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I live in South FL. I have a very busy life and would like a "partner" in getting back on track. I have researched revisions to a RNY as I never got to goal. I let my weight dictate my life and am missing out on it all. I am socially dropping out and am having a lot of physical pain. I weigh 208 today and carry it all in my middle, causing a lot of arthritic leg and foot pain. I am ready to attempt to embrace the band and restriction. I will call for a fill this week. I can eat everything now except for maybe a hamburger. My metabolism is a wreck and I have to take Nsaids for the pain. This is weight gain after getting an unfill at weight of 190 because I was just sick of the restriction and thought I would eat fruit! Well, I rarely eat fruit. I am a carb addict! I have a gym buddy who is very supportive but cant really relate to the band. I heard that 60% of banders are getting them removed or revised. Any encouragement is welcomed!

Hey Melissa. . . I'm new to this site too and am hoping for a mid-Jan. 2010 surgery date (see my doc next week). This site and postings have been very informative. I, too, am very sad and have been for so long . . . losing weight, gaining weight, then starting all over with this rollacoaster....this is not how I want to spend the rest of my life and it sounds like you don't either. Wishing you the best as you make your decision.barbara

Hi all, I am dealing with a condition of lymphedema that has caused me to gain weight since I started my program almost 2 years ago. My bariatric team typically does not do the surgery if there is weight gain, but this is a condition I have no control over... I am wrapping my legs (which seems to help some, but there is no getting rid of lymphedema). Tomorrow I will be calling my insurance coordinator at the surgeon's office and my insurance company to see what I can do and where I am at as far as getting approved for surgery. I have done the 6 mo (2 years) supervised diet, and from the nutritionist standpoint I was ok to do surgery in March 2015. It has taken me so long, because I have had job/insurance changes, and finally am at a point where I have the right coverage, and I am no longer on probation as a new employee. I guess my question here is, Has anyone had experience with lymphedema causing weight gain after starting the program and still get approved?

Hi Megan, my date is July 2nd too! I got my date about three weeks ago. I'm going through many of the same emotions that you are. I'm actually having a revision from the lapband. I was very successful with the band and lost from 275 down to 155 pounds in 4 1/2 years, then started having issues with the band. I've gained 30 pounds over the past 7 months, but am happy that I'm able to get this revision done before I have more weight gain. My life has been so much better since losing so much weight. I guess I have gotten through alot of the emotional eating issues, learning to eat small bites and chew really good, and the fact that you just can't eat much. But I am scared about what the surgeon will find once he gets in there. I have had some tests done and we don't think I have any erosion, just mainly scar tissue. So, things should be fine. It is just scary. Good luck to you, and I hope we can stay connected.

Hi Alex, Do you have any idea what the symptoms would be of taking too much? I *was* super tired at one point which is why I asked my PCP to check it (I thought my dosage was too low, though ... lol). Hmmm, well the fact that your PCP is checking it while you lose weight lends credence to the idea that the dosage may need to be adjusted for weight loss. Maybe it becomes an issue more when you get closer to goal ... it seemed like this cropped up suddenly for me. I don't think that hypothyroid is *caused* by being overweight, but I think it can contribute at least slightly to causing weight gain (although I know not as much as what people tend to want to believe...lol). -Yvonne

I've been stalking this forum for over a year now, and appreciate all the advice and support you've provided on here. I've recently made the decision to go forward with the Lap Band and could not be more pleased and confident in my decision. The only thing holding me back at this point is support (financial and emotional) from my family. I will be a self-pay, and I'm 95% certain I want to go with Dr. John Weaver in CO. Unfortunately, I was not able to qualify for enough CareCredit on my own, and asked my father to jointly apply with me, and we qualified for enough to cover the costs (WOOHOO!!). The caveat is, he will only allow me to use the CareCredit if my mother supports the decision. About a year ago, I brought up the idea of a Lap Band with my parents, and they were extremely against the idea. My mom was angry and said I just needed to do things that I'm sure we're all sick of hearing- join WW, talk to a dietitian, exercise more.... the whole gamut of things that obviously never worked. I know a lot of it is probably fear of going into surgery. After a year of research and more weight gain, I am sure this is what I need. However, I am afraid to bring it up to my mother as the whole procedure depends on her support, and I really need and want that support. I'm a single, 26 year old female. I know this probably sounds silly, considering my age, but without them I have no way of affording the procedure. Plus, I really don't want to go through this alone, and would love so much for them to be on board and cheerlead me on! Has anyone been in a similar situation with parents, spouses, or loved ones? How did you tell/convince them this was the right thing and that it just wasn't going to happen through normal diet and exercise?

Your thyroid can cause lots of problems: weight gain, hair loss, fatigue, abnormal periods, temperature imtolerance, and more. I hope they get it under control but at least the meds have been proven to be effective. It will work!

I have been banded 16mo and had my fill removed because I am flying back to Mx for a tt on Monday. I was told that due to swelling it could cause too much restriction in the band. Well, I spent two days thinking of all the things I could eat again. LOL I thought I would eat pizza because I have not been able to eat pizza for so long. Instead, I find myself eatting foods that are high in Fiber, such as apples, kashi Cereal and raison bran. I love fiber and have missed being able to eat fiber. I must confess, I drank two corona light beers last night, ice cold..... ahhhhhhh. I have missed them. I am worried of course about weight gain, but I am going to stick with my high fiber foods and hope I don't gain any weight. I will be unfilled for about a month. Anyone else have fills removed for surgery?

Okay so this girlie here is freakinggg out!! I have not slept all night, i have a pedi scheduled as a pre surgery relaxation today and i don't even want to go any more. I am so fearful, afraid of dying, complications, pain after surgery, not being able to eat food i like again, this not working, stalls, weight gain, not having children. I know that in a few month i will look back at all this and laugh well i hope, but today anxiety is running at an all time high. Xantax any one??

Anyone have weight gain ?? And have all your weight come back on but started back to basics and it all worked out ?

I am new to the banding, I was banded on yesterday. I was very nervous and afraid. I am still in the same state of mind. I am sore and filled with gas. I started my weight gain around the time of having y child and from that moment my weight has been crazy. People still ask me am I pregnant or when is the baby due. My son is 3 and will make 4 in September, so you know thats depressing. My weight was 188 prior to surgery and I have a goal of getting to 135 - 140. My clothes don't fit properly and I hate shopping. I don't find bras that look right on me either. I made the decision to change and my change has started.

Hi BonJosie - I'm new to this site too. I agree about ins co's making people wait for the surgery. I have to do a 6 month weight loss program for them, when all they would have to do is look at my medical records of continual weight gain-weight loss since age 10. But I'll do what it takes to get this done!! Good Luck on your journey!!

Thanks for the support vlp1968. I do need to get back to working out. I just stopped because I got so discouraged with all the weight gain. Thanks for the advice and Happy Thanksgiving. All the best.

So today marks the end of the holidays and I am now post surgery 4 weeks. I am waiting for my first fill in 2 weeks and am adjusting to the need to implement portion control. I did very well during these 4 weeks by losing quickly and then hit a flatline with a slight uptick in weight when I moved to solid foods last week. In my first entry I talked about that frustration of going up a little and decided that I needed to continue to maintain focus, which I did and since the first posting (4 days ago) I am down 3 pounds and feeling good about making good decisions. I am purposefully moving to amore soft foods diet to avoid weight gain and build up my portion control focus. This is working well and everyone in the household is adjusting well. It was nice to hear from my wife, who is very fit, that my change in focus on food and the fact that several times I said no, or I can't have that, actually helped her stay on track as well. That was very energizing for me to have that positive comment and helps me to stand to making the right decisions. Today we went to Pink's hot dogs (yeah not great for a bander) but I was able to have fun with the family and have very small bites of a hot dog (no bun) and leave satisfied and happy with the experience without impacting anyone else. I go back to work tomorrow and will have to make good decisions there, but will go in a little later than before to have a good, healthy, portion-controlled breakfast at home (used to get something on the way...bad decisions were always my problem), leaving only lunch to worry about. I am finding that eating out and fast food are not something I will do as much and with a little planning things are working well. So leaving this second post, pre-fill I am feeling good about my mental progress of changing my lifestyle, which is what I knew had to be done to make this work anyway. I have a mental plan and with good focus each stage will go well, as I enter stage 2 I feel good so far. Stage 1 - Pre Surgery I had to focus on making this real for me and admit that I had a problem (sorta my own individual 12 step program). I followed the Optifast 800 fairly well and cut out fast food. This allowed me to lose 70 pounds in the year leading up to my surgery. For the first time in a long time I saw some positive results in pictures and this added to the motivation. Stage 2 - this stage is my goal between now and Christmas 2012. My goal is to lose 70 more pounds. I intend to up my walking and exercise during this time with the goal of being at a low enough weight to use an elliptical machine in my home by the end of the year for additional excercise. I am hoping that the band will help me to internalize new, better eating habits with portion control to make this stage a success. Stage 3 - this stage will begin immediately upon completing stage 2, but hopefully no later that Christmas 2012. This stage is where I leave the crutch of the band and need to make the changes "biggest loser" style with excercise. I will be adding a full time gym membership expectation with this stage with the goal to lose another 70 pounds (this would be a combined 210 in 3 stages). This stage is targeted to be complete in regard to body change and weight loss by Christmas 2013. This is my lifestyle change stage and should lend itself to a much more active family set of activities. Beyond - I will asses my weight and body at the end of stage 3 and add new goals in regard to weight, fitness, body composition but from this point on I am in a balance lifestyle with a maintaining focus. This is a while out, but I believe good gools come from having the end in mind. So 2012 is beginning well for me and I hope to continue this journey to a new, improved me!

Here's an article I was given that helps explain temporary weight gain, loss and stalls: Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet. As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy so it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored. I hope this helps.

Kids are very intuitive!!! I have a 5 year old and I just explained to him that mommy was going to the hospital. I told him that the Dr was going to help mommy feel better (I was also suffering from back issues due to weight gain). He understood. I just kept it simple. I also told him that mommy would need him to be her hepler for a little while until I was not achy anymore. He loved that part! MahoganySlim

Chittick24 thanks for the information, it's really helpful to read about your experience. I am very concerned about weight gain, so I'm glad to hear you didn't have any issues. Did you experience the nausea prior to your pregnancy?

Its like the Elephant in the corner no one wants to discuss. I was banded on 2/27/04. Lost 18 pouds in one week. I am a former college football player that lost a grip on eating. My highest weight day of surgery was 305. I am now 287 8 days later., however I am 6-2 tall. (Trust me proportions sound better than they really are at his stage of my life, lost alot of muscle mass.) Anyway, I really was interested in Gastric Bypass Surgery. My Dr, However felt this was a little extreme for my overall situation, and not being severely obsese. BMI on day of surgery was 40.1, Barely obtained Insurance authorization. I guess barely big enough for gastric banding. How do you guys feel. I really wish I had the malabsorbtion aspect as Gastric Bypass patients do. I kind of feel I only went half way with this thing. Not too mention we have to deal with fills. Rare, but possible slippage, etc. Don't get me wrong. I am happy thus far. I am afraid of weight gain when I am off liquids, but still cant have my first fill yet. Anyone else feel this way?, or chose to be banded instead and are happy with it?. I have two friends that went through GBS with Dr. Abkin in New Jersey and are doing great. Sorry if This eamil annoyed anybody, however I HAD TO BRING THIS UP>>>

Sleeve surgery, like the band, isn't magic. There are people who do well initially, but, regain because they go back to weight-gaining foods. You might work with a therapist knowledgeable about food issues. You can also register at shrinkyourself.com (either the free version or the pay, it's up to you). A well-regarded book is "The Beck Diet Solution,"* Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., cognitive behaviorist and heir to the Beck Institute. The latter two will be most useful if you do the exercises. Beck is meant to be read/worked from page one, not at random. * Not her later book with a similar title and a food plan which isn't suited to WLS and contains less learning & support material.

the WEIGHT GAIN IS DUE TO THE EXTREME SWELLING! when you are on the liquid for 5 weeks you will lose weight but beware you do gain some back when you start eating food again before fill not a bunch but 2-3 lbs dont weigh yourself the first couple weeks and then you will get on the scale and WOW lol! good luck take care

Hi There! I'm back after at least a year away from Lap Band Talk. I had surgery on 10/28/08 and am back at working on getting to my goal weight by 10/28/11. I've spent the better part of the past year dealing with a foot injury that caused my exercise to go from 5 days a week to nada. Of course that lead to poor food choices and I'm now looking at a 10lb weight gain. I'm still down 74 lbs from surgery and 93 from my heaviest, but really want to get back on track. Looking forward to reading this forum for support and finding others who are restarting with the band!

Lins be careful of the Paxil, that was my demise to my weight gain, it slows down your metabolic rate to almost zero. I gained 65 lbswith it in a year and a half. Welbutrin will make you nauseaus so you wont want to eat which for us bandsters is a goodthing I guess. I have had many dwon days..more so lately not having my band any more. You are normal..dont beat yourself up over it though..tomorrow is a new day

thanks all for the responses and for understanding. Yes this is an issue for my psychiatrist but I'm an hour and half away from him, he's in Nashville and I'm Ky so it's not like I can jump in the car and make an appt and go see him on a whim. I have to do these things by phone. His assistant called today to ck on me and to see if the Depakote was helping and my response was :::"why in the world would he prescribe me something that causes major weight gain knowing I'm a wight loss surgery patient and on top of that due to my surgery I already am losing hair and this med causes that so no I'm taking it". she said oh, well, let me talk to him and call you back. Well, the day went on and never heard back from her. This is not like my dr, I've been with him for 7 yrs, love him to pcs, he's been there with me thru ups/downs and my separation/divorce but right now I am kinda peeved no one called me back today. On the otherhand my medical doc mentioned Lithium in a low dose...torn between doctors here. All I know is I cannot continue being short fused with everyone including the freakin dog of all things, she doesn't know any better. Zingy, like you I don't take criticism very well either or I take it to heart or wear my emotions on my shoulder so to speak. Thank you for sharing your story, it was brave of you. At least I'm not alone. Donna

My wt loss has been going SO GREAT lately. And now: a herniated disc in my back. The inflammation and pain was / is terrible and they now have me on oral steroids (prednisone) to bring down the swelling. I get to lie on my back in bed for 3-5 days until the swelling has gone down enough for me to be up walking around. I just finished my first day on steroids and I can already tell that the side effect of "increased appetite" is hitting me with a vengeance. I'm determined to stick to my 1200 cals a day despite that. I can't exercise for the next few days either. Just wondering if anyone has managed to at least maintain their weight while on steroids, or if weight gain is inevitable? :wink2: I'm hoping they do their thing and I can get off them in 2 weeks. Tomorrow's MRI should help clarify how bad things are...

I was banded 2006, repaired a broken tubing 2009, leaking again so im converting next week- - no weight gain to convert. I am a 24-25 BMI, Im self pay so insurance is not dictating the decision. My surgeon is converting since Im a band success but I am tired of mechanical failure. I dont trust myself to maintain the lifestyle and portion control, I need the mental sitter of the band or sleeve. 5-7K every three years for band repair is getting old so Im converting and hoping to be done with surgery for weight loss. I want the "irreversible last surgery" and to never have to see my weight loss surgeon again. I completely get the need for emotional control and the desire for the sleeve.