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Here's the problem with that study and many others. It just proves correlation. Nowhere does it mention what these people's diets were outside of diet pop. Most people who drink diet pop were already overweight and had these diseases. We have no idea what else those people in that study were eating or drinking outside of diet pop so how can we say diet pop is the cause? The very few studies that exist that dry to show causation by controlling the diet of the participants have not found a link to weight gain by drinking diet pop. I ate fruit when I was gaining weight. It would be like saying fruit causes weight gain but let's forget the chips, pizza, and Taco Bell was eating as well As to the Water thing, the main ingredient in diet pop is water so it hydrates you as well. What is baffling to me is people will mix aspartame and chemicals in their water and thing it's better than diet pop.

Don't forget the first couple of weeks you have a lot scar tissues and the body trying to get itself back to normal may mean that you will not lose as much as you think. I hope that you do lose 15 or more pounds but be too despondent if you have lost a little less. Any weight loss is better than the weight gain cycle we were in pre-op! Good luck and update us on your news after the visit.

If you will start exercising, take your body measurements for a comparison. I build muscle very easily so my weight started to go up initially with exercising, drove me nuts till I started comparing my measurements and realised I was losing inches so the weight gain was pure muscle ????. Also, if I don't eat enough Protein, I do not lose weight. It's very confusing mentally since we've all been programmed to "just eat less to lose weight" even though that never worked for me, I still had a mental block against eating MORE ???? hardest part is rewiring the brain. Sent from my SM-G900FD using the BariatricPal App

Here is my experience with RNY. First, I had my original gastric bypass in January 2005 at the age of 24 with a starting weight of 249 lbs. I did great with no real problems. I never had a goal weight but I got to my stable weight at about 6 months (157 lbs.). My weight stayed the same till January of 2009 after my divorce. I did gain back about 75% of the weight I loss. It is 100% my fault. I could eat anything prior to weight gain but after the divorce when my entire life changed dramatically I started to eat more often and much more carry out/fast food. The weight came back quickly but I was in denial. This past July I decided to look into a revision. I met with a different surgeon that was a revision specialist. My pouch had obviously stretch. On October 31 I had my revision with a starting weight of 217 lbs. I am now 33 and my recovery has been very slow and painful. I have only lost 10 pounds but I have lost inches. I am struggling with Protein intake. I am positive that I can do this again and commit 100% as my life is drastically different and I actively participate in therapy. So in my nine years here is what I know: #1 You gain regain your weight if you stop following the eating rules. The pouch will stretch. #2 Vitamin deficiencies are very real and you MUST take Vitamins for life. You must also take bariatric vitamins. I will note this part was not true in, research wise in 2005. I developed a deficiency because I was told pills like Centrum and Citracal were just fine. I know now the importance of bariatric geared vitamins. #3 Once I got t to about a two years post op I forgot I even had the surgery because my eating habits were just natural. I didn't think about it. #4 I became extremely fertile after bypass and hormonal birth control didn't work. Most people here are under 3 years out so I hope my story tells a more long term view. I am not a model patient. I admit I did not have to try very hard to lose my weight the first time. But on the other hand it didn't take much to regain it back. For me I went back to letting food be my emotional crunch and coping tool. Now that I have that under control I can be successful. I am 110% delighted I had my original surgery in 2005. Even though I am not having an easy time this go around I know that I am older now but I know what is down the road for me. This keeps me in check.

Just a couple of observations: don't use food as a reward, two treats a week are not needed, drop the sweets for good! you might want to try an anti-depressant, wellbutrin does not promote weight gain, possibly loss. what did you eat to lose the 75 pounds? Sounds like you need to go back to this eating plan. finally the truth, stop making excuses and start using your DS to help you lose your weight you can do this just make a plan and stick with it.

Combination of poor eating habits, lack of exercise, compounded by thryroid disorder. This past year I have not been able to walk more than 5 minutes due to arthritis os.my lower back, which has added to weight gain. I did not begin to have a weight problem until my mid twenties, the same time I was diagnosed with Hashimotos thyroiditis. Sent from my SM-G930T using BariatricPal mobile app

How's everyone doing? Has anyone completed their 1 year post on visit? Have goals been met? My personal goal was to be at or under 200 pounds for my one year. I've been sitting pretty at 220. A 6 pound weight gain since my last post 2 months ago. But I'm happy to report I'm back on track and I had a serious convo with a woman from my surgeons braitric support group. She's 2 years out and has gained 50 pounds after reaching goal so she's struggling to "get back to basics " as they say. I know it's a silly thought but at one point I did feel as though I can eat old guilty pleasures again like a whole bagel with butter (it took me 2 hours to eat and I vomited after because I got really sick), or nachos and cheese with Hot dog (AMC movie date with hubby). I now realize I can't and won't allow myself to eat like that anymore because the sleeve will not work if I don't continue eating right and working my Buty off at the gym. I'm ready to continue my journey and make the next 6 months count. Who's with me?

The answer is both! First off, you don't count total carbs because the carbs that you eat in the form of fiber and sugar alcohols generally pass through undigested and don't contributed to weight gain or energy productiion. You have to deduct them from your total carb intake--so the focus is on net carbs. I am personally follow an ultra-low carb diet and try to keep my total carb intake under 30 net grams (usually under 20). I also count calories and track what I eat. I budget 1500 calories a day, with 45 percent come from protein, 45 percent from fat (healthy fats) andn 10% from carbs. It's working for me.

I can respect your opinion Cheryl, although I do disagree with you. I do think a forum like this can be used to talk about things like pain, etc and to get perspective from people who have actually had the procedure. Though surgeons are obviously educated they, most likely, never had this surgery. So they may not have tips and tricks that people here have. For example, I saw one thread for dealing with gas pain that discussed a yoga pose that was helping people deal with the gas pain. No ones surgeon knew that would help. That was discovered through talking to people in the same boat as you and someone figured out something that was helping others. To me, that is what this is all about. Yes it was a newly started thread that discussed that topic and it had a lot of activity. I get that this is a hot button issue for some of you. For me I see the value Ina new thread, but I believe forums allow for the ability to agree to disagree. That's part of the beauty. If you ever feel like someone is seeking advice that they should be paying for... Then I hope you exercise your right to move along. In my opinion, people aren't trying to use veterans in place of doctors.. It's more about talking to people with practical experience, who may have something to offer that a doctor doesn't. I can also assure you that I will not be eating an entire pie at Christmas and seeking your input about it. I've actually never had poor eating habits, so it's also not about changing the way I eat. My weight gain was due to a medication that I took for many years. I have always eaten healthily and made wise choices since I was a young child, as that's how I was raised. I was finally able to get off the medication and my doctor recommended this path for me. With that said though, people are human. They are going to make mistakes, and sometimes they are going to come here to talk about them. I'm sure there will be a time that I will put something in my mouth that I shouldn't have and I might go here to seek support from the only people who will really understand the torture that goes along with such a decision. I suppose why I commented I this thread is because I felt like there were comments intimating that newbies just didn't know how to play here correctly. I was hoping to remind everyone that all were newbies at one point in time. Perhaps my attempt failed or wasn't appreciated. Either way, I'm going to continue to post and be a part if this community even if the way I participate is frowned upon.

Same here, I did gain some weight back, up to another size but with the edema, we're not sure if it is true weight gain or edema that's making the problem. My legs and feet swell and my belly is starting to go like the kids you see on TV.

Oh, no doubt. I didn't mean to imply that it did. I can only speak from my experience, because my experience is all I have. I still look longingly at cheese. I love cheese. Cheese is like nirvana to me. But I know that if I eat it, I will pay for it, either in weight gain or in pain from the band. Does that mean I never eat it? No. It just means it's a treat, and not something I'd eat often, or much of. I don't even buy my favorites (salami-cheese or cracker barrel extra sharp) because it goes to waste. There's no sense spending 3 bucks for a package of cheese that I'm going to eat less than 1 ounce of before it goes bad. This band surgery doesn't make *anything* magically go away. I don't think I, or anyone else here implied that it does. As I've said a few times, you have to work with the band. If you don't, you're just killing time. I wasn't speaking in absolutes. No one - and I mean no one - eats perfectly from the time their band gets put in, until they reach their goal weight. Working with the band doesn't mean forcing anything for everyone. Working with the band, for ME, means giving up many of the foods I stuffed in my mouth without really tasting, enjoying or thinking about before. It means stopping when I feel full. It means that pizza is a treat, not a weekly dinner. It means that if I am committed to seeing the scale continue to drop, I can't eat many of the things I enjoyed before /shrug. I don't consider it deprivation. And I do occasionally (seriously occasionally - once every few months?) indulge in something that I enjoyed weekly before. But in much smaller portions and in much fewer instances. Really. I'm not being preachy. I know that sometimes fast food is the only option for folks. I know that sometimes, your body is screaming for ice cream. I know that sometimes it pays to give in to a craving in a small way rather than over do it by putting it off. But I also know that the less I give in, the better I feel. And right now, at this stage of my banding progress, I'd rather feel better right now than order from Pizza Hut because I'm too tired to cook. It's a personal thing. Everyone has to do it *their way*. Banding: The Burger King of Weight Loss Surgery. (Have it your way!)

Does anyone have trouble with weight gain after going back on solids? I had a fill on 1/30 and after a week of fluids/soft foods I lost 2 pounds, only to gain them back after going back to solids this past weekend!! Help! I know I'm not eating ANYWHERE near what I did pre-band. My body must just be fighting this whole weight thing. I know my metabolism is so slow . . . I'm frustrated. It feels like I have to be on "nothing foods" to loose.

Hi this is Julie, Julie; i go to see Dr. Jay today at 1:30, I am two weeks out of surgery;i too am on mushy foods and i hd lost 14 lbs but i see a couple pounds creep'n up; i have been told that the main thing is healthy and yes there could be some weight gain until the fills start; i have even been walking a mile + to keep it even but you have to admit going from broth to eggs, beans etc is going to put some on; the sugar fre pudding chocolate is to die for.

I'm married (2nd marriage) but no kids yet. It hasn't really been my weight stopping me, but my life...career, my first marriage ending, meeting my hubby at the time that I did in relation to my career. Now I have to finish anesthesia school before I can try to be a mom. By then, I should be at my goal weight and able to keep pregnancy weight gain to the recommended level...provided I can get pregnant by then. We'll see! Balancing career and wanting to have a family has been tough.

Good morning all, and Happy Friday!!! SLG - Your trip sounded marvelous; hope you took some great pics! And as for your weight gain - you should be so proud of yourself! SHM - Congrats on the house! Now, I can focus all my good wishes on the promotion.... So, where is everyone else? How are you doing? If you are 'lurking', could I entice you to post even just once a month - I miss my VVs. And now for todays news bulletin - it snowed last night!!! ARGHH I don't have the garden winterized yet.....:scared2:

Oh my dear VV's!! My are we struggling??? It's such a great heartache for all of us. Lori, never feel like you are being silly because you lost your cat. I've been through that before - and I see it again on my horizon. My little buddy is getting up there, and is definitely slowing down lately. I try to ignore it, but in my heart I know it's looming. Probably not in the too near future I hope, but it's coming. Ugh, I even feel tears just thinking about it. We have for the many of us been dealing with weight gain. I know for a fact now its much more common than many might think. So many have this false hope that once they have the band that they will lose weight "forever". Well I really try to stress that, that is a false hope. Not in a bad way, but to make sure they understand that no matter what you do - YOU HAVE TO DO THIS ON YOUR OWN. The band is not some magical wizard that is going to do this for you. It helps, sure - but its more like - 10% Band - 90% Willpower. It still beats the 100% willpower though, no? My vacation was super! I just re-charged and I feel great. Now I have to get back to getting up early again. I feel sleepy! Only got about 5 hours sleep!! Anyway, back to what I was mentioning... I am seriously going to get back my weight loss mojo. I am going to be super strick for the month of August. I'm only going to have my 3 square meals - and my lunch and dinner will be strictly portion controlled. My only Snacks allowed are fruit or beef jerkey. No sliders, ie yogurt or whatever. I need to eat things that I know wont leave me hungry again too soon. Good luck and as always - KEEP SWIMMING!! This truly is a life long battle. The good thing is there is no limit on how many times we can try again. :biggrin:

I think some people are unfortunately prone to developing them. My best friend gained 60 lbs with her son and within 4 months had a flat stomach and not ONE single stretch mark. Lucky her. I have no children so I dont know what my body would have done, I fear I would have them all over also. I have some older ones due to teenage growth spurt and some from my 20s around my lower stomach, but they are barely visible now. Mine faded so much that I dont think others would really notice them, but I know they are there. I think the only reason I didnt develop them horribly with the weight gain is because it has been slow and steady and my skin gradually adjusted. Too bad there is no way to get rid of the things.

I initially empathised with the situation myself being a few weeks in. But the more I read the more I question why ? I don't like seeing false accusations of bullying... Know one here is bullying anyone. However there are many caring posts trying to point out and correct various under thought careless inaccurate statements that have been made. And how ridiculous some seem to them. Everyone has an opinion and is entitled to it. I don't think anyone is obsessed by this thread. Unfortunately anyone posting will get follow up emails pointing new posts out. Most logical people seem infuriated that the gastric sleeve is being portrayed as useless. When if weight loss occurs it is working. It is only useless if given to someone who carelessly made their medical team believe it would work for them. This can be done by someone portraying themselves as medically and mentally fit to cope with having the operation. I have just read a statement referencing mental instability and the use of counselling. No councillor worth their weight would sit reading this thread with a client laughing! It is blatantly clear to everyone with any intelligence that we all individually have to ultimately take responsibility for our own actions and decisions. If we have had the gastric sleeve and regret it that is our own personal problem. The gastric sleeve is nothing more than a simple operation where you have your stomach made smaller. With one aim to lose weight and control it. There is nothing that can go wrong unless you unfortunately get a leak. This is avoided by following all your post op directions given to everyone who has the operation here in the UK. Nothing in your body changes. The only difference is everyone having the operation has to take responsibility for changing their habits of a lifetime and learn to eat properly again. This process is difficult but not impossible. It takes support and mental stability to overcome . Newborn babies suffer colic, wind diarrhoea, allergies and numerous health issues while their bodies adjust to food. If a baby can do it I'm sure so can we. It will tell you anywhere that six weeks is not long enough to fully recover from any major surgery. We have all just had major surgery ! I hate my sleeve! What an admission but it's a very personal one. How awful it would be to have to admit that made made a ridiculously wrong decision for myself. If I was unstable I'd try to blame everyone but me. Probably because I was upset and couldn't cope with the thought I was wrong id want to pass the misery into other folks too. If I was stable I'd tell people I was a fool and if they where considering having the operation to make sure they researched and researched. It wasn't right for me but it does work for many . We must think very logically before complaining the gastric sleeve was not right for us only a few months after the operation. Our bodies minds and diets need a long time to adjust. There is no way in a few months this can happen. Any intelligent adult would wait and make sure they have made a full recovery. We can't make a fully informed decision like this until at least 1-3 years post surgery because everyone is different. By that time we will have reached already our lowest possible weight. We will be healed. We may be gaining again . But hopefully because of personal decisions you will have either succeeded or failed at your initial goal to lose weight and learn to control it. If the gastric sleeve isn't working and there were no post op complications it is a personal problem. We need to ask our support team for help, question what am I doing wrong. If we we are not able to cope with the decision and what we have done. The operation can effect some people mentally. Ask for help. We need to question ourselves why can't I cope ? What can I do to help myself and to make it work? I've just read a statement somewhere on this thread 'I didn't know anything about it ' SERIOUSLY! Come on pull the other one that's Impossible . We all have access to a team of support and the Internet. At any pre-op initial NHS consultation for bariatric surgery we will have been verbally informed exactly what any operation entailed. We are also evaluated and asked what our personal lifestyle and eating habits are like. Know one is just granted this operation thoughtlessly. A lot of people are turned away. If granted the operation on the NHS it's because they consider our obesity to be of serious threat to our health. Having internet access at home anyone with any intelligence making the decision to have a gastric sleeve would start researching. If we didn't do this it only goes prove we don't care about our health. If we don't care why should anyone else care about us ? This type of person is a danger to themselves and yes they should not be given the operation. If? the UKs NHS is actually at fault and have a case to answer too! Here in the UK there is a simple complaints protocol in place that anyone can follow to forward complaint too. The NHS has recently had many major shake ups of hospitals and protocols and It is now more than their jobs worth to treat any complaint with distaste. Their is no fear involved in complaining. They will now bend over backwards to help. I have already read a reference to PALS. http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1082.aspx?CategoryID=68 If? I had a genuine case For malpractice I would not sit on a forum chanting to the world with 'oh woe is me' stamped on my head. I'd pick up the phone and action my concerns today. There are also many medical claims companies that will pursue a claim for anyone. If you can prove you actually have something to complain about. Heres a good link. http://www.patientclaimline.com/?utm_source=PPC&utm_medium=dynamicsa&utm_campaign=medicalnegligence&gclid=CI6ftv6W684CFWUo0wodc-YO5g When given a house moving date by the council, or housing association you have to make a choice do I move? Or don't I ? Know one forces your hand. It's a case again take personal responsibility for our own decisions. We are in control of your own destiny always be logical think what is best for me? If someone is critically ill no healthcare or social team would move you. It would be a case where the candidate would have to prove they where well enough and had enough personal family support to make it possible. CDIFF is nothing to do with the gastric sleeve operation. It is an illness anyone can pick up or carry in our bodies it is sometimes transmitted by poor personal hygiene, and in rare instances during any major surgery. It can generally be caused by over use of antibiotics and a very low immunity due to poor health. CDIFF is highly contagious. If actually diagnosed it would never go untreated! If it is contracted in serious form it can ulcerate the bowel and cause a tear. This need monitoring. In a real emergency symptoms would be high fever and serious illness you would be immediately hospitalised. CDIFF is not caught from dirty living and housing conditions. It can only be caught by poor personal hygiene. This is why hospitals use anti bac everywhere and surgeons scrub up prior to operating. C. difficile bacteria and their spores are found in feces. People can get infected if they touch surfaces contaminated with feces and CDIFF spores and then touch their mouth. Healthcare workers can spread the bacteria to their patients if their hands are contaminated. Can CDIFF be treated?Yes, there are antibiotics that can be used to treat CDIFF. If you have a mild case you are given these antibiotics and advised to carefully self care. In severe cases, a person might have to have surgery to remove the infected part of the intestine. This surgery is needed in only 1 or 2 out of every 100 persons with CDIFF. We all know here in the UK the NHS is funded by our tax contributions however we do not pay enough it is severely underfunded. That is why there are hospitals closing and we have a general shortage of doctors and nurses. Limited care and pay disputes... I have also read references to this. You would have paid nearly £10000 for this op privately. I was too was immobile on heavy medication this all contributed to my problems. However more importantly I stopped exercising. I also ate more calories in a day than I needed. Hence the weight gain. It is a scientific fact. This is why we become over weight. Hospital operation appointments are not rushed. They always ask you have you got any questions. You sign pre- op consent form to say you are happy to have the operation. We must take responsibility for our own decisions. If they are uninformed it is our own fault. Operations are definitely not rushed at all. I have now just read quote "in the pre-op stream people think surgeries should stop for now, while the team concentrate on treating veterans that are sick" My opinion here is this actually an activist statement. It could be instigated by people who dislike the NHS paying to help the obese ? Is this a deliberate attempt to undermine those who have had or are thinking of bariatric surgery? Bariatric surgery is done by a bariatric specialist, they cant mend hearts, age related problems or broken legs? If I said I was losing too much weight and I didn't like it. Folks would laugh at me. Considering the reason I had a gastric sleeve was to lose weight. in the first few months the weight loss is faster . It does slow down. Eventually we learn to control what we lose by how much we consume in a day. It's part of the learning curve. No point in me having a lazy attitude I've got to learn to take responsibility and help myself. Again it's down to being mentally stable intelligent and choosing to do the right thing. Firstly by ringing your support team, group , doctor and getting proper advice . But only we can action that. This site gives you all the information you need. The only thing it can't help you with is your own personal journey... http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/bariatric-treatment.html We definitely don't lose the support of your bariatric team only three months after having the operation. We all get follow up appointments. A few weeks months in its all still very very early days. We all need to make sure we get the right help we need. We need to be honest and let the proper people know we need help if we are not coping and struggling. This is a hard journey for any of us to make. But the health improve the that can be made by losing weight would make anyone's life more bearable. I was disabled and on crutches at Christmas. This morning I ran down the stairs to answer the door to the postman. Need I say more... Given time things will get better. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I think since I am self pay, and insurance isn't covering it I might be successful with the sleeve even though people have experienced weight gain. Maybe if you don't have to pay out of pocket you don't treat it as seriously? I don't know. I have a really bad sweet tooth, and when I get a craving for it, I can be really mean if I don't have it. I want the gastric bypass, but with less recovery time and not having to take vitamins forever, it might be the one for me. I really hope after I do this, I don't have to go back in for something else, because that would have been such a waste of money. I am leaning towards sleeve, but am still not convinced. For those of you having surgery or are going back, I wish you guys so much luck for a speedy recovery!!

Maggie This is my experience - I looked in my insurance manuel and asked our health Insurance person if WLS was covered - it states if medically necessary - well i was 244.5 at that time 5'4 52 yrs old. Ck'd my book and the dr here in the desert that does this surgery was approved and so was the hospital in Palm Springs - had to go to a center of excellent - I made the appointment with the surgeon directly and on my own - met with him on 5/31 and he said yes i was a candidate - I had to to a battery of test cuz i don't go to the doctor - lungs (smoker) - heart (had to have a nuclear stress test couldn't pass the treadmill) - colon - pap - mamo - 14 vials of blood - shrink - sleep - I have mild sleep apnea - my breathing gets real shallow when i am in a deep sleep - plus i have high blood pressure - so I have co-mobitidies - once i passed the shrink - my doc's offices sumbitted the paper work to my insurance and i was approved - all the other test are done to make sure you are healthy for surgery - i was still in the mist of getting all the test done when i got the call on 6/21 giving me a 7/17 surgery date - and i think that since it's really just a phyical that your insurance would cover with out approval for the wsl - but I know that medicare does cover this surgery and since I'm not there yet I can't tell you anything about it - maybe it's your secondary policy that wants the supervised doc weight loss diet. I have a gf that is trying to get banded and this is what her insurance requires - every carrier is diff- I have blue cross CA - EXCELLENT... Since your surgeon office deals with insurance carriers all the time i think they know who and who won't approve surgery and what they (ins co) needs to get approval - they want to get you approved and will do their hardest cuz they what the $$$$$ - imho - i am sort of cynical when it comes to doctors - don't get me wrong I LOVE my doctor - but mine has a large program fee - and imho it's his way of getting more than what insurance pays.. This band is NOT the magic cure to your food issues - it banded your tummy not your brain... Only you control what goes into your mouth not the band. I can't stress this enought - I really feel that some people think that the band alone will make them lose weight. The band does not take away all your hunger and it doesn't take away you thinking about food (imho) - it is a tool to control portions The reason we are all FAT right now is cuz we ate alot of food (high fat - high sugar and didn't exercise) That is the plain and simple fact. My typical dinner pre banding would be 3 tacos w/beans (made w/lard) then a hour later 2 more tacos & beans with tons of cheese and then 1 more taco before bed and then during the middle of the night brownies - cookies - ice cream and all I did was sit on my butt Now my typical dinner 4 oz fish - 1/2 cup brown rice - 1 - cup veggies - and I am "full" with this amount of food - but i am still hungry (head hunger cuz it taste good) then later in the evening I will have 2 sf pudding or sf fudgecicle - or sf angel food cake w/dannon yogurt - am I still hungry - sometime even though my tummy is full - ya I could eat more but I don't You have to plan what you are going to eat, you have to shop, you gotta weigh and make individual portions so that you learn what a correct portion size is. Will you have to do this for the rest of your life - hopefully not once you learn what a true portion size is - we fat people have a whole different definition of portion size - "I use to say - who came up with a pint of ice cream being 4 servings - hell that's only one serving" You gotta work at this - the band isn't going to do it for you We are going to be hungry for a while (both head hunger and withdrawls from our addiction)- we are use to eating alot of food but we just don't realize that we were/are eating huge amounts... Got to the thread "At or near Goal" ask those people how they got there - did the band do it or did they do it. I bet most will answer that they made wise food choices and exercised and ya they had some help from the band but that they did most of the work not the band. I just think that too many people think the band is going to do all the work and that they don't have to do any... You are told only to expect 1 -2 lbs a week - if you want to lose then it's all about food choices and exercise... If I lose only 1 lb a week I am happy - but I am working at this lot harder than the band is.. I make wise food choices 1000 to 1200 calories a day which I log and I walk 10- 13 miles a week. The band is only a piece of plastic it can't make your food choices or do the exercise for you... My Doc & Nutritionist said that these were my guidelines- #1 Protein 60 grms daily, low fat, low sugar, 3 meals plus 2 healthy snacks - vitamins, calcium. I am allowed to pick and choose what I eat - I am not limited as to what I eat - just that it's healthy and in size with correct portions - 1/4 cup ice cream (sf) instead of the whole pint made with real sugar & cream. In our lives we allow for a margin of error – which we should also do when trying to eat healthy – if you are eating 1000-1200 calories a day – allow for some of those calories to be used for a little bit of something you really want (chocolate - have a healthy choice fudgecicle - it's s/f & 80 calories)- you need wiggle room in your diet to make it work (I save my morning and afternoon snacks for night time which is my worst time) – the all or nothing practices has to be thrown our of your mind. You can learn to reprogram your mind to strip away the guilt that comes with dieting. You have to realize that it’s not that the first slice of cake that will doom your diet – it’s the second or third or whole thing that leads to weight gain. You have to listen to your body & respond smartly to your cravings and emotions but over time you will learn how to eat right and mange your craving and that’s when you’ll train your brain to stop obsessing about eating right and punishing yourself – If you stop over thinking you’ll stop over eating.. Good Luck on your journey..

Hey There, Yes, I have suggestions and my best one is to follow Dr's orders. With my health condition I ended up having to stay 3 days. Tghe 24th of Dec. is when I got released, our family Xmas meal was at Rube's steakhouse. It was a blizzardy night, my first night out of the hospital (I was in great pain and anxiety) but survived. Use a blender of some sort to puree or eat baby food everything you choose to put in that stomache that has just gone under major surgery, without causing yourself pain or your stomach to have major issues that could include more major surgeries. Then ween into soft types of food. One thing mainly to avoid to continue to lose weight is carb's. Keep them out of your diet completely! They will cont. to bring on more weight gain than any other food! Eat all the meat (Protein), Veg. and Fruits, plus drink some type of Protein drink which containds 60-80mg. a drink up to twice dailey. This will help your body and emotional level to becomew more stable, keep you from losing your hair, give you energy if taken in accordance w/your Dr.'s other recommendations. Always take Folic Acid, Elctra Vit. C, D, E and several of the B Vitamins., now I also add Bee Pollen, Calcium D, and Norwehian Cod Oil. You can follow this and see how it leads you, or let me kow what you are doing for yourself and how this is working. Deb

jodie you poor thing it sounds so sore im sure it is a nappy type rash but it could be fungal infection and require a different type cream( canasten )works great and you need to get it clear before the birth or that would really really hurt ... just one of the many joys of pregnancy!! i know what you mean though ive been so lucky in pregnancy so far and had no complaints now im on home straight i feel like never a day goes past im not moaning ..i aint bloomin now......lol i have had second uti and im so exhausted all the time ,no weight gain so pressure all around me about the health of baby ,(going for check up tuesday)and now my little one aidan whos four is ill with high temperature runny nose ,eyes and headache and now measles type rash poor wee man before panic sets in im immunised so im ok !!and its not menegitis its been coming on past two days. then lately been having nerve pains where babs seems to be putting pressure on places he shouldnt and im nearly jumping through roof as i get these sharp pains between legs or in my hip ,they kinda funny pains so sharp and quick they make you jump then laugh then go ouch !! see i told you im a moan ....lol.........not all day long though so i guess im ok

Hi Everyone, I am 12 weeks pregnant and so happy to have found this thread! :whoo: This is my first pregnancy and I am trying to be careful to make sure that I don't go overboard on the weight gain. I am going to work very hard to only gain the recommended amount. I found this calculator that I thought would be good to share with the group since we are all focused on a healthy pregnancy. Weight Gain Calculator for pregnancy. Weight gain when pregnant. One of the things I read that I am very excited about is that the pregnancy weight is so much easier to lose with the help of our bands! Gawd, I love my band. I had a complete unfill at 8 weeks and it has been really hard not to go all out. I have to admit that I have not been eating very healthy (too much fast food and dining out) since my unfill. I'm inbetween my regular clothes and maternity clothes right now. So I decided to go to our outlets and stock up on some work clothes that are 2-3 times larger than my normal size. The Lane Bryant Outles has some very cute career and casual clothes that I am wearing now and I think they will work just as good on the 9 months down. Well, I wanted to introduce myself and say Hi. Here's to a very healthy and happy 9 months to all of us! :clap2:

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:)

Hi Ladies!! Just as an update I had a defill 0.4cc so my current restriction is 2.8cc and man what a difference it makes, I've been eating like theres no tomorrow I've gained 5 lbs since November 3rd total weight gain so far is 12 lbs, yikes! Its otae though as long as I know my bundle of joy is growing up to speed nothing else matter, right gals! Where is everyone at gaining wise? Wow Raynie, Batman theme, you'll have to take pics when its done I cant wait to see it!