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Ready for some RAW confessions-I have spent the last 8 years living (or dying to be thin) with my band. For the most part I have lived a life of chronic vomiting, severe restriction, with a trade off of loosing 190 lbs at one point. About two years ago, my weight has been creeping up, at 6ft tall I can hide pounds pretty easily...but after 20 lbs the battle was on. At 205 I started to panic and got a trainer, and really watched my food. For the most part, because I could not eat alot without vomiting...I was always eating. And because I was always vomiting, I thought I could eat whatever I wanted...because I would throw it up after all. On June 15th of this year, I managed to gain 10 lbs over a weekend. I thought this is crazy, what is happening with my body? I found a trainer, and began working out every day...still doing my daily gig of eating and vomiting. Well, I went to see a new PCP, and admitted to my band problems and concern with weight gain at very high rates. All labs have come out normal...and I thought this is it, I am going to eat well and get my life in control...so off I went for my first upper GI since banded...and guess what, total restriction, nothing getting through & my esophagous was 3 times the size it should be. The radiologist was wonderful, and being a Clinical Nurse Specialist I am pretty wise in medical stuff, and can talk my way (or manipulate) through most things. So I told him I would go get it assessed and unfilled. I did, I was following the rules to be healthy. I weighed in at 207 (working out, eating well) and was actually really excited to eat normal for the first time in 8 years. I felt like I was freed from survivor and off the island and could eat! I guzzled water, I ate...and did not binge but enjoyed every meal. On Monday getting ready for work, my pants were TIGHT...got on the scale and in FIVE days gained 23 lbs. I freaked, called my PCP, ran blood work, all normal. I had a theory my fat cells were trying to blow up again. Yesterday I met with a new surgeon and he confirmed that exactly that....that my body was trying like hell to reset to 360lbs. SO my question for you all, can you relate to anything I am saying? I am scared to death, crying, sobbing and grieving this weight nightmare. He has recommended a conversion to the sleeve...Please help me understand the good & the bad? He went ahead and filled me with 2.5 cc to stop the rapid weight gain...and so now my puking has resumed. I have never been so open about my experience, but I am ready to live again...and cannot believe I have destroyed my metabolism...I thank you in advance for your help.

I'm new here tonight Cowgirljane, This was a great story, i'm so nervous about this, and now I feel great. I go Oct 9th to remove my Band and the Doc will do the Sleeve in Jan. He said it is better to have good tissue to work with. We did get approval for both surgeries already. He wrote them about both and wanted approval on both. I am nervous about weight gain when the band comes out after reading all these, but i'm so glad their are so many of you here to talk to. This is great. Thanks to all of you. :wub:JewelJ :wub:

Good luck on your revision. If I had known what I know now, back then, I would have gone straight to bypass. Both the lap band and sleeve gave me many issues. Weight loss was good but the band cause esophagus issues so I had to switch to sleeve. Weight gain of course, when they removed the fluid for months to heal... And now the sleeve caused severe GERD and now I am revising to bypass. Sent from my SM-N986U using BariatricPal mobile app

Granted that muscle weighs more than fat (if you have the same VOLUME of it), but one doesn't usually gain the same volume of muscle that one had in fat, nor doeasfat turn into muscle. And I'd read in many places that it takes quite a while to have an actual weight gain from muscle mass increasing. So I'm unsure what your gain is from, just being human I would guess. We all fluctuate a lot. I'm up about 3 lbs from last week, but that's life. als long as the trend continues to be downward, I'll be okay. Congrats on joining the boot camp!

If you suspect nerve pain you should check with your GP. I have nerve pain in low low back. I asked rheumatologist for Lyrica or Cymabalta and got samples first of Lyrica...worked well but common side effect is weight gain - 5 lbs the first week!...then Cymbalta...common side effect is loss of appetite but I think I will muddle through. It made a HUGE difference...still some pain but far less. As far as doctors are concerned you might see if the hospitals nearby have bariatric programs. I am near Houston and you can't spit without hitting a doctor who does banding. I can't believe there is no doctor there who won't take a transfer, especially if you might need a removal which would be more pennies in their pockets.

I was told not to have rice because it expands and continues to expand in your stomach. Not sure how true that is, but that is what I was told. LOL. For those of us who havent had a fill and have no restriction, be careful!!!! You quickly learn that without restriction, you can basically eat whatever you want. But you will pay for it with weight gain, as I did. Over Thanksgiving weekend I gained 6 pounds. Luckily, I am back on track, but I still have to be careful because I dont have that restriction. Best of luck!

I eat sushi (cooked and uncooked) all the time. Before I was banded I used to be able to polish 5-6 large rolls in one sitting. food poisining: If you eat at a decent sushi joint you should not have these issues. I know my sushi place gets a fresh fish delivery every single day. They are also very careful handling and storing the food. PB Worries: If you eat SLOWLY and in small amounts and you make sure the sushi is moist or dipped in (low calorie) soy you should not have any problems. Some people are more sensitive than others and you'll just have to test the foods yourself. I did ask my Dr. and nutritionist about sushi and they said it was perfectly fine. Weight Gain: Before I was banded I gained a decent amount just from (over)eating sushi. Now I have 2 regular sized rolls and I'm pretty filled. People think sushi is healthy but in reality the rice is high in carbs and most sushi chefs dress the rolls in all sorts of crap (mayo, high cal dressing etc.) Good luck and don't let one in a million stories scare you off .

have you ever gained inches? I did and can't understand how. Then when I was measured this month I lost alot of inches, but still having a hard time tring to figure out why i gained inches that one month. I like your rule for weight gain.

I will be honest. The first week I was a HOT AS* MESS! I cried at little things. My kids would draw me a picture and I would cry. I have never, ever been this emotional. I have been described by a few as "frosty". So all these meds and hormones coursing through my body sent me into a tailspin. PLUS a friend reminded me that my doctor had me stop my birth control pills to lessen my chances of blood clots. HELLO! RED FLAG RED FLAG! Take a deep breath and relax. Grab a box of kleenex and let it out. It gets better. Oh and remember all those bags of IV fluid hanging in the hospital? Yeah those could be the reason for the weight gain. Just take it easy and let your body heal.

I was banded on 4-4-07 and when i weighed in for my 2 week post op i had lost 13.5 lbs and was super excited !!! Since ive gone on soft foods i find myself eating "normal" things that i would before the surgery, just chewing a little more. I recently used a doctor office scale at my university to see my progess and it showed i had gained back 3 of those pounds. I have not had my first fill yet and attribute some of my ability to continue to eat regularly to that, but ive also began to excercise again walking/running 3 miles at least 4x's a week. In my mind scientifically there should be no reason for weight gain. Its really discouraging to me to see these kinds of results. I really want this to work for me, its my last resort. Does or did anyone else have this problem ?

I find it creeps back in periodically for me too, and a fill is not always the answer. I always manage to get on top of it again, before weight gain gets out of control and exercise helps a LOT to avoid putting on weight when you eat a bit more than normal. This is what maintenance is for me. Keeping on top of my bad habits, not anything as negative as a constant struggle but to think that I'm cured and never have to think about my diet or exercise is complete fantasy. In reality I have to work on it every single day and will have to do so for the rest of my life. If I let myself just go, I will eat when I'm not hungry, I will choose poor foods much more often etc. I will never be "fixed" but with my band I can manage my situation. Recommitting is necessary periodically, definitely.

I had lap band surgery in 2006. I weighed 367 pounds and went down to 156 pounds. I learned that I had a slippage and got the lap band removed. I was so happy to eat I didn't get a replacement...now I'm up to 230 pounds!! I watch what I eat and exercise almost everyday! The weight gain occurred in less than a year. I don't want to keep gaining! Has anyone experienced this? I really don't think it has to do with what I eat. :cool:

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

I've learend to let what the bypass patient say go right through me, Time will tell, when the bypass patients are having health problems bypass related and are gaining their weight back because their pouches are stretched ..I get all the satisfaction I need For every person I have told about my band, they have all known someone who had the bypass and had some kind of problems whether it be malabsorption issues, weight gain, other major organ problems, they see me and I do not look like i had weight loss surgery, my skin tone is beautiful, I do not look gaunt, nor do I look flabby like bypass patients do. Iam my best advertisement for the band

I am concerned that you are taking such a drastic step physically without considering the mental/emotional aspect of your eating choices. If you gained your weight back with the sleeve, how will you prevent it this time? It can't be a solely physical solution - your body adjusts and your brain learns how to get the calories it wants, you've already proven that. Weight gain isn't solely a physical thing - the solution isn't solely physical either. It really worries me to see folks keep cutting away at themselves thinking the next surgery will be their nirvana, when what really needs to happen is dealing with the mental issues that drive the weight gain. From a personal perspective, I started looking into WLS two years ago and went in to therapy to deal with my compulsive eating issues before I had the surgery, and I think it's still a challenge even after all of that work. Just a thought, this isn't a judgment by any means, I found therapy to be really helpful and I'm so glad that I have that support right now as I deal with post-op stuff.

I am 55 years old. I had a hysterectomy in 2014 (which they cut me wrong and I ended up with 4 surgeries in a week! I mention this as this truly was so traumatic on my body, so much was depleted I feel I have never gotten back....I gained 50 lbs in the hospital, and have never lost back down to my original weight upon going in. I still deal with severe inflammation) I only have one ovary now. I do not smoke. I do not drink. I am not having neuropathy in my feet. I am told my numbers are good and I do not have pre-diabetes. My symptoms are brain fog, vision issues at night, I suddenly get very fatigued, lack of concentration, random sores on my body do not heal for months at a time, weight gain, and inflammation.

I just want to add that my surgeon does not require a preop diet. However, weight gain is something that will cause him to cancel the surgery. I would be more concerned about where you are mentally going into a surgery that is life changing without being able to follow preop rules.

I had lap band surgery Feb 2014. Lost almost 80 pounds. My wife and I eat out once or twice a week. They key to weight loss in my opinion is what you eat. I have trouble eating red meat. I don't eat red meat. I eat lots of chicken and fish. I was told not to count calories. I count calories. I also use My Fitness pal an app on my phone. Every thing that I eat goes in the app. I weigh every thing. No guessing as to how large a portion I am eating. No bread, pasta, rice, cake,candy,ice cream, etc. You can take a spoon full of anything but remember they are what caused weight gain in the first place. I found that I have lost my taste for sweets so am not tempted. Remember you have invested a lot. The band is a tool. It can be overcome easily. Don't give in for a taste of something you shouldn't eat. After a while you get used to the new way of eating. Best of luck.

Hi Lisa, I think you are an awesome woman with a bright spirit and kind heart, based on the way you cared for your husband. The six month mark after a death is a tough one, and with holidays approaching, it's even tougher. You are doing the best you can. That's all any of us can do. First, I agree with @@CowgirlJane, the calorie math is crap. There is way more to it than that. However, having said that, it's one of the guides we do have to use to gauge our intake. You probably know what yours should be, otherwise you wouldn't have been so successful to start with. Use that knowledge to guide yourself now. I use myfitnesspal, and the best advice I can give you around that is weigh, measure, and be brutally honest with yourself. That's one of my key actions to keep on track. Second, sometimes during stress you actually can gain weight without an increase in calories, or you can gain in a disproportionate amount to intake. Do some research on stress and weight gain. Lack of sleep (which often accompanies stress and depression) can also lead to weight gain. You could try a counselor for that as you mentioned. However, I was a hospice nurse, so I do suggest you contact your local hospice and join the support group if you have not already done so. They have bereavement coordinators who can talk with you and visit, as well as spiritual care people. The support groups are wonderful. Another idea is to volunteer with them. We had the most wonderful volunteers who had been through losses with hospice, and they said it gave them purpose and the opportunity for social interaction, often with people who had similar experiences. Or maybe you have a church or other group that you'd like to help. It's a way to get out of the house, not strain your back, and have a purpose. As for how to manage your diet, I am with you on the coffee creamer!! When I was 300 pounds, I always had black coffee. Lately, I've been drawn to pumpkin spice coffee in the keurig, and pumpkin coffee creamer. That 35 calories does add up. I'm also going to have to give that up - and I really don't want to! But I know that it is contributing to me hanging on to the last few pounds. It is really hard to make that change, isn't it? I do have the chike coffee, and I love it! And keep coming here for support. We got your back

I really don't know what can be said here to offset what you are going thru and how tough it must be to deal with such a loss. So sorry for your loss. But aside from the grieving, you have stated all your pitfalls and potential weight gain issues. You know what is putting the weight back on. So I got nothing. You have to stop doing what you know you need to stop doing. Start with scrapping the coffee. Replace it with some Protein drink to fill you up. Or drink the coffee bitter with not creamer. Possibly with your loss you have developed too much solitude and sedentary idleness. Get out and get exercise. At least if any grieving thoughts keep creeping back in, you'll be burning calories and building up endorphin's. You're situation is textbook sliding back into old habits, (with the obvious additional depression triggers) Get a grip and get your life back in control. You can. It will get better. Life does go on.

Hope you are feeling a little better now wellbutrin is the only med I have stuck with it suppresses my appetite and gives me energy to exercise ..most importantly it eliminates my depression ...maybe it could work for you...all of the other AD i took caused crazy carb cravings and some actually raise your blood sugar and effect the way you process carbs ...most psych meds have weight gain as a side effect ..weight gain from psych meds is what actually made me feel that surgery might be a good option for me....Very sorry about your mom hope things get better for you ..nothing that i hate more than depression

Hi, I was on Zoloft for situational depression resulting from a medical issue that the doctors couldn't figure out which was causing a tremendous amount of physical pain. While I was on it, I felt absolutely mentally wonderful. The sky was more blue, the birds sang more clearly, any and all obsessive worry or anxiety was totally gone. Even my physical pain was better. The big drawback? I gained 45 pounds in three months! I have to be honest, it's one of the reasons I am now considering getting the band, because I never could get the weight off again once I quit Zoloft. It doesn't make everyone gain weight though; it just depends on individual body chemistry. I am currently on Wellbutrin, which does not cause weight gain and which works on your brain chemistry differently than an SSRI. I like it alot, but then again, I can't tell if I feel happy because of the Wellbutrin or because I finally found a doctor who correctly diagnosed and treated my medical issue LOL. Both SSRI's and Wellbutrin have value in my opinion. The only one I would warn against is Effexor, which causes horrible, horrible withdrawl symptoms according to research I did online and anecdotal evidence from a few friends. Best of luck to you!

I am on Effexor from depression which started from having a stillborn son. I have tried several times at getting off but I literally think it is goin got be impossible. It has worked wonders for me though, even though I have had weight gain from it and troubles getting off I would do it again for how much it improved me.

Hello I'm new to the forum and thought I'd introduce myself im Bec I'm 31 i live in Australia and I've just booked in to have a lap band in October, I'm so excited to finally be able to shed the kilos, I've tried diet after diet exercised personal trainers you name it I've tried it, I have just also been diagnosed with PCOS and found out my weight gain is caused from that so lapband it is for me I look forward to getting to know you all Bec x

At one of the three seminars I attended at the beginning of this process, a nutritionist gave out information on a study that was done on successful weight-loss patients. I thought it was interesting to hear that one of the indicators for being successful is getting enough sleep at night, but she didn’t really explain why. This paragraph is about my sleep, you can skip this and go to the next one to hear about you. I’ve always had a lot of trouble sleeping; takes me a minimum of ½ hour to fall asleep, I have to use a sound machine because I’m such a light sleeper and I wake up during the night several times. Add to that, that I’ve had frequent migraines that usually wake me up in the wee hours of the morning, and I wasn’t getting enough sleep. After having a crippling migraine for three days one week I finally sought help and am now on a medication that has been a miracle for me…and one of the side effects is that you have deeper sleep. I’ve had a few episodes where I’ve woken in the night with the beginnings of a migraine, but then I’ve fallen back to sleep. That NEVER would have happened before. It doesn’t help me to fall asleep, and I wake up groggy, but I’m getting more hours of sleep, which is good. OK, here’s why it’s good. The Today Show featured a story today where Glamour Magazine looked at all the studies that showed a correlation between lack of sleep and weight gain. People who don’t get enough sleep on average eat 200 calories more per day. Glamour got women to change their sleep to at least 7.5 hours per night…and whataya know…they lost weight (they had more energy during the day to do more). When you don’t get enough sleep the body is under stress and craves carbs and fats as an energy source. When you get enough sleep (called sleep hygiene) the leptin (hormone that regulates how hungry you are) in the brain is kept in balance. Leptin goes down with sleep deprivation, which increases your appetite. If you Google ‘sleep deprivation and obesity’ you’ll find an avalanche of recent studies on this issue. The obesity epidemic has gone up at the same rate that average amount of sleep has gone down. So get your zzzz’s!!! Here’s the Today Show segment: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/29098028#29098028