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Depending on your insurance, you will have to do a 3 or 6 months supervised diet. My PCP followed me during mine. She said the diet wasn't so much for weight loss, but the insurance company is seeing whether you make the effort and keep your monthly appointments. The doctor who is doing my surgery (tomorrow!) did require that I lose any weight gained from my initial appointment with him. Meaning, when I had my first office visit on May 16th of last year, I weighed 242. I had my appointment to schedule surgery about 3 weeks ago and I weighed 248. I had to lose 6 pounds by today. I went to the office to weigh in today and weigh 240, so I am good to go! Good luck on your journey.....

I drank at 3 weeks post op. It was a week long work event that had nightly cocktails hours. And was otherwise very alcohol focused. I was really drinking just to fit in and to not draw attention to my WLS. i did not enjoy drinking. Which was very different from pre op! I felt no difference in the effect of the alcohol though. I never even got the slightest bit buzzed. After that week I have mostly swore off drinking because it caused a weight gain. That week I averaged 700 cals per day, including alcohol, and returned home to a 2 LB gain. That pissed me off, and made not drinking an easy decision. Since then I have had a couple of glasses of wine. One was forced upon me by my boss when we were out to dinner on my birthday. The other is when I was having a nice tapas style dinner w a friend that had an amazing wine by the glass menu. That was the first time I really wanted a drink. I had one, it tasted good, but not as good as before. These glasses of wine did not hit me harder than usual, in fact I didn’t feel any effect from them at all.

My BMI was 37 as well, and there is a three year weight list for people with higher BMI! (Varies from province to province). My doc says the Canadian medical assoc just came out with the position that WLS should be offered to individuals before they develop the co-morbidities that go along with obesity, if there is a history of weight gain, loss regain etc. I feel the same as you, I don't want to go down that path....good luck. My surgery is Monday, November 18.

The dark green BM is sometimes caused by drinking or eating things with red or blue food dye!! (Think artificially flavored grape things) As for the weight gain... You've done it before, you can do it again!! Start with the 5 day reset and do whatcha gotta do!!! Good luck!!!

Also throwing it out there, muscle cramps are very frequently caused by dehydration. Sodium levels play a big part in cramps. More so than potassium issues. Another thread we were discussing how a few sips of pickle juice helps with the dehydration and sodium deficiencies. It really works. And there is mounting evidence to support it. Like a shot glass full - not a lot. But rhabdo can have less shocking symptoms than tea or cola colored urine. Decreased urine output (oliguria), muscle soreness, stiffness (especially if you're not upping your workout and you're staying sore), fatigue, muscle stiffness, unintentional weight gain (likely edema) and joint pain. Treatment involves upping the fluids, but also adding sodium bicarbonate. Hospital it is given IV. Sodium bicarb is found in many antacids. It protects the kidneys from the byproducts of muscle breakdown that can damage them. Severe cases of rhabdo can cause acute renal failure. Nothing to play with. The combination of severe muscle trauma (including from workouts) with suboptimal hydration can cause rhabdo. A mild case can cause damage to the kidneys. Hydration is ssoooooo freakin' important! edit - Don't try to treat yourself if you suspect rhabdo. They are trying to flush the kidneys. But outside of a clinical setting you are risking Fluid overload if your kidneys start shutting down. You may not get the alarming symptoms until irreparable harm has been done to the kidneys. It only takes 60-90 minutes of decreased blood flow to the kidneys to end up on dialysis.

Thanks for the responses! I will definitely have to think about it - there are two Bariatric centers in my area (Ann Arbor, MI), The University of Michigan and a Barix Clinic in Ypsilanti. The U requires the six months in the last two years regardless of what insurance requires. I don't know much about the Barix clinic, but I will post something to see if anyone has gone there. I am still leaning towards a week or two of weight gain or slamming a gallon of water before weighing in.

I have BCBS IL and it is a 3 month process for me. One nutritionist appointment a month with no weight gain, a psych evaluation, lab work with an H. pylori test, documented 3 year weight history, and a letter of medical necessity from primary care doctor. If insurance approves after everything then my surgery date will be sometime in August/September.

Unfortunately the feeling of failing is very common. A lot of it comes from poor information from your surgeon & your team. I don’t understand why they don’t prepare people better on what to expect. It would greatly reduce a lot of the anxiety people experience after surgery. Makes me angry. So sorry your surgeon & team didn’t private you & don’t seem to be on your side through this. Ok, first. The heady amounts of weight you lose at the beginning doesn’t continue. The rate at which you lose will reduce as you get closer to goal & are eating more. Losing about 1-2lbs a week is pretty average by months 3 or 4. Some my lose more, others less. You will lose at your rate. Many factors affect the rate (age, starting weight, previous weight loss history, gender, etc.). Stalls (plateaus) happen. Think of them as your body taking a break to come to terms with the stress of the diet & weight loss. You may stall from 1-3 weeks at a time. Every pound you lose is a win. Sorry but eating one meal a day is ridiculous. How are you able to consume 60g of protein plus a variety of other nutrient sources in one meal? It’s physically impossible for you! No wonder you’re feeling hungry. You are hungry!!! Do you have a dietician/nutritionalist? Once eating solid foods the goal should be introducing healthy eating habits (when you eat, what you eat, why you eat) which is why we’re advised to eat 3 meals a day & some (like me) are encouraged to add snacks as we progress to ensure protein & other nutrient goals are being met. Your portion sizes will increase as you progress too. Eat slowly. Don’t be afraid to graze on a meal for 30+ minutes if necessary. It takes time for the message you’re full to get through. I still try to eat only until I’ve had enough. (Do I really need the next bite or just want it?) Keep protein the biggest part of any meal or snack & eat it first if possible. Having a small amount of whole or multi grain carbs is ok - I was allowed to eat rolled oats from the purée stage. I even could have any fruit from around months 3/4. I went to my dietician every two weeks but honestly, I worked most of my eating plan out myself - she just confirmed I was making sensible choices & suggested some alternatives. You have to work out a way of eating that works for you & while you’re losing is the perfect time to begin. Do lots of reading (avoid the fad stuff - they’re never sustainable), reflect on your eating habits (trigger foods, foods you crave, what drives you to eat, weight gain/loss history, etc.) & how your lifestyle may impact your eating plan in the future (you have to be able to maintain a weight you’re happy & healthy at while still being able enjoy your life). A too restrictive diet will fail because it will limit you enjoying your life. You will get where you want to be. Good luck.

Hi Christie, what you are experiencing is a bit common. I've seen many come through here mentioning weight gains right out of surgery. It is from your IV fluids mixed with the trauma of your surgery. Right now let your main concern be getting all your fluids in, getting plenty of rest and being sure to get up and walking every so often. If possible, try to stay off the scales for about a week. I'm sure by then the weight will have gone and then some. No need to stress yourself more when logically the weight is not particularly fat related. Hugs!!!

We need a scale with a mood-sensing self-preservation chip. When it senses anger at a weight gain it lowers the reading by 4 pounds.

i had gastric sleeve 10-4-17 yesterday. I was discharged today and gained 8 lbs! Is that normal? I am also having what I decribe as waves in my abdomen that can be relieved by standing up. Is that normal?

We don't know how many of us sleevers will have regrets or need some revision in the long term. I mentioned my 3 close relatives with lapbands all of whom are doing great. We also know several people who have done just fine. In fact, we counted 9 people off the tops of our heads and I'm the only one with complications. And my complication (hiatal hernia) can come back with the sleeve. I just figured if I was going to have a hiatal hernia anyway, I might as well have it with a WLS that will (hopefully) allow me to lose weight rather than a band that can't be adjusted and weight gain. I guess what I'm saying is I don't have strong feelings about one over the other BUT I would not base my opinion of the Cathlic religion on a forum for "ex" Cathlics if I wanted to learn about it. I would probably give the "exes" a viewing but wouldn't consider that the experience of the majority. Though thousands of lives are saved by seatbelts every year, you will have people who are against wearing them because they think there are a few cases where someone was "killed because of the seatbelt." The sleeve may be the very best surgery for you and by all means ask people with bad experiences and good with various WLS. But in the end, it's your body and your life and you have to make a decision that you can live with. I feel like I'm a bit of a pioneer with this surgery. I don't know what the future holds 5 years out. I certainly hope it's all good.

Hi Everyone - My husband and I are going to try to conceive soon. I'm curious as to how much weight those with a lap band gained during their pregnancy (or lost as I've heard that happens for some). Also, can you let me know if you had to have any Fluid taken out of your band? Thanks so much!

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

I have several reasons for choosing the Lap band over RNY or any other surgery. 1. I didn't want stinky poo like everyone I know who has had RNY or other weightloss surgeries. 2. I wanted a tool, not a quick fix. 3. Lap Band is safer! 4. It can be adjusted for my lifestyle (babies), weight gain etc. 5. Was available here in town, I wouldnt have to travel far for follow ups.

I was thinking the same thing, Matt. Not sure what was meant by not being comfortable with what the RNY entails... This morning I literally met a woman in the lobby of the hospital where I had my bypass who was there to meet with a bariatric surgeon to discuss getting a bypass. Apparently, her sleeve turned out to be nothing she had hoped it would be. Reflux, weight gain. She expressed regret (to me) that she didn't get the bypass from the beginning and was upset that her surgeon hadn't steered her in that direction. I know I'll always be grateful to my surgeon for persuading me to get the bypass even though I thought the sleeve was what I needed (based on what I had read at the time). This was before I joined this board. I doubt I would have ever considered the sleeve if I had joined several months prior.

Has anyone out there, 18 most or longer post-op, seen any weight gain. I was at 365, then 330 or so day of surgery, and got down to 226. Which my physician was about dead on with (my goal was 190, he laughed and said 225 was more realistic due to my bone density). I floated between 226 and 229 for about a year. Then as if like entering the next stage or something, I've begun gaining weight. 230, 235, 240, 245... So I begin a walking regiment. I do about 3-4 miles a time 5 times a week (3mph, 3.5 incline). I dropped to 241 within a couple weeks, but today I'm up to 244 again. I'll be honest, after 2.5 years post op, my biggest issue isn't that I feel hungry, it's that I never truly feel full compare to a year ago.

The sleeve is only a tool. You can eat and do whatever you want. A lot of people develop better eating habits post op because it is easier. The sleeve also isn't a magic bullet for weight loss. Calories in still equal weight gain. So what works for you now, may not always. I nibble at "forbidden foods" every once in a while, but I don't eat them on a daily basis. Too much is at risk: I love how I feel now and would cry if I gained. I'm 11 months and 162 lbs down.

Not sure if I have given this to you before or not, but Yahoo has a pretty good group of Dr. Provost patients. They would be better able to tell you specifics about what he requires. Usually, you are required to document weight loss attempts from the past (not sure over what period of time), programs used, what you lost, kept off for how long, etc. ( I was able to name Diet Center, Nutri System, Weight Watchers, Cambridge Diet, HerbalLife, Weight loss Clinics, Xenical) Names, dates, how long, results. Then, you have to provide a letter from a Psych stating that you understand this surgery and are committed to making the change in your eating habits that it will require. (I hand-picked my own, took him all kinds of hard copies explaining the band. We sat down and discussed it and my problems with weight gain and depression. He typed up his findings based on our conversation and sent both me and my doc a copy. ) The docs office usually puts you in touch with a Dietician. Some require only one 1 hr visit. Others require you have an ongoing relationship. This site might answer those questions for you upfront. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/banditsUTSW/ Can you tell I'm excited for you? lol.

I saw someone post once, "No one asked me the details about my weight gain or how I got there, so they don't need to know the details of my weight loss or how I'm getting there" LOL! For me only my immediate family know as well as 3 close friends.

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 would need more information in order to have an informed opinion. You've lost 120! great! how much more do you need to loose, what is your BMI? what is your goal? then there are the statistics. pesky little devils. the vast majority of everyone who looses weight gains it back. the surgery is a way of moving the odds more to your favor. for me that's a tipping point in favor of the surgery. wishing you all the best!

Hi all - My name is Shelly and in a few weeks, I will reach the 7 year mark since getting my lapband. My pre-op weight was 306 and my lowest weight was 165, which I reached about 5 years ago. About that time, I moved to another state and stopped having regular check-ins with my lapband doc. Naturally, I lost restriction and got lazy, which earned me about a 50 pound weight gain over the past 4-5 years. I recently re-connected by finding a new bariatric doc here and had a recent fill. I'm working on getting back to where I want to be and returning to following the rules and using my band as the tool it should be. In the 2 weeks since the fill, I've lost 5 pounds, s I'm beginning to feel hopeful again. I'm hoping that by joining this group, I will be able to re-capture some of the enthusiasm and motivation I had in the beginning. I've looked around the site and suppose I should feel fortunate that I have had no complications with my band whatsoever. I just learned over time how to defeat it and went back to old eating habits. Hopefully I can return to the successful behaviors I had before! Shelly

Ok, is this normal?? I gained 7.8 lbs while I was in the hospital. Surgery was Tuesday, I only had water, small container of apple juice and ice chips while I was in the hospital. Came home yesterday and took it easy only drinking water. Weighed myself this morning thinking I would have another large loss and I GAINED over seven pounds!! WTF Tell me this is normal??

Darcey - I'm really envious now - my best buds live outside Portland and a trip up there for a fill would be awesome. But feel I must return to Ortiz for the first - just to make sure all is right in bandland. Maybe this summer we could rendezvous during the blues festival and tighten up!!!! Good luck to you; give me an update after this fill and I'll cross my fingers that it's good for another 20. Jonathan, as to the soup thing - I think that's the culprit for my weight gain - well that and the elimination of Diet Coke. Good luck to you; if you begin gaining refer to these posts and wait it out patiently till fill #1. Marla