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I weigh myself once each morning when I get up. I record the weight. I use this to evaluate the effect of my diet on my continued weight loss. It is not a negative obsession. If my weight goes up or down, I do not panic. It just informs me that my current approach may need some fine tweeking. Weighing yourself daily can become negative if this obsession alters your mood. This habit can cause stress which can lead in-and-of-itself to some weight gain. If this is the case, avoid weighing yourself, throw the scale out and let them weigh you at your doctor appointments.

My thoughts are with you and your family. On getting back to weight loss, don't think the below as a weight loss diet because weight loss diets end. Then one returns to the 'normal' diet which results in weight gain. This is just the old habits reasserting. Get back on your post-op plan. Return to the good habits you learned during the early post-op months. Whatever you do now, it won't be fast weight loss, but if you are consistent you will get where you want to be. Then you need to continue on plan consistently for the rest of your life. If you're inclined increase your activity or even :gasp: exercise. Exercise is not my thing, but I am active(ish). Good luck, Tek

I know that I struggle with eating when not hungry from triggers and I thought I'd post this for others who are struggling with the same thing. This sleeve is a wonderful tool to help with portion control, but it's also our thoughts that can drag up back to weight gain. Here it is: By Michelle May, M.D. Our environment is loaded with triggers for eating when we're not really hungry and for continuing to eat past the point of satiety. Learning to recognize these triggers and respond in an effective manner is the key to thriving in our food-abundant environment. What is a trigger? Think about the word trigger for a moment… In behavioral terms, a trigger is anything that serves as a stimulus that initiates a reaction or series of reactions. This concept is analogous to a mechanical trigger, defined as a mechanism that activates a sequence. Thinking about a trigger in mechanical terms is helpful because it takes the emotion out of it for a moment. More importantly, it reminds us that a trigger has no effect on its own and must be activated in some way. Similarly, your triggers for overeating are powerless over you—until you choose to act on them. Dismantle the machine When faced with one of your triggers, instead of automatically eating, use the following mindful eating concepts to FEAST instead (excerpt from Chapter 3 of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat): Focus – Whenever you want to eat or continue to eat, that is your trigger to pause and ask, Am I hungry? or Am I still hungry? In essence, you are creating a new trigger for yourself - wanting to eat now triggers you to pause and check in. This pause creates a gap between the stimulus and response, allowing you to respond instead of react. Explore – If you're not hungry, get curious. I wonder why I want to eat right now even though I'm not hungry. What was the trigger? Accept – Don't judge yourself; you wouldn't judge a machine for having a switch. Instead, say: Hmmmm, isn't that interesting? Strategize – Choose how you’ll respond: I could eat anyway if I want to. For now, I am not going to activate this particular sequence of events. Let's see...what else could I do until I'm hungry? Take Action – Each time you choose not to pull the trigger, you weaken its connection. It's as if the wires rust and eventually break. Further, each time you choose a different action, you create new connections. With practice, you’ll hardwire these new pathways—like insulating the wiring. Michelle May, M.D. is the founder of the Am I Hungry?® Mindful Eating Workshops and Facilitator Training Program (hyperlink to http://amihungry.com/) that helps individuals learn to break free from mindless and emotional eating. She is the author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle. (Download chapter one free.) what do you guys think about this?

Oh My yes, I lost most of my weight in 2007 - 2009 and then regain weight back to 250 by January 1, 2013. Came back to the Lap Band Board and had a fill and have lost about 35 pounds since January. I have no regrets at all, Any weight gained has been totally on me cannot not blame the band. Welcome Back.

I was just banded on 12/13 and I saw my Dr. today for a follow up a week early due to the holiday and her taking time off. I will answer the ones that I can 1. How difficult did you find the pre-op diet? I did not have a week liquid diet, I had to loose 8% before surgery. I gained some back and my Dr. let me have surgery even though she usually does not allow that. She has cancled surgery before for weight gain. I had one day of clear liquid and that was a bit tough at times. I would suggest getting protien shakes or other foods that are filling and drink lots of water. Can they give you a diet pill for that week. I was prescribed something preop to loose the weight. I will get the name for you. 2. I have had 3 cesareans and my gallbladder laproscopically removed. Does anyone know how the pain and/or recovery is in comparison? I had my gallbladder removed and was prepaired for the same pain, but it was so much easier. I did sleep on the couch for a while but that was because I was afraid I would roll over on my stomach as that is how I usually sleep and did not want to due to my swelling and bruising. I had a bit more swelling and bruising my Dr. said than she normally see's because my body was being difficult and not letting the band and port in through the incision. Not normal. 3. Now this is one I really haven't seen at all and am a bit shy to ask, but it's better to ask now then end up in the ER. How soon can one umm hmmm be intimate and are you limited in well you know <WHISPERS>positions? My Dr gave me a binder at the hospital and this is one of the items addressed. She said as soon as a person feels up to it. I was taken off birth control and so I am going to be a bit careful. No ooppss for me : ) I can not answer the rest but having just done this a week ago, I would do it again in a heart beat. I lost 9 lbs my first week and I was drinking lots of empty calories (apple juice, orange juice) that I am now cutting down on so I can maximize my weight loss. I do not feel any restriction and my Dr. said to just keep with the post op diet and I will get filled in Jan. I drank a lot of soda and that is hard to give up. I drank it up to the day of surgery. If I could go back I would have stopped before that because that is hard now. I know I can not have soda, but I am only on liquids so it is a huge adjuestment.

I mean really...a little searching of the site and I am sure you will find your answer! So please bare with me, while I break my own rule. Hey..I looked but this is a HUGE site...lol1. How difficult did you find the pre-op diet? I keep thinking I can't possibly do a liquid diet for a week.2. I have had 3 cesareans and my gallbladder laproscopically removed. Does anyone know how the pain and/or recovery is in comparison?3. Now this is one I really haven't seen at all and am a bit shy to ask, but it's better to ask now then end up in the ER. How soon can one umm hmmm be intimate and are you limited in well you know <whispers> positions?4. After going on solids, is there a weight gain? I plan on eating only healthy (low carbs) on the liquid and solid stages and fear that once I go on solids I may actually gain weight. Should I jus eat whatever I can tolerate on liquids and solids and worry about losing the weight and low carbing after I go on solids?5. What is the longest a person went without any fills (after surgury) and STILL lost weight?6. For some reason it is very easy for me to lose 40lbs (after each of my 3 pregnancies I have lost all of my pregnacy weight which has been 40-45lbs within 2 weeks after delivery AND each time I have done Atkins I have lost 40lbs and then I stall). Do people stall on this and if they do and it has nothing to do with the restriction, how can you tweak your program to break the stall? Or is it a matter of just being patient and waiting it out? That has always been my downfall with Atkins, I would get discouarged and just start eating the foods I liked again because I figured I wasn't losing anyway.I'm sorry if you guys get tired of the same ole questions. At least I was specific and didn't just come on here and say can someone tell me about lapband...lolThanks in advance

OK.. so I just found this site and I think this might be a good thing for me. Its been a wild couple of years for me. I got a virus in my heart and wound up with a cardiac defibrillator. I was off work for 6 months in total. My blood pressure was giving me grief, way too low, then it would spike.. so my cardiologist did some investigations and discovered I had an adrenal tumour. It was secreting way too much adrenalin. So I had a Lap Adrenalectomy. No one told me that a side effect would be a weight gain. Yeah, I am older---55, so I anticipated that losing weight was not going to be fun.. but I was shocked at how much weight and how fast I gained it. Earlier this year, I was the heaviest I had ever been..310 . Life was really weighing down on me... unhappy marriage, unhappy with myself.. I started thinking about a sleeve.. One of the surgeons ( did I tell you I am an OR nurse?), so one of the surgeons who does WLS did a presentation for the local OR nursing group. It was a life changer for me. He doesn't do everyone who asks for it. You have got to really commit! His criteria? Lose 10% of your body weight. Keep a journal of your food, exercise, water. My cardiologist put me onto Fitness Pal... what a great site. I even went to Australia for a month and did not gain weight! Came home, kicked my husband out ( cheater) and got busy. I had an appointment to see my surgeon at the end of July. OK!! Since then I have lost 25 pounds.. down to 285. I am really excited to have the LSG done. And excited to find this site to help me along the way!!

Honestly, there are a lot of misconceptions over just how much control and influence we have over weight loss (or weight gain). When 1200 calories is a BIG day, like Tiffykins says, you're still going to lose weight or maintain. Consider that pre-op, most of us probably had NO IDEA how much food we consumed... but thumbnail guesses on my part, looking at portion sizes, what I ate, and how frequently I ate, would be that an AVERAGE day pre-op was around 3000 calories. So think about it again -- you've gone from 3000 calories (if you were like me -- and while I was obese, I wasn't even one of the true giants) a day to less than half of that on a "cheat" day. How could you NOT lose weight? Also, the plateaus and stalls are more due to the body's own homeostatic mechanisms -- trying to maintain blood sugar levels and so on -- than our actions. That's why you can literally do everything right and still stall for a week or two, and then stop exercising, start eating more (and worse) -- and then suddenly the stall breaks. Being human, we want to assume it was "something we did" that changed things, but considering the calorie margins involved (going from "good" to "bad" means MAYBE a 300-400 calorie/day change... maybe), it's far more likely that our body just finally "gave up the ghost" on hanging on to that bit of flab, and changed our homeostasis (blood chemistry/hormone balances) so that we started losing again. In short, the great thing about the sleeve is that as long as you "mostly" do the right things you know you're supposed to do -- avoid too many sweets/starchy white flour products, eat lots of good fruits, vegetables, meat, and whole grains, get in some kind of regular exercise, and drink lots of Water -- you're just about guaranteed to lose a lot of weight, if you're patient. It's not really under your control once you get on this roller coaster, so sit back and enjoy the (weight loss) ride!

I'm ashamed to admit that I cheated. I was supposed to eat 1400 calories or less daily for the two week time period before surgery. I struggled terribly for a few days and went over my calorie limit with healthy foods. I did a lot of extra exercise then and with that considered, I was likely under my calorie limit, but I still felt guilty. I ended up telling the nurse who called me a few days before surgery. She told me not to mention it unless it came up. However, I felt the need to be honest, so I told my surgeon the day of surgery. I could tell by his body language that he was not pleased. Prior to this, during our small group pre-op meeting, his NP had warned us about gaining weight before surgery, saying that our surgeon had cancelled surgeries that week due to weight gain. According to my scales, I had lost 40+ pounds since I last saw my surgeon in January, so I pointed out to him that I had been working really hard to lose weight since I last saw him and explained that I didn't know what had happened to me on those days of the pre-op diet. He listened to everything I said, then asked how much weight I had lost. (The nurse who prepared me for surgery that morning had told me that my weight was not required on the day of surgery, so he truly didn't know.) I answered him while he wrote notes in my file. He is a man of few words, so that was the extent of our conversation. The next thing I knew, he told me we would be headed to surgery as soon as they had me ready. Right then, I felt like a horrible failure; he didn't say or do anything to make me feel that way but rather I chose not to follow his instructions and felt ashamed. Try your hardest not to cheat so that you can be proud of your pre-op diet efforts.

My clinic told me. I worked with my pcp on the DASH diet, it is helpful for blood pressure but wouldn't necessarily make me gain weight. Think south beach with no salt (grain rice, grain Pasta, fish/chicken). My weight gain is also heavily from rx meds. So it's impossible to get off without serious intervention ie surgery.

Getting old sucks! I have had a radiotherapy induced menopause at age 43 2 years ago and started HRT a bit over 12 months ago due to horrible symptoms of hot flashes, insomnia and anxiety and depression. In the last year, whilst I've recovered well from rectal cancer I feel my health has steadily declined in a non specific way. The worst thing I've noticed though is my rear end and thighs have balooned and I'm certain its the HRT. A recent CT scan also picked up that a fibroid (we think) in my uterus has grown very quickly over the past 12 months. I've also had horrible heartburn and stomach pain and have been depressed to be on regular Nexium. As well, I dont think the HRT has done all that much for my mood (or libido). I had a tummy tuck back in march and it seems like this normal menopausal weight gain now cant go on the tummy and I'm really really unhappy with my shape now, I'm very very pearshaped, even though I'm still slim. All I can say is thank god I was virtually skeletal after cancer treatment since the 20lb that has come out of nowhere has just brought me back to a BMI of 22 or so but its ALL in my rear end! I really need to shift 5kgs, I'm a fine boned build and 154lb is just too heavy for my 5ft 10. I've also noticed my athletic ability decline sharply. I cant run as far as I want to or could and dont recover. I've taken up strength training due to bone density issues and it wipes me out completely. I'm not used to being this weak! It really sucks. I've not taken my HRT for the past few days and wonder of wonders, I've not needed Nexium either. I wonder if I stop will the fibroid shrink (thus avoiding a hysterectomy) and will my ass do likewise? Or will I just become an axe weilding homicidal maniac again?

I was started on zoloft prior to surgery, I didn't notice any weight gain then. I've continued on it since surgery and to my knowledge it has not had any effect on that aspect of things.

I've been taking Zoloft for over a year and didn't notice any weight gain. I took Prozac before Zoloft and it caused hair loss. I love my Zoloft and how much better I feel mentally. I believe everyone's body reacts differently to anti-depressants. You'll have to figure out what works for you. They have been a life saver for me. 🙂

Do NOT give up on yourself. You are not a failure!! You stated you have an anxiety disorder and with surgery approaching, the stress can cause lots of things to happen. Including weight gain. Try to keep your head up high and talk it over with your surgeon, pcp and therapist.

A lot of people are anti-artificial sweeteners because they are "chemicals" and therefore must be "bad". Well, a banana is made up of chemicals. Everything on earth is made up of chemical elements. Also, arsenic is "natural". Doesn't make it good for you. There were a few small studies at one point that looked like they suggested what Dr. Weiner states in his video (that artificial sweeteners lead to weight gain, by one mechanism or another). However, that does not seem to be the case based on better, newer, larger studies. I think for some people, eating artificial sugar can make them "crave" real sugar, but I find I have the opposite reaction. I add some artificially sweetened flavor packets to my water (I actually dilute them more than instructed) and that satisfies my sweet tooth. I do find that if I have real sugar (other than fruit) or even bread, I crave sugar. Personally, I don't like stevia. It doesn't have the sharp, clean sugar taste that other sweeteners have. It just tastes metallic and flat to me, so all those fake ice creams are icky. But any other fake sugar is a-okay in my book. I know some people have tummy troubles from certain ones, so they should definitely not use that one, but I don't seem to have issues.

Thanks everyone for your replies. Reverie: I am in therapy. My therapist is working on helping me to change the way I think. Some days it works, some days it doesn't. They put me on a very intense high Protein low carb diet. I did it for 1 week, lost 6 pounds and I was very excited then something happened that made me lose my motivation and I gained it back. I have a condition that is causing swallowing issues and I'm having a esophageal manometry tomorrow to see if I will even be able to get a lapband. I gues since it's so out of reach, it's just making me feel less enthusiastic about even trying. If I was counting calories and excercising, I probably wouldn't have posted.lol I could set here and make alot of excuses, I do have some valid reasons but I really just wanted to get support and possibly hear there was someone else out there that knew what I was going through and could shed some light. I know what I need to do, I think this is a mental issue but I'm not sure what it is but would like to figure it out. I'm waiting for the day I wake up and have gained control. cwm812: It sounds very familiar! I'm going through the exact same thing you did. It's good to know your doctor had faith in you and were able to get the surgery anyway. I hope my doctor feels that way about me, I have been very worried. He doesn't know about my weight gain yet, but will see me tomorrow for my procedure..makes me a little nervous. mattie7632: That's a good point you made. I hope I have the same successes you have if I get banded...maybe when I hear that I actually get to have it that will change the way I think? I don't know if it's a deeper issue or not. 54Shirley: I've suffered from depression and anxiety for a long time. I do think that it has alot to do with the reason I lose motivation so quickly. I'm so scared I'll do the same thing if I get banded. In a way the 6 mth diet is a 2 edged sword. On one side it's the waiting game that makes me anxious and unmotivated, the other side is giving me time to get my mind in the right place which is apparently something I need. Thank you, I'll check out that post. crecia1975: I know you are so right. I'm going to have to just face my demons and get working. Maybe I need a life coach or someone to keep me focused. I'm sorry you gained and went through what you did but it's good to know I'm not alone.

I gained weight in the 6 months prior to surgery. It scared because I thought "If I can't control this now, how will I be able to control myself after I'm banded?" I reached an all time high of 285 lbs before my surgery on 10/12/10 and now I'm down 65 lbs. So the pre surgery weight gain did not doom me to failure, but it did put me farther away from my ultimate goal. Don't think of the 6 month wait as a bad thing. Think of it as time to get you mind together before you take the big plunge. It can also be a time to work on some things like slowing down your eating or taking smaller bites. The six months will pass before you know it and I'm actually glad I had that time to get some things in order. Good luck to you!

I recently got a tattoo on my arm (a beautiful lady, nothing gangster or scary) and my mom freaked out! I am 30years old, have my masters and am a successful professional and my mother won't talk to me. She cursed me out, cried and said very mean things because of this tattoo (which can be covered by my sleeve). My dad was not happy about the tattoo but said he will love me no matter what. I explained to my dad that I have never liked my body enough to show it off and I finally feel confident to display art that I want. I waited until I was ready. My dad understands. This all triggered me as my mom's history as a parent. Everything was about how I looked and how others perceived us. My sister was skinny and had boyfriends and I was overweight. I have been trying to lose weight all my life and she supports me but when I was younger she would point to morbidly obese people in scooters and say I would become them if I didn't stop gaining weight. Then she would buy me fast food because she didn't want to cook. I'm not upset about the tattoo, I respect that she needs time to accept it, but I am feeling like the child she would constantly remind of how important my looks are and that makes me very upset. I have been upset for days. The good thing is my dad and siblings are very supportive and my boyfriend has always made me feel beautiful with my weight gain, weight loss, tattoos, no tattoos... I finally am proud of all of me and my mom feels I ruined our relationship. I'm shocked.

Weight gain. I was 345lb day of surgery. Six months later was pregnant. Six months later had a baby girl. Abbey. She turns 8 march 29th. Then a year later had a son. Yes surgery for me was weight as well as the gift to a family. Now I am back up by 90pounds. Scared. Any thoughts.

Hello everyone! I am super new to this and just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Tricia, and I am a 37 year old mother of 2. My son is out of the house now and about to give my a grandbaby in October! My daughter is a teenager and very supportive of me. I smoke, which is something everyone wants me to give up...but what about the weight gain? Maybe the band will help me with that also. Has anyone else given up smoking after the band? I am very excited about going to see Dr. Spivak on Wednesday. I am also very nervous. I know I am ready for this, but if one more person asks me "Are you really sure you want to go through with it?" I think I will scream. Of course I am ready. I have been overweight since I was in high school well really junior high but very overweight since high school. I am 5'3" tall so 10 pounds looks like 50. I am so tired of looking in the mirror and being disgusted at what I see looking back. I am normally an upbeat person, but I am miserable when it comes to my body. I really hope they approve me for surgery. The only other stomach surgeries I have had are my two babies by c-section. I totaled my BMI and it was 38. I've heard it has to be 40, but on one of the websites I went to it said I was a candidate.(I guess because I'm short!?) Anyway, I feel like if they won't do it because I'm not at 40 I will just cry...fall into a deep depression and eat my way to 40. Not that I want to, but I'm afraid that is what would happen. I want this so bad! Not just to be able to look in the mirror and be happy, but to be healthy for myself and my family. I want to be able to walk normal again, without swelling and pain. I had reconstructive surgery on my ankle about 5 years ago and fusion in 2004. I feel that the more weight I can take off my weak ankle, the more active I can be. One more thing before I go. I have been doing alot of research on doctors close to me. A friend of mine used Dr Spiegel and loves him. I'm sure I would feel the same way, but I have chosen to go with Dr. Spivak. I could not handle the office staff of Dr. Spiegel. After my first emergency surgery on my ankle, I LOVED my doctor. BUT...The office staff there was so rude and uncaring that I would cry on the drive to his office. People need to understand that we are going through a major life change and a little smile goes a long way with some. Sorry this was so long. Good luck to everyone! Love and Laughter, Tricia:nervous

Hm, I had my first surgery in 2001. I don't know though if my weight would be different if I didn't have these intolerances and complications. If you maintained for 10 years - do you have any idea what caused the weight gain? Like having a new job and being less active or entering retirement or something like this?

I take small bites too. I don't have any issues with overeating; I'm just not making the best choices regarding WHAT I eat. Even if I eat bread, I can only take a few bites but I shouldn't be eating bread in the first place. While it may not be a huge issue now, I'm afraid it will lead to weight gain in the future when I am able to take more than a few bites.

Has anyone used Syntec birth control pill? I am trying to decide which method will be best cause I do not want to gain weight. My doctor's opinion is just whatever I what to use she is ok with it. Any suggestions on pills or other devices that have worked without weight gain would be appreciated.

ummmm...i dont think that 20 lbs in 8 months is bad at all. I lost only 17 lbs the first year and a half. i started out at 218. i just kept reminding myself that if i keep following the rules of the band, i will eventually see the results. Finally, after all those long, long months, the scales started moving. I lost 25 lbs the next year, and today, i have lost 63 lbs, and I have 20 to goal. I think it is wayyyy too early to call yourself a failure. You need to give yourself and your body more time to work. Just a note...my weight loss has stalled at all of the same points where my weight GAIN stalled as i was getting bigger. My first weight jump was in my late teens/early 20's when i went from 115-145, my second was in my mid 20's when i went to 160's, then in my late thirties, i went to 200, then after i turned 30, 210's. I have plateau'd at 200, then i suddenly lost rapidly to 160's. i have stalled at 155. i am betting when i suddenly start losing again, i will plateau at 140-145, then i will lose to goal. did that make sense? did you spend a lot of time at your current weight at some time in your life?

I thought i would start this thread. For the past two weeks I have been having body 'issues'. Some good and some downright scary! As I said in a previous post, I am using my chin as a sign of my losing weight, my kirk douglas dimple is back. (It think its been nearly 5 years since I saw it!) So that gives me a reason to smile at my image in the mirror every morning. It's feeling as I am starting to fit into the slim image I had always seen in the mirror, even at my heaviest. It was the most frustrating thing, knowing my body was a blob and yet in the mirror i fooled myself into a morphic body change. Not healthy at all. So I get to smile morning and night. Another positive is that when I walk now, I feel lighter, I have extremely sensitve joints, and the concept of walking quickly was an impossibility, until now. I'm not super quick but my joints feel so much freer, no longewr weighed down with the weight. Sadly the pain is still there but it is far more bearable! Now for the downers. Every diet I ever did never took the fat off my breasts. I was fairly confident that I would keep the cup size c, which grew during my weight gain. Tragedy has happened! My breasts are disappearing! I only noticed that this week. I am starting to see my collar bone. But Ia m losing my breasts. It's stupid. I have never had huge bazoomers but I had loved my slightly more voluptious breasts. I shall have to get used to it I guess. But, seeing my breasts disappearing I am worried what else is going to happen to my body. Can I really cope with the concept of having a new body? It is all well and good taking the weight off for all the health reasons. The more I lose the weight be it inches on bust or lbs the better my body feels. But, my subconcious is not so comfortable with the changes happening. I am running a bit before I can walk but I have always seen myself as a size 14 but what if I go smaller? What would that be like? Could I cope? Part of me wants to go down into the little league, every woman does in someways. The reality though is a different matter! Does anyone else feel like this?