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Hello all my beautiful bunnies, I need to vent a moment. I am almost 3 weeks out from my band date and I have only lost 8 lbs. Yes it a loss, but not what I expected. Which leads me to my topic line, STRESS! One week after being banded my DH tells me he thinks we should move from Texas to Florida due to his job. What a bomb that was. I can handle that, but I have 4 kids. One of which is getting married on May 22. Then two of my girls have sports banquet, which most of you know involves dresses, shoes, jewelry, hair and nails! Plus I had tofly to Tampa to find a house, plus try to get this one ready to put on the market and pack! He wants to be out there by JUne 1!!!!!!!:rolleyes2: Now, as you can see, I have alot on my plate. No pun intended. And because of this I am reverting back to my old ways and eating fast food! I guess I just need some encouragement! I go back next week for my one month post-op and fill. I am hoping that will help, because I really have NO restriction what so ever. I was so excited about this band, now its the last thing on my mind! D:unsure:

Almost the exact same ..... Banded 2009 at 44bmi 223lbs, stayed at 143lbs till it slipped in 2017. I loved my band tina.... she was awesome. Fast Forward 2.5 years and a 30lb weight gain. Sleeve SX 8/28/2019 at 173lbs. My weight loss was and still is pretty great. I'm down to 120lbs.... and a 21bmi. 14 months ago

Bert99, based on your own unfortunate experience I can see where you might take a jaundiced view of the whole Lapband thing, but jumping on poor Hummingbird who offered understanding, concern, and a logical suggestion was a bit harsh. And as for lap band surgery being the easy way out- well, I reckon you've discovered it isn't easy at all. We still have to take responsibility for what we eat and how we eat it. On the chance my own experience will help, I'll share it. If it doesn't help, ignore it. I am not paid by a surgeon to write nice things about the band and I am not in the "wonderful" phase of the band. It has taken me two years and three months to lose 84 pounds. I've had ups and downs and looong plateaus. It has not been easy. I don't expect it to be much easier in the future, but I have learned some things that help me through the rough Patches. My band invariably feels tight during the early part of the day. I struggle with this, some times more than others. This week has been a particular challenge because I long for the emotional comfort of freely eating whatever I want. Of course, eating for emotional comfort eventually packed a hundred extra pounds on me. If I insist on eating early in the day when my band is tight, the food will come right back up. If I eat too much, up comes the food. If I don't chew well enough, same thing. If I wait until I am relaxed, actually hungry (and not just wanting to eat), and then eat a controlled portion of easily chewable food- well, life is golden. Most of all I have to guard against overeating, which means something quite different back in the days before the band. Overeating now can mean two bites. I know that feeling of too much food in the pouch- it is miserable until it is gone, one way or the other. It is a pain to have to pass up invitations to lunch because I know I am not going to be able to eat, but I've discovered my friends and family are quite understanding about my dietary limitations. We go for walks instead or get together to sew or garden or ride the horses. It is a continuing pain in the neck to not chew well enough, overeat, eat when I'm not hungry and end up having to walk around to let the food settle or actually go get rid of it in worst case scenarios. Sometimes I am better off just going back on liquids for a day or two and letting my stomach relax. Easy way out? Not on your life. But I can live with it because it is working for me. If the band is too much of a problem for you, by all means have it removed. But the weight gain you report is not a side effect of the band; it is the result of too many calories. That's not going to change once the band is gone. Overeating is an eating disorder, just like bulemia and anorexia. Hummingbird's suggestion to find a counselor to help you deal with that particular eating disorder is a good one. Please don't discount it. Good luck to you.

I had Aetna also. My surgeon told me from day one that Aetna is one of the toughest insurances to get approval from and they want to see no weight gain at all during the 6 month supervised weight loss. I gained 8 pounds in the last 2 months of my 6 months required for approval. My surgeon had me do one week of the liver reduction diet prior to my appointment for month 7 and I lost 12 pounds.....the 8 I gained and another 4. They submitted right after and I was approved in a week. Had my surgery 4/21. Sent from my SM-G920P using the BariatricPal App

Yesterday was a tough blog post for me. Because I had a bad morning yesterday, it started bringing up all those old feelings. I made myself remember all of it. Not just Buffalo Butt, not just the bus, but more... There were so many times that I was interested in a boy that befriended me only to end up dating one of my (thinner) friends. It's very possible it was because they just didn't want to date ME, but all I saw was rejection of a fatty. As an adult, I had two long distance relationships right out of college and that is it. Nada in about a decade. I've only kissed one guy in about 6 years, I think? And that was a drunken hook up at a friend's wedding. Ha! Growing up, I was the same size as some of my friends, but I always considered myself the fat one. I look at pictures and that wasn't really the case. All my friends had dates and boyfriends, but I didn't. My mom said that I always pushed them away or cut them off. The older I get, the more I realize that might be somewhat true. You know that Rodney Dangerfield quote about him not wanting to join any club that would have himself as a member? That's me, I think. In my head, I don't want to date anyone that would want to date me. Wow. That's just kinda sad...like, really...sad. Did I mention that I love boys? I do. I'm boy crazy, in fact!! I just never get past the admiring stage. I know I'm smart. I know I'm witty (in person...not so much in writing, ha!) I know that I am a natural leader, have a good work ethic and I'm nice. Apparently humble as well. But all that is negated much of the time because I'm fat. I was driving with a guy friend one time and he told me that guys will choose the skinny girl over the better looking overweight girl every time. He said that he knew it sucked, but it was true. That has really stuck with me. Now, don't get me wrong, I know that fat people get married, fat people have sex, fat people date. I know all of that. While I can imagine a romantic scenario with a cute guy in fantasy, I have a hard time truly imagining it in reality. About 4 years ago, I think I had a pretty good chance with a cute guy. We would email, talk on the phone and generally made excuses to see each other. It didn't work out and I started to gain weight. I didn't stop for 80 pounds. All the weight gain wasn't about him, for sure. But I have no doubt that it contributed to the start of it. I know I feel better about myself now at 227 than I did at 285. No question about it. So, I do think that as I lose weight, I will continue to feel better about myself. I don't think when I am 185 that I will see myself in the mirror as if I am 285 or 225. Maybe the argument is that I should be happy with myself regardless of the number on the scale. But I don't think that is my reality. We'll see. One thing I do know is that I haven't stuck with anything this long and I have officially lost more at one time than I ever have before. I WILL lose 120 pounds and I WILL feel good about my body. I can't promise that losing the weight will net me a boyfriend. I know better than that. But if I feel good about myself, I know that will reflect and will at least allow for the possibility. I will work on a happier post for tomorrow!!

I had gastric sleeve in 2011. Lowest weight was 148. I now weigh 195 lbs. Where am I going wrong. I heard that I can reset my sleeve is this true. If so what do I do. And does the sleeve stretch itself out. My highest weight was 275. And for those who say this surgery is cheating I've worked harder at keeping my weight down with this than if I just pitched a tent in the gym and lived there. Lol Sent from my SM-J327T using BariatricPal mobile app

I had a total abdominal hysterectomy and am now on HRT (literally the first time since I was 15 that I've had my hormones regulated at all). My uterus, 3 huge uterine fibroids, both ovaries, both fallopian tubes, and cervix combines weighed 4 pounds when they were removed. I weighed 212 on surgery day on May 7th. After I lost the water weight from 3 days of IVs, I was 208, which I expected. I was started on estrogen in the hospital. So here I am, 18 days post op, and I have lost 13 pounds. I walk 3-4 times every day, I eat normally, I rest a lot. I take my normal MS and Lupus meds and my normal supplements. The only difference is I had the hysterectomy and I'm on HRT. I'm noticing that I seem to be having a much easier time losing weight. It's almost like it was when I first had my bariatric surgery. I haven't lost weight like this in over a year. So here's what I'm wondering.... since pcos is known for causing weight gain and not allowing weight loss, and since my hormones are finally regulating with the HRT, and since I no longer have any issues with fibroids, cysts, horrible periods, etc... could the hysterectomy have maybe corrected a lot of the pcos issues and now the stuff slowing and stopping my weight loss is gone and I'm back to losing again? Did having the hysterectomy actually help with weight loss? I know a hysterectomy isn't a cure for pcos, but I'm really wondering if the combination of the HRT and hysterectomy are working together with my WLS to actually give me normal, proper results? Has anyone else experienced this, or know someone who has?

I am just like Happy to lose! No way. Bread/tortillas are out of the question at this point. I took a bite of my daughters burro on Sunday, and it went down, but very slowly. It is so wierd the way it feels. Stuck, dry, sideways. It is almost as if though your esophagus rejects it! Very strange. Not trying to preach, as i am the begining of my weight loss journey....but.... bread/tortillas=weight gain. Try and stay away from those types of foods. When you are able to eat real food.. stick to Proteins and green veggies. I love turkey burger patties with a slice of mozz/cheese, and broccoli. :thumbup:

Thanks for those who have posted so far! I understand that bread equals weight gain but many fit people eat it in moderation so I was asking for this info once I hit that stage where I am at goal and wanting to just maintain. Again thanks everyone!

Greetings. This has not been a wonderful week for me. I started a new job and have made some really crappy food/eating choices and as a result have gained 1 lb. My first non weight loss week since starting this journey. A combination of lack of protien rich foods and eating more than three times a day is *not* good! Also, I pb'd last night for the first time since getting the band. It was weird, the milk I'd just sipped to get it to go down was still cold. Gross. So I'm about to get up and start my exercise regimine, which up until now has been ignored. My dog will be so excited. It's a beautiful time of year here in Richmond and absolutely zero reason why I should not go walk/jog around. I'm extremely optimistic that next week will be a loss and Monday after the holiday I have an appointment for my second fill! Warm wishes to you all.

Yes I was fat in Aug. But I think u read my post wrong. It's not about weight gain or holidays..its about adjusting to life with the sleeve. Thanks anyhow Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Ahh okay I gotcha. Well under the circumstances girlie I wouldn't feel too bad about it. If they didn't put you on a strict "eat x y z" and then gave you something that has a side effect of weight gain then what do they expect! Good luck with everything and don't worry about the hijacking as long as there are no snakes on plane we're alright

Did you spend the night in the hospital? How long were you on IV fluids? I spent the night and was on IV's the whole time. My understanding is there is a lot of glucose in them. Between that and the constant intake of fluids, weight gain is going to happen. I weighed 7 pounds more when I left the hospital than when I went in. The good news is, that weight will probably come off in your first week at home.

Hello! Best of luck and keep us posted!!! Take slip on shoes, you'll need them. I was really nervous all the way up to the moment of surgery so your perfectly normal. I also experienced the last supper syndrome. Fortuneately I had only booked mine about 10 days out from the get go so I didn't have too long to do much weight gain. Best wishes to you, Teresa

It is common to have some limited weight gain after gastric bypass surgery. They call it a 20 pound bounce. The important thing is not let go beyond it. According to my nutritionist, meals should consist of equal parts of protein, fats and carbs after the first couple years post-op. Snacks should be limited to primarily whole food options: nuts, natural nut butters, fruits, veggies, boiled eggs, string cheese, yogurt with berries and almonds, tuna pouches. Avoid processed packaged foods as much as possible. So I guess my advise is to document what you eat in a food journal and figure out what is the cause. I had RNY gastric bypass whereas you had the sleeve. I am 5 years post-op and this is the approach that I use. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf

Hi everyone, I am here to find a community of people who have had weight loss surgery (VSG for me but any time is fine) and have regained their weight. I can take accountability to my choices and mistakes, this is more a thread where we can encourage and support each other through the experience of once again having to lose weight. Hoping to connect with a few people and get a good exchange going. Yayawhat 😊

Yes that's right. I had been working on weight loss for a while and was in the process of getting approved for the sleeve when my pcp said to take out my IUD birth control as she contributed my sudden weight gain to the hormones in it as one last thing to try before WLS. Yeah well within a month I was pregnant. I had completed practically all the requirements before getting pregnant so the doctor said if everything went well with delivery I was OK to get it at 2 months post birth. I'm so glad I had a smooth natural delivery. I'm still on maternity leave from work so I'll get another month to recover from the sleeve. I don't have to come back to work them take off again in a few months so it worked out really well. Sent from my SM-N920T using the BariatricPal App

Hello, I had a lap band in January of 2006. I lost weight very slow but steady and all was good for about 2 and a half years. I got food poisoning and had to have all of my fluid removed. After that I was never able to get my restriction right. Ok maybe that sounds crazy but thats what happened. Also in the last two years I have been v'miting and acid reflux, no eating in the morning, can't ever get full blah blah blah. Oh did I mention weight gain. Recently I went and had another fill and explained that I had been feeling worse than usual but some days I can eat way to much and others nothing. My doc sent me to have an abdominal scan and an upper gi. Well I have gallstones and my band was so tight that the barium would not go down. My doc then told me I had to have some fluid removed, and then told me that I should consider the sleeve because he thinks that I won't be able to tolerate any more fills. So I had the fluid removed and now of course I have zero restriction. This is scary I can eat whatever and big portions. I'm sorry for being so winded I just wanted to give some background. I am going on 7-8-10 to get a surgery date hopefully at the end of July for the sleeve. Ok finally my question is has anyone had the band to sleeve revision and the gallbladder out at the same time and what type of recovery should I be expecting. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks so much.

You do know that being tight generally causes weight gain rather than loss? Because you can’t eat the satisfying foods you subconsciously eat sliders . You need to go and see a Dr. You may need tests. However you may also need to accept that your band has come to the end of its lifespan and will never again do for you what it was intended to do. It might be time to start researching other options.

I have regained a bit as well and have been wanting to do the two week reset. I have heard from others that it works, but am not sure myself. I keep telling myself "I'll start tomorrow" then lunch rolls around and I am so hangry that I give in to food and not the shakes. I don't have a "team" and have never really had one. My doctor's office has always seemed uninterested and very in and out. The last time I talked with my doctor about the weight gain, they suggested I take multivitamins and do some crunches. I have IC so going to the gym is difficult for me, so I feel like the reset would be most beneficial. When I finally do start, I will share my results.

I am 2 years post-op from RNY and my weight is flat-lined. As a matter of fact I weighed myself this morning and I am at my lowest weight thus far. So what am I doing. First, I am not hypersensitive about my weight loss. I weigh myself each morning but I use the scale only as a tool, not something to beat myself over the head with. It only tells me if I am making the wrong decisions on my experimentation with food. Second, I am getting most of my Protein from meals. I consume high protein meals and do not take protein supplements any longer. Third, I strictly stay away from processed sugars. I use low calorie sweeteners (such as Stevia), no calorie artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda), natural sugars (found in fruits and milk) and sugar alcohols. I had diabetes prior to surgery and have been in remission since the surgery and periodically monitor my blood sugar levels. And the testing shows this approach works. Fourth, I consume fats. Fats have the power to take away hunger. So generally, I am rarely hungry. Generally, I have a cup of coffee in the morning with a giant scoop of home made whip cream. I make it myself and use Splenda in place of sugar. I use whole milk and real butter. I might have 3 Adkins treats during the day which also have fats and no processed sugar. They take the edge away from hunger. I asked my nutritionist "Why do people have surgery only to gain some or all of their weight back over the years?" Her response was "grazing" which is probably synonymous with snacking. I will be the first to admit that I snack, but I think it is important to understand what is appropriate to snack on. I snack on protein and fats and exclude processed sugar. Fifth, I do not drink carbonated beverages anymore. I believe it is the carbonation that causes weight gain. It is like generating miniature explosions in my stomach that over time expand it out and allow it to grow and as a result, I gain weight. Six, I am aware of the conditions that cause me to loose additional weight and will sometimes take advantage of these conditions to capture and achieve additional long term weight loss. These fall into two categories. I have found that when I get the stomach flu, I will lose weight. I have also found that when I travel and am forced to eat out, I generally lose weight.

I take two antidepressants, neither of which is weight neutral, but the doctor explained that the benefits outweight the minimal weight gain they cause, so I need the healthy brain more than I need to be a supermodel. LOL!

I'm going through process right now with Aetna HMO. It's a 3-4 month waiting period. From what I've been told and been reading on there website is you have to meet certain criteria, such as certain bmi or hypertension. The website explains it all. You cannot gain weight at your final weigh in. So whatever you weight was on first weigh in, don't show a weight gain on last one before doctor submits all paperwork to insurance for approval.

Just curious to know if anyone continued to use birth control pills after their surgery and how effective was it? I am seeing mix reviews with weight gain & weight loss however I tried to get the IUD 2 days ago & it was no success(no kids so extremely painful) I am not concerned about the kids part I just have bad uterine polyps that occur so birth control helps but as stated before I’ve read that the pills may not be that effective... just wondering about birth control options anyone may have found.

We can't really say for sure whether you need to do more ab exercises without knowing what you are doing now. But one thing you can do to make your workout more effective if you are not already doing it, is to make sure you keep your ab muscles tight as possible during your entire workout routine whether you are working your abs, legs, arm or doing cardio. It is hard to remember to keep up but it is effective. It helps to tighten your abs and improve posture. I actually had the opposite problem, my scale wouldn't budge but I was noticing my clothes getting looser. But the same problem as far as losing last in the stomach. It has always been the first area to show weight gain and it has been the last area to shrink and it is mainly genetics. My decision to continue to lose weight past my goal is because I still carry a little bit of a gut but I have been persistent and it is slowly going away.