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I am not losing like I thought i would also. I was banded 4-18. I have kept a food journal since day 1. I have either gained or stayed the same on 600-700 calories or less some days and I am confused. I walk alot...I for the first time yesterday ate some more calories(1000)...got on scale gained...really??????? I have lost 10 pounds since surgery....it is three weeks, ten pounds... I also have not gone to the bathroom(if u know what I mean) in three days....trying to fix that today....maybe that is the weight gain. It is a puzzle we all are trying to solve, as each of us is different and most accept our bodies reaction to the surgery and lack of calories... I at time have felt why did I not just do this low calories and forget the band...and then I remember I needed a TOOL in my life to assist me....the band is not going to work unless we also work at this journey

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

Thanks....it's a GREAT time! Just got back from a quick one mile walk with the Schnauzer. He's high energy and prone to weight gain. It's a beautiful 54 degrees in D/FW. Hope it's as nice where you are! This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad!

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

Its such a long time since I posted on here, I cant even remember just when it was. Everyone seems to be losing loads of weight, well done all of you. Unfortunately I'm back where I started almost. I know its not an excuse but 3 years ago I developed breast cancer, and for the surgery I needed to have most of the saline taken out. Then 2 weeks later I had further surgery to remove my Lymph Nodes under my arm. I had given up smoking 6 months earlier, I dont know if that triggered the weight gain or not. I also lost my Mother just before I got cancer, but not once have I wanted those nasty old ciggies. I have had a few fills, since the surgery but I still cant get rid of the 2 stone I put on. I cant eat a great deal and I get dreadful acid reflux. It makes me wonder if my body has grown used to accepting less food and has slowed my metabolism down. Hope this doesnt depress anyone. Keep smiling and carry on losing xxx

Just checking in! I am not getting on the scale today. I'm scared my 283 was a fluke! So not going to weigh!!! I'm keeping that 51 lbs! Everyone says I look good. I can't really tell a difference yet. Clothes are fitting loser/better. Maybe have to get some new jeans soon. The ones I have are so nice but they are stretch and after like an hour they are falling off me. They fit nice when they go on right out of the wash/dryer! I have to share this story because only you guys will appreciate just how thoughtful this was. I belong to a Mommy/play group. One of the Mother's Husband is an Oncologist. I had read that cancer patients and bariatric patients drink a lot of the same protein drinks. So I asked her if her husband had any samples or anything in his office for his patients. He didn't have anything that was good for me, because he is encouraging weight gain usually and not weight lose. So, yesterday we went to their house for their son's first birthday party. He was so excited to see me, and he bought me 20 of the pre-made EAS drinks from Wal-Mart!! Now, we all know how much the pre-made drinks cost. How sweet was that???

Did anyone else gain weight after starting soft foods? and then go into a stall??

Thanks GG, good luck on getting more protein in...I find it very hard to do. I did have some "cheat days" over the holidays, but thanks to the lap band I didn't gain any weight! This morning my scale put me at 193 and Dr. scale this afternoon (fully clothed) put me at 195.5. 5 pounds lost since the last weigh in at my doctors. I am feeling good, liquids for one day then soft food for a day or two. My in-laws will be here Saturday, I am happy I got the fill so I will not have to worry about weight gain. Usually a visit from family means eating out every single meal and trying all of the places here in San Antonio they have seen on the food channel. I am going to work on trying to get more protein in as well. As for the getting stuck, I have learned/decided no more pills in the morning, and maybe liquid or protein shake for breakfast. Only real meals will be lunch and dinner.. 1100 calories, huh? My fitnesspal tells me I should get 1200 and when I eat under that I usually lose better. Well good luck to all out there over the holidays, I KNOW they can be hard!

I would recomend speaking to your dr. Get them to run your blood work. One of the reasons I am going for the band is because I am sevearly anemic I have been most of my life. I get shaky often and its due to two things I dont eat much protein and lack of proper vitamins my suger spikes only when I eat after not eating for along time. A huge contributor for my weight gains. try special k protein water someone mentioned it I tried it and it fills me right up I love it new best friends. A little pricy but worth every penny now if I could just grind chicken into water I could save lol just kidding.

I got banded on Feb 4th, and my first thought when recovering was "I actually wanted this surgery?!". Every day has gotten MUCH better and now that it's a full week, I feel almost 100% "normal" again. A few things I would suggest for others looking forward to the surgery: -Get your pain prescription filled in advance "just in case" -After surgery, walk walk walk! -Be prepared to see a 1-5 lbs weight GAIN after surgery (due to the IV's). Don't despair. Perfectly normal -Bring really loose fitting pants to the hospital-you'll be "inflated" during surgery and it takes a few days to a few weeks for the puffiness to go down. -Stay positive! We all know it's absolutely the right decision, and change is hard. It's nice knowing that we really are all in this together and we will succeed! I'm grateful to everyone who posts their experiences, successes, trials and tribulations~ So excited for this new phase of my life!

Your story is so similar to mine, banded over five years, had done wonderfully and then out of the blue, diagnosed with rectal cancer. I had chemo, radiation and a huge surgery in which my rectum and a fair bit of colon was removed, i was given a temporary ileostomy and sent home with a bag on my lovely flat stomach. I got through to the actual surgery without unfilling my band and I looked at it like this - cancer is a nasty shock and its life threatening, but that's not the worse. I hate how it took over my life, I couldnt work, I wasnt free to do any of the stuff I normally did, I was tied to the hospital routine of daily radiation, I was limited by my need for treatment. I'd just gone back to university at 36, gotten a teaching degree and was in my first job, i was so devastated. But I was DETERMINED that it was not going to undo my triumph over my weight - I ran and did bootcamp right through the initial six week chemo and radiation, right up until my surgery and I went for a run ten days after my bowel resection. I went back to bootcamp. I had another 20 weeks of chemo which was MUCH tougher than the initial lot, and my band was now totally unfilled, but I kept to my normal excercise routine. I lost a fair bit of weight through the surgery and I've managed to hold it off. I. just. will. not. let. the. cancer. win. I wont. I have hung on with grim determination to my diet and exercise routines and its paid off. I dont know how to say that without it coming across as I'm stronger, smarter, better, whatever. I'm not. Its just I looked at it and I thought I can beat anything, but if I get fat again, its won. And I wont let that happen. i was greatly helped by the fact that my treatment has had effects on my digestive system, even the chemo regime is not the same as for breast cancer, with breast cancer, weight gain during chemo is very common. I didnt tolerate my second chemo that well and had to be hospitalised three times for bowel obstructions, so every time I gained a little weight, I found I was nil by mouth for four or five days and it would come off again. I've gradually started filling my band again now. I'm about to have my ileostomy reversed and will now have the challenge of regaining bowel control, which might mean that I have to moderate my exercise - I might be running on my treadmill near my toilet for a while to come, but truly, where there is a will there is a way. I have to have genetic testing too, I'm the fifth person in both the current and previous generation to have had bowel cancer in my immediate family under the age of 45 and the only one not to have died from it. Sometimes I felt so damn sick but I went out running anyway - it never failed to make me feel better and just the emotional benefit of it was enormous. I dont have a secret or anything to tell you, I can only encourage you that maintaining your routines, keeping on top of your weight, not allowing the cancer to take away what you have achieved - it makes you stronger, and more emotionally stable and that has positive benefits on your health. It is SO worth getting yourself back on track, and I will definitely pray for you.

I was banded 14 months ago and have lost 88lbs. In the last month I have gained 4 back. =( I have no motivation. I was working out with a personal trainer 2-3x a week, but that was a 6 month plan that ended in September. I haven't done much for working out since then. I am also not eating great. I was still losing up til the first of November and then the 4lbs happened. I am an emotional eater so the weight gain leads me to bad places. Ugh. I need to get out of this rut. I am having oatmeal for breakfast today. We will see where the rest of the day takes me...

Currently: I am a 43 yr old woman. Mother of 1. Married for almost 10 years. I am 5' 5" & 242 pounds. From southern TN area. Past: Extremely thin all my life until around 19. Before that, I was the girl in H.S. that everyone said they were jealous of because I was soooo thin. 100-105 lbs. in H.S. Reason(s) for weight gain: All sorts of things. Bad things in my life, not exercising anymore, got a car so I didn't have to walk everywhere, got married/divorced, parents died...etc.,etc.,etc. But --- the REAL reason was because I ate. Period. MY FAULT. I own it. Surgery of choice: The Sleeve. I have a few friends who have had The Band with little results. The friends I have that have had the Bypass - well, they have all been sick since. So, I chose The Sleeve due to those reasons, along with the fact that it's the 'best' choice for me and it's the 'medium' surgery on the scale of WLS's. I've done loads and loads of research. Timeline: Time from calling for 1st weight loss seminar to the date of surgery - 34 days. Yes, very quick. Why? ....'cause I'm Self-Pay. Insurance doesn't cover ANY WLS's. Surgery is the 19th of this month. Just a few days away. I've been thinking about this for a long time though. Finances: I'm self-pay. I've read that many people ask how they have come up with the $. Well, my house is paid off...so I just went and got a Home Equity Loan and will pay it off in a few years (or sooner if my timeshare at Disney will sell!!!) My family: Supportive, but nervous. Husband is glad I'll be happy, but loves me the way I am. Son (9) is worried I'll look a lot different. Both are somewhat nervous that I'll stop cooking the 'good food'. My brother (and the only sibling I've told...and basically, the only sibling I'm close with) doesn't want me to get it. He says he loves me the way I am and wants me to feel better about myself. I told him it had nothing to do with that. He'd never understand though. He's 40 and has a 29 inch waist with a six-pack. Yes,....a six-pack and he NEVER works out. I know...it's crazy. So, overall.....support is there. All 3 men in my life will be there for surgery. Friends: The ones I've told are very supportive. Pre-Op plan: Magnesium Citrate 1 day prior. liquid Diet 1 day prior. Health Issues I have: none My reasons for wanting surgery: Other than the obvious reasons, ....I'm sure all of you can relate to my reasons. I want to feel good. I've been overweight for 20 years. It's time. I may be healthy now, but I will not be healthy for much longer if I stay this size. My fears: I'm not scared of the surgery. I'm not scared of the pain. I'm scared that I will hate eating since I've heard so much about the hard-to-swallow issue. For some reason -- that is my biggest fear. The fact that I will hate to eat. Also, I don't want to stop cooking for my family. I'll cook healthier...but I don't want MY plans to affect them too much. My schedule for surgery: Show up at 6am, surgery at 8am. In on Monday....and out on Wednesday. Preparation: I've bought EVERYTHING needed. Got all my RX's. food. I know the hospital I go through individualizes the plans and I told them that I would not do the Protein shakes. I KNOW I wouldn't keep them down. It would be of no use. So, we will be doing the bullets, and Isopure for the liquid phase. Isopure/bullets/non-flavored protein to put on mushy food for the other phases. Then, when I can eat...the protein will be taken care of. But I know me....and I'll eat loads of protein. So....that is me. I'm excited. I'm scared. I am prepared to run through every emotion possible (anger at myself, regret, guilt, happiness, relief, etc etc). My finances are in order. I have an Advanced Directive (already had one). House is spotless so I don't have to worry about it. Yard will be mowed 2 days before surgery.he he. Prepared my family. Told some friends. Researched and researched more. I'm new to this forum. Only been on about a week. So far, I've learned so much. I know I will rely on you guys a lot during my journey. Then, I hope to 'pass it on' to other newbies. Thank you for reading this. And I hope this helps you understand me a little better. I am soooooooooooooooo excited. I've been smiling the entire time I was reading this!!!!!:biggrin0::thumbup::thumbup1:

P.S. tomorrow will be one week without Pop. It hasn't been a problem. It is all the food and the continuous weight gain (ooops). My brain thinks that because I'm having surgery- I can eat what I want. Totally backwards I know- but it does. So this 6 month for insurance has really done nothing positive for me. Oh well

Wishes - the book that they gave me is called Snoring and sleep Apnea: Sleep Well, Feel Better - here is an Amazon link to it if it is okay to include outside links http://www.amazon.com/Snoring-Sleep-Apnea-Well-Better/dp/1932603263/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309664094&sr=1-1 It has a lot of great information if like myself, are not familiar with slepp apnea and its treatment. I always thought I just liked naps lol. As it turns out sleep apnea can actually be a contributing factor in weight gain - it affects our organs, if we are not getting good rest, enough oxygen - we are slowly killling ourselves - I swear even after one night on the cpap even my aching joints felt better. I have an appointment next week to get my own machine for use at home. I would definitely look into having a sleep study, my insurance (BCBSIL) requires it - folks who have apnea are much likely to have not so great htings happen during surgery.

i cant believe how much info this site has given me! Big thanks to all of you who are so eager to help and offer advice! When I turned 40, I declared this "My Year!!" I would do something for myself...and so far this has been my most selfish year ever! ha! I was always skinny as kid...very boney and lanky! My weight gain came on fast because I always thought I could lose it. Both my parent's passed away in 2004...and the pounds came packing on. Depression, bad choice of food, my love for pizza and my passion for a nice cold beer all caught up with me. I turned 40, I'm 5'3" and I weigh 265lbs! ugh! I always carried an extreme confidence....and even though I was sad and unhappy with myself, my friends and family never saw this. I was the jokester and the entertainment at each get together! I always managed to dress nice but the selections are small when you are wearing a size 24 jeans! I just got tired and said "I want to walk into a regular store and grab a shirt off the rack instead of special ordering my Cleveland Cavaliers championship t-shirt and paying 3 times the $ for a plus size shirt!" So here I am..... I'm waiting on approval. I have completed 6 months of nutrition visits, I had a apnea test, scope down my throat to check for ulcers, a psych evaluation (which I can proudly say I passed -haha) and many many tubes of bloodwork. I had my stuff submitted to insurance on Sept 2. They said it would be 2 weeks. They came back right away with a denial due to the hospital not being Accredited, which it is. So they went back to the insurance company...and I am sitting here waiting. They are super quick to come back with a denial but don't mind taking their time for approval. I'm a nervous wreck!! I stare at my phone all day waiting for the call. I keep logging on to my insurance website hoping I can see something positive. That's my story...I appreciate reading all of your journeys, all of your suggestions and all the info you all provide. thanks for reading! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using the BariatricPal App

I have suffered from severe depression and fibromyalgia for years. I have had several hospitalizations, and so many med changes I lost count. I even had electro-convulsive therapy. I had to give up my career and take my disability.That's a story all on its own. I opted for the sleeve, because my health had begun to fail me and I had to get the weight off. A lot of it is from medications I have taken over the years. Research your meds, and if any of them cause weight gain, you have to switch or you'll have a hard time losing. I ended up having severe bile reflux--my gallbladder was removed years before my WLS, so bile just backed up into my sleeve and into my esophagus. It was torture. I had to have a revision to bypass to cure the reflux. My psychiatrist had to change two of my meds because they were extended release and I need immediate release now. I have never felt better psychologically. My meds are working great, and the weight loss helps immensely. I still have to do the work in therapy, but for now I am doing surprisingly well. This is a decision that will always fall under great scrutiny; so many people know nothing about WLS and some of them believe in incorrect information. You will have to defend your decision often in the beginning. You are the one who has to live with it and make all the changes. You may just have to wait until you prove them wrong before they will accept it. Some people never will. They will maintain that you should have done it on your own. I make no apologies for my decision. It was right for me. All you can do is try to educate them as to why this is the choice you have made. If you truly believe it is best for you, then do it. Just make sure you are ready to change every aspect of your relationship with food if you have to. It is worth it. Even if you feel alone at first, trust in your decision and follow your instinct about it. Good luck to you. I hope you find your way to what is best for you.

Okay, so here's a thread for us. My story to start us off. Was overweight/obese my whole life. When I look back at pictures of myself as a young kid (7-8), I am surprised that I didn't look as fat as I thought back then. But by adolescence I definitely was. Had some hard life stuff (Mom got cancer when I was 8, friend in high shool died sophomore year, dad had stroke sophomore year of college, got diagnosed with PCOS, lost a few important friendships) - each contributed significantly to my weight gain. Then I just got so big, I felt like there was nothing I could do. I just ate worse and worse, because I felt so trapped. I was banded about 5 weeks ago. I have lost a good part of my weight, still have a ways to go. I now find myself constantly looking at my body, trying to figure out what it is going to look like. Unlike lots of bandsters I see on boards who are 30+, I am not married. I worry about my body, about whether I will need plastic surgery, about if I will feel comfortable. About dating after losing weight but before PS. About doing this forever, even though I feel confident. About keeping this weight off forever. About what happens if I lose my band. About the fact that at 22, I'm really going to jump in and start my life, and whether or not I'm sorely behind. So anyway, there's my story. Here's my stats: 9/28/05 (1st consult): 333 4/17/06 (2nd consult): 318 5/2/06 (Surgery day): 315 6/9/06 (today) : 278 Goal (I think) :170

I don't have any post surgery experience, but do have weight gain experience. I have a tattoo on my abdomen that I got before I put on 150 pounds. It has stretched a lot, almost to being unrecognizable. I imagine that shrinking would make the objects smaller, possibly less detail apparent but still recognizable. Let me know how it goes.

@@Amurillo04 And that's why weight loss surgery gets a bad rap with regards to weight gain. Some people just think it's the magic bullet, that they will no longer have to sacrifice some of their favorite foods or can continue to give into cravings.

Margo, you sound like my secretary, OMG, she takes zoloft and the day after she runs out we're looking for a poltigeist (sp). My DH takes the happy pill Effexor, I'd like to double it up on him. He has a problem with restless sleeping, I haven't told him it's a side affect of his happy pills, he's quit taking them, but no weight gain, same size he was when we got married 36 years ago.

Margo, Prozac takes about 55 days to fully clear the system, but most people begin to feet the loss of the medication after about 2 weeks. It sounds to me like your symptoms may be coming back. I would absolutly speak to a psychiatrist about this. The weight gain issue with prozac is not as bad as with some other antidepressants, but it is real for some people. Nevertheless, if the medication was helping you I'd still reccomend it if you were my patient. Other non-psych meds cause weight gain and you wouldn't stop them, also if you have chronic depresion, coming off of the medication may in fact worsen the depresive symptoms (depression gets worse with each successive bout a person has). As for wellbutrin, it is a wonderful medication, but as your depression was responsive to a serotonin based medication, and welbutrin is a norepinephrine based medication (it does not increase serotonin) it might not work for you. Also since we bandsters may not do well with tablets you would not be a candidate for the sustained release varieties of welbutrin. That would mean taking the immediate release pills (crushed) three times daily. What a pain in the butt. I hope that this is helpful. Benet

Wellbutrin is generally not linked to weight gain. I've been on it for several years and it has been a life-saver!

I have neither seen nor needed a therapist. I had the required pre-op visit to see a psych, but that is all. She does not seem like a nut to you. Are you a therapist? Do you know anything about this person other than what she chooses to let you know about her through her posts? People can be anything they want to be online. For the record, my comment was not a slam on any one person. Listen, there are a lot of people who get this surgery that really should never have been considered for one reason or another (hiding an eating disorder or lying about being an alcoholic, for example). (I personally know of two people like this.) In fact, there are posts on this very board by people where it is screamingly obvious that they should not get this surgery - at least not till mental things are sorted out. My friend (who IS a licensed psychologist, BTW) has been lurking on this site to see what I have been reading because she is concerned about me getting this surgery. She flat-out told me that she worries that many people seem to be getting this surgery and that they really need psychiatric help instead. Thinking that a Lap-Band is a panacea will lead only to disappointment and - most likely - weight gain.

I'm a sleeve. four1/2 year’s out. I maintain in the 130's. I give myself a ten-pound bounce range. when the scale moves up, I go back eating my bariatric food plan to stay in range. I'm in maintenance phase. I eat mainly clean, I do indulge occasionally. My third year, my weight got up to 147. (still a BMI 24.5 normal range) had to dial in my diet to lose the weight. I'm back in the 130's My two cents on regains. Weight gain can happen with any type of bariatric surgery. Some factors in regain: Complications from surgery Medical issues and medications pregnancy/menopause Not weighing yourself regularly Getting complaisant as the years pass You will reach a point that you noticeably can feel less restriction with the sleeve (it has not stretched) Just because you can consume more food, does not mean you should. Its important not to go over your calories and macros for the day. Stretching is rare. Get it diagnosed by your surgeon for a revision Eating around your surgery. Grazing is consistently eating sever small meals of healthy and unhealthy foods. The total will be over your calories and macros. It’s as if you never had surgery. You can eat 3000+calories. YOU WILL GAIN WEIGHT Ask for help if you have a gain (surgeons office, dietician and counselling) - Easier to lose a 20 pound gain than a 40, 60, 80, 100+