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Still in the process myself but I think it's safe to say that both my husband and I were scared and skeptical for years when it came to talking about me possibly having it. And we both only really thought about it because my family doc kept suggesting it after years of seeing me trying everything under the sun and nothing working. When we first got together in our teens (he was 19 I was 16 and now......I'm 48 now and he's 53) he was under weight and I was at a nice normal weight but I always thought I was heavy. Despite being able to wear sexy clothes and fitting in a size 4, I still thought I was heavy. I guess mostly because I WAS heavy growing up but sorta slimmed down between the ages of 12 and 16. How and why, I have no clue. It just happened. But come age 19, that's when the weight gain started for me along with the other health and hormonal problems (i.e., PCOS, Endometriosis, Insulin Resistance). Anyway, over the years the weight just kept creeping up on me despite trying many diets, exercise programs, etc. He gained too but did not become overweight. His weight gain actually resulted in him finally being at a normal weight. LOL But either way, he NEVER EVER said a harsh word to me about my weight and as for sex, even despite having gained all this weight over the years, you wouldn't know it. The dang man STILL wants it ALL THE TIME. At least like once a day!!! LOL Me on the other hand my drive is non existent. And I blame the weight on that. Despite him telling me every day that I'm beautiful, he loves me, and that I "turn him on", I just don't feel that way about myself. I am so damn self conscious that I NEVER let him see me totally naked. Well, at least not standing up and walking around. LOL I don't want to say those words he says mean nothing, cause they do, they actually mean the world to me, it's just that they still don't change my own mind about myself no matter how reassuring they are. Ya know? I still feel like I look a mess regardless of what he says. Not in the face but in the body. IMO Anyway, he is totally up for me doing whatever it is I need or want to do to make myself feel better about myself and more importantly, to keep me healthy and around for a long, long time for him. So, that's pretty much where we are. As for the sex part, I surely do hope this sex drive of mine comes back once the surgery is done. I think and feel the world of him too, and find him highly attractive as well and I hate that I keep turning down his advances a lot of the time when this sh*t sex drive of mine has NOTHING to do with him. It gets tiring constantly trying to convince him it's truly NOT HIM and that it's totally all me/my body/hormones (and sadly my last blood work showed that I'm not near menopause yet so can't blame that either....lol). I seriously feel bad that he feels at times that I don't find him attractive cause that's really not the case. I LOVE that man!!

I look to forward to being a healthy mommy and not being afraid of that I won't be able to keep up or be active with my son. I look forward to having another baby but this time at a healthy weight. I was so uncomfortable the first time due to my weight/weight gain. On a less serious note, my husband looks forward to more room in our closet- I've kept all of clothes, a range of about 4 sizes, because of my weight fluctuations. Goodbye fat clothes! For good! I wish all of us the best of luck!

I went through 12 weeks of classes and was expected to lose 10% of my weight. Gained three or four pounds! But...when I started my two week liquid diet I lost a lot more than 10%. You will feel so good about yourself when you get past this point. You sound stronger than the average person and are probably a lot harder on yourself than most. Give yourself a break and just make up your mind to forgive yourself and move on. Hopefully you will be encouraging others in just a little while.

All of this. I have a HUGE tote of heels I wore just 8-9 years ago when I was 140lbs. Soon...soon... I hate my body much less now than I did back then; something that started all the weight gain. I look back at those pics and I'm like WTF WAS WRONG WITH YOU. Fat at 140lbs?! Way to go, me. lol. I can't wait for my appearance to match my give no effs attitude that I've developed. First thing I do when I hit a size 12 is drop serious $$$ at Express and White House Black Market. And everywhere. Everywherreeeeee. hahaha.

Hi all, Merry Christmas, I hope it is okay and does not offend anyone. I thought I would update this post. I saw a neurologist and after tests etc, bottom line is they found a slight abnormality in my left temporal lobe. We are watching it and I am now taking meds but other than some weight gain and NO desire to exercise it seems to be fine, but I was fine up to the day I had the seizure too. So all in, does not seem to have anything to do with my sleeve! Good news. Take care

Read this on another WLS forum.... Slider Foods Spell Weight Regain For Weight Loss Surgery Patients By Kaye Bailey For most people eating sliders is a good thing. Popularized by the American food chain, White Castle, a slider (originally slyder) is a miniature grilled hamburger or cheeseburger on a steamed bun often served with onions and dill pickle and other condiments. They originally sold for a nickel a piece in the 1940s making it affordable to add a side of fries for just pennies. By all accounts this is a good kind of "slider" food. To the weight loss surgery patient slider foods are the bane of good intentions and ignorance often causing dumping syndrome, weight loss plateaus, and eventually weight gain. Slider foods, to weight loss surgery patients, are soft simple processed carbohydrates of little or no nutritional value that slide right through the surgical stomach pouch without providing nutrition or satiation. The most innocent of slider foods are saltine crackers, often eaten with warm tea or other beverages, to soothe the stomach in illness or while recovering from surgery. The most commonly consumed slider foods include pretzels, crackers (saltines, graham, Ritz, etc.) filled cracker Snacks such as Ritz Bits, popcorn, cheese snacks (Cheetos) or cheese crackers, tortilla chips with salsa, potato chips, sugar-free Cookies, cakes, and candy. You will notice these slider foods are often salty and cause dry mouth so they must be ingested with liquid to be palatable. This is how they become slider foods. They are also, most often, void of nutritional value. For weight loss surgery patients the process of digestion is different than those who have not undergone gastric surgery. When slider foods are consumed they go into the stomach pouch and exit directly into the jejunum where the simple carbohydrate slurry is quickly absorbed and stored by the body. There is little thermic effect in the digestion of simple carbohydrates like there is in the digestion of Protein so little metabolic energy is expended. In most cases patients in the phase of weight loss who eat slider foods will experience a weight loss plateau and possibly the setback of weight gain. And sadly, they will begin to believe their surgical stomach pouch is not functioning properly because they never feel fullness or restriction like they experience when eating protein. The very nature of the surgical gastric pouch is to cause feelings of tightness or restriction when one has eaten enough food. However, when soft simple carbohydrates are eaten this tightness or restriction does not result and one can continue to eat, unmeasured, copious amounts of non-nutritional food without ever feeling uncomfortable. Many patients turn to slider foods for this very reason. They do not like the discomfort that results when the pouch is full from eating a measured portion of lean animal or dairy protein without liquids. Yet it is this very restriction that is the desired result of the surgery. The discomfort is intended to signal the cessation of eating. Remembering the "Protein First" rule is crucial to weight management with bariatric surgery. Gastric bypass, gastric banding (lap-band) and gastric sleeve patients are instructed to follow a high protein diet to facilitate healing and promote weight loss. Bariatric centers advise what is commonly known among weight loss surgery patients as the "Four Rules" the most important of which is "Protein First." That means of all nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fat and alcohol) the patient is required to eat protein first. Protein is not always the most comfortable food choice for weight loss surgery patients who feel restriction after eating a very small amount of food. However, for the surgical tool to work correctly a diet rich in protein and low in simple carbohydrate slider foods must be observed. The high protein diet must be followed even after healthy body weight has been achieved in order to maintain a healthy weight and avoid weight regain. Kaye Bailey 2010 - All Rights Reserved

I felt the same way...I started my journey back in Dec, 2019 (right b4 Covid). So I stayed over again in Sept, 2021. My surgery is now scheduled for June 6. I have been told that if you have the sleeve done initially, that if there is a weight gain later in life, that they MAY be able to perform a full gastric bypass at that time. Sent from my SM-G981V using BariatricPal mobile app

And I'm a happy camper too. This happens in a small % of patients. He will be using a 36 bougie this time instead of a 40. Most of my sleeve is fine. There is just a herniated bulge just under my stomach/esophagus junction (gastroesophageal sphincter). The theory is that once this gets tightened up, the tissue will not be so elastic. I'm not really a grazer (too busy) and everything was hunky dory until the weight gain started a year ago.

Hi all... I was banded on the 24th....2 days ago. I have been in more pain than I had expected. I'm walking around better but this darn gas is killing me....The first day in the hospital, I was so worried that with every movement I would hurt the band....I also weighed this morning and gained 3 pounds. My Dr.s office called to check on me and told me the weight gain was from the IV fluids and not to weigh til i get into my post op visit. I have no appetite, and having trouble getting all my Water in. Dr's office said as long as I take a sip every 10 minutes i wont get dehydrated and I am getting like 32 ounces in. I need to get one really good burp out and its just not coming......I think if I could burp I'd feel much better....I am feeling emotionally very excited and proud of myself for doing this. I think this is really gonna change things around for me. I am very committed and excited. Want to try to walk outside but just in my parking lot near my building. everything inside is just so sore....I have a lot of bad bruising on my abdomen....I am hoping tomorrow i will feel good enough to stop the pain meds and take only Tylenol. So glad to be on the other side now.....Here we go!!!! Meg

Hello everyone, I had my surgery in mid-august. I was 271 at surgery. I am 213 now (well, 215 truly because of weight gain since Christmas -but it isgoing back down...). I am worried because I met with my nutrionist this week and she mentioned that I should only be eating 2 oz. of food at a meal. I can eat much more than that. My surgeon said I should be at 200lbs by New years. I am not. What do you think? I am trying to stay below 30 carbs and above 80 Proteins a day... i wonder why I am not losing faster. I am down 90 pounds since 2010. So, I am not totally unhappy. Please send me your advice. Thank you.

I heard on Oprah not long ago that for every 30 pounds a man loses, he gains an inch of penis. So, this could probably help some men who have lost a lot of penis from weight gain. LOL.

Congrats on five months out. I like that you divided your goals. I understand the fear. I had doubts because I would lose weight gain it back with extra pounds. I'm grateful that I’m still maintaining this far out from surgery. I wish there wasn’t pressure about choosing/achieving goal weight. I agree 100% It doesn’t matter where we end up on the BMI chart. Healthy is the goal.

My husband says I need to exercise more too. I walk about 45 minutes to a hour a day and that’s about it. The thing is I lost the weight without doing any more than that so it doesn’t make sense that I am gaining now because of that. The doctors keep blaming my antidepressants and my bipolar I just think that there is more to it. The weight gain did all start around 25 though which is also when the symptoms of my illness began so idk. I don’t need a referral for a specialist though, so I think I am going to see one just to rule it out if nothing else.

A friend of mine that is rather robust in the bust department has a winnie-the-pooh on the top of her left breast..........over the years pooh has gotten taller and thinner It just sort of happens even without weight gain/loss. Mine are on the back of my neck and my foot so I don't anticipate any problems.......will wait to get my next one after I reach goal, maintain it for a year, and pay for my new boobs

I saw my surgeon last week and he said all is well and to begin eating normally over the weekend. I thought that was sounding good until I began eating again. I had lost weight pretty consistently in the beginning then gained and lost the same pound or two for a week. Today I weighed in and gained 3 pounds! I haven't had a fill and feel little to no restriction and understand that when you go from liquids only to mushies, to real food the odds are that your body will try to hang on to it and weight gain is likely. Maybe I was in denial about it all, but gosh, those 3 pounds are gnawing at me like crazy! I am not eating a lot and exercising, so I hoped I wouldn't gain but I did. I am looking forward to my first fill (which will be later than usual since doc will be on vacation. :thumbup:) Oh well, I just had to vent. It's just a frustrating day.

I kept mine secret until one hour before my surgery. I was worried about all the judgment of people thinking this was and easy out. But it was going to come out eventually and I didn't want to lie about my weight loss when people start noticing the quick drop. I didn't want people to talk behind my back trying to figure it out so I decided to be upfront and made it facebook official. I got way more support than I was expecting. And you know what so what if they talk. If they really care about you they will be supportive. Find out who your true friends are. Everyone has seen me struggle all my life and if it wasn't for all the health issues maybe I wouldn't have done it. Its desperation to be healthy. This was my post to everyone VEVY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT about My Life. For my Family, Friends and inquiring minds who want to know. Soooo, I have made a huge decision that is going to change my life forever. Hopefully for the better. If all goes well.... Some of you may or may not know that I had a lap band procedure done in 2010 to help with weight loss. It did help for a little while. Eventually the band stopped helping me completely and I fell back into old eating habits. Started the whole yo-yo dieting again. I gained it all back then I lost it all again. Then I gained it all back plus some more. The band has been busted for about 3 years but it's still hanging out in my belly. I have been fighting battle of the bulge since I was 8 yrs old. The older you get the harder it is. The bulge always seems to win. The thing that really makes it hard are the underlying health issues. Like PCOS, thyroid, diabetes, depression and anxiety. Then there is the high cholesterol and blood pressure. With all these health problems comes medication for all. Some of the medication causes weight gain but you need them. So conclusion to this battle. I am having the Lapband removed from my stomach and I will be converting to the gastric sleeve. I am so grateful that I have a wonderful husband who has been with me through all of my struggles. He has seen my ups, downs and all arounds. He sees how hard I do work. How hard I try. How much I beat myself up when I don't lose weight even when I have done all of the right things. He has seen me give up hopes and give in to the unhealthy from my disappointment of not winning the battle. He has stood by me through thick and uh, not so thin. I want to thank him very much for helping me with my journey of becoming a healthier me. Because of my fear of judgement I have kept this to myself. But most people would say not to worry about what others think. A lot of people will say well if you just exercise and eat right you will lose weight. Well I do and it does help but it just isn't enough for me. Exercise has become really hard due to arthritis in my right knee and hip but I will continue to fight through the pain. This is not going to be easy!!!!! I love food!!!!!!!!!!! Sugar is the devil!!!!!!!!!! I am giving up all the tasty favorites for a new me. I am going into surgery at 9:30. Wish me luck. See you when I wake I love you all!!!!❤✌ — feeling optimistic.

Linda ~ Sorry to hear about PMS. Yucko. :tired I'll be joining you next week. Don't worry about the weight gain. Concentrate on following the rules. Now, you remind me of this next week, O.K.? I've heard some say they feel more restriction when it's that time. Let me know if you experience any tightness or such. Hi Myra ~ Well, your just the little lap band trooper!!! Good for you my friend. Yipee.....15 lbs....WTG!!! I don't have much to complain about either. I keep looking at the weeds that need pulled, but I've been a chicken to get out there b/c of DeAnn pulling her port muscle. Maybe I'll stick gloves on my boys and direct them on which ones to pull.

Hi my date is the 29th for surgery. Kinda nervous same time just want it done n over with... Reasons why im doing it is that i have chronic back pain that 4 of my doctors have told me that the surgery will improve the pain.. Not to mention the polyneuropathy i have and the crazy pain that is caused by it. That has been my downfall with weight gain i hurt to much to move... So im crossing fingers that my 310 weight will drop along with pain levels. Huggs to everyone that already went and those that are prepping!!

I just finish the 6month and I think it's great but long as we are impatient to start are new journey but it helps you get bad habits out your life and get new habits try to think of it as a chance to prepare your self learn how to don't eat w meals and chew chew your food slow I stop smoking it's been 9 months .. I don't dring sodas I started drinking more water and oh I lost alittle wieght during this time 20 pounds I think the supervised diet is better than most cus you have to answer to someone about your weight gain or loss and this person has his future in his hands of telling the insurance company your being compliant I think you'll loss some weight w that being in place but on another I kno some ppl doctors who didn't make them work has hard ..

Doctor put me on xydep 100 - which is a sertraline anti depressant, he knows i have the band, said should not be a problem he doesnt think. Any ideas? does it cause weight gain, going through stressful time not because of band but other personal problems at moment, do they put on weight?? that way know must deal with less calories , or more excercise, any reasearch help on this much much appreciated!!

Hi Slimmy Ive been taking Lustral for a long time (I think that's sertraline). It can cause weight gain after the first few months because it causes carbohydrate cravings. Mind you the band restricts the quantity you can eat so that will take care of that. If your band is tight dont take the pill on an empty stomach at night as it can cause you to throw up (dangerous for your band). Instead take it several hours before you lie down and with food. Ellen

Hey Girlie- We're surgery sisters having been sleeved on the same day. So, I am literally right where you are. And, I can say that I honestly go through the same thing as you. I can blame mine on a mulitude of issues. Here's a quick run-down: 1. I killed my best friend when I was sleeved. Sounds nuts I know, but I turned to food for all of my emotional comfort. Sometimes, I feel sad that it had to come to this to get healthy. And, it's taking my awhile to make new "friends". 2. I'm surrounded my social eaters. Everywhere I turn my friends, family and co-workers mark life by what we're serving and who's bringing what dish. When you can't eat a lot and focus on Protein and no carbs this can get depressing. 3. I'm realizing that I blamed a lot of issues in my life on my weight and that simple isn't true. I can't blame my weight for things like my marriage hitting the skids anymore so I have to figure out how to fix it now. It's depressing to realize that I was lazy and blamed my weight and it's depressing sometimes to wade through the crap necessary to fix it all. 4. My mind is ahead of my body. I'm ready for the journey to be over and to begin living life in a normal BMI body. Even though I'm losing weight at warp speed it still doesn't seem fast enough some days. On those less rational days when I see that I haven't come as far as I want, it bums me out. I think the best thing we can do is take a deep breath and face our personal challenges head on so we can begin to sort them out and ensure a future without food and weight gain as a crutch. For me, that means journaling, talking with the BFF, an occasional therapist visit and venting on here. It's nice to know this group is here help. Best of luck to you! Amanda

On the "goal weight" topic - I gave up on my unrealistic pre-op goal weight a long time ago. Around the 18 month mark, when I hit my lowest weight, I realized that I was never going to get there and I was totally OK with that. During this process, this has become about so much more than a number on a scale. For 43 years I identified myself as the funny fat girl - I would make self-depricating remarks and people would laugh and I wouldn't let people know how unhappy, sad and full of self loathing I was. I would eat in private - I would actually look forward to when my husband and son would leave so I could eat. It was a horrible hell in which I lived. So, I was avoiding the 17 pound weight gain - If I didn't talk about it, it didn't happen. My jeans weren't THAT tight. My fear of going back to where I was 2 years ago, quite frankly, scared the **** out of me. After a few days of regaining control, with the help of the appetite suppressants, I'm not feeling like that any more. I feel like I'm working TOWARDS my goal of healthy living, not avoiding (there is not a number attached to that "healthy living" goal"). I mentioned above this process has become more than the number on the scale - I want to expound on that, especially for the newly sleeved or the pre-oppers. My life is wonderful. This process has made me a better person - I have found out I am stronger than I ever realized. I smile ALL THE TIME. I am genuinely happy. I've become more outgoing - I make it a goal when I travel to spend time talking to one random stranger daily - that has helped with shyness and has helped me come out of my shell. My husband and I have a great relationship - we did before surgery, but now it's more (not too much detail, but the physical aspect of our relationship is much better - that was my hangup not his). My son sees me as a role model for physical activity - we work out together, we go to hot yoga together, we cook together, our relationship is stronger. Work - that has been a wild ride. I went from wanting to quit my job 14 months ago, to getting a promotion and now being viewed a valued member of the executive team. That wouldn't have happened 75 pounds ago when I was perfectly happy giving my ideas away freely and not speaking up in meetings. I now walk into a conference room and take a seat at the table as opposed to sitting in the background with my back against the wall. I simply adore what you wrote about goals and how a goal weight is not what's important. I bounce around between 120 and as much as 129. My lowest weight was 112. The numbers are not not not important. What's important is how my life has changed for the better because I'm a normal size once again. I try to stay around the same weight because I want my clothes to not be tight, and I want to feel in control. Otherwise this is all about how my life has improved. No, it's not perfect, but it's so different than it was three years ago. I am happy and healthy for the most part. I do what I want and nothing stops me...not my size, not my mobility..or lack thereof. My three year anniversary is coming up and this is what I will write about. Thanks for providing the topic @McButterpants.

Last May, a WL Dr put paperwork in to my ins co to get a pre-authorization to begin a12-month weight loss counseling program. I weighed 206. During the summer I had a terrible family event and put on 20 lbs. On May 2 my yr will be finished and the Dr will put thru the final paperwork and it's going to show that I gained. I'm worried I will be turned down so now I'm desparate to try an lose 15 lbs in 5 weeks. A little depressed because I don't know if I can do it...... His surgical muse has even penciled me in for June 26. I'm do close but feel so far.

Hey Stephen! So glad you're home safe and sound So you're only a day behind me. I can tell you everyday gets a whole lot better. I'm feeling good today, lots of energy and stomach muscles are starting to feel better. As far as the gas, besides walking try drinking something warm and then walk around. It worked really well for me. I have made it a point to walk 1 mile everyday and I really think that's why I'm feeling so good. I walk slow but I always feel good when I get back and am sleeping better too. And ya gotta love the hospital weight gain, it will come off pretty quick once you're up and about again. Yay for us! We're on our way! Keep in touch and let me know how you're doing--Corey