Search the Community

OK, so do you want quality or touristy? Not that you can't have both but alot of the best restaurants are not well known outside of the city. As you know, it's Protein first, veggies and then carbs so I would say you should stick with places that can offer you and your sister that option. FYI, I am banded, my sister is not, and we eat out together all the time. If you want great fish, Oceana is terrific as is most Greek restaurants. Fresh and simply grilled. You can't beat it. If you can tolerate meat, one of the most iconic steak houses is The Old Homestead. The meat is top notch and it reeks of 'old New York'. If you want to step into a time warp, Spice Market in The Meatpacking District is amazing. Like you've walked into a 1930's Shanghai bar. The food is terrific as well...especially the cod. If you want small plates...tapas...Alta on West 10th St. in the West Village is the place. This way you and sis can share a few items. The brussel sprouts is to die for...and so is the Sangria...lol. If you want something like pastrami or corned beef, Carnegie Deli is OK but Katz's on the Lower East Side is better and really iconic as well. Just know that the meat is very sodium laden and you will have Water weight gain for sure. I agree that Chinatown and Little Italy are places you should explore and as long as you eat sensibly, you will be fine. Everyone who visits Chinatown should experience a Dim Sum Palace. It's amazing.... If you like 'ethnic' food, I can recommend Turkish, Russian, Italian, Mexican, Spanish...even more exotic like Ethiopian and Afghan restaurants as well. Just let me know how adventurous you are. Feel free to PM with any questions you may have. As Lisa notes...I live here in the city and know it very well. I can recommend restaurants and sightseeing options as well.

I jumped on the scaled and saw that I've put on 2kg is this normal ? I don't understand how I could put on weight I was eating the same food I eat last week ?? Last week I lost 4kg and this week I've put on 2kg , I felt that I didn't lose weight ? I'm getting worried that I'm gonna start putting weight on again

Weight gain is totally normal - I always gain about 2-4 pounds during my cycle, I gain Water weight if I eat certain things or gain/stall if change up my exercise routine. And don't forget that fat also acts as a storehouse for things like hormones (like estrogen), so as you lose fat (weight) it is releasing tons of stored hormones back into your system. That can not only can that cause weight fluctuations, it can also make you feel moody and screw with your general well-being as well. But it is all perfect normal!

Its all relative. This is the BEST surgery with the best stats. Thats just the way it is. I agree weight regain is ALWAYS a concern. But this one has the least regain. You may indeed regain some weight after losing a lot, but it will be relatively little and it will be extremely easy to take it right back off. Right now you probably only notice weight gains of 10-30lbs. After the surgery and weight loss, you will notice gains of 1-3lbs and you will have an extremelly effective tool at taking it right back off. Yes, you can eat around your weight loss surgery and sabotage yourself, so if that happens it is time to see a head doctor to help. Bypass, has really given WLS a bad perception, since so many had it and regained, but this surgery doesn't have nearly the same regain statistics as the old ones.

It could be something more serious if you're gaining weight without a diet change. Perhaps a serious medical, hormonal or prescription issue? You said you moved too, maybe stress/depression; it plays a HUGE roll on weight gain/loss. Definitely be persistent in getting in touch with your doctors. I'm sorry they've been so difficult to deal with. Try to do an elimination diet, maybe the shakes aren't taking well to your body now after some time. I know when something works for me (even in a positive way) I find my body builds a tolerance for it and it never works the same way! I'm unsure if you can have two procedures entirely different from one another, but I'm sure it is possible. I can't imagine it being terribly healthy or wise though, I'm sure your surgeon would have a better understanding of your body.

Hi All :help: I have had great loss of more then 65 pounds but once again find myself additcted to the ice cream and weight gain. Does anyone have any idea's of how to get off the ice cream or has found any "subsitute" for ice cream? I just can not get enough of anything that is "ICE COLD". I even drink 2% milk only with ice in it. What ever happened to back in the days when they made ICE MILK? Any thoughts or suggestions please? David dkgingras@comcast.net

I Know the two weeks is for the benefit of reducing my liver so I have been strong and not cheated at all. What I can't figure out is why I've gained .2 lbs exactly everyday for three days in a row. Seems a little odd to me. Hope I start losing after surgery.

My wife was originally planning on having WLS (specifically VSG) after watching my successful recovery with relatively minor complications and successful weight loss. She was going to wait 6 months after my post op to see how things are progressing for me before making a decision to attend a WLS consulatation. Regardless, her latest decision is to not have WLS for a couple reasons. 1. Slimes and throwing up: She didn't like all the slimes and throwing up I went through when adjusting to the solids phase. It was mainly my fault because I am a fast eater and it took me a while to learn to "hear" the full signals. I had to learn how much to eat, how fast to eat and what types of food my sleeve an tolerate over time. Regardless, she didn't like seeing me in the bathroom so much after eating. I am better now, but still have issues with eating stringy things like roast bean or string green Beans in addition to fatty meats. Truely, it feels like dumping syndrome. I do try to explain to her that not everyone slimes and throws up and most of the time, it was my fault. 2. Auto-immune disease: She has at least 1 auto-immune disease. The one that she has requires an infusion of remicade every 6 weeks. This is one expensive infusion. It is called Ankylosing Spondylitis. You can follow the link for more details. It is basically an auto-immune disesase that attacks all the joints and there is no cure. When we talked to the surgeon during one of my pre-op visits, he said that people with auto-immune diseases might have more complications, but did not go into the details. She might also have PCOS. We do not know yet and will find out soon. This is where I could really use some advise from others. She has about 150 lb to lose as we both ended up in the same weight range at our heaviest earlier this year. Maybe it is because of life stresses? Who knows. The fact is that her extra weight may be contributing to other complications like high blood pressure, pregnancy issues, lack of desire to be outdoors like walking and hiking and on and on. There are plenty of reasons here alone that would make sense for her to consider it. She has tried manu diets (as I have), but has never lost more than 10-20 lbs on them. Atkins, weight watchers, etc. I've had fairly good results from the diets because I am very focused when something needs to be done, but then I lose my focus and the weight comes back. Hence, WLS was the only tool left for me in order to stop the up and down of weight gain and weight loss. She used to be "thin" (size 12) in high school, so I am pretty sure she remembers what that is like. She was a pretty hot girl in her younger days. In college she was slightly overweight, but still very hot and sexy (we got married then). We both put on a lot of weight in the last 12 years of our marriage. I don't hold the weight against her (never have), but I would like her to be healthy to avoid future weight-related complications. The weight does not cause her to be unhappy about her life (mainly family is what makes her happy). She is usually in a positive mood and certainly brings happiness and well-being to my life. I would like her to consider WLS because it is life-changing and truely opens up a lot of opportunities that did not exist before. However, I don't want to push her into something she is against. Any thoughts?

:help:I'm post-vacation and so bummed. I was away for three weeks, and we either had to eat out a lot, or the people we were with were terrible eaters (heavy grease, old food, lots of Pasta and rice, which I can't eat - they hurt), so I ended up eating out some more. I was fairly active, but I came home with a 9-pound weight gain. If that's not bad enough, I CANNOT get back on track. I'm scared to post this, because I don't want a gazillion lectures, etc. I've been banded since December of '06, and I KNOW what to do. Why am I having such a hard time getting back to doing what's right? Could anyone else, who has had this happen, share what toasted their buns back to eating like a bandster? Thanks. __________________

I have Mirena it lasts for 5 years. I had it placed in march of 09 and havent had a period since april of 09!! No complaints there! I haven't noticed a weight gain with it either....I was on the depo shot and became a crazy B****! I also no joke gained 30lbs in one month!

i was banded on 10/31/06 Lost weight, gained it back, do to the fault of poor aftercare.... I found a new surgeon, they put me under Fluoroscopy, and we are now rolling. I also journal my diet, and exercise. I hope you gave yourself a calorie limit to follow, and stick with it, and if it's to high then yep you can cut back in different foods. Some stuff goes a long way. Also look for another surgeon, and get checked out. They will also give you new guidelines.

I have to say, I've been through several surgeries (thus my weight gain) two parents with different cancers and I've never posted on a forum until now (looked but never participated) you guys are great thank you so much. It's good to hear that I will be constantly ingesting. Since I've done this once before (dumb weight loss show) I know logically that my calorie intake is minimal, it's just a weird feeling to NOT feel hungry and believe I'm actually losing. Woke up w minor tummy pains, so the constant stream of PAC maninzing stuff Into my mouth has subsided but we will see how the day progresses. Thank you!

I gained about 12 pounds in the 6 month "Physician assisted" weight loss attempt. My surgeon doesn't submit paperwork till you've completed this step. I was close as far as qualifying BMI wise at 36 (35 with co-morbidities was the cut off), when I started the 6 months so losing before I qualified wasn't an option, AND my PCP had just started me on a statin, which can cause weight gain. No one cared. What my surgeon DID care about was AFTER I was submitted I did have to lose 10 pounds for liver shrink within the 4 weeks before surgery. I dropped 13.

Hello Sleevers, I weighed myself in the am and was 238. Yay!! 10 pounds in 8 days. Now I weigh myself this evening and I'm 240. I'm only drinking Protein shakes and a half cup of Soup for lunch. Total calories is about 470. I'm also walking at a brisk pace for an hour for exercise. It's not the calories. The only thing diffrent today was that I managed to get about 58 ounces of Water down. So, I think this could be just water weight and it will all work it's way out eventually. Has anyone else had or seen this?

Suz, glad you found something appetizing for dinner, and it is crazy how you eat something and get really thirsty afterwards but can't drink. Is your throat dry at night because you're sleeping with your mouth open? If I don't sleep with my machine my throat hurts because I've somehow, don't know how, but trained myself to sleep with my mouth shut when I'm wearing my mask. It sits right above my upper lip so I kind of force down my mouth when I sleep. I don't use the heater but I do have a humidifier on mine. PCOS is polycystic ovarian syndrome and there are many signs that women have who have it and it can affect your weight and a lot other issues. A lot of women who have fertility issues are found to have it. I'm no doctor and that wasn't my issue but I can list some signs: Infrequent periods or messed up cycle Infertility from not ovulating Increased hair growth, can be on many parts of the body Ovarian cysts Acne, oily skin, dandruff, dry skin Weight gain especially around the waist Insulin resistant or type II diabetes High cholesterol/blood pressure Male pattern baldness or hair thinning Dark skin Patches on neck, arms, breasts or thighs Skin tags arm pits and neck area Pelvic pain Anxiety or depression due to appearance and/or infertility Sleep Apnea Does any of this sound familiar? I have most of these and that's why my primary thought I had pcos. There is a thread for PCOS here near the diabetes one. I'd search it on the web and find a site that explains it to you better. I guess from what they say there's no cure it's just managed. But anyway like Telecia said sleep apnea can cause heart attacks and it can be dangerous if it's not treated and whether or not the insomnia is related to your apnea isn't clear but if you could kill two birds with one stone wouldn't it be worth it? Anyway let me know what you think, Nancy.

I am currently in the same situation and I feel like my ship is sinking fast... I was banded December 7th 2009, and I have lost about 8 pounds since then! I am up to 9cc's in an 11'cc band and I can still eat bread, have never had anything get "stuck", never slimed or PB'd or anything that lets me know I am in band land. I can not eat quite as much as I used to pre-band, but I can eat ALL the same foods. I had taken up walking 3 miles a day 3-4 times a week and I did this for a month thining that would give me a "boost" and when I went to the doctor last month - again - NOTHING. I don't have any motivation and I am starting to regret putting my body through this for it not to work. I have ugly scars in my stomach from this operation and only 8 pounds to show for it. I didn't tell many of my friends or family about having surgery, but those that I told didn't think I "needed" it and now that I'm six months out and still look the same, all I am getting is "I told you so's"... I did my research and I thought I was making the best choice for me to FINALLY get a hold of my weight gain and after being initally denied by my insurance, when my appeal got approved I was rejoicing!! I thought this was it and all the years of battling my bulge would soon be behind me as me and my band tackled the never ending world of food... NOT so much. I am torn between going for my appointment next week and just saying "to hell with it" and not going back at all anymore. The doctor has already told me that I am the only patient he has ever had that has had this much fluid in their band and still not be fully restricted. ~sighs~ :thumbup:

There could be any number of reasons for that. You'll have to give us some more information: Have you had any fills? What are you eating, and how much? Are you exercising? Do you have any underlying health issues that cause weight gain or that might make you resistant to weight loss? Are you on any medications that might cause it? And most importantly, have you talked with your surgeon about it?

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

Thank you ladies, all of you give me hope . I always thought the band would restrict my appetite , which has been my only problem with weight gain. I guess that was what I was looking for . Need to start working at it myself now I guess

During your first year that is the time to change your routines around and make your life proactive to weight loss and maintaining it for life. It is a tool to help you get the weight off and keep it off. You are the master behind the tool and it will only be as effective as the master wants it to be. I believe you have to purposely do things counterproductive that will cause weight gain. Such as drinking when eating to push the food through your sleeve so you can eat more or eat carbs etc until your full wait a little bit and then eat some more. If you are careful and eat accordingly you should be fine. Again the modifications that you make in your first year are going to make the difference. Hang in there!

Mariposa, I think you possibly nailed it in your first post....when you referred to your migraines and the hormones. Fat cells horde estrogen, and when you lose weight quickly as you have up til now, that excess hormone gets dumped into your system---causing the hormone induced migraines, PLUS causing a multitude of PMS like issues---including bloat, and Water retention---which both result in weight gain. You might also notice mood swings, and libido changes, acne breakouts etc. Your body actually adjusts quickly and they will pass. I would not recommend going any lower in calories, and in fact, maybe instead of counting calories for a few days just concentrate on eating as healthy as you can...fresh nutrtious food, avoid the processed often high sodium foods---which will just make the water retention worse. Years ago I had hormone induced migraines, and they went away when I had a hysterectomy (had it for other reasons---not the migraines), never had another one until I got banded!!! Then I had a few during the first month following it, and they went away.....never to return I hope!!! Good Luck to you----I bet it eases up soon, and the weight loss continues! Kat

Hi my name is lacey and I'm 27 years old. I am a wife and mom of 4. I have two sons 10 and 4, and two daughters 8 and 5. Prior to getting pregnant at the age 16 I was around 5ft 7 and 150 lbs. It seemed like the weight just came out of the middle of nowhere as one day u couldn't tell I was pregnant to the next I popped. I gained 80lbs my pregnancy at the end I also had preeclampsia. After I had my son the weight never seemed to come off. I since then have had 3 more kids back to back. My weight has always went up. Around 6mths ago I quit drinking Dr pepper which was my addiction and thought for sure I would have to lose some weight. That never happened.I have been considering weightloss surgery for along time but recently within last few months I have completed everything. I am so looking forward to going outside to play with my kids without running out of breath. I used to be so active and play sports myself and can't wait to do it again with my son. He asks me all the time mom do u wanna go play and I really do want to but I physically cant. It makes me feel so bad. I would like to have my self confidence back like I used to. Hard yo believe my teenage years I was selected for modeling but wouldn't believe it now. I don't expect to be likeffective I was when I was 16 but I do want to be healthy and make my hubby and kids proud of me. I should have a surgery date by friday for around 1st to middle of july. I'm so anxious and excited for the start of my new life. 1st picture before my pregnancy and weight gain 2nd and 3rd picture today weighing 286

I'm so short that even a little weight gain/loss is very noticeable so my friends and family have all commented on it (they don't know I had WLS.) Unfortunately my driver's license photo is from 10 years ago when I was 21 and under my current goal weight......LOL

No weight gain at all. I do agree with the stomach gas. My doctor told me to take Gas X strips and they really helped. Also gas from surgery did go to my shoulders. I was given pain medication for that. Walking also helps. Good luck!

I am so enjoying reading this post. I had the band placed 8/2007, removed due to slippage 3/2008 and getting a new one 9/15/2008. I am also nervous even though I have been there before. Any surgery give me the shakes. I know the band can work as I lost 63 pounds, and have gained some back. I want that "tool" back and that "tool" does work, if you work with it. Don't expect quick or rapid weight loss as that just does not happen. But, hey, any weight loss is better than weight gain. I had great support the first time, but now many people can't believe I am going to "go through it again". Then there are those that say, "until eveyone walks in my shoes, it is my decision and to let those nay-sayers go." Teri, I have them in my own family also, and I just don't get into discussions about it with them any more. As long as my DH is in agreement, I am fine. He has to live with me and put up with my PBing, and not eating like the old me. He was so supportive the first time and is looking forward to me losing more and getting healthier. He has always been slim ( the typical Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean LOL), and is anticipating me doing stuff with him that I could not do before because of my weight. Hang in there everyone. Let the nerves run their course, and keep looking forward.