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Karey yes. I was told that depending on my mindset, situation on child bearing (if I was done) then I should consider waiting 6 months from reaching goal weight or 20lbs above goal weight to have plastic surgery. Would make no sense to have a tt when you haven't given your skin time to bounce back, however....for me... I have always had a small flap, even before my son. I was ..oh gosh 120lbs - 140lbs and still had a pouch. I knew I'd get it right away because I knew the flap would never go away. The doctors that I consulted with did not disagree with me when I told them about my history with my pouch. They seemed to not be against the surgery. My surgeon was the only one to question every aspect of my weight loss and my plastic surgery goals and expectations. He factored in the weight I was before the sudden weight gain. My weight gain was due to pregnancy in 2001. I was 145lbs before my pregnancy with my daughter, then shot up to 240lbs. He asked me how active I was before the gain..which I was always very active. I swam alot, took aerobics classes 4 times per week and some light weight training. He then asked me how long ago I was banded and how much have i lost with the band. Asked me about my new eating habits, etc. Alot of probing and finally ...an "OK, I think you're ready".

Sleeved on 5/22 and went in at 299.5, highest weight of my life. This morning I was 275. Thankfully I didn't have the water weight gain but we all have our problems. Maybe it was a trade out for the vomiting blood, and severe spasms due to hernia repair (I didn't know I had). Ill admit day 1-3 I was hating life and was definitely one of the 'OMG what have I done!' people. Today tho is day 12, and each day has gotten a little better. I track EVERYTHING on my fitness pal app and I'm getting at least 60oz of liquid and 60 protein....finally. Still having spasms occasionally and the tightness/bloating nearly every time I eat. I'm guessing from hernia repair. My diet phases seem to be different then most i've seen on here. I went home on full liquids and moved to soft foods after one week. Everything seems to be looking up. I'm starting to get excited about losing weight

Must go and live life today.. Including getting blood tests to show everything is good and in track But I wanted to put this out there.. This is me. I'm doing well, but this is me I have OCD and it may make things a little more challenging at times.. Thank you for indulging me Compulsive overeating, also sometimes called food addiction, is characterized by the compulsive eating of food. Professionals address this with either a behavior therapy model or a food-addiction model.[1] An individual suffering from compulsive overeating engages in frequent episodes of uncontrolled eating, or binge eating, during which she or he may feel frenzied or out of control, often consuming food past the point of being comfortably full. Bingeing in this way is generally followed by feelings of guilt and depression. Unlike individuals with bulimia, compulsive overeaters do not attempt to compensate for their bingeing with purging behaviors such as fasting, laxative use, or vomiting. Compulsive overeaters will typically eat when they are not hungry. Their obsession is demonstrated in that they spend excessive amounts of time and thought devoted to food, and secretly plan or fantasize about eating alone. Compulsive overeating usually leads to weight gain and obesity, but is not the only cause of obesity. While compulsive overeaters tend to be overweight or obese, persons of normal or average weight can also be affected. In addition to binge eating, compulsive overeaters can also engage in grazing behavior, during which they return to pick at food throughout the day. These things result in a large overall number of calories consumed even if the quantities eaten at any one time may be small. When a compulsive eater overeats primarily through bingeing, he or she can be said to have binge eating disorder. Signs and symptoms Binge eating, or eating uncontrollably even when not physically hungry Eating much more rapidly than normal Eating alone due to shame and embarrassment Feelings of guilt due to overeating Preoccupation with body weight Depression or mood swings Awareness that eating patterns are abnormal Rapid weight gain or sudden onset of obesity Significantly decreased mobility due to weight gain History of weight fluctuations Withdrawal from activities because of embarrassment about weight History of many different unsuccessful diets Eating little in public, but maintaining a high body weight Very low self-esteem and feeling need to eat greater and greater amounts. Addiction During binges, compulsive overeaters may consume from 5,000 to 15,000 food calories daily, resulting in a temporary release from psychological stress through an addictive high not unlike that experienced through drug abuse. In bulimics, this high may be intensified by the act of purging. Researchers have speculated there is an abnormality of endorphin metabolism in the brain of binge eaters that triggers the addictive process. This is in line with other theories of addiction that attribute it not to avoidance of withdrawal symptoms, but to a primary problem in the reward centers of the brain. For the compulsive overeater, the ingestion of trigger foods causes release of the neurotransmitter, serotonin. This could be another sign of neurobiological factors contributing to the addictive process. Abstinence from addictive food and food eating processes causes withdrawal symptoms in those with eating disorders. There may be higher levels of depression and anxiety due to the decreased levels of serotonin in the individual.[2] There are complexities with the biology of compulsive eating that separate it from a pure substance abuse analogy. Food is a complex mixture of chemicals that can affect the body in multiple ways, which is magnified by stomach-brain communication. In some ways, it may be much more difficult for compulsive overeaters to recover than drug addicts. There is an anecdotal saying among Overeaters Anonymous members that "when you are addicted to drugs you put the tiger in the cage to recover; when you are addicted to food you put the tiger in the cage, but take it out three times a day for a walk."[2] The physical explanation of compulsive overeating may be attributed to an overeaters' increased tendency to secrete insulin at the sight and smell of food, though medical evidence supporting this is controversial.[3] Research has found a link between the sugar and fat content of foods and bingeing behaviors.[4]

Hi there. I had my lapband fitted about 5 years ago. Until recently I had no problems with it. I lost weight initially. But have since put plenty back on. Now I get substantial pain in my abdomen. I'm no doctor. But I feel as if my weight gain is somehow pulling on my lapband around my abdomen. It almost feels like it is moving around in there. Its really uncomfortable to say the least. I can almost feel the tubing in there.

Had my sleeve at age 59. Lost 105 pounds in first 10 months and maintained. Gained 10 at year 2; lost 10 at year 2.5; lost 5 at year 3. I was a crazy nut about following my bari program (eating and lifestyle change) exactly for the first 2 years. I've relaxed a bit now because I am confident in how I control my choices. Used to be a power walker (up to 10 miles a day), but had to give that up 'cuz of hip problems. Exercise now is very limited, just walking 30 min/day on soft carpet, and Water aerobics 2-3x/week. I DO think about the natural weight gain thing because of aging, but so far so good. I have identified that those starchy carbs are my enemy so hopefully staying away from them will keep my weight stable. I do have those flappy bat wings now that I could do without, but in the "big picture" I'll live with 'em!

First, breath. I know it is frustrating when the scale gets stuck or, worse still, goes up. It happens. I have had several instances of 5 pound weight gain...overnight. Yes, I weigh myself every morning (there are many folks who advise against this but I have my reasons). My practice is dangerous 'cause I catch my short duration weight fluctuations. See a post, from a few weeks ago, by gamergirl. She was similarly disturbed by apparent weight stalls/increases. As she graphed her weight over time her increases/stalls smoothed out and she saw her amazing trend downward. I think her "long view" is wise and wonderful for us all. Too close a look at our moment by moment weight can make us nuts as well as give us a false impression of our overall success.

Tonya, I am totally thinking about you this morning . . . . I started a new maintenace medication for my migraines last Tuesday and weighed this morning - I am up 4 pounds in 8 days. Grrrrr - one of the known side effects of 'neurotin' is weight gain and my Neurologist and I talked about that before I agreed to take it. She told me if I see a gain, then she will give me something else, so guess who I'll be calling at 9am? I am not taking another one of those stupid pills . . . I haven't been able to tell a difference anyway, so it's not like it was my 'miracle med.' So - I have got to get back on track. I need to watch what I eat more closely and get back to exercising. At this mornings weight, I want to lose 20 more pounds . . .

I would like to join the club, but I will wait for next month's challenge. my highest weight I think was 206 weight on date of surgery was 205 my current wt and wt on day that I joined is 189 and my goal weight is 120 I am 5"2' , 30 yrs old and all my weight is from my stomach to my knees, lol. I am pear shapped and have HUGE hips that I can't wait to be gone for good! It puts me so out of proportion that if you ask me what size I am, I couldn't tell you. I am a wife of 14 yrs and a mom of 3. 2 boys 14 and 11 and a daughter almost 8. I weighed 98 lbs when I got pg for son #1 and gained 65 lbs as the stupid nurses and MD just shook their heads instead of giving me suggestions on how to avoid excessive wt gain. I lost some of the weight then gained a ton of it back. I did good with weight gain during my last 2 pregnancies but in between is where I gained all the weight. I love food and I have poor control. I have lost 17 lbs and I have 69 more to go. I can't wait to join the next challenge. Thanks for all of the support that I have already gotten!

Hi I've been banded since 8-23-13. I haven't done real well about 24 lbs. But I take 29 pills a day some are weight gaining and I've not had a fill yet. Do you know when lapbandtalk.com switched to bariatricpal.com? I havent6 found it in over 3 weeks. Just dense I guess. Anyhow the way I fiund my dr ( Grossbard) by googling. I'm sure you know how to do that but also call other drs to ask for recommendatons. Good luck on your journey.

ok guys, I need help! I am holding steady at the same weight. I am mostly eating the right things and now walking 2 miles a day 4-5 days a week and going hiking on saturdays for at least 2 miles, sometimes more. I write down everything I eat and I'm going back over the last couple weeks. It seems I get on average of about 1000-1200 cal a day give or take (if I stay away from peanut m&ms!). I eat about 200 cal every couple of hours for about 5 mini-to-avg meals a day. My main focus is to get enough Protein because my biggest fear is my hair falling out. I do take a couple of meds that are on my doctor's list to cause weight gain so wondering if this is an issue also... I've had 1 fill but now have little restriction and just keep my meals small. Am I eating too much? What is the average calories per day you guys are eating? give me some ideas of meals you eat?

@@PuraVida37 I guess it is a good thing to enjoy every stage of pregnancy. I have had terrible pregnancies with really high sugars in the past and so my doctor was hesitant about me getting unfilled. Since I have been pregnant I have not had to have ridiculous amounts of insulin injections everyday and he is actually surprised that I havent gone up on my insulin since I started 25 weeks ago (im only insulin dependent when Im prego). So, I guess it all depends on the situation. Ive actually lost weight since I started. I started at 245 and weighed in at 243 when I went to get unfilled. My surgeon/doc told me that he will just take out 1 cc so that I dont have to start from the beginning when I want to start filling my band again. I got the 1cc out yesterday and already feel a world of difference with my eating, so I have to be careful not to go crazy with it. I have about 9 more weeks to go so I will just monitor what I eat and try to make better choices. My port is higher up on my abdomen, towards the left. It gave me problems/pain in the beginning of my pregnancy but not anymore. Only thing now is that its starting be get pushed out and so I can feel it more. Hope it doesnt protrude out of my belly. LOL. Good luck to you. Hope all goes well with your pregnancy. This is still a fun event so just enjoy it and dont worry about the weight gain too much. That's what my hubby tries to remind me. LOL...and besides, were growing humans in us, so we can gain a little weight

OK, I might as well weigh in on this thread as I am waiting for a date. Everything is done except for the nutrition meeting next Monday. They will not set a date until after the nutrition meeting, so I am hoping the date will be at least by early July. Starting at 430 for my welcome to medicare physical April 24. I had lost from about that point to 398 on Atkins in spring of 2006 before spending 9 months working in New Orleans living in a hotel and gained it all back, again. Over the years, I have lost several clones of me on Atkins but no long term net loss. My LB doctor requires a 2 week liver shrinking liquid diet before surgery and they will not give me any information until the nutrition meeting. For you that have done the pre surgery liquid diet, is something like Atkins canned shakes acceptable for that period or even productive? Is beef and chicken broth with Protein powder better? Or should I go with egg drop Soup from the local chinese restaurant with Protein Powder added? Or all of the above? I would like to hear from some of you guys in addition and in advance of a clinical nutritionist. An additional topic or two. My Doctor and his group recommend Crystal Light for a drink with this LB long term regimen. I love CL peach tea but have become a little alarmed about the aspartame. I have read that aspartame works on the brain to increase head hunger. Anyone have any information about this? So many foods available at restaurants and in grocery stores have MSG in them now and I read that the glutemate in MSG causes a brain reaction that also causes weight gain. Nyone have any information on that as well? Jim

My band has slipped. I went for an esphogram yesterday and it shows that the majority of my stomach has slipped up through the band. I have to go for another surgery. I need to meet with my surgeon on Nov 10th. I am unsure as to what my options are insurence wise. I am thinking about switching to the VSG, but I'm not sure. Doing my research about it. I think my surgeon is going to direct me to just getting a new band, or just moving the one that is in there already. Not sure what to do. For now I have an open band and hope for very little weight gain during this time. Sorry I have not been on the boards often at all. Good to see some familiar names around. Congrats to all that made it to goal and keep up the good work to all who keep using their band...the tool we chose. Christine

Robin, FANTASTIC on the weight loss! You've done a really great job - time to update your signature stats! And I'm sorry that stuff with your man isn't as easy as you might have hoped. Relationship stuff is hard - there are so many different factors that go into making something feel good or bad at any given moment. Are you SURE that he's not being as loving as he was? Could it just be that you're disappointed that he hasn't become MORE loving as you've lost weight? Could it be that he's feeling competitive with you, and feeling like he's losing because you've done well while he has struggled? I think the whole weight loss thing is a tricky business. We got overweight for a reason - obvs because we ate too much, but we ate too much for a reason, and we ignored our weight gain for a reason, and we probably found some benefits from being at our high weights. The thing is, when the weight goes, the reasons we got that way in the first piece don't really disappear along with the weight, and we're left a bit dazed and confused at some level. This isn't to say losing weight isn't a great and exhilarating hting, just that it's... complicated. So you lose weight, and perhaps your drives come back more vigorous than they were before, and your husband, struggling with his weight still, hasn't caught up to you at that level. Perhaps your husband is worried you'll lose weight and leave him for someone cuter. Perhaps he feels judged by you, judged as a failure because you've lost and he hasn't. Perhaps he's frustrated by his lack of loss right now, and blames you for putting him through an ordeal which hasn't yet yielded any results for him. And then there are all the reasons why all couples sometimes have difficulties - money worries, work stress, exhaustion etc etc. There are so many things it could be - assuming it's even a real change, rather than something you're imagining - but I think the first step in dealing with all of them is to open up a dialogue. Which will probably be hard to do, at least at first. Most guys don't like to talk about their feelings, and if you make him feel pressured, imply that he's not performing, he'll likely clam up. You know him best, know how to talk to him, know how to get him to relax before you introduce your concerns, know how to keep him comfortable and get him to talk. I think that has to be your first step - if he's not giving you the love you need, he'll likely become defensive, so just encourage him to talk, remind him how you care etc etc. It's always a tricky conversation to have - such a sensitive topic! But you know him and love him, and I'm sure you can find a way to make it OK for him... Good luck!

Hi all. Im just stopping in. thanks for the thoughts and well wishes. It has not been a good trip. One hour my mom askes me to help her die. the next she is talking about what she wants for dinner next week. we are trying to keep her home but it is taking a toll on my dad who has his own health problems. none of us kids live anywhere near them. I have not been paying to much attention to what Im eating. Unfortunatly it is my families eating habits that have alot to do with my weight gain. food is love. I did get to a gym today. I got a day pass. did cardio, took a class and swam laps. I really needed to work my body and detach my mind. it was good. maybe i will sleep tonight. Again thanks for asking about me. christine I am so sorry you are again having that stomach pain. I hope the tests friday give you some answers. fenton a little bright spot, I gave my dad your book to read a while ago. he made a point of telling me to "tell your friend that was one good book" So there you go.

Long2bthin...I am preparing myself that I will gain when I have my surgery. I have never been in the hospital that I did not gain. Ticks me off that have to go through it and come out weighing more. Your 8lb weight gain is not unusual and b/4 you know it, it will be gone and you can continue on your weight loss journey.

Hi All, Long time since I've been on the boards but my new year's resolution is to come back. My surgery was June 2010. I've had weight gain issues. I'm probably about 135 lbs now--still a healthy weight but 1) I'm afraid of continuing to go up and up and 2) I really did feel better at 120 lbs. Sooo, what to do? Considering 5:2. Actually, I'm doing a modified 5:2 this week because I have a (routine) colonoscopy on Thursday. My doctor has a two day fasting protocol. I am on day one. so far, so good.

Melissa- I have Empire BCBS of NY. I was told by one coordinator that the 6-months diet was mandatory, but by a second coordinator (two days later) that it was not?! I submitted paperwork that listed 5 months and was approved very quickly (2 days). I had an arsenal of met requirements and left nothing to chance. Document EVERYTHING, fax a copy to your surgeon and keep one for yourself. I think my submittal had over 100 pages of "stuff" including: PCP letter personal "mission statement" lol psych eval/support cardiologist suport/EKG/Echo nutritional eval pulmonolgist support/eval apnea study/report endocrinologist report/support letter dr's visits for over 5 years (including thyroid issues, pregnancy...weight gain & loss) gym membership receipt weight watchers "thru the years" I copied & faxed myself silly. My surgeon's office said it was the quickest approval they've see. I suppose my OCDs pay off sometimes. I'm not certain that all I did was necessary....but it was all well worth it. I'm 16 days post-surgery and feel better than I have in YEARS. Best of luck to you!

yes, I get dizzy if I miss just one dose of any SSRI, and prozac made me horribly agitated and I would guess you could call it psychotic. I have taken paxil, luvox, and most currently cymbalta and all have caused weight gain(increased appetite).

I think you had a unique situation because you needed to get off a drug because of bad side effects and having withdrawal symptoms that were not helped with the paxil. I've been on both drugs and have had good results with both. Of course one size does not fit all. I've totally gone off my meds before to go on Meridia and I remember how uncomforable the withdrawal phase was and then the un-med phase was just as bad or worse. Dizzy is one way to describe it although it's a different kind of dizzy. I also got what I call "brain sparks" which happened over a course of a couple of weeks and that is really awful. Even today if I miss a dose by 12 hours I'll get them, it's a little reminder of sorts I suppose. Recently I was researching on line because I was having those "brain sparks" and found all sorts of blogs from people describing issues they had going off effexor, so that must be one of those drugs that a lot of people have had probs with during withdrawal. Now a days if I'm going off an antidepressant I'm usually switching so depending on which drugs they are it can be done at the same time, lower dose of the first drug and adding the new one. My doctor usually informs me of the proper way to do it and I usually have no probs. I'm kind of surprised that a doctor wouldn't know about side effects on withdrawals from these types of meds. I have been on those "zombie" type drugs but mainly they were anti-anxiety types. Forgive me if I ask or re-ask if you're seeing a psych doctor or a regular doctor. Have you been diagnosed with something in particular? I think sometimes a lot of people don't like taking these types of drugs because they don't like the feeling like they're losing control of themselves. When I was first seeing my psych I believe I was crying at almost every visit in the beginning, my emotions were running rampant and I also had a very agitated side that was not good. Once she put me on my first antidepressant, sorry don't remember the name as it was a long time ago, those tears dried up and the lashing outs, diarrhea (yes that too) and the vulnerable feelings I was having disappeared. It's not to say that I don't ever cry but I cry when I'm supposed to, not all day long! I admit the loss of sex drive, plus I'm perimenopausal so could also contribute and weight gain are things that do bother me but I could not live without my meds anymore. Your doctor has to find the right diagnosis for you and the right combo of therapy and meds and of course the right combo of meds. Some people being misdiagnosed can be a problem, for example people who are bipolar and put on antidepressants. Not all bipolar people are alike. You typically think of manic highs and lows but some never have the highs only the lows so it can be tricky and if they're put on antidepressants it's not going to help and could do harm. Plus it takes awhile for you to get the full effects of the drug once you start. I went from Cymbalta to Pristiq but they are very similar in drug class and I've had the Cymbalta in my system for years but when you start it's a different situation. For some people they may have a bad reaction and need to stop like you did on effexor but there's no reason not to try another one. Some people do feel good right away and some it may take awhile. Anyway my big mouth has rambled on enough, lol. But I do hope you can find the right help for yourself and the right med that will help you feel better soon, nanook:smile:

I was fat because I ate more calories than my body burned. That simple. But in all honesty, it all started with a brain tumor (on my pituitary gland) which basically wreaked havoc on my hormones and adrenal functions. But once that got treated I still found it difficult to lose because I'd developed all kinds of bad habits when going throguh the terrible depressing 200+ pound weight gain in a 6-month period from the tumor. Anyway, that's behind me. It's up to me to lose the rest and, with the band, I know I can!

Lifestyle more than anything else has been my problem. I had a wonderful childhood, great mother and family. Up until the last few years I have been very active, played lots of golf and worked 100 hour weeks for 30 years. I was able to do so because I required little sleep and in general was in very good health considering my weight. . I strongly feel that my problem was that I was on the road a lot and relied mostly on fast food (about 2/3 of all meals). I graduated from high school weghing 180 pounds From 1965 to 1988 I gained about 250 pounds. Since 1988 I am down about 30 pounds from a high of about 475. In retrospect I was gaining about 1 pound a month, that's a little over 100 calories a day. I have a wife who also is heavy and loves to snack at night, an additional problem since seeing her eat triggered my appetite. Looking back it seems that it would have taken so little to avoid my tremendous weight gain, eliminating a piece of bread, soda etc daily would have made a huge difference. Since 1988 I have needed to change eating habits to keep from gaining and aditional weight. At first it was eliminating the soda, then late night snacking etc. Now I eat a very heathy diet with very few refined carbs and that is what is required simply to stay even. I am due for lapband surgery soon and hopefully I can drop enough weight to start exercising so I can increase my metabolism. As you would expect I have constant back pain and joint problems. Moving from the midwest to the Northwest has been an eye opener. There is no question that there is more emphasis here on a healthy life style. People are far more active and make better eating choices. I also now have many neighbors from their 40's to mid 80's who are extremely fit. My friends back in the midwest were all heavy, ate lots of unhealthy food and exercised little. For years I passed the buck and simply blamed genetics and thought that poeple who were thin were simply born with "skinny genes". I am sure that helps, but my neighbors are all very disiplined about exercising and they eat very healthy diets, that more than anything else accounts for difference between us. So friends, in my case lifestyle and lack of self disipline has been my downfall.

Yes, right here! While I lost 85 lbs initially, the complications I had with the band (inability to eat due to getting stuck on freaking Water, constant vomiting, hernia, constant pain, etc) caused me to have to get the band completely unfilled. This lead to a 50 lb weight gain. While my band was unfilled, I did three rounds of Insanity, Weight Watchers, South Beach Diet, T25, did 5Ks twice a month, and STILL gained all that weight back. Now that I've had the sleeve about two months, I've lost 57 lbs with very minor issues (reflux, but it's treatable with an acid blocker). I wish I'd done the sleeve the first time, but I always have to do things the hard way. Do what is right for you, but go in with your eyes open. I wish you the very best of luck! Heather

Well for me, being fat has been a life long struggle. From childhood to age 17 I was VERY active, on soccer teams, dance, tap, cheerleading, gymnastics, then when I was in 7th grade my school started a swim team. I always loved to swim and I thought I was pretty good, so I tried out, and I made it, from 7th grade until when I dropped out in 11th, I was a competitive swimmer. I worked out 6x a week 2-3 hours a day. And guess what? I was the second biggest girl on the team! I wasn't consuming huge amounts of food besides the night before a meet when we carb loaded. After I dropped out, that's when things went downhill. I started realizing that there was something wrong, like why couldn't I be a normal size when I was working out so much. Well then came college a few months later, and being such a shy person, I didn't ever want to go to the gym alone, so I rarely went. Then I left that school, got a job, had no means of working out really. Then I was back in school, but still didn't work out, and basically I haven't really worked out since I left high school. I did discover that the constant weight gain was due to PCOS, and that I was almost fighting a losing battle. Finding out about the PCOS was such a breakthrough it explained a lot, like dark black facial hair, yeah, how embarrassing. Late 2008 I finally decided to look into weight loss surgery. Now I'm STILL trying to get surgery, having difficulty due to stupid doctors who are big babies, or assholes. But I'm close.

I most closely relate to the reason Jack said hewas fat. It is about control for me. I first started gaining weight consistently since 1997 when I moved in with my now husband. It is the first time I was away from home, and away from a controlling and abusive family. When I moved into my new place I had ULTIMATE control. I could eat when I want, what I wanted, and as much as I wanted. That is exactly what I did. Also, my husband is a huge eater. I would sit with him and think that he would eat everything if I didn't take it first. So, I ended up eating more than I wanted or needed. All that plus little exercise=weight gain.