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Here's a bariatric-friendly recipe you could try at home! One of the things I've been really proactive about doing while I'm still on liquids is trying to find recipes NOW that mimic foods I used to have but are healthier swaps. These are things that my whole family could enjoy in their portion size but at the same time allow me to eat without fear of weight gain. There's lots of great books and websites out there! Spend an hour or two just browsing google and amazon and you're sure to find some awesome stuff.

Thanks! By writing here it not only helps me keep tract of things but I guess it can help others too. My last doc visit a few weeks ago they lowered my meds even more so I doubt they would put me back on this (I was taking this along with my Lisinopril for my high BP which has now been LOTS better which is why they lowered my meds). That's why I was wondering what else, aside from water, would/could act as a good diuretic naturally so that I don't have to worry about this water weight gain/stall again.

What is surgical menopause? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App In the beginning of January I had a hysterectomy (uterus removed), along with both ovaries & fallopian tubes. Once your ovaries are gone, you go into instant menopause. They call it surgical menopause. The symptoms are much worse than regular menopause. I have terrible hot flashes, night sweats, and it can cause weight gain...so I am very glad I had the Sleeve. The good news...No more periods! I am very happy about that.

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.

AS IF SUMMONED FROM THE MISTS OF TIME - I reappear! Hey all. I'm back. I see that a few of us have had rough months, but the important thing is we're still in the game. I did really badly in March, I completely let myself go. Ate TERRIBLY, blah blah blah. It's been super high stress here, eased a bit now. And I enjoyed eating badly, or, at least, parts of it, but I've had enough of that, and want to get back up on the horse. So I'm just back from getting a fill, and now, I suspect, I'll have some real restriction. It's a good feeling, actually, getting back to what I know I should've been doing all along. And we have some great role models here - Scrappy and Andrew stand out, but I think we've all done pretty well for a year out. One thing that's hard is finding time for exercise (at least right now, when I have major time constraints). I'm working out at least twice a week with my trainer, who's great (after my last session, I told her that I felt like the town hooker after a particularly busy Fleet Week), but I've not been doing as much cardio since they re-arranged the machines - now it feels like you're getting on stage if you ever step onto a treadmill. Anyway, I'll get back to cardio. But I ain't weighing-in until next Friday! I don't think I could take the full-on hit of my weight gain tomorrow, and a week'll let me get rid of the Water weight and a little more... SO. Good to be back! Nice to see you all!

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!

After putting it off for 2 years because I didn't want to be lectured about gaining weight back, I went to see my surgeon last July. She cheerfully informed me her practice had stopped doing bands in 2010 because the success rate is so low! Based on my severe GERD she unfilled my band right then, rather than adding fill like I'd expected. It was an immediate relief. From 2 Prilosec/day to 1 every 2 days or even longer. Since then I've done all the steps and paperwork (tedious!) to get approved for a revision to the vertical sleeve. My plan said 'okay', and my surgery is set for April 30! While I'm not looking forward to the surgery, I am really hopeful I'll be far more successful with the VSG. In the meantime I've been working out with a trainer since September and am as strong as I can be, even if my weight has stayed the same. With no fill in the band, I'm grateful for no weight gain at this point. I'll let you all know how it goes, please all of you do the same!

I agree it is a lifetime project, but I would also like to point out that for many normal weight people it is also a life time project....people who have NEVER had weight problems also gain weight, they notice it, they cut back, they get to the gym, they pay attention to how their clothes fit, they take care of that 2 or 3 or 5 lb weight gain that happens when you live your life! They may not have had to lose 50-100 or more lbs like we all did, but the fact is, WE DID and we are right there with them now because this surgery gave us that opportunity. So now, with the support of everyone here, we can say, OK then....I'm up a few lbs and I have lots of choices of how to get rid of those (5:2, th3 5 Day Pouch Test, more exercise, cutting out eating at night for a week or so, fill in the blank for the right choice for YOU. And remind yourself that what ever you decide to do, it isn't for a full month, or a full year, that finally this is NOT overwhelming and at least for me, before this surgery, whatever the diet choice of the month was, I just knew I would fail....now I know I won't!!!! I also have old habits creep in, so you know what? I indulge them, but in small amounts and I also do the 5:2. And when I'm not perfect on the 5:2, I at least always have two days a week that are NO WINE/NO COOKIE days...(because those are my two downfalls). And at 3.5 years post of and 61 years old, I am at goal and I feel great. Just say NO to pity parties because we have all come way too far and we are closer to our healthier selves than we are to our old selves....

I'm having my pre op assessment today at 1:30pm. I have read so many posts some for this op and some against. I also read some lap band posts too. I have a lap band since 2007 and it never worked. Now after so many years of waiting I'm going to have the sleeve op on the 24th August.. I was so excited until I read the posts about weight gain.. Although I know this op is not a miracle cure I'm going to give it my best. I really believe it's down to you as a person to be strong and stay on plan and make te right choices. I wish everyone who is about to take on this journey the best of luck..

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

Green Have you tried to switch from risperdal to geodon? it works basically the same without the weight gain. My son gained 120 lbs in less then 1 yr on risperdal we took him off of that and put him on geodon and topomax and the weight came off and he had wonderful control. Have seen terrific control with other patients as well. Just a suggestion for you and that may help you to get rid of more weight and keep your psych issues under control.

My surgery will be on Oct. 28th. I have 2 more nutrition appointments, upper GI series, pre-op testing and appt with my surgeon and primary care doctor. Oct. 3rd is when my paper work will be submitted to my insurance for prior authorization. I'm just trying to stick to the diet a weight gain is the only thing that can postpone my surgery. Good luck!!

Lost story short, My mom is not being supportive of me having surgery. Honestly, it kind of sucks. My husband, sister, sister in law, brother in law, and best friend all are. I've only told them... but my mother is telling me I can lose the weight on my own. She knows how much I suffered with my weight all of my life... But she doesn't understand that PCOS, Endometriosis, Hypothyroid and Hypertension all cause water weight/weight gain (idk if she just doesn't believe it?)... Do/Did you have a family member or friend who wasn't supportive?

Update: 7 Weeks Post - 198.4lbs (-24lbs from SW of 222.4lbs--hey, that's 3.4lbs/wk--I'll take it!!!) Basic Macros for 6 Weeks: 450-550 cals; 60-65g protein; <25g fat; <20g carbs Food Volume: 1/2c by volume ALWAYS. I go by volume first. That's about 1.75-2oz protein; 1/2-1oz veggies (no more than 3.5oz by weight) Wow! Big things happened this week, not least of which were doctor appointments that resulted in changing up medications and also discontinuing a medication! Yippeee!!! The cardiologist took me off one of my big time BP drugs and started up a diuretic again -- a different one though. It seems to really help. My BP looks better than before and I'm slowly losing my cankles. Thank you sweet baby Jesus! And my pulmonologist said we should try to discontinue an asthma drug I've been on since about 2000. It's an inhaled steroid and there can be weight gain associated with it. So far, so good on both changes! And the happy miracle is that this week, I've lost about about 8lbs. Now, before everyone goes all sappy. Let me just remind you that most or all of that is fluid. Not real fat loss. But hey, carrying around 8lbs less fluid is grrrrrrEAT! Haha, see what I did there? I also had a NSV! I appropriated a pair of jeans from Mr. No-Hiney himself. They are too big in the waist, but I fill the hiney just fine. They make a great pair of boyfriend jeans. And that means, I can just borrow them and not have to buy anything. Yay me! It's the first time I can claim being more than 25lbs lighter than him since we met! In fact, I haven't been this weight since about 2000. Wowza! I still can't admit that I feel like I'm actually gonna make goal. I'm working on that one. I know it "will come" with time and continued success. But I look at the scale at 198 and think..."Gah! I can't wait until I'm 160lbs again." That was the weight I was when Mr. F. and I first met. And I felt sorta kinda like "all that and a bucket of fried chicken too." I thought I was Miss Thang! Cuz, you know, I was only 10lbs more than my high school weight. LOL. OMG. So weird. I'm still eating repetitiously of the same foods I know I can tolerate (which is a pretty broad food list!). At 6 weeks I'm still eating 1/2c by volume. And I try to limit the weight of any meal to about 3 to 3.5oz max by weight. I honestly don't know if my tummy is talking to my brain. Mainly cuz I think 1/2c volume stretches my tummy, but it doesn't stretch it to top/full capacity. So I'm just abiding by the set volume and knowing that I'm probably safe with that quantity and will do no harm. I'm not gonna test it to see if I can actually eat 3/4c of food by volume. You know? I'm getting about 60-65g of protein in each day and most of that is coming from foods. I look forward to the day (God I hope I don't regret this thought...) when I CAN eat 3/4c of food because I'd like to add in that 1/4c of low carb veggies. So far, I'm staying very low carb, less than 20g per day total carbs. I'm eating protein, a TINY bit of fat from spray EVOO, and eating about 1/2-1oz (weight) of veggies per meal. That leaves me with 1.75-2oz (weight) of protein per meal. It's right on target with the amounts my RD has in the BIG BOOK OF BARIATRICS. LOL. My calories still average between 450-550cals/day. I'm getting in all of my water each day with a minimum of 100fl oz and often going as much as 120fl oz. So all in all--a good and productive week. I'll be back next week to report more.

Day 7 - Week 1 Post Surgery - 222.8lbs (Wahooo! Almost down to surgery day weight--only 0.4lbs left!) Hello my dearies! This morning is another fanflippintastic day! I slept really well and had a good day yesterday. I walked throughout the day. Am still having probs walking for longer than 10minute intervals, but I did 5 of those intervals yesterday and I'm hoping they count for something. I surpassed my fluid goals and made my protein goal almost exactly. I'm having no difficulties swallowing or keeping it down. I know everyone experiences this, but I don't feel any/little resistance when eating yogurt or jello or broths/cream soups. So I know it will happen when I eat a dense protein, but it's still a little un-nerving. The irrational paranoia that "my pouch is too big" is strong within me. LOL. Nothin like a little crazy to brighten my day! Oh, I made a revelation last night! Apparently gabapentin can make you addicted to it! I've been taking it since Day 1 after surgery 1800mg/daily. It can also cause weight gain! Fu*k me!! So apparently, it's not good to cold turkey it. You have to wean off of it. Now, I've only been taking it a week, so maybe I don't have to wean off of it? But hells to the max! I started last night to decrease from 1800/day to 1500/day. Then today I will do 1200/day, reducing by 1 pill per day until I'm only on 1 pill and can stop it. I do NOT want to deal with that withdrawal, and I'm not even sure it's doing anything for me except making me sleepy and slow. The food impatience is growing with me. I'm longing for purees. LOL. And the blasted Ricotta Bake keeps whispering my name--especially around evening meal time. But, this liquid phase lasts only a short time. And come Wednesday morning of next week, I will so enjoy my first egg! I count the lovely days! Ok, that's my update! Breakfast is going to be my PB and B Progurt! Have I mentioned that I the stuff?

Well, it sounds like we're all keepin' on keepin' on! I realized that the Carhartt jacket I wore tonight was as loose as it was when I bought it in 1999. Funny feeling. Although, somehow, that seems like it can't be true! I didn't really achieve extremely impressive weight gain until after 9/11. I'll weigh myself next Friday, and then we'll see wht's what! Friday is 1/1/09, isn't it? In other - sad - news: well, my thing with the online person evaporated. I'm still not 100% sure why: we'd already bonded seriously emotionally over email and phone, and I'd assumed she might have problems with my size. In the end, though, she clearly (CLEARLY!) had no problems with being attracted to me, but she felt we didn't click emotionally in person the same way we had on the phone etc. It was the opposite of what I'd expected. And I felt like she was a bit quick to judge - I'd not been home from France for 24 hours when we met, was jet-lagged out of my mind, on the end of a cold and nervous as all get-out about meeting her. But facts is facts: we met, and for her, it didn't work. So I'm very sad about that, but there's also a useful kernel of anger in there - how could she accept my body but reject ME??? So I'm looking forward to getting back into calorie counting, and Protein gram counting, and soluble fiber-ingesting tomorrow. But tonight? I wallow! Leftover double-cooked Sichuan pork, and then (close your eyes!) some Christmas pudding ("figgy pudding", I think you call it) with butter pecan ice cream... I am sad, but also, strangely, I feel kinda good. I feel like I'm back to Me, ready to do what I have to. Besides, there were long periods of intense pleasure in her visit - it certainly wasn't ALL a disaster! I think I'm beginning to get used to this time zone. Yay!

Already feeling discouraged. I started at 244. DOS (1/25/13) I was 237. After all weight gain from air and fluids I was 250 but I have been losing every day since. By my first 1 week post op I was 234 and yesterday I was 229. I was so excited to be in 220s. Getting in fluids and protein has been difficult. Yesterday was the first day I finally got in all my required fluids and protein. Today the scale still said 229. So basically if I get in everything I'm supposed to I don't lose. I don't think it's a stall seeing how I'm only a week and two days post op. Yesterday I also had some creamy soups so today I will ONLY do my required protein and fluids without any soup but that stinks. I've been moping around about it so hubby trying to give me pep talk about how my body is still trying to heal and I need to focus that and the weight will come off bla bla bla. I know he is right but I just want to lose weight so badly I mean that's why I had this major risky surgery to lose weight. Why is it surprising that I'm obsessed with it? Anyone else feel like me a week out?

I'm also 3 weeks post-op (5/16). While I'm not cleared for lifting, I know that walking is just fine. That's probably a great type of exercise to start with. Don't dwell over that 3lb weight gain just yet. And remember that losing weight, 80% is diet, 20% exercise. There are some that get to goal with very little exercise. And I know telling you now to dwell on that 3 lbs is crazy to actually do! Also, remember that at 3 weeks, it's the time when most have their first stall... the body is catching up with all of the loss. Could that time of the month be playing into the weight gain? Have you been drinking enough Water? How long has the 3 lbs been around?

Musicalmomma- Thanks for the explanation of weight gain! I was a bit freaked out.

I have enough data to confirm that I've beaten last week's inexplicable weight gain. Over the past few days, not only have I lost all the weight I gained over the previous week but as of today, I'm at a lower point on the scale than I was the day before the gain started, being down 0,4 kg (0,8 lbs for the Americans here) from my lowest point and down 1 kg (2,2 lbs) since yesterday.

Why am I fat..... I am fat because I have always put everyone in front of myself. A few years back, I was a personal trainer that loved working out. I was engaged and had two wonderful stepsons. While I enjoyed working out, I did not enjoy feeling the pressure to sale, sale, sale that my boss bestowed on me. Also, I didn't enjoy working seven days a week and over 70 hours. While I knew that this profession wasn't right for me, I also knew that it would put my family in a difficult spot so I decided to stick it out. Eventually, my body quit on me and I started getting extremely sick. Turns out I had an underlying thyroid condition and my schedule and lack of sleep brought it to the forefront. Had I have admitted to myself 6 months prior to leaving that I should have left that job things might have been different. This story is a constant pattern in my life. I start living for me and then the guilt sets in. Not because my family or friends make me feel guilty but because I make myself feel guilty. My now husband and stepsons stood by my side even when I quit my job as a personal trainer. They stood by my side through the weight gain, struggles with my thyroid, and now my current battle with PCOS. I suppose i expected everything to be fixed when I left this stressful job and it was pretty difficult to cope when I quickly found out it wasn't. The reason it wasn't and hasn't been is because I have failed to stand by my own side. My friends, family, and co-workers constantly tell me how happy I always seem and what a positive person I am. On the surface that may seem true but internally I tell myself a different story. I have no self-worth, am extremely critical of myself, and often feel guilty for putting me first. After almost a year of "thinking" about having lap band surgery, I finally decided that it was my time to shine and change my life. My surgery date is February the 23rd and I am excited about finally being "selfish" and doing something for myself. I hope that this is the first step in a journey that will lead me to inner peace and contentment. Courtney

I know what you mean regarding control. I think that was a significant factor in my weight gain. When I got married at age 23, I was slim and fit - @125lb, 38-23-34. I made the mistake of marrying a man I didn't know as well as I thought I did and he turned out to be an incredible control freak as well as a violent drunk (he's now an EX ). Our lifestyle changed drastically after the wedding (no more going out dancing all night, full meals every night, etc) and I started to gain a little weight. He used to berate and belittle me every time I ate, so of course I rebelled by eating more and even sneaking food when he wasn't watching. Within a few years, I had gained about 20-30lb and his favourite refrain when slapping me about was "You FAT UGLY PIG!!" (This was at about 140lb!) With my self-esteem crushed, I turned to food for comfort (yeah I know, lots of other issues there, but that was significant). By the time I got out of the marriage 8 years later, I was about 160lb - overweight but not huge. I can clearly remember the first four years of being single again, when I did things like hang out in the refrigerator at night saying things like "Haha! Watch me eat this!! You can't stop me now!!" I deliberately put on the fat suit, partly because of that "defiance" aspect and partly because I wanted to keep men away - both were desperate attempts at taking a measure of control in my life. By the end of 4 years of single life, I had put on another 60lb and was around 220lb. At that stage, I sought therapy for my issues with self-esteem, the marriage and how I had managed to get myself into that situation. The therapy helped a lot and I really came to terms with who I was and how I had arrived there, but unfortunately the fat suit wasn't as easy to take off as it was to put on. Since then, I went through various stages of dieting and failure, and thinking I had accepted the weight and settled for being a "fat person" forever. I slowly yo-yoed my way up another 55lb until I hit my all time high of 275lb last year (15 years post-marriage). Now that I have made the change and been banded, I realise that I had never really accepted it and I am now finding comfort in having the control to be able to take the weight off. I'm looking forward to finding the "real me" under this fat suit.

My 2 BIGGEST weight gains were after quitting smoking, and after taking prednisone.

I stalled at around the same time as you, and I actually gained 5 pounds from my lowest weight. It took me almost 3 weeks to get back to where I was seeing actual weight loss. I definitely did stall, but I had lost 30 pounds since I started the preop diet. My surgeon told me that my body was reacting to the fact that I went from over 3000 calories a day of high-fat, high-carb foods to 500-700 calories a day of Protein. Made sense to me. I also reached out on the forum and I was told the same thing-don't worry about it so early on. I am now losing steadily again, thank goodness. I just followed the requirements for each stage I was in (I am still in the soft foods phase) and I keep my carbs below 25 grams a day. It reminds me of when I was on the Adkins diet, but without the bacon, lol. I also got severely constipated during the same time frame so I blame some of the weight "gain" on my body reacting to that. Turns out I cannot handle the Iron in 2 Flintstones Vitamins a day.