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Carbonated drinks (sodas, beer, etc.) is a real no-no. It's not the calories that are a problem, but rather the carbonation. The carbonation swells and stretches the pouch. Do that enough times and stretch the pouch, then it takes more food to fill you up and make you feel full. Eat more to fill you up = eventual weight gain.

That’s not too bad. I’m very anxious about weight gain. Glad you’re doing ok!

Thank you for the support. I am going to register on Sparkpeople.com and start tracking my calories. I was feeling SO upbeat. And then, when the NP started reeling off the statistics and saying that she's seen more people fail than succeed with the band -- it just played into my old feelings of discouragement. Excercise isn't a problem for me. My weight gain is fairly recent (last 5-years), and before I gained, I was always a big excerciser. In fact, I came in first in my category in a Triathalon 10-years ago. I won't go to the health club right now -- I don't want anyone to see me at this weight. I don't want to see myself in excercise clothes right now either -- not a pretty sight! Instead, I bought a treadmill and a stationary bike and I work out at home. It's a bit difficult for me at the moment as I just had knee surgery a month ago, but I did 45-minutes on the stationary bike this morning, which always makes me feel good. I did it in my underwear -- like, who can see? :smile: It's the eating that's my bugaboo. The food. The stuffing. The feeling horrible after. I need it to stop. I want it to stop. If the band can help me stop the behavior, then I want to be on the train to bandland. Writing to this group helps. Thanks for listening. b.

You go girl! Maybe I should have, too! It might have helped me with my Water weight gain. I had lots of Soup this weekend because I had a fill Friday and my surgeon told me to do liquids all weekend. I would have stuck to Protein shakes but the ones I have are really high in protein and I didn't want to overdo it.

Historically, I don't think I ate enough real sugar items to affect my weight with any significance and with that, any subsequent dumping was just a sad consequence (with no real weight gain "suppression" benefits). My "normal" average calories are and remain 1800-2000 regardless of my occasional trip down sugar lane, LOL. I think this recent phase of sugar-free chocolate mega-consumption just replaced the water weight I lost (i.e, 6 lbs) immediate after PS. I was averaging probably 700 cals that first week. So i guess my carb increase (along with these damn chocolates) just put back what I lost as a result of the extreme calorie and carb deficit. My body seems to like 115 lbs (based on an average calorie intake of 1800-2000 and my normal activity levels). I will go up or down a few pounds all the time but my average for the last 6-ish months is solidly around 115 lbs. Which is fine by me. So I am not really mourning the regain. However, I really want to get toned and buff once I am cleared for exercise and I will need to figure out what my future new "normal" weight will be WHEN I add extra muscle. Also will need to figure out how to tweak my daily menus to support this endeavour. PROJECT!!

I actually let myself indulge a bit and had a few sugar cookies a couple chocolates and a snickerdoodle over the past few days. Stayed within my calories and no weight gain. It feels good to have enough confidence to occasionally eat junk! It took me awhile to let go of “letting go” a little.

For me- my immediate family and a friend who had GB as a support system. My weight gain (mostly) was due to having rheumatoid arthritis. The high doses of daily prednisone along with IV decadron monthly as well as many other meds, the lack of mobility due to the pain caused me to 1) blow up and 2) created iatrogenic adrenal insufficiency ( no adrenal function- no metabolism). Friends and neighbors watched me grow over the course of 5 years. Then it was simply status quo- I was fat. But trying to explain that I was having GB to lose the weight and take the pressure off of my joints just sounds like an excuse. ( even to me) Therefore when asked about why I was having surgery, my response is simply- my stomach suffered horrid side effects from all my RA meds so they had to operate. Kind of the truth!!

This is where I laugh all the time. I could have died or ended up with some serious complications. Other than that, for me, this was absolutely the easy way out and thankfully this way existed. I mean why would you want to do it the hard way when there is an easier way. Losing weight is a full time job for us fatties and losing weight is not the kind of job I want. I am certain that in the next 5 months I will have to put some effort into losing the remaining weight until goal, but anything that will get me to where I need to be easier and faster...I will take it. I struggled long enough with the weight gain and losses - I was over it! So I paid for a scary, but excellent tool which makes it easier for me to lose weight. I don't really see this surgery as hard, but if anyone says to me...why did you take the easy way out...I would say to them...why wouldn't I? Struggling is overrated!

Wecome home Barbara4. Glad you had a good time without much weight gain and hope you get over the colds quickly. Of course I'm all for the Vegas trip. I looked at the calendar and I have three thoughts. The first weekend is close to the Memorial Day holiday. The last weekend is close to the 4th of July holiday. The 17th is Father's Day. These are just observations and may not make any difference to anyone but thought I would point them out to anyone who might have family obligations on those dates. That would leave the weekends of June 9th and June 23rd. Is the plan to get a group of rooms at one casino? Or let everyone get their own rooms? It's such a big place with so much to see and do it will take an organized coordinator to keep us all together. Sounds like a good job for a trained "project manager". Just kidding you Barbara! I think we should have scheduled things together and plenty of free time to do things on our own. At this point I'm not sure about my husband attending but I'm sure there will be plenty of gals that will go single so I think we should keep that in mind and not plan lots of things that include husbands that might make singles feel left out. At his point I am thinking a weekend away with the girls (without husbands) sounds really good! These are just a couple of my thoughts. Let's hear from others. Do we have any idea how many are planning to attend? Happy New Year to everyone!

kmiller... music is right. This weight gain is from surgery. I had an ablation done and gained 8. It took 6 days for the iv stuff to flush out of my system and then I started losing. It is a freak out moment but you got this. Just keep working the program.

rosie, They may have had to give you additional fluids in the OR during your surgery. I know that my blood pressure drops alot with anesthesia, so I am anticipating a weight gain when I have my surgery in 10 days. Best of luck to you!!

Has anyone experienced weight gain before being banded? I was such a nervous wreck before I got the approval from insurance that I feel like I gained some weight. I'm afraid to step on the scale...as usual!!! My doc does not require a pre-op diet, but I think that I will try some protein shakes for a few days before surgery.

Formerly obese personal trainer Kelly Coffey talks turkey about excess skin, and what she did - and continues to do - about hers. Dear Coffey - I’m thinking about having weight loss surgery, but I’m not too keen on living the rest of my life with extra, loose skin. What can I do to keep that from happening? Sincerely, Cecelia in CA Hey there, Cecelia - Congratulations on taking the reigns and exploring your options. I hope you find a good, honest surgeon who can help you figure out if weight loss surgery might be a strong choice for you. As with everything concerning our bodies, the topic of loose skin generates a whole lot of hype. The truth is there are exactly six things you can do to minimize excess, loose skin after weight loss - whether or not you have WLS. The first three are preventative, and apply to the period before weight is lost. The last three apply to the post-weight loss period. First, prevention. 1- Don’t wait. Ask any aesthetician or midwife and they’ll tell you: the younger we are, the more our skin can bounce back from a stretch. If you would be more comfortable weighing less and you’re afraid of having excess skin, the younger you are when you lose weight, the better. But don’t waste precious energy wishing you had lost weight in your early 20s. You have today, and today is where your power is. If there are choices you want to make in service to your health and happiness (whether or not they would result in weight loss) today is the day to make them. 2- Avoid the loss/gain cycle. Imagine how a once-inflated balloon looks and feels after you let the air out. Now imagine the same balloon after 4, 6, or 10 deflations. Much like the balloon, the more times we lose weight and gain it back, the looser our skin gets. Again, now is not the time to berate yourself for all those “successful” stints in Weight Watchers that ended with you gaining the weight back and then some - it happens to all of us, myself included. Today is the day to get yourself stronger, more sustainable tools - tools that support long-term weight loss and minimize the probability of gaining it back. These tools exist, and you can get an introduction to them in my free online workshop, Why We Sabotage Ourselves (with Food) (and What We Can Do About It). 3- Keep weight gain to a minimum. The heavier we get, the more our skin stretches, and the less likely it is to bounce back after we lose weight. You can’t do anything now about your weight history. Feeling badly about it or judging yourself for it will only make you want to numb out (if you’re anything like me, probably with food). If you are reading this at the heaviest weight you’ve ever been, then this is the heaviest you ever need to be. If weight loss is something you want to do for you, your skin will thank you for making caring choices toward that goal starting now. That covers the things you can do to minimize excess skin before you lose weight. Now let’s look at what you can do once the weight is gone. 4- Build muscle. Contrary to popular belief, strength training does not “tone” or “tighten” the skin. Skin elasticity has nothing - NOTHING - to do with exercise. But strength training gives loose skin something hot and firm to lie over - namely biceps, triceps, quads and abdominal muscles. Lots of folks - especially women - shy away from strength-training, or think it’s better to use smaller weights and do more reps. This is a myth that keeps women from ever seeing the results they want and deserve. Assuming you’re being safe and reasonable, the heavier and harder and you train, the more muscle you build, and the better you’re likely to feel about how your skin looks. 5- Have surgery. Even if you’re young, even if you lose weight just once, and even if you strength train like a boss, there’s still a limit to the impact we can have on excess skin after weight-loss. Some consider having skin removal surgery. If this is something you’re thinking about, be warned: Words like “lift,” “nip,” and “tuck” are misleading. Skin removal surgery is no joke. I know that because I had it. The surgery hurts like hell, and can put you out of commision for weeks or months. Also, the medication usually prescribed to manage the post-op pain is highly addictive. If you’ve got a compulsive / addictive relationship to food, you’re way more likely to get hooked on painkillers than someone who doesn’t struggle with the compulsive overeating. 6- Love yourself. Loving your body isn’t going to tighten, lift, or shape your skin after you lose weight, but it can minimize the negative impact that living with loose skin might have on you otherwise. Love is action. Love means making consistently caring choices because you deserve to be cared for, no matter what you weigh or how your body looks. If you struggle to make consistently caring choices, whether you’re pre-op, post-op, or no-op, you’re not alone, and there are practical, usable tools to help you get there. Where will you fall on the loose skin spectrum? You can’t really know unless and until you lose weight. I yo-yo dieted for 10+ years, maxing out at 307 pounds. I had Roux-en Y in my mid-twenties and lost over half my body weight. Eventually I started strength training and became a personal fitness trainer. Two years later, I opted to have abdominoplasty (aka a tummy tuck), because the excess skin on my stomach was beyond anything that could be mediated or improved with exercise. The surgery hurt like a son-of-a-b***h and had me out of work for a month. I’ve made peace with the loose skin on the rest of my body. The muscle I’ve built with regular strength training helps a lot. So has treating my body with care one choice at a time for over a decade. It’s given me self-respect and peace that make my batwings an insignificant afterthought. Loose skin post-weight loss is inevitable for those of us who are or have been obese. But if you would be healthier or more comfortable in your body weighing less, don’t let the fear of loose skin keep you from doing what you need to do to get there. Our bodies will never look like other people’s bodies, and that’s OK. Our bodies tell our stories, and our stories are our strength. All good things, Kelly Coffey PS: Whether or not you decide to have surgery - and even if you've already had it by the time you read this - you can use the tool that's helped me to turn my life and my health around. To learn it, click here to grab a seat in my free online workshop, "Why We Sabotage Ourselves (with Food) (and What We Can Do About It)"

Ok guys I need some advice. I am like Barbara and VERY sensitive to fills. I will repeat my last fill story of 2 weeks ago so you know where I'm coming from. Fill under fluro- tech said I need .6, I told her I was sensitive and back it off some. so she put in .5 went out to drink water, 3 drinks WHAMO, threw it up.:frusty: Tech takes out .2 (now I have .3 total) go drink water, it gurgles, but I feel like I am ok, just swollen from throwing up and the 2 sticks of the needle, she says can't let me leave with gurgling so she takes out .2 more leaving me with a grand total of .1, ok so after a couple days go by, swelling goes down, guess what, I'm wide open again. So wide open I have gained 6lbs since that fill, I am SOOOO frustrated!!!! Ok here is the advice I need. I am going in to get another fill on Thursday, and I am going to tell them I don't care what the fluro machine says I only want X amount. But I am not sure if I should say .3 or .2, so based off of my story, what do you all think???? I want these pounds I gained back off! On a side note: I can eat a lot more but have been trying not too, but hungary all the time.:hungry: I am however taking a prescription called Chantix to help me with the smoking, is it possible the medicine is causing the weight gain too? I just don't know what to do.....Help!!!:help:

Aw Randi cheer up. Things will get better. I gained 5 lbs when I couldn't go to the bathroom. It has now gone. So will your weight gain from the antiobiotics. You need to concentrate on YOU. Your son has to live his life and make his own mistakes and find his way. Hard for Mother's to accept I know. We love them and their little ones, but they have to find their own way. Just like we did. Losing our parents is hard. I know now that both my parents are gone I find it strange to realize I'm an orphan. Being 59 doesn't change that! Remember the good times, but don't dwell on the loss. Let's get the weekend started!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be good bandsters and have a fun weekend.

Happy Wednesday! I don't know if it's the new year or having my husband with me for another day or being able to eat since my unfill, but I wake up each morning with gratitude and excitement. Yes, I have been eating too much and yes, the scales have tipped a couple pounds in the wrong direction, but I'm ok with that for now. I need time to mend both physically and mentally. It is so great just knowing that I have this band and that I can control the weight gain at anytime I want! I plan to make an appointment today for another fill. I know it will take a week or better to get the appointment and I will be ready by then. All you Junbies seem so happy. Losing pounds, exercising more, stopping smoking! Just think how we all felt last year at this time when we had just come through yet another holiday with the usual weight gain. What a life changing year 2006 was for all of us. Anytime any of us wants to beat ourselves up for an occasional hot fudge sundae or whatever vice we encounter, we need to look back a year and Celebrate our successes. Just think what a group of wild and crazy Junbies we will be in Vegas in a few months. This trip needs to be a celebration of life and good health for us all. Everyone needs to really, seriously consider this trip and do whatever you can to make it. You deserve to celebrate your success. You have earned it! Ok, where's Pinkylee? I haven't seen her on here since the new year. Pinky! Come back, we miss you!

I was referring to Barbara, but thats ok Lisa. I need to change my ticker to reflect my weight gain from the unfill for 3 months, I haven't been 155 in 4 months, 155 would make me happy again. I know I have accomplished a lot, but when I came sooo close to goal and then hit this wall and went backwards it has become very frustrating. I know I have no reason to gripe because a lot of you haven't lost what you have wanted, but I was trying to vent a little of my frustration to my junebie friends. Not mad at all Lisa, I promise!!!

Happy new year Junebies. It seems like just yesterday, yet its been 2 1/2 years. We've all been through lots, but 2009 will be great! We can choose to make it so. THings are up and down with me. I've had another EGD. Still lots of polups, but the band seems to be OK. I'm unfilled at the moment. I am going to start back, but slowly. I've had a rough year and a weight gain of about 20 lbs. I couldn't keep anything down, but gained weight. When I could eat, I ate anything that was easy and fattening. Being unfilled for 2 weeks has taught me I can't be trusted without this band. Food doesn't have the same attraction, yet I'm eating way too much. I am eating breads which is something I haven't been able to do for several years. Its time to get back to the program. I am barely fitting into my clothes and with the economy I can't afford to buy new ones. I hope everyone recommits to love yourself and be kind. Live each day as it is meant to be.

sogal congrats. A job well done. The realization that you are at goal will come in small ways. Don't worry about not feeling the big "wow". We are so proud of you!!!! and a little green!!!!! Melissa I think you should be so proud as well. I can't imagine how you have dealt with all the changes in your life and still managed to keep on track. Wear those tight jeans (or fitted jeans) with pride. Weight loss doesn't make us happy. That comes from how we decide to live our life. Happiness comes from our attitudes. I've learned a few things on this journey that have surprised me, but lessons I needed to learn. I now know since the unfill that I can't be trusted with food. I have not dealt with my issues with food. The lapband is just a tool that prevents us from being the gluttens we are. I would gain every ounce back if it were not for the lapband. My wanting to be thinner, my pride in my appearance, the smaller clothes, are not enough to keep me from the appeal of food. It is an addiction. And to be honest with all of you, it scares the heck out of me. I didn't realize what a pull food has on me. I have eaten all the foods I haven't in 18 months. Even when I didn't want it, I was eating. I don't know why that is, but I need to figure that out to move forward. I'm off to get my fill. Not sure what I will end up with,, but this is a start over for me. I'll update my ticker to reflect the new fill later today and the weight gain. As we enter the new year may we all find peace and contentment in our life. May we adjust to the new bodies and find happiness within ourselves. Love you my fellow junebies. I couldn't have made this journey without you.

Glad to hear your DH is OK Lisa. Under the circumstances the cupcakes can be forgiven. PinkyLee so good to see the scale move in a positive direction. Hang in there I think things will start moving once again. Melissa let us know how your Dad is doing. He is in our thoughts and we're glad you are with him. We'll miss you at lunch, but your Dad his definitely more important. I'm just coasting this week. I'm not being really good or really bad. The scale is not moving so I still have the 4 lb weight gain from the unfill. Since I lost 8 lbs in just a few days I guess it was to be expected. I'm still 10 lbs down from the 1st of the year, so that's not bad. Have a great day and stay warm for all of those in north and east. Several of our offices are closed and by Go Live for a new application is put off until tomorrow. It's like throwing a party and no one comes!

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.

@CamillaCallie just done all my pre op testing. It was really just blood work more ? From the Dr. EKG that's it. I have to start my clear liquid diet tomorrow because of the weight gain I have to do 3 weeks. But other then that it was fine.

I will say coming from someone who has had PCOS for 20+ years it is it’s own can of worms as far as trying to get it under control. I have a great doctor who realizes the struggle with it. Since starting on my pre-op weight loss I have realized how much it affects our weight. I can literally get 10-20 g more of carbohydrates per day and cause a weight gain. And I don’t necessarily mean “bad carbs” I mean even starchy vegetables, etc. There are some great PCOS resources out there for eating specifically for that disorder. Hoping you can find a plan or doctor who understands and can better help and treat you. I know the frustration it causes.

Boy I just killed myself this weekend. I ate all kinds of stuff that I shouldn't of. I had a little weight gain too. So back on the wagon I go! I have two weeks before my surgery to get my head together! Wish me luck!

I stalled for 2 weeks at weeks 4 and 5. Just about lost my mind but just kept with the diet. Then I just all of a sudden started losing again. I'm convinced it was my fat putting up a fight! Yea, I was stalled for 2 weeks, then had a 2.6 pound weight gain last Friday.. started my period. yay. :/ this morning I was down 2 of the 2.6 pounds.. my body is definitely fighting.