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Alot of wonderful advice and great success stories here to help you. We've all been where you are at right now. You have to decide if you're ready to make the changes with yes...another different kind of tool for weight loss. No matter how we decided to lose the weight, we always use a tool of some kind....but bottom line, if you're not ready to make these changes, then you will fail! I'm almost 1yr post-op and yes you can lose at first while eating junk/fast food. But eventually, with the band, it will catch up and cause weight gain. You're doing great research and have the right questions...now...are you ready to ACCEPT the changes and challenges? Are your current weight and feelings worth it? Here's my honesty. I was DETERMINED to make it work when I decided to have the band placed. Yes I was concerned of failing and gaining it back (still am), but, I NEVER once complained about what all it will take to make it happen. And doubting yourself does not help. I'm not "bashing" you personally. I just hear from others "whine, whine, whine because of not weight loss here..." so I don't want you to get into that frame of mind at the start. Find the peace you need before if you do get the band. You need that peace to go to when things get tough/challenging! I wish you best and like I told my neighbor the other day, MAKE this happen...don't waste time pondering or you'll never get there!

Hey everyone. Its been a while since Ive been on here. Been hiding my head in the sand for a long, long time. Well, Im pulling myself out of the sand now. Been watching the scales go up slowly. They hit 180 last week. Was 150 last year. That was it. My aha moment. Haven't felt like I even had a sleeve lately. While I still eat small meals, I can snack endlessly. And yes, I know thats not good to do so. Just becuz I can doesn't mean I should. I know all that.. As I said, Im pulling myself back up. Been back on track for 4 days now. Focusing on Protein (but Im not afraid of small amts of carbs either), drinking Water, not drinking with meals, and moving more. I need to lose 40 lbs. Sounds like a daunting task right now, but Ive done it before, I can do it again. ANy pointers out there from people who have been where I am? High protein, low calorie Snacks? I appreciate any support I can get. Ive had my sleeve for 2 1/2 yrs and Ive never made it to goal. This time I will!

Its such a long time since I posted on here, I cant even remember just when it was. Everyone seems to be losing loads of weight, well done all of you. Unfortunately I'm back where I started almost. I know its not an excuse but 3 years ago I developed breast cancer, and for the surgery I needed to have most of the saline taken out. Then 2 weeks later I had further surgery to remove my Lymph Nodes under my arm. I had given up smoking 6 months earlier, I dont know if that triggered the weight gain or not. I also lost my Mother just before I got cancer, but not once have I wanted those nasty old ciggies. I have had a few fills, since the surgery but I still cant get rid of the 2 stone I put on. I cant eat a great deal and I get dreadful acid reflux. It makes me wonder if my body has grown used to accepting less food and has slowed my metabolism down. Hope this doesnt depress anyone. Keep smiling and carry on losing xxx

Only slow down when both you and your surgeon are completely comfortable. Alot of people experience a bounce back of weight gain for various reasons once they are far enough out. You may want to go as low as possible to give yourself some room to grow... That's my plan...

I ate too much...no weight gain though..so I will leave it at that. GRRR

I was sleeved also on July 20th. I experienced a stall from week 2-4. So 2 weeks stall. I even gained 2 pounds. In the past couple days I have lost the weight gained and lost another 1.5 pounds. It was a little frustrating but I knew it could happen.

I went through this but unfortunately for me, I had almost a year to even get a date for my surgery. So I had alot of last meals that lead to 14 lb weight gain. You of course don't have that long. When I finally did get closer to my surgery I had to join Weight Watchers to lose that excess weight. It has all worked out and since I have been post op, I have been doing great. My advise to you is not to go overboard on the last meals, because if you gain that is just going to be more weight you will have to lose after surgery. Good luck

i am very excited about this path i am on to better myself by improving my health. even the preparation phase has been a great experience. the psychological evaluation probably was the most enlightening. it revealed that i am 'above average in intelligence' but quite dysfunctional in my relationships with men. this coupled with disappointments, loss, unplanned changes, and a desire to shut off myself from the world lead to ballooning of 100 pound weight gain over a period of six years!! :smilielol5: The trip part about all of this is that i didn't see it piling on. talking about denial. i finally saw it staring in my face when i was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea. i realized that i could die in my sleep from the underlying factor of being too fat... for the first time in my life i was scared. this was my turning point. i knew i needed to do something but whatever i needed to do i knew i could not l do it on my own. i did what i always do when i am afraid, or uncertain...i prayed. believe it or not, my two-fold miracle began when i found this page and then found a group of people at a center called true results who lead me each step of the way. so now i am almost at the finish mark for completing all my required testing. tomorrow i will have my nutritional consult which is the final visit. then i'll wait to hear from the insurance company. it's been a long four months... so tell me what was your turning point and where are you in the phase one process:rolleyes2:?

My mom is like that. She lost around 30 lbs a few years ago and she's like, "why can't you just eat smaller quantities and maintain a healthy lifestyle and exercise every day and make sure you you don't exceed 1500 calories" yadda yadda yadda. Easier said than done. I'm one of the few people on earth who know that she has been vomiting her meals into plastic bags, for years. I think that any diet that's success depends entirely on my willpower is doomed to fail eventually. I'm just not that strong a person. And truth is 95% of diets result in failure and weight gain (try googling a UCLA research about dieting, that's where I got the 95% number from). Sleeve gastrectomy has a 70% success rate, that's more than any diet can offer.

Worries about money, the economy, income levels, and finances are behind many women’s stress eating and overeating these days. In a recent group coaching call, every participant’s dominant concern boiled down to money worries of one form or another. Even if your own financial situation is secure, the worries, stress, and difficulties of others surround us in a big way. Feeling out of control, anxious, worried, or unhappy are all triggers for emotional eating, Here are some tips to keep stress about the economy from affecting your actual bottom line. Emotional Eating Tip 1: Acknowledge the Stress and Your Feelings As tempting as it is to avoid reality, it’s important to acknowledge the stress and the way you are feeling. That doesn’t mean that you are going to dwell on it or feel that way forever, but if you don’t let yourself deal with your feelings directly, you won’t be very effective at responding to them. One of my clients had been avoiding getting clear on how her financial situation has been impacted by the stock market. She was worried and fearful and was trying to cope by “not thinking about it.” Instead of feeling better, she found herself facing mounting dread and guilt for not doing what she knew she needed to do to clarify her situation. She also found herself snacking more–especially in the evening–and putting on weight. As this happened, she began to feel more out of control. Luckily, she saw herself entering a vicious cycle. Trying to avoid her feelings led to emotional eating, guilt, and weight gain (and didn’t help with the worry and stress anyway–in fact it added to it). It wasn’t until she acknowledged how stressed, worried, and fearful she was that she could start to develop a plan to take care of herself. A coaching client was noticing that economic changes were leading to changes in her clients’ buying habits. She panicked when a popular program wasn’t so popular anymore. Instead of spiraling into fear (and stress eating), acknowledging how she was feeling allowed her move into effective problem solving. Tip: If you have money worries or fears or stress, give yourself some time to let yourself really think about and address your feelings. This is not the same as “fixing” the situation. Give yourself time to journal, talk with a supportive friend, or think about how you feel. Emotional Eating Tip 2: Take Comfort If the economy is causing you stress, you could definitely benefit from comfort. Comfort eating reaches an all-time high when we are stressed and aren’t feeling entirely sure of (or in control of) the solution to our problems. In order to take control of comfort eating, it’s important to have comfort strategies you can use instead of turning to overeating. How are you compassionate to yourself during stressful or uncertain times? How can you take good care of yourself? Start making a list of things that feel good that you can turn to when you don’t. Emotional Eating Tip Three: Control What You Can Lots of people are feeling a loss of control these days and that’s leading to more emotional eating and overeating. The economy impacts all of us. If you are feeling less in control, it is important to identify what you can do to begin to feel more in control–because that’s where you want to be. As you begin to think about this, don’t only think about the big issues and worries. When life starts to feel out of control, one of the most powerful things we can do is to take charge of the things (big and small) that we can control. Ironically, when life feels out of control, it’s sometimes tempting to throw up our hands and quit entirely. Don’t. What can you control? What can you take pride in today? Pack a healthy lunch. Walk for twenty minutes after work. Do something kind for yourself this evening. If you are looking for order or predictability, clean out a drawer or your closet. Clear off your desk. Take one proactive action. It will help. ## Dr. Melissa McCreery is a Psychologist, Coach, and Emotional Eating and Overwhelm Eliminator for smart busy women and the creator of the Emotional Eating Toolbox™ Bonus Series for Women After Weight Loss Surgery. Are you struggling with emotional eating, overeating, and balancing work and life? Claim your easy-to-use audio series: "Five Simple Steps to Move Beyond Overwhelm with food and Life" at http://TooMuchOnHerPlate.com.

YES ... i still have this problem 6 months out ... nothing taste the same anymore... I just look at it this way- Food is Fuel for my body and so I eat what I need to keep it running properly. Don't get me wrong I do treat myself every now and then to foods that really taste good- I like to think of this as Premuim Fuel and I don't do it all the time just because Premuim usually comes at a higher price JUST LIKE GAS ... The higher priced Premuim usually equal to weight gain or more time at the gym... either way- I HATE THE COST... #STICKING2REG(most day LOL!!! )

LL ~ before I admit this I must let everyone know that I am a man who is at peace with his manhood. In fact after this post I am going to pre-tend to drink a beer, get in my truck and go shoot a couple of small animals from a moving vehicle... A redneck at heart. but I have to say LL I also went to Dracula the ballet and loved it... I took my wife as was only her second time at a ballet... first was a couple of weeks ago with kids at Cinderella. Dracula was great but I had to remind my wife that the men dancers attire was padded in certain regions!!! Anyway I am a big Anne Rice fan and it was great to see another person appreciate her. I can see you are doing great and have started your journey. One thing that worked for me was using a Diet and Excercise software to record weight, food and excersise to graphically show my progress. I admit I weigh everyday but know that small weight gains or plateaus happen and shrug them off. My wife is even using the software know for herself... thin as she is just for health reasons. Anyway rock on and good luck CanadianMacDaddy ~ on his way to Home Depot and Canadian Tire to look at some power tools and car parts.... manly stuff not Ballet !!!

I wanted to go through your list of symptoms to share what I have experienced, and see if anyone has anything else to add. infrequent menstrual periods, no menstrual periods, and/or irregular bleeding - check. I've gone ten months without a cycle. my dr has said that isn't good, and wants me to either take a ten day dose of hormones in order to cycle and shed the uterine lining, or to get on birth control pills, so I am shedding uterine lining. funny, I went to see her a few months before my surgery - she was very supportive, told me she thought it would greatly improve my fertility and chances of getting pregnant when I try - aiming for two years down the line. She did want me to cycle before the surgery, and prescribed ten days of progesterin. (sp?) Day I pick up the prescription? I start my period. Now I am having my period again, a month later. This hasn't happened to me without BCP for...ever? I have opted out of taking BCP because I want to observe how my body reacts to the surgery and weight loss. Will have to be super careful to use bc, though, as I want to get the full benefit of the surgery and initial weight loss, so want to give myself two years to loose and stabilize a bit. infertility or inability to get pregnant because of not ovulating - well right now, I'm not trying, but I am pretty sure I am not ovulating. Hopeful, though! increased growth of hair on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes - OH YEAH - I've done laser on my lip, chin, and neck. Still need more, but it is much much much better. Have hairs between my breasts and around my nipples that I tweeze - I know other friends that have the same and don't have PCOS, so that could just be a getting a little older thing. acne, oily skin, or dandruff - I have terrible dandruff, and if I dont' use dandruff shampoo regularly, am in deep trouble. I also have dry skin/eczema around my nose, my eyebrows, and behind my ears. Also on my scalp-line. I didn't know this was a PCOS symptom, so there is something else to look forward to resolving., pelvic pain - nope. weight gain or obesity, usually carrying extra weight around the waist. yeah. 280 right now. apple shaped, although my bones are hour glass. type 2 diabetes - not yet, but I am sure I would get there. high cholesterol - overall number is not high, but bad/good cholesterol ration is not good. high blood pressure - nope male-pattern baldness or thinning hair - the front of my hair is not as thick as as it used to be...not BAD, but it is really sad as it used to be gorgeous! patches of thickened and dark brown or black skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs - yeah - I thought this was Tinea Versicolor Any insight? skin tags, or tiny excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area - yep. had some cut off by the derm. have more tags, but don't want to pay...:w00t: sleep apnea―excessive snoring and breathing stops at times while asleep yeah. worries my bf. I am curious how other people experience these symptoms.

I think it's a hard situation because when you lose a lot of weight, of course many things change. The good ones will stick around, so it's nothing to waste any energy or too much thought over. Personally, I lost most my friends when I gained weight. Some made the decision, but when I lost my self esteem I realized that life is too short to be around people who hurt my feelings or weren't pleasing ... So, it ended! I've had trouble meeting new people since the recent weight gain, mostly because I'm scared of social situations. I look forward to the banding and the loss, so I can meet new friends.

Hi! I'm Marci, 41, and currently live in VA. I'm having my lapband done in Detroit tho. Does this mean I have to have all my fills done there also? What does the pre-op diet consist of and how long is it? My BMI is 38 - if I lose enuf before the surgery, does that negate my surgery if I fall below 35? I'm so depressed right now at my weight gain. I've always been overweight but got into shape while I was in the Army. Then I gained it back and then I lost 30 lbs in 4 months after my husband passed away 18 mths ago. Since then, I've steadily been gaining - over 70 lbs in the past year! And the thing is: I"M AN RD! I KNOW these things in my head, it's just doing them that's killing me. I've been off/on many diet over the past few months and don't relish the thought of yo-yo'ing again. So I thought I'd check out the lapband.My problem is: Who am I going to get to fill it? I'm not going to MI each time I need it filled. And do doctors who don't perform the surgery actually fill them? Thanks for my listening to me ramble. Just wanted to say hey!

I've had Nexplanon for a few months now. They let me keep it for my surgery. I didn't notice any weight gain or loss after starting it. I had some spotting issues immediately after surgery, but nothing in that department from the day it went in. I love it and will probably never use anything else again.

Did anyone gain during 6 month suprovosed and still got approved if so how much did u gain?

Is this normal? I am day 3 post-op and I weigh 4lbs more than on my surgery day.

Here is a recently article on the Gov. & His weight gain after Gastric Bypass. Karen Tumulty, who interviewed Huckabee in February for the Washingotn Post observed this scene: Huckabee was tucking into a Breakfast of eggs and butter-slathered pancakes at a trendy New York hotel overlooking Times Square. His much-discussed diet – he famously lost more than 100 pounds after a diabetes diagnosis in 2003 and wrote a book about eating right – is apparently on hiatus. This can happen to you or I or anyone who Desires to change our health and to live longer. Personally I am tired of all the meds I take daily and the fact I can hardly walk as pain in my knees and hips are so bad. Being in ministry it makes others question my faith by saying where is my faith believing GOD for a miracle. GOD isn't going to give me or you a miracle, if we don't do as we should; eat right and change our LIFE! I was banded in June 4th, so s little over two months ago after much sickness since 2008. Previously I walked daily 5-10 a day and ate right too. U had heart & kidney failure in Nov 22, 2008 And feel and broke both knees in Jan 2009. The weight piled on after this point from 230-240 to 318 at my surgery date. Last year working with my dr and her staff I was eating right and reduced down to 275 only to gain it back so my BMI would be correct to be approved by insurance. I regret regaining the weight, when with my health issues the insurance would have not turned me down. I should have never listened to the Lap band departments insurance staff. That being behind me after these few weeks I am down to 287 and hope to be down to 210-220 by the holidays. I will be praying for Gov Huckabee.

While my husband never said anything mean, or criticized or insulted me, he just quit being interested in me. He didn't touch me, hug me, cuddle me. In one year, I think we had sex about 5 times. It was awful. It hurt so bad. I constantly tried to be affectionate, like we always had been, and I started to think he had an affair. to this day he denies it. Despite this, he always told me he loved me. It was so confusing. Yes, I had gained 100 pounds. I was well aware how different I looked, but it still hurt. I came out and asked him about it, and he said that for me, sex is a visual thing, and with my weight gain, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get past it. It had nothing to do with me personally. I started to think about getting a band at that point. Then one night he dissolved in tears and blubbered about how much he loved me, and it hurt him to the core to think that one day he was going to have to wheel me around in a wheelchair, and that he was terrified of losing me to ill health. THAT hit home. I started the banding process the very next week. It was the best thing I've ever done. We're like teenagers again. The sex is great and all is well. I feel good. I have confidence. I'm happy and no longer depressed. I have energy. We do things together again. We travel and go places because I'm not tired. We're like newlyweds again. I didn't realize how much my weight affected our marriage. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.

I am 6 weeks post op and have a huge problem.... I am gaining a pound a day and have been for nearly a week now!! Im so discouraged! I hardly eat anything but I admit I have been drinking sugary drinks a lot... I started walking a mile a day on the treadmill but still gaining... I am not getting my proteins in... only getting about 30 grams a day instead of the 70 I'm supposed to be getting... One thing new that happened that might be contributing is that I just had my last 4 teeth pulled out and got new dentures top and bottom... having major pain and can't eat much.taking antibiotics and pain killers (Percacet)... the only thing I can really eat is vienna sausage because they are soft.... Please somebody tell me what to do to make this weight gain stop... Is it really just that I drink some koolaid and tea wtih sugar? I mean, I don't do that all day... just periodically...Advice is welcome!!

Muscle weighs more than fat, so if you are building muscle your weight will slow down at first. Also, some antidepressants cause a little weight gain. Keep going! You're doing great!!!!

Age: 25 HW: 275 CW: 265 GW: 165 Surgery date: 3/30/16 I am reflecting on a moment that really hurt me. When I was 20, I went on a crazy 8-month long diet. I barely ate 1200 calories a day and I worked out vigorously at the gym. I didn't care what kind of calories I ate (didn't care about protein) and many days I dipped well below 1200 just to see results. I went from 230 to 150 in 7 months. Every conversation I had was about calories and working out. People were worried about me. My face looked sunken in. I was starving. I started eating a more normal amount and continued working out. My weight crept up to 160. Before I knew it, I was back up to 180. As soon as I stopped starving myself, all of my weight came back. Well... I had gone to my PCP at some point during my weight loss. They had a recorded weight of around 160 for me. I went in a few months later for a Pap smear- side note... My PCP is a wonderful man who has been seeing me since I was a child, however, other people in the office are not great- I decided I wanted the nurse practitioner to do my pap because I wanted a female. This was my FIRST PAP EVER! So... I was half naked on a table, terrified of what was about to happen, when this blonde, skinny, young nurse practitioner walks in. She was looking at my chart and she threw it down on the counter. She said... "Are you aware of how much weight you've gained?" I said "ummm I am here for a Pap smear, I don't want to talk about my weight with you." -Weight is ALWAYS a sore subject, but it is especially sore after you know you've gained when you shouldn't have and you're not emotionally mature enough to handle this BS!!!- Ok, so she insisted on talking about my weight over and over again. She told me I'm going to die early and that I'll never be happy as an overweight person. I started crying and continued to cry all throughout the pap. I didn't want her to touch me. I didn't want her to look at me. It was just a really awful experience. It has been 5 years since that incident. I have kept my weight gain to about 30lbs since. Despite her rude ass comments and chilling demeanor, I have been happy. I can thank her for that challenge. I have cute clothes to wear and a plethora of friends and a loving, healthy boyfriend who is happy for me and supportive. I am in a good place, and I am FAT. Because I'm in a good place, and have been for quite awhile now, I am so very excited about my upcoming sleeve gastrectomy. I want the tool. I can't wait to be healthier and more active. I'm happy I'm doing it now so I can finish enjoying my life. I would like to write that nurse practitioner a letter, but I'd have a hard time being nice! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Don't be discouraged! I'm 9 days post op and still weigh the same as I did the day of surgery. I've only been getting about 400 calories a day so there's no way I will stay at this weight forever. I do think you need more Protein. I had a goal of 40 grams of protein the first week for each day but could only manage to get in about 30 grams because of sipping and waiting and feeling so bloated. Yesterday I had my first doc's appointment, I was told not to worry about calories or even pounds coming off at this point but that my goal was get 60 grams of protein in. I am to no longer sip and wait...just to drink like normal but no chugging. Also, I was told that my stomach will hold up to 4 oz. at a time. I was told if I didn't get my protein intake up that I would probably lose my hair. I'm also on full liquids now instead of just clear. So last night I had 4 oz. of bean and bacon Soup pureed to a thin liquid. It was very fillling. Don't worry about calories and definitely not weight gain. Remember we just had surgery and our bodies are full of fluids and are slow on digesting. Also, you need to stay hydrated. That alone will help get rid of the bulk and Fluid build up.

To make my long story as short as possible. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol in 2008 the onset was an extreme weight gain that I had no idea how to control. So I started going to mediplan weight loss clinic got me some diet pills too curb my appetite and a B12 shot. I began to lose weight but after awhile the weight began to come back even though I was working out regularly but the pills no longer suppressed my appetite. I kept trying different diets but nothing seemed to work. So in 2010 I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 25. So again I changed my eating habits continued to workout but the pounds kept adding up until I was almost 300lbs. My diabetes was completely out of control so for the next 5 years I stayed in and out of the hospital battling my diabetes and my weight would drop 20lbs and I'll gain 20lbs back. Until November of 2013 I was crying because I had been once again hospitalized for my diabetes and I was truly afraid I wouldn't live to see the New Year and it was right around the corner. I went to see my PCP for a follow up visit and was talking to the nurse and she suggested weight loss surgery to me she said it would help with getting all of my medical problems under control. I began to do research on WLS, I talked to my mom about the benefits and risk of WLS and my mom told me she'd rather see me trying to do something about my condition instead sitting around waiting to die because she was not prepared to bury another one of her kids. That conversation with my mom encouraged me to go through with WLS. SO I went to two different weight loss seminars that informed me about the Lapband, Gastric Sleeve and the Gastric Bypass. With both seminars I knew right away that the Lapband wasn't the option for me. So I was left to choose between the sleeve and the bypass. I heard so many good things about the sleeve and so many scary things about the bypass until I chose the Gastric Sleeve. Which was really the wrong choice for me. I was sleeved May 2014. So I'm now 14 months out from my original surgery date and has been very unsuccessful with the gastric sleeve. The morning of surgery I weighed 268 and I'm now 215lbs. I've followed my diet exactly as it is in my binder. I've been dealing with a lot of vomiting and my acid reflux is 10times worse than before I was sleeved. My diabetes is still a major problem. After 14 months of struggling with my sleeve my doctors have now just decided to scope me to see why I'm having issues with my stomach. I still exercise 3-5 times a week and I have yet to have a significant weight loss my sleeve hasn't helped as promised. Now I'm looking into a revision to the RNY bypass hoping it will fix my issues and assist with my weight loss. My gastric sleeve was an epic fail..... Am I the only person that hasn't been successful.