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Hi, I've wandered around the forum quite a bit a put up a couple of posts but never really introduced myself... I'm currently at about a 35 BMI...and gaining. I have been almost this heavy three years ago, then dropped about thirty five pounds, then gained it all back plus some...but prior to that I had always been overweight, not obese as I am now. Am I going to run into a "you lost it before, you can do it again" sort of attitude before I can be approved for surgery? I feel so certain that this is the right path for me BUT I'm having massive mood swings over the whole thing. Panic, then elation, over the PERMANENCE of it all....thinking this is the best idea I've ever had, then that I'm completely out of my mind.....did anybody else go through this? A lot of my weight gain is due to medications for fibromyalgia and depression.....some of them make me eat, others just seem to magically attract fat--what if I go through the surgery and it doesn't solve the problem? Then....I'm doomed. Scary thought. Somebody, please tell me this is normal! (By the way, I love you guys already. You're fabulous.)

Indeed I am a father again and it FREAKS me out. Just kidding, it has been hard having a newborn again but it’s cool. I think some of my weight gain might have been stress related. At any rate, I am down 5 pounds and sticking to a plan. I have cut out diet soda as my psychiatrist told me that apartame is really bad for you. It’s highly addictive and it causes mood issues. I noticed it makes my anxiety worse and my depression worse. Life's stresses. What ya gonna do.* Laughing* Congratulations on the new baby and finding what works to get the scale moving.

Being on the coumadin is difficult within itself but thus far no weight gain. Sent from my SM-P550 using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm thinking along the lines of Leatha, there are lots of weight gain supplements that lifters use. One is even called "weight gainer". I have no idea how they taste, or if he'd like them, but with a metabolism as high as his obviously is, maybe they'd be worth a shot. Maybe he'd even like the idea of a being on a weight lifter's diet, lots of meat, potatoes and pasta... I'm sure if you researched it you could find tons of weight gain ideas from muscle building sites. I wish your family the best, You deserve some good news after all you've all endured.

Your PCP may or may not have much experience with weight loss surgery. What about your endocrinologist? I doubt very much that they would not check your blood sugar before sending you home without your insulin and other meds, as @RickM said. But talk to your surgery center about what your PCP said and your concerns, but don't cancel your surgery. Even if you can't immediately go off your meds, there are lots of other health benefits to surgery and you might in time be able to go off the meds. The goal in life isn't to have the fewest pills; it's to live the best life, with or without pills. I take about 18 pills a day, none of which I will be able to stop after surgery because they are for a condition that is not caused by my weight. (The meds cause weight gain, but that's another issue.) I am still having surgery, because it affects my quality of life to be so heavy, and is going to lead to other health problems down the road.

I know you feel desperate. You want the weight to be gone--yesterday! I want that too. I don't know how many times I have wished that I could magically turn into the person/shape I wanted to be. But even though you're feeling desperate, I don't think you should fast. Your body's metabolism really will come to a halt--nature designed it that way to save you in the event of a famine. In my youth, I fasted for at least a week (I don't know if you know this, but it can be very dangerous to come off a long fast if you don't do it correctly). The only thing that fasting jump starts is your ravenous appetiite. On a fast, you may lose weight, but when you go back to eating you will eat like you'll never eat again--because that's what your body thinks--and to top it off you will have a slower metabolism trying to deal with all of those extra calories. Guess what happens then? Weight GAIN! :thumbdown: Trust the experience of those who have gone before you. Exercise even if you don't see results--exercise and muscle gain actually speed up your metabolism. Finally, let me suggest that you try therapy (or even OA--it's basically free--I went to Overeaters Anonymous for three years. I didn't lose weight, but I did learn a lot about how I used food for so many things other than nourishment). You'll want to learn and understand how it is that you use food. Every person has different ways/reasons that they use food (boredom, anxiety, control, protection, sadness, stress relief...). Do the work to find out what's unique to you and your relationship with food. Good luck to you.

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.

I'm pretty good support system-wise. Literally five people in my family have gotten the same exact surgery (including my mother) so I can probably go to one of them for help. It's just that I'm horrible with keeping secrets and how do you hide eating habits when your two closest friends love to eat? It's just frustrating because I KNOW my two closest friends won't understand. Not because they're skinny, but because I've never mentioned a thing about my weight loss or weight gain to them. Yet at the same time, they're probably the ones that deserve to know. I can tell I'm getting nowhere with this. Thanks for all the suggestions though.

Christina 24 Weight on December 1, 2011- 272 Goal Weight for December- 262 Dietary goal for December- More Veggies, More Veggies Exercise goal for December- Keep up my routine....water class , zumba, and training for a 5k Personal goal for December- Just to stick with my plan and stay focus even when on VACA, and not allow a weight gain this VACA. Date Banded- Sept. 16, 2011 Total Weight loss since banding/ pre-op- 40 pounds

I am three weeks away from my banding surgery. It's funny how right now, although my diet is not restricted yet, I have no desire to eat things I shouldn't. My mind and body are SO ready for the surgery. I've even spent months learning to chew correctly...realizing that I've spent my life INHALING my food. My weight gain started after I had two babies within 17 months, and shortly after that broke my back. I found out I had Disc Degenerative Disease and that my back issues would continue to worsen. Since breaking my back in 2004, I've been sedate and have literally given up on my body, as I felt betrayed by this disease. At the age of 34 I had the back of an 85 year old. But now I'm 40, and I want to reclaim my health. I am TIRED of carrying around 180 extra pounds. It's making my back problems much worse, let alone killing my self-esteem. One thing I worry about...is sex. How long after surgery did you wait before you "split the sheets"? My husband is awesome. He loved me when we got married and I was 118 pounds, and loves me now that I'm a marble with a head. One thing that is important is being intimate. I know not being intimate makes my husband perceive that I'm upset with him. (Stop laughing.) I know that penetration does not equal intimacy, but it's clear that my husband finds it the best source of intimacy. (Sorry if this is TMI.) Any advice on what to expect? (Provided there aren't surgical complications.) I appreciate sharing of experiences...because it gives me hope and strength. Angela

HI...I have never heard the statement that it can take up to 10 days for a weight loss or gain to show up on the scales. That is very scary to me. The weight loss part would be fine but the weight gain part OUCH...All of our nurses out there is this really true?...Janie

If not gaining weight is one of your requirements, then your weight gain will affect your approval. If I were you, I'd follow that diet to a T and kick up the exercise tremendously. If a VSG is really what you want, you can lose that weight before your weigh in. Good luck and keep us posted after your appointment.

Ok ???? well my apologies i think everyone is a open as i am-RESPECT(towards you), but on some real stuff ( not sure if you can cuss on here im kinda new also) im the coolest person you ever wanna meet, but i turn into a She when im hungry, as i have been since 12/15! Look, ma you gotta be strong i know its not easy! But your gonna thank yourself & modern medicine & God, when people start giveing you compliment, trust me , it give you life when people compliment you on your success! Granted ive always been obese, but within the last year i became morbidly obease @ 290, thats when i decided on the procedure, now where thinging my unexpected weight gain may. Hv been because of a Thyroid problems, well i wish some would hv told me that 4,500$ ago, im a self pay patient, i went to Tijuana for my procedures, so by my doc not being in the states, as hungy and as hangry as i hv become, I knew there was no room for error! You are playing a very dangerous game! If stomach acid leaks into your diaphragm, its a wrap (its over) , please live & be great ???? ???? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I was diagnosed with PCOS around May of this year after 5 years of not know what was happening with my body. I gained 80 lbs in less then 2 years (which felt like a snap of the fingers) and it continued going up and up. I was never overweight so gaining so fast and so much was definitely a shock to my system. I tried and tried to lose weight but couldn't. I was never able to yo-yo diet because I could never lose any weight. I remember right before my sister's wedding in 2007 I worked out with a trainer, went to the gym 5-6 times a week and ate PERFECTLY and lost 4 lbs in 3 months. TALK ABOUT DISCOURAGING!!! Anyway, fast forward to May of this year and I'm sitting at the drs office as she tells me that I have PCOS and it is a major contributor to my weight gain and lack of weight loss (along with the dozen other side affects it comes with) and there's nothing I can do about it. That's when I decided that I needed lap band surgery, not only to repair my self-esteem and confidence but to allow me to live a healthier life. I didn't want to live and feel that way any more. Come October 6th..surgery date. YAY! I can truly say it's the best thing I've ever done. To date I have lost 35 lbs, including preop, slowly but surely. Now I didn't start this post to tell my not so exciting story but to ask a question. I know that I wouldn't have been able to lose the 35 lbs without lap band surgery, but I've noticed that my weight loss has begun to slow down…wayyy down. The dr said I should be losing 1-2 lbs a week, ideally. That's not happening. Of course I've been doing my very best to follow the plan but I'm not perfect. I have my weak moments as everyone. I have been exercising 4 days a week for about 1.5 – 2 hrs a day. The scale barely moves. I'm wondering if any ladies out there with PCOS have noticed that their weight loss has been slower then what seems to be the norm. Of course I am not comparing myself to everyone else but I'm just wondering if it has to do with that, because if it doesn't then I really need to sit down and reevaluate what I'm doing. Thanks for reading guys and I hope to hear from ya'll soon.

It is not "weight gain" it is weight fluctuation. Like you said, people fluctuate. Yesterday, you may have been retaining less water. Today you might be retaining more. It really is best not to weigh yourself everyday, it will drive you mad. But, if you do. Try to weigh yourself at the same time everyday. I can and have gained 10 lbs from morning to evening because I was so swelled up and had so much water retention. I can visually see it in my ankles and legs. It doesn't really happen that drastically now that I have lost quite a bit of weight but it still happens.

I am new here, too. I am planning on having surgery in July or August, too, but Dr. Illan in Tijuana. The sooner the better but I am having difficulty scheduling around six family weddings this summer. SIX?! I have told my husband, my mother, my oldest daughter, a very good friend from high school who had RNY in December of 2015 and actually her progress was a factor in my decision and a very close friend. I maintained my weight at the high end of normal (but I'm also VERY muscular always ranking in the 95th percentile for muscle by age and gender) throughout all three pregnancies and into my late 30's, but I've always had to work at it, at least since high school. But job and lifestyle changes contributed to my packing on 10 lbs per year from 2004 to 2012. My highest weight has been 240 and I've hit that 3 times, but I'm usually around 220. But I have to eat lean protein, veggies one serving of fruit and nearly no grain at all to maintain that. Going below to my lowest weight since I started losing the battle, 207, requires nearly a full time commitment of measuring everything I consume and hellish amounts of exercise. Anyone who knows me knows I HAVE tried. I don't have the comorbitities - yet- but I'm pretty sure that's just a matter of time if I don't get this weight off. My husband has never complained about my weight gain, but I'm sure he's not happy about it. He weighs within a few pounds of what he weighed when we got married in 1989. He just said that if this surgery will make me happier then he's in full support although he's less than enthusiastic about possible moodiness and hair loss, but still willing to take it in stride and with humor. My mom, whose going to accompany me, is very supportive. I get my ridiculously efficient metabolism from her. She spent a good portion of the 60's and 70's eating no more than 700 calories a day just to maintain her size 6 figure. Of course a size 6 then was waaaay smaller than a modern size 6. She and I are both convinced that the malabsorbtion is necessary for massive weight loss with my genetics. My oldest daughter was also supportive and realizes that I've been putting in a lot of effort with very little to show for it for years. I wasn't really even ready to tell my adult children, though I will tell the other two. But she's pregnant with her first baby and I'm so concerned that she's started down the road to obesity, eating burgers, fries and ice cream in the first trimester. I wanted her to keep in mind the possible consequences of relaxing her guard so much. Telling my high school friend was probably a big mistake if I don't want my WLS to be common knowledge, at least in my hometown of 5500 people. I didn't tell her not to mention it, and she's at the center of pretty much every civic group and charity in the area. And she mentioned two other classmates who are planning WLS this year, too. Not to be gossipy, but to make me feel better about my own struggle....I don't really plan on keeping it a state secret, but I also wish I hadn't mentioned it. I don't know why I care, but I do. My other friend was also supportive. But I almost wish I hadn't told her. She was in a very bad car accident a few years ago and gained a lot of weight during her recovery. She's still not well but has lost nearly 80 lbs mostly because she can't keep her food down but also with some help from Metformin. Unfortunately, that 80 lbs. puts her current weight roughly equal to mine; similar numbers but she's 2 inches taller and I am much more muscular. After I told her, she was very supportive because that's the kind of person she is. But I wonder if I sent the message that 220-230 is just not good enough. And 220 is pretty impressive compared to 300 in one year without any surgery. I feel badly about that! I don't want to tell my sister but that's not something I'd keep from her either. She's thinner than I am, naturally, and that's always kind of been her thing. Not that we're competitive, but really that's the one part of life where she's had it easier than me. My husband, finances, kids, etc. have always been drama-free. Her's haven't. My other person I would LIKE to tell I can't really have a deep discussion with right now. Oddly, my high school boyfriend is one of my very best friends. My husband is fine with that and knows he has nothing to worry about, but my friend has recently met someone and it's looking pretty serious so far. Most people are not nearly as confident and trusting as my husband, so I tend to stay far more distant until his relationships are more established. But I'm truly feeling the loss at the moment. As far as your age, all I can contribute is that I'm sorry I've spent the last decade of my life dodging cameras and not being comfortable in my own skin. Congratulations on figuring out this is for you now! Sorry I lack brevity!

The first thing every morning..... I get up go into the bathroom, get undressed and weight myself.... It has never gone up more than 2 ounces and occasionally stays the same. The 2 ounces I don't attribute to a "weight gain". it always goes down the next day

I think that with the band it is better than with bypass as far as the long-teerm help from the procedure goes. I've been attending one of my surgeon's required pre-op meetings. He has some of his post-op folk go and sit on a panel for Q & As. I am the longest post-op aside from the facilitator who is 7 years GBP. The facilitator speaks a lot about the honeymoon phase with GBP, where you need to change your eating habits. She says that the body learns to work around the malabsorbption and can absorb everything you eat. She says this is the reason many bypassers regain weight. I just don't find that with the band. As we've absorbed every calorie we've consumed. Nothing has changed. Sure, we cannot keep forcing food down, else we can trigger a dilation. Or we can trigger a slip with extensive vomiting. But if all that is good and we are eating a bit too much, we can get a little fill to help us out. Nancy, don't wait to see your doctor because you are embarrassed by the weight gain. You might have problems with your band. Get it seen to. IMO, there is no point in keeping trying if your band isn't working right. That is the same thing that got us to needing WLS in the first place.

"Bawse"...I hear ya on the weight gain. I had put on a few myself when getting my strength back, then took a couple of weeks off and dropped about 4-5 pounds. Just curious since you lift, are you taking creatine?

Absolutley, some cause weight gain? I hope your doc is aware of you stoping your meds. Suddenly not taking your antidepressant can cause seriously effects. The following are an example of the meds with possible weight gain effects Certain tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, imipramine (Tofranil) and doxepin (Silenor) Certain monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as tranylcypromine (Parnate) and phenelzine (Nardil) Paroxetine (Paxil), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) Mirtazapine (Remeron), which is an atypical antidepressant — medication that doesn't fit neatly into another antidepressant category On the flip side though, everyone responds to meds differently and can lose weight on the same meds others gain with. Talk to your doc about changing your med type to a different one. There are some on the market that are known not to cause weight gain

I agree that weight gain from grazing is something you must be on alert for after your stomach returns to normal ( month 6 for me). Eating small portions of dense protein every 2-3 hours really helps for me, but I am also pretty active so need the protein. It is a constant learning experience to balance eating for nutrition and satiety versus weight management. Just be aware of your goals and try and make good decisions. This goes a long ways to keeping you in a place of balance. Also being active on VST and attending support meetings is really helpful because there is strength in numbers. Try to avoid eating processed foods and those that are high in simple carbs ( even 2g) as they can trigger your eating instinct.

Okay, here's the deal. When you're stressed (such as the worrying you're doing now), your cortisol levels increase. High levels of cortisol cause weight retention and weight gain, particularly around the abdomen. You're self-sabotaging with stress. Put away the scale. Cortisol is a steroid. Steroids cause weight gain.

Like it's been stated, this is your decision. Don't forget that there are also negatives about the sleeve: higher complications, longer recovery time, possibility of weight gain after the body learns how to reabsorb things. Have you thought about the Iband? It's a procedure where they take the stomach and suture it into the shape of the sleeve without removing the stomach portion, and then a band is placed at the top. From what I've read, this lowers the risk of slippage with the band due to the stomach shape and also requires less maintenance/fills because the plication of the stomach only allows for so much to be held. The negatives of the lapband are easily found too: hard to eat breads/rice/pastas, fibrous veggies, some leaner meats. You must go in for regular visits with the Dr. to get fills and check ups. You may get a leak, a flipped port, an erosion, or a slip. Recovery time is a lot less than the other WLS because you are not getting anything cut or rerouted. I just look at it like this: if any of the above complications occur with the band and prove it to be a tool I cannot use, I can always petition to insurance to have a revisional procedure. But, if it does work as planned, I have my whole anatomy and I lose weight. And, maybe in the future they will have developed an even better way to lose/maintain weight and I can upgrade then. Just really analyze the pros/cons of both.

I am just like Happy to lose! No way. Bread/tortillas are out of the question at this point. I took a bite of my daughters burro on Sunday, and it went down, but very slowly. It is so wierd the way it feels. Stuck, dry, sideways. It is almost as if though your esophagus rejects it! Very strange. Not trying to preach, as i am the begining of my weight loss journey....but.... bread/tortillas=weight gain. Try and stay away from those types of foods. When you are able to eat real food.. stick to Proteins and green veggies. I love turkey burger patties with a slice of mozz/cheese, and broccoli. :thumbup: