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I smoked heavily for over 40 years, between 2-3 packs per day. I have had 5 major surgeries in my lifetime. With each and every one I have had postoperative pheumonia, extended hospital stay and slow healing. When I was researching the sleeve I learned quickly that quitting was a requirement with most surgeons. I resented it for a while and actually almost didn't procede with the process over it because I thought I couldn't quit and didn't particularly want to try. I had tried/failed many many times. Truth be told I didn't want to quit. I enjoyed it and it had become a part of who I was. Maybe strange but true. Then one day I thought about it on a deeper level. I looked at my pack of cigarettes and realized that it is what is standing between me and the opportunity to have a life changing-saving surgery. I thought " little rectangular box filled with chopped dried leaves has had more power over my health than I have and I have given it that power. I'm taking that power back today." After long hard consideration I decided to give it another try with one difference this time. I would not give myself permission to fail. I wanted the surgery and this habit was the object in my way. I decided to try vapor cigs. I purchased a kit with 4 vials of vapor liquid. I had the largest bottle made up with 25% less nicotine than full flavored. The 3 remaining bottles were made with 50% less, 75% less and 0% nicotine respectively. I puffed them in order reducing my nicotine intake until I was getting none. I puffed the 0% one for 2 weeks with the puffing spread out over longer periods of time. That was to break the hand to mouth habit we (smokers) all seem to have. That can be as hard to get past as the nicotine and can lead to weight gain because we replace food with the cigarette in the hand to mouth motion. It worked. I can say that not only do I not smoke, I don't even think about it. My husband still smokes and I am not bothered by it at all. I am not one of those x-smokers that spend my free time on a soapbox preaching the sermons of Hellfire and damnation to all of those that continue. I get that we are all adults and the choice belongs to each of us. I am one of those that knows very well how hard it can be to quit. I offer the method that worked for me to those of you that want to try it. If it doesn't work for you I encourage you to see your PCP for help with other methods. Its worth it. The end result was that my surgery was 8 days ago. From the moment of surgery on my oxygen readings were consistenly 100%. There was no pneumonia to add to my recovery plan for the first time in my life. I can focus on my weighloss. I can take the walks I need to take without getting winded. I get a certain satisfaction from knowing that while my body begins to look better outwardly it is healing inwardly as my lungs work to return to their normal state. I have a sense of self-pride in completing a challenge that has eluded me thus far. The money I save in cigarettes will now be stashed away in my personal new wardrobe stash. My children's memory of me from this point on will be of healthy living practices that will hopefully be incorporated into their lives as well. I have no doubt there will be more benefits to come.

first off, congrats! secondly, i had my first a little over a month ago after being 18 months post op with the band. the advice i'd have given myself nine months ago would be to make sure your OBGYN knows how the band works and don't just take their word for it. make sure that they really do. it will save you quite a bit of frustration down the line. enjoy your pregnancy. don't be afraid to ask questions and don't get all twitchy (personal experience) when you start seeing the numbers go up on the scale. it's not as bad as it seems. i've lost half of the weight i gained, so stressing did little to prevent the weight gain and you want to avoid stress (no kidding really hehe) when pregnant anyhow. also that whole myth of eating for two is really a myth. it's really only an extra 300 or so calories a day. make sure they set a realistic calorie intake. part of why i said make sure that your OBGYN knows how it works. there was no way under the sun i could consume a 2000 calorie daily intake and not blow up like a balloon (they only wanted me to gain 15 pounds), when my normal intake was around 900. sorry for rambling

I'm so saddened to hear your story. I am sobbing as I write this. I too lost a son. Tre would have been 18. I too turned to food for comfort and saw large weight gains in the years after he passed. I think our paths to this decision are similar. Each year you will have moments, it's ok to grieve as anniversaries of his passing, birthdays or other milestones occur. This past Spring was hard for me because he would have been 18 & graduating high school. Take the time to remember Jonny and celebrate the memories you have of him. You have one sweet angel walking along side of you and he is so proud pf you. Hugs...

I came home from the hospital on Friday after gastric bypass revision from lapband on Tuesday and I had gained 19#'s. I know that it is from all the fluids given to me while in the hospital, but it still feels like a set back. I was very swollen and that has gone down and I have lost 17 of the 19#'s. but it looks like at my one week f/u on Thursday I will probably just barely be below weight day of surgery? Did anyone else experience this.?

Every person who comes to bariatric surgery has a reason, a story. No one wakes up one day and goes "you know, having my stomach partially removed,diverted, or banded sounds like fun- I think I want to do it!" Nope. There is a reason. A moment of giving it over to a higher power mixed with taking full charge of your weight loss. It is the most odd feeling when your brain makes the leap and decides it is what needs to be. I truly believe bariatric surgery is a last ditch effort for so many of us. (Disclaimer- can't say there are not those who think it is a quick fix or an easy out. But from all I have read and seen, it is FAR from "easy".) I admit, I am from the school of thought where this kind of surgery is "giving up". I have never seriously considered it for me. When I thought about weight loss it was all on me and my will power. If I just dieted enough or exercised enough it would be all I needed. But at 43 years old the light bulb, as dim or as bright as it may be, finally went off. I am not a dieting or exercise success. I am morbidly obese. I need to be realistic. I need to change now, while I still can. The consequences of not changing are just not an option. Let me go back here a little. I have to say I have always been on the chubby/chunky/ curvy/ husky side. I was never "thin" like the other kids. I had a round face and a tummy when I was young. I developed early. In junior high and high school I felt pudgy. Even though I know now I was far from obese, society made me feel fat. I wasn't athletic, but I was active. A band nerd. ( And anyone who has been in marching band knows it is a physically active thing!) After high school and into my early adulthood I was still heavy-ish. But I was starting to realize I had curves that were pleasing to some, it wasn't just being fat. Into my mid twenties I probably wore a size large, maybe up to a 14-16. But since I was only 5'3", this was FAT. Then in my mid twenties I got married. The perfect storm for weight gain began. I began to have "female issues", I was in a somewhat stable relationship, ( at least for a short while) I quit working jobs that required me being on my feet and got a desk job. It all added up, and I started piling on the pounds. I quickly gained in excess of 50lbs in the matter of months. 200lbs, 225lbs,250lbs...the numbers on the scale just kept going up. I stopped gaining around 250lbs. I went into "diet" mode. But this time it wasn't coming off like before. When I had wanted to lose weight before all I had to do was eat less and move more. This time it wasn't working. After some other things going on health wise, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. (PCOS) My marriage failed in a few short years. I joined a gym. I dieted. I gave up. I was on the hamster wheel... Years passed and I lost weight, only to gain it back with extra. This went on for years. Then my mother passed away unexpectedly in 2003, which threw my world into chaos. I gained custody of my niece and nephew when she passed. I had never had children, so it was a new world. And they did not come without a LOT of issues of their own. The next four years were a struggle to just get through life. During that time my weight edged up further, until I hit a (then) all time high of 314lbs. Finally, in 2007, I decided I REALLY needed to change. I joined Curves and got my butt moving. I put myself on a very restrictive diet and managed to knock off 36lbs. In about six months I started to feel great, see a new me emerging. But then I hit a stall. I stopped losing. I managed to keep it off for a while, but could not get back to dropping anything. Then something happened I never saw coming, which lead to the next major change in my life. With my 36lb weight loss came a new confidence. I started going out and dating. I met a man. I won't go into all the troubles that came of that, it is best put on another blog! LOL But I did end up pregnant. I NEVER thought it would happen. With my PCOS and female issues, I did not believe I could get pregnant. But at 38yrs old I did. I had a healthy baby girl in November of 2008. But life wasn't perfect. I am a single mom. There are a lot of struggles, including financial. I would love to say I never lost the baby weight, which got me to where I am now- but that would be a lie. I lost all I gained plus a couple extra pounds by my 6 week check up after she was born. No, my body was changed by having a baby but I cannot say I gained weight from it. But slowly I did start gaining again. So in 2010 I decided to start back to Curves and I added Zumba to my arsenal. I was determined to get back on the right track. But an already arthritic knees could not handle the intensity of Zumba, and I was soon having a lot of problems with my knees. I started seeing a orthopedic doctor and tried all kinds of things to help nurse the knee back to health. You see, before the knee problems I was a pretty darn healthy person. Yes, I had PCOS and female problems. But I did not have the common weight related issues such as high blood pressure or diabetes. I just had bum knees holding me back. So after months of trying this remedy or that one it was decided I needed surgery to "clean up the knee". Well surgery went off without a hitch. I had more severe arthritic degeneration than he had thought, but other than that I was ok. Until two days post op. I developed a DVT (deep vein thrombosis-blood clot) behind my knee. The day after I was admitted to the hospital for it I had a pulmonary embolism and was rushed to ICU. ( FYI- actor Dennis Farina just died yesterday from the same thing) This was a set back to say the least. But time passed and eventually I got back to "normal". I was never able to go back to Zumba, but I did return to Curves. Yet the weight continued its climb higher. I can maintain a weight for a few years, then suddenly I start gaining another 10, 15, 20lbs. As I have aged, and as I have gained, it has taken more of a toll on my joints. I started having to swallow anti inflammatory medicine like Pez. Then suddenly, without warning, this past spring all hell broke loose... In March I started having pain in my "bad" leg. I thought I had another clot, but it was determined I did not. I was told I had vasculitis or phlebitis. Then in April it got worse. Another check determined I DID have another DVT. I started treatment with blood thinners and bed rest. A few weeks later I returned to work for a sum total of 2 1/2 days. Then my leg took another turn for the worse. Apparently the clot got BIGGER, migrated upward AND I had another small pulmonary embolism. Five more days in the hospital. After I was released I had to be on bed rest for another month. I was told I now have to take blood thinners for the rest of my life. My vascular doctor has informed me the veins in my leg are "destroyed". I have chronic venus insufficiancy. I have to wear a compression stocking on that leg everyday for the rest of my life to try to avoid further deterioration. And the worst part.....I can no longer take my arthritis medication due to taking blood thinners. I have lived with increasing pain for the past couple of months. It is no doubt my weight has continued to climb now, as I am basically seditary at all times. And depression over my situation has lead me to eat more. I looked into disability. I actually have two qualifying factors, so physically I can get it. But I thought long and hard about it. Do I want to live the rest of my life in pain? Do I want to keep gaining weight from being depressed and unable to do anything? And what about my daughter? What kind of mother can I be to a four year old like this? How can I be an active part of her life when I can't even be an active part of my own life? That was the day it all changed for me. The day I decided I had one answer, one path I MUST follow. I HAVE TO GET THE WEIGHT OFF! And the path I decided I need to take is the bariatric path. I started doing a lot of research. I called my insurance provider and verified they cover it and the qualifications for it. (oh I TOTALLY qualify!!) I spoke to my primary care doctor. He referred me to Dr. Bruce. I have not stepped foot into his office yet, but I feel my choice is clear and made for me. After much research and consideration I choose to pursue the sleeve. I had initially thought lap band, but a lot of things are swaying my decision. So if Dr. Bruce agrees with my thought process, and my insurance will cover the cost, I plan to go full steam ahead with it. I have already been to my vascular doctor to get his clearance for surgery. He said losing weight would help my vascular issues a great deal, and is very much supportive of my decision. I have researched and read and planned as much as I can. I am being VERY proactive. I have decided (on my own) to begin changing as many habits as I can now to help with the process. I am making myself drink more fluids (ie:water) daily. I have decided that, starting in August, I am changing how and what I eat. I want to begin the post surgery diet, consisting of mostly protein. I feel it will not only help me succeed in the long run, it will also be easier to NOT have to change everything I have done all my life in just a matter of a few weeks. (not to mention having to deal with major surgery at the same time) One BIG habit I have to get in to is NOT drinking while eating, and chewing my food until it is paste. Those things will be tricky for me. But I know I can do it..I know I HAVE to do it. And I will be documenting and blogging as I go. ( If you have not been able to tell, and have read to this point, I like to speak my mind! No matter the form or to whom...LOL) So if anyone else is just starting this journey, or has been on it for a long time, and wants to read one woman's insightful, crazy, thought provoking or just plain weird story stay tuned..................................

I'm in luck my surgeon (lapband)has a twin bro who is ob gyn so the twin will delivery my baby.. I'm happy about that... I got unfil when I found out I was prego only because I was in green zone and was rarely eating... I wanted to make sure my baby gets enough food... I feel better about it as well... I was fainting fatigue and morning sickness so I def had to get unfil.. Of corse I didn't know I was prego I though I was just hot because its summer... I'm happy about it sorry if rambling baby about to knock me out lol... No comp as of now.. No weight gain either with unfil yet

Suddenly, my band tightened. Self diagnosed, I went to a clear liquid diet. It did not help, it became more uncomfortable and I could not get water down. I was also having regurgitation in my sleep. It was very unpleasant. I had an emergency appointment to relieve the pressure in my band. Immediately I felt relief. It took a few weeks for the reflux to subside. However, it did. My appetite never increased, nor did I regain any weight. I see many members suffering from "tightness", yet sacred to have any fluid removed in fear they will regain. I just want to confirm that a decrease in fluid from the band doesn't mean weight gain will occur. I remained in the "green zone". Please do not refrain from getting an "unfill" because of fear. The relief is priceless.

Sorry to hear you've been in the hospital, there must be something in the air(it couldn't be we're making poor food choices,) I too gained weight for the first time , it's been my biggest fear, I guess the real test is how we deal with the weight gain. Good luck & I hope you feel better soon Peace,Mary

Hi everyone! I could really use some helpful advice. I'm one year post band, and down 100 pounds! As great as that sounds, I'm having a very very difficult time with the loose skin on my arms. My arms had gotten very very big at the very end of my weight gain, and even with the weight loss I'm still having a hard time losing that flabby skin. I'm getting married in November, and I'm wearing a strapless down, and would hate to have these arms in all of my pictures for eternity. What has anyone done to help tone their arms? Keep in mind, I just broke my wrist in April, I needed to have surgery to fix it, so I'm not allowed to use anything with weights!

I forgot I was signed up... its free and very interesting! 'Caution' Warranted if Consuming Artificial Sweeteners Troy BrownJul 10, 2013 Consumption of noncaloric, artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) is associated with an increased risk for disease variety of chronic diseases, according to an opinion article by Susan E. Swithers, PhD, a professor of behavioral neuroscience at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, published onlineJuly 10 in Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism. "[F]requent consumers of these sugar substitutes may...be at increased risk of excessive weight gain, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease," Dr. Swithers writes. "This somewhat counterintuitive result may reflect negative consequences of interfering with learned relationships between sweet tastes and typical post-ingestive outcomes, which may result in impaired ability to compensate for energy provided when caloric sweeteners are consumed," Dr. Swithers writes. The prospective studies Dr. Swithers reviewed found an elevated risk for weight gain and obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and hypertension in those who consumed ASBs. No decreased risk for weight gain or increased body fat percentage was associated with ASB intake. It was often difficult to compare the magnitude of increased risk with that of participants who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), in part because of differences in intake. Participants who regularly consumed ASBs tended to have higher baseline body mass indexes compared with participants who did not, but some models that adjusted for that difference still found an increased risk. Studies that separately assessed risk among those who were not overweight or obese at baseline found that the risks of becoming overweight or obese, developing type 2 diabetes, and experiencing vascular events were increased even when considering baseline body mass indexes. Hormones, Brain Response Altered Dr. Swithers reviewed 2 interventional studies. The first found that children of normal weight who consume ASBs may have decreased weight gain compared with those who consume SSBs. The study did not compare children who consume ASBs with those who consume unsweetened beverages. In the second study, overweight and obese adults who substituted Water or ASBs for SSBs had no greater weight loss at 6 months than an attentional control group. ASB intake was not associated with improved fasting glucose, but water intake was. Brain responses are altered in those who consume artificial sweeteners compared with those who consume caloric sweeteners. In imaging studies of the human brain, sucrose activates dopaminergic midbrain areas involved with reward, but sucralose does not. Sucralose also reduces activation in other pathways related to taste when compared with sucrose. In addition, studies in humans have found that the release of hormones and markers of postprandial glucose homeostasis typically seen does not occur after ingestion of artificial sweeteners. Studies that combined artificial sweeteners in various ways with nutrients found that "artificial sweeteners may not augment nutrient-dependent release of insulin or the incretins in the same way that caloric sugars do," Dr. Swithers writes. "[C]urrent findings suggest that caution about the overall sweetening of the diet is warranted, regardless of whether the sweetener provides energy directly or not," Dr. Swithers concludes. Frank Hu, MD, PhD, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology and codirector of the program in obesity epidemiology and prevention at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, commented on the article in an email interview with Medscape Medical News. "Overall, I think the jury is still out regarding whether drinking diet sodas instead of SSBs is truly related to obesity and [cardiovascular disease] outcomes, in part because of the complex methodological problems in studying the effects of diet sodas in epidemiological studies. Small, short-term, [randomized controlled trials] do show that drinking diet sodas instead of SSBs reduces weight gain or induces more weight loss in controlled settings," Dr. Hu said. "Because [the] intense sweetness of ASBs may condition people towards greater preference for sweets and may enhance appetite, and because of the possibility that some consumers of diet soda may use this as a rationale for consuming other higher-calorie foods, caution is needed for recommending regular consumption of ASBs," Dr. Hu explained. "In [the] short-term, ASBs is preferable to the use of SSBs. For those who want to kick the habit of drinking sugary soda, diet soda may be the beverage equivalent of a nicotine patch: it can be used in small amounts, for a short time. For most people, plain water and unsweetened coffee or tea are more healthy alternatives to either SSBs or ASBs," Dr. Hu concluded. Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, Fredrick John Stare professor of epidemiology and nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, commented on the article in an email interview with Medscape Medical News. He said that although he agrees with the author "that regular consumption of artificial sweeteners is not optimal, as these leave us conditioned to a high level of sweetness, which can distort our food choices," he considers a substantially better option than regular sugar-based choices. He notes, however, that the review by Dr. Swithers excludes a large analysis of beverages and weight gain, and some studies are misrepresented. "The risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease associated with artificial sweeteners is less than the risk associated with consumption of sugar," he emphasizes. This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Hu and Dr. Willett have disclosed no relevant financial relationships. Trends Endocrinol Metabol. Published online July 10, 2013. Full text

Dr. Garcia and team are highly recommended by me. I opted for same day surgery flew in on a Friday afternoon and had surgery around 3 p.m. I was to leave on Monday, but I had some issues going on with my lungs that were pre-existing. My PCP thought I had pneumonia before going to Mexico and was blaming all the shortage of breath on my weight gain. I will tell you this, "Dr. Luna, After Care Doctor, did not leave my side until I was back on US soil and followed up with me for many weeks. I guarantee that we would not get the same treatment in the states. Dr. Garcia is always available for his patients. He has a Facebook page; if you send him an email, he will respond in a timely manner. I had surgery on May 10 weight at 230; I weighed today (07.21.13) at 188; I am so happy that I pick Dr. Garcia. I added some pictures. The picture of my stomach is my incision. I had the single-incision and the incision showing is from the drainage tube.

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

Hi I'm a year and 5 months out. I was wondering did anyone go through this thing of gaining 5 lbs and then lose it after a week or two? Then back again.....

Lynda, I never did do the math, and it makes sense now that you posted it up. Fiddleman, I was doing yoga and pilates classes 4 days a week! You've hit the nail on the head about why I was so surprised... the exercise routine was new for me, not something my body should have been used to. You're also right in your concern about never being able to eat foods like bread, nuts, and avocados without the worry of weight gain. You look great, by the way! Jensjoy, you make a good point! NtvTxn, you don't eat cheese or nuts?? Oh man, that would be misery for me! I rely so much on dairy Proteins, and absolutely love cheeses. It takes amazing strength to avoid those foods. Thank you for your input.

I self-paid in Mexico. The actual day of the surgery, my BMI was 29.75. It was 32 when I decided to do the surgery, after 6 months of painstakingly chasing the same 10 lbs up and down. (I guess my highest BMI ever was 37.) The cardiologist who cleared me for surgery told me I "wasn't that big" -- 45 minutes before I went to the OR! Not a helpful time to be planting doubt. You have to decide for you if it's worth it. There are risks to any surgery, and it is a hard adjustment to make...every once in a while, I suddenly realize how permanently and profoundly I have changed my eating habits. It's great on a Tuesday when you're losing weight hanging out by yourself drinking Protein shakes, but I'm guessing Christmas dinner is going to suck, or my birthday when I really truly do not have room left for a piece of cake, and everyone around me is trying to force me to eat it, because they think I'm just being coy, instead of actually being afraid of vomiting. But, on the other hand, I watch people struggle every day with both the big and little repercussions of being obese: heart disease, cancers, leg cellulitis and edema, not being able to fit in a booth at a restaurant, not being able to enjoy a day out with your family because you know you walk so slow that it will hold them back. I could see exactly where my weight gain journey was going, and I decided to head it off at the pass. And, as a doc said to me, you so often see people wait till they're old and super-obese before they get surgery, and then the damage is done, and they don't get the full enjoyment of being skinny, because theirs knees and feet etc. are permanently damaged. (Please don't flame me for this...it may be the particularly Canadian viewpoint, where you have to be SO obese to qualify for surgery...and then you have to wait 6 more years to get in the OR. And in the meantime, socialized medicine lets the rest of you go to pot too.) And, just a note, a radiology tech could lose their job and their license for expressing such a medical opinion to you. Totally inappropriate.

we dont eat them in our house. this was an issue with my nutitritionist. she was really pushing them. i am 7 days post opt and doing fine. everything tastes weird from ketosis anyway. lol i use a natural Protein shake (plant fusion) and plain yogurt. i have small amounts of fruit. i'm not really into super sweet things anyway. i love chocolate.. eat the dark stuff. use small amounts of maple syrup and honey. bought coconut crystals to sweeten my ice tea after surgery. it has a low GI. growing up, my dad was fat, drank tons of diet pop, used saccharine in his coffee, even sprinkled it on french toast and pancakes. lost weight, gained it back, died at 56 from a second massive heart attack. they dont help much.

I'm not going to crucify you....only you can do that to yourself! But I would say, that the alcohol is packing on pounds. It has a lot of calories. So partake in what you want to but try to keep it real & expect a weight gain....once you stop, I'd think that the weight would fall back off? I wasn't a drinker from the get-go so my problem will be pasta, not booze. :-( Good luck to you! It's hard to get into a new routine....I know. Just to not be tempted with what my family has been eating for dinner, I don't sit at the table with them right now till I get it all under control.

Math is good if she slept in bed all day. However, she walks quite a bit and I am sure does some other exercise. That is why her point of easy gain is so confounding. Maybe it is the case of having a low BMR. Are our stomachs never going to process food like bread, nuts and avocados on a daily basis without turning it into weight gain? This is more of a question from the community and not one that applies to myself (my diet does not include toast).

You sound like me except I am down around 74-79 pounds depending on the day. i know if I was 100% I would be down more. I am very happy, it's not a weight gain like the many many years in the past. For dinner tonight I am having my 1oz of pasta with my chicken and salad. I know I can not do without everything. Last night I had a wonderful salad and salmon but ate a big ass warm crunchie roll, the insides dug out. Be happy with what you have done, lost weight!!

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.

Well I'm glad you don't post stones either...hahaha. I know it's a little thing but it makes me so happy not to have to convert your numbers! Yes, losing a bit gives me such a lift! Esp. now that the Orlando weight-gain-while-on-vacation is gone. Woo hoo. Onward and downward. Oh and yes please share pencil sketches of your "man" hahaha! Hugs to you Coops!

I'm having mine on august 5th, only one month after my parents offered and we all together found out about this fantastic surgery and all its benefits...how craaaaazy i feel so unprepared but yet couldn't find a better moment to do it. i'm young (so less chance of extra skin), not too far in my weight gain and still have a couple weeks before school starts again. geez i am nervous and excited at the same time.

I'm a Sheila too! I come from a family that has weight issues and my weight struggles actually started in Kindergarten and only progressed from there. In grade 5, I was on the Slim Fast diet for a while (I looked back and think of why my mother thought that would be OK, but she was desperate to help me and also struggles with weight). And I just kept on gaining and gaining all through middle school. Then in grade 10 I decided to do something about it, started exercising everyday and watching what I ate. I started at I think around 225lbs or 230lbs, it took over 2 years and I got down to just above 150lbs. I felt great! But it didn't last long. In the fall of 1997 I had a serious accident which left me unable to exercise. Also moving away from home made a difference, having no money and buying the cheapest foods possible (think Mac&Cheese and instant noodles). I gained back some weight and was back up to around 170lbs, then lost down to around 160lbs. Then, I met my husband at age 20, and that is when it got really bad! He was thin and could eat whatever he wanted. My weight just ballooned until I was my heaviest on my wedding day at 265lbs. Shortly after my wedding, I really started working at it again. I wanted to have children and knew that being so heavy was not healthy. For over 2 years I worked my butt off, losing just over 70 lbs and getting down to around 190lbs. Then I got pregnant and ended up 30 lbs heavier. And that is where I sat, at around 225lbs. Even after having another baby, my weight just stayed there and I gave up. I was exhausted from always having to work so hard for every pound lost and resided in the fact that I would be fat forever. I had looked into the band, but was a little unsure. I had thought about RNY, but it made me nervous, plus I was not big enough for it to be covered. Plus, I live in Canada, and the wait list to get it done even if I qualified was 10 years. Then, by chance, I was searching around on the internet and found a local company that was facilitating sleeve surgeries in Mexico. I talked to my husband about it, did some research, and knew it was what I wanted. We had to use our line of credit, but I got my surgery done on November 29th, 2010 and have never once regretted it. It took me 18 months, but I got to my goal and even dropped a few pounds below, and I maintained it easily for almost a year. Then a few months ago, I switched medications (I struggle with depression and was trying a different med). In 3 weeks I gained over 7lbs. I stopped taking the medication because the weight gain was worse for my mental health then not being on any medication at all. The weight gain stopped immediately, but it never came back off. Then I started reading all the posts on the Gonna Get to Goal thread and when Georgia started posting about 5:2, I knew it was something that I thought I might be able to do! And here I am! Another long post, but I find it therapeutic to lay it all out sometimes!!

I am addicted to the scale and have put it under my bed so far that I forgot where it was and when I really wanted to weigh myself for my weekly weigh in I had to climb under the bed. That caused me to notice how much I needed to dust. It's just not fair! Best of luck and don't worry about the slight weight gain. It will be gone in a few days as soon as that gas thing goes away.

weight gain is also a concern of mine after ridding the band.