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Hello, Im 17 weeks now and have gained 4lbs. I didnt really start gaining until I was about 13 weeks. Keep in mind though I also didnt lose as much weight as you did, I was banded february 21, 07 and had only lost 50lbs before I became pregnant. So Im probably still carrying more weight than you are, which means I could afford to avoid the drastic weight gain. My doctor says that the baby is fine growth wise, and that I'd probably not need to gain any weight as long as im taking my vitamins. We're taking it month by month though. I'm going to schedule an appointment with my surgeon for a defill of at least 0.5cc, Ive never had one and Im currently at 3.1cc, but im still able to eat lots of goodies:)

I've been on the depo for 17 years. I was fat before I started it so can't blame it on My weight gain.. I just ate too much!! Don't have a period and I don't fancy any children, so for me it's the safest contraception. I'm yet to meet someone who has fallen pregnant on the depo. Don't have mood swings, tender breasts or anything else. I take extra calcium tablets.

Not weighing everyday is smart. I didn't weigh once during my vacation - two whole weeks! And I was thrilled to find that I'd lost about 5 lbs. So I definitely see the merit in not weighing so often. But I am trying to learn what foods and exercise cause the best results and when I see the scale move down even a few ounces I consider it a huge success. I've lived for so long either not weighing or when I did weigh, it was nearly always showing a weight gain, not a loss. I've always wondered about scuba diving. It seems like it would be magical. But I haven't felt comfortable in a swimsuit for so long I just never even considered doing it. I know you'll get the opportunity and I hope that it's everything you dreamed it would be. Let's both keep up the good work!!

I told him about my weight history and that I started to get depressed right after I got pregnant because of all the weight I was gaining and after I gave birth I started to gain more weight and couldn't lose the weight and that I asked my gynecologist to see if she would give me a referral to see a psychologist but I never went to see one because she gave me anti depressants (I never took them) maybe that's why he asked to see me again :/ but I told him about this app how it helped me understand the things that can happen post op like stalls, weight gain, my nut told me if you overeat all the time it can stretch ,I'm aware of all the risk and honestly I just want to be healthy I'm a low risk of becoming diabetic and I don't want that to happen. I hope everything changes after I see him again Is there a difference between the NUT and the psychologist/psychiatrist?

I had a "secret lap band" in 2008 and it was REALLY hard not telling people. only my parents and husband knew of the surgery. The fact that everybody knows me for my hefty eating habits made me self conscious during holidays and dinners with friends and family. This made me try to be discrete and I would eat more than I should have with did not help me in the long run. My band slipped during my last pregnancy (less than 1 year post-op) and I've had reflux issues and weight gain. Now I weigh more than I did at 9 months pregnant and I'm preparing for a revision surgery to get the sleeve after the band comes out. I don't want to hide this surgery, I don't want to come up with excuses for not eating, not being hungry and actually even eating more than I should. Who cares what people say, EVEN IF IT YOUR MOTHER, we are adults and this is a medical decision for our health.

I think these are really valid and helpful observations and questions. I know they help me really think and own my spit. You know? I never want to rationalize my own "poor" behavior or stinking thinking by convincing myself that my viewpoint is the only right one. I also am hopeful that this might benefit someone else who might not want to post their stuff here--be able to work through some things and gain insight into their eating behaviors that both keep them thin/losing or are contributing to gain. Right? So there is no doubt that I am goal driven. I've never in my life reached my target weight goal--even as a young kid dieting (dieting since 9). 😕 And it became very important to me as I went "all in" with this surgery, that I achieve my goal weight--even if it's only for a day--or an hour. It's just a milestone that psychologically I feel like I need. And knowing what my sis (who is 2 inches taller than me) looked like with a similar build to me -- at 120lbs, she did not look anorexic. Knowing that at 23BMI today on the scale and that in real life, I still have very jiggly fat filled aspirin bottle and thighs, makes me feel like I do still have extra fat available that I can at least achieve that burning drive to 130lbs. At the very least. *I'd have to review the BDG once I get to 130lbs. Cuz it really may not be realistic for me to even hit it. There is NOOOOOO doubt I have body dysmorphia. No doubt. I work on it daily. And the struggle is real. I def don't see myself as super thin. Just normal for a 56 year old woman. Flabby flat as* and all. TY for telling me how awesome I look! Sometimes I can actually feel it - nowadays. Yesterday (no pic) I felt great in my outfit until I looked in the mirror in my white shorts. And felt I look huge in my thighs and ass--so didn't bother snapping the pic. I still wore the outfit and got so many complements including a, "You are so skinny" comment that I was a little "proud" of. I've never been a member of the you-are-so-skinny-"normal"-girl-barbie-tribe. You know? And I'm not gonna lie. It's a seductive group. Great T & A and tiny waists among all of those bi*ches! hehe. I do think I will be thin enough. That's why I think 130lbs will be end of the line for me. Cuz when I was sick just before surgery, I was 131lbs and I felt "right". Even though I was craptastically ill at the time. But yeah, that BD funhouse mirror plays wicked mind games. So the only way to tell is once I get there. I know I have no interest in going deep dive to the low 120s and maybe not even anything under the 130lbs. I keep cals that low and deeply nutrient rich cuz I flat out maintain or even gain weight in the >850 range. And that terrifies me! I'm not like @ms.sss who is having issues deterring weight loss at these levels. I WISH! Right? Cuz if you look at my graph, I'm maintaining. And I'm super terrified I've forked my metabolism. I also know I take a hormone blocker for cancer remission that puts me in supre menopause. So I am trying to restore my body fat hormones while having one hand tied behind my back via the blocking of all female hormone production. Which really sucks cuz the regulation of those hormones really drive a lot of the insulin and hunger hormones response to fat loss. Also being hypothyroid also contributes to the lowered metabolic rate. Sorry for the book. I didn't want to just blow off your question, but rather offer some glimmer of where my thought process and logic is taking me. My hope is that once I hit my 130 Goal #3 weight, then I can officially say, "I'm goal baybeeee!" And then I will be able to maintain at 1000-1400 cals with a day or 2 of fasting thrown in per week like Dr. Fung discusses. Cuz that would be sweet! But my body is resisting going lower right now. And it does not reward me with a scale drop when I up cals and give a treat day--rather it rewards me with the predicted weight gain. Also, I'm not going quietly into that good night. I will fight that fuc*ing bounce like a demon. I am not gonna accept that it has to happen. And if I start looking like I'm eating crap I really want you guys to call me on it and hold my toes to the fire! Cuz I will need y'all more than ever if/when backsliding enters the equation. Right? Ok, so yeah. There you have it. My full 10lbs of crazy shoved into the 5lb can! Certifiable? Yes or no? Here's my weight graph of the past year. The last big jump is from surgery and IVs. But you can see, I'm having trouble maintaining right now post surgery and struggling with huge hunger. I attribute it to IV antibiotics and disruption of gut biome/gut hormone disruption and insulin surges as a result. There is a study just out about this. I think @catwoman7 may have posted this on another board? Can't remember...

Awesome! I couldn’t find anyone near my surgery date until now 😁. hows everything going for you? Weight loss? Weight gain?

20 pounds in one week is a lot for the body to adjust to. Did you lose weight prior to surgery also? Your body takes time to figure this out. I was a slow loser. I tracked 100% of what I ate and was 100% honest with myself. I knew when I saw small fluctuations in my weight it wasn’t “weight gain” I was eating 500-700 calories a day . I stayed sane by reframing it. I’d tell myself, I weigh more today, I know I didn’t “gain weight”. It worked for me and it is true. Nobody gains weight eating that small amount. Salt, hydration, sleep, bathroom habits, stress and a lot of things factor into what the scale says any given day. I always joked that today must be a bad gravity day. It’s the overall trajectory that counts. I also didn’t write the slight fluctuations down because I’d get frustrated. I would wait until a morning when I felt like I lost weight and hop on then.

@FluffyChix Is it accepting your best shot? Is it accepting if you don't make goal? The goal is healthy. That will look different for each of us. I don't want to overlook people that may have more things to battle and overcome. I am sympathetic to anyone that doesn't make goal or gain weight. (medical issues, mobility, eating disorder, medications etc.) It can take a toll on you mentally. I'm like you, I didn't have surgery to settle. I fought to get the most out of it. My personal choice was not to be a bariatric statistic. Made goal in six months. Side note - I love all the research, chart's formulas etc. There is a fine line between useful charting and obsessive compulsive lol I have to be careful, I have an addictive personality and fear of weight gain.

GM Betty, I so love soup, it has become my favorite food, beside my new found love, tiramisu, LOL. I ate beef barley yesterday, it was ooooh so good. No it wasn't home made, LMAO. It's hard t believe it's been five years since 9/11, I watched the Diane Sawyer special the other night, with all the babies, now 5, I boohooed, it was so sad. I did notice they didn't have the woman that was sort of the spokesperson whose husband led the group and over took the terrorist in the Pa flight. Yikes, can't remember either name, but I often think of her and wonder what happened to her and her boys. (Was his name Todd?) Such a tragedy all the way around. The special on CBS last night had to be difficult for all of these families to watch. Kat, if your SIL gets a fill, you need to call her doctor and tell him/her what she's doing. I had to do that with my mom, although, even though she was my mom, they reminded me of the privacy act, which I assured them I did not want info, I was just advising them of facts they didn't realize, like she'd been pb'n for over a month and couldn't keep anything down. They took it from there. Diane, take care of the throat, don't over do it even if ya think it's all well. Patty, I love my pedicures and just put my fake nails back on, after a summer of playing in the dirt...plants. Darcy, I know it doesn't help you, but the fact you've shared your weight gain has made us realize it could so easily happen to us. Big Hugs GF! Is the fill helping? I have the dmdst band, so fickle, especially, if I haven't eaten all day, I guess I eat too fast, but then it's spit, spit, and more spit. I have never agreed with the "PB" factor, "spit" should be added as something NOT to look forward to as well. Nothing prettier than seeing a Gma get out of her car or lean out the door to spit, LMAO. Hugs everyone! We're missing a lot of our friends, Ann, Cindy, Mary, Donna, Ira, Ivan, just to name a few.

Your age has a lot to do with whether you loose some elasticity in your skin making the loose skin not to go away. It also has a lot to do with how obese you got b4 you got your weight loss operation. Usually the hair loss is minimal & whether hair loss runs in your family, especially if women in your family hair thins with age. The skin on your face is always thinner when you loose weight quickly but most of it goes back to whatever is normal for your face shape. Look at photos of yourself b4 you started gaining weight as a child if need be. When skin is stretched out from becoming obese or even pregnancies, everyone is different from their body shapes & skin's elasticity. Some lucky few women never get stretch makes during pregnancy. The more stretch marks that occurred during your weight gain the less likely your skin will snap back firm to when you were a child or teen. The healthier way you feel loosing weight is the biggest plus ever than staying extremely obese! I've gotten off high blood pressure meds for the 1st time in my adult life & I'm 65. I started getting extremely obese in my mid20s. So I can honestly say I am really enjoying my 60s more than my late 20s, 30s, 40s & 50s because I can walk without getting short of breath & I can actually buy stylish clothes finally. There are side effects to being obese & side effects to surgery. Exercise once your able to! But if the loose skin is your main hate of loosing your weight then you need to save money to get it removed or wear shape garments so you feel better looking in your smaller clothes. For Pete's sake even thin movie stars wear spanks under their red carpet outfits BC they try to elude perfection. We're all our own worst enemies no matter how rich & famous you are. Lol Be so proud of yourself what you did to help yourself & never give up BC the best is yet to come. Smiles goes miles & a huge healer for your outlook on life! Big hugs to you all with a smile included! Sent from my VK700 using the BariatricPal App

Hi Ashley and welcome! 👋 congrats on meeting your surgery goal weight! The psych eval was very straightforward for me. I was open and honest about why I wanted the surgery, my history of weight gain, loss and regain. Yo-yo dieting and all the self esteem issues that go along with a weight-focused society. You’ll have a pre-op diet before surgery, so it’s easiest to start making small changes now. I started swapping a protein shake for a meal once per day about a month before my pre-op diet started. I also weaned myself off of caffeine. It really helped! I also have a therapist, which I highly recommend if you can. She has helped me realize so many pitfalls of my unhealthy relationship with food. If I didn’t have her to lean on, I’m not sure I would be as successful as I am today. These are my best pieces of advice. Good luck!! Let us know when you get a surgery date set! 😊

I read from others on these forums that granola was a major culprit in sabotaging their weight loss and causing weight gain. I think we are led to believe it's a healthy food but a 1/4 cup has something like 250 calories and tons of carbs.

I exercise four times per week. Running and cross-trainer. I have just went thru revision surgery and it is helping me combat this weight gain that I have struggled with since unfill, surgery, barely any fill, etc. If I didn't eat crap I probably would loose. But for me 153 is ok, not really where I liked previously. I felt more comfortable in a size 8 and 140 lbs. But until I am restricted I struggle? Go figure. I also am almost 4 years out so the doc said my stomach isn't a normal virgin one that would respond to the band like it did in the beginning. As long as I am restricted and keep my eating to 1 cup to 1.5 cups eating wise choices, exercising I was able to loose. best wishes to you. Dody

Jorge, I have a very similar story at this point. I have had two fills and have absolutely no restriction. I think that my mind is panicking a little bit about getting to restriction and not being able to eat much so I'm binging in anticipation. I had lost weight when I went in for my first fill because I was still sore and swollen from surgery. When I went in for my second fill I had gained a half pound. I wasn't really worried about it because I knew I had probably gained a little and I knew I didn't have restriction. What I wasn't prepared for was my doctor was pretty cranky with me about it. I think he was surprised because up to that point I had pretty much been the model patient. I had lost my presurgery weight in record time and had been losing very rapidly. He started to lecture me about my half pound weight gain and I just sort of politely stopped him and said, "You know, this is a lifetime of habits I'm dealing with here. It was one bad week, that's all." He backed off a little after that but clearly was disappointed in me. When I left his office I was pretty discouraged and started thinking that I'd better get myself in gear and be sure I lose a ton of weight before my next appointment. That of course triggered a diet mentality and another binge. I then had to back up mentally and just realize that this journey is about me and not about my doctor or anybody else. I need to work on my food issues and my history with food and I need to take responsibility for my choices and the rest will take care of itself. I have stopped binging (which usually happens when I start to talk nicely to myself and quit pressuring myself to lose weight immediately) and I have started exercising again. My initial reaction was to be mad at the doctor and not want to go back. But that's not going to help me and it certainly isn't going to hurt him. It only hurts me. And he wasn't trying to be hurtful. He was trying to very firmly talk to me and motivate me to get back on track quickly before I spin completely out of control. My head just turned it into an attack and I responded with a binge. I think I heard my mother's voice in my head instead of my doctor's! When I could get some distance I was able to see that he was trying to talk to me about the importance of following the band rules, continuing to exercise and working on head hunger. I have committed to myself that I will exercise and I will try to eat only when physically hungry and only until satisfied. I have also committed to myself that if the binging and head hunger issues continue that I will go back into counseling. I will also always go to the doctor when I need to and try to listen to his advice without feeling attacked. I also remind myself that I will undoubtedly slip up from time to time. It's a process and an entirely new way of living. It's really hard because even though we all knew it was just a tool, most of us probably hoped for a magic bullet. I now know I did. Now I have to learn to work with the tool and not wait for the magic. Please go back to your doctor. Regardless of what he or she says, it's the only way to get to restriction and work the tool properly.

I had my psych eval back in May and i too was completely honest about everything. Although im not too much of a binge eater i have very low self esteem(due to my weight gain). I suffered physical and mental abuse very quite some time from my partner and i yet to get over it not to mention other things in my past. Needless to say she diagnosed me with severe anxiety and depression that very day and after about 5 days of seeing her she called me with my results and said that my depression and anxiety was of the charts and that im so depressed i dont even realize how bad it is. She told me that she realizes it is my past and that she would go ahead and give me the ok for surgery bit wants me to see a psych at the very least once a wk. Dont get discourged because i did and look at me, as of this past Sunday i have been approved for my surgery!!! Greatest news i have received since '07 when i found out i was pregnant... I wish you the very best and remember not to stress on the small things it will all fall in place. Good luck tk you and keep us updated!

If you are having trouble eating more than one bite of food, you might want to call your surgery center. It's possible you have a stricture, which can be fixed. You might also be eating too big of a bite, not chewing enough, or eating too fast. I have heard of people having issues from their bras, but I think it was right after surgery (can't remember for sure). I am able to eat more food at 5 months out than I could at 6 weeks out. That's a good thing, but I have to be careful that I don't eat multiple times a day because that could cause weight gain. Hope you feel better soon!

I also drink before I eat until a few minutes before the next meal. This is acceptable to my band surgeon. Like RestlessMonkey and others, it is not really a question of whether or not you drink while you eat or immediately afterwards. It hurts too much and sometimes liquid comes right back up. Hmmm. I drank soda during pregnancy because I had no fill and was entirely open. I ended up with a slipped band and dilated pouch. My band had to be replaced one week ago. The surgeon said the dilation was caused partially by soda and partially by having a slip for an extended period. The gas expands in your pouch and the gas doesn't escape fast enough. Yes it escapes eventually, just not quickly enough. If you have read very many posts regarding banding, most people complain about gas problems post banding. It is difficult to relieve it and there is a lot of it . . . and that is when you are not drinking soda. Throw soda on top of it and it makes sense you might just have a problem. If you do get banded, gas is one of the first things that will give you problems and you might look at this discussion differently at that time. You would think that, like liquid, gas should also be able to flow back and forth fairly easily but experience for most of us with bands tells us different. Could all of those surgeons possibly be wrong??? There are many points upon which different surgeons disagree . . . but the "no soda" rule seems to be uniform across most. Many of us decide to pick and choose which rules we want to follow . . . unfortunately some of us suffer dire consequences for doing so. I agree on checking on the rationale behind some rules but I think this one is better followed than ignored from personal experience. For your own sake and the health of your band-to-be, please be careful about what you choose to do or not do post banding. Too many of us make our own decisions to not follow some of the band rules and either don't lose, don't lose as much as we want or cause irreversible damage to our bands. Is she holier-than-thou because she has a different opinion than yours post banding? I guarantee you that your feelings on a lot of subjects pertaining to banding will change dramatically once you have the experience of being banded yourself. It happens to all of us since experience is one of our greatest teachers. In my opinion, I don't think Crystal Light if really much different nutritionally than soda. However, post banding you are supposed to avoid soda due to pouch dilation so CL is indeed a better choice than soda given dietary restrictions. Studies have also shown that sugar substitutes can lead to weight gain in some people due to a multitude of reasons, but that would apply to both diet soda, CL and a ton of other beverages. Good luck with banding.

"WLS....but I can't see someone only giving out part of the information that makes them look good or feel accepted." I find my weight no ones business. And I certainly don't give partial info just to make myself look good or feel accepted. I don't give a **** if someone thinks I'm good at something or accept me. To me, my weight gain and/or loss is very personal to me. I guess I could take your advice and when someone insists on prying and asks me about my weight.. And instead of giving a partial answer, I will simply not answer and see how that flies

I have lifelong major depressive disorder and have been on all kinds of meds. I've been taking Wellbutrin since 1995 and have added and subtracted other meds along the way. My long-term psychiatrist always said that it was very important that I sleep, which was a big problem. Benzos don't work for me (Valium, etc). The best thing that worked was a combination of Ambien and Thorazine. But who wants to take Thorazine?! So after a while he suggested Seroquel (just for the insomnia, I'm not bipolar or schizophrenic). Started at 100 mg maybe 8 years ago. Gradually worked my way down to 25 mg. Then my doctor died. In the midst of this, I had a VSG in Jan 2010. Beginning weight was 385, day of surgery 361, lowest 285, today 335. I've learned to eat around the restriction, obviously, but could the Seroquel be part of the problem? Meanwhile, I'm not sure the Seroquel is working as well for sleep. My new doctor isn't too happy to prescribe it. She would like to see me off of it because it's not supposed to be a sleep medicine, although she's always saying what a low dose it is. (200mg is a low dose; 800mg is a high dose.) So I don't think she'll increase it. Seroquel is known to increase weight, but she says the effect lasts about 12 hours, so since I take it at night, it shouldn't be a problem. But since it's not working well anyway, and since it might be causing weight gain, I decided to go off of it on a trial basis. Today is day 4. The first two nights were hell. The second two nights were better, but still not good enough to function. But I do feel less driven to eat. Do you think that Seroquel could be a factor in my less than stellar weight loss results? How long should I suffer through sleepless nights before going back on it? Should I try something else to sleep?

Hi - I take Lamictal, and when I found out that my nurse wouldn't give it to me the night I was in the hospital I freaked out. My mom and husband tried to talk to her - it wasn't her, but my surgeon. I take Xanax as well as 2 antidepressants and 1 sleep med. Nurse asked for Ativan since it can be given IV. He came back and offered benadryl...... it was a bad situation - I don't say this to scare you, but to share so you can cross that bridge up front. The preoperative nurse said they'd have all my meds for me, so I thought I was fine. Please ask your team - it was a rough night, as I'm sure you can imagine. The good news!!!! I'm 4 days post op, can swallow meds (some have to be cut, and very very spaced out) and I think they fill my little stomach up as I'm struggling with protein/calories. But my mental health is fine, just the same as it was before surgery so don't worry. I also worked hard to be mentally stable, the meds are part of my weight gain, but I am good post op so wanted to share and reassure you. Please just ask about your overnight hospital stay ❤???? Sent from my SM-T550 using the BariatricPal App

You offer some great and well-founded insights and I thank you for taking the time to tell your story. I spoke too fast (and perhaps too naively) when I wrote that other WLS are plug and play. I think they just seem that way when one has experienced complications with a lapband. I also suspect that we haven't yet seen the long term effects of the more recent WLS and that is why those surgeries currently appear to be so much more attractive than the lapband. Let's get 10-15 years of data collecting behind the more recent WLS options and then we can talk! The rapid weight gain after an unfill, or getting one's band removed, is logical so don't be hard on yourself. The lapband, when optimally adjusted, really allows us to live on 900-1,000 calories/day without the hunger or feeling of deprivation. Take away the lapband (or its optimal fill) and there is no one in the world who could hang on to 900 calories a day comfortably....at least no former obese person. All the best, and welcome back to the banded life.

okay so let me dispell a few things. There are MANY weight gain, bulk up phase, Protein powders on the market, just as there are many weight loss protein powders on the market. There is a huge difference , however. Yes many Weight gain , bulk up products contain slow release protein, BUT they also come close to and including up to 2000 calories or more. The Syntrax matrix are not the same by any means. It is why I have always told people high protein does not mean low cal. many, many protein supplements are for weight gain, not weight conscious people. Syntrax Matrix products contain both slow release and fast release Proteins. And they are weight loss friendly. Do not confuse these products with bulk enhancing protein powders

You are owning up to your failure and that takes guts. Drinking is one big weight gain problem and if you put your mind to it then yes you will succeed. 24 minutes is better then nothing. I wish you nothing but success.

This is like torture remembering diets, weight loss, weight gain, especially when I have been in a perpetual state of yo yo dieting for the last 8 years. I have my appointment with the surgeon on January 7th, I will let you know what he says about my diet history sheets. I will provide you with this information, hopefully it will help so you will have an easier time.