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Hi Lovies, Great to see so many posting again... oldies and newbies :smile2: I'm sorry no personals today, there's just so much info here my head's gonna pop (((well you know it doesn't take much for me lol))). To bad we can't do one big meet up, that would be awesome!!!! You know. ... like at Pat's house Still struggling with wl ... actually weight gain uggggh. So in a nutshell nothing is new, sosdd. Still fighting the thought of another fill. Got a busy day, karate (dd), a visit to FIL...haven't seen him since his stroke 2 weeks ago...poor old thing. Then we are going to the honda dealer that I said we were going to last week LOL...gonna check out the pilot. Then if the night time storm doesn't hit us to early, we'll take a swim. How are all you chickies doing? I so wish I had more time to be here :thumbup:

My doc (not surgeon) just prescribed a steroid dose pack for me b/c of my back but he mentioned possible weight gain! Well that's the last thing i want! Has anybody had to take something like this? I am debating if I should just wait out the pain and skip the meds or take a chance but I would freak if I gained weight!

I was banded in 2006 (private pay) and thought I did fairly well going from 220lb to 150lb in the first year or so. Over the next 10 years, I had my third child and managed to maintain about a 55lb loss. I was and remain dedicated to work outs 4-5 days a week. However, I never felt like I ever found that "sweet spot" with my fills. I had to make a 14 hour round trip for fills and the surgeon I had was the least compassionate, most fat phobic person I've ever encountered. How he got into that line of work I'll never know. Unfortunately, he was the only option in near my home town at the time when Lap-band was fairly new in Canada. I spent most of the time either feeling hungry or nauseated/stuffed and if I'm honest with myself, I think a threw up at least once almost every day of that 10 years (surgically induced bulimia?) Last year things got bad with my band. It became way too tight (even when completely unfilled) and I experienced terrible reflux at night and could barely tolerate fluids. It had to be removed. Luckily another surgeon closer to my home had started to do band surgery and was willing to remove it. He said with the earlier versions of the Lap-band, they often become inflexible and too tight after a long period of time. With this surgeon, my only option was to replace it with another gastric band (Mid-band is his device of choice). I could not convert to a sleeve or bypass as this is not offered as a private pay option in the province where I reside. There is a 5-7 year waitlist for government-funded weight loss surgeries. He said he wanted to see how I did with it out and that he "had faith in" my ability to keep the weight off. Well, I think we all know what the research says about gastric band removals. Despite my best efforts to watch what I ate and maintain my exercise routine, I regained almost all of the weight. Even though I eat a healthy diet (way healthier than what I could tolerate with the band), in less than a year I found myself 10lbs shy of my highest weight. My blood sugar and blood pressure are creeping up and I'm noticing more PCOS symptoms again. So, I started researching self-pay options for gastric sleeve surgery out of province. The surgeon I consulted with feels that the MGB is the best option for me. I'm not thrilled about paying for this again along with airfare and hotel. And not only do I get the pleasure of paying for WLS twice, it's extra because revision surgery requires more OR time. But I think my health is worth it. I'm booked for September 28th and have started my 2-week pre-op liquid diet (blech!) Part of me is scared that the surgery won't work. I feel like I have the slowest metabolism in the world. This, combined with my meds that promote weight gain and my PCOS, makes it feel like the odds are against me. However, my surgeon reassures me I'll do well. I've found reading about others' successful revisions also very encouraging. Thanks for reading my story.

Congrats on your surgery success! Weight gain during pregnancy is largely under your own control. If you don't eat too much, you won't gain much weight. You'll want to work closely with an OB/GYN and/or nutritionist to come up with your dietary plan. Since you aren't underweight, you don't need many extra calories. An average of 200/day over the course of the pregnancy (100 extra the first trimester, 200 the second trimester, and 300 the last trimester) should give you the right amount to grow your baby... you mostly just need plenty of vitamins, protein.. general nutrition stuff. This minimal caloric increase should result in only a 15lb gain, which will come right back off almost instantly. 15lbs isn't much, I know.. and your doctor may want you to gain more than that (always listen to your doctor!).. but at least this gives you one way to look at things, and something to compare the doctor's recommendation to. If the doc wants you to gain 30lbs, then you'll eat 400 extra calories a day (again, fewer at first, more later). (If you said you were a size 4, and struggling to maintain your weight, I'd be giving very different caloric advice..) Talk to a doctor before getting pregnant, so you'll know the plan and can start supplementing early if necessary. Good luck!

Joan checking in, no weight gain or loss. I'm blaming it on my new scale! Larry~ Happy Birthday! Have a great ukele adventure. I am glad you have met your personal goal so well! I'll be at the YMCA camp next week for the whole week. Like Amy said, we need a youtube video of you playing YMCA! My personal goal for this month was to get together w/ friends at least once a week. I have been having a great time achieving this goal. TGIF! Joan

So I got surgery in December of 2011. My heaviest was 290-ish and my lowest post-op was 220. I admit that I didn't follow the rules and I drink pop now and looking back I would have lost so much more had I done everything right. It was just so nice to not worry about food for once in my life and eat what I wanted and not gain weight. I was only 17 so I was so young and stupid! Anyway I just had a baby, obviously gained weight from that. I was up to 270 when I finally gave birth and with some effort and help with medicine, I am now 244. I want to get down to my goal weight so I can finally get rid of the sagging skin and just feel more confident but I notice that I am eating more than I could. Obviously a little stretch is normal post op but I feel like depending on the food, I can eat so much more. I want to just lose the rest of the weight and ideally get down to 150-170. I have heard of the "re-sleeve diet" and was curious if anyone had success with that. I don't think I would qualify for a re-sleeve surgery. But if there anything I could do to utilize my sleeve again being 5+ years post op.

You told yourself in the post....you're over thinking this. You're stressing (which is a major contributor to weight gain) and this is not good. Instead of thinking about it so much and crunching the numbers until you are cross-eyed, how about going for a walk and taking a look around. Enjoying the fresh air, the pretty trees, the summer flowers, the birds overhead. Gatorade and Powerades are VERY high in sugar. This could be contributing as well. I heard someone say (in one of the MANY weight loss attempts I've tried) that sugar is a inflamitory (and addictive!). In other words, the more sugar you have, the more your body will become inflamed and store the sugar it doesn't need as fat. I've worked very hard to get off of sugar. I know it's hard, but you might move to the G2 or the Powerades with lighter sugar. Also, in that same course, she said to always eat Protein before you eat sugar, as the protein helps your insulin stores deal with the increase of sucrose. PS. Don't over think how your posts will sound. We're all individuals and have different ways of expressing ourselves. I'm sure some of what I say on here is easily ignored, but maybe somewhere, some time something I say might help. Good luck!!!

I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 21 and prescribed Spironolactone. I thought it was a miracle pill for a long time because my skin was flawless, with invisible pores, no blemishes, and a lovely glow. I lost weight at first, too. Over time I began to experience detrimental effects from it, with weight gain being a major issue. It's a bit contradictory because it can make you lose weight at first, but over time can actually make you gain weight. I noticed a sharp increase in weight gain when I bumped up to 200mg. At first I thought it was due to age because I was hitting my late 20s, but it was so rapid. I began doing searches of it online and found that many other women had experienced weight gain and other unpleasant effects. I also read some alarming reviews of it (along with many happy ones) on MakeupAlley. If you go the site you can do a search of Spiro reviews with lowest ratings first. There are a few from women who've taken it long-term and have very negative reviews. I'm not advocating against taking it because it definitely helped me out at first with my complexion. I just am writing this as a word of warning and to encourage that anyone taking it be mindful about weight gain.

What I was told in the pre-surgery information session is that about 2 years out, the body will adjust medabolically and most patients gain about 20 lbs. But considering that I will have lost way more than 20 lbs, I think I will be able to live with it. That said, there are many people on this site who haven't gained weight, so the weight gain isn't universal.

This is pretty scarey but you can stop the weight gain right now and go back to eating Protein first and then some veggies. I do highly recommend that you get back to therapy and work on those negative thoughts in your head to curve this cycle. You are not at a loss, this is just a learning lesson that we all must learn..... Here is a copy of LilMissDiva's "The Basic Bootcamp Diet" that will get the sugar out of your system, to abort the sweet cravings.......BTW i don't believe 150 lbs is where your going to stop, so let your body do the work it is suppose too. Eat under 1200 calories a day. You can do this.. Here is the plan: The BASICS BOOTCAMP: For 5 STRICT DAYS I will eat only... Proteins: Seafoods, Poultry and eggs, Dairies, nuts/seeds including Peanut Butter. Veggies: Green only. Fruits: None. Breads/Cereals/Other Carbs: None. Fluids: One gallon of Water (128 oz.) or Protein drinks. Avoid: Sugar and Sodium Once the 5 days are over, I am pretty much over the Sugar Carb Demon. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate carbs! I do need them to live a healthy life and since I workout a lot it is important I have them. However, I need GOOD carbs. Whole grains, fruits, veggies... But I don't need processed sugars. White carbs, in cereals, breads, rice... etc.

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

Got my band in Aug last yeaer did great lost 70 lbs of the 90 I wanted to loss then I had problems. Band slipped and had fluid removed then started to refill and then got dehydrated so out the fluid came again..maintained my weight loss but want to eat all the time. having some family problems and I am eating at night but still no weight gain Thanks God I have no resticktion, not getting stuck, can eat fast or big bit and hate that but I am still trying to slow down and eat right.. I did LOVE the band and not sure what to do now $150. a fill and $900 if problems and a special exray and unfill...darn this is difficult good luck to us all

Caryn do what i did , i looked up food online that had no cal, like popcorn Truly Zero Calorie Foods Water is the only true zero calorie food that occurs naturally. Water is a great addition to your diet in a variety of ways. Eight 12-ounce servings of water every day are suggested as a healthy part of any diet. However, it has an added benefit when you're trying to diet to lose weight: it helps fill you up! Water can be frozen into ice and crushed or shaved in order to add a different consistency to your diet. In addition to water, diet soda pop is found in zero-calorie versions. It comes in name brands and generics and is typically sweetened with artificial sweeteners. Quite a bit of debate surrounds these beverages and whether they are healthy additions to your diet because of the artificial sweetener aspect. Experts offer conflicting claims that artificial sweeteners cause health problems or contribute to obesity and some studies show that diet soda may actually contribute to weight gain. Negative Calorie Foods There are several fruits and vegetables that occur in nature that while they have calories when consumed, are said to actually result in negative calories or a calorie deficit after digested. According to this theory, these foods cause the body to extend more calories to digest than contained in their nutritional content. The result would make them zero calorie foods after digestion. If you believe this theory, then these foods can basically be consumed without feeling guilty. They are healthy and provide nutritional content your body needs, but they do contain calories. Keep in mind, also, that even according to this zero calorie theory these foods only have this negative calorie effect when consumed without extras added to them like butter, sugar or dips. Negative Calorie Foods Asparagus Apple Beet Cranberries Broccoli Grapefruit Cabbage Lemon Carrot Mango Cauliflower Orange Celery Pineapple Chile peppers Raspberries Cucumber Strawberries Dandelion Tangerine Endive Garden cress Garlic Green beans Lettuce Onion Papaya Radishes Spinach Turnip Zucchini Eat Healthy

My journey... My weight loss... My weight gain... My progress.... My thoughts... My feelings... My prayers... My beliefs... My faith... Noticing a trend here? My and by my I mean Me. This is the best thing I've ever done for myself. My journey is not yours, nor is yours mine. I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm here to encourage and uplift by my blogs, thoughts and comments. Spread love and encourage nothing else. I see/hear some comments and receive some that just leaving me with a blank look on my face and going *blink...blink*, your issues are not mine, feel free to share and comment but be careful to not try to PUSH/DUMP/UNLOAD your issues or feelings on me or anyone else, I wonder when some of you will stop trying to find yourself in others and find yourself within. That's when this REALLY works, when anything YOU really wants to do works. Whether it's weightloss, business, or something else. You have to find it within YOURSELF to do it, just as I have to find it within MYSELF to do it. We should all want those around us to be our very best, and we should encourage them and love on them until they reach it. Just my two cents.

I'm frankly not surprised that you've gained. No activity. Meds. Probably depressed. That's certainly a recipe for weight gain! I have Lupus, and I know how meds can put the pounds on...as can inactivity. Maybe a strategy at this point is to begin thinking of being stuck as a temporary situation, and rehearsing how you're going to get back to exercise and good eating soon....and how the weight is going to start coming off. A wise person on this site said that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and that helped me. There will be setbacks, cheating, things to deal with. We certainly know that from dealing with illnesses too. Start thinking about this as just a temporary bump in the road and expect that there will be others. Life keeps coming at us. Hang tight, dear. We're with you.

I went today for my pre admission testing at the hospital... I have never been happy about a surgury before. I just can't wait to get on with things. My dr never even asked me to do a pre surgical weight loss, I have been doing a pre surgical weight gain. I called today to see if I missed him saying that, and they said no.. see you on Wednesday! I am glad everyone is going well. Keep it up! Misty

Awesome info! If you didn't post the website, I was gonna ask you! I had my first breast lift in 1999. It was about $8k. I was very happy with the results. Unfortunately, I hit a huge depression streak and gained and lost weight like crazy for a few years. In 2007, I had another breast lift with a tummy tuck and a little lipo, mainly in the flank area. I did follow the surgeon's suggestion to add small implants to make the shape better and to encourage the lift to hold longer. I believe the implants were 220's and I did do silicone. It seems the earlier complications with them have been resolved and the chance of slippage is much less. My second surgery was close to $15k. My cup size has always remained the same. The inches around has fluctuated with weight loss and gain, primarily in the back area. The recovery from the lift was very easy. The first two days were lousy, seeing my new girls during the first shower was horrible. I was afraid that they would never heal. It was a ghastly sight with so many fresh wounds. They also were very swollen and I felt as tho I were nursing again! lol Within a week, all was good and I was back to work. There was little post op pain after the first few days, however you will sleep on your back for some time! :biggrin0: I have been to Costa Rica on vacation and love it! I would never have thought about surgery there, but am glad to hear your positive experience and recommendation. That is one of the few places I have traveled in the world that I would consider moving to, if I ever left the Pacific Northwest. I have also been to Columbia, which was mentioned earlier, and that scares the hell out of me! LOL However, I was only in Cartegena; it was very touristy and the locals were very aggressive. Maybe it would be better where the hospital or clinic is located :tongue_smilie: My stomach has remained flat since my tummy tuck, even with the weight gain. I have just gotten thicker. I am hoping I won't have to get that redone. However, if needed, I would have the skin tightened but I would not have the muscles cut again. I don't think that would be necessary and the recovery sucks! LOL So far the breasts are not shrinking in cup size at all. Darn it! The back is getting less fatty tho. If I truly get down to the 130's or 120's, I may need a breast reduction. I really don't want to look like I have a fake rack. lol I would love to have a butt lift. Had no idea they even existed until several months ago. I just can not imagine what the recovery would be like tho. Do you lay on your stomach for weeks?? My greatest desire at this point is to fix the turkey neck. My maternal grandmother had it and so does my mom and sister. The part directly under the jaw is shrinking tho; so will see what happens down the road. I really don't have many wrinkles - for which I am very grateful. My eyes are a little droopy tho so would add that on to any surgery I had. I also saw the results of one of Dr. Lara's cosmetic surgeries. A lady had a mini face lift with her sleeve surgery when I was having mine. She looked absolutely amazing and had very little bruising, even three days later. I thought Dr. A had done it but found out this past week that Dr. Lara will come it while you are sedated and do it. If you can come up with the money, I would suggest making any improvements that you can. It may not make you happier in the big scheme of things, but it will give you more confidence. I think anyone who has struggled with weight and had WLS, deserves to enjoy the full enchilada. LOL Besides, you can't take the money with you and your children can work hard to earn their own. I will not inherit a single penny from either of my parents and will still have a decent life doing most of the items on my bucket list :wink0:

I only lost 1/2 pound this past week but am not unhappy as I'm down 16.5 pounds in 5 weeks since surgery. Like the "other" Tom's doctor, my doctor doesn't expect extreme weight loss with the band. His expectations are about 1 pound per week which is a MUCH healthier way to lose than dropping drastic amounts at one time. I too am diabetic but since surgery have maintained healthy blood sugars without any medicines at all. A couple of the meds I was on for diabetes caused weight gain but they want you to lose weight to control the diabetes. That was one of the reasons I opted for the band. I knew losing weight would help control the diabetes and I could get off, or at least reduce, the number of drugs I have to take. I get filled next Monday. Now, if I could get the doctor's office to get the disability paperwork correct, life would be good. As it is, my employer paid me for hours that have now been denied so my check at the end of the month is going to have those hours removed which means I won't get squat. HAPPY NEW YEAR! At least I don't eat as much so the grocery bill isn't as high. <G> Tom

Cheri, Thanks for this insight. I understand the control element; in so much as when I eat when I shouldn't/not hungry/'naughty' food, I feel that I have no control. Stupid as in reality, if someone was watching, they would not look at me as an out of control eater! However, I feel that I don't have control over my body - early menopause started that train of thought... and now weight gain and not being able to lose it. I've lost my mojo and am hating this head space I am in... one of constant exhaustion and disappointment (not just with weight but many areas of my life). But, life goes on and the world keeps turning... we keep on fighting the good fight! Stay safe and well my friend x

Hey there, I have been away for a very long time too. I have also gained weight by drinking Frappacino's and sugary things. It is like, I just got tired and gave up. I had a vision that my body was way to skinny at 146lbs. This was really irrational thinking on my part. After reading all my old friends story, it does seem a bit normal to put on some weight, but just how much weight is normal? I am realizing now that I still need to get back on the wagon, do a cleanse (no sugar), and promote good health in my house. I find myself really really sad. My son is 34 years old and the past year or two, he has become enormously obese. It breaks my heart. So I am looking into the Paleo way of eating. I still drink a lot of Protein shakes daily. But I have let bread back into my diet. I guess what I am saying is that I am really sad over my weight gain. I hate that I am up a size. Dieting just isn't as easy as it was in the beginning. I'm also tired. Everything everyone has spoke about here, rings true for me too. I need to get back into checking in with others to keep on track. I spoke with a case manager at my bariatric center and she told me that in order to loose weight, I need to eat less than 1000 calories. I am so happy I ran into all my old friends on this post. It brings me back to reality. It is still work.......

Congratulations on two years out. Many of us have a weight gain after goal. The choice is to lose the weight or to be comfortable at a higher weight. There is no judgment of what you choose to do. This is your life and your choice. If you choose to lose It's not so much motivation. Reality - This is work to maintain /lose a weight gain. It's not fun to give up the calories and carbs. The weight loss is slower. Know that this gain is manageable if you want to take it off. It can be done. Motivation or Perspective: This is hard but a person with cancer would gladly trade places with us for our weight loss struggles, Right? Wishing you the best, Jenn

Before certain people jump on here and start with the "you have to change the way you look at food" speeches, I should make it clear that my post about the Pasta was my experience with pasta and that it should in no way be taken as an endorsement, recommendation, advocacy, affirmation, approval, or countersignature of similar behavior. My relationship with food was apparently a lot different than some others on here. I was a "volume eater" becuase of other medical problems I had been having that were making me extraordinarily hungry all the time. But I know now, through counseling, that I really wasn't trying to fill a void in my life with food. I thought that might be the case, but it's not. I've only been obese for the last couple years when my other medical problems started. They were eventually corrected, but the weight stayed on. No, I wasn't always "thin" before my weight gain, but I had never put on that much weight. So the "void" wasn't my problem after all. However, if you think the "void" problem might be part of why you are overweight, then I'd rethink why you might be craving pasta.

Newbie here, I’m getting sleeved on the 22nd of March at a BMI of 35.1 Ive had so many people tell me I’m not “that” fat but I’m sorry, 35.1 is severely obese (even though I may not look “that fat”) and as a doctor I know the risks that come with excess weight. I also know the research around weight loss and that this is my best shot of losing the weight and maintaining it long term. I have tried every diet known to man, been to see countless dietitians, have tried all the medications, I exercise like crazy and all I’ve managed is to stall the weight gain. My hubby and I want to start a family next year and I want to give myself the best opportunity for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby- which means I need a healthy weight. I feel my weight is impacting on my chronic migraines and my asthma, and I’m really hoping that losing the weight and feeling better about myself will be that last thing I need to finally fully recover from years of severe treatment resistant depression. So yes, many reasons why I am choosing to have a sleeve at a “low” BMI. Mostly I just want to be healthy! Thanks for reading...

Thanks Skinnie. I am at the opint in this whole journey where my focus is brginning to shift from "how am I going to lose all this weight" to "how am I going to eat and what am I going to feed my family from now on?" There is a different mindset, and both are necessary at different times. I have about 25 pounds to lose before PS and then only 15 to goal, so I am trying to switch to a lifestyle of eating healthy. I will still make Protein my priority and I will eat healthy veggies and fruits. Only whole grains and very little bread. If it doesn't work I can always go back to strict low carb. I am really nervous about this decision. I fear cravings and weight gain, but I think, like you said minnie, that if I stick with healthy choices then I will be ok. I am not going anywhere!! You guys rock!!

Hi! In the first denial letter they stated that my bmi was not high enough(it was 37 at the time), and I did not have comorbidities such as sleep apnea, hypertension, or diabetes. In the second denial letter they stated they would stand by their first decision. However if you read their operative language carefully they do not state that one has to have those exact co-morbid conditions. I would not get too discouraged about the weight gain, my bmi has been moving around the 30s for awhile, and when I was searching googled I do not have some of the co-morbid conditions that people were listing. So I gained weight intentionally to get my BMI in the forties( and I did that during my 3 months of supervised diet). Even when I did get my BMI to 41 they said, I do not have any comorbidities, which I do, so they chose to deny me that second time. I called every day and the main thing they are looking at is do you have any comorbidities or has your BMI been in the 40s for two years. If you get denied I will be happy to help you through the appeal process.