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Hi, was the weight gain an issue? At my last appt with surgeon, I was up 5# from holidays (ugh), but I've almost lost it now. Still I worry that I havent actually lost weight. Still another 3+ weeks until I start the pre-op diet, where I actually get to eat food -- 1200 kcal, 60g carb, 120 g protein, 4 meals a day. For that I am thankful. OTOH, post surgery is 1 week clear liquids, then 2 weeks full liquids. So surgeon is easier on the upside and harder on the downside. Want to add, I personally am on the fence about Premier Protein -- its too thick for me.

Hello all, I was a lap band success story at one time, surgery in 2008, losing from 433 to 178, keeping most of that off for years. But life and acid reflux have taken their toll. I’ve had my band unfilled and refilled several times over the past years, but it’s no use. I can’t get to a sweet spot again where the band helps me lose weight and the acid reflux is manageable. The band is coming out on Monday. I’m depressed and worried. For me the band was magic, it made it easy (or at least possible) to lose so much weight. Now with an empty band for several months I’m struggling so much. I’ve regained 100 pounds in the past four years. Although I don’t have much restriction now, I’m worried about further weight gain. And also feeling like a failure, although I know that the band failed me. I did lose 250 pounds! I’m thinking of getting a RNY but I still don’t like the idea of cutting myself up like that. I’m trying to lose weight without further bariatric surgery but I’m not feeling confident. I’m mostly feeling depressed that this thing I loved at one point has turned out to be such a disappointment. Like a relationship gone bad. I’m breaking up with my band but still mourn the loss.

Hello, I am Scot, I am about 10 days from my surgery and wanted to start this log of my journey. I have undergone a psychological review, Dietary consult and had my initial Surgeons Meeting and consultation. I am now waiting for my Surgeon to schedule my Pre Op surgery appointment and have my Pre Op appointment with the hospital. This blog will be my way of talking about the crazy thoughts going through my head as I travel this... So this is real... I am really going to do this! (as long as my insurance don't get all stupid.) I have been overweight since I left the Military 18 years ago. I have diabetes, high blood pressure, and high Cholesterol. I have had Sleep Apnea most of my life (even when I was not overweight) but it has been exacerbated by my weight. My wife is scared to death that I am going to die soon. I guess what made me seek this out is that I am not ready to die. My family has a history of being a bit chunky but not to the same level as me. I teeter from 300 to 320 depending on my constant battle with weight gain. I attribute my weight gain from my experiences in the service. I don't blame the military, I did this to myself but, my military service did not help. Let me explain without going into too much detail. In Boot Camp, while the meals were somewhat balanced, they encouraged you to eat at breakneck speed. I learned how to scarf food at record pace. This habit is perpetuated all throughout my career because of commitments we have to our command, to the schedule work needing to be done, to emergent situations. Many times I would go to the galley and mess-decks to eat quickly and get back to work on something. always dreading the phone on the deck from ringing and being for me. If it was, it meant I cut my mealtime short. Exercise on a deployed ship is haphazard at best. PT in the service back then was not very directed or mandatory for a deploying unit. Physical readiness tests were held every year and it gradually got worse for me because I Think I was too dependent on directed exercise instead of self directed fitness. I became a workaholic and some things in your life suffer when you become so fixated at one facet of your life. I had a few incidents in the service that left me with PTSD, Anxiety and Depression. While it was easy to identify the depression and get that treated by the VA, it would be nearly 14 years later that I was diagnosed with the PTSD and Anxiety to receive the help I needed. I have been working with Psychologists and Psychiatrists on the PTSD and Anxiety issues and I have gotten them (somewhat) to a dull roar in my head. One of the factors of my weight gain has been identified as my use of food to dull and cover up the anxiety and stress I have on a daily basis. Once this dawned on me, I realized that this was a huge contributing factor of my Obesity. My wife has watched me grow since 2000 from the slightly pudgy man I was, to this gigantic bellied man that waddles when he walks. I know I have been discounted at work for my appearance, although I have proved my value time and time again. I need this to stop. It took nearly a year of my wife coaxing me to investigate the process and we finally have the means to cover the costs. I am 110% onboard with this process. I used to be a confident, charismatic, and healthy young man. I want to regain that confidence and health back so that I can begin to enjoy my life instead of constantly fighting my weight all the time. Is this surgery going to fix me?? Not likely on its own, I have no illusions that this surgery is going to be the magic process in which I regain my health. This surgery is a tool for me to use to win the fight against my obesity. the surgery will cause irrevocable changes to the way I live. I have been spending the last month and a half working on breaking habits and removing some of the most difficult issues from my diet. in 10 days, this will change drastically insomuch that the current things I am doing will need to be stopped and I will need to start taking care of me, feed myself correctly, listen to my body on such a different emotional level than I have ever needed to. This SCARES the hell out of me. If this process doesn't scare someone, then they need to sit down, read about the changes, and realize this is such a drastic change in their life. This isn't about going to get a tummy tuck or liposuction, This is a complete reworking of your digestive system. don't drink before or after meals. Eat SLOWLY. No Sugar. These actions are what I do all the time, and I have to stop. This is going to require drastic measures. I believe I am ready. Step one is making the Decision. I went to a seminar put on by my surgeons practice, and it was very informative. there was a full room of people. The one thing I noticed in the crowd that I felt like I was different than these people. I listened to the seminar and watched people around me. I felt like I was in a room full of people that felt it would be completely different than what the speaker was saying. I heard lots of scoffing from people that are in a worse position than I am. I know this isn't for everyone. But the sheer lack of consideration from some of these people. I had done about a week of research and I read a lot of stories, both good and bad. I think most people do read as much as they can about the procedures. Many of the people in the room seemed to have their opinions formed prior to the seminar. Many of them had false information that was corrected by the speaker (She was a saint dealing with a couple people there) I worry about one thing... delaying the surgery because of insurance. Insurance is the evil right now. I fear that is what is holding up my next appointments. We shall see over the next few days what happens. thanks for reading. I will be back.

That's great! I too lost weight on my own many times but guess what? it came back but if I had a band in me I could have tried to stop the weight gain sooner. For me Losing is the easy part, keeping it off is the hard part. If you ever stray you may find yourself wanting to fill your band and it will be there for you wether you need it or not. That's is he bonus of being banded

What should you eat to lose weight? How much energy have you devoted to this question? Low carb? Raw food? Jenny Craig? Have you ever considered that it might not be "the diet" that is the solution? Read more to find out! What should you eat to lose weight? How much energy have you devoted to this question? Low carb? Raw food? Jenny Craig? Women spend billions of dollars on weight loss, and create a lot of stress making decisions about which diet or weight loss plan to try this time. It’s ironic, because deep down, we know that diets don’t work. And in fact, many of us have lived out the lesson that diets can lead to binge eating and weight gain and bigger problems with food than we started with. It’s not hopeless. Healthy weight loss and what I call peace with food are possible, but they don’t begin with a diet. Here’s the important truth: The battle with overeating isn’t going to be solved by a diet because the root battle with most overeating isn’t about the food. If you want to break free from overeating cycles and weight loss battles, the critical question you need to be asking is this: What are you using the food for? What’s triggering you to overeat? What propels you towards the vending machine or sends you straight for the comfort food? What role does food play in your life? How does your current way of eating serve you? THESE are the million dollar questions. The truth is, you are smart and resourceful and you better believe that you are turning to food for a reason. The way you are currently eating does something important for you. Maybe your eating distracts you or comforts you. Food might momentarily boost your mood or your energy. Maybe you use it to procrastinate or hide out or reward yourself. Are you eating to cope with stress or frustration or exhaustion? Be curious about your hunger and the reasons that you eat. Understanding the meaning of your overeating changes everything. Understanding the purpose of your overeating helps you move beyond unhelpful self-blame and shame and guilt and into a place of compassionate understanding. From this place it’s possible to start addressing the real root causes. Because it’s probably not about the food. If you are a stress eater, you’ll want some more effective tools for addressing the stress in your life. Comfort eater? With the right tools, you can definitely find a better way. Exhausted? Overwhelmed? Nervous? Upset? There are better tools and strategies to address these feelings. And the truth is, once you have the tools and strategies to feel effective, food just doesn’t have the same appeal. Really. Effective weight loss doesn’t start with the food—and—when you address the root cause of your overeating, you don’t just change your weight. You change your life.

No I ain't had nothing to drink I knew that’s probably what you'd think If I dropped by this time of night Remember way back when I promised you I'd drop in At one of those meetings down at the Y Well, they started talkin bout steps you take Mistakes you make The hearts you break And the price you pay I almost walked away You could hear a pin drop When this old man Stood up and said I'm gonna' say it again Like I do every week For those who don't know me (Chorus) It's the simple things in life Like the kids at home and a loving wife That you miss the most, when you lose control And everything you love starts to disappear The devil takes your hand and says no fear Have another shot, just one more beer Yah, I've been there, that's why I'm here This ole boy stood up in the aisle Said he'd been living a life of denial And he cried as he talked about wasted years I couldn't believe what I heard It was my life word for word And all of the sudden it was clear (Repeat Chorus) That’s one of my favorite songs. It’s written and performed by Kenny Chesney, and for a long time I couldn’t hear it without crying; sometimes, I still can’t. I know it’s about alcoholism, but it’s also about me and my eating disorder. So many times, I thought, “I got this. I’m in control. I’m NOT an addict. I’m not ill.” Then there was the time when I lost 71 lbs. on Weight Watchers, and I was convinced that I was “fixed.” I was cured. I wasn’t “that” person anymore, and I was never going back; ever…but, I did. The devil definitely took my hand and I thought, “Just this once.” “Just this once” led to a downhill slide and a massive weight gain. I spent years beating myself up over that. I could not believe that after all that hard work that I blew it, like that. And then, my darkest days began. I felt as though my eating was so much bigger than me. It was something separate from me, that I couldn’t control. I hated life. Every day was a struggle of when do I eat/how much do I get to eat/when will I get to eat again/ what is there to eat? Worst of all, I knew that if I ever did get it together, that it wouldn’t stay together. And I hated everyone; but no one as much as myself...I really hated me. I think that everyone has to have their “moment of truth.” Mine came for me at 3:00 in the morning, watching a show on WLS. I remember thinking, “Life doesn’t have to be this hard.” I pretty much decided right then, that I was going to do this thing. You know, I would have NEVER thought that anything positive could have came from that 71 lb. weight gain, but I was wrong; several positive life lessons came from that. I learned that just when you think you’ve got your demon under control, and you get so high and mighty and complacent that it will rear its ugly head and kick your ass. I learned what to look out for, and what foods that I can’t handle; foods that are “triggers” for overeating. I learned that I am WAY stronger than I ever imagined. Lastly, I learned that the weight loss is secondary for me. The main thing is that I’m free. I’m free from the prison known as my eating disorder. And life is good. Life is very good.

Hi JennMarie7979 I can understand your nervousness and sure there is much anticipation involved as you await the removal procedure I had my band removed 2 years and 1month ago. I sustained a number of band problems prior to having it removed due to the fact that the surgeon over filled the band and I also got ill causing me to be sick a lot. This then meant I had a band slippage and it caused me ongoing esophageal damage and damage to my pouch including a pronounced area of my abdomen and inability, eventually, to eat without severe pain. When I went into A&E, they had to call my surgeon who came the next day. It was actually supposed to be corrective surgery but he decided to take it out. This was really hard for me as I'm sure you are anticipating for yourself. I very much needed the band and was not finished losing weight! I am from the UK so fortunately NHS was able to cover it (even though I had the initial op through a private clinic) as if this had been left untreated I would have run the risk of my stomach dieing and internal infection. So monetary things will be different for you. After the procedure I was sore and was on liquids for about 8 days before moving to mushy foods, very small portions and eating regularly as you might when you had the band. Due to the soreness going back to the gym was not possible for about 6 weeks so I just went on really long walks each day, sometimes two or three hours a day so that weight gain would not happen to fast. Most of all i just want to reassure you that everything will be okay, and I hope you are able to get your health back after removal. It's a scary thought going without the crutch of the band to prop yourself up, and undoubtedly weight gain will happen over time (I think I've gained 25(ish) pounds since) but I've learned there is more to life than deprivation and being thin and in control. Try to do the things you enjoy, get outside and be in the company of others. It all helps, it's going to be okay. Best wishes and I hope all goes well, Bryony

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 take wellbutrin, it's one of the only that actually helps lose weight not gain it. I wouldn't take ability, my son does and it is a weight gaining drug and it increases blood sugar.

hi stephh! i just had my baby 9-28-15. i started at 257 and was reached my goal of 150 when i was 14months out, then two weeks later i found out i was pregnant. i too was only taking in about 700-800 pre pregnancy. around 13 weeks pregnant i started getting insanely hungry, literally every two hours. for me it really didn't ease up until i was about 32weeks. my dr wanted me to take in about 1800 calories a day i ended up putting on 42lbs in total. i lost 15lbs after my c section taking me from 192 to 177. i have been stuck there for the past two minths unfortunately, the scale just doesn't want to move for me. keep taking in as much Protein as you can. keep high protein Snacks with you if you're getting hungry often! congratulations on your pregnancy, you can pm me if any questions Thank you so much for responding!!!!!! I feel like I'm in the exact same scenario you were. I feel so much better knowing that someone else is hungry too. I was afraid of it being head hunger. Congratulations on your new baby! How was your pregnancy besides being hungry? Had you been pregnant before? Was it different? Sorry, I have SO many questions!!! Your weight gain doesn't seem bad to me. It seems like a manageable weight and will probably come off. I already have argued with my Dr about gaining weight... He said I could aim for 10-20 pounds because I'm at the top end of my healthy weight range. So far, I've stayed steady, but I'm not very far along. i sent you some photos in pm

Oh, and just think about your last pre-band plateau. I know the last time I dieted and hit a plateau I was gaining pounds back within a week. By contrast, during my recent 6 week post-band plateau I lost and gained the same 3 pounds multiple times, but because of the restriction of the band I didn't lose hope and eat, eat, eat my way out of the plateau and into another weight gain. So yea, our bands are working the way they're supposed to - helping us lose and keeping our place when we're not losing :-)

Update on revision. Temporarily postponed. After discussion with PA and surgeon and what they were planning on doing, (and also surgeon was having to postpone due to death in the family), we've decided to refill and slowly bring it back up, assuming no problems. All he was going to do was either put in another stitch or undo the flap of stomach that the pull over the band to hold it in place...undo that and possibly change the location of the flap. They believe everything is still in tact. So PA put in 4ccs today and I will see how it goes and if all goes well, in a month I will go back and have them do an X-ray and if band looks llike it's where it should be, they will slowly over the next few months bring it back up to restriction level. But I have a strong feeling that I may have just been overfilled. and then with the throwing up, forced the band into a position it didn't need to be. I had the option to go with the other surgeon, but I think I want to try this first and use revision as my last option. But I am going to stick with only the PA doing the fills, so that at least there's consistency with who is doing them. I don't think the surgeon does as many and the PA says that he usually is able to pull more out than the surgeons. Because if I count all the ccs that were in there, I thought I should have only had 7 inserted...well somehow or another I ended up with 10cc, unless my body is mysteriously producing fill all on its own..:) Right now feeling okay. Staying on a soft food diet for a few days to get it a rest after getting the fill. Neither one lectured me on the 8 lb weight gain. I've read some users on here that just by removing the fill and letting everything rest and get back to it's proper location that it can fix the issue and PA even said they're had some patients that that has done the job. So we'll see. I'm just glad to have at least part of my buddy back :) I know it's probably all mental but just knowing that there's fill in there, my food grazing/craving cycle is non-existent right now. So onward I go...whoo-hoo :) trisha pennreporter:thumbup::confused::thumbup::thumbup:

Wow,everyone on this board is so nice. Thanks for all of the replies and advice. I plan to have another child if possible but if not, we will adopt because we have always wanted to anyway. There are so many children out there who need a loving stable home. We already decided there is no use in spending all of our money again by having IUI, when ultimately we concieved our son on just Clomid alone, not to mention all of the emotional stress it put on us. We have a four month old son so we dont plan on having another child anytime soon. I plan to get to my ideal weight first which will be at least a year or so I am sure because I am not even banded yet. To answer your question Blacknamaste, there are many symptoms of PCOS, some of which include, Hirsutism, which is excessive hair on the face or other parts of the body where women do not typically have hair, depression,irregular menses or absence of menses, absence of ovulation, weight gain and obesity, infertility and many other symptoms but this is all I can think of currently. PCOS can only be diagnosed by having a transvaginal ultrasound which can be done by your OB/GYN or reproductive endocrinologist. If you have PCOS there will be what is commonly reffered to as a "string of pearls" around your ovaries which are fluid filled cysts which can prevent ovulation. This will be easily seen on the monitor if you have it. IF you feel it is possible you have PCOS you should request an ultrasound by your doctor. Lets hope you dont have it but is very commen and it can be treatable. Hope this helps.

I have fibromyalgia and was almost bedridden until 2 years ago when I was diagnosed w/bipolar and put on lithium. This helped so much w/the depression and fatigue, I am able to be up, dressed, and out w/others 5 out of 7 days(most weeks). The pain is still there, but with most of depression lifted and fatigue at bay (lithium can cause heavy feeling, not tiredness), I am more optimistic about both diseases than ever. When 1st diagnosed w/fib, gp told me to increase salt intake as I woke up exhasted and had low bpressure. This was to no avail. Weight gain/loss hasnt affected pain much, maybe little worse. The cycle of stress, depression, fatigue, pain can be viscious. Antidepressants cause more depression and weight gain for me. Exercise DOES help immensely. It seems to have a negative effect on moods at times, drains my energy(sounds crazy!). Everyone with this terrible disease should never give up looking for correct med or med combo for improved quality of life! I was bedridden until my family stepped in and sought the help/treatment to function normally again. Help is out there. maddy

TA: Several things come to mind from your posts. 1) Watch the sodium level in those power drinks. They can cause additional swelling which you really don't need right now. 2) I would suggest that you go back to your band surgeon for help if he is close by still, or the teaching hospital is a great idea. Even though the bariatric surgeon primarily does bands, he is still a surgeon and they are often the best ones to deal with your innards once you have the band because they know where they placed it and how to work around it if they have to go in. 3) I agree that you must be your own advocate. If you need help, take someone with you. Make a list of questions/statements that you have and make sure your friend has a copy to make sure you ask everything and get answers. They can also help record the answers that you get because sometimes we hear something that catches us off guard or gets our minds churning and we don't hear anything after that. 4) Flat out demand a complete GI series (upper and lower). You need to make sure that there are no ulcers, obstructions, etc. anywhere along the way. 5) Have your physician check your gall bladder, both for stones and for proper function. The heartburn, nausea, fever and resultant dehydration and weakness sounds very similar to what I had when I had stones and my gall bladder was extremely infected. Some people have pain in their back or stomach as well, but I never did. Things like cheese and milk made me really sick though. I still can't eat pizza and that was 15 years ago! Yo-yo weight gain/loss over many years or just weight loss is a major trigger for the creation of gall stones so it would make sense. Just my ten cents worth for the day. What ever you do, don't give up. Make the docs figure it out! I wish you luck!

4 Days post op and I am up about 4 pounds. I did the 2 wk liquid fast and have not had to much to eat, is it the IV's? I still feel so bloated and hurt alot at the port site.

I think bottom line its calories in equals weight gain. I notice at about eight months out the carbonation doesn't bother me much, but I still notice it..I would imagine if you were to drink two or three drinks like we probably used to pre surgery then yes, it might well affect your pouch. One or two sips? Probably not. But...I met a lady prior to my surgery that had gastric bypass about 10 years ago, and she was 400 lbs if she was an ounce. She told me, (when I told her that I wasn't sure I could give pop up) you can do that! (I.e. drink pop) no you can't. Not unless you want to go back to where you were weight wise. Pop is a small price to pay for skinny jeans and turning guys heads. I hated being fat. I hated being prejudiced against. I hated looking in the mirror. I hated clothes shopping. I hated my hubby looking at other women all the time. I don't love pop that much to lose all these other things I have retrieved back in my life.

Dianne, don't worry over the prednisone. My daughter had walking pneumonia (at age 6!) last month and the doc gave her the antibiotic and liquid pred. She was much better in just a few days! It really helps. Take it like the doc ordered, and please don't stop now! You have 11 people at your house over the weekend...you need to feel your best! Throw out the scales until you have been on and then off the pred for a week. You will pee like a racehorse for a few days after the pred is done and then you will know it's safe to get on the scale. Your weight loss journey is for the long haul. A little temporary Water weight gain won't hurt you...really!!!!! Warning: long and complicated plans ahead... I got a call today from my sister-in-law from Texas. Shhhh...it's a surprise! She, my brother and my 16yo niece are driving in to Charlotte late tomarrow night! Yay! Our Christmas is complete! So noone knows but me. Geez! Talk about pressure! I have my dad coming over for coffee tomorrow night, then I gave hubby the heads up that me and dad need to go out and do something secret after 11pm. Please don't freak out...we'll be back. Fine. So I'll wait for the call, load up dad, stop and get my sis, and meet them at the Cracker Barrel on Billy Graham. They will be so happy! We will get my bro and bring him back to my house. He'll go home with my dad and stay there with him. My SIL and niece will drive on to her sisters house in South Charlotte for the weekend. THEN! My Mom and her fiance (yes, drama at our house this Chistmas...lets just add the new fiance to the family pic this year, huh? sigh. Wish I didn't like him so much, right? He's a great guy.) Anyhow, Mom still doesn't know. I called her today and said..."I just talked with Cathy. Her Mom is coming into town from Tx with our gifts so she doesn't have to ship them. Can you come have hamburgers Friday night and stop by the sister's house to pick up our gifts? We'll send ours back with her when she goes back after Christmas...they'll be late but it's okay" blah, blah, yada, yada, yada. So Mom will go to the sister's house and find her Daughter-in-law and Granddaughter there...Get in her car and come up for burgers. Surprise! And we'll all be together Friday night. With the new fiance. Let's just add to the plate! Then we'll be together again on Christmas day here. That's 14 people Friday night and Christmas day. Time to go grocery shopping? Karen: I'm so glad your Christmas musical is going so well. God is so faithful, I love to see His Spirit move. Bless you for using your talents. Angie: I posted about your surgery on the other thread...keep us updated! Melissa: you sound like me with appoinyments. It's a busy time of year to be scheduling these things! But, they are important. I wish I had a nutritionist following along with me. Ya'll all be thankful for your insurance! Me and Sherrie will ride your coat tails, okay? Kim, I really hope your back feels better. Yuck. Do you like the Chiro? I have always wanted to get adjusted several times over a month and see if I can just get a better feeling of well-being. They say so many things can be out of whack and cause problems all over...sinuses, allergies, digestive system issues, foot pain, etc. I hope that works for you. If I were desperate enough, I'd drink an adult dose of the liquid and wash wash wash it through with plenty of water to keep it off the stoma, ya know? I wonder if your doc would allow that? You don't need it everyday, right? Might be worth it? Pat, that sounds so nice...even just one night away at the beach with the girls would be worth the drive! How fun! How far is it to the Outer Banks from here...isn't it an 8-9 hour drive? Yowza! I'd love to do it. It doesn't even have to be summer! Okay, I need to wrap one gift tonight...then I'm hitting the sack! Night all!!!

This is quite normal. When doing a low carb diet, one's glycogen (short term carbohydrate energy stores) levels are being kept at their minimal level in the hope that the body will burn fat instead. On average, the body will keep around 2 lb of glycogen on board, which is kept in solution by about 8 lb of water. The body wants to get those glycogen levels back where they should be if tehy are low, so any additional carbohydrate consumption beyond ones normal minimal "low carb diet" level will result in some quick short term water weight gain. The amount is limited, and doesn't happen if one is on a normally balanced human diet. I never ran into this particular issue as i kept the carbohydrates and fats in relative balance throughout the whole process, so my glycogen levels, and associated water weight, never yo-yo'd all that much (that, and I couldn't afford the side effects of the overly low-carb/keto type diets.) The flip side of this is when marathoners carbo-load before an event by loading up on pasta, etc. - they are trying to maximize their glycogen levels to improve their endurance.

Ok, my last thread was about the pains I was going through with my fill making my band too tight. Cause I was PBing, and Sliming, and throwing everything I ate back up. Anyway, I went in on Saturday, and got an emergency unfill, and now, since then I have no restriction, and I have gained 5lbs. I feel like a failure, and Im doing exercise, and watching what I eat during the day. I dont get it. Anyway, I see him again, Monday, and I have got to tell him that I need at least 1cc put back in, he took 1 and a half out, I think all I needed was a half taken out. Man Now, I put myself back on liquids because of this weight gain. I dont want to gain anymore. I will be on liquids until I see him again. Im not happy, and I felt horrible when I saw the scale. The problem lies with restriction, when I eat, I dont feel it. I chew and chew, and chew more, and take my time, but nothing. Its like the band isnt there. UGGGGGGH. This is really getting me down guys. Anyway, thought I would share this with everyone. Hopefully I can get back on track Monday. :cursing:

I've got to disagree. And I can only speak for myself. It's all about accountability, it's all about ownership, it's all about acknowledging that I am creating my own destiny, whether it be to lose weight, gain or maintain. I have no doubt it's semantics for some, but for me, it's empowerment.

@@LipstickLady Are we held more accountable if we call it "cheating" vs. held more accountable if it's called a "choice"? I would argue that both descriptions equal "eating off plan". The stagnate scale, resulting weight gain, or if I'm lucky...no weight change, doesn't change the fact that I've detoured, however temporarily, off plan. For me, simply eating off plan results in my being held accountable...sooner or later the scale, my emotions, and my health will hold me accountable regardless of what term we use to describe it.

What should you eat to lose weight? How much energy have you devoted to this question? Low carb? Raw food? Jenny Craig? Women spend billions of dollars on weight loss, and create a lot of stress making decisions about which diet or weight loss plan to try this time. It’s ironic, because deep down, we know that diets don’t work. And in fact, many of us have lived out the lesson that diets can lead to binge eating and weight gain and bigger problems with food than we started with. It’s not hopeless. Healthy weight loss and what I call peace with food are possible, but they don’t begin with a diet. Here’s the important truth: The battle with overeating isn’t going to be solved by a diet because the root battle with most overeating isn’t about the food. If you want to break free from overeating cycles and weight loss battles, the critical question you need to be asking is this: What are you using the food for? What’s triggering you to overeat? What propels you towards the vending machine or sends you straight for the comfort food? What role does food play in your life? How does your current way of eating serve you? THESE are the million dollar questions. The truth is, you are smart and resourceful and you better believe that you are turning to food for a reason. The way you are currently eating does something important for you. Maybe your eating distracts you or comforts you. Food might momentarily boost your mood or your energy. Maybe you use it to procrastinate or hide out or reward yourself. Are you eating to cope with stress or frustration or exhaustion? Be curious about your hunger and the reasons that you eat. Understanding the meaning of your overeating changes everything. Understanding the purpose of your overeating helps you move beyond unhelpful self-blame and shame and guilt and into a place of compassionate understanding. From this place it’s possible to start addressing the real root causes. Because it’s probably not about the food. If you are a stress eater, you’ll want some more effective tools for addressing the stress in your life. Comfort eater? With the right tools, you can definitely find a better way. Exhausted? Overwhelmed? Nervous? Upset? There are better tools and strategies to address these feelings. And the truth is, once you have the tools and strategies to feel effective, food just doesn’t have the same appeal. Really. Effective weight loss doesn’t start with the food—and—when you address the root cause of your overeating, you don’t just change your weight. You change your life.

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 working out at least five times a week. I go to the gym at my job after work and I have been dedicated to my workout. I feel great after a good workout, but I have gained almost two pounds since I started. What's up with that? I have not had a fill yet and I am eating mushies which I guess is causing the weight gain. I am patient though and I know after I get my fill on June 26th the weight should start coming off again. Good luck everyone on your exercising.