Search the Community

I have been banded for 6 days and I have lost 12 pounds so far. I pretty much living on 1 protein shake, some broth, and popsicles. I was wondering if once I start eating solid food, will I gain some weight back. I intend on following a low cal. diet, and exercise. Has anyone experienced weight gain after they were back on solids?

Yes this is my point. So many posts show individuals that are defeated because of weight gain after strenuous exercise, low food intake and yet they show gains. People trying to loose weight have to know their bodies and how the weight is lost. When they know what occurs then they won't get discouraged.

Hi all, I'm approaching five weeks out and I wanted to know if anyone else has experienced yoyo numbers on the scale so early out. I've been the same weight given 2-4 lbs for about two weeks. I'm taking in about 48g of Protein on good days and generally eat between 700 to 1000 cals a day. I'm planning to call my NUT tomorrow but I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this? Thanks!

The best advice I have seen on this board said, “Hey, remember this is a lifestyle change. If the process of going-on-a-diet-failing-and-then-beating-yourself-up worked, none of us would have needed a lapband in the first place.” (I wish I could remember who posted it so I could give them credit) Anyway, this is a lifestyle, not a diet. The idea of being perfect everyday for the rest of your life is unreasonable. My fear when I see these types of post (or I see myself doing it) is that overly high expectations lead to self anger, self anger leads to hopelessness, hopelessness leads to sabotage, and sabotage leads to weight gain. Don’t go down that path. Breath. You’ve done awesome. It could be the PMS (definitely a factor). You know what you’re doing otherwise you wouldn’t have done so well this far. You know what you have to do, so do your best at it. Great job all around!

I would guess that almost all of us have felt the same way, I know I can relate. We are bombarded with the message from society that obesity is a character flaw. I had an awesome surgeon and one of the best things he did was educate me on the disease of obesity and the physiology of weight gain/loss. That helped a tremendous amount toward relieving a lot of guilt. With modern world of abundant food and industrial food production there is a reason that obesity is epidemic all over the world.

Oooo, tbh protein shakes are good for convenience, but I gotta learn about my protein sources to stay healthy inthe long run. I need to weigh things and etc. I definately calorie count everything though. Dumping syndrome sounds like a neat deterrent for weight gain, but wouldnt want to get an episode of it in public though.

Hi all. Wow. What a thread. I'm 34 y/o and my dad has 22 years sobriety. His older brother went into treatment shortly after him and has been sober ever since. Their dad, my Pop, has kidney issues due to alcohol, and his father died due to alcohol. So it definitely is in my family. I was 12 and turned 13 while he was in treatment. Happy birthday Cori! As mentioned by Green, my house was full of parties and fighting. My mom was 14 and my dad was 22 when they got married. They were 5 months pregnant with lil ole me. So the odds were stacked against them from the get go. My lil bro and I both knew what beer was, pot and it's accessories, heck we even knew that the white stuff was used in one of the rooms and to stay out when it was. There was lots of fighting. Lots of verbal and emotional abuse. I don't think there was physical, but Mom has admitted in the past that it probably bordered on physical abuse. If my bro and I were woken up during a fight, we'd get up and get dressed and go get each other and be packed and ready to go if Mom walked out. As far as Dad's alcoholism, we never knew what kind of mood he'd be in when he came home from work. Starting at least half an hour before he'd get home, we'd all change our mood and just sit waiting to see how he was going to be. Whether we could have fun or not. I've never been a Daddy's girl. I was always jealous of the girls who had that special relationship with their Dad. I've always loved my dad but I hated him for a very long time. 2 weeks before he went into treatment, he left us. I saw him a couple times and it was very hard. Then his work said either he got treatment or he was going to lose his job. While my dad was in treatment, in order to see him, we had to attend a program of our own. At the time, they only had Al-Anon and Growing Tree (for kids 11 and under). I went to Al-Anon one week with my mom, but I was 12 years old. Everyone there was in their upper teens or adults. They couldn't relate with me. So after that I went to the Growing Tree with my lil bro. But yet again, I was too old for that. So I mostly was like a helper with their activities. I didn't have any counseling of my own. After Dad got out of treatment, we stopped doing anything. So I never really dealt with my feelings about his alcoholism. He still scared me for many years. At times, I still have that feeling. Even though I know he'd do anything in the world for me. While he was in treatment, was the first time he told me he loved me. I still have the letter. Mom and Dad's relationship improved over time. Their 35th anniversary is in June. They're happy. And the fact that he was in treatment seems to be a thing of the past. I will say that because I never dealt with my issues about my dad's alcoholism back when I was a kid, it had definitely affected me later in life. I have Cerebral Palsy. I just basically walk funny. I use crutches now and then if I need some added support. No big deal. I've always had a weight problem. I've always had a problem with depression. But because of the kind of house I grew up in, everything was kept to just the family. So a bright, happy smile was always on my face, no matter how horrible I felt. When I was 22, I had moved into my best friend's apartment, a couple hours away. One extremely depressing, lonely night, I considered suicide. I didnt do it, obviously. But it was my lowest of lows. After a few days of not being able to put a smile on at all, and my best friend being worried, I finally called Mom and Dad to tell them. Mom answered and got mad and tossed the phone to Dad. He and I have never really been able to talk. We've had maybe a 3 heart to hearts ever. We talked for over an hour, and I told him how I blamed myself all these years for his alcoholism. "If he hadn't met my mom when she was so young, and if she hadn't gotten pregnant with me. If I hadn't been born with a handicap." I felt his alcoholism stemmed from all that. Even though I knew our family history. He said it was by no means my fault. I believed him, but to this day, part of me feels like it is. When I got a little older I did start dating someone for about 10 months who had been sober a while and still attended AA meetings, so I started going to Al-Anon while he was in another room with AA. I'll admit, it helped me then. I stopped going to meetings when I broke up with my ex. I know my depression and weight gain is due to lots and lots of issues but I think a core part of it was my dad's alcoholism. Even though he's made amends in his own ways, the feelings are still there. The main thing I got from it was that I didn't have my first drink until I was 21. And even though my brother and I know how to party and can get pretty drunk (definitely a thing of the past for me now!). Neither of us made a habit of it. I maybe have drank 6 times a year, 1 big blowout. Wow, what a ramble. I hope you don't mind me going all over the place.

My doctor gave me Lyrica for severe nerve pain in my shoulder/neck area, and carpal tunnel pain in my hand. This was Thursday and I have been high as a kite ever since. I mean really happy, floaty fun....thank heaven I am not working or needing to drive anywhere right now. Supposedly I will adjust to the drug and simmer down and it does seem to work on the pain. But when I weighed myself I found that I gained 3 or 4 lbs and all the time I kept to my 1200 calorie limit, met my protein level, took my vitamins, etc. So I believe it is the drug since weight gain is right at the top of the list of side effects. I think I'm going to ask to switch to Cymbalta which has fewer side effects and one of the main one is loss of appetite. Has anyone else had experience with these two medications for nerve pain? Had the floaty feeling and know if it does go away? Or the weight gain - does it stop at a few pounds? I joined the 4th of July Challenge and feel I need to lose not gain each week.

I have had lower abdominal pain, extreme fatigue, mucus in my stool, dizziness, and constipated. The doctor thinks I have a type of colitis and have a colonoscopy next week. For those of you who have colitis, can you take medication that is approved for the sleeve? I dont want to take steroids that will cause weight gain and I cant take anti-inflammatories. I dont know how I can go back to work with this fatigue and cramping. Does it ever let up?

Let me tell you what's fun. Walking into ANY store and buying an outfit because you love it, not just because it fits, is fun. Pulling warm jeans out of the dryer, sliding them on and buttoning them easily is fun. Wearing bright colors and patterns is fun. Pushing away a plate of food and enjoying conversation is fun. Hiking, biking, playing frisbee, dancing without getting sweaty and out of breath right away is fun. Fitting in a roller coaster, an airplane seat, a movie theater chair, down a bus aisle, etc. is fun. Wearing heels without foot pain is fun. Getting up without knee pain, back pain or weight gain is fun. Not feeling guilty about cheating on your diet is fun. Food controlling your life is not fun. Living your life is fun.

I have confirmation of a slipped band. Symptoms: bad heart burn and weight gain. Too much of my stomach is above the band. I have a friend who has a slipped band from persistent vomiting. Her's has slipped up so that she has a hard time keeping food down and she has gained back weight, too. I had an upper GI series and endoscopy to confirm. The doc totally unfilled my band and gave me my options: take out the band, replace the band or gastric bypass. I am opting for a new improved band since mine is almost 6 years old.

Hi all, I'm Danielle. I'm 27, not married and no kids. I have been overweight since puberty due to PCOS and bad choices because I felt like there was no help for me anyway. I had been tossing around the idea of WLS for a few months silently to myself, when I saw a friend from HS I hadn't seen in almost a year. He was so concerned about the weight gain in that amount of time that it just killed me and I knew I had had enough. That was a Saturday and the following Monday I made the appointment for my seminar. My cousin and I went on this journey together. Due to her insurance her options were LapBand or Bypass. She chose Bypass. We were both operated on December 5, 2011 by Dr. Cerabona and Dr. Maffei. We were roommates in the hospital and have been a major support system for each other. Since coming home yesterday I have lost the 5 pounds gained from fluids in the hospital as well as an additional 5 pounds for a total loss of 10 pounds since Monday morning. I won't lie and sugar coat this surgery. I wish someone had prepared me a little better. It is painful. I have no interest in eating or drinking and it is a real struggle to get in even half of the fluids I'm supposed to get. Partly I think that might be because I am letting myself sleep if I am tired. I obviously can not wait to be skinny, but that is not the real reason I had this surgery. For years now I have felt helpless against PCOS and felt like it was robbing me of the future I wanted for myself..... So when I met with my surgeon and he told me that this surgery can reverse up to 80% of PCOS cases I have not looked back for a second. I will be a mother! And even if this surgery doesn't lead to biological children I will be a healthier mother to those I am blessed to adopt. It will happen. I wish you all the best of luck on your journeys. If your surgery is later in the month and you have any questions please feel free to ask, I would be happy to answer if I can. The pain is worth it. To lose 10 pounds in this amount of time is just unreal to me! I know that the rate of loss will not be like this even a week from now, but it makes the pain easier.

Hi Michelle, I seem to be in the same boat. I have not lost any weight for at least a month. I cheat all the time and seem to get away without gaining any weight. I really want to get down to my goal, so have recommitted myself. Frankly I have not found this that easy, as it really does require dieting. I still feel I am in the cycle of dieting or binging allthough the binges are small and don't cause weight gain. Anyway, I am recommitting myself to not cheating and excercising. Rose

The decision of whether or not to proceed with WLS needs to be carefully considered, because the lifestyle changes which are required are made for life. No one but you are able to process your motivations and priorities for your life but you. There have been 3 other times in my life when I lost significant amounts of weight; after 2 pregnancies (first time I lost 85 pounds, then I lost 65 pounds after my third son), and once after gaining weight with medication I was prescribed (lost 60 pounds). Between those 3 episodes, I was able to maintain a healthy weight of 130. About 10 years ago, it was medication again which caused the weight gain which stayed with me until having my WLS this past February. I had tried to loose the weight on my own, but being post menopause, my metabolism would not help me the way that it did when I was younger. What caused me to move forward with the surgery was finding out that my A1C levels had crossed the threshold of a diabetes diagnosis. I successfully lowered the A1C with diet and exercise, but then I was in a serious car accident, and could not be active except for physical therapy for 5 months. My insulin resistance was worse, and I knew that I would never be a compliant diabetic. The band provided the opportunity to regain some of the health that my excess weight was taking from me. The weight loss journey is not an easy one, but one which I strongly feel that most everyone is pleased with the results of their hard work. Loosing the excess weight while you are young, you should be able to avoid many of the health issues which present when you are older. IMHO, your mileage may vary. Good luck with your continuing deliberations!

I was told to wait 6 weeks before drinking. At the 6 week mark I went out to a bar with friends and had my first drink... And nothing bad happened. I go out pretty regularly and have a couple glasses of wine, I've never seen a weight gain (usually a loss, actually), I don't get sloppy drunk, I don't feel the urge to slip back in to my former lifestyle.. Life moves on lol. I'm definitely a party girl but going out once a month won't derail my success. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi feeling nervous had band 3 years ago from 116kgs down to 55 kgs in August last year since then I have given up smokes yeah! But am now 73kgs can't stop eating lapband doesn't seem to helping appetite has anyone gone or is going through the same situation Cheers and help vicki

Both the “RNY” and DS are kinda of Bileopancreatic Diversions but they are vastly different in possible outcomes. You will get a bigger weight loss from the DS and better chance of no weight gain as time goes on. However you might consider that the Gastric Sleeve might be all you need if your issue is just portion control. And you can have that revised to the DS if your weight loss is not ideal. But you’ll be eating more normally but smaller portions.

@@GranadoM74 OMG you're almost at the finish line. Please share once you get your date! Everyone's stories and result keep me so motivated. I know the 6 months will fly by! The weight gain or loss is a good question that I will ask my dr, thank you for brining that up. Do you know if you'll have to pay any money for the surgery? I'm not sure if I should my plan to low deductible VS the high ded that I'm on now w UHC. I may need to look into that more or search the threads. Seems like the evaluations are easy peasy I feel much better now after everyone's encouragement. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. Wishing you the best and looking forward to seeing your progress! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

So last year I got my lap band, after 6 months I knew something wasn’t right due to no weight loss after the Initial first few weeks, no restriction, and In fact weight gain! I went back had fluid check tests, an ex ray and finally a consolation to get a replacement, nearly 1 year 1 month from the first surgery, I had my band replaced, they said on examination it was a manufacturers fault. To be fair the team were very helpful and I have no complaints, it can happen, and did happen unfortunately. So I’ve had my new band 3 months and I have just has my 2nd fill 4 days ago, and oh boy can I feel the difference, definite restriction, quarter of the portions and if I’m not careful lots of uncomfortable moments finding out what i now can’t eat! Rice is one of them........ but I’m 3lbs down and finding my new path exciting. So far 2nd time round is going well.

Hey Jim I also noticed a lack of men on this board - was not sure if it was a tendency of men to not use the board, or the ratio of men vs women in the banding process. I am right behind you mate - got banded 4/10. Post-op days 3 & 4 were hell for me. Sunday (day3) I found I could not keep any liquids down, so monday 630am i jumped into my car and drove the 2 hours to my doctor, he took 1.2 cc outta the tube ('priming' residue) and I felt immediate relief. so, day 4 was marginally better (managed to keep about a half glass of Water down) and then improved each day since.. I am interested in what you are experiencing, so will follow your discussion. You might also attribute the weight gain to the exercise - assuming you were starting-up. (is that not what they always tell you at Weight Watchers - you are building muscle ?) Anyway, good on ya mate. kevin

Hi I am new here I just wanted to know if anyone has left thier fluid in while they were pregnant and if so , how much weight was put on

Hi. I had the gastric sleeve on July 18, 2016. I was on hydroclorothiazide for over a year before surgery. By October 2016 my bp dropped so on November 8th (2 weeks ago) my primary doctor told me to stop the hydroclorothiazide because my bp was so low. Since the surgery I had lost 55 pounds. I was steadily losing weight. My surgery weight was 297 and my lowest weight so far is 241, 3 and a 1/2 months after surgery. I am no where near goal. After I stopped the hydroclorothiazide, I gained 8 pounds in two weeks!! I only eat about 800-900 calories a day. I literally cry because I don't know what to do. I even walk between 1 and 2 miles a day to try and keep the weight away. I went back to the doctor to see if he will put me back on the hydroclorothiazide but he won't. Please, anyone has experienced this, how much did you gain and when did you start losing again. I'm thinking about lowering my calories to 500-600 a day to see if that will kick start my weight LOSS again Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I also have the band as on May 7th I will be having a revision to the bypass. I don't weigh much more than you. I found out I have Barrett's esophagus and I cannot do the sleeve. I was told in most cases the bypass cures acid reflux. Anyhow, I've wrapped my head around it. Side note, this is my 3rd wls surgery. I had an a Molina band that didn't adjust ( first band used) It tightened up on me and I couldn't keep food down. I went from 310 to 119, size 2. I had it revised to the adjustable band on 2007. I had foot surgery and gained about 30ish lbs. this year. I had no real issues with band but I went to talk to wls surgeon anyways and found out my esophagus was turning into a stomach and that contributed to the weight gain and then found out with scope biopsy I have Barrett's, precancerous cells. The band has to come out I know I need a tool so if bypass is what I have to do so be it. I would love to keep on touch with both of y'all. I don't understand this site fully, but if u know how add me. . Wednesday at 7, go time

low carb, yes - good and sustainable. keto? NO. do not start with that. unsustainable, unnecessary, and damaging in the long run. i know you are in ketosis now, largely bc of the sharp calorie decline and your body utilizing so much stored fat for energy. but seriously do not start with the eating 80% fat thing. not because fat is bad for you, it’s not, but because you should not begin ANY eating plan that you can’t sustain for the rest of your life. because guess what happens when you get off of it. yep, weight gain regain. i follow a generally low-carb (under 50g carbs per day), whole foods diet. kinda paleo, kinda Mediterranean, but always REAL FOOD. makes it all quite simple.

Generally when we undergo an operation in a hospital we are treated with antibiotics to protect us from harmful bacteria present in a hospital. This kills not only the bad bacteria but also the good gut bacteria in our colons. As a result, many of us take probiotics to reestablish the colonies of good bacteria in our gut. I came across research of gut flora this morning that seemed interesting. Our body’s microbiome, the bacteria living in symbiotic harmony in our gut provides us with a source of wellness. Two small, exploratory studies, analyzed microblome in terms of change and resilience. Influence of Geographical Change In the first study, researchers looked at the diversity of our gut flora as individuals immigrated and assimilated, changing diet and geography. The inspiration may have been the finding that immigrants to the US often develop weight gain and Western diseases - obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and coronary artery disease. While refeeding of individuals who came from food challenged areas is felt to be part of the issue, changing diet has also been implicated. The authors collected stool samples, 24-hour food recall surveys and demographics from two distinct Thai populations, the Hmong and Karen. Individuals included those still living in Thailand as well as immigrants (1st generation) and their children (2nd generation). Thai immigrants were chosen because the study was conducted in Minnesota a central site for their immigration; women formed the predominant research population because they were more frequently the immigrants. Americans of European ancestry served as the control. * Microbiologic richness and diversity were greatest in current Thai residents. * 30% of that diversity was lost in the first generation immigrants, and the diversity continued to decline and resemble that of the control group as time in the US increased and in the 2nd generation, American born Thai children. * Bacteroides strains replaced Prevotella strains among immigrants, the extent of that shift again associated with length of residence in the US. * The loss of Prevotella was felt to be the driving force behind a decreasing functional ability of the microbiome to degrade dietary fibers indigenous to the native Thai diet. Think of it as use it or lose it. * Dietary shifts to a Western diet was felt to account for only about 16% of total variation. * Westernization of the microbiome began within nine months of arrival. Resilience A second, "proof of concept" like study, looked at 12 healthy men treated for four days with an antibiotic cocktail meant to mimic common first-line choices for intensive care patients. [1] The outcome was the effect on the gut microbiome over a subsequent six month period, again measured by stool cultures taken at various time intervals. It is no surprise, at least to clinicians, that the antibiotics did not sterilize the gut, but it did bring about changes. * There was an immediate drop in the diversity and richness of the microbiologic populations, but by Day 8 diversity was returning although it never reached baseline values. * By Day 8, the relative abundance of about 50 species changed, some increasing and others decreasing – clearly, the ecology was different. And while some bacterial species were still absent after six months, by Day 42, the ecology had, for the most part, returned to its baseline. * Antibiotic resistance was only one of many virulence factors enhanced by the antibiotic exposure that lead to an early increase in pathologic bacteria. But over time the pathologic bacteria were again overrun by more symbiotic species. Virulence factors * Interestingly, Clostridium species which had not been seen initially were now present – this is a species that forms spores as protection in an unhealthy environment and then returns to its other form when “the coast is clear;” it is the source of antibiotic-related hospital-acquired morbidity, C. difficile diarrhea. Source: I Sing The Body's Microbiome So what are some of the takeaways? First, antibiotic treatment does not sterilize the gut microbiome. But it does reduce the diversity and richness of gut bacteria. Recovery of the colonies of good gut bacteria begins about 8 days after the antibiotic treatment end. So a patient is more vulnerable to pathologic bacteria during that time. For example - it is the source of antibiotic-related hospital-acquired morbidity, C. difficile diarrhea. Therefore using probiotics after the antibiotic treatment ends and you leave the hospital is a good approach in order to quickly reestablish the diversity of good gut bacteria.