have not resume my excesice routine. I'm exhausted! (due to my fibromyalgia and also have 4 yr old and work full time). I just took my first step into going back to my routine and started to log everything that goes into my mouth. It is a big help. good luck! Maria.

I gained 100lbs in recovery for an bulimia so I mean this just isn’t true.  You speak about weight gain, and consumption as a compulsion and love affair as if they are inherently the same things and they just aren’t. No one calls alcoholism a love affair with booze, nor is a love affair with food is not inherently the same thing as binge eating disorder or the compulsive eating, addictive behaviors you describe. That’s not love that’s disordered eating and to many people who experience it it feels more like a prison than a romance. Further there are plenty of reasons people gain weight or struggle to lose not limited to medical issues or life long yo-yo dieting socialized in people since childhood resulting in an insurmountably low bmr. It also ignores the idea of a body’s set weight which numerous medical studies have pointed to as a valid hypothesis and part of why wls is one of the only weight loss tools with long term sustainable success. Let’s try to be sensitive that everyone’s story and struggle respect their own personal reflections of it.

The other rule is no drinking with meals. There are lots of post on that topic. Drinking at least 10 minutes before meals and you'll feel full faster. If you eat with your meal., you will wash your food out of your stomach and experience hunger shortly thereafter.. then you'll eat more, there by adding calories and eventually stop your weight loss and even go to weight gain. Many surgeons and NUTS give varying advice bot most are consistent with following a high protein and low carb way of eating for life. Low sugar often relates to low junk food, sweets, desserts which of course will add to weight gain. Protein helps weight loss ( I forget why but I'm pretty sure it helps ). There are usually reasons for the guidelines. ONce you reach your goal weight you eating lifestyle will be what works for you. Be sure its still a healthy way of eating or you will gain weight and that is not a sleeve myth.. that is a sleeve fact. Good Luck with your journey.

Let me tell you something baby girl...it sounfs like you got a hater on your hands. This person was probably jealous of you before your weight gain and now that you are working hars to get back to a size that makes YOU happy they probably feel threatened again. Dont you dare allow the ignorance of others to interfere with your progress and your success. Tell them to kiss your "still fat ass"! Jerks! Sent from my SM-N920C using the BariatricPal App See.....and this just confirmed what I said about them being jealous lol smh Sent from my SM-N920C using the BariatricPal App

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.