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Hi All! I'm 51, born and raised in Massachusetts, and married 28 years. Like so many of you I've battled being overweight ALL my life. I have NO "skinny" pictures in my family album. "Chubette" was a word I grew up with (pre "plus size" lingo for those yunguns out there...). I have lost over 100 pounds TWICE in my lifetime with the disappointing and devastating weight gain occuring within two years afterward. (Neither time did the 100 pound loss actually put me in the category of "thin".) There have been MANY MANY in-between weight losses ranging from 10-60 pounds at a time, NONE of them have obviously "stuck"! :faint: That is why I AM SO EXCITED :biggrin1: to DARE to BELIEVE that THIS time it will stay GONE FOREVER! I am not so ignorant to believe that it won't come with hard work and persistence, (As my history shows...) but what I needed most before banding was HOPE! Hope that THIS time will be different! That THIS time, even if not "thin" by the world's standards, I CAN BE less heavy and healthy (and STAY that way!) I read about the lap band on the internet years ago when I was in behavioral counseling for weight loss (which didn't work, obviously)... the hospital was just introducing the gastric bypass at the time which was offered to me, but I refused. I told them, SOME day, when this band comes to the U.S. (they had never heard of it) MAYBE I'll consider it! Well, SOME day has finally arrived for me and I feel wonderful, grateful, and HOPEFUL! A great BIG thank you to everyone who posts, I have "devoured" every wonderful word over the past couple months! This is a place of HOPE and I so appreciate you all! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

The longer I stay on this site the more I convinced I am that the norm is for a lower weight at year 2 with a regain in during year 2-3 to a stable weight. So many people are posting about 5-20 pound gains in that time. Makes the slooth in me wonder. *dear Internet, I'm not saying this is true for everyone* I stay really active and any dip in that activity brings weight gain. It's a trade off 6 days a week in the gym or weight gain. I can not control with diet alone. For me that's okay. I love the workout. I've just had several surgeries since maintenance and I've experienced what sedentary does to my body. Anyway, I take probiotic, fish oil, multivitamin (gummy), b12 (gummy), Vit D with Calcium, and Vit C. Hope you find what works for your body. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

</blockquote><br> I've lost 25 pounds. Sleeved on 6/18. I have been stalled for 2 weeks now. I am disappointed because I thought I would have lost more by now. Any suggestions on how to break a stall? I've lost 57 lbs. sleeved on June 11. Weight loss has been slowing down but that is likely to the fact that I have not exercised. Started at 435 lbs and still not light enough for working out "back issues", Getting between 700-900 calories and 60 - 70 grams of protein daily. Still struggling with fluid intake, but fighting the good fight. I weigh myself once per week ever since I had several days of weight gain and felt depressed. Overall I have had great success with weekly weigh ins. Good Luck All!

I had an early menopause brought on by cancer treatment - OMG it was HORRIBLE. The hot flashes, I would get major panic attacks with them, and want to rip my clothes off. At home, I did rip my clothes off! It upset my sleep markedly too I was absolutely bug eyed, totally depressed, having major sugar cravings, etc. I went onto HRT. I know the risks, but I'm only 44, have early osteoporosis, was miserable and not coping with the menopause symptoms. HRT has been an absolutely life saver for me, I will be on it for a long time yet. I also had to start testosterone treatment and THAT was incredible. That's the fountain of youth. It took away all the aches and pains, the belly weight gain, the declining libido, the mood issues. The little break you had might just be a coincidence, I think a more natural menopause can sort of come and go, cant it?

That's a great idea SHM, I appreciate all your help and suggestions. I spent most of the day today making signs, plus we have an ad in the paper (starting on Thursday), so I hope we did enough advertising. I'm looking forward to it! I think having a bake sale as part of it would be fun, as long as I don't eat any of it - which I probably would, lol. I'm not feeling great lately. Tap, you're not alone, I've gained weight too. But I've gained a lot more. I don't know why I get so close to my goal, then blow it and gain back. This up and down is getting to me. I have to see my surgeon tomorrow, and this is the first time I've gained this much weight. The band isn't working for me right now. If my surgeon puts any fluid into it, I get heartburn and reflux. I'm starting to feel like this has all been another big diet, and everything I've lost is gonna come back. I am scared I'm gonna fail once again. It's why I went and had this stupid band, I need it. I just hope my doctor will have some words of wisdom tomorrow, instead of giving me a lecture. Plus I know I've been emotional eating. My cat "Aesop" had to be put to sleep on Monday. My hubby and I have had him 18 years, the same number of years we've been married. I've never known a moment in this home without my kitty. It was his time, and I know it was the right thing to do - he was nothing but skin and bones, and suffering. I know it's silly, and some say it's "just a cat", but I've been so upset for the past few days, crying off and on. Then overeating - why do we turn to food for comfort? Would my doctor understand this was part of my weight gain? Somehow I doubt it. :w00t: Or am I just making excuses? :thumbup: Ok, I'm rambling and venting here. Sorry girlfriends. I'm still gonna keep swimming, things are just moving very slowly right now. I hope I can get back into my grove of weight loss. I'm actually looking forward to the garage sale, maybe it will perk me up a bit. I'm putting my ticker back to where my weight is truly at, I can't keep lying to myself. I hope I can get back where I was. Talk to all again soon, hopfully I'll have more positive things to share. ((((warm hugs )))) to all

Anyone else rededicating? I'm ready to get started again on my weight loss. Here is my latest blog post. The link is in my signature if you're interested in seeing the whole blog. Melissa Well, I'm back. I'm ready to get this weight off and get back to my pre-baby size. So here we go! As of right now I have no fill in my band. The nearest fill-doctor is over four hours away, so as of right now, I'm going to see what I can do on my own without having it filled. If I get stuck and can't lose any more, then I will look into getting fluid put back in my band. Honestly, I don't miss the restrictions of the band as far as having to eat slowly and some foods that I can't tolerate. If I can do this without having to get that restriction, I think I will enjoy the eating aspect of my life much more. So as I posted before, I gained way more weight with this pregnancy than I had ever intended to. It ended up being about 75 lbs. So, right now, in order to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, I have 50 pounds left to lose. Yay for already being 25 pounds down from my baby's birth three weeks ago! I have tried to exercise a couple of times since baby was born, but both times I ended up in pain and really worn out. I think I was jumping the gun just a bit. I went for a walk around the neighborhood. I didn't make it more than about half a mile either time. My abdominal muscles were very weak and sore throughout. I will try again soon and see if I'm ready yet. My biggest problems that have caused my weight gain are not exercising and eating too many sweets. So this week, I started back on not eating sweets. I will allow myself one occasion of sweet-eating per week. (Like a party, or movie, etc.) I'm on day three of no desserts and down four pounds so far. Not bad results. It really shows me that sweets make a huge difference in my weight. So I will be posting much more regularly to keep myself accountable and update you on my progress. Stay tuned!

Ezma - Your attitude is great. Kepp it up. A trip to California sounds great - poarticularly when your house is undergoing renovations! Who needs that chaos?? Enjoy! EXACTLY!!!! YAY you! Hi Jul. And welcome! We are here to support you - we alll know EXACTLY what you are talking about. We have good days, bad days, plateaus, weight gains, frustrations, and milestones! It's all part of the process, and I find posting here a big help! Keep posting, and we'll give you are words of wisdom/experience. To quote one of our more steadfast memebers: just keep swimming! Lori's back - YEAH!!!! And such a positive message too! Glad you had a great vacation, and those pounds you gained will be gone again - get back in the groove, Lori! Im hoping to take some vacation in September, and sure as shootin' I'll gain a few pounds - so until then I want to be REALLY careful to allow myself some 'wiggle room'. Not that I am losing any weigt; I think I am where I am going to remain (unless I have some plastic surgery). YAY Ezma! Maybe it was just a reaction of being away from stressors - your entire system just took a deep breath and relaxed and somehow this translated into a weight loss. You've had a very rough past few months; maybe your body was holding onto the fat as a defence or something. Who knows. Don't questions it - go with it!!!! Oh CKK - I hope things are ok. Have you gone to the Doc? If yes, what did he/she say? If not, are you planning too? Tell us how you are doing. That is just so FABULOUS LilMiss! The right fill makes all the difference - so glad that you reached this spot, and that you haven't given up on yourself or the band. Small fills and only as required. Not too tight. Talking to the group was probably good for you AND the group. Sometimes we need to hear it from another bandster NOT the doc/nurse/nutritionist. We need to hear it from ourselves (so to speak) to finally hear the message. TOO TIGHT IS NOT GOOD. And of course, starting over is always an option. ALWAYS! This is a lifetime commitment and so we have a lifetime to work with it to be successful. I'm here. I've been feeling sorry for myself or something. Just have had the 'blahs'. The 'why bother to post, no one cares' moodies. I'm over it now. I think. Shiny/RSG/ST Louis/Jaime where are you?????

Hi there. Thank u so much for your reply. I guess its good to know im not the only one thinking this way about the weight gain. If I can ask what are your portion sizes now like? I can comfortably eat one scrambled egg on a slice of toast with onion but I just dont want to be doing any damage. So some advice on portion sizes I should be eating would be great. Thanks, Tanya

For the last meal of the day would you take a shake or a low carb protein bar? I have nu go bars which are 20 g protein and 20 g carb (not from sugar, but from fiber and sugar alcohols). I have been taking shakes before bed for several months now and want to try the bar if it is not going to mess with weight gain. What do you think?

Becky Those things are just models they really can't give you an accurate # - they just take generals into consideration - age and weight not how we burn calories - our metabolisam - what foods we eat etc - That 1200 to lose 3 lbs is BS IMHO... But I'm not a rocket scieniest - just a fat chick. I have a freind who was trying to gain a little weight - so she was eating sugar - nothing no weight gain - then she deleted the sugar and added flour/white crabs - was eating less calories of the carbs than the sugar - but in eating the carbs she gained the weight - Go figure - it's how her body reacts to the food it's given So IMHO we each have to find out what works for us - but the main thing is to decrease calories and exercise - Zig Zag your calories but no more that 1200 max a day - when you exercise (walk) don't stroll - push yourself - sweat.. Walk fast for a few minutes - slow down - then speed up again.. There is no way to know how many calorie we burn even on those treadmills that tell us how much we burn - say that my trainer who's 43 - 5'10 - 260 and ALL muscle - pluggs in those # on the treadmill (age/weight) and the man next to him is the same height and weight but all fat and out of shape - they are going to burn diff amount of calories on the same speed and incline - my trainer is going to burn less cuz he's in shape - the fat guy is going to burn more cuz he is using muscles he hasn't used.. but the stupid machine is going to say the both burned the same amount of calories So that being said - we have to take all those #'s with a grain of salt - they are approximates only - not written in stone. I only used daily plate or fitday to get the calories of foods that I didn't know how many calories was in what I ate (del taco burrito) - All I did was log my food in a little note book like this BF - Weight Control oatmeal 160 c L - One Pot Wonder 150C D - 4 oz Fish 120 - 1/2 c Rice 120 - Veggie 50 = 270 S - Popcorn 100 - puddings 2 120 - fudgcicle 80 Total for the day 900 - Excerise 2.5 miles That's it - my exercise was $$$ in the bank - Just keep doing what you are doing eating healthy exerciseing and once you get proper restriction the weight is going to come off - some weeks it could be 1 lbs - next week 2 - next wee 1/2 - then 3 the next. What the kind of food you eat - I am not an atkins advocate - but I do eat limited refinded carb

Hello to you all...I had my banding on March 28th-2007.(St. Francis Bariactric Center of Memphis, TN) I am so glad to have lost just past 33 plus. I need to check my weight, but I am superstitous about doing it every week. Anyway--I am so glad this banding can stop and make me think. I have never ever eaten fish 5 days in a row. I found myself in the fish market buying not 5--but 25 fish. They were small and meal size. Maybe the guy was waiting on me to buy the 13 catfish and 12 drum fish. Right at $22...It was a deal. I have a deep freezer holding all of this. This week--5 meals--fish and veggies--one day--fish and mac and cheese. I told my Doctor that I wanted to boost my weekly weight loss to just over 2.5 to 2.66...She said--maybe that is possible. I got 2 fills so far and this fill seems to be doing the trick. That is 1.6 cc's of water...Not bad. I do have one problem--my appetite is so tough to take in the morning--it's almost zero. My energy level is "Off the Chain". I mean--I may have to cut back on the anti-depressives. Wellbutrin is known to be a zero weight gain for the appetite and many times--make you lose weight. I will ask my Dr on the next visit about cutting back to a lower dose--since my sleep issues are back. Too much energy. Yesterday(6-30-07) I washed dishes--which is normal. I mopped all of my floors at night since I could not sleep. I found myself re-arranging my bedroom at 1:30 am--could not sleep. Then I mopped the kitchen again. Saying to myself.."Oh--I missed that corner"... This type of energy was never in my body before. I can recall when I had this energy last--when I was in the Army and i was around 27 years old. Most nights when I can't sleep--I am laying on the couch watching TV all night. Thank God--my little 2 bedroom apartment is looking great....hahahahaha...Can't wait to get back to the Gym in August....

Your experience sounds very much like mine. That weight gain from you hospital stay will quickly go away. I dropped 6 pounds over night the first night I was back home. They were pumping me with fluids until the very end. My IV came out and I was out the door literally about 5 minutes afterwards.

I have to get my band removed and have opted to get a bypass the same time the band is removed. I have NO fill in my band and I still get food hung constantly and my surgeon says it's not a matter of "if" my stomach totally occluded but a matter of "when". When I got the band 10 years ago United Healthcare paid for the first one. Now I'm on Medicare and the patient coordinator at the first office I consulted with said that Medicare had a strict rule that once you've had a procedure Medicare wouldn't pay for a second one. Well the doctor I'm seeing now said that was ridiculous since Medicare didn't even pay for the first surgery, and now I have to have the band removed through no fault of my own. They are making me meet Medicare's criteria of a three month supervised diet, and the surgeon is hoping I won't occlude before this time is done. I also have to have a BMI of 35 with a comorbidity but since last year I've developed high blood pressure and some maturity onset diabetes and with the weight gain from the failed band no problems there... I just would like something in writing that Medicare WILL cover it...I'd hate to be denied after the fact an be stuck with that bill!

lovegrapes.. way to go! and have fun! AND everyone.. I found something and I wanted to share.. I have been trying different ways to get the water in and I am sick to death of crystal light.. I am not a good fake sugar person and after awhile it burns the back of my throat and taste nasty..plus the fact that its bad for you... and I dont want to drink things with extra calories I dont need.. so I found something that might be help if you are like me.. its a herbal tea that tastes sweet and has NO SUGAR.. it has nothing artificial in it and I got it at my grocery store.. it can be made hot or like ice tea and its very flavorful.. its sweet tasting and I have checked the box several times and there is no sweetner in it.. its by Good Earth and its the sweet and spicy herbal tea... here is a link if you want to get an idea of what it looks like.. I know the package has changed several times.. but it gives you an idea Good Earth Original Sweet & Spicy Tea & Herb Blend -- 18 Tea Bags - www.Vitacost.com anyways.. its a little spicy too.. its helping me get my liquids in. and it tastes really good. thought I would share.. still really discouraged at the moment.. dont really want to do anything.. i feel like if I have good restriction and its not helping.. what will.. I know I need to just keep going.. that weight gain is really messing with my head..:bored:

elcee, I hope they get your BP figured out. Whooo Hooo on having a great time with no weight gain! Stacie, OMG! I would be crying too. It's hard to say when I'm not walking in your shoes, but I think I would tell them to put in a new band and make sure they stitch it in place well so it doesn't slip. Hugs to you. I hope you get it figured out.

I am approaching the 1 year mark after surgery and I am in the maintenance stage. I don't obsess with my weight. I have an accurate scale, good for increments of 0.2 pounds. I weigh myself each morning when I get up and record my weight. I reached my bottom weight 7 months after RNY gastric bypass surgery. My weight generally falls within the 160.0 to 162.0 range. There were several times when my weight was below this figure and a few times above. Generally I look at the scale as an instantaneous feedback tool. I do a lot of experimentation. If I see a weight gain outside the range, I return to my basic meal plan and the weight falls back in line. So far some of the items that I have to stay away from by using this method are: bread, sweet corn, sweet cherries. On the other side, some of the things that appear to drive my weight below the limit is when I pick up a cold or when I eat out at restaurants.

I am going to assume week one is losing the water weight gained while in hospital and due to our bodies try to hold on to what it can. Hopefully week 2 will be much better. Gen :-)

So I was having issues with heartburn and acid reflux over the last month or so and I was really starting to get concerned. I called my doc and had to wait a week and a half for an appointment since he was on vacation, but I wanted an x-ray because I need to see if something was wrong with my band. When I got to my appointment, he didn't want to x-ray me because he said I had all the classic symptoms of being to full. He actually showed me a chart and sure enough, every symptom I had was on it under the category of "too full." I couldn't believe that I had never seen that chart before. If I had, I wouldn't have gotten so worked up and worried. Anyway, he took out the 1/2 cc I got back in March and I felt better by the end of the day and haven't had any symptoms since. He said I might gain a couple of pounds since he loosened it but it would level out and he'd see me again in a month to readjust if necessary. I thought I'd post this in case anyone else is having the same symptoms I was having. Your band may be too tight. Symptoms were: Heartburn on and off all day, night cough or occasionally choking on your spit at night, acid reflux, regurgitation of food, weight gain or no weight loss. It also modifies how you eat because you will automatically gravitate toward unhealthy choices because you start eating what doesn't hurt. So, please don't let your band get too tight and ignore the symptoms. Long term and they can be dangerous.

Good to hear you are well Kendra, sorry about the weight gain but you have been through an ordeal and getting your health back on track is more important than a few lbs. Hope you're not overdoing it with work and your moderator role. Sounds like fun though. I'm off to work so hopefully I'll see you around more often. Take care!

Well I went in Tuesday and got a really nice fill. It's working nicely! I did drop 2.2% of body fat but went up in water weight so the scale showed 2lb gain :biggrin: but Sue said not to worry about it cause its not real weight gain. Have anyone else met Sue.. She's the new NP and really very nice. Anyone have anything interesting happening this weekend??

Hi Christy, I am not familiar with the med you have been taking so long. What exactly is it for? Have youseen a Neurosurgeon about your tumor, and if so, what does he/she say about whether or not surgery would be a definite plan for the future? Have you ever had any surgeries on it yet? Sorry, I don't recall alot of these things from your earlier post. I was starting the process for lap band surgery two years ago and then all came to a screeching halt because I first found out that my insurance has an exclusion through my employer for any kind of weight loss surgery, and second, my second tumor was found. I decided to get that surgery done and already knew that I would also be having the radiation treatment too later on. I am not sure if this surgery will help your weight gain, but for the most part, I believe it will because even though you are on meds that probably caused the weight gain by overeating or not processing fat like it should, the band should keep you in control over that. So, you are having surgery on Monday also? Cool! I will be thinking about you too hun. You take care and don't stress over the other. Concentrate on the surgery and how well it will help you in the long run. Take care, Judy

Hello, I am just wondering if anyone who has a pituitary tumor has had the surgery and if so, did it still work? I currently have an adenoma and the hormones are so bad. I think it has been a major cause of my massive weight gain. I'm scheduled for lapband on Monday!!!!!! Thanks!!!

Can someone tell me about the weigh in the day of surgery with Dr. Posner? I have so much anxiety. He said if there is any weight gain, surgery will be cancelled. My date is this wednesday the 16th. Does the nurse weigh you in? The doctor? Is there a weigh in at all???? Soooo nervous !!!

<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="CONTENT-TYPE"><title></title><meta content="OpenOffice.org 1.1.0 (Linux)" name="GENERATOR"><meta content="20060627;9191600" name="CREATED"><meta content="16010101;0" name="CHANGED"> <style> <!-- @page { size: 8.27in 11.69in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> It is difficult to make "honest" posts. I do not want to look like an attack dog, but it is too easy to agree with the person who is complaining, rather than to try to help them. Maybe insurance companies are cheap and want to save money, but sometimes (maybe) they realize that when people go into these things (bariatric surgeries) without proving that they can put in the effort, that they are more likely to be failures. According to the surgeon who put in my Lap-Band, "(as of 2002), the average Lap-Band patient lost 25% of the access weight between their starting weight and the weight that they should be for their height. It was close to 85% for gastric bypass patients ("roux-en-y" and "the Switch")." I have lost 58% of my access weight. My doctor considers me a success. I still weigh 232 at 5'9". According to the charts, I should be about 165#. I would be happy at 180#. I have lost 65% of the weight to get to my goal. BUT: My family looks at me wearing size 44 pants and X-large or 2XL shirts and sees a failure. Strangers who see me on the street snicker and call me fatso (behind my back). People who I do not know, make comments like "How can a big guy like you share a meal with your wife?" Weight loss is not easy. TV shows highlight the success of big stars. The doctors tell you the statistics, but then paint a picture (with your help) of the wonders of weight loss surgery. They mention the possibilities of complications, but then move right on to the benefits that you are going to have. But they never forget to get you to sign the forms about the dangers. Insurance companies are full of business people who know the stats. They know how much it is going to cost them paying for the treatment of the medical complications of obesity. They compare that cost with the cost of bariatric surgery and its complications. They are cold-hearted businessmen. But the stats that they use also protect you. More money out of the insurance company's pocket also means more heartache for you, the patient. My BMI was about 48. I had tried many techniques to lose weight and always did, but then gained more weight back. I was 57 years old when I got my Lap-Band. We had the pre-surgery candidates come into our post surgery emotional counselling sessions quite often. Once we had a 17 year old girl who was close to 300 pounds at about 5'6" come in. She was going to have either the "roux-en-y" or "the Switch". I suggested to her that she have a Lap-Band because neither the "roux-en-y" nor "the Switch" are reversible and at her young age, there may be better alternatives around the corner (with the research into ghrelin and other enzymes). No. She had to have the "roux-en-y" or "the Switch". It was her decision, but isn't 17 year old a little young to give up? I wish everyone who has these invasive techniques, "the best". I wish we could get to the root cause of the problem for all this weight gain in the USA. But, until then, we need to try everything short of surgery first. Not half-hearted, to get it out of the way, in order to speed up the insurance company's approval, but to try to get it to work. As I said in another post, I know of people who purposely gained weight in order to meet their insurance company's criteria for bariatric surgery. I think that is sick. But I am no psychologist, so I guess I have no right to talk.

I think you have to look at your history. Do you feel you're pretty much "doomed" to weigh more? Tried diets? Have a strong genetic tendency toward weight gain? If you're pretty sure that *without* this surgery, you'll one day have a BMI of 40 or more...then why wait? Youll just have more to lose, a potentially harder recovery, and maybe co-morbidities. I know it's not an easy decision. I'm a bander to sleeve, too. In some ways, deciding to get the band was easier. BMI of 40 and absolutely miserable. I kind of felt like I had no choice. My BMI is 32 or 33 now (got down to 26 BMI) and I KNOW, without something, I'll be back to a 40 BMI. So once I knew the band needed to come out, the decision was pretty much made. Still not easy though...putting myself through a surgery and everything while still feeling mostly normal...kind of hard. So look at where you think you'll be in 5 yrs. Is it worth confronting your weight now or later?