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Yes, hopefully the ER you go to will have a bariatric surgeon on call. It sounds like a slip. I have had one, I keep a lose band now. Better a slight weight gain than permanent damage to your body! Best wishes.

How does zero calorie and zero sugar diet pop cause you to gain weight? I see Chrystal Light talked about here a lot and it has aspartame and a list of chemicals longer than diet pop. Why is that recommend over diet pop? Just because a doctor says so is not good enough for me. When I was a kid our family doctor told us we would all have heart attacks if we continued to eat eggs. Anti eggs was the fad back then and most doctors went with it. Now eggs are considered a super food. What happened? Why did doctors suddenly change? Diet pop has been out for 50 years and yet there are very few studies that actually study causation. The ones I have found show that people do not gain anymore weight by drinking diet pop. I personally have lost 70 pounds and counting drinking diet pop. None of the ingredients in diet pop has been proven to cause weight gain. Diet pop is just a carbonated version of Water and Chrystal Light.

I think I lost 11 lbs before my first fill but I cannot remember how much I lost between my first and second. My weight loss was never dramatic but it sure was satisfying for me. And after 10 months of eating much, much less (thanks to the band) and much more carefully, I was at my goal. I weighed 145 and my total weight loss was about 50 - 55 lbs. I was very content with that. I think that I was thrilled by my relatively slow weight loss because of a few factors: 1) until I got the band I had been gaining 2) the only times I was weighed was during my visits to TLBC or my doc. This meant that I wasn't obsessing about weight gain/loss on a day to day basis. Whenever I was weighed, the loss was a wonderful surprise for me. Oh, and 3) I did receive a lot of positive feedback throughout the process of losing weight. Those NSVs are important to a grrl, eh. Since then I have lost a lot more weight but this has been due to cancer. My band is currently defilled but my appetite is returning and I am thinking that I am going to need filling up fairly soon.

How does zero calorie and zero sugar diet pop cause you to gain weight? I see Chrystal Light talked about here a lot and it has aspartame and a list of chemicals longer than diet pop. Why is that recommend over diet pop? Just because a doctor says so is not good enough for me. When I was a kid our family doctor told us we would all have heart attacks if we continued to eat eggs. Anti eggs was the fad back then and most doctors went with it. Now eggs are considered a super food. What happened? Why did doctors suddenly change? Diet pop has been out for 50 years and yet there are very few studies that actually study causation. The ones I have found show that people do not gain anymore weight by drinking diet pop. I personally have lost 70 pounds and counting drinking diet pop. None of the ingredients in diet pop has been proven to cause weight gain. Diet pop is just a carbonated version of Water and Chrystal Light. Never listen to a doctor. Just do what ever you think is right.

Girl do not beat yourself up over this! If it feels like a trigger for you then stay away from those items however two french fries and an onion ring are not going to kill you. The grease from them may make you feel yucky but eating just those two things every once in a while isn't going to cause weight gain. Keep with your program and follow your head, not those sneaky stomachs!

Ok I've been reading this thread for days. Round and round we go. This is my personal experience with carbonated beverages post sleeve. It is not to be construed as advice one way or another. Just one person's take on this subject. I drank a few sips of Dr Pepper about a week post op. Only 3 or 4 small sips because the carbonation made me feel like I'd explode. Nothing bad happened. I drank a little of it here and there, never could manage more than a few small drinks but I certainly had some any time I wanted it. Nothing bad happened. At 3 years out I will sometimes get a small Coke or whatever at 7-11 if I want one. I can drink the small size but it takes a while due to the carbonation making me feel like a big balloon. I prefer Slurpees. I can drink a small one in about 30 minutes and it satisfies any urge I have to drink Cokes. I have one or 2 each week ( ok maybe 3 sometimes) and they are delicious. Again, nothing bad happened. My sleeve works great, it sure as heck hasn't stretched, and I do not have a problem with gaining weight. If I gain a pound or 2 occasionally I just cut out the candy and slurpees for a few days and the pounds fall off. I eat what I want, drink what I want, and have done so since week 2 post op. I'm healthy, have a fully functioning sleeve, and am doing very well. No stretching of the sleeve, no uncontrollable weight gain, no adverse consequence.

Yeah I had a huge argument yesterday with family haha they think I shouldn't lose anymore and it just baffles me... I only want 5 more kilos to go too! I just checked my BMI and I'm in the healthy range haha wow! At the end of the healthy range but still in it! My gym membership fell through.. Really wanna get into the gym just so expensive.. I definitely need to tone up quite a bit.. Maybe it isn't so much weight but more tightening up a little I dunno! Hate my arms and legs! ALSO been one year since banding, no weight gain very happy, that in itself is a success as well as the 40kgs I've lost I'd like to get into a size 10 my family make me feel like I'm severely underweight or something and that I see myself as obese... I feel like I'm realistic, I know that I'm average weight, a little chubby at the moment.. I just want a little extra off haha they drive me crazy. And they're all smaller than me!!! Maybe they think we'll be too hot?

Hi. I am new to posting on this site, but not browsing LOL! Anyway, I also have UHC, and I checked online to see that my insurance does allow gastric bypass surgery so I'm assuming that they allow the lap band. Anyway, like others, mine says I have to have a BMI of 40, but I only have a BMI of 37. I know I am getting on up in there into high cholesterol and I believe I have some form of sleap apnea. I have not been to the doctor in over a year, but the doctor I used to go to was trying to help me lose weight with pills. I did loose about 30 lbs. but gained it all back. I don't think it's been 5 years since I had been seeing that dr. but it would be close. I am wondering if there is any chance I could be approved or should I not waste my time. I know I will probably try anyway, I just hate to be shot down. I want to stop the weight gain before I get too big. I know I'm big now, but I also know it can get a lot worse.

I think you should be ok just stick to it as best as you can Its important and I think you will be very happy with the surgery I know I am Im at almost 90 pds lost and last summer I was feeling so lost and out of control and not having a way to stop the weight gain this was the only way for me.

Do NOT let yourself get upset over this weight gain. You have been in the hospital for several days now and no doubt with IV fluids being pumped in 24/7, right? I gained 6 pounds in one day being in the hospital! It came off very quickly once off the fluids. Any new updates from the docs on your condition? Did you surgeon ever come by to see you and if so, what was his excuse for not coming over the weekend? I am thinking about you daily.

Definitely a good idea to read up on ketosis. I think people who have never been on Atkins or South Beach don't understand how it differs from a straight-up low calorie diet. That transition into ketosis is no fun! And the water-weight gain from storing glycogen again is going to upset people who put a lot of stock into what their scale says.

:help:I have been on here as a guest for about a year now and finally got banded on the 24th of Nov. here in Kuwait..it was much cheaper and I was fortunate that the doctor from Sweden who taught my doctor was here and did it! I got a new band, I even got to keep the box, lol! It was less healing time, I was on liquids a week and lost about 10lbs. Then went to mushies and I have been on solids a couple weeks..my first fill is this saturday. I have maintained at 10-12lbs loss, but get depressed when I see all of y'all at 26-30lbs loss..what are you doing different? I do notice some of you are working out with a trainer and at gyms..don't have that here since they are soo expensive here and I work and have a 3 yr old so not alot of time. I did start walking again. My back story is I gained 60lbs with my pregnancy, he is 3 1/2 and I have been losing/gaining the same 20lbs ever since never more than that! I did nutrisystem and would lose a lil then it stopped coming off..I am sooo scared that I will not lose with the band, I have been depressed and negative since the weight gain and feel like "it will never happen to me". The before and after thread has been very inspiring for sure! Just wondering if y'all can give me any tips/advice/encouragement that this WILL work for me! I was always a "thick" 12-14 girl skinny but big butted kinda gal, lol but never "fat" til after the pregnancy and I want to be healthy! I am excited about this and I know once I get the fills and finally hit my "sweet" spot it will start flowing..but is that true does it really "fall" off? What has been your experience as far as weight loss and I am not sure how to word this I have been reading countless threads and I know but when it is you personally it is soo different, make sense? I just really want to be successful at this and I am the type that needs step by steps. I am eating healthier and smaller portions. Hubby has even commented on the smaller portions..thanks everyone and congrats on making the change in your lives! I wish you all the best and success in the world! God bless catie

Take your scale out back and smash it with a sledge hammer. You are sabotaging yourself. Seriously I never weighed myself throughout my losing process. I never had a stall or a gain. Always happy with the progress because I only got weighed at my doctors office. As long as you are following your doctors plan you will make it. You also have to remember you are still healing. Your body is under attack and it is trying to adjust. You are still flushing out the meds they gave you and your body is also starting to flush out the toxins you stored up. That does not happen over night. That will happen a long the way as well. But you are not in a place right now to worry about a stall or weight gain. As long as you are looking straight ahead and doing what you are suppose to do. You will be who you want to be. Okay hun!

I just want to step in and say to Frumpy, regardless of the weight gain, please take the GERD seriously. I am just a month out from revision to bypass that was necessary because of multiple ulcers and inflammation that occurred despite me taking nexium since my surgery in 2013 and never actually feeling heartburn. We don't have much stomach left after sleeve and we can't afford for GERD to damage it. Gastric bypass makes GERD practically impossible because the bile duct is in a different part of the system from the esophagus and stomach after the bypass. I'm not saying you need bypass but you need to be monitoring the situation with your doctor.

I weigh every day. It keeps me focused. and acts as a gentle daily reminder to file in the back of my head for the rest of the day. I found in past dieting that when I weighed daily, I did better....no kidding myself that having that piece of cake won't make that much difference....and most of the time, it is a positive reinforcer. The thing is, occasional weight gain is inevitable-- Water retention, body chemistry changes, whatever. I have had times when I am eating and taking in liquids perfectly (I keep daily track of all that), and I stay the same weight for days--then all of a sudden, I lose 2 lbs overnight! So please don't get discouraged about occasional weight gain...it's just that if it's on-going, that may take some re-evaluating. Please don't worry about the weight gain right after surgery. My doc said almost everyone does. Your body went through so much, including lots of gas, water retention, etc. You'll feel so much better about everything in a week or two. AND, if you are taking any pain meds, that means constipation! Best of luck to you! I think you will do great!

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?

Dating terrifies me! I mean seriously...I tried computer dating for awhile and panicked anytime a man PM'd me or tried to chat. I've had therapists in the past who saw me for chronic pain and PTSD issues and they always came around to the "Why aren't you dating?" thing...which I refused to speak of as a problem. Makes me kinda sad. (especially since I write romance novels!! LOL!) In fact, I sometimes wonder if the weight gain was a defense mechanism.

I think there's a huge connection between weight gain/failure to lose for some of us. I could justify my lack of interest from my ex because of my weight and pretend things were otherwise ok - they weren't. Once we separated, my weight kept me from looking for a new relationship or even casual dating. It was a physical barrier and I think I subconsciously didn't want to lose it. It kept the world away from me. When I started to feel better about me, I didn't want to be ill (I had 2 comorbidities including diabetes) or fat any more. I didn't want to be hidden. So, while starting dating frightens me, it's also exciting. It's not just that I am ready to meet someone new, it also signals that I feel good about me, no need to hide :-)

@ Niki15 It's frustrating but don't fret too much over slow weight loss. I lost slowly with episodes of weight gain in between. My routine included daily exercise & following my low carb diet rules to the letter. It felt like a living nightmare. I lost the weight after 17 months but nothing I did would speed things up. Keep at it. You may not have a quick start but eventually it will happen.

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.

I just want to thank NGM for starting this thread, being a S-L-O-W loser can be very frustrating. It took me ten days post up just to lose my weight gain from surgery. The irony of going through the surgery and my weight being up was heartbreaking. But now the scale is starting to move and I know I've done the right thing for myself. This a life changing decision and its not so important to get there first but to get there and stay there. God bless you all and it is nice to know that I'm not alone and sharing my struggle with all of you.

Hi! I was banded on Dec. 18th! I was so excited and expected a lot at the beginning. I lost some weight the first couple of weeks. But not as much as many others in my group at the doctor's office. Around my 4th week, I began to be able to eat as much as I wanted; and now, I can't even tell I've been banded. My weight gain since the band has kind of discouraged me. I get my first adjustment today and am hoping that the weight loss starts again. Did anyone else have a slow start?

Dear Bfyne: Wish I knew your real name :-). Thank you so very much for writing us such a detailed and informative letter on your experience with Cigna so far. Congratulations!! I would love to know how you are progressing post-op? How are you feeling? Hope you are as positive as ever? I was so excited when I saw your BMI. I too have CIGNA and my BMI is 36/37 with no comorbities, only high cholesterol and a recent back problem that the Chiropractor said was due to weight gain. I know these aren't on the "list" but I am praying that they will be taken into consideration. My PCP said he would be willing to recommend surgery only problem is the local surgeon said I wouldn't qualify! At least that's what the office staff said when I called to make an appt. (Dr. Geiss in LI, NY) ...they said my BMI was too low and that I needed a 38 BMI with high blood pressure or diabetes or 40 with no co-morbities. Typical American Doctor who only wants to treat the sick and forget preventative medicine! I know I will find a doctor who would do it but it makes me nervous that CIGNA would pay for it now. I do have 6 months doc supervised doc. under my belt. No proof of weight watchers but have been on every diet know to man with no major weight loss except for ATKINS and that was 13 lbs. ...amazing you lost 88!! I have been overweight for the past 10 years since my last pregnancy. I am miserable at this size please send a prayer. thanks for everything.

LOL! That cracked me up about the food police thing. Your right, my family has tried that a few times and they get met with a very insulted look. Considering they are all still gaining weight from eating and drinking whatever they want, I figure at least I'm on the downward trend. If I want to splurge once in awhile they can deal with it. I can't think of a time since being banded where a splurge has ever caused a weight gain. I typically will plateau for several weeks at a time but it stays pretty stable. I don't know how many times I have gone in to weigh thinking I've gained 10 pounds to actually find I've either stayed the same or lost a few pounds. One of the nicest things you could do is rub your partner's back when she gets a stuck feeling. I get a huge cramp when I get stuck and that really feels good. Teresa

OK, I'm pulling out all my Heart CDs and rocking out the rest of the 4th. Photonut and Diva, loved your posts that took me back to college and my favorite group. Ann Wilson really didn't get heavy till 1980. The video "Alone" was the first to only show her head and not full body. Still she was beautiful!! Heather, if you don't know the music, get a greatest hits CD. It empowers women and is great storytelling. Nancy Wilson is married to Cameron Crowe, who was the subject of "Almost Famous" and "Elizabethtown" -- both autobiographical. Ann is at menopause now, so that could be part of the recent weight gain -- if she isn't exercising. Ann adopted her daughter Marie in 1991 and her son Dustin in 1998. The lapband surgery came around in 2002. As a singer, I could understand removing the band because of reflux. Her voice is her paycheck.