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I read an interesting article on here yesterday that really made me stop to think - why was I overweight? Was I just going to blame my bad habits on my parents for the rest of my life? Or was there something more to it than that? Part of the reason I've avoided thinking about it before is because to do so would be admitting to myself that I had a problem. When someone talks about overeating or people with eating problems, I immediately conjure up in my mind people that snack on potato chips constantly, eat half a cake for a snack, and chug a 2 liter bottle of coke with each meal. And since I didn't eat like that, then I'm obviously not in the same category as those people, right? Well, it's only now that I'm beginning to see and accept that I *am* overweight, that I *do* look overweight to my peers, and that hardly anyone who is overweight eats an entire pizza in a single sitting. So I sat down and really thought about the painful things (yep, I cried) and tried to get to the bottom of what was behind my weight gain and poor eating habits. Why do I eat? Denial - If I didn't eat at all during the morning, then I must have some extra calories to spare in the evenings. If I didn't diet then I couldn't fail. If I didn't diet then that meant I didn't need to diet. Control - Eat what I want, no one can tell me not to. Not missing out on my favorite foods. Sadness - I earned or deserved it. Ability to relax or distract myself and not think too much. Boredom - Keeps me busy, something easy and enjoyable to do. Better than just sitting and doing nothing. Rewarding - I cooked it, accomplished that it turned out great. Some of my earliest memories of food as a child were that of my dad eating the last of my favorite food. Many times we'd have left overs and if I wanted to save something for myself for later, I'd have to choose between eating when I wasn't hungry or eating more than I needed. Often I would find myself in the situation where my dad would have a large dinner and eat the last of whatever I was saving for myself and I was forced to have something else that I didn't want or sometimes I just chose not to eat. I also remember very vividly this fear of eating something "ok" only to find out that my parents had decided to have pizza for dinner after my dad got home. So more times than I would like to remember I would have 2 dinners because I didn't want to "miss out" on the special food that was ordered or prepared later in the evening. My parents were also ALWAYS dieting. We did Atkins on and off for years. After I moved out I really began to resent them for this. I was obsessed with thinking about food and diet and my weight - eventually to the point that I swung to the other end of spectrum and avoided all diets and forms of calorie control. I wanted desperately to be accepting of my body and who was, I some how tricked myself into thinking that to love myself mean I wasn't suppose to care about what I ate. I tried a couple of diets after highschool, but I didn't want to turn into one of those compulsive dieters that spends most of their life yo-yo-ing and failing. I didn't want to fall for fads. I didn't want to turn into someone that hated my body. Now as an adult, I am beginning to realize and accept the fact that I have complete control over my body. That no one is going to run off and hide my favorite mashed potatoes. And if for some reason I run out of a certain meal before I am tired of it, I can always make more when I need to. Food is becoming more about "what I need to survive" and variety and less about what I am craving. And I'm getting better at saying no to cravings and impulses or limiting the extent to which I give in (having only 1 cupcake every couple days, as opposed to a huge slice of cake with dinner). The food isn't going anywhere and I don't need to eat it before it disappears. I am giving our family more structure so that our daughter doesn't have to have the same worries I did as a child - and I want more than anything, even if I can never save myself, to teach her positive attitudes about food and have her educated about the effects of foods on the body so that she can make healthy choices and live wisely. I don't want her scared of food or obsessed with food - I want her to learn to be normal. Or even if she has some of the same issues I do, to have the confidence and education to make wise choices.

Congratulations on two years out. Many of us have a weight gain after goal. The choice is to lose the weight or to be comfortable at a higher weight. There is no judgment of what you choose to do. This is your life and your choice. If you choose to lose It's not so much motivation. Reality - This is work to maintain /lose a weight gain. It's not fun to give up the calories and carbs. The weight loss is slower. Know that this gain is manageable if you want to take it off. It can be done. Motivation or Perspective: This is hard but a person with cancer would gladly trade places with us for our weight loss struggles, Right? Wishing you the best, Jenn

I have always been so pale that I am pretty much fish belly blue. A lovely aristocratic skin tone to have at one time but summertime was always a humiliation for me. I hated lurking in the shade and I hated hearing the same old comments about my lack of colour. Ugh! And my skin has interfered with a number of activities which my mate and I could have shared. I had to drop out of our sailing class because my skin couldn't deal with it. And when we spend time in the tropics I often lock myself up in our hotel room for a sizeable chunk of the day. Snorkeling, something which we both love to do, is complicated for me. I have got to be dressed in order to go snorkeling. And the truth is that while a plump individual with a warm skin colour can look absolutely lovely women who are as white as the moon will never look pretty. The payoff which I am now experiencing is that my skin looks awful good for my age. Oh well.... It seems that good things sometimes come to those who live long enough. As for pregnancy and permanent weight gain, this seems to be how it works for most women. I have run across the occasional individual who can produce babies and remain as thin as a whippet but this is rare. (I knew one woman who had 7 kids and weighed about a buck ten. I was a very envious Green.) Most men and women begin to gain weight as we edge into middle age. Our hips widen - yep, men's hips, too - and our waists grow much thicker. Our proportions change and this is why a slim middle-aged individual will not have the same shape as a slim teenager. And much of our personal futures are hooked into our genetics. I figured I would escape my mother's exceedingly strange post-menopausal figure. I had never been pregnant and she, on the other hand, had undergone three pregnancies during her 30s where she carried enormous babies to term. (I was the lightest at 9.25 lbs.) Nevertheless, I found myself stuck with exactly the same disasterous weight gain as my mum once I hit menopause. And exactly the same thing happened to a friend of mine, a tall and willowy young woman; she is now a stocky overweight post-menopausal woman, one who has also never had children. Her weight history exactly parrallels that of her mum. The weight issue is such an extremely complex subject, isn't it? There are the cultural attitudes to which NanaR and others have referred, there is this very complicated biz of genetics, and there is the question of the natural weight gain associated with ageing, childbearing, etc. And psychological and social issues also play their part. Ugh! It is a fine thing that we are able to cyber-meet and discuss this stuff.

I had a sleeve gastrectomy too & had some reflux before surgery. I was also a lot like you in that I spent years not eating & skipping meals so my metabolism was pretty shot & I enjoyed a large glass of wine or two at night. I eat more now than I did before surgery (smaller portions but more frequently) & I’m making better food choices. My metabolism is much faster - I feed it all day long. Only have a drink about once a month, occasionally more often or an extra glass & I don’t really miss it or look for it. I still have reflux but it manifests differently but is generally managed by 20mg esomeprazole everyday. The average weight loss across sleeve & bypass is about the same at around 65% at the five year point. That is 65% of the weight you need to lose to put you at a healthy bmi. This takes in bounce back regain, complacency weight gain, lifestyle choices, medical conditions, etc. As with all statistical data some stabilise at a higher point others at a lower point. The surgery will get you so far. There may be physiological & psychological factors which influence your success but ultimately it is up to you. I lost all the weight I wanted to lose plus more - 137% loss. Wasn’t intending to lose more but it took me while to sort out my maintenance. Been stable for a year now. I made sustainable changes to what I eat & when I eat & came to terms with why I ate. I still have odd days or times I’m not hungry but I still try to eat because I recognise I need to eat for my body to function. Eating because I need to not because I want to was an important realisation & contributing factor to my weight loss & now in maintaining my weight. Not perfect about this though because I do enjoy the odd treat but I’m careful about what the treat is, the portion size & why I’m eating it. Good luck with whichever surgery you have.

Next challenge.....I had surgery August 24. After that initial hospital weight gain I started seeing 2-4 pounds fall off every day. THEN I started on full liquids. The weight is slower to come off. Like 1 pound every other day or so. That can mess with your head just a little.

I was convinced that my obesity would end my life prematurely. do you feel like you can live a normal healthy life span at the weight you currently are? because honestly, most people who loose weight gain it back and more. this is a powerful tool to give you an edge with those odds. the thing I hear consistently is that people only wish they had done this sooner. You are at a fork in the road, and need to decide which way you want your life to go.

First, as a disclaimer, this post is under "General WLS Discussion"....and my surgery was the Lap band. So different people with different surgeries will have different experiences, and different stories to tell.... No one wants to have to resort to surgery in order to loose weight...at least I didn't. But I tried and tried over years of dieting...and failing all the time...Up-down, up-down...gain weight, loose weight, gain it all back again.... Plus it was really staring to effect my health, in a very serious way.... So yes, for me it was a last resort...perhaps a desperate resort....as hesitant with 2nd thoughts as I was, what was the alternative? I wanted to be skinny and fit! I wanted to be healthy...I wanted to dance at my daughters wedding.... Know what? I got all that...AND MORE....I am absolutely ecstatic with my decision, and THE RESULTS! It CHANGED my life in ways I can't put into words at this moment. So what if it is the easy way out...EASY IS GOOD...what's wrong with that? Some people think that's a bad thing....I DON'T....and look at what I got in return! Where would I be today without this surgery? Probably 6' under, or ashes in an urn...not kidding! Weight loss surgery is not for everyone...it is not about the surgery, but it is about LOOSING WEIGHT! However you do that, it's all good. I needed my stomach tied off, restricted...after 4 years I'm still good with it! Like I said, I have been down all those other roads, and diets do not work for me. Perhaps for the first few months, then it all come back......surgery is permanent!

I'm back from my appointment and things are still a go. They actually didn't even say anything about my weight gain. Maybe I didn't really gain anything? I didn't dare ask what my last weight was because I didn't want to put a spotlight on it. LOL The hospital was too busy to have me stop by for my pre-op so I don't do that part until 1 Dec. Anyone else on here have a surgery date of Dec or Jan?

Hi Tamra - Not many people get to this site. Good luck with your pre-op appt. A little weight gain should be ok if you've hit the target they asked for. I see you post on the pats_laps site too. I hope we can get a support group going.

I need to cut back on the sugar.... I havent seen any weight gain from it yet but I find mysekf reaching for it a LOT mor often than I had been.... I never really limited the other carbs as long as I ate Proteins first... I recently had hysterectomy and studies show the aveerage weight gain 1 year out is 20 pounds...THAT CANNOT HAPPEN FOR ME so I need to monitor my habits....

True or False: If a product says no added sugar, it’s sugar free. That statement is false. It just means the manufacturer didn’t add sugar to a product that may contain naturally occurring sugar from milk (lactose) or fruit (fructose). Foods with natural sugars also provide other nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber and anti-oxidants that are healthy for us. A revision to the Nutrition Facts Panel may include added sugars, which will be a better way to determine what foods to minimize. This change won’t be for another year or so. For bariatric patients, eating too much sugar after surgery can lead to dumping. Sugar is considered “empty calories” because all you get is calories without the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants or fiber that are good for your health. Other problems from sugar include increased triglycerides, decreased HDL (healthy) cholesterol, increased respiration rate, fatty liver, increased blood sugars, cavities and weight gain. Research is beginning to link too much added sugar with heart disease, inflammation, gout and premature wrinkles. Recent research points to people consuming too many added sugars dying from heart disease at twice the rate as for people with low sugar intake, even if the diet is otherwise healthy. Obvious sources of sugar are the sweets: cookies, cakes, candy, ice cream, desserts and sugar sweetened pop. Sugar sweetened beverages like regular pop, sports drinks and energy drinks account for about a third of the added sugars we consume. Added sugars can also creep into your diet through condiments like catsup and barbeque sauce, salad dressings, canned tomato products, coffee drinks, pastries, smoothies, crackers and ready to eat cereals. When reading the ingredients label, look for words like anything that ends in “–ose” (sucrose, fructose, maltose, dextrose, xylose etc..), syrup, juice, agave, honey, molasses, caramel, corn sweetener, high fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane guide, cane sugar, brown sugar, barley malt, and beet sugar. You now have information about how to read the label to see if what you are eating or drinking has added sugars. Next week, you’ll find out how to compare products to determine how much added sugar is in something you are eating or drinking.

...for the benefit of any journal visitors! (edited and updated form introductions thread) I am SOOOO glad I found this forum - reading posts over the past few weeks, and viewing all those inspirational before / after shots has helped me in my decisions and plans immensely. God Bless all LBTers for sharing and caring so much:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: - I hope that I may contribute to the forum as well as the benefits I'm already enjoying. I'm 34, a mother of one boy (who's 5), married to a WONDERFUL man (he always cheers me on, and thinks I'm sexy however I look! Bless him!). I work part-time as a consulting environmental scientist. I have been thinking of getting banded for over a year - but only just started to discuss it with my hubby in July. I got a referral from my GP this week, and first met with surgeon in early August (with Mr Chris Hensman at EndoSurgery Victoria, Mulgrave).:nervous I have fought the battle of the bulge since I was 16 - when my mum joined me at WW - since then I've been the classic yo-yo ride of WL support systems, diets and pills. Depression and control issues with food haven't helped either :mad: (Man! How do I relate to some of the stories posted to the forum!) I want to GET OFF THE ROLLER COASTER - NOWWWW!!!! My weight has hovered around 135kg since just after my son was born. My hubby was made redundant from his job at the same time, so my emotions and eating were all over the place for a LONG time. I maxed out at 138 - 140kg during last year.:omg: I'm currently around 132kg. (I'm so ashamed...) The thing is, until recently, I've never felt big or heavy. Because I'm a pear-shape, and therefore most my fat is on my legs / hips / rear end, it's kind of "out of sight, out of mind". Only this year have I felt too big / fat / tired / slovenly / unfit / "insert any other of your favourite self-depretiating terms here" (they'd apply here) to get off my but and do things - even things I love to do like play with son (who can run like the wind) or gardening. Cleaning the house even feels like too much effort... I feel like that a lot of the emotional baggage I've been carrying around has been put down over the past year, and is now GONE FOR GOOD. :clap2: Hubby and I have a stable, Christian marriage, we have a loving home life and good jobs and career prospects. It was a long struggle. I also feel like I'm able to finally put down the bags I've carried siince school days, feelings of insecurity and inadequacy (God knows why I have them in the first place, but the mind is a beast...). I honestly feel that if I can make a break in the weight gain-loss cycle, and lose the excess weight once and for all, that I'd have a great chance that the fat would also be GONE FOR GOOD. I guess none of this is new to many / most of you in LapBandTalk land. Anyway, it's these new feelings about myself that have shocked me into doing something more to lose the kilos- enter the LAPBAND - dadadadaaaaaa!!!:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: My hubby & I REALLY want more babies - but right now I'm too scared of complications / dying to contemplate getting pregnant yet. I can't seem to lose the 15kgs and 5 years of age I put on since I had my son... The desire to make some new people for our family to love is also contributing influence to my decisions right now, but not the main motivation. Initially, I'd like to get down under 100kg before trying for another baby, and then after that continue on towards an ultimate goal of 60kg - 70kg (would be nice on a 5ft 4inch girl...). I think I was about 15 when I last saw my weight defined by a number lower than 70kg.:cry :faint: :help: I'd like to hear from anyone who has conceived / had a baby after LapBanding. My GP suggested we had a baby (or two) first, and then the LapBand - the way I feel right now, I don't think that would be sensible - I can almost feel diabetes or a heart attack at the thought of it!:sick The surgeon said at least three months, although the longer we wait after the banding, obviously, the better th weight loss would have been. Also, I am really nervous about how I will adjust to the Bandster's lifestyle given how much and how often I eat. Feelings of hunger / fullness / satiety etc are almost meaningless to me right now. I'm looking forward to changing this, but for now, the thought of restricting food volume and types fires up those old feelings of rebellion!:hungry: :angry Definitely need counselling, support and reflection in this area.:nervous Anyway - enough introductions - let's make music!!!

I received gastric sleeve surgery back in 2014. After finding out that I have another hernia and bad acid reflux and some weight gain I was informed to look into the bypass. I just received my approval for a June surgery date and I’m terrified. Has anyone else gone through something similar if so do you have any advice?

OMG! I have been diagnosed with hypothyroid and my Dr. wants to put me on Synthroid. Everything I have read on synthroid causes weight gain. I have worked so hard to loose weight I just can't emagine taking anything to make me gain. I am not going to take it no way.

Where did you get that Synthroid causes weight gain?!? ABSOLUTELY false! HYPOTHYROIDISM causes a drag in the metabolism. The disease causes weight gain. The drug props your thyroid up so it can attempt to function properly. If you don't take it, your thyroid may likely continue to deteriorate. I suppose it could slow down any weight loss you want from the sleeve. I wouldn't be surprised if a neglected sick thyroid would run a higher risk of developing cancer, though I haven't researched that because I never miss my Synthroid. If you are hell-bent on avoiding Synthroid, I'd suggest finding out if you should prepare for cancer in a few years. I don't mean to sound harsh.... Truly. Just learn all you can. Ignorance begets fear. Fear begets anger. Conquer it. Learn all you can. Managed with one tiny pill daily, Hypothyroidism is one of the mildest long-term chronic conditions one can face.

Recently, I was reading the back of a Special K® Protein cereal box and saw a statement that lack of sleep can increase the feeling of hunger by 25 percent. Since I’m in a profession that is science based, I did some research on the National Library of Medicine website to verify this. Recently, I was reading the back of a Special K® Protein cereal box and saw a statement that lack of sleep can increase the feeling of hunger by 25 percent. Since I’m in a profession that is science based, I did some research on the National Library of Medicine website to verify this. I didn’t find the study that supported detailed that 25 percent increase in hunger when you don’t sleep enough. However, there were several areas where researchers are linking poor sleep and weight gain. If you are tired, you usually don’t feel like exercising. You move less, so you burn fewer calories. Being tired makes you more likely to choose a food like cake instead of salad. There were a couple of studies that did find an increase in ghrelin after poor sleep. Ghrelin is the gut hormone that makes you hungry. Sounds like the perfect storm for weight gain, right? You produce less ghrelin after surgery, which leads to less food intake. Part of weight loss after surgery is that you produce less ghrelin, which leads to less food intake. If eating more healthfully is a challenge for you, it may be that you need to start with better sleeping habits. By the way, that Special K protein cereal is a great add-in to light Greek yogurt. This is a great snack before surgery and about two months after surgery. Happy Zzzz’s!

Today in class I was speaking with a classmate whom had the Lap Band surgery a year ago. As we were going back in forth in conversation talking about weight gain, bariatric surgery and other stuff...meanwhile some others were listening in on our convo.(Noseyasses). One particular person asked us what the criteria was in order to be considered for surgery.. we told her and she was like "oh, okay cool..." So this person asked me what surgery was I looking into,I said,"RNY"... the whole dag'gone class turned their heads at me and stared.. as if I said that Jesus wasn't real or something else!!!! People frown on RNY..they say stuff like, "Wow, thats too drastic", " I'm not doing all that", or "I'll just walk and exercise to get my weight off". Anyways... everybody started giving there opinions about it... how people get sick or die or vomit or get infections or lose their hair or whatever else they could think of...smdh. Not to mention the classmate who had the Lap Band surgery started going on and on about how Lap Band is reversible or whatever..and the reason she chose it. She said it in such a tone though, like her decision was the better one. Beware people! Choosing baratric surgery is like choosing a gang.. if you don't choose their gang they will argue you down and try to make their decision or choice seem as if it's the rational one... and believe me they are passionate about their beliefs. So be strong. lol

I agree that everyones weight gain is different. One thing I remember from being banded in pregnant is that I was sooo hungry the first trimester that there were times were I felt like if I didn't eat something soon I would eat the bark off of the trees, lol. I also remember going shopping at the grocery store and eating something by the time I was in the car. Early pregnancy gave me a voracious appetite, and then I was fine thereafter. As far as losing 30 pounds post delivery, I had lost that much by two weeks out. Not everyone does, but if you are retaining a lot of Water it can happen. One unfortunate thing I noticed after pregnancy is that it is a lot harder to get back into losing mode. Our bodies are readjusting. There is also some difficulty switching from the "I'm feeding my baby so I can splurge a little" during pregnancy back to toeing the line. The other factor is that you are extremely busy with a new baby and time to focus on yourself or your health is hard to come by. My baby is 8 months old, I weigh 146 now but I did weigh 138 prior to pregnancy. I was 188 on the day of delivery. At the rate I am going post pregnancy over the last few months, I am lucky to lose 1 pound a month. I am not exactly where I want to be, but I am OK under 150 pounds. Not gaining for me is an accomplishment in itself. Good luck everyone with losing those post baby pounds.

Hi, this is my first time posting here. Just looking for some support/advice. So I'm scheduled to have a gastric sleeve at the end of the month. My weight is 190lbs and I'm 5'3". I know I am at the lower bmi to be having the surgery but I fractured both of my hips last year (due to massive weight gain and low bone density) and am at a huge risk of fracturing them again if I do not get this weight off. I have tried everything, I can lose a stone but always put it back on and more. I stupidly told my family about getting the surgery done. My husband has been so supportive and understands why I need to get this done. However the rest of my family have been a disaster. They all think it is a case of just eating less and exercising more. I have tried to explain numerous times that I have tried everything and this is something I need to get done for my health. They are also worried about my dying or getting serious complications. I have said that it is not up for discussion anymore, that my decision has been made. This hasn't stopped them continually talking to me negatively about it. As soon as I am on my own (when my husband is not there) they come at me about it. Im finding it really hard emotionally to deal with this, and feel like I'm at such a low point now. Nobody seems to understand, no matter how hard I have tried to explain things. For me this is not about fitting into smaller clothes or looking good. I want my life back, I want to be able to do the things I used to do and not to be so depressed about my weight. Has anyone gone through this with their families that has some advice?

I'm a RN, I think you have been misinformed. This medication will probably help in your weight loss efforts! Untreated hypothyroidism leads to weight gain in many people and once people start the medication weight loss is likely!

I told him about my weight history and that I started to get depressed right after I got pregnant because of all the weight I was gaining and after I gave birth I started to gain more weight and couldn't lose the weight and that I asked my gynecologist to see if she would give me a referral to see a psychologist but I never went to see one because she gave me anti depressants (I never took them) maybe that's why he asked to see me again :/ but I told him about this app how it helped me understand the things that can happen post op like stalls, weight gain, my nut told me if you overeat all the time it can stretch ,I'm aware of all the risk and honestly I just want to be healthy I'm a low risk of becoming diabetic and I don't want that to happen. I hope everything changes after I see him again Is there a difference between the NUT and the psychologist/psychiatrist?

My doc (not surgeon) just prescribed a steroid dose pack for me b/c of my back but he mentioned possible weight gain! Well that's the last thing i want! Has anybody had to take something like this? I am debating if I should just wait out the pain and skip the meds or take a chance but I would freak if I gained weight!

I am not, but my SO is. He was always really skinny when we were younger, but after diagnosis he was placed on lithium and invega. He had about 30lb weight gain and has slowly been losing. He is about 150 now, but does not have the physique he once did. is what you're feeling head or real hunger? Unfortunately weight gain is a common problem with these types of meds.

I knew that I would gain Water weight from the IVs. In fact they weighed me in MX 2 days post-surgery and I gained all but 1 lb back that I lost on the pre-op diet. I wasn't really that upset as I knew it would happen. But, I weighed this morning and I am still up 3 lbs. I have been eating less than 500 cals a day. I can see that I have lost weight. Why isn't it showing up on the scale yet? Grumble.... Mary

One of the best parts of getting back on track and living like a compliant bandster is the amazing food I get to eat. Nope, not kidding. I happen to be a pretty darned good cook. The problem is that when I'm not living right with my band, I get lazy. Cooking for one person half the time just doesn't seem "worth it," as if I'm not worth taking care of as much as the other people I cook for. That leads to take out, dining out, fast food, convenience foods, and processed foods. And that leads to weight gain. But when I'm concentrating on improving my life by working with the band, I eat not only healthier foods, but often tastier ones as well. Just in the past week, I made band friendly versions of beef Bourguignon, macaroni and cheese, braised chicken thighs with mushroom sauce, and for dinner tonight, Asian lettuce wraps with chicken and vegetables. It's all fresh, high protein, low fat, unprocessed, organic, and so much better than anything I could get at a supermarket or a cheap restaurant that it makes me shake my head that I ever made those choices. Even with the band, I love to cook, I love to eat, and I love flavorful foods. Now, I'm just finding ways to eat them the right way in the right amounts with the right ingredients. And it just rocks!