Search the Community

I am required to have 6 months of nutritional counseling. There is no specified amount, but I have to lose a little every month. Any weight gain, and I can be denied. I'm 2 months in. Planning for surgery end of November early December. I am using fitness pal with the goal so losing 1 lb. per week. It automatically adjusts the calorie intake based on my high protein low carb diet. I have managed to lose weight, some came from having a stomach bug, but I'll take it. I already feel the difference in my knees. I'm just taking it one step at a time. I didn't get this big overnight, and I'm not going to lose it overnight...until I get the surgery. Lol. I wish you well on your journey. Lucretia

I had my band put in feb 9 th, 2009 and have gone from 325 pounds to 200 pounds ...Recently I gained 20 pounds back and have found myself to get sick 4 outta 5 times I eat now....Been trying to identify suspect foods....Pretty much the only kind of meat I eat is fish, no beef or chicken.....I haven't drank any milk for over a year now...just use almond milk... I worked out the first 3 years of my band being put in...Last 2 years I've limited my exercise. I'm wondering because of my weight gain if I have tightened the band too much ? Anyways, by not being able to keep anything down , I believe I may fix the problem soon . Has anyone else experienced the inability to not keep anything down? I would like to be able to eat again and am grateful when I can.

So true the cleaner/healthier we eat our bodies hate junk /processed food. Yes the cruise will have good choices as well as for me I'm packing some Protein powder and bars for mine. I can't eat in the am until late morning so I Make protein lattes n back a bar for the excursions just in case. I found my band has been tighter the past few weeks and when I went for my annual check up he said it looked good but a but a tad tight and asked if I wanted an slight unfill I was scared about gaining weight do I sad no after a horrible weekend of not keeping much down I'm going Thursday to get a slight unfill just to make sure I won't be sick on my cruise. I already eat right and work out so a slight unfill hopefully won't cause weight gain . I think it's in my head so the first year was great I'm going to make the lifetime band living better than great so I'll take a few bumps as we adjust to living together forever . Lol not sure if it's the weather or some stress I'm going through (who doesn't have stres) but I must do what's necessary to keep my band and myself in sync with the help of my dr

LeeB1946 is right, insurance companies do not pay for tummy tucks but will pay for a panniculectomy (skin removal only) IF medically necessary. If you have any rashes under the skin fold, see your doctor, take photos; that's your best bet for it being medically necessary. Also make sure your weight loss has been documented by your doctor, as your insurance company might want to see documentation of your weight loss & that your are serious about keeping the weight off; my insurance required this documentation. My insurance paid for the panniculectomy & I paid the difference for the full tummy tuck. With a tummy tuck more of the skin is removed (a lot more in my case) and your muscles are repairs (tightened back to normal, as they were stretched with your weight gain too, just as your skin was stretched). I had so much extra skin I immediately went down 2 pant sizes after surgery & after all swelling went down ultimately went down 4 pant sizes after the tummy tuck!! Scars...yes there are scars. I have a scar from hip to hip...literally!! HOWEVER, placement of the scar is key. Doctors differ on their technique & this is an art, so make sure you research your doctor & see before & after photos from your doctors other patients. I was able to wear a bikini (YES A BIKINI!!!!!) for the first time in 20 years last weekend & my scar was completely covered. My doctor did an AWESOME job placing the scar low with a perfect curve! I will also add this surgery is NO JOKE!! It was the worse surgery recovery I have ever had & I've had my share of surgeries. I was down for a month & SLOWLY got back to normal thereafter. It is painful & takes everything out of you to heal...leaves you with NO ENERGY!! Even knowing how awful the recovery was, I would do it again knowing the results I have! The Lapband changed my life & the my TT changed my life to a place I never dreamed! Without that roll of skin I am able to property exercise, I can wear pants that actually fit me, I can be completely proud of my hard work & weight loss AND did I mention I was in a bikini for the first time since I was a teenager! TOTALLY worth every minute of the recovery. Just do your research on the doctor you choose. Good luck with your journey!

I finally stopped throwing up 3 weeks ago. Feel bad for you that you had to endure not feeling that well on your vacation. The weight gain could be Fluid retention from flying too. I usually swell up like a balloon on flights over 3 hours! I too am suffering from quite a bit of a queazy feelings after drinking anything. And for first time in my life I have been experiencing heart burn but mostly when I drink plain Water?!? Odd Overall though, I feel GREAT. Down 26lbs since surgery, now that my calories are between 800-1000 /day the weight is moving much quicker. Started up with my Pilates instructor for the first time since surgery and she was shocked. Said I looked like I lost half of me! I love her! She's probably exaggerating - but it was sure nice to hear. I have a brand new wardrobe weekly it seems. All of the beautiful clothes that I have bought over the past few years only to never wear them or rarely wear them do to my ever increasing size. Only now, I can wear them and some I've only worn once or twice and they are falling off now - what a tremendous journey. I hope everyone is doing well too!

@@tfowler I hope you had a great weekend! We really enjoyed the lake and the turkey burgers were a huge hit! I went low carb with mine and wrapped it in lettuce instead of a bun. I am finding eating healthy to be a lot easier than I thought it would be. I have my last doctors appointment today and then my scope is on the 17th. I can't believe how fast the time is flying by! I understand completely about wanting to be healthy and not be the "fat" relative. I have a younger cousin who asked me why I had gotten fat. Like your sister, my aunt punished her even though I insisted that it was not her fault. I am the biggest member of my family. Obesity is not hereditary in my case, but endocrine problems are. I just happened to get the endocrine issue that causes weight gain and makes it extremely hard to lose weight. My family thinks that it is so easy to just eat right and exercise, but I have been there and done that, and in the end, diet and exercise don't work for me. I am so ready for this battle to be over and to start my new life! I know you are excited as well, only two more weeks!!! YAY!

The recurrence of weight gain postOp is as welcome as the ex- coming to the new wedding. Giving up on the game at intermission after playing a winning first half is an alluring strategy that doesn't lead to victory. It is way too easy to slip back into Old Bad Eating Habits -- overeating and grazing during non-meal times---without really grasping how our path has turned in the wrong direction. The Band is a tool but it is our Mind, our Brain, our individual Determination that must be played every day, every meal, every snack, and every time we seek to soothe the Belly Beast. We must engage ourselves in the Daily Choice: do I eat to live, or do I live to eat? The habits of decades remain all to ready to leap into control of my own Daily Choice. re: "I gave up but recently considering going for another fill. Any similar stories?" In a word, yes. Don't give up. Don't give in. Get back in to your A-Game. Use your best moves, and engage your determination to succeed. The Enemy is Morbid Obesity. It has many tricks. Rededicate yourself to reach your goal. You can do it.

Here's my saga. I posted this elsewhere in the forums and was kind of surprised at the negative response, so let me say, this is just my story. I'm not bashing the band, I'm very thankful for the success I had with it. I'm not bitter or angry, it just didn't work for me long term. I had a Realize band placed in February of 2009. My starting weight was 268. The band was fantastic and I lost weight steadily, with the exception of a few months when I realized how easy Cookies were to eat. In December of 2010, I hit the 100 pounds lost mark, I also found out I was pregnant that same week. At about 4 weeks pregnant I had a really nasty 3 day stomach flu. A few days after recovering from that, I started throwing up again. I could keep food down for a few hours, but it was all coming back up. I lost another 15 pounds in 2 weeks. I thought it was just severe morning sickness, even though in 5 previous pregnancies I'd never had morning sickness. I saw my Ob who told me to immediately get my band unfilled and if I was still throwing up the next day he'd have to admit me into the hospital. I got a complete unfill and immediately felt better, but with no restriction and absolutely no mental/physical/spiritual preparedness for no restriction, my love affair with all things bread and pastry renewed like we were never apart. I gained 40 pounds in the first 4 months of my pregnancy. I managed to gain back a little control, but ended up gaining about 60 pounds before I had my daughter in August of 2011. The weight gain took a great emotional toll on me, but I just knew that 6 weeks postpartum I'd get a fill and be right back on track... You know where this is going, right? In October of 2011 I got my band refilled. Pre-pregnancy, my fill level was at 7.2cc in an 11 cc band. We filled it to 3.5 cc and 3 weeks later filled it to 5 cc. I had very little restriction and it just didn't seem right. I'd also started getting heartburn. I went back a few weeks later and we filled it to 5.5. That lasted 24 hours, I had to go back in for an unfill and we went down to 5.2 so I could get Water down. I still didn't have much restriction, but I did have terrible heartburn and vomiting in the middle of the night. I lived with this for a few months until I couldn't stand it and went back in and had .5 cc removed. This made the heartburn manageable with daily meds and tums always at hand, but there was no restriction. I could eat all the bread, Pasta, rice that I wanted. I knew I had a slip, but didn't have insurance to cover bariatrics, so I lived with it. I tried eating less, exercise, weight watchers, even a juice fast but I've gained 20 more pounds on top of the baby weight. Fast forward to now and I finally have insurance to cover bariatrics. I went in a few weeks ago and had my upper GI. It showed a slip above the band, virtually my entire stomach is above the band, which is why there is no restriction felt, but the band was so tight that flow into the rest of my digestive tract was severely restricted. Food just sat there for a really long time, and the results of that we're just kind of gross. We unfilled the band completely to see if the slip would fix itself, although, we all knew what that result would be. The pregnancy hadn't caused the slip, the stomach flu had and 9 months of an empty band hadn't helped it unslip. I got that confirmation this week. My band is still slipped and the restriction is still severe even empty. I'm frustrated, but quite relieved that there has been a real issue this whole time and it wasn't just me. We're now going through the process of getting insurance approval to revise to a sleeve and I couldn't be happier.

I think your body will slow weight loss and stop when it needs to. You are pretty young and so getting back to your pre children weight would not be too thin. So I don't think you should worry over much. Add some healthy higher calories Snacks. My goto is a handful of almonds, dark chocolate m&ms and almond m&ms. It is fat and tiny bit of sweetness and also fills me up. I would not recommend in Weight loss phase but in maintenance it really hits the spot. I also have a banana or other fruit a couple times a week when I never did I in weight loss phase plus 2-3 Alice's of bread a week. Just make sure to track so that a little extra doesn't add up to more and then you get hooked on carbs or sugar which is what causes weight gain. Remember Protein then fat then carbs - and very rarely sugar.

Hi all, I am new to this group but looking forward to participating. Here's my story in a nutshell: I had a Realize band placed in February of 2009. My starting weight was 268. The band was fantastic and I lost weight steadily, with the exception of a few months when I realized how easy cookies were to eat. In December of 2010, I hit the 100 pounds lost mark, I also found out I was pregnant that same week. At about 4 weeks pregnant I had a really nasty 3 day stomach flu. A few days after recovering from that, I started throwing up again. I could keep food down for a few hours, but it was all coming back up. I lost another 15 pounds in 2 weeks. I thought it was just severe morning sickness, even though in 5 previous pregnancies I'd never had morning sickness. I saw my Ob who told me to immediately get my band unfilled and if I was still throwing up the next day he'd have to admit me into the hospital. I got a complete unfill and immediately felt better, but with no restriction and absolutely no mental/physical/spiritual preparedness for no restriction, my love affair with all things bread and pastry renewed like we were never apart. I gained 40 pounds in the first 4 months of my pregnancy. I managed to gain back a little control, but ended up gaining about 60 pounds before I had my daughter in August of 2011. The weight gain took a great emotional toll on me, but I just knew that 6 weeks postpartum I'd get a fill and be right back on track... You know where this is going, right? In October of 2011 I got my band refilled. Pre-pregnancy, my fill level was at 7.2cc in an 11 cc band. We filled it to 3.5 cc and 3 weeks later filled it to 5 cc. I had very little restriction and it just didn't seem right. I'd also started getting heartburn. I went back a few weeks later and we filled it to 5.5. That lasted 24 hours, I had to go back in for an unfill and we went down to 5.2 so I could get water down. I still didn't have much restriction, but I did have terrible heartburn and vomiting in the middle of the night. I lived with this for a few months until I couldn't stand it and went back in and had .5 cc removed. This made the heartburn manageable with daily meds and tums always at hand, but there was no restriction. I could eat all the bread, pasta, rice that I wanted. I knew I had a slip, but didn't have insurance to cover bariatrics, so I lived with it. I tried eating less, exercise, weight watchers, even a juice fast but I've gained 20 more pounds on top of the baby weight. Fast forward to now and I finally have insurance to cover bariatrics. I went in a few weeks ago and had my upper GI. It showed a slip above the band, virtually my entire stomach is above the band, which is why there is no restriction felt, but the band was so tight that flow into the rest of my digestive tract was severely restricted. Food just sat there for a really long time, and the results of that we're just kind of gross. We unfilled the band completely to see if the slip would fix itself, although, we all knew what that result would be. The pregnancy hadn't caused the slip, the stomach flu had and 9 months of an empty band hadn't helped it unslip. I got that confirmation this week. My band is still slipped and the restriction is still severe even empty. I'm frustrated, but quite relieved that there has been a real issue this whole time and it wasn't just me. We're now going through the process of getting insurance approval to revise to a sleeve and I couldn't be happier.

That is not a REAL weight gain. To gain two pounds, you would have had to consume 7000 calories more than you burned. That two pounds is a temporary fluctuation in your weight due to Water retention or not having had bowel elimination. Thus, the reason many of us do not weigh daily. Those temporary gains are just that...... temporary. Just keep to your plan, and you will succeed.

I have been on a pre op diet for three weeks now. Two weeks of 2 shakes and one meal and one week of three shakes and veggies. So I am in the home stretch, one week to go, im taking in 600 calories or less a day. (Cant choke down the shakes anymore, and never want to see another leaf of lettuce as long as I live.) Now im GAINING weight. WHAT???. Im starving, I cant sleep im so hungry. I have gained two pounds of the 15 I had lost. I now need to loose six pounds in six days. Aside from laxatives, does anyone have any suggestions? I am so frustrated. I just want to give up. I know my metabolism is f***** but this is ridiculous. ++I am drinking one black coffee every morning, so that should be acting as a diuretic right?

Hi all!!! I was sleeved on 6/10 and recently began ursodiol 300mg twice a day. Although I shouldn't since I'm still in the early stages and fluctuating, I weigh myself usually everyday...my first weigh in after the medication I fluctuated 3lbs up..did anyone else notice if their gallbladder meds changed their weight or slowed the progress of their weight loss? A few people have expressed bloating and weight gain while others have said it helps to aid in weight loss as your gallbladder can breakdown cholesterol etc. perhaps my weight is attributed to the fact that I had about 680 cals compared to my average of 400-500. Thanks all!!! -Mike

@@ChristmasJanet Congratulations!! Way to go!! So happy for you. Besides us, I haven't seen anyone else mention the fluid weight gain after surgery. ....but it sure did happen and at first it was so scary but thank goodness the scale is moving in the right direction now. @@marycw1955 I bet we will all get real creative before te solid food maintainence phase kicks in. I don't like ricotta cheese but I've seen it mentioned a lot.

O dear i can only imagine how u must be feeling…at the loss of you're child…its the hardest thing any parent can go through…my sympathies…as for you're weight gain maybe a therapist would not mind doing a phone in and have a few sessions over the tele…i wish u all the best...

In most cases, I feel an in person support group is a must have tool, Weight gain after surgery is due to one not following the rules after surgery. If one falls back into their old eating habits it is easy to sabotage progress. It’s always easier to blame the surgery vs. taking responsibility for one’s own actions. For example, we have a member of the support group I belong to that is gaining weight. She needs to start tracking her food consumption before the Nut or the rest of us can help her. However, she claims to not have time to complete a food log. In other words, she is in denial and not much can be done to help her. The surgery is only a tool; one still has to make the mental changes to be successful. It is not easy, but the healths benefits are great, but carry some draw backs that have to be overcome. In most cases weight gain is due to one not following the rules after surgery. If one falls back into their old eating habits it is easy to sabotoge themselves.

Oddly I gained three pounds in the third week post-op. A week later it disappeared. I would not attribute this gain to hormonal changes as I am post menopausal. I have several autoimmune diseases and I am inclined to believe that this sudden weight gain is related to inflammation.

Another thing about a small weight gain like that....are they counting those that became pregnant after the sleeve? Because that's definitely a 22 lb or more gain.... I can only imagine they are smart enough not to attribute pregnancy to weight gain as it is being referenced here. This is about gaining weight, ie fat. Not another human.

Another thing about a small weight gain like that....are they counting those that became pregnant after the sleeve? Because that's definitely a 22 lb or more gain....

I can certainly understand why many of us choose to keep our surgeries private. I totally agree that one's medical history is totally no one else's business and we all have to right to keep this private. However, I also know, we all know, that there is a lot of bias, prejudice and misinformation circulating out there. I have experienced this first hand, as many of us have. In considering the surgery, I approached a colleague who announced that she had had the surgery and lost something like 90 lbs and managed to get out of an electric wheelchair in the process. We had a honest and frank talk about her journey, and it was very valuable information for me as I considered the pros and cons of weight loss surgery. Her courage and honesty in revealing to all of us her brave journey was an inspiration to me. I plan to tell everyone who inquires that I have had surgery. While there are many who have lost weight permanently with dieting or exercise alone, the vast majority fail, and most often yo-yo dieting just leads to weight gain in the end. I will make it a particular point to tell any of my friends that are overweight as they are the ones who could benefit from this solution. If we hide the benefits and pitfalls of our individual experiences, no one else will be able to learn and benefit from them!

Hey all :-) I've been banded for nearly 2 years now and I started my journey at 130kg. I lost 43kg in the first year yet I've slowly put on 10kg the last 10 months. I met my now fiancée a year ago and that's when I started getting "comfortable". I stopped going to the gym and started eating "junket" again (no where near as much as I was). I find if I eat I'm eating more than I use too. I need some tips on how to get back on track and I don't know if I need another fill, or should try the liquid stage again to "shrink" my pouch incase I've stretched it a bit. Any help will be greatly appreciated.... I'm ready to do it properly again I've let myself fall behind the 8 ball.

I am scheduled for a resleeve after having my surgery Jan 7th 2006. 8 years 6 months. I got pregnant (not planned) 3 months post surgery and had to force feed myself. All was still good walked and did sit-ups regularly and maintained my weight until I had to have c-spine surgery, total disk replacement and a fusion. I was put on pain killers 1 month prior to surgery, hello constipation. I didn't know that pain killers caused this... Then I did very minimal activity for 1 year and regularly took Gabapentin/ Neurontin which I didn't realize causes weight gain. I was all clear with all blood test results however my stomach had returned to normal size. My surgery was new in Jan 2006 in Mexico and hadn't hit the US yet. I had a 36 bouge and got pg and meds made my stomach return to allow me to eat way too much. I am doing a resleeve after my upper GI etc. as the weight hurts my body, back especially but I miss being 145-165 and feeling good. I'm just curious if there are any others who are years post op and have regained the weight have been resleevers or are considering it? I am more nervous this time than before. Even 2 years after my surgery the Doctors procedures changed and he is quite a bit more Americanized as far as treatment etc.. He was good then and much better now. I went to Dr. Guillermo Alvarez which is where I'm headed back to... Cost is $2k cheaper than original however I'm still paying what he charges full price to new patients. Worth it to me. If anyone has any resleeve info or questions feel free and I would appreciate any info. Thanks

You are probably on antibiotics and pain meds. Surgery can really mess up your body. They also gave you 4 bags of solution. Your body is in shock after surgery. I would say, the surgery is the main reason for the weight gain. It will pass. Parts swell, the body is adjusting. I would also suggest you follow up with your primary doc. It's always best to have a second opinion.

I am in your shoes with the weight gain. I lost 80 put back 60 very ashamed. But I learned from new doctor who have me a fill and support group. Happy to say I am down 22 pounds in less then a month. I am proud to say it was knowledge of green zone feeling and support groups that does it . Good luck

I am a 49 yr-old female who had an emergency appendectomy after going to ER Friday night ( surgery didn’t actually occur until 2am Saturday ) They said my appendix was NOT ruptured but was really nasty. They had a really hard time getting IV’s in me and therefore kept a bag of Sodium Chloride? dripping all the time once I got there and even then they had to change out my IV 4 times to different locations. Back on March 11 of this year I had a a gastric sleeve done. No complications at all. Went home in about 17 hours. No nausea or vomiting. I had lost 47 pounds when I went to ER for pain this past Friday. I thought it might have been another Kidney stone, had those in the past or possibly gallbladder ( heard those are common for weight loss patients ) Anyway, after my surgery in wee hours of Saturday morning I still felt very crappy, Doc said they were going to keep me another night or two due to the infection chances from my “Nasty” appendix, but again didn’t mention that it had busted or anything and kept giving me bags of sodium chloride ?? and bags of antibiotics. Sunday morning because I was in sooooo much pain they ordered a contrast CT where I had to drink lots of this lemonade tasting stuff before the test. They said everything seemed fine for someone at this point so soon post -op. My question is should I feel this crappy still ( 10 x worse than Gastric Sleeve procedure ) and MORE CONCERNING, why have I gained 15 pounds in 3 days? I feel like I’ve been punched and beat up severely. I don’t want my surgeon to think I’m questioning him or the results of the CT on Sunday, but is this pain and WEIGHT GAIN normal? I really appreciate your responses I don’t want to proceed with my doc ( which was the ER on call but from highly respected clinic in our area ) unless this seems abnormal. I have a follow-up Thursday in his office because we are leaving for vacation on Saturday, July 5th.