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Hello Sleevers, I have a dilemma. I went to a physician I've only been to one time in the past 24 months. She had my bmi at 39.7 (ridiculous) and I have no co-morbidities. Can I get a referral from another physician and send in only that information to the sleeve surgeon. I really did not do anything with this physician, I sat with her for about 15 minutes. I have scheduled myself to meet with another physician before my surgeon iniitial visit on July 29th where I plan to get a referral. Does anyone know if that is okay, I just want to make sure I am able to do that. I know some of you said you gained weight in order to be covered, did anyone have to go back to their physician with weight gain, and were you successful? I so want this surgery and I'm so close, I don't want a BMI of 39.7 to mess this up. Help me please!!

Have you seen a gynecoligist or other medical professional that would have taken weight down? I know I have five years of weight history from just my gynecologist, but was able to also get my pediatric growth chart showing when I went off the chart in terms of weight gain in relation to height...

I had my RNY at 47, and have lost 100 lbs, would like to lose another 8 lbs, surgery was 20 mos ago. Except for my stomach, I have virtually no loose skin. That said, I have a fair complexion, have never tanned, didn't get many stretch marks during my one pregnancy or all my weight gain. I have also never smoked as much as on cigarette. All this worked in my favor for not having a lot of lose skin. All the things I mentioned are causes or signs or less elasticity. I do a fair amount of weight training so the muscle tone will help loose skin appear firmer, I think but won't "cure " lose skin. Now I'm not saying I will ever wear a bikini but I feel.100 percent comfortable in sleeveless shirts.

So 6 years ago when i started this process I weighed in at 230lbs. 5'2" and completely out of shape. Fortunately for me that was all i was... FAT. I had no other issues, thank God. But with the family history i have.. i was headed down the high blood pres., diabetes, heart des. path. At that time i had great insurance and it was covered. I did have some out of pocket expenses. A few co pays and some of the hospital.... total about 2k. (he throws that in my face all the time). I had WLS on the Tuesday and was back at work on the Monday... At that point i was laid off from my job of 10 years. But i started cleaning houses and was making good money. but i went back to "work" after 7ish months. At first he was supportive... at least i thought he was. He had made little comments here and there about me losing the without the surgery. I brushed it off. I have had a few other surgeries since we have been married (1 c section, gallbladder, hysterectomy) and he was zero help. I don't know why i thought he would be for this "elected surgery". what was i thinking. I'm grateful that i have a high tolerance for pain and that i recover quickly. Anyway... Fast forward... the weight was slow to come off and he started with the little comments... I thought this was going to make you lose weight... Probably won't work for you.... Then weight loss started to show and the "attention" started, and he HATED!!! it..... He said things that were and still are very hurtful.... When i got to about 150ish... he ask How much more do you plan on losing? I said, i wanted to lose about 20lbs...Why? he said, because your starting to look like a bag of bones you look sick. He also said that i was prettier with a fat face because my wrinkles didn't show then. Are you going to wear that out, that shirt is kind of tight, don't you think... but that's what you want, all the men too look at you. so many others.... But the best one was a few weeks ago when he said that WLS was my HOBBY.... that i really didn't need it and that i could have lost the weight on my own if i really wanted too. we have been married for over 24 years, i weighted about 100lbs when we met. He never showed this side ever. Even through the weight gain he never said anything..... Now i see why.... it's was his way of keeping my self esteem at zero, the more i gained the worse i felt, the more control he had..... but as the weight came off and the confidence started to go up, his control started coming down. This is when the insults accusations got worse..... where are you, what are you doing, who are you with... what man are you flirting with that you could answer my call/text.... I know this is his insecurities.... But it still hurts. We live alone, both the boys are out of the house... My oldest is from my first marriage. We both have decent jobs and money is not something we really worry about (he controls the finances). But we argue most everyday.... the last one was about FB... Of all things. He saw an old classmate "like" a post i made and he blew up... But then i saw on his where he was "poking" 4 different classmates of his (all female all single)... So anyway i deactivated my account and so did he. At the time he said that that would fix everything.... that was almost 2 months ago and we are still arguing. I have BEGGED BEGGED BEGGED him to go to counseling. His answer to me was... Get a part time job to help pay for it and i will go. I know i rambled on and on.... but, don't sweep this under the rug... don't let it get out of hand... face it with him and try and get him to go with you to a counseling session. Have him say what his worries are. Don't be like me.... miserable at 46 years old.

I just went to get started on birth control to control symptoms I get and I just told them I did not want any one that caused weight gain As for it affecting anything else, it will not affect anything. So you can go to any gyno

Well, I took a unisom last night, the sleepmelts. I hate taking those though. They leave you with a hangover and they cause weight gain over time. I don't know if it's the surgery that's causing this or if it's just my zoomy little brain messing with my sleep wake cycle. It's probably unisom again tonight.

I'm only 4 months post-op and am doing fine with the sleeve. Love it. I've lost 63 pounds thus far. I think the sleeve is a big advantage to those of us who've struggled lifelong with overweight and obesity. But here's the big BUT ... 40-50% of people who have WLS (including those who are sleeved) gain back more than half of the weight they lost. So clearly they are able to cheat the sleeve big-time. And I haven't heard of anyone who's had the sleeve who says they've never had to put some energy post-op into maintaining their weight loss. Some people who post here at BP have said that 1, 2, 3 years out they are struggling with weight gain. And during the holidays some here have complained about gaining weight (even during their weight loss phases) because they indulged too much in holiday treats. So if "being 'full' has never stopped [you when] the food tastes really good," you surely could figure out post-op how to eat more than you should. But just because you can doesn't mean that you will. The sleeve is only one of many tools you could acquire to help you live healthier, lose weight, maintain your weight, and live a healthy lifestyle. The other available tools are family and friends you invite to support you, psychological counseling and coaching, support groups (in real life and online), ongoing support from your bariatric and medical team, exercise and physical activities and resources, a job/work/career that supports your new lifestyle (or at least doesn't sabotage it), avocations that support your new lifestyle, spiritual support, and other resources. Of course, there are other things in our lives we can't control that will affect our long-term success. But the list above includes are some things we can control. Most of all, there's the motivation factor: How badly do we want to be normal-sized and healthy? Best wishes to you.

It might be due to your carbohydrate intake after surgery. You might be reducing your fatty acids but not your triglycerides if your body is producing too much glycerol. Glycerol is produced from carbohydrates. http://www.zoeharcombe.com/the-knowledge/weight-gain-is-about-fat-stored/

Did they try you out with different masks so you could decide which was more comfortable? I couldn't tolerate a full mouth and nose mask, so I've been using a petite (ha! the only petite thing I've ever owned) nasal mask for years. I don't even feel the air going in ... Sometimes I pull the mask away to make sure it is actually working. Do you need a mouth mask because you didn't close your mouth with a nasal mask or nasal pillows? If they didn't try different masks with you give your Dr or respiratory rep a call and tell them you aren't tolerating this one. One other thought, your machine should have a "ramp up" or "warm up" setting that you can select that starts the machine off at a lower pressure and gradually builds, allowing you to fall asleep before the maximum pressure setting is reached. Yep, they usually want your usage data for awhile to make sure you are compliant with the therapy. They look at hours used and they can look at a bunch of other data, if needed, to make sure you are getting the full benefit. Additionally, the machines aren't cheap, so your insurance company wants to make sure you're using something they are providing (or paying a part of for you) you. An added benefit from CPAP use is that it may help you with some weight loss. Research has shown that sleep apnea may be linked with weight gain, high blood pressure, and a laundry list of other health issues. I know it's a hard adjustment, but think of it as another positive step in your new healthy life. Best wishes!

So, was having a grand old time with the new bf going out to eat, and all that fun stuff with food. Then I noticed last week in particular that my clothes are getting tight...and that won't do at all. I decide to take myself in hand and get back to where I needed to be. Did just that....and gained even more weight. What the hell??? Even friends and co-workers are noticing the gain. They say I look good now...not so drawn. But all I know is that some of my favorite clothing is too tight and I refuse to go back there. A fill I think. Maybe I need another fill. But no...I know that's not it. I'm not walking around hungry all the time. So what's up? Steroids. It's steroids my friends. My rheumatologist perscribed oral steroids low dose for me about six weeks ago to see if that would help with my pain and discomfort from the joint disease. I'm not sure if it's working or not...I feel better sometimes but not all the time. Not when I used to get 'the good stuff' from my pain management doctor to help me break a pain flare. But the light suddenly went on over my head and I just looked up side effects and there it was: weight gain. That sucks. I'm gaining weight and it has nothing to do with food. What crap is that?? Gonna have to have a conversation with the rheumatologist when I see him later this month. He better not tell me to eat less...or I might just bite HIS head off...

Oh yes......and it can get bad. I refuse to take them anymore unless I a, absolutely so miserable that I cannot function. They actually cause a lot of weight gain in the neck and face. I call it bloating and it sucks. I am sorry you are having such pain. Maybe there is another option for you? Just remember if you do go off you need to ween off.

hello there just doing my monthly check in for those who are interested. So it's officially 8 months since I had my RNY BYPASS surgery. My journey has been good. Started high weight of 322lbs and I've been in maintenance now 2 months. I sit consistently around 165LBS most days but my lowest recent weight was 163lbs. I have definitely been enjoying alot more variety in my diet since maintenance began and I can tolerate most foods but still use shakes if needed. I am now consuming around 1500kcal most days even a few treats here and there without any side effects or weight gain. I'm feeling amazing and looking good. I'll be 36 in about 5 weeks but feel healthier than I have in 20 years!!! I am glad I did the right research and chose the BYPASS as my first and only surgery and I'm amazed how well I've done. never ever expected to lose 100% EBW but I've done it and my surgeon says I'm an anomaly only about 5% of his patients ever lose that much 😊 I know it's only early days and things might change in regards to malabsorption of calories and such but I'll be sure to keep an eye on my weight for the long term. I just want everyone to see it is possible to be successful and reach all your goals. you just have to be 150% focused on your goals from day 1. Thank you all and I'll appreciate any comments. Mike

Unless you continue to graze or eat things like pizza, chips, foods with high sugar and fat content, ie. ice-cream, cookies, cakes, chips etc...I don't think you will have a problem and you will continue to lose. Just follow the fundamental concept of protein first then vegetables, then fruits and other stuff and you really won't have trouble with the foods that can cause weight gain...there just won't be enough room for it! You don't have to deprive yourself either. A treat now and again will not sabotage your food plan as your need to maintain health will be a priority so things should balance out. Hope that helps.

A lot of insurance carriers have paid for the revision with out a hitch and others drag their feet. I'm thinking it depends on yours. I was self paid because my insurance doesn't cover wls at all. As for weight gain between band and sleeve.. UGH... I gained 75 lbs, but because of severe complications and damage from lapband I had to wait 18 months to be cleared for sleeve. Good luck!

Hi, If you're reading this, you're probably considering sleeve surgery. I will share a shorten version of "my long story." I am 51 yrs old. and have not been obese all my life. Three years ago i quit smoking (30 yr bad habit) and my small 5'2" frame went from 120 lbs. to 195 lbs. I know, it was bad. But that's not the worse part - apparently the rapid weight gain had decided to reek havoc on my liver. Having some routine blood work done was showing my liver enzymes beginning to sky rocket. I was trying weight watchers, Atkins, starving myself, etc. and like everyone else, I would gain everything back again. I used to be semi-active but with the added pounds on my small frame, my knees, back and joints were killing me. There was no way I could exercise - Not to mention, I was out of breath soo quickly. I was so depressed. My extremely high liver enzymes forced me to see a specialist. I went to Temple University in Philadelphia, PA and he told me that if I did not lose this excess weight rapidly, I would be needed a liver transplant in the future. Please note my liver enzymes were over 10X the normal high. On the way home from Philadelphia that day, I called a friend who went to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, PA for lapband surgery. She told me that she had Dr. Harrison and for me.... this was the beginning of changing my life. My insurance company required me to go thru a 3 month program which included weight loss meetings, meeting a psychiatrist for an evaluation, dietitian counseling, nutrition counseling, group meetings, etc. I was traveilng down to Allentown almost once a week for 3 months. After I completed the entire program, I had a problem with my insurance company. They initially denied my claim and my original January 2012 surgery date had to be cancelled. I was "crushed" but my surgeon appealed their denial and I was back on the schedule for April 24th. : ) I did not have a pre-surgical diet to follow, except to do High Protein or Atkins Diet to help to "firm up" and shrink the size of the liver for surgery. The surgeon must actually lift up the liver to move it out of the way for the surgery. I did Atkins for 2 weeks prior to surgery and then 3 days before surgery, I did a Atkins shake Fast - no food and lost 8 lbs in 3 days. Current weight was 188 lbs. on day of surgery. As far as the sleeve surgery is concerned, well... it was bad for me. They also removed my gall bladder. I never imagined to be in such pain since I am usually a quick healer. One of the hardest parts for me was getting out of bed after surgery. I was not able to use my stomach muscles without a lot of pain. Probably the fact that my stomach was sooo out of shape at that point, there was no muscles. I was lucky enough to borrow a reclining lift chair from a friend and I actually slept in this chair for probably 2-3 weeks. Eating the first 6 weeks was just to survive - I did not enjoy eating at all and I never got physically hungry but there is a mental hunger. I accidently ate a little too much and TRUST ME - you won't let that happen very often. You feel like you must throw up to get this excess out of your stomach. It's not a fun feeling and it lasts about 2 hrs for me. I am now 2 1/2 months post op and I feel great. I am down to 150 lbs. which is a loss of 38 lbs. since surgery. I was wearing a sz. 18 pants and am wearing between 12 and 14 now. I feel like my self confidence is finally coming back and I look forward to a future. And by the way... I went to get my bloodwork done a few days ago and my liver enzymes have almost gotten back to a normal range. This was the whole purpose of my surgery - to SAVE MY LIVER - the other benefits are an extra perk. : ) If you have any questions, Or I can help you with anything, please let me know. And lastly, GOOD LUCK to you. PJones

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 agree with southernsoul above, I don't think you should worry about weight loss while sick at all. Also, I bet you are actually losing weight, but due to being sick are holding on to water weight. Your weight "going up a few ounces" every day is NOT real weight gain and you need to learn to not be affected emotionally by the daily fluctuations of your body.

I was sleeved on September 10 pre op I was 293 and post op I was 273. Last week I I was 264 and my current weight is 270. Is it normal to gain weight back even when sticking to the diet? I'm feeling really discourage right now and I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong.

Come to think of it ’m the same!! The last photo of me looking ‘normal’ was the end of Feb was and wearing 33” Jeans. was I don’t know what my weight was before but it must of been around 14-14.5 stone as all my clothes fit (size 33” men’s waist) but now none of my jeans fit and must be about a size 36” waist. Before I never really set to a strict diet, in fact I don’t know how I didn’t put in weight! My housemate is a couple of years younger and eats more than me but he must have a look at higher metabolism as he eats worse and more than Me yet stays around 31”/32” waist and about 12 stone. Does anyone have any ideas as what’s wrong with me and what to do? I read about the pouch reset to shrink the stomach and kick start the metabolism again? Im eating relatively well at the moment also, yesterday breakfast was 3 eggs with 1.5 pieces of sliced toast and butter, some grapes and followed by supper consisting of the follow (rough measurements based off visual inspection of 125g of Halloumi • Grilled Halloumi (125g) • Chop Ham Chunks (100g) • Mixed Salad (Filled base of bowel) • Sweet Chilli Sauce (30ml) The rest the Day I had Tea and nibbles on grapes. Zero exercise apart from walking the dogs (same as before) I never really exercised much apart from the daily dog walk and my weight still hung around 14/14.5 stone. Before the weight gain I would eat loads of rubbish and just slightly less than the average adult at meals but would make up for it in snacks etc. i really don’t know what’s going on It’s like my body just uses all the food as don’t often need to go to the toilet like I used to. Not sure if it’s because I’m eating less post weight gain?!

Hello everyone!! I am back on and in need of some input. I will have my band now for 6 yrs in July. When I first got the band it worked great! For the past couple years I have been at a stall then all of a sudden I began gaining weight.. Knowing that muscle weighs more then fat I am just hoping my weight gain is muscle.. My tummy is big with fat and then with all the muscle back there which I can totally feel my mid section is bigger and my jeans don't fit ;-( this makes me sad and adds to the discouragement. A couple years ago I had issues with high cholesterol and my fibromyagla got really bad. So I began hitting the gym a min of 3 days a week I really got into the gym and to my surprise really enjoyed it. Not at all a fan of cardio and to be honest I detest it!! Anyway I also began doing organic and seriously paying better attn to what I put in my mouth. I do not eat out and I am a great cook thanks to this band. I am not a huge carbs eater other then things that are natural organic carbs, fresh fruits and veggies. I have a 10cc band and it was full to 8 1/2 and it really did take a long time to eat things when I went back home to St Louis in Nov last year my surgeon took out a tiny bit of Fluid did not help ;-( He backed out some because he said it was taking way to long for me to eat things.. I love the surgeon I have here in the So Jersey area however his office staff are a ridiculous bunch of nit wits and that I simply can not deal with!! So I am looking now for a new doctor here in NJ Bottom line here is I eat healthy and I do workout again a min of 3day a week sometimes 4 or 5 days. I have muscles in places I never knew I had them and my pants will not button!! My jeans are tight, my thighs are bigger, my butt is bigger, everything is bigger even the numbers on the scale!! What on earth am I doing wrong I feel now like I am d&*(%^ if I do and if I don't!! I have gotten very discouraged and feel like giving up at this point. I would love to hear some input and thoughts. I think I need to be here again for some great support from all of us who have been there and done that! Thanks Michele

I am exactly two months out from surgery and I've lost over 50 lbs!! I am so excited. I have cheated a couple of times, but I've definitely paid the price...fortunately no weight gain though. However, there is a program called Lindora TLC offered through My Lap Band Journey on Lapband.com. I am very interested in this. I was supposed to start on the 8th but I didn't know it started. Has anyone tried this and had success. Please let me know.

Congrats on this big first step! It's wonderful news that you're able to take decisive action and make such a major decision to improve your life! I'm worried when I hear you say you hope the surgery will make you stop hating yourself. This surgery is a great health improver, but there's no guarantee how you'll feel about yourself afterwards. You could easily end up skinny but unhappy. I'd guess we all come into this with pretty low self image due to all of our previous failures at weight loss. But I would recommend taking some time to understand what's contributed to your self image and weight issues to this point before actually having the surgery. For most people it's not just stomach capacity that led to the weight gain. For those of us using insurance, we had to sit down with a psyche professional and they usually poke around and try to unpack these issues for each of us. Your doctor can probably recommend someone similar that works with MWL patients. I think it'd be a great benefit to you if you reached out to them for some counseling before making your mind up. I hope I don't sound preachy. I would just hate to see you spend all that money and go through everything and end up unhappy. I will pray for you and I hope you get to a really great place!

Hi all. I had my surgery on Jan 16 and am currently one week post op. So far so good! The only issue I've noticed is I can consume anything cold. But down 10 lbs :-) A little back story. I'm 25 and was diagnosed with a hormonal disorder when I was 14. It's caused a lot if weight gain, blood sugar problems, and infertility. I've always been athletic, played volleyball and was a runner most of my school years, but I was always the chunky one. After high school I got married and have been a nanny/homemaker. To no avail, my husband and I have not been able to conceive. So 120 lbs later and countless failed diets, except use routines, and fertility treatments, I am here. I feel good about my decision. I'm hoping to get to know other RNYers and have a support system since my surgeons office is 4 hours away and I won't be able to make the support meetings. I've read so many post and have so much respect for this outlet and the people who bare the souls on here! Hope to get to know y'all Mandi

thanks all for the input, I have tried to limit my carb intake and up my water- im currently at 285. my first weigh in was 276 and my second at 281, I have to weigh in next week for sure im hoping to get back down to 281 so I don't show a gain. I did start birth control so im hoping a note from the doctor may explain some of the weight gain. when is everyone else due to submit to insurance for approval? I would love to be able to talk to others with emblem health!

I was sleeved 12-19-11. I came home 12-21-11 and found out I gained 10 lbs (331 lbs). It finally came off 12-25-11. I did not know about the weight gain. I felt cheated. But today 12-29-11 I weigh 214. I feel better.