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First off, I'm so glad your hubby is completely on board- he's the person that's in the house with you and will be the person you really need on your side. As far as the other people in your life, they can have a seat. Your adult choices-especially ones you're making to benefit your health- are none of their business, especially your boss! How does she know what's right for you? Has she been a friend your whole life and is she there through all your weight struggles? On top of that- this sleeve is NOT easy. It's easier to do weight watchers and have a day where you "cheat" then get back on the wagon. But what would happen-your weight would continue to fluctuate up and down and you would be in the same position or worse this time next year. Right now if I didn't have my sleeve and I was doing some other program, I GUARANTEE I would've cheated and had something I wasn't supposed to. Having the sleeve and knowing something may possibly make me sick is deterrent enough for me- that was part of my personal reasons for getting the sleeve in addition to weight loss and having something in place to help me keep off/ control weight gain long term. The people who are saying these things to you should do some research on the sleeve before they chime in on what you should/shouldn't be doing. I would be willing to bet if you countered their opinion by asking them what they know about the surgery they couldn't even tell you what it is. And for sure the weight doesn't just fall off- you still have to work out to see good progress. Your supposed to exercise 60-90 minutes daily with this in addition to trying to drink all your water, all your protein, and take all the vitamins. Some people get the surgery and lose a small amount of weight and then nothing else (now that we're all together, I came upon a sleeve to bypass revision thread). Easy- I definitely don't think so.

I would love to meet up with you anyway later in the week maybe. I just emailed my health questionaire to Janese and put September 16 as my surgery date by accident. That was the day I wanted to fly out but I am not as time limited as you. I understand how long hours at a job could make this surgery difficult. ...my hat's off to you! I was a nurse and worked 2 jobs over 60 hrs a week for many years til I hurt my back. Broke it in 2 places so I can't get around like I used to but the drastic weight gain in the past 3 years has created a whole new list of pains and difficulties. Right now my job is watching my 4 week old grand baby while my daughter works....but I really do not want to have surgery on a Monday for many reasons...I guess Tuesday will be ok. I hope to see you in Tijuana, Cody's mom! I hope to make many new friends during my trip...I truly love people! Guess that's why I'm a nurse. If this surgery helps me lose weight it may help my back enough to go back to work and that would be truly life changing!

Hello WSLers Long time listener, first time caller. I was sleeved on 11/22/21. I had lost over 40lbs since my surgery, but now seem to be gaining a pound a day the last few days. My diet has remained the same, 1-2 Premiere Protein shakes, 5 oz of non/low fat yogurt, and 4 bites of misc protein from dinner. Getting 64 oz or more of water has been brutal. Any ideas on the weight gain? It's really screwing with my head. Walking (exercise) has been limited, since I am currently experiencing my fourth gout attack since my surgery. I've been taking 600mg Allopurinol daily and 0.6mg of Colchicine during flare ups. It's been brutal. I have not had an attack in a while. Regards Dan

Many smart women struggle with their weight and many busy, successful professional women resort to food to cope with the stress, uncertainty, and other emotions that occur in a full, high-pressure life. Unfortunately, for many, these battles with food become vicious cycles that look something like this: “Fresh starts” and plans that don’t work or don’t last, followed by feelings of defeat and inadequacy, followed by overeating and a period of trying to generate motivation (again), followed by another “fresh start.” This vicious cycle leaves women feeling bad about themselves and ineffective. It also often leads to weight gain instead of weight loss. If you are a high-achiever—a woman who is successful in many areas of her life who finds herself stuck in this cycle—there is a way out. Here are three tips to start breaking the yo-yo diet emotional eating cycle: Let go of the belief that you are alone and the only one struggling like this. If you are caught in this cycle with food and overeating, you’re in some great company. One of the most self-defeating actions you can take is to continue to struggle alone, heaping on self-blame and even shame. Find someone to talk to. Open your eyes to the possibility of support. Ask other women what they do when they struggle. Consider investing in yourself the same way you invest in your career and your family and your home and pursuing emotional eating solutions that can help you. Take control of perfectionism. You’re human and you’ll never be perfect. Perfectionism or all-or-nothing thinking is common among women who expect a lot of themselves. It can get you stuck in a pattern where making a poor choice is interpreted as “blowing it.” Women trying to lose weight fall for this all the time. Instead of continuing forward and allowing the next choice to be a better one, the tendency is to cash in all your chips and start down a road of overeating because you’re upset with yourself and you “failed.” Plan for imperfection. Train your mind to notice your progress and not just your missteps. Stop relying on willpower. This is a biggie. You are a high-achiever. You probably have a lot of willpower and stick-to-it-ness in other areas of your life. You may be lost in a mindset of beating yourself up over this cycle you are stuck in. If so, you probably tell yourself things like: “What’s wrong with me that I can’t get a grip on this?” “This should be easy.” “I’m just not trying hard enough.” “This is an embarrassment and I need to stop being lazy and just take a tough line with myself.” If you are still feeling stuck, read my first two tips again. The truth is that you’re stuck because your method isn’t effective. You’re missing something. Start with compassion for yourself for how big and deep and exhausting this struggle is. Try holding yourself in the same positive mental light that you’d hold a dear friend. Take a deep breath and allow yourself to treat this issue as a legitimate problem. Allow yourself to respect that you are in a tough spot. Instead of blaming yourself, give yourself permission to take the situation seriously. Now ask yourself what you need that you don’t have that could help. You may be tempted to choose some kind of judgment (“I’m lazy”), but instead, focus on identifying the outside resource or concept that could help (“I'm overloaded and I'm at a loss about how to feel better without overeating. I need some new tools.”). I find that high-achievers who are stuck in this overeating cycle hesitate (or don’t even think to) ask for: Help with finding motivation Help with creating time for themselves Help with accountability Help developing new skills and strategies Help with getting to the root of what’s triggering their overeating Help. Period. Approaching the problem with respect and allowing yourself the resources you need to be effective can make a world of difference. Are you stuck? Are you tired of spinning your wheels and feeling like you are wasting your energy? What small change could you start making today? Leave a comment and share your thoughts

Oh man, am I ever happy about it! It was an excellent move. I was very, very messed up about my body. I found it a humiliation. My weight gain pattern is odd and exactly like my mother's; I kept slim arms and legs and all the weight went to my torso, especially my gut. I looked like a spider!:cry The other thing that was hard about being overweight is that I live in the core of a large city. There are very few fat people here. Most people are fairly trim and well groomed. It had become almost impossible for me to buy clothes.:phanvan (They don't sell a lot of linen clothes in the big grrl shops up here, eh. They are all about synthetics and frou frou and pastels and cute!) I feel so much better about myself at my current weight and I love the restraints which the band places on my appetite. How about you, BJean? Any regrets?

I am scheduled for surgery on 10-21 and now weigh 219 and am 5"9 I get it all the time but I have a bad history of weight gain and loss and would like to be at 150 or 160 and just stay. I am hoping my band will help me MAINTAIN!

I'm only 25 years old and preparing to have surgery (self-paid... have been saving up for YEARS as my insurance does not cover it) in September. I WISH with all of my heart that I could have had it done when I was around 19. That would have prevented so much weight gain for me and kept me so much healthier. However, at 15 and 17 there is NO WAY I was ready. I was still living at home with mom and dad and not responsible for my own actions in the capacity that I am today.

I had my surgery on 11/26. I have lost 30 lbs from my pre-op diet til now. Finally, I seem to have lost the weight gain from the hospital. I am having alot of trouble getting my Protein and fluids in. Today, I've had 2 yogurts, 1 Protein shake, and about a cup of tomato Soup and about a half cup of thai ginger sweet potato soup. That's about 60 gm protein, but almost NO Water. It's really hard to eat as slowly as I need to. I tried the thai sweet potato soup because I was craving food, not something sweet, but I had a terrible time getting any down. It's soft but guess I am not ready for it. If I try again tomorrow, I will dilute it a lot. It's hard to go as slow as I need to eat, and consequently I often feel a lot of gas pain. I hope to get the hang of this soon. Feeling good, lots of energy, and have stopped pain pills today. That said, after an errand, I come home and collapse for a nap. Next week, back to work. Not looking forward to having a group lunch on Thursday when I don't know what I will be able to eat. Or what to say.....

If you have a sweet tooth and that is what is causing the overeating and possibly the weight gain, consider stopping all sugar. For many people, if they do not eat it, they do not crave it. Some people find they need to give up fruit and artificial sweeteners too, but I didn't find that personally. Keep the sweets OUT OF YOUR HOUSE! If someone else in your house NEEDS sweets, have them eat them somewhere not around you and ask them to put them in a certain cupboard that you don't go into, or keep them in their car or something. Probably you have not stretched your stomach. You don't need to "shrink" your stomach (and really, there is no way to do that). You need to find a way to avoid the foods that cause you to overeat. Can you distract yourself when you have a craving? Talk a walk, watch a YouTube exercise video, take a hot shower/bath, read a book, color, etc? For many people, once they wait an hour by distracting themselves, they usually can make it without eating. You may also consider meeting with a therapist who specializes in eating disorder, or call your original surgery center for help. I have noticed that not everyone has these options, but you do have the option to avoid sweets (I have a sweet tooth too, so I understand!) Good luck!

Hi Shelley - With the exception of the Gourmet Chef Husband... we could be twins! :biggrin2: My weight gain started in my teens, I was 5'6 and 140-160. Then in college.. another 50 or so pounds. Finally I decided to get into shape and join the Army. Which I did great and my low was 123lbs. When I got out, I went right back to my old bad eating habits. I only knew two food groups.. Fast-Food and Happy-Hour! I also have very bad genetics. Everyone in my family, at one point or another, has been 75lbs overweight or more. I'm talking Aunts, Uncles, Cousins.. everyone! I was raised with my Mommas down-home-country cooking so of course those are the foods that I crave. I use to never eat Breakfast, had fast-food for lunch and a big ol' comfort dinner with all the fixin's. :biggrin: I didn't need to snack in between because I always had that over-stuffed feeling, or right on the verge of.. :drool:. Finally, as I've aged and moved away from Momma :sad:, I eat much smaller meals. My heaviest was 340lbs, I'm now 280. But it's too late, the damage has been done. I have high blood pressure, sleep apnea, a hiatal hernia, and had reconstructive surgery on my left foot/ankle because my weight was forcing my ankle to turn inward. So, if I don't loose weight.. I'll be having surgery on my right foot/ankle, and my last recovery took over a year! So, weight lose surgery is not an option for me.. it will keep me on my feet and save my life!! :smile: Thanks for letting me share my story! Tina

I had some of the same problems you have including major weight gain after hysterectomy. You will be so happy to be off all those meds much quicker than you think. The only negative I have had is thinning hair. They say it will stop at some point and start growing back in.

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'm so grateful to have found this site and have read a number of stories that made me feel less alone in my own struggle. Here is my story: March of 2008 I saw a weight loss surgeon who said all the right things to convince me I was too fat to lose weight on my own and the only way to have lifelong success was to sign up for WLS which required a thousand dollar deposit. I weighed 265 lbs at the time and in my late 30s was far too tired to try another diet and exercise program that would inevitably result in another 10lb weight gain. January of 2008 my employer switched to a new insurance carrier, I submitted paperwork in March for coverage for WLS and eventually got the definitive "no" in November 2008. Fast forward to October 2009, same doctor, same spiel, weight now 295lbs and co-morbidities presented to insurance carrier requesting coverage- denied. Februaury 2011, made a "lets just see" call to insurance carrier to find out if requirements were met........found out that one more year of a documented weight and BMI over 40 and the coverage would be extended! I put my ducks in a row and within 2 weeks of my initial doctors visit in February 2012 I was able to schedule my surgery for mid March. I was shocked to find my weight ballooned to 347lbs but thrilled when I lost 16 lbs pre-surgery in a short 12 days. I took 5 days off work, gave away all the food in my pantry and bought the cutest pajamas I could find for my 3 day hospital stay. I packed my bag on Sunday and even though I was nervous and exited I slept until 5am when I took a luxurious bubble bath and set out for the hospital @ 7am. In pre-op my precious daughter sat and prayed with me, my anesthesiologist joked about just turning the big 40 too, my surgeon came in and smiled, answered my questions, quelled my fears and prayed with my daughter and I. Nothing but blackness. I barely woke to find myself in PACU alone and asked for my daughter to be allowed in.."sure honey, which one is she?"..."hmm, oh, she's the one with pink hair!". My sweet daughter came in and praised God with me that I was breathing and everything seemed fine. Fade to black again. I'm in a private room now and my daughter is sleeping on the sofa. The nurse comes in, the IV is checked, "here's your button for the morphine pump. Any time you feel pain coming on you press it." I'm not in pain, I feel my stomach and it feels flat already, stupid, it must be the drugs. My surgeon comes in with his PA and he looks flushed, sweaty and triumphant, "eveything went wonderful! no problems, a textbook case if there ever was one." we smile and I joke about calling What Not To Wear to get a new wardrobe. I get up to the bathjroom as soon as I can. I'm anxious to see how I look and change out of the hospital gown. It's been 3hrs since surgery and i'm in my pajamas, robe and snuggly slippers and my daughter takes my arm and we begin our walk around the unit. I walk and walk, smiling and thinking what a good patient I am, no DVTs for me. My stay is uneventful, day 3 my surgeon smiles and says "time to go home!" I fill my prescriptions but I haven't touched the pain medicine and feel so powerful that I drive myself home. Then the horror begins. The first noght i'm home I wind up in the bathroom with forceful diarhea that comes in waves of gut wrenching spasms. Over and over again, just foul smelling liquid, I sit there too long and now i'm sick, I pull the trash can over and vomit clear liquid until I think i'm going to pass out. My daughter gets me to bed, time to take the meds and not try to do it on my own, I slump back and its daytime now. My head is spinning and the spasms come again, diarhea, vomit.... I step on the scale, smile in a drug haze and think wow i've lost 2 more lbs! Nothing is clear anymore, what day is it? what time is it? did I take my pills? was it a dream or did I really eat a piece of chicken from the refrigerator? why won't the nausea stop? why do the Protein shakes suddenly taste like dog butt? I can't get anything in, i'm trying to force 2oz popsicles down but when I finish one its back to the bathroom with waves of diarhea and vomiting. Day 6 post-op, I manage to take a shower with my daughter holding me up, pack 2 Protein Shakes and my giant Water bottle and trot off to work. I make it 2hrs into a ten hour shift and spend most of it in the bathroom vomiting blood...time to call the doctor. I talk to the nurse who tellls me to drink as much water as I can. I can't. I call and talk to another nurse who says to try a different Protein shake. I'm weak and sick and starting to lose it...I scream at my daughter "why won't you help me?". I call the nurse again, the PA calls me back "have you been able to take your meds and get some water in?" no, NO! It's been 11 days since surgery and now we're worried for some reason and my daughter has my bag packed and we're back at the hospital where they have my room ready and they put me back in a hospital gown. I don't see my doctor until Monday but Fri, Sat and Sun a variety of PAs mand other surgeons from the office come in and tell me things and they'll support me and some people have a harder time and just give it time, time time. Monday the first of many PICC lines come and the tests start. In 3 days I blew 11 IV lines. The PICC line sounds wonderful but they hit my ulnar nerve and the vein occluded and I went back to my room with an open hole in my arm, a second PICC and a gown covered in blood..how did that happen with a sterile drape? So I can't eat but they think I won't and they tell me all the reasons I need to and they threaten if I don't its time for TPN. I try, I puke. I try everything, Unjury- ick, water-gross, eggs-vomit, pudding, ice cream, sherbet, yogurt, Jello... the nausea wells up from my toes and never ends. The TPN starts on Tuesday, I leave the hospital 13 days later, Maundy Thursday, I beg because tomorrow its Good Friday and I can't bear to be away from daughter on Easter. Monday after Easter I have lost 8 lbs in the 4 days i've been home, somethings wrong. The doctor says to get a liter of Fluid and some Vitamins, it'll be ok, it's not. Friday the nurses come and set up the home TPN and show me how to do IV push meds, the saline, phenergen, saline, heparin, again, the zofran, again, 8 times a day. My house becomes and infirmary, boxes and boxes of supplies, dressings, medicine, saline, alcohol swabs, heparin. The dog can't be out when the dressing is changed, the TPN bag is changed once a day, add the vitamins, push the medicine. It takes a few weeks and the meds are doubled, the nausea just won't fricking stop. The TPN is my savior. another month, double the meds again, brief periods of relief, my weight stabilizes @ 317....I had WLS for this? I can't work, i'm constantly sick and besides I have a doctors appointment every week and another test, EGD, swallowing, emptying studies, another EGD, but nothing is wrong "everything is fine, it may just take time for you. You might be on liquids for 6 months" my doctor says... liquids? it's been 3 months and I can drink about 12 oz a day... liquids? i'm still on TPN?! It's been 4 months, I can't stand the TPN, we decrease the time and I try to eat what I can when I can. My weight is 318, d?@$ WLS! We double the meds, the phenergen is 4 times the dose it was when I had surgery, does anyone know this causes heart problems? We decrease the TPN, I can only eat right after I push the meds and I do it again right afterwards, then I pass out... weight loss is tough work, I manage to get down to 314. Somethings wrong, I feel sick, sicker than usual haha...my daughter is talking to the nurse at the ER, "no she feels really sick, her heart is skipping beats maybe? her blood pressure is up. look at her arm, do you think it's swollen? what's that black mark?" They tell me I have a UTI and send me home, its Monday. I can't breathe, i'm having a heart attack, I know it, its Wednesday and we're back at the ER, the doctor smiles and says its anxiety, take some Ativan and keep taking your antibiotic...are you kidding? I throw up the antibiotic, it stinks, I crush the Ativan and sleep for days. Its Friday and the nurse calls, "how are you" my arm hurts and its swollen, "GO BACK TO THE ER" I can't, I fall back asleep. Its Saturday and I can't find my wrist, my arm is a thick puffy balloon like they use to make balloon animals. My fingers won't bend, doesn't matter cause I can't feel them anyway, i'm sick, I vomit and try to push my meds, I get in 2ccs of saline and it feels like my arm is a water balloon...I push a cc and I think I see it literally filling up, theres a black gnarled line around my upper arm, looks like a barbed wire tattoo, thank God for WLS. I'm at the ER again, its Saturday night and i'm sure they'll admit me, they HAVE to pull the PICC and give me a new one, surely they'll see that, I can't breathe, please give me some Ativan and phenergan, i'm gonna puke again. A nurse comes in and says he's from Interventional radiology, doesn't even touch my arm but smiles and leaves, we hear him outside the door "you've gotta pull that PICC, it's really bad!" a tech comes in with an ultrasound machine and pushes on the outer part of my arm, over and over, slimy gel, pushing harder, my arm isn't quite so numb now, its killing me on the underside, my armpit aches and the inner portion of my upper arm feels like someone is firing a gun into it every time they touch me. "Good news!" the ER doc smiles and tells me its just a little superficlal blood clot...yay! all we need to do is apply warm compresses and it will go away, have some noroc for the pain...great, more crap I can't swallow. "What should I do if it gets worse? what if it swells up more?" don't worry "It's fine, no need to come back even if it gets bigger, warm compresses and you'll feel alot better" It's Monday and the weekend went by in a drug induced haze. I can't use my PICC, I crush the norco and ativan and try to stay asleep, no not asleep, blacked out, like anesthesia until the doctors office opens Monday. I tell the nurse, she sets up an appointment at Interventional Radiology for them to pull and replace the PICC on Tuesday, good, hopefully i'll die by then. Its 6pm Monday and I can't take it, I might be hallucinating, I know i'm dying, I moan and rock, i'm in the car, off to the ER again. I wait for hours while people scream and cry, everybody is taken before me, I pull my sweatshirt and cover my head, I moan and lick the blood from cracked lips, I can't even stand up to go to the bathroom and vomit, 4 hours later and they wheel me back. Nurse after nurse comes in to try to start an IV, "she's dehydrated and a tough poke" "I KNOW! she's so ill tho, what are we supposed to do???" check her feet, no veins, we're gonna have to go in thru the femoral.....God no, I can't remember if I have underwear on and they're gonna cut into my groan to find a vein. "Great news!" we found a cluster of blood clots under your arm, no not one, there are several vericose veins bulging out of your arm, the PICC went bad and they strangulated and now they have clots in them. You're gonna die if you throw one to your heart or lungs, we're starting the lovanox, you're gonna be fine. 3 days of terror, I'm admitted to the hospital and the doc upstairs decides she knows what I need, they pull the PICC from my grossly swollen arm and I beg for some dilauded "this isn't a painful procedure, you don't need anything for pain." and she teaches the student nurse how to yak=nk 4 feet of tubing and wire from my arm while I sob, my daughter cries and starts to yell. The doctor leaves, she won't come back or write orders, i'm sick, no pain meds or nausea meds, try some tylenol, f**** you. I cry and demand to see another doctor, I call my doctor and the oncall doctor screams at the charge nurse...they give me ativan and phenergan, my daughter yells and threatens, the nurses hate to come in my room. Wednesday morning is the first and last time I see my surgeon, he pops his head in and smiles "so your PICC is gone now, thats what happens" when you screw up and get a blood clot is what he doesn't say. I'll see you in my office next week and we'll talk about a feeding tube. What? I had WLS 4 and a half months ago... I cry and turn and face the window, I keep the shades down. I'm sick of this, I finally get to leave @ noon on Wednesday. I have a script for Warfarin and an order to have my blood drawn every day, I have no PICC line, no IV push meds, no TPN and my arm looks like I was going for a Popeye look. I sob on the ride home. When I go to the lab the next morning they stick me 6 times and still don't get enough to run the PT/INR to check my clotting times. I fall out of the car as I try to go inside, I just sit on the grass and contemplate throwing up on the lawn, I see the neighbor and when she waves I think I should strip off my clothes and just run shrieking down the street... I need a laugh, otherwise I just cry. I'm so depressed, I see my primary doc, he orders me oral nausea meds, a compression sleeve for my arm and listens to me cry. I tell him my heart is skipping a beat, he says "phenergan can cause permanent heart damage" f*** phenergan. It's 12 days since I left the hospital without a PICC. The last thing my surgeon said was that they couldn't find a reason for my symptoms, he even asked the doctors at a seminar in California and they were all puzzled, oh well, too bad for me. My weight is down to 300 lbs now, it was 312 when I left the hospital. I made the mistake of going back to the ER last week Tuesday because my chest hurt and I was coughing and that same shortness of breath and heart thing came back. they said I was fine and were sending me home when I looked the ER doc right in the eye and said "with all due respect, the last time you said I was fine I had a blood clot that almosgt killed me, please, can you just check everything to make sure i'm ok?" tears in my eyes, he smiles, lets run another test. Theres a shadow in my lung, likely pneumonia but we can't be sure the clots haven't moved. We'll keep you for observation but we won't admit you, you're probably fine buit we'll do some IV fluids and antibiotics to be sure. They take me upstairs, I know whats coming next, nurse after nurse tries to start the IV, IM pain meds, I ask for nausea meds at 6:30 am and by 2pm I still haven't gotten any. I can't stand it so I leave, they chase me and try to make me sign something saying if I die its my own fault. I get home and chew a phenergan, drink some lortab and pass out. My primary doc said he would figure out how to get me seen by a specialist, I won't return the calls from my surgeons office, if I could put a stop payment on his check I would but insurance has already paid his fee. Maybe he's right, there's nothing to explain my symptoms, I doubt that, my skin is grey and I look like a chemo patient because my long thick brown hair has fallen out in Patches and I have a kind of crazy eyed look to me. I'm hungry and thirsty, I think I look like I could be a victim of starvation but then I laugh because i'm still so fat. I knew the risks of the surgery, pulmonary embolism, DVT, sleeve leak, infection. I was a nurse for 10 years and took care of hospice patients who looked better than me. I signed on for a magic pill, a fantastic surgery that would finally help me get to a healthy weight so I could see my daughter graduate from medical school, get married and hold my grandchildren. I wanted to avoid diabetes and stop heart disease, funny how it all worked out. If you have experienced any of the pain, nausea, depression, sadness, fear, frustration, anger or disgust like I have, tell me your story and let me know i'm not alone, i'm not crazy and it does get better. :-)

Actually about 3 months ago I gained about 4 pounds back...someone at work said my pants looked tight and I cut carbs completely for 8 weeks (KETO) and lost those plus a few more...I really think weight gain that is significant has to be from spiraling out of control with grazing and poor food choices...I mean that's how I gained those 4 pounds and it scared the crap out of me! Are you gaining?

So at what point did you start to lose the water weight gained from the IV fluids? When they weighed me in the hospital it showed I gained about 7-8 pounds. I'm just curious when that went away for you

Stalls. It just sucks when I wake up and number on the scale is the same as yesterday. Social eating and drinking. I never realized how much socializing is around food and i just feel so uneasy in these situations at the moment. Fear of not losing the weight/gaining all of it back/not being successful. It's always at the back of my mind.

Hello everyone! It's been quite some time. This thread is pretty much dead. But if any of you are still around, I thought I'd share... My second LapBand placed in Feb 2009 became disconnected!! I mean really?? How many LapBands should one girl have to mess with? LOL....so, I started gaining weight pretty fast and had to bicker quite a bit with the insurance company. But ultimately I was approved to have the Band removed and get the Vertical Sleeve. I had surgery almost 2 weeks ago and so glad it's over. I am so frustrated with the weight gain, but so glad that there won't be any more fills/unfills or getting stuck!! I'm on the mend and tired of mushies....for the third time! hahaha I hope all is going well for the rest of you!!! Best to all, Carol

What a great decision your mom has made. The surgery will be perfect to get her back on track to a healthy lifestyle. I am a cancer survivor as well thats why I have short hair, I have 14 months of hair growth. I know exactly what you mean about not being able to move and all of the medication having an affect on weight gain. In the last 2 months, I am starting to feel like myself again, pre-cancer. It's great! Thanks Libra and Pelerojo for the kind words. Btw, I miss my cartoon chic too! LOL.

Awww...Thanks Leigha...and an FYI...from Dictionary.com Bulimia: An eating disorder, common especially among young women of normal or nearly normal weight, that is characterized by episodic binge eating and followed by feelings of guilt, depression, and self-condemnation. It is often associated with measures taken to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, the use of laxatives, dieting, or fasting. Also called bulimarexia , bulimia nervosa . I don't think that applies to trying to get unstuck. Never felt guilty, nor have I condemned myself!

back to 160.2, my low of 5 days ago. In the past 3 days I have stayed at 650 cals or less and part of the problem was really painful constipation which I believe is a side effect of low cal/low carb. Not to be too blunt but things er, resolved, this morning and I lost an entire pound from that alone All of us here know just how little 600 calories is, for a fitness buff or athlete that represents one meal! Yet if I eat more than that, I don't lose weight. And if I eat more than 800 cals and don't work out, I gain. Nobody should be stuffing their faces full of carcinogen laced heart clogging evil, but this just feels ... punitive. Chimera (I think it was), I have yet to find any data regarding a correlation between weight gain/loss and MS, but I completely agree that stress does horrible awful things to our bodies minds and weight. I have been under an extra amount of stress lately, I am still going against Drs orders and not taking the 3 days of brain rest because I am the only one in the office, I mean, what can I do! SherylJane we definitely need to see 6 month pics, post-op pics don't do his work -or yours!- justice

Denise is a move to Portland out of the question? I know you started to exercise again is everything all OK with your back now and did the op fix everything? Weight gain is a pig - no take that back I'm being the pig which is causing the gain. I wish Kim would post as I want to know all about her Scotland trip.

Yes, I have tried Melatonin. Sometimes it will help me fall asleep but I don't stay asleep. Sheryl Just tell your doctor you have anxiety attacts at times and you want the medicine as needed. All those SSRI's that they push cause weight gain!

So I ended up not having the sardines or salad, instead I had about 2 ounces of curried chicken salad around 2pm, then a serving of cashews and a serving of jack cheese for dinner. I was preoccupied with a new painting I'm working on so before I knew it it was 8:30pm and too late to make a real meal. Today will be same tea and milk, same protein shake, same curried chicken, and definitely the salad tonight - I won't let myself start painting until I've made the salad! I switched mood meds, per my Drs advice, from Zoloft to velafaxine and upon doing so I discovered that one of the side effects of Zoloft is weight gain! WTF!!! I never knew that!!! I'm not going to blame all of my gain in the Zoloft but hell, that couldn't have helped!!

I have no side effects or weight gain. and much calmer so maybe you just need to find what WORKS for your body. There are some newer drugs that are time released and less side effects. Aren't Xanax habit forming and addictive? My son loves them. . I've never taken them so not sure about them. For me, it's easier to just take my one small dose a day.

Yesterday was suppose to be fast day for me and I crashed and burned. I was doing good until I went to meet with my daughter's new daycare to drop off my schedule. She asked me if I wanted anything to drink, and I said no, but they ended up bringing me a glass of orange Tang, I think anyways. I didn't want to be rude, so I drank it, and it all went down hill. I have been feeling very overwhelmed lately. My husband has be gone for 2 weeks out of the last 3 (which I am not used to at all, watching my children by myself) and I am going back to work in just over a week after being at home for almost 7 years with my kiddos. I just feel very down and feel like crying. I have struggled with depression in the past (this weight gain that I am dealing with was from switching medications). I have been doing well not being on anything, its just been as of late. I started taking St. John's Wort, but only recently. And my eating habits are still very tied to my emotions. So as of late, I have not been doing well. I have been sticking to the fasting twice a week, but on days when I don't, I feel out of control. I know I have to get my head back in the game, but I am really struggling. I was happy where I was maintaining and I am frustrated that I feel like I have to diet to get these pounds back off. Ugh Sorry for my rambling. I am just feeling lonely and frustrated and, and, and. I am going to try and fast today to make up for the day yesterday. But right now it is only 8:20am, so I have a long day ahead of me!