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Phyll...my first thought while reading your post was dehydtration. Were there extremely salty food at your party with adult drinks. I will notice a 3-4 lbs weight gain for a few days after I have overdone it on ham or salty deli meats. You gotta get the Coach. You WERE in Onderland and by the time you get home with that purse, I bet you will be in Onderland again. You GF's have a great time shopping and lunching tomorrow.

Kristi...congrats on your continued weight loss. You will notice that you will have some weeks where the scale does not move a lot but you can tell a difference in your clothing. Normal. You are going great guns. Just keep your patience and follow what has been working for you. Meredith...such a busy little girl. YOU HAVE A YARD???? We have not seen any of our lawn since last Oct. DH and I were sitting out in our 3 season (1season in MN) today and I am not sure if we have ever not seen the horizon at the end of March due to 5 foot snow banks. We will have a late planting season and that is always such a huge pain in the ass. I guess when a person (s) are in a business that relies on the weather, it does not good to complain. Just gotta go with the flow. The flow sucks. I am a planner and relying on the weather does not quite fit my plan. Good thing DH is so mellow. To answer your question. FIL was to have surgery today on his dislocated wrist. Surgery was put off till tomorrow morning. I feel so bad for BIL. They landed in CA yesterday (they are from Seattle) to no luggage. He and his partner spent a better part of the day trying to track down all the luggage. No where to be found. They have little ones (adopted 2 boys ages 3 and 6 from Guatemala )..so went shopping. He gets the call about dad and flies out leaving his partner and kids in Palm Dessert. He is spending his entire vacation with FIL. Tried to convince DH to just fly to AZ tonight and let bro go back to his family and planned vacation. Will wait till tomorrow to see if he is needed. Once FIL gets back here (maybe Sat.) I will be able to see to it that he has everything he needs. As I stated b/4...just tough when he is so far away. And, EVA, thanks for the offer. As I have told you..DH is his clone so I know you would just love him. Dinner with DH, GF and 5 yr old and 8 yr old was great. Sent them home with a box of food and the uneaten Easter candy. DH gained a little more than 15lbs while in Tucson and did not want that for a temptation. He has always been such a little guy and has never had to worry about more than a 5lb weight gain. Must be age. He will be 57 on 4/12 (Eva and DH share a bday and Arlene and my oldest share a bday). Cool. Anyway, DH has taken off all but about 8lbs and eating pretty good meals. He certainly is not sedentary....just loves to eat while on vaca. Not too much going on this next week. Shop work for the guys getting machinery ready. I'm getting into spring (what spring?) cleaning...gotta get it done b/4 I bolt for the lake. On a daily basis...housework sucks...but, when I am under stress, I find it theraputic. Soooooooooooooo..............that said, lots of house work will get done tomorrow. Linda...OMG...the peeling carrots photo on FB was way cute. I could have posted so many stories from little guy (GF's son) just from today alone. What a little character. And, 8 yr old daughter is sooooooooooo mature for her age. Brag. I didn't raise them. Mom and their dad are the best at working together even though they are divorces. I breath a sigh of relief every time she explains going to church together just for the kids. Wonderful parents. Night all.

Hi all, Just caught up with everyone. No comments. Gotta go to bed. Had a meeting after school. Came home for an hour and caught up on e-mail. Left for choir. Came home and caught up on FB and LBT. Getting up at 5 a.m. as per usual so need my sleep. Julie, have you ever thought about not trying to sleep at night? Seems like you overmedicate at night to kill the pain so you can sleep. Then you can't get up in the morning. Maybe just stay up and stay busy until you can't keep your eyes open. Sleep in your chair as long as you can. Then keep busy until you can't keep your eyes open then sleep again, etc. Maybe your body will find its natural sleep rhythm without knocking yourself out with drugs. You didn't seem to have much pain when you were busy with the wedding. What were you doing then that was working? Maybe having all that work to do kept your mind off the pain? Made you tired enough to sleep? Also, I lost weight while taking Flexerall. I doubt it caused your or Arlene's weight gain. It worked on my trigger points which allowed me to sleep comfortably and move freely throughout the day. Remember I'd had that bad fall and it took at least 6 months to heal. All my trigger points were triggered and firing. Moving freely and sleeping well helps you lose weight. Eating the wrong things triggers my appetite and consequent weight gain. Also, there is a stomach bug doing the rounds that may be responsible for some of the band discomfort people are going through. Definitely nausea is part of it. And, as we all know, major gas issues. Apples, I'm really surprised at your Dr.'s choice of laxatives. Hope it all worked out in the end. LOL. Cheri Cheri

Hi Peeps! Lori, glad you made it safe to Denver so you could snuggle with Katelyn......can't wait to see the pictures of four generations. LauraK, sorry you aren't feeling too well. Probably this dang wishy-washy weather. Yesterday was beautiful. Today t-storms and my Fibromyalgia has kicked in. I just don't know why it tightens my band. I ate some chicken an hour ago and just finished pbing. I need a fill, but days like this....no way! Jewel.....I have low thyroid. You can't go to sleep at night and you don't want to get up in the morning. Also, weight gain especially Water weight. I think mine is a little high right now. I get really hot and have a hard time cooling down. Nope....not hot flashes, been there, done that! Hi Eva....come plant my garden......please? lol Apples, you are a busy lady this week. I just took a chicken pot pie out of the oven for a young family at church. The mother of three just got out of the hospital with kidney stones......you can relate. They told her she still has four of them in her kidney. So, tonight it is chicken pot pie, salad, and peach cobbler with ice cream. She is real tiny so she can use the carbs. Sndy.....glad you got a break from caring for dad. Caregivers need time for themselves. Hi Janet and Phy......you too Peaches! Linda, My DH gets up at 4am for work. I did go back to bed for a couple of hours.......feeling achy today, but moving around makes me feel better. I am a morning person. They say when you get older you tend to even get up earlier. They upside is you can get all your stuff done before anyone wakes up(kids). I hope you are feeling better. Well, gotta go deliver a meal. Later!

What a nice compliment your friend made, Great. Also a nice compliment that she wanted you to be available for support for her daughter. I had something similar happen about a year ago while in FL. Have a really good friend that asked me if I would visit with a friend of hers that had a daughter that had had LB surgery a year prior. For sure I would. Anyway, I felt she was doing great at where she was in her progress but she needed support. Got a nice email a couple of weeks ago from my friend that said she attributed her success now to my support. I made me feel so great that the little things I said to her in the many emails we had, made her turn things around. Makes the heart feel all warm and fuzzy. And, Great, you ARE a classy lady. You ARE put together. We can be dressed to the nines and if we allow the negative feelings to take over, we can feel as frumpy as if we were wearing sweat pants and an old shirt. I am not talking about letting vanity take over...I am talking about giving yourself the credit you deserve. I know it has been wearing on you that you gained a little back. Don't let a little gain take over and ruin the goals you have set for yourself. Tomorrow is a new day. You have some new "tools" to use to get you back on a regular exercise program. Don't pass up the opportunity and a new start to getting back to where you want to be. We love you and want (sorry...talking for all again) these feelings of inadequacy to be put behind you. Question???? Are these feelings due to the bit of weight gain you have had? If so, let us help you get back to where you were just a few short months ago. You have stated in the past that you thought maybe you were too controlled. Well, gotta be blunt here....get that control back again. I have my own opinion...I think maintenance really scared you. I think maybe you were bewildered about how you would handle maintenance. I could be totally out in left field about this but I bet you just need to get over the shame of the few lbs you have gained and once you stop putting off for tomorrow what you can do today, you will be right back to where you want to be. This is not a race...but...you gotta start the journey again....put all of it behind you and get back to where there are no more "I will start on Monday". (just an example). Maybe not what you wanted to hear but for the last few months I have missed you and you talking about your food and exercise plan and all the good advice you give the newbies and everyone else. You've been holding back....I don't know if it's because you feel you cannot adequately give advice or not. I warned you it would be blunt. But, it's all said with love.

Morning ladies, I can sure tell Apples is back....yeah!! Lots of posts. Cheri, glad to hear you are recovering and that your DH has started working. It's nice to have the extra income but it's also nice to have that added dimension to your life. A little outside stimulus can be invigorating. Yes, hips are big joints and when then aren't working right it is amazing how much they affect. Apples, it will be interesting to hear how you two (your DH) cut back on work this year. I bet it's going to be just not to do all that work at first. After being gone, I like to be home too. I've bought a 1/4 beef before from a friend that would fatten and butcher their roping calves. It was good, but I'd love to find a source of grass fed organic beef...I would definitely buy a quantity of that. My DH is a beef eater and I believe the organic grass fed stuff is much better for you than the commercial stuff. Thanks for the oatmeal reminder, I need to cook some. Hi Deb, hope your son figures out what not to do in the future. Stop by more often, sometimes having a on-line life can stimulate the real-time life. These guys inspire me to get out there and do more stuff. Charlene, breath....count to 10....breath. No, you don't have to let it interfere with your band journey. You get to choose, not them. Lay out the rules before them move it and make sure they understand this is a temporary situation and they have to live my your rules, it's your house. (Much easier said than done isn't it). We'll been rooting for you. LauraK...it's really hard to separate yourself from an unhealthy relationship. Wow as I read further, you really don't need her in your life, what a scumbag. I wish you peace and love through the process. I think we have to "hibernate" every once in a while and regather ourselves, but you'll be out there again soon. I really like Apples solution. Julie, I have to agree with you about home being our haven. I was much more likely to stay home than go out to visit with people the last couple of years with the most recent weight gain. I recognize the behavior, but sure didn't do anything about it. Now I am more willing to go out (obviously) and do stuff. I'm not forcing it either. Now, I've never been an all day pj wearer. For some reason, I need my comfy clothes to be comfortable all day. But I'm ready for those pj's at night. Laura, yep, we could tell your DH was a gem. Sorry Nels is feeling rough again. Boy those little kids sure pick up a lot of stuff don't they? I remember when I was little 4 or 5, I would get really bad sore throats and colds, but they had my tonsils out at 5 or 6 and that was the end of that. I was in a assembly line of kids having the tonsils out at Hardin Simmons in Denver. I was really sick once after that and ended up in the emergency room and ice-packed. That wasn't fun. Guess we have to build up those immunities somehow. Janet, you are so funny. You can come here and get your hair done. My guy is very good with color and a really nice guy too. He's really into making sure your hair suits you. His wife works at the same salon (they just moved back to their old salon) and she is just as good. I did my aero pilates yesterday and my stomach muscles are sore today. Need that stomach support to help my back. Judy, what fun to be able to play with the dogs and cats. It just breaks my heart to see all those animals and I want to take all of them home, but of course you can't. Glad the show is going well even with sound problems. What are you going to do after it closes? Have another play in the works? Just read about the "diet" word....but remember everything we eat is our diet...so concentrate on nutrition. I really think that hit a cord with me and makes sense, so now it's eating nutritiously not dieting for me. I have to go feed my sister's pets. Hopefully, I'll be back and continue posting. Eva

Laura, great pics. Happy Birthday. No dancing for me tonight. DH is too sick. We're going to go next week. So glad its the weekend. Two concerns. I'd appreciate your prayers. A couple of weeks ago my DS who lives in Tennesse experienced retinal detachment in one eye. They put a gas bubble in her eye to force the retina back in place and after a few days fused it back but the gas bubble has to remeain in place for 6 weeks. She is wearing a pirate patch because the wierd distorted view she has exhausts her and makes her sick. She has to dictate her notes to her nurses as she sees patients. She has RA and has been legally blind without her contacts and at only 56 developed cataracts. When they did the cataract surgery they replaced one lense (inside the eye)with for far vision and the other for close. The RA, which has come out of remission, caused a film to develop on her new lens which had to be lasered off and now this has happened. She is the main financial support for her husband who is dieing by inches with congenital heart failure and enlarged heart. Her son had major slice and dice heart surgery to repair a congenital defect that had caused part of his heart to become paper thin. He was within days of dieing. He is doing well now but is finishing university at the age of 29. Her daughter has taken her time getting through university because of back problems from when she broke her back from a fall off a horse. She's a wonderful doctor and human being but has really had a lot on her plate. Also, my DD has struggled with issues stemming from her thyroid, which has had a goiter since she was a teen but blood tests have always shown her getting enough thyroid so they'd never do anything, even though she's struggled with weight gain and inability to lose it despite careful food intake, constipation, exhaustion and mood swings and depression. She went in for her 6 month check up on it and the Dr. felt it and said it had changed and grown and she either had cancer or Hashimoto's (SP?) He took a biopsy in the office which was extremely painful. They had trouble getting through the tissue. Now she's afraid her blood test will show that she's still getting enough thyroid and if there's no cancer they still won't do anything to treat her. So keep them in your prayers. Both of them have insurance issues so medical costs are also an issue. Cheri

IF....just some lunch and snack ideas for you. I am a "pre-packager". I buy products and then break them down into the 100 cal. snack bags. I have a couple of bins in my pantry full of meals and snack for on the go or just for at home. *Beef jerky (I order Worlds Kitchen from Amazon.com) *Kashi Go-Lean Crunch and Fiber One cereals *Soynuts *Pure Protein bars (WalMart) *Myoplex Lite protein bars (Right now eatins the full strength since I am in weight gaining stage) *Cheese sticks rolled with deli meat Just some ideas for you!

I'm actually already on meds for bipolar and we have established (me and my doc) that this is not related to chemical imbalance. That is why i was wondering if anyone had a state of depression due to their weight gain. I have gained 175 lbs in the last 6 years after a life of being an ideal weight. I'm a very proud person so some of the things that have happened to me since obesity have been devastating to my self esteem. I was just wondering if anyone had felt depressed or was beating themselves up about the weigh gain is a better way to ask/say it. Found out i had hypothyroidism after 5 years of my doctor wondering why i was gaining weight and why none of the tests he was running could explain it. Finally at the last minute he did a thyroid test that was required by medicare for lap band and my thyroid tested in at 59 when normal is .5 Anyway, my thyroid isn't all to blame i also love food and hate exercise. So dont get me wrong im not blaming all of this on the thyroid. However it was a major factor. Counseling would prob help, THanks Tina [quote name='ifyourstomachoffendsyou' timestamp='1292891609' post='1548739'] Tina I would suggest that you get yourself in for some counseling and possibly on meds. Otherwise I'm afraid you'll sabotage yourself even with the band. Many of us have had to use meds and receive counseling and some of us still do. Our obesity is often part of a broader syndrome of low self-esteem, abuse, failed relationships, and, in my case, ADHD. You want to be in the best mental state as you go through this process. Take your anger at yourself and channel it into fighting your disease. Tell yourself you will not let your disease win. Do whatever it takes to make that happen. We're here for you and we'll be your biggest cheerleaders. But getting a grip on this disease means getting a grip on the issues that are making us sick. You can do it. We're here to help. Joyce, so sorry about your knee. I haven't had any trouble with my knees, but I had the surgery done by one of the best knee specialists in the country who put in a knee with some of his patented improvements that give me a lot more range of motion. You may need therapy again to rebuild the knee without injuring it. My tree has the little white/gold lights and still has some old ornaments on it, but I threw out a bunch that were pretty decrepit a few years ago and when I went shopping I saw some really cool cranberry/maroon red ornaments and added more gold ornaments of which I already had a lot. I buy a lot of wrapping paper and bags at after Christmas sales at Target so multicolored presents. My tree is skinny to fit in the corner and needs lots of ornaments to fill in the gaps. I also have deep red wreaths and pillows on the couches. Multicolored lit ropes of evergreen draped here and there. Can also see the multicolored LED lights wrapped all over our front porch through the big picture window and its side windows. I love looking into my living room with all its lights through the porch lights and I love looking out. Cheri Cheri Cheri

I just need to put my two cents worth in about the sleep study. No, it was not pleasant, but I would rather go thru that (study) than die. Apnea causes many, many things. Cardiac failure, high blood pressure,WEIGHT GAIN, just to name a few. Personally, I was glad to find out what was causing my inability to sleep a full nite. Or even 3 hours. And I feel 110% better since I have been on my machine and had surgery. But I guess everyone has their own opinion. Paula, burping is kinda funny for me. When I get uncomfortable, I (go to the bathroom or somewhere where there aren't any people) and bend over at the waist. Sounds like rolling thunder. I sometimes get tickled at myself. I have NEVER done that. lol When I hiccup the first time, I quit eating. I am full. To cure the hiccups, see above suggestion. lol Glad to see that everyone is doing so well. I have been stuck, but (knock on wood) I am starting to loose again. Haven't changed my ticker on purpose. Hang in there Sugarbear, it's not much longer now. My favorite liquid for post-op was the soup from chicken noodle soup. Tastes a lot better than just broth. (and slim fast) lisa

I keep meeting people that are morbidly obese, yet say that they hardly eat anything everyday. What? It really comes down to an overabundance of daily calories and lack of exercise when you are more than 100 pounds overweight. It just seems that some have the hardest time admitting that they are an overeater. Even on this forum, I have read posts from others saying they never over ate and got very obese from psych meds and hypothyroidism alone. Sorry, no. Meds and thyroid problems will not cause more than a 10-25 pound weight gain. Such denial will really get in the way of weight loss success after surgery.

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

Well heck yes you want both and you will get both!!!! My calorie intake has fluctuated by 200 calories or so per day depending on what's going on and the scale doesn't seem to reflect either higher or lower (I like to think that by confusing my body I can lose faster). BUT, my water intake does reflect in my weight gain or loss. Our bodies are very interesting and very different. It's actually fascinating. Keep up the good work! Short and bathing suit season is right around the corner!!

Hello all, hope eveyone is well I have been awol a few weeks since the defill, cos it has been horrendous. Terrible pains and trapped wind after eating, many nights awake in agony because of the stomach pains and I have also managed to catch 2 bugs, one sickness and the other down south which I hadn't suffered with at since having the band fitted. I dont remember ever feeling this uncomfortable even when my diet was so full of crap pre the band, and the wind is just awful, my mood has been terrible as well. I have just been a snappy nasty b***h really So I have now put on a stone and feel so uncomfortable so I mailed Freddie and he assures me the weight gain is normal as my body had completely re hydrated, so I feel a little better knowing that, but I have booked in to be refilled next Thursday as I just don't feel in control. He said I can be refilled to a maximum of 6.5mls, (currently have 5mls) as we fly out to Egypt in July and he said I really can't go any higher than that, and defo not back to the 7.5mls as the heat over there will make the band too tight. I just need to get this stone back off, because . . . we have our appointment with the Fertility specialist on 8th August!!!! So utterly delighted that we will hopefully be starting treatment this year and also gutted as had the letter come sooner I wouldn't have had the defill to ensure I was still in or less than the weight range to be accepted for treatment, but hey ho its done now. MMM, thanks for the advise re the diet chef, got myself lots of Soups and porridge so that I am only eating a meal once a day if that, so hoping the weight may start slowly coming down this week any way, as I made the most of drinking alcohol and eating at the IOW festival last weekend and then came on on Tuesday so very bloated and lots of Water retention. Can't wait to get the skinny feeling back again, just hope the 6.5mls gives me enough restriction. Good luck to the newbies and hope the rest of the gang are doing well with losing C xx

I am going on the 29th July with my husband and having the band on the 30th July. I asked the bank to transfer the whole amount and they charged me £24.00 for the service. Looking forward to hearing from Frederik with regards to the confirmation details (have emailled but nothing so far) he does answer but sometimes you have to chase him. Looking forward to this as I have drawn the line and just want to get on. A client asked me today if I was really excited and then went quiet and said or are you scared and I was honest and said not scared at all just excited that I have made this decision and therefore feel very much in control of it and know that if it fails it's because I didn't follow the rules. My fingers are crossed all will be well as I just want to be healthy and enjoy life. I'm not governed by food but I am an addict when it comes to exercise and have really missed it because of the weight gain after the acl reconstruction (knee) so I am looking forward to playing competitively again. I started back at tennis a few weeks ago and loving it. Hope all who are going over in the next few weeks have a very positive experience and we are all here to support each other and to listen. Happy for anyone to pm me or call. Take care and remember that we have one life, we have to live it and enjoy it and do everything we can to get the most from it. Claire x

Silk sutures would be a good choice. I prefer 2-O Ethibond suture which is a third generation silk suture. A 32 bougie would be a standard size bougie that is a good choice in my opinion. The surgery would not inflame gallstones. Gallstones are more common in women especially with weight gain and weight loss. That is why gallstones are common in weight loss patients. Brad Watkins MD

Tracy - try taking a Vitamin C supplement daily. stress = high cortisol levels high cortisol levels = weight gain, high blood pressure, impaired immune function Vitamin C supports adrenal function = lower cortisol levels! Voila!

Just got back from obgyn. Next week starts the weekly cervical exams (fun!) and some strep test where they swab your hooha and your bum..ew. Carson is measuring 38cm.. and apparently he's suppose to measure with the week. I am 34 weeks, so he should be 34cm! She never asked me, I don't know why.. but I brought up the fact (well I am tall obviously) but my brother & dad are giants!! And she asked about how big we were when we were born.. me & siblings were all 21", which is taller than normal baby, but our weight was normal. So they scheduled an ultrasound for next week to see if he's 'big' or just tall. I have a feeling he's just tall, I don't know why.. maybe from all the kicking, but that I'm not as huge as some people this far along. Either way, still cool I get a free ultrasound! BCBS only pays for 2 ultrasounds unless there's a medical reason, so if she has a medical reason I get another one. She also asked because of my hip, if I wanted to get a note to be home from work duration of my pregnancy. Wow, it's that easy!! I said no. I feel better at work than I do at home, sitting at my desk doesn't give me problems.. when I get home and I'm in my bed, is when I hurt the worst. Plus I'd go crazy just laying around at home!! Oh and I heard back from my band doc today, I e-mailed them last week about my chest pain and lack of restriction, etc. I am getting real paranoid about that, it's like I'm not banded anymore, and they only took out .5cc!!!! Plus with the weight gain, I should be more restricted. In any event this was their response... I guess it's good they're not worried?

August 8th - Miles: 8 CW: 165 August 15th - Miles: 7 CW: 163.8 August 22nd - Miles: 5 CW: 161.4 August 29nd - Miles: 5 CW: 160.8 Sept. 5th - Miles: 5 CW: 159.8 Sept. 12th - Miles: 5 CW: 158.2 Sept 19th - Miles: 5 CW: 157.4 Sept 26th - Miles: 5 CW: 158.6 (TOM weight added ughhhhhhh) October 1st - Miles: CW: First, I haven't been doing alot of walking because of the rain going on...I know youre saying go to the gym....but I hate the gym with a passion...but I do realize I'm going to need to do that because of this issue I have encountered this week with rain all week...I hate walking/running when its wet outside...ewwww....next sorry AA men but also weight gained this week because of TOM...but anyway...I need some motivation people...Wish i had someone to work out with me...my kids are no help...they dont wanna walk/run with me...Im not losing like I planned...my plan is kind of smaller than others...as you see in my progress I'm only losing about 5 lbs a month...i know I wasnt as heavy as others buuuuutttttttttt because of my height my bmi is high as you can see on my ticker...and about this challenge I think it has helped me a great deal to at least be accountable....i had actually started working and walking/running more because of this challenge and I thank the one who started it....you have helped me a great deal....when is the last day for this is it the 1st of Oct of the 31st

Joyful, I'm really excited for you. And I watch Big Medicine, I think it's ok to get the band at that weight. (stop it in it's tracks). I wish I could have gotten it before I got so big, then I wouldn't have had so much to lose and I would have been a lot healthier a lot sooner. some people will disagree with me but I also beleave the band is a great way to control weight gain in those who have a issues with it. I don't think people at a good weight should get it just to maintain. You should have some sort of weight issues. and to your question about getting use to the life style change:I think everyone is different, It's upto 2 years for your weightloss but I'm really ok with the lifestyle change already. I was really ready for this surgery and the changes I've made in my life haven't bothered me. The band just made it possible. Some people never get use to it. They are the ones that want their bands removed at no fault of the band and you here them always say my band is not working and truth be told they are not working their band. Hope this helps. And once again congrats!

mfinney, I know what you mean but it definitely seems like everyone has different reactions to fills and that's why it's a game of adjustments. You may be perfect with your first fill and not need another one for months. I hope that is the case for you. It sounds like you are at a good start since you don't feel hungry and you are "belching" more than usual. On a positive note, I finally saw some movement since 8/20. I went from 199.5 to 199. It's small but it's a movement in the right direction. I have had movement in the other direction (fluctuating between 199.5 and 201.5 for the past 2 weeks) so it was good to see movement in a downward direction. I refuse to update my ticker for weight gain of less than 5 lbs BUT if I lose even 1/2 lb, then you bet your sweet arse I'm updating my ticker!!! LOL

Here's the post from Susan re TDEE: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/23110-weight-gained-since-having-gastric-sleeve-surgery/page__st__420__hl__+susan%20+tdee#entry789451

Hi July, have you been given a date yet for your operation. Good luck and much success with it! Geri, hope you haven't been caught up with the flights situation. What date are you due to have the op? Keep telling yourself that you are about to do something really worthwhile and life changing! Brenners, thats great news that VHI should pay for the gastric bypass! It must be a huge relief for you. Good to know that you are healing well from the band removal. Don't be hard on yourself over weight gain. You've been through such a difficult time. When you have the bypass the extra weight will fall off! Its probably frustrating you now but keep telling yourself its only a temporary gain. Just a quick update on my progress! Really pleased with how things are going. I have lost inches right below my bust, lots gone from my thighs and bum. Friday is my last day for soft/mushy food. I've had more fish in the last 10 days than what I had in the previous 3 months. At times I'm forgetting to eat, me, who was a compulsive emotional eater. Ina way its hard to believe that its only 3 and a half weeks since the op as I've been so active that Im hardly at home now. Hence the reason why I haven't been posting here much recently. Maree

I have a week left. A week until I leave for home, and a week until I also get defilled. I’m too tight, I know it, and have been for a while. When my plane lands, my parents are going to bring me to see some fill nurse I’ve never met before, and get either totally, or almost totally defilled. I have 1.3cc right now, and the clinic suggested I go down to 0.5cc, but if I felt more comfortable, I could get totally defilled. It’s nice to have that option, because I know the consequences (weight gain) will be a little less if I keep a 0.5 in my band, BUT… this is being done to try to reverse anything ‘wrong’ with me, be it a slip or stretched pouch, or maybe nothing at all, I’m doing myself a disservice by NOT going totally empty and giving myself the maximum repair time. I think I WILL go totally empty, and get refilled a bit, 3-4 weeks later. I gained 10lbs in 2 weeks last time I was defilled… this could be scary. But then again, maybe now if I CAN eat the healthier things for me, I WILL. You know? I will try my best. But for now, I don’t know if I even want to get to goal just to have to say goodbye to it again. I haven't quit my job yet. I will definitely wait until after Christmas. Don't get me wrong, it's not all about her... I don't want her to have THAT satisfaction. I don't like my job... it's not what I wanna be doing. I despise it. It just doesn't help having to work with someone who thinks that way about you, and SAYS it to other people. There's no way getting around working with her, it's gotta be that way. Dan and I had our Christmas tonight, since I'm leaving next friday, and we won't be able to have Christmas together. :huggie: I got lots of goodies, but most notably, clothes from THE GAP. Yeah, that's right. Up til now most of my stuff has come from Old Navy. That's because it's cheap, and with how quickly I've been growing out of stuff, it's just worked. I've gone into some nicer, more expensive stores to just try things on, but never bought anything. Anyways, he got me a nice, super colourful (and itchy) striped (freakin' HORIZONTALLY!) sweater, in MEDIUM, and some size 10 jeans. I looked at the sweater and said no way it would fit... but it did. The jeans... I dare to say they could probably be a size smaller?! They're very roomy in the hips. That's the latest from me. I'm going to bed now. 'Night.

Hi all, Well, today I ate a 1/2order of burrito/refried Beans for lunch today...very full, but NO slimes, NO PB's and NO chest pain. Yeah...maybe this will be the sweet spot for me...1.2cc. Dancer...I've noticed just today that my port is "pulling" a little after having it "messed with" yesterday at the unfill. I suppose it readjusts with any changes in that area...exercise, weight gain, weight loss, snug clothing on top of the area, etc. so it kinda makes sense that you'd be having lots as you increase your workout routine!! Way to go!! At least now, you won't have to "worry" about that little "TUG" from time to time. (P.S., the lady that did my unfill said she speculates that its related to increases in body temp...take it or leave it!) No cheetos needed today...or crackers! Just a nice, nourishing, satisfying 1/2 order of Mexican fare!!! It has been a good day!!! Nanster