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I am on a cocktail of meds for major depression as well. It's actually a very common approach to treating depression. I take effexor, remeron and seroquel. It played a huge part in my weight gain. Kimmason - what area of psych do you work in? I have an MA in counselling psychology, but unfortunately with my depression am unable to work and have been on disability for a few years.

This fear is what has kept me from getting surgery when I first considered it at age 22. I'm (almost) 32 now and have only ballooned even bigger in the last 10 years!! I look back now and WISH I was the same weight I was at age 22 - and I thought I was at my max BACK THEN. Also, I have worked in health insurance for the last 10 years as well - In claims, pre-authorizations, AND in underwriting, so I've seen the good, bad, ugly and UGLIEST of things people have gone through with these surgeries. I feel like I've seen it all!! But on the flip side, I could also be one of those unfortunate people that strokes out or has a heart attack in their 30s simply because they're too fat. Would I rather give up cake for the rest of my life or be paralyzed? Uh, I'll pass on that cake... What really made me open my eyes and say this is the better choice is that I was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure. Despite lifelong obesity, I've remained relatively healthy. The only major medical problem I've had is gall stones and I had my gall bladder removed right away with zero complications. Other than that, good blood work, good bp (until recently), good everything else except being big. I just know that without this tool, I'm going to fail at losing weight as I have been doing for my whole life. Weight gain and/or complications are just bridges I'll have to cross when/if I get to them. In the meantime, the best thing we can do for our health is to THINK POSITIVELY! Whatever weight loss plan you ultimately choose, surgery or not, it's gonna require patience and commitment - and plenty of setbacks. That is what makes our journey our own. Good luck! You can do this!

Methinks you're doctor is an idiot for saying that. There is no statute of limitations on weight gain. The three-year mark may indicate good chances for maintaining happily ever after, but that's not at all the same as a guarantee or magic. Maintaining will always require vigilance. @@Firebolt, alas, all I can offer is good wishes for your research and decision-making.

A lot easier to correct a minor fluctuation than a Major" WTF did I Just Do? "15- 20 pound Weight Gain , isn't it?

I know part of my weight issue is that I have been on antidepressants for 20 years. I have always taken SSRIs which are known to cause weight gain. My surgeon recommended that I change my medication to something else. Has anyone else changed from Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor, etc to something else due to this side effect - and if so, what medications seem to be better in this regard?

i have been placed on Lyica for fibromyalgia pain and it helps tremendously. However, I have gained a significant amount of weight on the medication as weight gain is a side effect.I have tried to go off the medication and it didn't even last one day. I asked my surgeon about this and he said it is definitely a problem me having to be on the medication after surgery but didn't offer any alternative (gabapentin doesn't work). He told me he gained weight on the medication as well. I have researched it and any medication that causes weight gain is a concern after surgery. Am I going to have to go through all of this for nothing???????? I have diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea.

Hello Everyone; I have been searching for answers and ran across this site while surfing the web. My story: I am 52, divorced, have raised 4 children and am a Family Practice physician. The year my life became very stressful (1998) I gained 100 lbs. That was the year I chose to let my husband leave the family (he had another "love"), I was accepted into medical school and moved the 4 kids to a new home, in a city where I had no friends or family and no employment. Yes, STRESS will cause one to gain weight. At that time I couldn't focus on my body and had to get through every day one at a time. Now fast forward 15 years: I have had a successful career as a physician, raised 4 wonderful children who are all now married and living good lives and am now an "empty nester". I decided it was time to focus on my health and weight. I always felt awkward telling my patients they needed to loose weight when I was overweight as well. 3 years ago I started working on my weight and was able to loose 65 lbs with a low carb diet & exercise. My weight stalled at 198 lbs but I felt better than I had in years. I knew stress was a factor in the plateau (I was "retiring" and closed my clinic since the economy was chipping away at my income as the sole proprietor.) I took a year off of "dieting" and went to work for a cruise line to travel and see the sights. I managed to maintain the weight loss for the most part (gained 10 lbs while cruising) and exercised an hour daily on the ship. Then my grandmother was placed on Hospice for back pain from crushed vertebrae (she was 90 years old) I quit my job with the cruise line and came home to be around for my parents and grandmother. Then my mother had her 4th heart attack. More stress and a new PCP (primary care provider) that insisted on messing with my thyroid medication caused me to gain all the weight back (265 again). I commented to the PCP that he should have listened to me (I am a physician after all and know my medical history) and his solution was to suggest bariatric surgery. The funny part is that I have recommended this to many of my patients and never thought about it as an option for myself. I believed that carful healthy diet and exercise would work again. My concern was "stress" seemed to be the bane of my existence and I would never loose weight when stressed. I researched the options (medical web search), had the PCP office request the prior auth and then met with the surgeon to set the date for surgery. Since I had the records from my weight loss progress and my PCP provided the weight gain record (I gained the weight back over 3 months) The auth for surgery was approved. I had a vertical sleeve procedure May 29th this year. My pre-op diet started the weight loss (incidentally the pre-op diet was similar to the low carb diet I had followed previously) and I lost 13.5 lbs the 2 weeks prior to the surgery. I also had my gallbladder out at the same time and the surgeon performed both procedures by a new technique using a "spider instrument" which was through one umbilical port (so only one incision!) My hospital stay was prolonged by a day because of the additional procedure. I have not been able to take in more than 3-4 oz at one time since the surgery. I thought this was normal and didn't ask questions about this until my weight loss stalled. At 7 weeks post surgery I hit my first plateau. I was following the diet to the letter (2 Protein shakes and one "meal" of protein, soft meats & cooked veggies) I would mix the shakes so the 3 oz had 25 gm of protein and would create a Soup that had at least 10 gms of protein in the 1/2 cup of soup. I was taking in 48-60 oz of Water each day and my exercise routine included walking my 2 dogs (a bull mastiff puppy and an 18 month lab/heeler mix) 2-3 times a day (60 to 90 min) and swim laps for 30-45 min when the weather cooperates. My surgeons response was I was eating too much! He wanted me to cut back to 50-55 gms of protein. Now I know the protein is the main measure but the calorie count of my meals was under 500 calories. He stated that didn't matter. I followed his advise for the next week but still did not loose any weight. That was the last time I went to his office. I have increased my intake by adjusting the shakes (still 3 oz) to 10 gm each and increasing the intake to 3 shakes, "lunch" (the soups), a snack of either cottage cheese, yogurt or string cheese (1-2 oz for a snack) This has increased my calories to around 750-800, my protein intake is 55-60 gm daily and I am slowly starting to loose weight again. I average 1 lb loss a week over the past month. So this is my story and I am looking for others to build a support system since I am on my own (my choice)

Grace,It's good to see your post. One thing you have to remember is that we who are older and I am 73 will not lose as fast as those who are younger and a bit more active. Other things that affect weight loss are the medications that you are on and a lower metbolism. I had my surgery about a week before you and I have only lost 15 lbs. While it is frustrating I am okay with that and will be patient. It is a process. I do I'm eating between 6 and 700 calories a day which is where my doctors want me to be. I make sure that I get the prescribed amount of protein as well as fluids. My stomach definitely tells me when it's full and that's when I stop.So that is the advantage of your tool.Although you and your sister are both losing weight right now here's what's going to be different for you. You have a lifelong tool now a smaller stomach that's gonna help you maintain proper portions to lose your weight and to maintain your ideal weight. We have all experienced the ups and downs of weight loss and weight gain because the body tries to throw everything at us to regaining that weight (Hunger changing metabolism at cetera) And that's what your sister may go through again and you won't if you follow The rules. The surgery Lowers your setpoint For your body weight. Hang in there and try not to get too discouraged. And stay safe through the corona virus.

@gabrielle2014: So glad to read this and to know you are doing a little better. I'm glad you have a good, supportive therapist. I'm leaning heavily towards an ablation myself, as I really hate the side effects of my beta blockers. Depression, weight gain (Water weight, but still...) and all I want to do is sleep 24/7. I feel like my baseline personality has completely shifted. If I'm eligible for an ablation, I will move forward with this, too... Let us know what the cardio recommends for you, and I hope you feel better and stronger with each passing day. Yes, you can't eat to comfort yourself through this. But you could turn that into a positive by reframing the thought: "I feel badly and I've had a heart attack. But at least I'm working towards better health with each bite, instead of digging myself into a deeper, more-unhealthy hole." Because you ARE getting healthier with each pound you are losing!

I started at 9.5 wide and about 4-5 months later I was down to a 8.5 medium. Love it! 2 years later, still 8.5 ( despite 8lb weight gain).

Weight gain right after surgery is to be expected. They told me in the hospital I would be up apprx. Ten pounds due to all of the I've fluids and advised me to wait a week or two after I got home to weigh myself. When I did weigh myself after two weeks I was down 17 pounds.

Well, I am now eight weeks post op/revision. I must say, I physically feel better. But that is where the good news ends. I have managed to eat my way up 12 pounds and climbing. I have walked (3-4 miles) every day, worked out 3 days per week, journaled my in take and still gained. I am eating larger portions and yes, I am eating CRAP. I can't make myself stop. I went on the detox and did fine, then got down when the scale went up and had a cookie..It has been non-stop since then. My naval still hurts and so does my mid-section. The doctor says I am just healing and to relax. Don't stress about the discomfort nor the weight gain. It will calm down and this is expected. Posh, Posh, Poo, Poo. The B-12 shots have my thighs bruised and I have had enough of those. Weight gain is weight gain is weight gain any way you want to look at it. I can't control myself and as much as I hate to admit it..I almost don't care at this point. My band is gone..there is no alternative on the horizon except "self-control" and we all know how well that works - that's why we had WLS in the first place. I have met with the NUT and a dietician..my GYN and my PCP...no luck, they all say, you look great, you can do this, just say NO...HAHA..They are skinny and haven't dealt with obesity their entire life. There is an evil gene inside me and it wants to be fed..the little sucker was alseep for 2 1/2 years - the band had choked the life out of it...but as soon as the band was gone - surprise - here it came again. I know I still have the plication but that is not the same...I need that tiny little pouch that sent the burping message to me to "put the fork down and walk away". I had a good relationship with my band - the slippage was not my fault - I want it back. The surgeon says I can't have it back because my stoma had formed scar tissue around the top and therefore it can't be put back. OK fine, I am intelligent, I understand...but what can I put in it's place????????????? How about "fat gene removal"??? As hard as I try to focus on something else..anything else..it call comes back to FOOD..For those of you reading this, you now think I am a "head case" and only a shrink will help me..well, maybe so, but in the mean time..I am snacking and munching my way back to being "chunky" all over again. I am still in contact with the doctor and I think he realizes that I am on a downward spiral...I hope he can help me out of this funk before I gain anymore poundage. I have little faith there. Have a great weekend to all..I hope you don't mind that I had to vent..I had to vent somewhere and this blog seemed like the best place. One thing for sure...many of you understand where I am coming from..you have been there and have the T-shirt to prove it. Melinda in Florida

Since being back on the blood pressure meds I dropped 5 pounds....jippeee,and the bounced back one pound.I've also been having an uncomfortable pain in my kidney area and tonight when I got on the scale at 23:00,yes I know I shouldnt do that at all ever, I am up another 1,5 pounds.Did the keto stick and my goodness,I am in deeeeeep purple ketosis for the first time ever in my life. A few things might be causing this.It is now up in the 100 degrees (and over) every day and very humid.I have been struggling a bit with the water intake but not too bad.So I might be dehydrated a little.However I dont look or feel it. Then it might be that I am high on proteins.I have found these nifty little chicken breasts (frozen with a lemon and herb sauce) and that has been my main food for the past 2 days.2 of them weighs 80 grams and I have 22g of protein and I have had 6 of them yesterday and today.Breakfast,lunch and supper.Add to that about 5g protein for milk in my tea and a little in the veggies (2 tiny pieces of broccoli and half of a very small yellow squash that comes from SA and is low cal and low carb) Say it was a total of 75g for the day.The carbs was about 50 as I had a teaspoonof hummus,milk and veggies and a SF popcicle as well. If the pain persist tomorrow I will phone the BP dr. However,I have realized that I will have to start exercising pronto.As in today.To be sure that I do the right things and to not drive myself crazy all the time second guessing weather I am doing the right things,am I eating to much (I know with my head this is not possible) but my emosions tells me differently. How I hate the way the scale freaks me out.the only way I know to control this is to back to dieting the way I know well.I didnt want to obsess with food tracking,low carbing but I will have to.I also believe I should now start making hay while the sun still shines and lose as fast as I possibly can,and believe me,I have put in no effort what so ever until today.It was just lovely for it to just happen but I cannot take this out of control feeling any longer. 1.I will start by just doing walk away the pounds or some dvd here at home.I will play squash twice a week. Next week I will start going to the gym. The thing is for the first time ever I am so self concious when at the gym.I just am not motivated to expose myself to all the thin people...lol.(and we have a ladies only gym at the club as well) So,this is me for today.Crazy,obessed over weight gain that is not real and petrified because I might fail. Tomorrow will be the positive,new me....lol I have read some of my friends blogs and it is all so upbeat and positive and it seems that I am the only one with this crazy roller coaster emotions...or I am just an external prosessor that talks about it.And maybe I have to start fake it until I make it and not express myself the way I do.Maybe I will pretend that everything is just perfect and maybe it will become just that. xxo

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.

Reading the majority of these posts is making me very nervous...I attended my post op appointment this morning. CT scan and additional lab work came back with good results. I had lost an additional 2.4 lbs since my visit last week. Best news: I no longer am required to crush my meds!!!! I am going to begin my "mushies" in the morning, and really am concerned with regaining some of the weight I have been working to loose! I have already made a committment to be consistent with my exercise, a maximum of 5 days per week. Because of my age and status with post vehicle accident fractures still healing, and no NASIDS, the bones and joints need a couple of days off from cardio a week to manage the pain. I visited the grocery store for the first time in weeks...on the menu for the mushie week are eggs, low fat cottage cheese, yogurt, SF pudding (60 calories), halibut, canned in Water peaches, a sweet potato to bake, and fat free refried Beans, along with FF sour cream. Writing this sure makes it seem like a terrible set of menu choices, but after 4 weeks of liquids it sounds good to me! My next appointment is for 3 weeks; the doctor has informed me that he will not be doing a fill at that time. He said he wants to see my progress (or perhaps lack thereof), and at that appointment will discuss creating a fill schedule with me. I am nervous about weight gain and feeling like a failure, though I do understand that this slight weight gain is normal. I guess that the exercise will be the deciding factor... Everyone continues to do well...good encouraging news for me. Thanks for sharing the weight gain information...perhaps o won't freak out too much!

I am sorry to hear what happened. I got my final insurance approval today. Surgery scheduled for August 7th. Spent most of yesterday having group sessions on what to expect before, during and after surgery including pre-surgery diet and what to eat after surgery. My hospital is very strict. It was explained that for this next month to lose as much weight as I can. No limit, just stick to good low carb low fat diet and before the surgery try the Protein drinks to see which one you like. The did stress NOT to gain any weight before surgery because it can effect whether you have surgery or not. They need room inside you to do the operation, they have to inflate your stomach cavity with air, to help move the various organs away from the stomach so they can put the band and port inside you. In particular the liver is in front of the stomach. They do NOT want a fatty liver or an over sized one due to weight gain. The first thing to gain weight is your liver. I never knew that. I am continuing on my low carb low fat diet now. Not easy but I will do it. I don't want to be on that operating table and them to say "opps, not now". I hope you can lose the 8 lbs. or even more before your surgery. It was mostly for the safety of YOU that he postponed the surgery. That's hard to understand. They should have stressed this pre operation. Did you have any meetings before the surgery that discussed just why you had to lose the pre-op weight?

Hi everyone, I had my initial surgery 10 years ago. I lost 98 lbs and it brought my 5'6" frame to a svelte 156.00 lbs. I was looking and feeling great. Then I started to get sick and was passing out about 2 years post-op. I found out my lapband had slipped and I went in for a revision. Again 3 years later I had to have another revision. After that time I gained weight and leveled at 180 lbs. I didn't like the number but with exercise I looked okay and felt good, so I was okay with it. Push forward 4 years and I have gained another 25 lbs and now weight 205 lbs. I have tracked my food intake for one-full year and I average 1100 calories per day. So how in the heck can I now weigh 205 lbs? I went to the surgeon and was sent for a swallow test and was told my lapband had been tilted and was extremely tight and there was no reason to gain weight. I was documenting food right down to one tic tac. Last month I had a double hernia surgery and it was performed by a surgeon who also handles gastric weight loss surgeries (not my original surgeon). He stated that my port was located in a weird area, and not the norm, the port was disconnected from the band and therefore, was not working! Not what I was told by my original surgeon. This surgeon re-connected the band and stated, the band is not tilted, nor is it too tight since it was empty, and he can fill it in February. My question is this: I keep feeling bloated and I continue to gain weight, I am currently 209 lbs. I cannot locate anything online that states how many calories is normal for labband patients. I find diets up to 4 weeks post op but nothing for long term. Would I be okay with 1100 calories and making that up with 75-80 grams of protein per day? Should I be doing less calories? Has anyone been successful with 21 day fix or some other program in addition to the lapband? I really need help I do not want to continue to climb the ladder of weight until I am adjusted. Thank you!

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!

So Convinice YOU why a 9/11 First Responder who has 9/11 Related illnesses and is on multiple medications such as steroids which helps attribute to weight gain doesn't need to be called a fat pig? Excuse me. Who are you? You think it is OK for a Doctor to call a patient a fat pig let alone disrepect a 9/11 First Responder? Again. WHO ARE YOU? You must be somebody really important why we need to convince you why it is wrong to call another human being a. fat pig.

I posted the other night about whether or not I should get a fill as my restriction has just about gone. I never even considered he would say No or tell me the things he said. I have had reflux since about my 5 th fill I think. I have had 9 fills. He gave me medication(losec) for the reflux and it has been fine....now he is saying I have 6 weeks to get rid of the reflux or he is taking all my fill out, if that still doesnt fix it he will take my BAND!!!! I was like OMG WTF!!!!!!!!! How did a friendly visit for a bit of a top up turn into this. This is my worst nightmare, remember my weight gain is inevitable post???? Well was that a coincidence or what. Someone please tell me this is crazy...pleaseeeee. If you cant tell me that can someone let me rest my head on their shoulder and cry while they stroke my head and tell me I am not going to end up a big fat porker again. :think :think :think

I'm 2 1/2 years out from getting banded and having trouble. I started gaining weight and being able to eat more. When I went in to see my doc two weeks ago he seemed completely unconcerned about my weight gain and merrily sent me to get a fill. But during the fill there seemed to be a problem, swelling and perhaps a slipped band (the nurse didn't say slipped but the xray sure looked like it). They sent me home unfilled and on 2 weeks liquids. I was going to go back today but on Friday sent an email to a clinic much closer to my home that also does VSG just in case I need to consider more surgery. The coordinator called me right back (she's banded) and we talked for a long time. They take my weight gain and swelling seriously and want to do another fleuro and possibly endoscopy to see what's going on. And it turns out that they're a provider under my insurance (my surgeon isn't any more). So fills and any additional things I might need will be covered. Plus it's near my home and not two hours away. The coordinator said that VSG isn't covered but replacing the band is. They do VSG but insurance won't pay. They do lots of band replacements and the smaller bands like the one I have seem to be the culprit although I'm not clear why. So I'm headed in tomorrow for an appointment and to find out more. It was a huge relief to find a practice that really seemed to care that I have gained weight and also ready to do more testing to find out what's wrong. For those that might be interested I'll report back what I find out... Britt

My weight came on after living in a household that watches tv every night- I don't have that in my life prior to the weight gain. I had a solid job before I started gaining- so stress and therefore stress eating and alcohol consumption have contributed. Additionally, I quit being as active after an injury resulting in knee reconstruction, which took 2 months before I could even walk unassisted. After that- I got serious & dedicated- recumbent bike, etc. Started planning our wedding, had a pulmonary embolism in June this year- and it all went to hell from there. Not proud of this story- but it's honest.

Funny you noted all the reasons for your surgery choice. I did the same thing and my list is endless. As I would think of something that has changed in my life due to weight gain, I would write it down. The list got longer and longer. Someday I'll pull it out and see how many things are now back on the "ok to do" list and be very happy with my decision. As it is, I'm only 5 days post op, so gotta wait it out. 9 lbs. down already though, so that made me feel much better! Are you banded yet? lessofme

I was dx'ed with PCOS in 2000. I had all the typical symptoms (weight gain, cysts, acne, IR, infertility, hair, absent periods, and on and on) 13 months down the track, my 3000mg of Metformin is down to 500mg (I am comming of slowly, my insulin and sugars are perfect now) I am down to 77kg, from 135kg, I have perfectly clear skin (I get the odd sopt just before I get my period) and I have a 28 day cycle for the first time in my life! I still have some hair on my chin and arms, but there is far less than before. I hope that helps a little.