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Well, I made it through sugery...I'm sooo glad that's over. I got a complete unfill the day before surgery and I'm really glad I did. It was one less thing to have to worry about since the meds I'm on are in pill form. The only now I have to deal with is typing one-handed since I'll be in a sling for about a month. It's been a really interesting experience being unfilled. I had 1.8cc in a 4cc band and about a week after being unfilled I experienced a PB! We were eating bbq and since I assumed that not having a fill was the same as not having a band I ate a piece of meat, didn't chew it well enough and about 10 seconds later it came back up! I'm at least glad to know now that I can't eat willy nilly even with no fill. I have to wait about 10 more days before I get a fill, but so far no weight gain, so I guess all is good :clap2:

Creamy soups really helped me. Don't worry about the weight gain. I had lost a little bit then bam gained about 6 or 8 lbs. It went away after I had a fill. Until you have restriction the band is not performing up to expectations.

Gayle--That is exactly what I am trying to avoid, so thanks! And to answer youur funny (but true) "question", no, not many people miraculously get thinner AND healthier as they age! I went to the doctor today. They tested my blood pressure and determined that it is in fact pretty high. The doctor even said that if I was due for a surgical procedure, they would have had to reschedule for the procedure. Yeah, that high. He went on to say that I am too young to have that high blood pressure. They took some of my precious blood (again) to see if they can find anything medically causing not only the weight gain but the hbp also. I NEVER thought I would be in this boat. Major wakeup call. I still have my seminar on Thursday and I already have 2 people going with me. And I need all of the support I can get. I am soooo tired of people telling me, "You have such a lovely face..." and you all probably know the rest of that dreaded statement! Thanks to everyone for your encouragement and help!!! I love the way you guys are so open, honest, and helpful!!! And congrats to everyone who has lost any weight and good luck to everyone else out there who are ready to take the neccessary steps to gain control! I cant wait to update you! Stephanee

I am sure all of you already know this, however I'll reiterate. This is how my weight came off...coupled with exercise. I don't eat greasy foods, no pastas or rice (small potato only), I do not eat sweets. I do not believe in deprivation however I believe in eating to live. Eat foods that are light and non-greasy. Eat organic. Eat fruits. Dairy is important as well. Complex carbs are better to consume. Lean meats only! 1 can of Albacore tuna is 6oz of Protein and it has approx 1.5 grams fat per serving, 2 in a can. salad dressing has soooooo much fat and carbs in it. Take a look before you pour it all over your healthy salad greens. Too much dressing may become a double cheeseburger. B- 8AM - Isopure shake S-10AM - Yogurt (light dannon yogurt drinks) L-12PM - 1/4 - 1/2 can of Albacore Tuna, 1 cup of Salad Greens, lime juice or light dressing (very light). S- 2PM - 1/2 of Grapefruit (any kind of fruit) D-4PM - 1oz of grilled chicken breast/tuna, 1/2 cup of broccoli, 1/4 cup of baked potato S-6PM-1/2 of Protein Shake or Protein Bar 64 - 128 fl oz of Water throughout the entire day Low fat, low carb foods in moderation, every few hours. 3 bites preferrably. 3bites with good restriction. If you are exercising and the weight isnt coming off (Tann in your case 5lbs is quite alot so please don't fret).....then you need to keep a food journal. With constant snacking, one could forget exactly how many ounces of "snack" foods they actually ate, wondering why they aren't losing. I know people think it's ridiculous to count calories but it has worked for quite a few of us banded folk here on lbt. If you exert 500-700 calories in the gym per day plus extra calories your body is already burning without doing anything special, say an additional 1000 calories...and you eat 1000 calories...guess what? You will lose weight. You lose because you burn more calories than you consume. Say you eat 1,500 calories and you have only burned 1,500 calories (basal) then you maintain. Say you eat 1,500 calories but you burn 1,000 calories....then you will gain. Very simple guide. If you look at body builders, they eat like horses. They eat good foods high in protein all day long. They eat but they burn it off right away. Keeps their metabolism in full force. Working out not only strengthens your metabolism but it helps promote all over physical fitness. Exercising Benefits: Burn calories, increase circulation, improve heart health and increase endurance. The same goes for any other cardiovascular activity such as running, walking, stair climbing, dancing and so on. Cardiovascular exercise is one of the best health insurance policies you will ever find. But despite its calorie-burning and heart-protecting benefits, its effect on weight loss is limited for many people, especially if it's not coupled with dietary change. Cardiovascular activity is great for preventing weight gain and great for weight management, but when used alone, it's not the perfect method for weight loss.

Thanks for the support. I lost 6 lbs after discharge (I waited a few days to weight myself because I am a nurse and know the weight gain from the Iv fluids was going to happen) but after waiting 5 days I had gained 3 lbs. Right now I am drinking about 32 oz of protein shake mixed with light and fit Greek non-fat yogurt to make 64 grams of protein a day and about another 40 oz of water or low cal/no cal fluids. My diet advanced to puréed soft foods such as tuna or chicken moistened and mashed potatoes as well as cottage cheese and soft foods. No real problems with digestion this far, broths and soups are good as well. I am definitely trying to watch the sodium intake. I guess I'm just nervous I'm eating the wrong things but I'm following my physicians plan. Thanks

I'm in luck my surgeon (lapband)has a twin bro who is ob gyn so the twin will delivery my baby.. I'm happy about that... I got unfil when I found out I was prego only because I was in green zone and was rarely eating... I wanted to make sure my baby gets enough food... I feel better about it as well... I was fainting fatigue and morning sickness so I def had to get unfil.. Of corse I didn't know I was prego I though I was just hot because its summer... I'm happy about it sorry if rambling baby about to knock me out lol... No comp as of now.. No weight gain either with unfil yet

If Aenta is administrator of med in your state they might have a say, but its doubtful. There just an intermediate paperwork pusher. I'd do your best to not be over the start value. Don't over worry about it or the stress will cause weight gain. Eddy Blaine Brown II

I am new and have looked over every thread and searched every which way. I am 3 of 6 supervised diet program and keep gaining. I do not understand why. I am eating right, no cheating, exercising to the best of my ability (i get horrible headaches and dizzy), taking the vitamins but still gaining. I have Carefirst BCBS VA and looked at the medical policies required for the surgery. NO WHERE does it say I have to loose weight during the diet phase. I obviously cant seem to do it alone thats why im going for the surgery. Im 5'4 with a BMI of 49.7 as of this mornings weighing. my insurance policies say i need a BMI over 40 and psych eval. Anyone have experience with Carefirst rejecting due to weight gain? I am at my limit and stressing so bad which I am sure is adding to my weight gain. Hoping for surgery in June 2023 and looking for others experience and help. thanks in advance, and I am sorry if this asked before. I havent been able to find anything with this carrier.

Well, the advise wasn't just for you, it was also for the other people who read the posts. I don't think you're rude, just ignorant and judgemental. I'm sure there are some readers who think...what the hell did you do to gain the weight back? Then, hopefully they don't start freaking out. The VGS is a tool not an end all to weight loss and neither is the DS. I clearly answered you; however you didn't get it. I did PM you and due to your avoidance, I didn't disclose everything that you wanted to know that that time. My girlfriend had a VGS & DS 7 years ago, spent over $10,000 cash and had the surgery in Brazil. She was there 30 days. When I asked the previous questions, it was for me to understand your situation and to be able to relay to my friend so I could give the best information to you. Actually, I've been on another sites that have years of success. Actually, you are the first one that has "struggled" and gained the weight back that has posted about it. I'm not saying there are not people out there in your situation, just saying your the first that has this issue on a post that I've read. I know I don't know everything; however I know more than you think. Like I've mentioned before, I've seen first hand what my friend went through (did I personally experience that...no). Also, I never had a weight problem growing up or most of my adult life. It wasn't until I experienced serious injuries: fractured back, fractured pelvis, bilateral fractured wrists, and bilateral sprained ankles which put me on the weight gain track. I understand your frustration when it comes to working out and not being able to lose the weight...s/p injuries. And other stuff that's not relavant. Cockiness is projection from you my dear. Just because I "joined" this site a few days ago and was sleeved 7 months ago, is not where I base my information from. I have practiced medicine the past 6 years (I have prescribed and recommended this procedure to my patients) and have worked in the medical field the past 20 years (EMT/Firefighter, ER RN, helicopter/fixed wing flight nurse) along with 12 years of law. It's your assumption that I don't know anything and regret you're annoyed. Good luck to you and God Bless.

Regarding neuron growth and Ghrelin: Here is what I see in this primary article. (I found a few others that mirror the same results I just figured I would include the one). Ghrelin does seem to positively correlate with the growth of some neurons. However, these neurons control appetite and hunger along with other dietary regulatory functions. So, by this research, yes wikipedia is right in saying that Ghrelin seems to support neuron growth. Although, based on the other studies I have looked at, there are other places in your body that contain Gherlin. Removal of the stomach does not remove Gherlin from your body. If it is true that Ghrelin stimulates neuron growth in the areas of the brain that dictate appetite, then the neurons do not stop growing, they just slow down. The body has many specialized neurons that only respond to certain chemical ques. Not all neurons are related to memory function. There are not enough studies done on this to predict other roles that Gherlin might play. In this, we are all a bunch of lab rats. It is very clear the detrimental effects of chronic obesity. I will continue researching this and let you guys know if I find anything new. Does anyone read this differently? I am a biologist, not a neurologist or biochemist so I could be missing something. Thank you for the original posting. I really needed to look more into the biochemical function of this hormone anyway Memory loss can be attributed to so many things in the case of a surgery like the sleeve. As was mentioned above, we also have to look at the chance that it could be post-op healing, dehydration, change in metabolism, lack of nutrition, psychological and physical stress etc. http://journal.9med.net/qikan/article.php?id=196709 1. Hypothalamic appetite regulation Feeding is a basic behavior that is necessary for life. Long-term lack of food results in death. It is well accepted that appetite is controlled by the brain and that feeding behavior is regulated by complex mechanisms in the central nervous system, in particular the hypothalamus (70, 207, 256). Removal of the lateral hypothalamus causes hypophagia (decreased feeding), leading to death due to severe weight loss. On the other hand, removal of the ventromedial hypothalamus causes hyperphagia (increased feeding); treated animals increase both feeding amount and frequency, leading to weight gain and severe obesity. Thus feeding is regulated by a balance of stimulating and inhibiting forces in the hypothalamus. Recent identification of appetite-regulating humoral factors reveals regulatory mechanisms not only in the central nervous system, but also mediated by factors secreted from peripheral tissues (174, 216, 250, 267). Leptin, produced in adipose tissues, is an appetite-suppressing factor that transmits satiety signals to the brain (79). Hunger signals from peripheral tissues, however, had remained unidentified until the recent discovery of ghrelin. 2. Ghrelin neurons in the hypothalamic appetite regulatory region Immunohistochemical analyses indicate that ghrelin-containing neurons are found in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, a region involved in appetite regulation (133, 148). This localization suggests a role of ghrelin in controlling food intake. Moreover, a recent report has indicated that ghrelin is also expressed in previously uncharacterized hypothalamic neurons that are adjacent to the third ventricle between the dorsal, ventral, paraventricular (PVN), and arcuate (ARC) hypothalamic nuclei (48). In the ARC, these ghrelin-containing neurons send efferent fibers onto NPY- and AgRP-expressing neurons to stimulate the release of these orexigenic peptides and onto POMC neurons to suppress the release of this anorexigenic peptide (Fig. 10). Neural network of ghrelin in the PVN is more complex. In the PVN, ghrelin neurons also send efferent fibers onto NPY neurons, which in turn suppress GABA release, resulting in the stimulation of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH)-expressing neurons, leading to ACTH and cortisol release (Fig. 10). 3. Ghrelin is a potent appetite stimulant When ghrelin is injected into the cerebral ventricles of rats, their food intake is potently stimulated (122, 173, 211, 246, 266). Among all discovered orexigenic peptide, ghrelin has been found to be the most powerful. Chronic intracerebroventricular injection of ghrelin increases cumulative food intake and decreases energy expenditure, resulting in body weight gain. Ghrelin-treated mice also increase their fat mass, both absolutely and as a percentage of total body weight. Not only intracerebroventricular injection, but also intravenous and subcutaneous injection of ghrelin have been shown to increase food intake (173, 246, 265). Ghrelin is produced primarily in gastrointestinal organs in response to hunger and starvation, and circulates in the blood, serving as a peripheral signal telling the central nervous system to stimulate feeding. 4. Mechanism of appetite stimulation by ghrelin The hypothalamic ARC is the main site of ghrelin's activity in the central nervous system. The ARC is also a target of leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone produced in adipose tissues, and NPY and AgRP, which are both appetite-stimulating peptides (76, 163). NPY and AgRP are produced in the same population of neurons in the ARC, and their appetite-stimulating effects are inhibited directly by leptin. At least part of the orexigenic effect of ghrelin is mediated by upregulating the genes encoding these potent appetite stimulants (Fig. 10). As suggested by the distribution of ghrelin-containing neurons in the hypothalamus (Fig. 10), intracerebroventricular injection of ghrelin induces Fos expression in NPY-expressing neurons and increases the amount of NPY mRNA in the ARC (122, 173, 211). Moreover, intracerebroventricular ghrelin injection increases the AgRP mRNA level in the hypothalamus. The appetite-stimulating effects of ghrelin are blocked by an antagonist of NPY receptor 1. Intracerebroventricular injection of an AgRP inhibitor, anti-NPY IgG, or anti-AgRP IgG inhibits the appetite-stimulating effects of ghrelin. Intravenous injection of ghrelin also stimulates NPY/AgRP neurons in the hypothalamus. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that ghrelin neuron fibers directly contact NPY/AgRP neurons (48). These results indicate that ghrelin exerts its feeding activity by stimulating NPY/AgRP

BB I had 2 weeks prior to surgery as well. I chose to quit earlier in case I had a hard time with it. Not really understanding the weight gain that comes with it I wish I would have waited but I've come to far to start back for a couple months to just quit again.

At least maybe the weight loss will help with depression stemming from self image? I'm looking forward to relief from that... I'm also bipolar. I know some meds CAUSE weight gain, others are weight neutral. I just saw my psych a week ago and surgery is Wednesday. He said some adjustments may be necessary. I think it wld be due to side effects increasing bc of weight loss.

So I am on the "unweightloss" program right now. When I finally was able to see my insurance company's policy regarding weightloss surgery I read in exact terms this: Failure of medical management including evidence of active participation within the last two years in a weight-management program that is supervised either by a physician or a registered dietician for a minimum of six months without significant gaps. This is frustrating to say the least. I WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT. I WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT NOW. AND I WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT FOR GOOD. I am seriously struggling with this. In fact, with just changing my diet and not even my exercise levels, I seem to have misplaced TEN pounds over the past four days! I knew it was coming. My weight issues have always revolved around my hormone inbalances created by being a wonderful glorious woman (said dripping with sarcasm). Once a month - lasting for about a week - no matter what I do, I can't lose a single ounce. Once a month - lasting for about three days - no matter what I do, I gain five to seven pounds. And for the rest of the month, the weight melts off of me when I am behaving. Before I really discovered the trends and understood my body, this would get frustrating beyond all get out. But it's not so frustrating anymore. Now I can muscle down and just keep doing what I'm doing and know that when my hormones balance back out, I will be down. I have said before that my weight gains have always come when I get off of birth control. It's that hormone fluctuation that makes my body go crazy. So I'm off birth control, I'm regular, and I'm "normal", too. HA! I knew, because of where I am in my cycle, that I'd see a drop this week. I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT DROP TO BE TEN FRIGGIN POUNDS! That TEN pounds puts my BMI below 40 - therefore making me ineligible. So...I have to gain it back. Yes, you heard me. I have to gain it back. I really have no choice. Unless I forego this and say "I can do this by myself". I have no doubt that "I can do this by myself". I do doubt that I can keep it off by myself. Which is why I'm here. :thumbup: I WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT. I WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT NOW. AND I WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT FOR GOOD. Sigh. I don't want to gain it back. I DON WANNA! THIS IS SO STUPID! :biggrin:

Wednesday evening I wound up in the Chiro's office with a compacted C4 vertebrae and pinched nerve in my neck and have NO idea how the hell I managed all that. Guess it was the sumo wrestling and bungee jumping from the week before? :biggrin1: NOT. Anyway, fast forward to Friday, I've been through 4 Chiro visits and been flat on my back for the past day and a half... I feel better and finally returned to work this morning, but dang it's been a rough week. On top of that, yesterday I started new diabetes meds. I've been taken off Avandaryl, which apparently has contributed to some of my weight gain in the past few months. I'm now on a new medication called Byetta, which you have to inject, but the good news is there are very few lows or crashes with this medication, and in the clinical trials, most people lost weight! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: It would be nice if this were finally the answer to me losing weight and I wound up not having to have the surgery. Who knows. At least I know I still have the option.

You need to weigh at the same time, preferably in the morning. By evening, you have 3 meals in your tummy/sleeve or in your intestines, which will affect your weight by evening. Water weight gain alone will tip the scales in the opposite direction. Also, muscle weighs more than fat, so as you're cutting back on calories and exercising, you are building muscle. Before surgery I had major problems with lower leg edema (Fluid buildup) and without the Lasix I could easily pack on 4-5 pounds of water in my body and legs. Thankfully that has eased up. I'm 8 days Post-OP and have seen a drop in weight since surgery. I'm now about 31 pounds down since beginning this journey. Good luck!

I smoked heavily for over 40 years, between 2-3 packs per day. I have had 5 major surgeries in my lifetime. With each and every one I have had postoperative pheumonia, extended hospital stay and slow healing. When I was researching the sleeve I learned quickly that quitting was a requirement with most surgeons. I resented it for a while and actually almost didn't procede with the process over it because I thought I couldn't quit and didn't particularly want to try. I had tried/failed many many times. Truth be told I didn't want to quit. I enjoyed it and it had become a part of who I was. Maybe strange but true. Then one day I thought about it on a deeper level. I looked at my pack of cigarettes and realized that it is what is standing between me and the opportunity to have a life changing-saving surgery. I thought " little rectangular box filled with chopped dried leaves has had more power over my health than I have and I have given it that power. I'm taking that power back today." After long hard consideration I decided to give it another try with one difference this time. I would not give myself permission to fail. I wanted the surgery and this habit was the object in my way. I decided to try vapor cigs. I purchased a kit with 4 vials of vapor liquid. I had the largest bottle made up with 25% less nicotine than full flavored. The 3 remaining bottles were made with 50% less, 75% less and 0% nicotine respectively. I puffed them in order reducing my nicotine intake until I was getting none. I puffed the 0% one for 2 weeks with the puffing spread out over longer periods of time. That was to break the hand to mouth habit we (smokers) all seem to have. That can be as hard to get past as the nicotine and can lead to weight gain because we replace food with the cigarette in the hand to mouth motion. It worked. I can say that not only do I not smoke, I don't even think about it. My husband still smokes and I am not bothered by it at all. I am not one of those x-smokers that spend my free time on a soapbox preaching the sermons of Hellfire and damnation to all of those that continue. I get that we are all adults and the choice belongs to each of us. I am one of those that knows very well how hard it can be to quit. I offer the method that worked for me to those of you that want to try it. If it doesn't work for you I encourage you to see your PCP for help with other methods. Its worth it. The end result was that my surgery was 8 days ago. From the moment of surgery on my oxygen readings were consistenly 100%. There was no pneumonia to add to my recovery plan for the first time in my life. I can focus on my weighloss. I can take the walks I need to take without getting winded. I get a certain satisfaction from knowing that while my body begins to look better outwardly it is healing inwardly as my lungs work to return to their normal state. I have a sense of self-pride in completing a challenge that has eluded me thus far. The money I save in cigarettes will now be stashed away in my personal new wardrobe stash. My children's memory of me from this point on will be of healthy living practices that will hopefully be incorporated into their lives as well. I have no doubt there will be more benefits to come.

I just read on a pregnancy weight gain thread in the pregnancy forum that someone there had a failure of the iud and ended up preggers. I wouldn't think that being banded would have anything to do with the failure but I am curious. My TOM is a lot worse since being banded, even with control measures that usually made my period almost non-existant. It used to be a minuscule nuisance to being a huugggee problem now.

I recently got to see my past and current medical records because I am trying to overturn my insurance company's decision to cut me off since I will soon be going over their income limit with my salary raise. Before I tell you what I found in my records, let me take a moment to highlight the real truth: I am moderately healthy. The only physical/mental issues I am still plagued with are hypothyroidism, mild to moderate anxiety/depression, and a mild skin condition. However, my records indicate that I suffer from a long list of diseases and inflictions. Many of these were problems I had over 15 years ago and that I consider conditions that I have RECOVERED from. I totally understand your repulsion with being labeled OBESE. My gosh, you have gone through sweat and tears just to get that ugly label off your plate. But the truth is that you will probably carry that label the rest of your life even if you became anorexic. I compare this to my "drug addict" label that I have to carry around even though I've been clean for 15 years. About 17 years ago, I had terrible inflammation in my joints because of rheumatic fever. The Vicodin that was prescribed not only alleviated this pain, but also instantly relieved me from anxiety and depression. It was like letting go of the100 pounds of bricks that had weighed me down for over 10 years. I felt optimistic, awake, energetic, and hope for my future. It took over a year to finally get help because I did not want to be forever labeled as a drug addict. I wasn't in a back alley shooting up heroin with dirty needles after not sleeping for days or taking a bath for a month. However, that is the image many people get when you have a drug addict label. Even at NA meetings, you have to present yourself as a drug addict. You can present yourself as a recovering drug addict, but the truth is that you will be recovering the rest of your life even if you never touch substances again. As a teacher that works with children with special needs, I could debate endlessly the pros and cons of labeling. Like lipstick lady mentioned, a label does tell a doctor what you have been through and an awareness that certain symptoms have a chance of returning again. A doctor shouldn't prescribe codeine syrup for my bronchitis due to my past substance abuse tendencies. Likewise, a doctor probably shouldn't prescribe Zyprexa (for depression) either, since a side effect is about a 20 pound weight gain. One could say that having this kind of opinion helps me to feel better about turning in my appeal with all my past health conditions and diseases. If they took the time to really read through my past medical file, they should be able to gather that I'm not afflicted with most of these problems anymore or not to the same extent. My doctor has filled out the insurance paperwork already and has informed me that she has put all my past health conditions onto the current health problem report. I would like to believe that she did this because she believes that past medical problems will always stay with a patient or because related symptoms could someday return. However, I think she may have done it so that she can continue getting paid.

Gosh it's been a while, my update to update to update.. HEH! My tube broke while I was pregnant. I had to pay (out of pocket) about $10k to get a new band put in. Well actually, I had to buy the whole band (you can't buy pieces) and they replaced the tubing & port. Allergan is currently entertaining reimbursement. My doc kept the tubing to show it was defective (it actually just snapped in half). I'll let ya know what ever happens. And my band is not covered by insurance.. Oh man and as for weight gain... pregnancy + Broken Band = bad. I lost 120lbs the first year, gained 60lb while pregnant, and since my band has been fixed (Oct. '09) I haven't gained or lost a single pound.

How can erosion and slippage NOT have to do w/ fills??? So what exactly happens when you overfill?? I mean, besides the obvious discomfort, if your band is too tight it is the main reason for erosion, and the gag factor that would be increased with an overfill, causes the stomach to contract, and absolutely can cause slippage.... I understand the need to vent, and no one should be judged...not judging the person, just the rather irresponsible actions.....the reason something does need to be said, is because there are newbies out here, who may be newly banded, or looking to be banded, or just struggling, and perhaps having issues of feelings of failure and having difficulty facing their surgeons (perhaps due to weight gain) who may read this (and not be a medical professional) and say, "hmmm....I could do that..." and so it goes, and it probably isnt going to be good..... there are a *LOT* of us who have had our bands for some time, and are having great, safe, success with it, and at least for me, that is because of follow up, and a great practice. We need to let folks know, that this *is* possible....but so much more possible if you make sure to get a great, accessible team.... so this whole thread is a great argument for well, not getting this done abroad....sometimes, apparently, you do get what you pay for,...

I agree with the post surgery swelling. Give your poor body a chance to recooperate. Try not to feel like you should have woken up from surgery all of a sudden "skinny". I'm 33 days post op. I was on a 2 week stall, then I gained 5 lbs, started my period and turned into overweight psycho lady. That was last week. Woke up this morning and have lost 6lbs!!! Don't stress over a lb. Don't even stress about 10 lbs!!!! Stress causes weight gain! The best advice I can give you is to stick to your surgeons post op plan and walk walk walk walk. It gets better!!! I promise.

When I started my journey earlier this year, I wanted to know as much as about the procedure even before I had my first consultation. At first I focused on the more positive youtube videos, posts here, and other information sources. How much weight people lost, how much better they felt, the positive impact on their lives. However, with the complete inundation of U.S. advertising these days with pharmaceuticals, I really didn't want to have the "pop-a-pill" mentality that the pharmaceutical industry throws at us now: If you have any problem, just pop-a-pill...it will be all better. No. I didn't want to look at the surgery as a quick-fix like getting a haircut. This is major surgery. So I made a point to learn about the negative experiences: complications, weight gain, recovery pain, regrets, etc. I also wanted to know where the surgery failed to help people and why. I felt that if I went into the surgery with rose-tinted glasses, I may have been blindsided if I experienced any of the negatives. I also felt that if I wasn't understanding the surgery as a tool, I would've been relying on the surgery to do the work. Once I became well-versed in the surgery, I knew as much as I could going in. Aside from actually performing the surgery, of course. Though I did watch the youtube vids of the actual procedure. I was just too into it I guess.

I was "fortunate" that I was too large to fit on a home scale (or most doctors scales) so I could only weigh at my Doc's office at follow-ups. As a result I didn't see any stalls or phantom weight gains, so the scale never messed with me, so I was never tempted to "change things up" to get the scale moving. I just stayed on plan. Eventually, when I could weigh at home, I did it for a couple weeks until the novelty wore off, then I went back to only weighing at follow-ups then only annual physicals. You don't necessarily need a scale for success. My weight ruled my life for so long that I resolved after surgery I would stay on plan and let my weight take care of itself. Good luck, Tek

Cookie, I would seek medical attention. The doctor's office has seen many people struggle with the band. This band is not a cure all so don't feel bad that you have gained some weight back. Let them check your band out and give you a clean bill of health. It may not be the band at all. I would stay with Clear liquids until your doctor appointment. My doctor said that if something gets stuck, stop eating and wait until your next meal to eat again. However, I would go to the doctor if I were you. Who cares if they give you a hard time about the weight gain? We all make mistakes. Please get there and let them help resolve your problem. That way you can get back on track!

Well kinda. PCOS causes weight gain and causes us to have a harder time losing weight. I have done a ton of research on PCOS. They say if you lose weight it helps PCOS, but PCOS blocks weight loss. It is a horrible circle. They have found that low carb/no carb diets help PCOS. In my personal experience, when I am low carb, PCOS symptoms go away. The band would help you on portion control of low carb items. If you can fight the carb cravings. (Which are worse with PCOS.) I stayed low carb for years, which straightened out my cycles and helped me avoid a hysterectomy (sp?) and it also gave me documentation of doctor supervised diet under my OBGYN. Good luck with your banding...