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It isn't kg. I thought about that too, but that would have been a big weight gain. I haven't gained, lol.

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.

Surgeon: Dr. Patricia Choban Columbus, OH I can safely say I am a "Lap band Success Story" now. However, I had a very slow start. My wise surgeon told me the band was a "tool" and not a cure-all and that I would still have to diet. She was right, but I had a lot of other contributing factors which made me fat and kept me fat. Here is my story: I was always slim (size 8/10 135 lbs at 5' 7") until my second of 3 sons was born, 27 years ago, and I lost my father. 4 years later I had my 3rd son and lost my Mother. I went into a deep depression for which my family doctor put me on Zoloft. A year later I was up 150 lbs! Now I really WAS depressed!. I was also diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and was put on Synthroid. Each year my family doctor would test my blood and each year he would tell me my meds were fine. Yet, I had every classic hypothyroidism symptom in the medical books! I read him a list: hair loss, brittle nails, constipation, inability to lose weight, gain weight easily, lethargy, memory loss, inability to concentrate, etc.. He never dug deeper so for 20 years I stayed on Synthroid and felt lousy. I have since found out, General Practitioners get just a few days of training on Thyroid and glandular disorders. That's why they are all quick to write a script for the popular Synthroid. I joined a Medifast diet clinic and was on an 800 calorie ketogenic liquid diet yet could not lose a single lb. I was 5'7 and 318 lbs at my heaviest and wore a size 30 dress. My doctor decided to change my anti-depressant to Wellbutrin as he read Zoloft caused weight gain. I remember a different doctor saying, "When you are on the RIGHT dose of the RIGHT medication, you won't just feel better, you will feel WELL!" I wracked my brain to see if I could remember what "WELL" felt like. Well, after a week on Wellbutrin, I remember looking in the mirror as if I was Rumplestiltskin, waking up for the first time and I said, "What the hell have you let become of yourself?!" As the fog lifted, I effortlessly dropped 45 lbs, just changing meds. I tried many diets, still with very little success. I knew my surgeon through our sons and she suggested I get the Lap Band in 2006. I saved up $11,000 and had it done. I lost exactly 15 lbs the first week due to nausea and then never lost another lb for several years. It wasn't until the rest of the health puzzle fell into place that my Lap Band started to do its job. I went to a D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy) in my town for hormone replacement to help me through menopause. I began to feel less moody and depressed right away. I read him the same list of Thyroid symptoms I read my family doc and my D.O. immediately pegged my Thyroid as the culprit. He did not just perform one blood test, which my family doc did each year, measuring T-4, but he measured 4 or 5 things. He reported at my next visit that my body was not converting T-4 to T-3 so it was not being absorbed into my cells. He started me on a new med, Tyrosint, and within days I began to feel better. I complained to him I was on Atkins and eating nearly zero carbs, yet I could not get my ketose dipstick to turn pink. He told me I must be insulin resistant and put me on Metformin. I am not a diabetic but insulin resistance is a possible precurser to Diabetes, if I continued the way I was headed. Within 2 hours of taking my first tablet, my dipstick was dark purple and the weight began melting off. So Hormone imbalance, Thyroid deficiency and Insulin Resistance were my biggest obstacles to weight loss. I had some other issues which he uncovered. I was borderline wheat gluten intolerant, mildly lactose intolerant, and I had burned out my Adrenals by eating wheat as a carb addict for 50 years. I felt so much better on the Atkins diet, which made sense as no dairy or grains were permitted. I now could remember what "WELL" felt like. My energy was back, I was back selling houses, I had energy, I no longer had to shop in the Women's department, I had my Mo-Jo back. In addition to using the Atkins Diet, I also did the HCG shots and a 500 calorie diet. This was a grueling diet and one which cannot be entered into lightly. You need to look at your calendar and make sure you have 90 full days for the 30 day diet, 30 day transition and 30 day maintenance before even starting on it. Otherwise you will gain it all back again and more. So I lost my weight in sort of a stair-step fashion. 20 lbs or so at a time over a few years. Alternating between Atkins and HCG. Luckily I never gained more than a couple lbs. in between. As I lost weight, people began treating me differently. I was no longer "invisible". Men began holding doors for me and making eye contact when I walked by. I was getting compliments from my female co-workers and it was fun to buy clothes again. So my road was a very long one. It was almost 5 years before I had all of the puzzle pieces in place and the band started doing it's job.. I saved up for a Circumferential Tummy Tuck last summer which carved off another 20 lbs. Now, at 159 lbs, I wear a size 10 at Talbotts. And without the belly fat, my blood profile has normalized. I am no longer insulin resitant and my cholesterol and Tryglycerides are now normal. There is more skin I would like to have removed. The surgeon did liposuction of the thighs but now I need a thigh lift. I would like to have a breast lift, arm lift and maybe an eye lift. But just getting the tummy tuck made a HUGE difference in my wardrobe and how I feel about myself. I can wear Spanx for my thighs and a good support bra and long sleeves to hide the arms, but there was no good way to disguise my gut. Having it off, I no longer have to wear a long jacket over every outfit I own. For the first time in 27 years, I feel pretty again. At least as pretty as you can feel at 57. LOL So my advice, before you drop $11,000 or $12,000 on bariatric surgery, go to a good D.O. or better yet, an Endocrinologist, and have a full Thyroid panel done, Vitamin D, hormones and have them check for insulin resistance and gluten sensitivity. Once you have these items addressed, see if you can lose weight without the band. Try a low carb diet like Atkins. If you feel great on it and lose weight, you may well have been gluten intolerant. You might not even need the band. The band is not without risks. I have had to work very hard to handle vitamin and mineral deficiencies from both dieting and the band. Healthy salads and fruits and veggies are hard to eat with the band. I rarely got in all the Protein I required without a supplement. I also have much more GERD or indigestion at night with the band. This can be very serious and cause esophageal cancer if left untreated. Our bed is propped up 6 inches and I can't eat spicy foods. The band has been a God Send but don't get it if you can lose weight on your own. Just get these items "ticked" off the list before you go under the knife. If nothing else, it will make your lap band more successful and you wont take 6 years like I did. While the band, never really caused me to lose weight. It has been helpful keeping the weight I lost off. I can take a a few bites of a small piece of pizza and be stuffed, I can take a tablespoonful of Thanksgiving goodies and try a taste of each thing, but push away from the table with a plate still half full. In fact, I had my band tightened just before Thanksgiving to make sure I did not put any holiday weight on. My band in 2006 was one of the early ones. The port is very prominent now that I have lost 100 or more lbs. and the band is tight even when empty. The new bands are larger in circumference when empty. I am going back in to have a new, lower profile port put in. When my plastic surgeon did my tummy tuck, he repaired 3 hernias. This caused the port to move to the mid-line since it was attached to the muscle and fascia he was pulling together. I want it moved back to under my ribs and right breast, where it originally was. Dr. Choban explained this replacement is not without some risk. She has to carve out a pocket for the newly moved port and then hope the empty pocket does not get infected. It is definitely not something I want a doctor doing who is inexperienced in lap bands. If you do decide to get a lap band and later a tummy tuck, allow for your bariatric surgeon to be present to adjust your port and possibly put a lower profile port in place. I thought it was something the Plastic Surgeon could have done but it turns out to be much more complicated than I originally thought. So discuss it with your Bariatric Surgeon first. Make sure your Bariatric Surgeon and Plastic Surgeon have privileges at the same hospital. It turns out, mine did not. Feel free to message me if you want more info on the HCG diet or doctors.

I am so happy that you are taking steps to improve your health! Please don't lose faith that you can do this! I would definately get a second opinion and try the other clinic. Make sure if you are expected to lose that much weight, that you ask for a food and exercise plan that will assist in you getting there. Like someone else said, make sure their program includes a nutritionist and physiologist that can help you work through your eating issues. You need a solid support system around you including your surgical team. In the meantime it sounds like you lost 76lbs last year. How did you do that? Most of us have no problem losing the weight, it is keeping it off where we fall down. It sounds like you have experienced this as well. I would work really hard to move to a high Protein low carb diet now. It will only prepare you for what is to come. Also like someone else said, if you are drinking any calories stop that now, you won't be able to after surgery and many times this is where a lot of weight gain comes from. I know you can do this, you have done it before. Don't let yourself get discouraged to the point you give up, it will only cost you more down the road. I wish you the best of luck! I hope you are able to find a clinic that will give you the support needed for a successful surgery and recovery. I will say a prayer for you!

Yes those numbers are correct. But, I only had a total of 60 lbs to lose prior to surgery. I lost 25 w/i about 2-3 months but it has slowed since.When band was too tight I was eating higher calorie "slider foods" that caused the weight gain. In addition, I am too indulgent at social settings and that is my biggest obsticle b/c I tell myself "I deserve It" problem is I am very social!!!! I need to stop lying to myself. I know what I have to do...I just have a hard time actually doing it in this environment. I m having no issues with the surgery itself, I truly beleive in this surgery. I don't even feel as though I have had any procedure in terms of after effects, side effects etc. It is absolutely the best thing I have done for my weight and health issues. Biggest perk: being satisfied with less food/weight loss. Biggest drawback: not a big one but probably the scars. Back on track and I feel terrific

It looks like you've lost 8 pounds since your surgery. You're doing good. You didn't put the weight on overnight. It's not going to come off overnight either. When they blow your body up with gas to do the surgery, it causes a weight gain. That weight will come off as the gas dissipates from your body. That takes a while too. It sounds like you're doing everything right. Keep it up, the weight will come off. If it helps, in the beginning, I had months where I only lost 3 lbs. Then I would have a month where I lost 15 or more.

I also don't understand why they would unfill it completely unless for surgery as in Jachut's case. I have heard lots of people say that it is hard to get the restriction right again after a complete unfill. It seems to do something to the band - a bit like when you blow up a balloon and then let it down and blow it up again. I would be stocking the fridge with healthy Snacks e.g crudites or making big pots of veggie Soup. Stuff that you can fill up on that won't cause weight gain. And I would probably also take the opportunity to fill up on the healthy foods that can be hard to eat when you have decent restrction e.g fruit salad, salad sandwich, steak. Good luck, hope it all goes well.

My doctor also prescribed seasonal allergy meds. I've taken Zyrtec and a few others and they all make me eat like crazy; so much that I now suffer through the symptoms to avoid the problems with weight gain. I have questioned several others to see if it has done them the same way and they all agree, it makes you feel like you are hungry all the time.

Hi Paulag. Yes, I had that concern and it acually happened to me until I gave my head a shake and took back control. You start to feel so god and gradually realize that you can eat almost anything you want even though the portions are smaller. It took an actual weight gain of 5 lbs to make me realize that I still have to watch what I eat. I am hopefully back on track now and loosing gradually. If you have any questions or concerns that I can help you with, please let me know. Take care and stay positive.

Due to new stomach size, bc pills do not work the same as the body cannot absorb it as before, so you can get pregnant... I changed to the patch instead of the shots, bc weight gain is higher with the shots!... Talk to your Docs and/or GYN! 11 months out, total weight loss of 100lbs!... Best decision ever!... Trying for a baby!

Weight gain should be few and far between with mirena. The medication does not really leave the uterus. Unlike other birth controls, mirena is a localized birth control that does not enter the blood stream.

I couldn't tolerate Lyrica or the weight gain. I basically just take Tylenol and suffer. I find though if I get enough sleep I feel a lot better.

Hi Everyone, I am 56 years old and had lap band surgery in 2009 and lost 65 lbs. Over the past couple of years, I have had excessive stress in my life and have gained 25+ lbs back. I feel like I am eating pre lap band, I don't seem to have any control. My weight seemed to be stable until late last year when I started having bad reflux. Long story short....my band was too tight and Fluid was removed. Some was put back in a few months ago, but I am still gaining weight because I am eating too much. I can't seem to get myself back on track and I am getting panicky about it. My clothes don't fit, I just had to buy some clothes in a bigger size. I feel like I am going to lose this battle. Has this happened to anyone? Any advice on how to get myself back on track? Help! and thanks. Mary

For myself and maybe for others, I seem to retain Water during my cycle. After its over I go back to my original weight. I know there are meds to relieve the bloating, but its only a temporary thing, so try not to panic when you see a lil weight gain at that time. Ann

Hello all! I am a 22 year old female and i have been overweight for all of my life. My issues are not working out and eating the right portions. I do not eat junk or drink soda.I now have knee and ankle pains from the weight gain over the last year that has brought me to 299 pounds. I never wanted to consider the lapband before because i thought it was cheating. I am now left no choice. I am too young to be at this weight. I am aware that i have to improve my eating habits and exercise habits as well. I think my breaking point was going to the doctor and seeing 299 as my weight on the scale. I made an appointment to see the surgeon and it was a waste, my doctor referred me to a surgeon and not a bariatric surgeon, he was nice enough to refer me to a bariatric surgeon. However, i found out that the surgeon does not take my health insurance. i was pretty bummed. The receptionist told me that there was a surgeon on the team that did take me insurance. She scheduled me for a seminar on the 21st of December and i am really nervous. I am also joining the gym near my house next week. why not now? the membership fee is waved. if i don't do it at this gym (which is 2 blocks from my house) i will not make it to any other gym... EVER. The only thing i can change for now is my eating. It's just so hard, i've been this way my whole life, i have 22 years of bad eating habits to break. i know it wont come easy, but i need help. My boyfriend is the only person i have told that i am considering the surgery. majority of my family members are plain old fat.. when my skinny aunt when for a tummy tuck the family wouldnt shut up about it, i dont need that negativity around me. I just refuse to be bothered by it. I know i need the support, but i dont want to worry about who is saying what or who is looking at me and judging my choice. I DONT WANT TO BE FAT ANYMORE! I am young and have my whole life ahead of me, i'd like to be able to live it... not watch it go by.

When I read your post I got angry because your doctor appears to be one of those that I refer often to as being a skilled surgeon (maybe) but not knowledgeable about follow up care. These are doctors who were usually general surgeons who jumped on the WLS bandwagon to make money and while they can place the band they don't do good follow up which is the most important part. Red flag #1 was that you received a fill despite having trouble keeping liquids down. Should never have happened. You should not leave the doctors office after a fill until you are able to drink a cup of Water without problem. Red flag #2 was that you were continuing to get fills despite your problems and their ignoring of your problems. Not being able to drink normally can cause dehydration and major problems. You doctor should know this. Red flag #3 was their sole focus on your weight loss. I have said many times on these boards that inexperienced or poorly skilled doctors will see weight loss as their success and weight gain as your failure. Red flag #4Their answer to your problem sounds like something they just made up. You definitely should get an upper GI. Next, you should request copies of all your tests - both pre-and post-op, including your operative report. That will get their attention, at least. Finally, you should have a team of people involved in your band. The surgeon, a nutritionist and nurse. Call the hospital where you had this done and ask to speak to the nutritionist. Didn't you meet with one prior to surgery? Were you given a diet to follow either pre- or post- op? Please be proactive and don't allow them to treat you in this unacceptable way. If all else fails, find another doctor and take all your test results to him. Good luck.

yes! I think the smaller sizes are often not worn because people buy them hoping they will fit, trying to loose weight. when they don't loose weight they donate. or if they are lightly worn it's due to weight gain. Glad you found some lovely things!

I just want to stress that it didn't take over night to become overweight. We all had many years of practice. So it's not going to take overnight to be thin. It's also going to take many years of practice to break that cycle, even when you DO reach your goal weight. Weightloss is a never ending battle. Weight Gain is a battle worth fighting. As for the fear of gaining the weight back because of your personal experiences with mostly bypass patients. My doc told me that after 2 years the bypass stops working because you have already reached a certain amount of weight and it can't be adjusted. After that 2 years it's up to you. The lapband can be adjusted. But I'm not saying you don't have to continue your battle. What I will say is that YOU look amazing. And I know you have worked hard and will continue to work hard. Be proud of yourself that you got this far. Don't look to far in the future because it is very scary. Take things one day at a time.

(yesterday) I told my dad that i lost 18 pounds (b/c he is VERY displeased w/my weight gain) His reply: "hmpf! from where?!" so that let me know that i'm so fat, the 18 pounds isnt even noticable! I know that i should ignore him and i know his comment was mean but he's still an important person in my life. he is a big reason that i want to loose weight. he really doesnt like me fat. i think i even embarrass him around his friends and our family.....:frown:

Thanks you speak for all of us. By you being aware of our weakness IS a strong tool. It is easier to keep it off now than before. We were out of control. Weight gain will aways be our fear. It's good to have that. It makes us stronger. You story is very real. Thank you again.

I know it's been a few weeks since I posted. I have just recently moved AND had an out of town visitor for a week so little to no time to come online. I am going to be 3 weeks out tomorrow. I saw my doc 1 week post op and he gave me the go ahead for mushies. About a week after that I moved myself to soft regular foods (chewing thourghly) and now am on to regular food. I haven't had any problems. The "suggested" diet was just way too slow for me. I kind of feel guilty about moving forward to quickly, but I chew my food very well, and use my teeth as a blender so everything is "pureed" before going down (gross, sorry). I have not had any problems, everything goes down really smoothly. I have been working out for an hour about 4 times a week(treadmill and elliptical) and feel fabulous. I am really happy with my weight loss, about 20 lbs so far and my clothes are feeling looser. Waiting to get my 1st fill next week though, and boy do I need it! I feel that if I let myself go, I would be able to eat just like I used to at this point. I have zero restriction, which I know won't come until the first fill. I am in a weird point right now. I am on to regular foods, with no restriction. What does that mean? Yeah...weight gain. At one point I gained about 3 pounds. That really freaked me out. But I was able to curb my eating and get it back off. But it was a reality check. I need a fill. That is what this whole LAP-BAND® thing is all about right? Being able to limit what we can consume.

I am on Wellbutrin, Sertraline, Clonazepam, and Rexulti. I have always dealt with depression and anxiety. I have be prescribed so many meds, and most of them caused a lot of weight gain. These seem to be doing OK now, but is I begin gaining weight after losing it, my first call will be to my psychiatrist.

I'm 18 months out, and I can eat fairly decent size portions especially if the food is low in Protein. I don't like to eat bread because it expands in my belly and is uncomfortable. This isn't noticeable right away, but it starts bothering me within 10 minutes or so.Because of this, I tend to stop eating for a minute or so several times throughout my meal, so I can wait to see how I feel. If the food is high in protein, I can't eat a lot. If the food isn't high in protein, I can eat much more. I could eat a 6-inch sub, but I wouldn't eat all of the bread. I would usually remove the top bun and only eat part of the bottom bun. If the bread is toasted, it is easier for me to eat. I second the suggestion to talk to your uncle. It may be that he learned not to eat so much because of the way that much food made him feel. The weight gain may also be temporary. I went on vacation last summer and ate well throughout, but I still ended up gaining 6 pounds. I was shocked, but it turned out to be Water weight, and I lost it again.

you will be able to enjoy food again, just not in the quantity you were consuming before the surgery (I had the same worries). I am 5 months out from the sleeve procedure and I had my first slice of pepperoni pizza today (my birthday celebration at work) I was able to eat the entire slice (the most food I have eaten in 5 months) and though I was worried about weight gain, I wanted the pizza and allowed myself to enjoy the party. You will have days when you doubt the decision, and worry you will never enjoy a meal again. The time after the surgery is short considering the rest of your life at a normal weight. Hang in there. List the pros and cons to the surgery. If you still have doubts, postpone the surgery till you feel it is right, but don't let this be the sabotage that keeps you from meeting your goal to get down to a healthy weight.

For all you single ladies out there, or ones in relationships that could be better... And even the married ones. This topic applies to all of us women who may have lost touch or never understood how to value ourselves. I've been doing a lot of thinking about self worth, what to look for in a potential partner, and how to make sure I respect myself and demand respect from others. When is was younger, I settled for men who were not good enough to be with. I did have standards for myself and I knew what I wanted in a man, but I never went for that. After a series of boyfriends who didn't respect me I settled for the first man to get serious about me. And that led to years of an unhappy and abusive relationship. Being overweight young, or simply struggling with insecurity, sets us up for bad relationship choices. As I gained weight my standards for myself and what I would put up with only got worse. There is a fear that one is not worthy of love from a high value person. Only the broken men made me feel comfortable because I was so insecure. I'm setting out to change this. I recently got into a relationship with a person far below my worth and dropped my standards for myself almost immediately for him. After surviving my 8 years of hell with my kids dad and losing all this weight, here I was again in the same situation!! This needs to end. I am creating a list of "standards" for myself based on how I want to be treated, what i will and won't do in a dating situation, the values I must have in another person and the reasons I deserve these things. I'm building a framework for my own worth and self confidence to keep myself reminded that in my search for a partner, there is a destination in mind. After losing so much weight I feel like a different person. I won't repeat the patterns of insecurity that ultimately led to my unhappiness and weight gain. I want to set the bar high and this time, no settling for less than Im worth in love and life. I know it's up to me to set the standards by which I'm treated!