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OMG!!! This website and thread have been like a Godsend to me. About 12-13 years ago when the term PCOS first came into play, I went to my OB/GYN (1996) for my annual and asked her about it. She told me that the hair on my upper lip could easily be bleached or removed w/ NAIR and that I just need to go on a diet. I was too embarrassed to tell her about the hair on my chin, neck, cheeks, breasts, arms, and belly. Five years later (2001) and a different OB/GYN, I got the same lecture about my weight and she prescribed Vaniqua for me. Again, too embarrassed to mention all the places of have coarse, black hair. In 2006, I went to a seminar for the lap band. After finding out the procedure wasn't covered by my insurance, I thought my options were exhausted. Well, in Feb. '09, I decided to go to a new PCP. My appt. is on April 14. I have been doing quite a bit of research in the internet about PCOS for the past few months and gee... I have 6 of the main symptoms (weight gain, hirsutism, dark skin patches, skin tags, IR, and irregular periods). I am now going to my dr appt. loaded w/ information about PCOS, which blood tests in need, and the names of meds being currently prescribed for PCOS. I am also going to another lap band seminar on Apr. 8. I am going to pay for the surgery out of my own pocket. I am no longer going to just accept what ever a medical professional has to say just because s/he has a degree. I know my body! And thanks to this thread, I don't feel like such a fat, hairy freak any more! :confused:

@@Buttercupbrown, yes you are right. Flabby "bat wing" arms are quite unforgiving and hard to shape up. Hard, but not impossible. Our arms will never look flawless as they did prior to massive weight gain, but other than plastic surgery, weights are all we have. Lighter weights (those in the range you are using) are good for people who have limitations or they are already a normal weight and just trying to tone. Light weights + lots of repetitions = toning for regular folks. Heavy weights + lower repititions = muscle building for obese folks. The building of muscles is what helps the appearance of the arms. Cardio exercises will help burn off the fat and the heavy weights will help build the muscles to fill out the loose skin. If you can do more than 8-10 repititions with your weights, they aren't heavy enough.

my hubby has loved me through thick and thin, literaly. although he never said a word about my 100 lb weight gain i knew he wasnt happy with it, but hey, neither was i ! i've lost 32 lbs so far and while he does see me as more attractive, its not just on the outside. Im happier because i FEEL better, im out walking or swimming 3x a week, my clothes are getting bigger and since im fitting into alot of my old clothes , i put way more effort into looking nice everyday. weight loss=self esteem and self confidence=attractive !Thats just human nature !

I am about a month and a half post-surgery and things have been going well...have had energy, losing weight at a decent pace and seeing a difference but literally all my happiness went away yesterday and struggling to find it again. Just like many of us, my weight has been up and down for many, many years and I actually have a lot of clothes (some even new) that I haven’t been able to wear in the past 2 years or so bc of weight gain (again). I’ve been as small as a size 4 in the past and I have all those clothes, plus some other sizes Even though I told myself I wouldn’t do it just yet until I lost a little more, I decided to go through my closet. I know I am not a size 4 so I didn’t touch those clothes and felt ok waiting for the near future to even look at them. But what really bothered me is that I tried on a shirt I wore in 2015 when I was literally the same weight i am today (I know bc i kept track on my Fitbit the last time I went through a major exercise and diet plan and lost a whole bunch)....and it didn’t fit!!! [emoji20][emoji20] i even went back to find a picture Back in 2015 when I had the shirt on and it looks good! I am so confused. I know bodies change and all but I really thought it would and it completely crushed me. I know it shouldn’t and I should be happy with where I am at but now I am super depressed and trying to understand why. You would think that if it fit then it should fit now right? Just needed to vent bc I hope some of you understand how I’m feeling. It’s amazing how one little thing can completely take away all the positive thoughts I had about this journey and my way forward. Btw, I have lost a total of 43 lbs.

I have a very similar story. Lost about 85 pounds in about 14 months and then just stopped for about 2 and a half months. I also had an unfill in there which didn't help. I broke my plateau by cutting out all white flour and sugar, and counting strictly 1,000-1,300 calories per day, and exercising. Well, actually I'm not too good about the exercising part (only doing it about two or three times a week), but the other stuff has definitely helped. The first two weeks of this regimine I lost 6.4 pounds. Now I'm on week three, but I'm getting my period, and thus begins the monthly Water weight gain of between 3-5 pounds, which is so disheartening. But, I really think that my regimine is helping. I plan to resume white flour and sugar in limited portions, only after I reach goal.

Wow 20 years ago you had bypass? That is amazing. I saw someone else on here mention alcohol is causing weight gain for them. Maybe you can switch to a very low carb, calorie beer?

http://healthland.ti...etic/?hpt=hp_t3 New Genes IDd in Obesity: How Much of Weight is Genetic? By Alexandra Sifferlin @acsifferlin July 19, 2013 Two studies zero in on DNA-based drivers of weight. Is obesity written in our genes? In two separate papers, published in the journal Science and in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI), researchers describe new genetic factors that could explain weight gain in some people. In the Science study, researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital studying mice found a rare genetic mutation that prevented the animals from burning off fat calories. They also found the same gene was mutated in a group of obese people. And a team based at University College London reported in JCI that a specific form of a gene previously linked to obesity, FTO, can increase craving for high-fat foods. The discoveries add to the growing body of knowledge about the biology behind weight, and the results confirm that while it’s represented by a single number, weight is the complex combination of a multitude of different metabolic processes, from brain systems that regulate appetite to enzymes that control how efficiently calories are turned from food into energy that the body needs. Making matters even more confusing, these factors are also likely influenced by environmental contributors such as diet and lifestyle. In the mouse study, the research team determined that mutations in the Mrap2 gene led the animals to eat less initially but still gain about twice as much weight as they normally would. While their appetites returned, these mice continued to gain weight despite being fed the same number of calories as a group of control animals. That led the scientists to figure out that the mice with the mutated gene were simply sequestering fat rather than breaking it down for energy. The mice, like people, possessed two copies of the gene, and mice with even one defective copy experienced significant weight gain, although not as much as those who had two mutated versions of Mrap2. The scientists found a similar pattern among a group of 500 obese people; they detected four mutations in the human version of Mrap2, and each of the obese individuals possessed only one bad version of the gene. In the British study, the researchers divided a group of 359 healthy men of normal weight by their FTO gene status. The majority of the men had low-risk versions of the gene, while 45 of the participants had mutations that have been linked to greater appetite and caloric consumption. To figure out how the altered genes were affecting appetite, the team measured levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin both before and after meals that the participants ate; the men with the mutated form of FTO did not show the same drop in ghrelin levels, signifying that they were full, as the men with the low-risk form of FTO. Genome wide association studies, which compare genetic makeups of obese individuals to those of normal weight, are making it easier to flesh out important genetic factors contributing to weight, and researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health say that to date, these studies have identified over 30 candidate genes on 12 chromosomes associated with body mass index. “Thus far mutations in about eight genes are known to cause obesity in humans. But these mutations account for under five percent of the obesity in our society, and certainly are not, by themselves, responsible for the current obesity epidemic, since the mutation rate in these genes could not have changed dramatically during the past twenty years,” says Dr. Joseph Majzoub, the chief of the division of endocrinology at Boston Children’s Hospital and an author on the Science paper. “However, mutations in these genes have led to the discovery of pathways that are important in energy balance in humans, giving us hope that drugs can be developed that affect these pathways to prevent excessive weight gain, either by curbing appetite or increased burning of calories.” Here is a round-up of some recent genes, and their products, that have been linked to obesity : Leptin: Often referred to as the “obesity hormone,” leptin is made by fat cells and acts as a thermostat for the body’s energy needs. Each individual has his own leptin threshold; if leptin levels fall below that amount, the brain understands that the body is starving, and needs more calories. If leptin levels are maintained or surge above that amount, the brain knows that it doesn’t need to take in more food. Unfortunately, while mouse studies showed that overweight mice had lower levels of leptin, the same wasn’t true of obese people, who generally show higher levels of leptin in their blood. Somehow, researchers how believe, these people are not getting the signal to stop eating, which is referred to as leptin-resistance. Ghrelin: This gene makes an appetite hormone that can make foods look more desirable–especially high-calorie ones — by influencing the brain’s reward system. Some studies have found that people who are sleep-deprived have increased ghrelin levels, which may explain why lack of sleep can contribute to weight gain. Neuropeptide Y: One of the brain’s many chemicals, neuropeptide Y may trigger eating by manipulating appetite, possibly resulting from changes in mood and stress levels. It may also contribute to an increased deposition of fat from food calories.

What!!!! Now I have heard of water weight gain but not because you've lost to much. Hummmn

My doctor went slow with my fills. He is a hard doctor to get fills. He wants you to decide on certain foods and tehn go to fills if necessary. Right now he has me on a greater calorie intake around 1500-1800 a day. So far, I'm maintaining this input with NO weight gain. I'm not big on exercise, so it's hard to lose weight rapidily. I'm close to 1 year anniversary on my lapband and I'm down around 95-96 pounds. So, I'm happy for this amount. It has been slow the last 6-8 weeks but I do enjoy the extra calories in my diet. Best wishes and keep the faith.

One year ago I was rolled down the isle in an 2XL gown, big ole booties and a smile because I knew my life would change. I went in prepared to face the challenges and joy that this decision would cause me. The first month I survived the liquid diet, post-surgery pain and discomfort and lost bonus 10 lbs that I have yet to see again. The second month I noticed my clothes getting looser and another 5 lbs gone, I can eat but the problem was I wanted to eat everything so I was welcomed to Bandster-Hell. The third month I had gotten my first fill 2ccs humm felt tight for like a day then back to eating it up… good thing no weight gain and another 2lbs gone. Month four, I noticed my size 22’s are falling off of me literally and another 2lbs gone, this is going slow I thought time for a fill and off I went another 2cc’s now 4ccs in a 10cc band. Month five another 2lbs goneI am still hungry and my 20’s are fitting loser, food still goes down pretty easily, and I have yet to experience a stuck episode I was so happy. Another .5 ccs in the band. 4.5 ccs Month Six no weight loss nothing, not a pound, I am starting to feel full faster but I can still eat two burritos and taco bell. And my workouts are sporadic time to make an appointment with the doctor .5cc’s he said I say more but I will see. Month Seven, Had .5cc’s in my band I don’t think that will do much of anything for me, but I took the doctor said wait another week and if it doesn’t work out then I can come back however, I got really busy with life and alas no weight loss but bread is off the menu forever, I experienced my first episode of slime and stuck with a piece of pork chop, and then a piece of bread. 5.5 ccs in the band I am halfway full that has got to count for something. Month eight, I am feeling discouraged I ended up not losing any weight this month, I lost 5lbs with my fill and I gained it back. I don’t know why because I can’t eat as much, and I am moving more it is spring and hot around here. I ended up having hernia surgery and couldn’t get a fill until I recovered from my surgery and I finally got the fill I wanted 1 cc’s now I am more than half way there 6.5cc’s and I am really feeling that day to day stuff that I have read about on the boards, feeling tight in the morning, I can eat a yogurt and be stuffed, and be satisfied for hours oh and my 20’s are now gone, I am now in a very loose fitting 18…I can’t wait. Month nine, it has been a few weeks since my fill I lost another 5lbs which is nice and my 18’s are gone I am in a 16 which I haven’t been in since 2003, I still have a ways to go I somehow thought I would have gotten further in my pounds lost but it is not that bad. I would have hit this point without my band. My eating is good I think I have hit my sweet spot but some days I am a little tighter I have learned to eat slow, I can’t eat fries, bread, and dry turkey oh and nothing on the McDonalds dollar menu goes down… so no bad foods for me. Month ten, weight loss has slowed down I think my body is doing the starvation hold, so my goal to combat it is to increase my exercise. Month eleven, I have increased my exercise and I am starting to feel better, I went shopping and no matter what store I went in I fit the 16’s and some were even loose and I lost another 5lbs this month. Now at month twelve I don’t regret my decision to have the band, my life has changed in my activity level my confidence I am still struggling or say dealing with the consequences of not planning my meals, eating too fast or trying those forbidden foods, but I know I am this for the long haul which is awesome to me. I have increased my activity level and plan to keep that up, I will be at my goal weight next year this time and with my band to use as my food tool, and my motivation as my next I will be there… Happy Bandiversary!!!

I too didnt have much encouragement from family. My mom and friends don't think I'm fat enough, lol I guess I should wait till I cant get out of bed. No thanks!! Now that its done, They are all watching and waiting, they said if it works for me (because nothing in the past has)they might consider doing it. My husband thought it would have been a faster melt away but again I've tried for years to take the weight off without go success. I have only been really heavy since 1996 after my second child was born, I lost all of the weight and gained it all back in about a 6 week time period. I went to the dr for depression because of the weight gain and got put on Phen Fen. It did NOT work the only thing I lost was a Healthy Heart. I now have a heart condition from it and found out through bloodwork that I have hypothyroidism which causes weight gain. Maybe if the dr was more helpful he would have read the blood results before putting me on weight loss drugs and my heart wouldn't have damage. Oh well, do this for you and only you if they love you they will come around. Good luck with Aetna thing. I have Horizon and had to to everything in my power to get it approved even with weight history, diabetes, etc. I was approved 1 day before my surgery talk about going crazy. Well anyway best of luck and welcome to the family.

what is smartlipo?? ive had some problems with my arms getting saggy. ive never had big arms before my weight gain and now they are looking pretty awful. i dont want them looking this bad when i go on the cruise with my grand daughter... i want to swim a lot. so... what is smartlipo please

The thing I love about myself is that when I get down and grumpy and irritated and miserable - it doesn't last long! Yay! I'm back! It's always a tiny little teensy eensy thing that makes me go "what was I so bothered about?" It's this kind of perpetual circle. I want out of the bad mood so badly that I'm running in circles - and getting irritated accordingly - to get out of the bad mood - which just exacerbates my bad mood. And then something eensy teensy happens and I'm fine. Hopefully this blog won't read like me last two. What I do have to say about the last two, though, is that to me, it's part of what this process is like - for those that have to go through the danged program. Those feelings are real and I've read them elsewhere and it's better to be aware than to be surprised when the irritable grumpiness happens. I could have kept it all to myself and I would have gotten over it all just like I have with letting it out. Letting it out didn't make me feel better and it didn't make me feel worse. The people who piped up and said "dude, we're here for you", well, that helped, but me typing out how stupid I was thinking, that didn't make me feel better or worse. But if someone reads it and says to themselves, "that's how I feel" - well then the work of the blog is done. Anywho. I had my annual well woman exam this morning. And this doc is something special. I think he suffers worse PMS than I ever have. Sooooo moody and if you catch him on the wrong day, man, hold your head in your hands cause if you don't, you may lose it. Today was a good day. The last time I saw this doc was in November when I approached him to ask for his endorsement for this surgery. He was not so very kind in saying his opinions on my weight gain were that I was basically stupid. It was a less than fulfilling meeting but at the end of the day, he did give me his endorsement and I figured "whatever". His endorsement meaning a Letter of Medical Necessity. Today, though...wow. I didn't know who I was going to meet today. I've now seen this guy 4 times and I've had 2 wonderful appts and 2 nail-scraping-on-chalkboard appts. I have always loved the office staff there, though, and, in anticipation of having to switch to a new doc in the same office when my hubby and I get pregnant, I've dealt with it. Anywho. Today. FABULOUS GUY! He was chatty, he was sweet, he was positive, he was upbeat, he was in a great mood and even complimentary! Started with - how was your New Year. I'm thinking, ok... Asked if I had questions. I asked his input on actually getting pregnant after being banded. I hear 2 years before we start trying and I don't know that I buy that, personally, especially when considering my case. Not saying I want to get banded and then immediately start trying to get pregnant. What I think is that if I focus this year on losing weight, that going into 2011 we should be in a good place for starting to try. If I can lose even just 66 pounds this year, I'll be at a normal BMI. If I can get banded in Feb or March, as has been discussed, then that seems doable. Say it was the end of Feb - that gives me 10 months to lose 66 pounds which means an average of 6.6 pounds a month. Seems to me that most do better than that when they try...and I'll certainly be trying. So we had a conversation about that. And he thought it was all very doable and reasonable. If I were heavier then it might be more important to focus on two years. But I'm not heavier. And I am older, too. For a first pregnancy anyway. And then he really surprised me. He complimented me. Said "you are doing well already!" What? YOU are saying something NICE to ME? Who ARE you? In a moment I wish I could undo - he said he wants me to do my baseline mammogram this year. This summer. Really? Am I there already? But then the whole thing got eery. He got cute. He says, as we are saying our good byes.... "I can't wait to see you next year and I hope to see less of you." Noticing that he was possibly sticking his foot in his mouth he says - "well not less frequently, just less person". Noticing he was still possibly sticking his foot in his mouth he started to stammer. And I'm just smiling cause I know what he means and I know where he's coming from and it's really cute and not bugging me and I even thought it was funny - and right on the dot. So I Iet him off the hook and said "I know what you mean and it sounds great to me, too!" He smiled and shook my hand and said he couldn't wait to see me next year - keep up the good work. Really? 10 pounds is good work? 10 pounds in 4 months? I guess it's something. But it's not a lot... I have to chuckle - cause it is a lot when I consider how I've done it. Given the program and it's design, it's been half-hearted and half-arsed. Sigh. I really can't wait to just let myself go and TRY! Anywho. Who knows if I will get banded. Who knows if this is all for nothing or all for something. But somehow, this appt gave me a warm fuzzy feeling and now I just feel better. Add to that - the cold is still on the retreat and I feel ~95% finally. Still a bit of a stuffed up nose - but nothing I can't start to attribute to allergies. Speaking of which, I think I'll go get some decongestants...

The thing I love about myself is that when I get down and grumpy and irritated and miserable - it doesn't last long! Yay! I'm back! It's always a tiny little teensy eensy thing that makes me go "what was I so bothered about?" It's this kind of perpetual circle. I want out of the bad mood so badly that I'm running in circles - and getting irritated accordingly - to get out of the bad mood - which just exacerbates my bad mood. And then something eensy teensy happens and I'm fine. Hopefully this blog won't read like me last two. What I do have to say about the last two, though, is that to me, it's part of what this process is like - for those that have to go through the danged program. Those feelings are real and I've read them elsewhere and it's better to be aware than to be surprised when the irritable grumpiness happens. I could have kept it all to myself and I would have gotten over it all just like I have with letting it out. Letting it out didn't make me feel better and it didn't make me feel worse. The people who piped up and said "dude, we're here for you", well, that helped, but me typing out how stupid I was thinking, that didn't make me feel better or worse. But if someone reads it and says to themselves, "that's how I feel" - well then the work of the blog is done. Anywho. I had my annual well woman exam this morning. And this doc is something special. I think he suffers worse PMS than I ever have. Sooooo moody and if you catch him on the wrong day, man, hold your head in your hands cause if you don't, you may lose it. Today was a good day. The last time I saw this doc was in November when I approached him to ask for his endorsement for this surgery. He was not so very kind in saying his opinions on my weight gain were that I was basically stupid. It was a less than fulfilling meeting but at the end of the day, he did give me his endorsement and I figured "whatever". His endorsement meaning a Letter of Medical Necessity. Today, though...wow. I didn't know who I was going to meet today. I've now seen this guy 4 times and I've had 2 wonderful appts and 2 nail-scraping-on-chalkboard appts. I have always loved the office staff there, though, and, in anticipation of having to switch to a new doc in the same office when my hubby and I get pregnant, I've dealt with it. Anywho. Today. FABULOUS GUY! He was chatty, he was sweet, he was positive, he was upbeat, he was in a great mood and even complimentary! Started with - how was your New Year. I'm thinking, ok... Asked if I had questions. I asked his input on actually getting pregnant after being banded. I hear 2 years before we start trying and I don't know that I buy that, personally, especially when considering my case. Not saying I want to get banded and then immediately start trying to get pregnant. What I think is that if I focus this year on losing weight, that going into 2011 we should be in a good place for starting to try. If I can lose even just 66 pounds this year, I'll be at a normal BMI. If I can get banded in Feb or March, as has been discussed, then that seems doable. Say it was the end of Feb - that gives me 10 months to lose 66 pounds which means an average of 6.6 pounds a month. Seems to me that most do better than that when they try...and I'll certainly be trying. So we had a conversation about that. And he thought it was all very doable and reasonable. If I were heavier then it might be more important to focus on two years. But I'm not heavier. And I am older, too. For a first pregnancy anyway. And then he really surprised me. He complimented me. Said "you are doing well already!" What? YOU are saying something NICE to ME? Who ARE you? In a moment I wish I could undo - he said he wants me to do my baseline mammogram this year. This summer. Really? Am I there already? But then the whole thing got eery. He got cute. He says, as we are saying our good byes.... "I can't wait to see you next year and I hope to see less of you." Noticing that he was possibly sticking his foot in his mouth he says - "well not less frequently, just less person". Noticing he was still possibly sticking his foot in his mouth he started to stammer. And I'm just smiling cause I know what he means and I know where he's coming from and it's really cute and not bugging me and I even thought it was funny - and right on the dot. So I Iet him off the hook and said "I know what you mean and it sounds great to me, too!" He smiled and shook my hand and said he couldn't wait to see me next year - keep up the good work. Really? 10 pounds is good work? 10 pounds in 4 months? I guess it's something. But it's not a lot... I have to chuckle - cause it is a lot when I consider how I've done it. Given the program and it's design, it's been half-hearted and half-arsed. Sigh. I really can't wait to just let myself go and TRY! Anywho. Who knows if I will get banded. Who knows if this is all for nothing or all for something. But somehow, this appt gave me a warm fuzzy feeling and now I just feel better. Add to that - the cold is still on the retreat and I feel ~95% finally. Still a bit of a stuffed up nose - but nothing I can't start to attribute to allergies. Speaking of which, I think I'll go get some decongestants...

I love love love my trainer. She is motivating and fun. However it is an expense, I pay 25 dollars per 1/2 hour session. It's gone up, but I am locked in to that price with a contract. Your motivation is to eliminate excess skin from what you said. Well... if that's your reason I would save your money for sure. In my opinion, exercise does not reduce excesss skin. Once the skin has lost it's elasticity, it's gone. Your skin may bounce back. It depends on genetics, pregnancy, weight gain and loss et... Plastic surgery once you've kept the weight off a while is obviously a solution, but expensive. My plastic surgeon got a machine called the venus freeze- but it's actually a warm treatment. It tightens loose skin. Not as dramatic as surgery, but his before and after pics look pretty good. You may want to google venus freeze and see if there is one in your area. All that being said, weight training has tons of benefits. If you can't afford a trainer for the long term, maybe save up to have one for some limited number of sessions. Tell them your goal is to learn moves and a routine that you can continue on your own. Good luck!

Hi, my name is Julia, I am 30 years old and from the Buffalo, NY area. I have been contemplating WLS for a year or more but finally took the first steps a few months ago. I, at first, had settled on the lapband, but after going to my seminar and hearing about the gastric sleeve, my husband and I decided together that that was the better choice for me. I have been struggling with my weight for over 10 years, dieting on and off for most of that time, losing the weight and gaining it back, but my weight gain escalated when I got pregnant with my daughter. I was already overweight, but then added an additional 40 lbs on top of my 175. I had complications with gestational diabetes that required insulin injections. I was told that if I want to have another child, I will have to lose a significant amount of weight to help my chances of not having it again. I would like one more child and I just don't feel that going through that again is an option! I have not been able to successfully lose the weight for any extended period of time since then. I am now at 206 lbs and 5'0 with a BMI of 41. I just had my first appointment and have started the South Beach diet (have lost 6 lbs since my initial weigh in thanks to the stomach flu). I have my psych eval next week and have to have my EGD and sleep study. Once those are done I will be able to have my appointment with the surgeon. I am very excited to finally have taken the first steps in my journey to being healthy and look forward to getting to know everyone! Thanks!

....I knew it couldn't & wouldn't last...but I gained 1 lb tonight at Weight Watchers. Wednesday makes me 8 weeks out...I lost weight 7 consecutive weeks. I did nothing differently this week, but I gained... I hate Mr. Scale & always will! He's an @$$hole! lol Frustrated...2 month follow-up this week with the dr & nut...I am sure their scale will have a different tale...ugggh

Weight gain or stalls can be caused by not exercising enough or too much carbs. You are obviously exercising enough so maybe carbs? The POO thing does sounds possible too. Goodluck I hope you start loosing soon

Hi, everyone! My name is Lisa. I'm 43 years old, live in Michigan, and am married, with a 7 year old daughter and a 22 year old stepson. I'm scheduled to have a VSG through St John Providence in August. I'm 5'3" and weighed 225 when I started the process a few months ago. A little about me: I've been overweight my whole life - "chubby" as a child/teen and just plain fat as an adult. You know how some people can carry excess weight and still look good? Well, I'm not one of those people. Although I'm not much of a snacker and don't get into sweets, I have a terrible time with portion control. I've had bad reflux for about ten years. When I was pregnant in 2005/2006, I started having terrible back and knee pain and developed sleep apnea, too. I ended up with preeclampsia and delivered early. I had been sick most of the pregnancy and the majority of the weight gain was from Water retention, which I lost fairly quickly, but the sleep apnea, back and knee pain never resolved. I ended up with an apron of fat that hangs at my waist (yuck) and a fat deposit at the top of my back that pushes my neck and head forward like a hunchback (I can't tip my head back and look at the ceiling). I'm tired and uncomfortable all the time, and sick of not being able to bend over to tie my shoes. I'm really lucky that my husband loves me enough to give me pretty manicures, but I hate that I can't do it myself. I buy Skecher shoes that don't have laces (gah! I used to laugh at people who wore those!), elastic waist skirts (think: grandma's), and the pictures of me in a bathing suit when my daughter was an infant were the stuff of nightmares. If you look at the scrapbooks I've lovingly created for her, there's not a single photo of me. How sad is that? I'm excited about the surgery, but worried about being able to change my portion control problem. I swing between being ready to do it RIGHT NOW and thinking maybe I shouldn't do it at all. My husband is very supportive and says that he loves me just the way I am, but wants me to feel better physically and emotionally and he will do whatever I need to help me in that endeavor. However, my parents aren't as supportive and my friends keep saying, "Oh, you don't need to have weight loss surgery." I feel like I'm being pulled in all different directions. And it doesn't help that I'm a little (well, okay - a LOT) resistant to change. You know, that fear of "out of the frying pan, into the fire"? So, that's me. Anyone out there with thoughts? Similar concerns?

I'm 11 days post op and behind what I can eat. I haven't eaten in 2 days cuz I've been severely dehydrated so I been drinking as much water and powerade zero as possible so I have no room for broth or anything.... I stepped on the scale and I'm up 4 pounds from yesterday how does this happen any advice?!!

I have seen posts where some have hormone fluctuations when they started losing weight and it caused some monthly issues,, so I was wondering if anyone who is post menopausal had more symptoms after or while losing weight? Estrogen is stored in fat so I figured I have been living off of that and that is why I haven't had any hot flashes and such since my hysterectomy.. The HRT brought them on, so I stopped taking it after 6 months.. not too mention the 47 lb weight gain during the 3rd and 6th month.

I was scheduled for the lapband, I did all the pre-op stuff & my BMI ended up being too low (my psychiatrist took my off a major weight gaining drug & I lost 90lbs in 4.5 months) well, a year later I was on massive amounts of steroids due to another health condition and gained weight again-my endocrinologist highly recommended the sleeve over the lapband.. So I decided to go with that. Yeah get a second opinion.. I yo-yo'd all the time & that can't be healthy (I also take beta blockers-well did for tachycardia) it didn't stop my surgery..

The beauty of the band is it is there waiting on you to work with it. Now that your ready to get back on track, maybe a small fill would be beneficial, or maybe the boost of exercise is just what you need. I'm impressed that you are getting back on track with a 20 lb weight gain, instead of it being 50. Your doing good and have the right mind set. I have read that everyone should have a set point of how much they allow themselves to gain, the expert say 5lbs, once you get up 5 lbs, start back tweaking your diet etc. So 20 lb is not that bad, and it won't take you that long to loose it with exercise. I've made exercise a part of my life now and am on my 4th week of the Body For Life challenge,(working out 6 days a week) I honestly am seeing some muscles come out in my stomach area. And - I am getting collar bones. So, I am a firm believer in Exercise!

I feel like such a failure! I have now gained back more than half of my original weight lost back . I have been out of control for a long time now. I just looked back and in September I was planning to be back to plan. Now 7 months later I've gained more weight and still not losing. I have an appointment for May 21 to get a fill. I honestly feel like I have no idea what to do anymore. I need a step by step plan again. When I just try to eat when hungry, I just eat eat eat. I go from eating plan to plan with no avail. Any ideas how to get back on track before the dr appointment?

Hi Bindi2203 - Thanks for the encouragement! Do you know what size your band is? I would not get a fill if your feeling restriction and loosing - 25 lbs...that is great! It took me 9 months to loose 20 lbs before surgery. I was not planning on getting fills this early but with the weight gain I had to. I thought I would naturally feel full with the band but I don't, the only thing that feels different is some foods hurt going down (raw carrots- not going to do that again). However since my last fill I feel full a bit longer. I have another appointment on the 10/10 if I don't loose any weight I'm going for another fill.