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five years out, My maintenance calorie range is 1200 to 1400 calories. I eat mainly clean/healthy. I indulge within reason. Calories/carbs look different when I’m distance running (1500 to 2000+ depending on the event) I keep my weight in the 130’s - When I have a slight weight gain, I go back to bariatric weight loss calories. (1000 to1100) to work it off.

Hey Everyone, Just thought I would start checking in again on LBT. I have had a busy 6 months since I have really been able to log on. Its time for me to turn to you, my fellow bandsters for support and inspiration. I swear I will be reading all the "new posts" I have missed for the next week, Boy you have been a busy bunch hahaha. I managed to keep my weight off and do quite well over the past year, I was down a total of 140 lbs and feeling great. once the holidays came around I started to struggle with weight again, those pounds started to creep back on (I only gained 8) but it was enough to scare me into getting a fill. So I had my most recent fill on Dec14, 2006. The Dr seems to think I may have a leak in my port or perhaps somewhere in the band which causes me to slpwly lose restriction. The fill was wonderful for a while then hunger becan to rear its ugly head again about 2 weeks later. Yup just in time for christmas ahhh all the food and parties again. so I ate and I gained then I went to aruba the second week of January while there of course you go out and have fun, eat drink and be merry right???? Well I was sick, nauseaus, couldnt keep a thing in me, vomiting at least 6 times a day and generally not feeling myself. I did a little counting in my head when I got home because I was still feeling ill and realized I was LATE! Well low and behold my december/january weight gain was due to being pregnant! NOW.... not only am I just pregnant I am pregnant with TWIN BOYS! wow, now that explains my hunger from christmas on, my excessive vomiting (I had my fill removed in February to be able to ingest enough food for the pregnancy and to generally feel comfortable) Of course also to reduce the tightness and lessen the risk of a slip from the morning noon and night sickness. I am currently going into my 5th month of my pregnancy, I feel GREAT although I am having a hard time emotionally seeing the weight come back on.... up 24 pounds but the babies are doing great and I have to keep telling myself I am gaining this weight to give my twins a good start at a healthy birthweight when they are born. My other 2 little boys are awake now, So much for free time (its going to be less in about 4 months) hahah so I better tend to their needs and enjoy my time as I know I will be busier than ever soon. Take care xxooxx

Don't be sad! It's not real weight gain. That's impossible as early out as you are. It's just your body acting wacky because of the rapid weight loss and lack of food. Happens to ALL of us. Here's the scientific explanation why it happens: 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 a patient is not getting in enough food, the body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. Then when 2 lbs. of glycogen is used a patient will also lose 8 lbs. of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs. that most people lose in the first week of a diet. However, when the body stays in a caloric deficit state the body starts to realize that this is not a short-term problem. Then the body starts mobilizing fat from adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But the 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. 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 the patient might still be losing energy content to their body, the weight will not go down or it might even gain for a while as the retention of water dissolves the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

if u know u r eating poorly then stop lol. the weight gain could be perfectly normal. about 3 weeks out i gained 2 lbs and hit a stall. i just kept following the plan and after 2 weeks the scale went down again. remember, protein first! at 2 weeks u shouldn't be past mushies so be careful. even if u feel ok u can still damage ur sleeve.

hope all works for ya-Im definitely a slow loser-drives me nuts-I was banded April 27th and have lost 40 pounds-18/20 was in first week/10 days.sighhhhhhhhh-actually i think im back at a 5-10 pound weight GAIN but didnt bring scale with me to ND so not sure.

Well... this past weekend was not as good as I should have been but I didn't eat that much. I might have made a couple few bad choices. :rolleyes Overall I have been eating much better. The trainer at the gym told me to stay off the scale and that a weight gain is very possible at first since I am doing weight training along with the cardio. But the scale is soooo addicting!

Fried shrimp is not a sin. I know you are being facetious, but the drama decreases your ability to put things in perspective. Less than perfect choice? yes. Going to cause weight gain and undo your WLS? no. Put it in perspective, learn from it, and move on. Maybe you are not a horrible person because you ate fried shrimp. Maybe the truth is that you gave in to a craving and you are panicked that this is the beginning of the end for you? The thing about humans is that we are not perfect. The thing about successful WLS is that it's what we do 95% of the time, and that we do it for the long haul. One last word of advice - be honest with yourself. Was it 3, 4, or 5 shrimp? As you get closer to goal, it gets harder and harder to lose. If you don't learn in the early days what it takes for your body to lose, you'll find yourself befuddled as to why you are stuck. I do applaud you for taking it seriously. You'll be fine.

The LA Times had an interesting article on weighing this morning. Thought I'd share it here for those who don't get the Times and see what you guys thought. Dieters, step on your scales <LI style="LIST-STYLE-POSITION: inside; LIST-STYLE-TYPE: square">Those who weigh themselves regularly have a better chance of losing extra pounds, a recent study finds. But not all experts agree. By Rosie Mestel, Times Staff Writer Losing weight is hard — and you might say hardly studied. Only recently have scientists clinically shown that the widely used Atkins diet actually works, and they've yet to definitively weigh in on another diet-related question: Does regularly stepping on the scales help a dieter lose weight? Sure it does, say many weight loss experts. Weighing yourself is a clear way to monitor progress or catch (and nip in the bud) a slow, steady uptick in lardage. Not so fast, say others. The glacially slow nature of weight loss, plus those spiky daily fluctuations in body weight, might actually make dieters more apt to throw in the towel. ADVERTISEMENT Now, just in time for the waist-expanding holiday season, a new study has come down on the side of daily weigh-ins. Published in the December issue of the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, it reports that dieters who weighed themselves regularly shed more pounds over a 24-month period than people who didn't regularly weigh themselves. Those who weighed themselves daily lost the most. To the authors, the implications are clear: Dieters should be encouraged to weigh themselves — and often. "We talk to people about monitoring calories daily, about monitoring their exercise daily…. if we're asking them to do those … on a daily basis, then why not add this other recommendation?" says Jennifer A. Linde, lead author of that study and an assistant professor at the school of public health at the University of Minnesota. Yet there's a chicken-egg caveat here that some critics point to and that even those who believe in the findings acknowledge. Sure, successful dieters may weigh themselves more. But the studies don't tell you what caused what — just that the two things correlate. It's fun to step on the scales when you're succeeding. When the numbers are nudging upward or stubbornly refusing to change … less so. "They're assuming that weighing yourself frequently leads you to lose weight. I think losing weight makes you weigh yourself more frequently, because — 'I'm losing weight, yes, yes, I'm down another pound,' " says Janet Polivy, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Toronto, who is not a fan of the bathroom scales. That confusion is why, to this day, you'll sometimes get roomfuls of PhDs and MDs sitting around discussing an issue you'd think 21st century science might have put to bed by now. A curious study from the 1960s points to the potential effect of frequent weighing. Eight overweight women in a small private college were enrolled in a weight loss plan, part of which consisted of coming in to be weighed four times a day. By study's end the women had lost an average of 40pounds each. The study was small; it lacked important controls. But it was intriguing. "People in that group lost more weight than any study since then in nearly 40 years," says Dr. Joseph A. Risser, director of clinical research for Lindora Medical Group, which runs the Lean for Life weight loss program. The scales couldn't possibly have registered real loss from one weigh-in to the next — but maybe, Risser muses, something else was going on, such as a reminder of the mission the dieter was on. His own studies of more than 600 clients show that those who were weighed five times weekly lost more weight (24 pounds) than those weighed twice weekly (19 pounds). The new study by Linde and colleagues tapped statistics from two populations. One was a group of 1,800 obese or overweight adults enrolled in a weight loss trial. Participants were asked at the study's start and at intervals thereafter how often they weighed themselves. After one year, monthly, weekly and daily weighers all lost weight on average, but those who weighed themselves daily lost the most — about 8 pounds. (Those who never weighed themselves gained weight.) The other data came from 1,226 adults in a weight gain prevention trial. At 12 months, those who weighed themselves daily had lost about 2 to 3 pounds. Those who weighed themselves less often, or not at all, actually gained weight.In both studies, significant differences were also seen at two years. People who weighed themselves also did other healthy things such as exercise more, but the self-weighing effect was statistically significant on its own, Linde says. James O. Hill, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado, says the findings fit with a registry of adults who have lost at least 30 pounds and (even more impressive) maintained that weight loss for a year or longer. A key thing those succeeders report, Hill says, is regular self-weighing — at least weekly, and often daily. (They also have an emergency plan of action for when the reading creeps above a crucial number of pounds.) Focusing on the long term Psychologist Patrick M. O'Neil, director of the weight management center at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, says he's a strong proponent of daily weigh-ins, based on Hill's data and his own clinical experience — but that the practice should be paired with a weight chart that focuses on trends, not short-term, zigzag fluctuations. "It's sort of like tracking stock prices," he says. "You know they're going to vary day to day." Regular weighing is one thing. But every single day? After all, hormonal changes, Fluid intake, sweating, medications and salt intake cause day-to-day, hour-to-hour differences in body weight of up to several pounds. At Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers, dieters weigh in each week with their personal consultants or at meetings. "We encourage them to take a break from daily weigh-ins because weight fluctuates," says Jenny Craig spokeswoman Gail Manginelli. "It can be demoralizing." Meanwhile, there are some specialists who think either daily or weekly scale-hopping may have downsides. Psychologists and psychiatrists who treat patients with eating disorders note that encouraging people to weigh themselves might exacerbate such pathologies. Other scale-doubters, such as psychologist Michelle Dionne of Ryerson University in Toronto, believe self-weighing can also be counterproductive in psychologically healthy folks who just want to shed some poundage. Among the studies she points to: ones in which students were brought into an experimental clinic and weighed — but on fixed scales that actually recorded their weights as heavier or lighter than they truly were. Students led to think they were 5 pounds heavier than they had thought scored significantly lower on psychological scales measuring mood, selfesteem and body satisfaction. In one of the studies, students were also provided with a tasty snack right after the weigh-in — and the ones who'd been bamboozled into thinking they were heavier than they were ate significantly more of that snack. "I would suggest there are some people who are going to receive really helpful feedback and reinforcement from self-weighing," Dionne says. "But there's another group of people, whom we call for lack of a better word 'vulnerable,' who … may feel worse about themselves, dislike their body to a greater degree and start engaging in behaviors that may lead to weight gain." Experts debate how students given false information in a lab relate to real-life dieters using scales to monitor their progress. But even proponents of weighing advocate restraint. "I don't think anyone in a responsible professional position has argued for weighing oneself more than once a day," says O'Neil. "We do not want to encourage people to turn this into a fetish." If you do weigh in With that caveat in mind, here are some tips from various specialists about the best way to weigh yourself if you choose to. • To minimize variation, always weigh at the same time of day, such as in the morning just after having used the bathroom. • If you are weighing yourself daily, understand that your weight will vary day to day. It's the trend that's important. You may find it useful to make a graph of your weight. • Put the scale on a flat, uncarpeted surface so the readings don't wobble. • Use a scale that is consistent, giving the same weight when you step on, then off, then on again. That's more important than the type of scale you buy. Use the same scale each time. • Don't get fixated on the scale. Monitor your body change in other ways, such as the fit of your clothes, a tape measure or how you physically feel. • To the best of your ability, try to gauge how the weighing makes you feel, and if it is reinforcing — or undermining — your efforts.

Anyone gain weight? Surgery Date 5/6/15 SW 275, height 5"11; LowestW 249; CW 251. I do some form of working out 6 days a week. Increased my ability to jog (and have gotten 8-10k steps many times). No fried foods, no soda, no juice, no pork, very low carbs. One cheat day I ate banana pudding while still remaining under 1000kcal that day. Typically eat 500kcal a day. WTH did I gain weight? I'd expect at the least 35lbs down thus far. Feeling like I did all of this for nothing.

I wouldnt do it, I think its totally the wrong way to think about eating, and you wont believe how fast you can put on weight - remember with a band you're living on a "diet" so to speak so unfill it and its liek going OFF a diet, vacations do way more damage than they do when you've already been eating a lot anyway. If it were me, I'd also ruin my vacation worrying about weight gain and moaning about how much I'm eating. I've enjoyed several vacations with good restriction - enjoy tastes of this and that and get home as thin (or thinner) than when you left - who wouldnt want that?

I found this on bariatric source. I found this helpful as well. "The average excess weight lost following laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery is about 65% (in other words, at 100 pounds overweight the average patient loses almost 70 pounds). And many patients have seen results of well over 80%. “Most patients keep at least 50% of their excess weight off after 10 years.”Dec 10, 2016 Weight Gain After Gastric Bypass Surgery & 9 Ways to Avoid or ... www.bariatric-surgery-source.com › wei...

Congratulations!!!! Yes, the water weight gain is normal from the IV, and you will start peeing your brains out soon! LOL!!!

I am sure we have all realized that the sleeve is only in the stomach and not in the brain. I had my surgery in February of 2015 at 23. I was so focused on getting back to "normal" that I pretty much left my program behind. I am so lucky that I did not stretch my sleeve back out or irreparably gain weight. I was eating more often than was needed and not tracking anything. I had a wake up call with a 15 pound gain, after getting within 10 pounds of goal weight (which I never did reach). I experienced the nightmare of once again not fitting in my clothes, something I prayed to avoid at all costs post-op! I discovered after getting back to basics and tracking what I ate that the issue was that while I ate often, I was not getting nearly enough calories which resulted in my weight gain! Some people are not aware that this can be an issue! If you have stopped tracking or have started deviating from your program it is never too late to get back on. Always be honest with yourself! Changing your lifestyle is hard! You have to believe it is the right thing for your life! The doctor modified your stomach but YOU have to modify your brain.

where is the edit button?

Are you still on liquids, or are you eating/drinking alot of canned Soup? There was a post earlier today that I saw where the poster went back to liquids due to a fill, and was surprised at both her weight gain and how her face looked. Turns out, she was eating a lot of canned soup, which she realized was really high in sodium. So check out what you are eating/drinking - maybe it's high in sodium, and that, combined with the saline from surgery, are what's causing the high blood pressure. Just a thought!

I am 8 days out and becoming more and more incorporated with my family than before. I believe my problem was the fact that I avoided meals in order to avoid food, which made me miss dinner outings with my kids. The last two nights we have made sure to get out of the house for as long as I can stand it. Last night I thought I could make it through dinner at the food court with my family. Hubby and 5 year old get Chinese food. I admit it looked tasty for about 3 seconds then suddenly the idea of getting my eye brows done sounded like a much better and successful idea. Did I mention that the eye strings hurt? No where near as bad as last time when they burned me with wax but it's a bit sensitve especially a few days out in the wicked chair you have to sit in. I was cool as long as I didn't sneeze, cause sneezing = pain. So by the time I got done with my eye brows (which is something as a SAHM I NEVER HAVE TIME TO DO!) they were done eating. I stopped by GNC and grabbed my dinner of Muscle Milk. I had my first post-op with my surgeon yesterday. He is very concerned as to the rash from hell I have and wants a full investigation because the next person who is allergic to iodine may not walk away with just a rash. Plus he wants to give me the name of the prep so I can tell additonal surgeons NOT to use it. According to his scales I had lost 7 pounds. After walking miles around the mall last night I lost another pounds. So I am again in the 219. Plus I am no longer on broth that makes me want the meat that goes with it, but on Creamy Soups which I can live with. Next week I can have Wendy's Chili. So there is an end in sight. I appreciate all the support ya'll have given me over the past week or two and wanted to let folks know you will adapt. Our bodies adapt through pregnancy adapt through weight gain, weight loss. It's our brains that take a time to catch up and say it's not going to kill me.

Kettle bells are pretty awesome at creating muscle. Keep it up! I would not be too concerned about weight gain after strength training. It always happens. I bet your clothes are fitting better and weight will begin to drop again soon.

Precious Vsg and Miss Mac, Thank you so much. I have looked over my lab work and I know that my calorie intake needs to be increased especially in the protein area. I was not and currently am not able to tolerate protein drinks and powders, I do not eat protein bars like Quest bars etc because my tummy can't handle anything real sweet and heavy textured so I have to always eat my protein. I devised a plan to increase my caloric intake and increase my carbs to around 60 per day, I am also upping my protein to 80. I buy all high protein items in order for me to not feel as though I am missing out on anything by not being able to use protein supplements. This is a hard road, no amount of nutrition classes can prepare you for the real journey, I am a medical professional and I get lost in how our body works sometimes. I really was not as worried about weight loss but more worried about weight gain. I do believe it was because I was scared to take in a lot of calories and not realizing I need those calories. Looking at my labs I know that my protein definitely needed to be upped. I wish us all well. Peace to you all.

I had my first fill on 2/12, and up until 3 days ago, it was not like I couldnt eat what I ate before, it was just that I seemed to got full faster. I was still snacking, but, still not eating as much. Now, it is really bad..I ate like 4-5 full sized chicken strips, and some girl scout cookies..I understand that the first 3-5 fills can be this way..my doctor doesnt expect a good weight loss, or even a weight gain the first 3 months after surgery.. I go in next week for my second fill and I know I need it..I have gained about 3 lbs...geri

I am feeling very grateful this morning, toward my medical team, this community and most of all, toward my amazing husband, who has been so supportive of my journey. I am just over five months out, and the scale showed 146 pounds this morning. I'm planning on wearing a pair of 29-inch waist jeans today. Yes, jeans (!) - something I never allowed myself before. For the most part, I am wearing size 8 clothing, down from a 16/18. Sometimes a 6 and occasionally a 10. Best of all, in my mid-50's, I like myself and am proud of myself. I no longer avoid being seen in public, as I have in the past. While I would not mind losing another 10 pounds, I think it more important that I stay at a weight that I can hopefully maintain for the long-term - for me, the point of the surgery was to stop struggling and being on a perpetual yo-yo of weight gain and loss, as I have been for my entire life. So, what are your BEST maintenance tips? I have been weak on exercise, but excellent at staying away from grains, sugar and carbs that don't come in the form of fresh fruit and vegetables. Please help me to succeed by sharing what is working for you. Thank you!

Hey sweet My sister looked into this to. Her surgeon adviced her that she would be under him to monitor her throughout her pregnancy. Healthy eating, Fluid intake, Vitamins will all help darlz. Your 1 yr post op which is fantastic so you are able to eat. 9 months of dedication and you will be rewarded. Please dont worry about weight gain - this is absolutely normal. All I can say is do it right. Even if you eat small portions regularly and those portions are healthy. Get regular blood tests to check your Iron and other levels. Always check with your doctor about vitamins and what is best and safe for you and bub. Even before you fall pregnant get your levels checked. Being fully prepared body wise will be all the better for you and bubby. My surgeon told me that he had patients who fell pregnant and had 8 pound babies but he made them go under him for monitoring as well as their baby doctor. Sorry I havent been through this myself to offer you personal experiences but I wish you all the best and cant wait to aee how you go. Xx Sent from my SM-G925I using the BariatricPal App

This is the start to my journey back to a former life. Yesterday I complete the six month doctor visits that is required by my insurance company (BCBS). I am now waiting for the insurance companies OK stamp on my paperwork. I know how slow paperwork can creep through the system, so I am a month or more from surgery. I am starting off a 365lbs at 5'11" and BMI about 50. I am borderline with a few medical issues that haven't cropped up yet, so I better do something. Yes, I have tried the diet plans from A to Z and a few I have tried a few more than once. Part of my problem is a bad back problem I recieved for a car accident in May 1990. At that time I was a 210, six foot military man in good shape. Since, it has been a downward spiral of weight gain and pain... Now, is the time for me to turn this around before medical issues crop up or death replaces this life. If you care to read my journey, I plan on posting at each event while going through this change of life. Since, my goal is 210, I might be writing for awhile. If you care to comment I would love to hear from you. -Bill

Having been diagnosed with MS on 9th November, I have had many ups and downs for the last 2 months. Anyway to give you an outline/timeline May time, had back pain/arm pain, trips to physio and accupuncture and 4 weekls later gone.... August, symptoms return and get worse and worse, niggly back pain in shoulderblade region to the left and raditing down arm which is very very painful, having to hand my arm to my side to try to relieve the pain and no matter where I put it it still hurt, of course I thought some of the pain was to do with the op post Sept 26th. Saw physio once a week and accu once aweek. Went to hydrotherapy, hot room, sauna, spa in an attemp to relieve the pain. late Oct, finally had enough and went to see doc(friday), he referred me for bone scan and CT scan, had CT scan monday and bone scan Friday, both test picked up results next day and both normal, bugger bugger bugger. Funny how you wish for something to be wrong just so you can have an answer to your problem. Back to doc on Monday who at least did not stand on his laurels and brush me off (even though he is at lest 70), said next step is MRI but needs a neuro to refer. OK I rang the specilist and no appts for at least 6 weeks. Well it just so happens that I work at the hospital in the cardiology dept alongside neuro dept and had a quiet word with receptionist who had a quiet word with neuro (tues) and he agreed to refer me without consult. Wasnt in till Thurs so in I went and thanked him big time for doing this and how frustrated I was and mentioned that my left side of my face was numbish. Oh he said that isnt right and off he popped to the MRI dept and organised a MRI for Tues for me and free too..... chuffed to pieces off home I went and shock of shock overnight my feet went numb and going to work the next day I fell up the steps. Panicking I was whisked to A&E under same neuro and one brain scan/upper spine scan it was diagnosed. 5 days in hospital on IV steriods and 6 weeks of oral steriods later (and no weight gain) the pain in my arm and back is back, it took 4 painkillers to even stop the pain this morning and they are the ones with codine, 2 neuro plus and 2 paracetamol codenine. I cant fault my treatment, from doc to diagnosis 10 days including all tests and results. Had a full spine MRI 2 weeks later which showed 5 leisions on the spine from top to bottom. I am so over the pain. I popped into see neuro (perk of working next door) and he said that my upper leison was extremly large and could take a few months to get over. So at the moment my band has taken a bit of a back seat, I had a fill about 5 weeks ago and explained the situ to the doc and we decided a very conservative fill was needed because of the need to take vast amonts of pills and I was worried they would get stuck. We both decided that weight loss was not a big issue and being on seriods and such wouldnt help. Anyway went for another fill today and woohoo lost 1.5 kg which isnt a lot but great as far as i'm concerned and we did another conservative one today too. The scales have been going in the right direction anyway albeit slowly. Total loss todate is now 12.5 kg about 28lbs. If you hear a rattling noise its just me popping more pills. Jo

An interesting study was published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) this week, that looked at three different diets after weight loss and their effect on weight gain. It's a little complicated to read, but basically the high Protein, low carb diet that we are supposed to follow with our band should contribute to keeping the weight off, not just losing it. Here's the link: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1199154

I was admitted to the hospital yesterday and had my gallbladder removed. I was discharged today and while I'm in pain, I'm recovering nicely. BUT I'm pissed at the scale because it shows an 8 pound gain. I haven't eaten any food since Sunday afternoon. I know it's from the IV fluids but it still really upsets me.