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Hi everyone, I'm a newbie to the community. I am scheduled for the lapband on 10/13/2008. I'd love to find someone else to chat with who may be in a similar situation. My BMI is around 36 and my weight is around 207. Up until I was 25 (I'm 37 now) my weight was around 125 and I'm 5'4. I'm not looking for sympathy here, I'm just trying to find someone else who might have lived at a normal weight then found themselves unable to loose after weight gain. I wish I could say my weight was due to childbirth, but my hubby and I are non-breeders :tongue: Please say hello and thank you for welcoming me to the community! Cat

I am in the same private little boat. I have only told my husband and my twin- even then I had to make it clear it was not negotiable, I was sharing the information for support and because it would be too much not to tell with this dynamic. I have no intention of offering the information to anyone else, though I don't know yet what I would say if asked. Time will tell. For me, there is some shame in not being able to lose weight, but more than that I don't want to have to explain myself to people at my age. I had a trial run a while back while I was just "thinking" about it. At that time I spoke freely about it and sure enough - everyone becomes a dietitian and health guru. I had people telling me they will get me in shape. I was athletic when I was younger and have had my weight gain for almost 10 years (around 8-10 pounds a year) and most people just tell me I just have to do what I was doing before. It's just too much to explain to them how the weight gain happened. I lost a son, and then a couple years after my mom and sister to cancer, and during this time I lost control of exercise and weight management. Theres more to the story usually, and I really just want to move on with my life and avoid the lengthy retelling to everyone as I explain my personal health decision. So for now, I will tell them the TRUTH... I have lost weight by drastically cutting my calories. Maybe after the fact, I will say something, but for now - TMI.

These past two days I have been feeling hungry!!! Must remember to get cucumbers the week before my period! I basically ate two dinners tonight! I also need the sugar free popsicles! 7 days of eating like this and I could totally see some weight gain. Today I probably ate 2000 calories easy! I Only had high calorie foods! What low calorie foods pack a good punch in terms of volume?

Hello all! I am curious about the 6 mo diet, I have my weigh in tomorrow morning for my 5th month. I am concerned that I will have gained a pound or two. My start weight was 274 and currently I am at 264. My weigh in last month was 262. Has anyone been declined due to weight gain like this?? I have not planned on it, but should i try laxatives to get those two pounds off? I would DIE if i got declined for a stupid 2 lbs weight gain. Any information about The 6 Mo supervised diet would be greatly appreciated!

In a number of posts lately, opinions have been expressed that some people are gaining or at least not losing weight due to a lack of carbs in their diet. I've spent the better part of my spare time for the past three days trying to find any scientific proof of this theory. All I could come up with was a discredited study from some years ago. If any one has proof that this theory has some basis in fact, could you please present it on this forum so we might have a new reason for lack of weight loss.

Need some major support as nobody in my life will understand. I was banded in 2006 and everything went smooth -- lost 120 lbs and went down to 140. Life was AMAZING, I had an amazing social life and I even worked as a promotional model for Heineken for several years (OH, the irony...) Around 2009ish, I started getting TERRIBLE acid reflux which progressed into frequent vomiting and eventually severe chest/abdominal pain. This progressed into bad complications - at some points, I couldn't even keep my own saliva down and I was vomiting several times per day. I visited my doctor and discovered that my lap band was essentially strangling my stomach and had my band unfilled. Even after the unfill, I still had terrible attacks of pain -- I would get a warning pain in my right jaw, then almost immediately afterwards would have a pain so bad in my chest that it would cause me to double over. After this experience I was TERRIFIED of the band -- I regretted ever getting it, I wanted it OUT of my body, and I became seriously depressed and had bad anxiety, mainly because I was (still am) uninsured and no doctor would do the full level of tests I needed to pinpoint the problem. Because I had gone from full-on starvation mode (barely being able to keep down liquids), I gained weight IMMEDIATELY. One thing led to another, my depression got worse from the weight gain, and I'm now back up to 230lbs. I'm frustrated with myself and I want my old life back -- I'm 28 years old and while I have a great job, I rarely go out anymore and I'm hesitant to date because of my weight gain. I really just want to feel "normal" again.... I'm terrified that I'm wasting what should be the best years of my life. That being said, I'm ready to tackle the lap band again -- I plan on calling my doctor tomorrow to get filled again --- and I'm TERRIFIED of going through the pain and complications again. Has anybody ever been through this?? I think I really just needed to vent this out to people who would understand... thank you for any support or encouragement you can share :-)

Hi Everyone, It is exactly 3 months today since my surgery, so I would like to give a summary of the main changes and improvements in my lifestyle now. I started with a BMI of 35.44 weighing 213 lbs. I am 55 years old and was having huge problems with aches and pains in my lower limb joints. I need to wear orthotic inserts in my shoes and have stopped wearing high heels. The lack of mobility was contributing to my weight gain, and my weight gain was contributing to my lack of mobility. Both problems were getting worse. Now, I have lost 37.4 lbs since surgery and have a BMI of 29.22. (I did not do a pre-op diet.) I have noticed a marked improvement in my joints and overall agility and flexibility. I still need to wear flat shoes but can now feel comfortable in sandals without orthotics for short periods and also can wear a much greater range of footwear again. I have a wedding coming up in October and hope to be able to wear high heels for the day. I am also sleeping much better recently. I have dropped approx 1 size in clothing from a UK size 18 to a 16, and sometimes a 14 and lost 4 inches from my waist, which was and still is my real problem area. I am enjoying this change in eating habits and newly acquired lifestyle and I am very pleased with my overall results. Regards, Booklean

Good morning ladies.... I am new to the board and have a question regarding opening my band....I am 4 weeks pregnant and was wondering when to have my band opened up. Its pretty tight now and I can mostly only get liquids and Soups in during the early part of the day...after 1 or 2. My band usually relaxes after 5 or 6 so I eat a pretty normal dinner but there are days when its completely uncooperative and I don't get much down. I have never been able to eat much meat and have gotten most of my Protein from shakes, supplements, fish and cheeses. I am very concerned (more like freaking out) about gaining weight but there is a strong possiblity I am carrying multiples so my doctor is very concerned about my diet and protein intake. When did everyone have their band opened and how quickly did you start gaining. I will do what my doctor asks but I am scared of the weight gain. Any helpful tips, ideas or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!!!!

Are you familiar with the concept of head hunger? It's when your brain says, "Feed me!" even when your body doesn't need more fuel. It's a huge contributor to weight gain. MANY of us have experienced it. My suggestion is to really understand the concept & be prepared when it arrives. That will give you a huge advantage before & after your surgery. Good luck! You are not alone.

I am a little more than a year out from my gastric sleeve an initially lost around 75 lbs. I recently started back on my antidepressant and seem to crave carbs. I have put back on about 20 lbs and really need to get my snacking under control. In the past being on antidepressants was a major cause of my weight gain and I am trying to tame the carb monster since I started back on the meds. Any suggestions besides getting back to religiously tracking calories. I still work out about 4 days a week. I think focusing on my protein intake may help with the carb cravings but I thought I would see if others have any recommendations. Sent from my SM-G998U using BariatricPal mobile app

Week 25 Last week’s weight – 197.2 This week’s weight – 198.8 Total weight gained this week – 1.6 Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 47.2 lbs I am not happy in general with how my weight loss has slowed down. Honestly I thought I would be at 50 lbs by now and it is a little frustrating to see the scale go up and down like it has the past few weeks. I’ve started looking at things I can do to help by scouring the boards for ideas. My favorite is to get sick . I would think that working with a ton of students and teachers that would happen sooner than later but alas it seems my immune system is working just fine. Right now I am trying the drink lots of water approach (I am currently starting day 2). I haven’t been drinking nearly enough and I would kill two birds with one stone but adopting this habit (breaking a stall and getting the appropriate amount of water in). I have been looking at the pouch test but am going to start with water first. I shouldn’t be griping too much because 47 lbs is still a nice amount of weight to have lost and I am thrilled to: Get lots of compliments at work Shop in the regular (not plus) side of stores Not struggle to get my wedding ring on and off Be below my driver’s license weight Have enough energy to workout (walking and crossfit) Be under 200 lbs I did step on the scale this morning (something I don’t normally do but I was curious to see if the water thing was working after the first day…and about a million trips to the bathroom) and I was down to 197.6 so that gives me hope for next Wednesday’s weigh in.

Guys I am hoping someone can give me some advice to help me. I am 17 months post-op from my switch surgery and I had done great until the past few months. Around August my weight loss begin to slow down and by October, I had plateau. Due to graduate school commitments, I was not able to devote time for exercise, but I stayed strict to my diet. From November till January I would fluctuate a few pounds. Since Christmas I am slowly putting on weight, despite me doing weight loss exercise classes four times a week. Being frustrated, I contacted my surgeon's office and explained my diet and exercise regimen, all I was told is "this is a small hump, and you just need to do a diet recall." I have worked too hard to lose this weight to put it on, and I am all out of options. I am desperately seeking help from any of you guys.... thank you in advance for any help!

If you've been doing low carb, start eating carbs. I'm not saying load up on white carbs, but don't avoid carbs anymore. I'm supposed to eat 100 gr of carbs per day without fail, and I'm supposed to aim for 100gr of Protein, but usually hit 80gr. You can not be in ketosis while pregnant, as it causes fetal brain damage. Also, you'll need to make sure you get on a good quality Vitamin, including folic acid, sublingual b12, and Vitamin D. I'm able to continue my Celebrate multi vitamin with Iron because it's actually better formulated than most pre-natals. I'm 13.5 weeks pregnant, however I am much further out than you, and can probably eat more than you can considering I'm 23 months post-op so I have zero issues eating enough food to support me and a developing baby. Depending on your pre-pregnancy weight, you'll need to shoot for 1400-1800 calories a day. For me at 131lbs at 7 weeks pregnant, they advised that I needed a minimum of 1700 calories a day and 100oz of Water. juice, milk, and all other fluids are just extra on top of that 100oz of water. The baby will take from you what it needs. It is your body that can suffer through the pregnancy. Make sure you have your dentist monitor your teeth as they can weaken. As for weight gain, I'm 13.5 weeks out, and I've gained about 7lbs of the 30-35lbs they want me to gain. Most babies born to WLS mothers are born normal weight. My ob and even my high risk ob haven't dealt with a VSG pregnancy so they couldn't comment on my "gain", but they did say "You shouldn't have any problem because all of our banded mommies gain a bunch of weight". I just kind of laughed. I've seen some RNY patients gain 50-70lbs in a pregnancy, but they had other issues with food. I am having trouble with some foods including dense protein, and my lactose intolerance is back in full effect. Not to mention night time reflux has hit me a few times in the last few weeks, and that is a total b!tch. There is a pregnancy after WLS forum on obesityhelp.com but I can't stand posting over there. It just doesn't work for me, I've tried a few times, but it just irritates the hell out of me. VSG does NOT throw me into being high risk, but it very well could with you being so early out of surgery. I have other medical conditions that are contributing to me being high risk. Best wishes ! ! !

Hi, Rahnava... I too was sleeved by Dr. Garcia..Surgery day was April 27.. So far I've lost 55.3 lbs post op, but I lost 16 lbs pre op..for a total of 71 lbs. I completely understand about the 5-6 lb weight gain during TOM. I'm currently going through it right now and its' so frustrating, but even if we're smaller and at our goals this would still happen..I see it as one of the woe's of being a woman.. You'll break out of the 60's I'm sure of it.. I was stuck for about 3 wks at 300 lbs and within 2 days... i literally dropped 4.5 lbs. I upped my workouts and spent more time outside sweating and I believe that helped a lot... I agree with Lauranbob... 60lbs in 6months is awesome! Sure we'd like for it to be more, but I've found that we all lose differently.. I've read on here where some have lost 100 lbs by month 4 but that clearly isn't in the cards for me.. As long as we're losing that's what's important, right? My goal is to lose 9-10 lbs a month. Anything extra is just icing on the cake... Sometimes I've exceeded that and other times like this month I have not.. I've only lost 7.8 lbs for July, but it's 7.8 lbs less on me than before. I have about 100 lbs to loose myself. So I figured 9-10 lbs in a month in a 10 month period is feasible. I don't think I'm reaching for the stars with that amount... We can do this!! Set backs..stall's or whatever you call them are bound to happen.. But as long as we're following the plan we can't lose... Stay encouraged, okay?

Just read through this whole post and I am just in the beginning of this journey. So, I haven't had surgery yet. I'm still going through the appointments and consults. However, this story grabbed my attention because this is one of my fears of having this surgery. I don't ever want to go back to old ways. I've already given up a lot of things because of being diabetic. The older I get, the more difficult the diabetes is to control. I take insulin and the insulin causes weight gain. I quit eating carbs and did really well with giving up carbs and sugar stuff. However about almost a year ago my blood sugar numbers started going all kind of whacky. I have not been able to get control back since. I quit smoking over 1-1/2 years ago because of the diabetes as well. I'm so tired of giving things up and nothing changing for the better. This story grabbed me because I don't want to have this dilemma after going through all the appointments, surgery, and the whole liquid to pureed to solid food diet following surgery. I just want to be healthy. I think you are doing wonderful, but my only suggestion would be to quit buying popcorn and chocolate and keeping it available to eat. Keep only the healthy foods and put them in single serve sizes. I try to keep all bad food out of my house. If we host a party or picnic, I will have the foods here for that occasion, but at the end if someone doesn't take the leftovers, they get trashed. I cannot afford to have bad stuff hanging around the house, because if its there, I'll eat it. Hope that helps. Good Luck!

Even with the same insurance provider, policies can vary. Are you required to lose weight in order to be approved? This is typically information that your surgeon's office gets from your insurance provider, so I would check with them. You can also check with your insurance provider, but I've personally had issues with customer service reps giving out bad info. If your policy doesn't require any weight loss or exclude you from approval for weight gain, it shouldn't matter. You may also want to ask your surgeon if he or she will do surgery if you've gained weight, as some surgeons won't.

So I'm 5 days away from my 8 month anniversary of VSG surgery and finally admitting that my old habits and obsession with snacking have not miraculously disappeared because of WLS. On May 28th, I had lost 60 pounds and was so positive that I'd reach goal by my 8 month anniversary. But rather than stay focused, eat healthy and follow the plan, I got over confident and reverted back to snacking on all the high carb, high sugar, high salt comfort foods that had originally caused my weight gain. I stopped going to my monthly support group meetings, stopped my daily involvement in on-line bariatric and weight loss support groups and as a result, I've gained 8 pounds rather than losing the last 6 pounds that would have gotten me to goal. I know what I have to do to get back on track. Any suggestions on how to break my addition to carbs? I'm focused on Protein today with the hope that once I break the carb cycle, I can get back to making better food choices for my late night Snacks. Yes, the honeymoon is over!!

According to my nutritionist after you enter the Maintenance phase, your meals should consist of equal parts of protein, fats and carbs but always put protein first. Fats are important because they help to control hunger. It is common to have some limited weight gain after weight loss surgery. They call it a 20 pound bounce. The important thing is not let go beyond this 20 pounds. Most times this weight gain is due to a poor choice of snacks. Snacks should be limited to primarily to whole food options: nuts, natural nut butters, fruits, veggies, boiled eggs, string cheese, yogurt with berries and almonds, tuna pouches. Avoid processed packaged foods as much as possible. Also do not expect to lose weight at a rate similar to right after surgery. Generally if you gained the additional weight over a couple years, then it may take a couple years of watching what you eat to get back down.

Thank you for this explanation! I was getting concerned too. I only found out about this group last night. I am having gastric sleeve surgery tomorrow morning. Today is my one and only liquid diet day. But reading other people I was getting so worried. I am at a lower BMI, but qualified for the surgery because of a list of co-morbidities. My weight gain is hormonal. Gained more than 100 lbs after having a hysterectomy 7 years ago. I went from thin, healthy and energetic to overweight and tired with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. (It’s been a rocky 7 years.) I am 5’11” and am currently 258 lbs. Highest weight was 283. My goal weight is to at least get below 200. That is about when all the health issues started. Would be wonderful to get back to 150-160 lbs, but given my hormonal issues, that is probably a stretch.

thanks for the advice, I will definitely throw out the fast food. Surgery is 9 days away omg. The advice and stories told on here helps so much. I will be documenting every bit if my journey. I'm not looking forward to the gas pain, that's the only thing I am worried about, ugh. But this will be a new me, As Frust8 has said, it will be a rebirth in a sense. I'm ready to not get winded walking up my stairs, or walking in a grocery store. I stopped going to the mall because it entails so much walking. I used to enjoy running, but I now even dread walking. This is the tool that I need to help. What issues have you guys developed because of your weight or any connection with weight gain? -I have PCOS -insulin resistance - infertility -anxiety -depression - I've developed a lot of skin allergies - moodiness - chronic back pain - plantar facisitis, I work in a hospital so I'm always on the move and on my feet. This irritates my tendons even more plus all the weight gained. - and all i wear is sweat pants and t shirts. It's the only thing that fits me comfortably. I went dress shopping for an event and I picked 3 dresses to try on, they were 2X and 3X. My husband waited while I tried them on I tried the first one, I couldn't fit my arms through at all, second dress. I could barely pull down past my neck, the third dress I didn't attempt to try on. So I walked out that dressing room feeling defeated and disgusting because I used to be in a 8/10. As I walked out my husband asked what was wrong, they didnt fot or you dont like them? I told him and as we are walking to check out, I began crying, no stop. Defeated, I need this. I'm not myself, I want to enjoy life again.

It has been 2 1/2 years since I was banded. I got down to size 10 and my lowest weight was 155 lbs. My husband and I were traveling in March to May this year. I got sick with a kidney infection on our drive to Florida. My stomach got upset with my IBS and I was nauseated. My band got really tight in the middle of all that and the end result was MILKSHAKES! My stomach was so upset and my band so tight that I was living on very little food but could drink milk and milkshakes felt very comforting. They settled my stomach and filled me up. I got antibiotics when I got to Orlando but they made my stomach more upset. I was throwing up a lot and had terrible heartburn, throwing up if I laid down. I spent most nights sleeping sitting up. I was in misery. It was not caused by my band but my band got into the middle of everything. I needed a defill but was out of my country. I tried everything - bland foods, eating mushy or liquids, using antacids constantly. Nothing helped. We got home from our trip to Florida and I got more antibiotics because I felt like the infection was still there. I also got a small defill. We were leaving again only 10 days later for Hawaii for our 40th anniversary. When we got to Honolulu for the first week, I got really sick again. I was very nauseated and throwing up. My band felt very constricted again and I stopped taking my antibiotics. My stomach settled down but the band stayed very tight. When we got home from Hawaii the first week of May, I was sick again for about 4 days, vomiting and nausea. My band seemed even tighter and I could hardly eat anything. It was hard to even drink tea. My band seemed to have tightened on it's own again. Then I started having choking episodes and I felt like my stomach/pouch was up in my throat. I had a few episodes where I couldn't breathe and had to concentrate to relax my throat and let the food or drink go down so I could get my breath. I was terrified. I could not understand what was happening. It seemed like the band had slipped. I phoned and talked to my clinic and they advised me over the next few days to get a big defill. I did that and my stomach and band settled down. I had severe gas pains for about three days following the defill that doubled me over and I was in agony, pacing the floor and crying with the pain. Bandster hell. Finally that stopped. I then felt no restriction and was eating too much and too much junk. I started gaining weight and felt so upset with myself. I tried to stop overeating and watch what I was consuming but continued. I needed my band refilled. A month after my defill of 2 cc, I went back for a fill of 1 cc. that gave me back some restriction but I was still gaining weight. We had our 40th Anniversary party on Aug 7 and I felt self conscious and fat. I changed dresses to cover up my 14 lb weight gain. Other people didn't notice but I could feel the extra weight around my middle especially. I missed feeling svelte and beautiful and in control. I have had a lot of company and been too busy to spend any time on my Curves program or eating patterns. I am feeling more restriction now but have had another setback.After all the problems with my stomach, my doctor sent me for tests. One test I had on Monday this week was a barium swallow. The radiologist asked me questions before the test about what had been going on. He was not knowledgeable about lapbands but could see it in the xray. He told me that it was sitting on top of my stomach not like the picture on my lapband card I showed him. I guess my band has slipped and I am anxious to get it back to normal again before I gain too much weight. I wish I could control my eating and lose some weight through just diet. I really love my band and how wonderful it made me feel to lose all that weight in the first place. Wish me luck! :wink2::glare:

Which surgery are you having? Glad you passed the psych eval... I am one of them shrink types and felt like I had fooled them, too! About the doubt... normal for most of us. For me, after decades of failure, it is unreal to even contemplate that I could lose this weight. But, I did. Now that the rapid loss period is over for me, I am facing the reality of having to be very careful. But, the good news is that my pouch is small, I literally can't overeat. The bypass part of the surgery is there always, helping cut nutrient absorbing, and honestly, it is easier to avoid weight gain and with careful eating and good activity, the pounds are still coming off. I still am shocked when I look in the mirror or see myself in a window reflection... but I deserve this new body.

YES! Weight Gain with several antidepressants is a known side effect. In my case, I used Effexor back in the late 90's, and promptly put on some 50 pounds, and went up from there. It's kind of a vicious cycle.....You're depressed, sometimes because you are obese, so you take an AD, and you put on MORE weight....and get MORE depressed! Depression has been a HUGE issue in my Life....it's a genetic/inherited thing. But here's the good news, as far as it relates to weight: slowly, as I approached my ideal weight, my depression lessened, and eventually pretty much disappeared. I went from 375mg of Effexor XR a day to 0! Now, the depression comes back to visit every now and then, but it is no longer the crippling nightmare that it once was. One of the interesting methods that is used nowdays is the "cocktail", where several ADs are used in concert, and often a mild stimulant will be included. This does help control the appetite. If you are being prescribed an AD by your PCP, you might consider seeing a Psychiatrist who has a very well defined specialty in Psychopharmacology. Some shrinks are not all that good with meds, and MOST PCPs just hand out the usual stuff (prozac, effexor, wellbutrin, etc). In fact, most PCPs should not be trusted to hand out Psych meds.....you need someone with experience in that area as a specialty. Also, considering your issues with weight, you really, really need to consider regular psychotherapy, if you are not already doing so. The whole obesity/depression thing is quite tightly linked, and it would be reasonable to suggest that taking care of ONE of the problems would have a significant impact on the other. So, you are very wise to consider what changes you can make to your depression treatment in concert with dealing surgically with your weight issues. If you'd like to PM me for more info, please feel free. I know a LOT about this particular issuse; weight and depression have been the two massive monsters in my life since I was very young. I have found answers for BOTH of them, and I'd welcome the opportunity to share what I have learned with you!! Keep Smilin'! :bored: HH

I am kind of going through the same thing. I found out my surgery is on November 12th and my pre-op visit with the surgeon is November 9th. I will have to be on a no/very low (less than 20 grams) carb diet for 2 weeks prior to surgery. Well, this past week and weekend, I kind of went nuts, mostly with Mexican fajita nachos and some Chinese food. I had been on a three-month diet and lost 12 pounds. Once that was officially over, I relaxed a bit and had already put on 5 pounds before the weekend. Then, much to my horror, when I got on the scales this morning, I found that I had gained 14 pounds since my last doctor's visit!!! (Note - this is a 9 pound gain within 4 days!) He is very very strict about not gaining any weight before surgery and will even postpone it if you do. I am praying that the low carb diet will take this weight off of me in time. Another thing I am stressing about is the fact that my primary physician just changed my blood pressure meds, taking away the diuretic. That means that I am about to puff up like a frog, on top of the weight gain I have already had. If I gain weight from that, I don't think it should be held against me, but I don't know what will happen. I can't believe that my surgery will be in 20 days! (Well, if I can get this stupid weight off again, that is.) Worse part of it is - there is a pizza shop across from where I work that keeps calling my name. I know that, once I have the surgery, I will be fine. It's just that there are a couple of things that I feel like I am really going to grieve over if I don't get it out of my system beforehand. I feel like a little kid in a candy shop who is being pulled out by the arm screaming! :pizza: :hurt:

I am also currently pregnant. Due Sept 19th. I did have a complete unfill at 10 weeks due to horrible all-day sickness. I was very anxious and worried about weight gain, but after getting ahold of myself, really I'm doing all of this for my baby. I can always get filled again and jump back on the weightloss track. To be completely honest I don't really have the ability at this point to even eat as much as I did at my most filled state. The baby is taking up so much room, so I am back to eating small meals/snacks throughout the day. My surgeon wasn't worried about the calorie intake while pregnant he was more worried about calories during breastfeeding. It is your decision maybe just a slight unfill as the months go on will work for you. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!!!