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Barirum swallow have been done twice. Everything is normal and in place...I don't have acid reflux now, since I had an unfill... By the way acid reflux is a side effect of the lapband....after a couple years of having the band, acid reflux is the number one side effect...and weight gain happens when to much is taken out of the band... So I don't see what is so abnormal!!! I see my doctor on a regular bases..

I weigh myself every day as well! I don't want to be fanatic about it, but honestly weighing every day keeps me vigilant to weight gain before it becomes seriously out of control. I fluctuate by 3 lbs. any more then that and I get back on the wagon. My problem is that I just can't seem to lose any more weight and I am not yet at goal. It's like now that I have gotten to a weight that I am comfortable with I have lost my willpower to continue with my weight loss plan. Grrrrrr. This is typical for me, no matter what diet plan I have tried. I self sabotage myself!!! I will be at my 1 year surgiversary June 17th. I still have 15 lbs to go to meet my 1 year goal.????

I started my journey December of 2011. I am currently 5'5 and 242 pounds. I was feeling even more joint pain for months by then and had gained about 50 pounds. The shortness of breath and back pain were the most bothersome, besides the weight gain itself. I have always been a yo-yoer, but to be at a weight that I have NEVER been at, even when I was 9 months pregnant (which was roughly 230), was a major blow. I had a stroke of thought for WLS and began my research to see if I could be covered for the procedure by my insurance company and then proceed from there. I fit all of the criteria to be covered, so I found a great doctor and continued. I went to my psych appt and the seminar the same day, as I was and still am quite sure about having the WLS. I am scheduled now for my first consult on 12/28/11 and I am excited. The office is so helpful and they are rushing to submit the paperwork before the end of the year so I can schedule surgery sooner. I find myself already looking at food differently. Like, "I wont be eating THAT for a while" lol While I am not using that as an excuse to eat nothing but junk, I cant help but view food as I will after surgery, which I think is great that I am already in WLS mode. I think I am going to be able to handle the changes well, but that doesnt mean I know I will still have struggles and questions. I find that I am anxious and even a little impatient to get ahead in journey. I am hoping that the consult goes well and that the insurance approves the surgery and I hope that I will be able to have a surgery date set up...the sooner the better for me! It gives me hope that this new year of 2012 will be full of great things...manageable joint pain, being able to exercise again, weight loss, and a boost in my self esteem are just a few. I am also praying that all goes well, and that I havent gotten my hopes up just to be denied the surgery. I think that insurance companies should be more self aware of how others struggle instead of just the bottom line for their employers. I wish all the sleevers and would-be sleevers "Good Luck!!" and I hope to be joined the bench soon!

Yeah, you are a complete light weight after banding. I can't remember how long I waited but it was probably at least a month, maybe longer. I used to LOVE beer - probably part of the reason for the weight gain. I can drink it a little now, but have to let it sit for a bit to settle carbonation otherwise it makes me feel horrible. Generally I stick with wine or mixers now but I rarerly drink anymore.

I am currently on my last month seeing my nutritionist for the 3 month program required by Aetna for WLS. So far all together I have gained 4lbs over the two months I have been seeing her and have yet to lose any.( I started at 391.6 my last WI was 395.6). I explained to my nutritionist that I was experiencing Water retention thus the reason for my weight gain. I struggle with PCOS which I've learned also makes it hard for me to lose weight. Last week I also found out that I may have ovarian cancer which my GYNO says is due to my size. I am currently 26 and on my parents medical plan which will end for me in 2015 so this is my last shot. If I don't get this surgery this year I will not have the opportunity again. I have seen different stories of people being denied due to gaining weight. Can anyone shed some light on this please? If I lose weight this month will I still be approved although I gained weight the first two months? TIA

I had my appointment today and dr said according to the Upper GI the band looks good. Too bad it doesn't feel so great to me!! I am still having the nausea, though not as horrible as before....still have the weird pain on the left side. She asked me "so are you pretty much done with the band?" My response was YES! She asked if I wanted all the fluid removed today...I said NO, it's not too restricted right now, I have been much tighter before. I obviously don't want to remove it all and wait for them "to build their case for insurance"! Honestly, what's a little more vomitting here and there for another month??!! I once again explained that I know my water retention plays a huge roll in the restriction and inconsistancies. If I don't take my HCTZ until later on in the day, I can forget about trying to eat a "normal" meal (normal according to band) I don't think she believes me on this one!! Like I stated before, I really think this dr thinks that I am just telling her these things because I want the sleeve, which is far from the case. I really like this doc but when I feel like she's not taking me seriously it really pisses me off! So the "plan of action" if you can call it that is for me to meet with a dietician (that right there tells me she thinks the weight gain is my fault) which she is right to a point, because any bandster who has struggled with being too tight knows you find what works and eat that! It's not my fault raw veggies, fruits, & Salad dont work for me! After meeting with the dietician I will then meet with dr. I did ask what exactly medically necessary mean and her response was that they need something concrete that the band isn't working. it just blows my mind that constantly vomitting and nausea etc isn't concrete enough. Not to mention previous slips and dilations that weren't diagnosed by xray. I understand they are helping me by building a case and I spose' they know more about insurance than I do but it would be nice if the dr would say I AGREE with you, you should get the sleeve, but she doesn't seem to be on my side on this one! sooooo frustrating!

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

After being denied the first time, TRS Active Care/BCBS approved me after my surgeon's office sent an appeal coupled with a letter from my family doctor stating that the band was medically necessary because of my diabetes and after many tried and failed attempts at weight loss programs. She also used the words morbidly obese more times than I ever wanted to see! At any rate, I just found out yesterday that the appeal was approved, so I haven't scheduled a date yet. In fact, I don't even think my surgeon's office knows it has been approved as I called BCBS late yesterday afternoon. They submitted the appeal on the 17th and I was approved yesterday! That's pretty quick, in my opinion. I am hoping to schedule my surgery for spring break as I am a teacher. Having that week off to get back on my feet should be enough. I'm just ecstatic to begin my journey. I am only 26 years old, and I have been diabetic for over year. After the diagnosis, I lost 33 lbs. on Weight Watchers but didn't maintain it because I was always hungry. I got sick of the deprivation. As a result of the weight gain, I now have hypertension to add to the list. I weigh 250 lbs. My surgeon thinks that I am the perfect candidate for the surgery. I know this isn't a magic bullet as I have done research and have two friends who have been banned; however, I think it is my best shot at a healthy lifestyle. :tongue_smilie:

i agree with this completely. My weight gain has never been because I've over ate food or ate junk food. I just never ate. You would think you would be skinny, no. I gained and gained. I work as a school nurse so am off in summers, in hot weather, I don't eat. Thus, I would eat one meal a day, at supper. That's it. I can't do that. I have a hard boiled egg, an Atkins Protein Bar or a protein shake every morning. And sometimes it's a struggle to get them down, cause I have no appetite or hunger, but i know the importance of getting that in.

Okay, so I'm getting banded June 6th! Oh I was so excited when I was scheduled! But here's the deal. It's like the closer I get to the surgery date the more scared I am! It's kinda like what I would imagine an alcoholic or drug addict might go through before being admitted to a rehabilitation center. Food has been my comfort now forever!!!! I eat when I'm sad, happy, celebrating, depressed, hungry, bored....the list goes on....I EAT!!! Now I'm scared about my life after surgery. I'm a lower BMI candidate but I'm also 45 and I am definitely headed to more and more weight gain. I'm a RN by trade and I know when people begin to talk about their experiences (i.e., surgeries, child birth etc) the vast majority tend to make them sound more and more horrible. As I'm reading this board I have to say MANY sound tremendously unhappy and miserable with the band and yet when there was a poll over 90% would do it again. SO QUESTION? If I give this my all.....exercising, chewing, chewing, chewing, small and wise portions, never eating in a hurry(barring complications of course....).....are chances being that I will be glad I got this band?

Congrats on your pregnancy! I had a band baby back in 2011, and he is now a 30lbs, happy healthy 15 month old boy. I want to be honest with you, because I know that is what you're looking for as well as support, that type of weight gain this early on in your pregnancy is a little much. The time where you should be gaining more weight is at the end of your 2nd trimester beginning your 3rd. I had to have most of my Fluid removed around the same time you did in my pregnancy, because I felt "stuck" every time I ate and I ended up losing 10lbs in my 1st trimester. After my band was loosened I started eating more until I found I had gained back 52lbs. There is nothing wrong with fulfilling your cravings, but do it in the same manner you would with your band. And if you excercsie regularly now, you can keep it up! I do want to say that its great that you did identify that you felt something was wrong with your band and how you felt, I do know a few people who didnt and really ended up making themselves quite sick for half of their pregnancies. Good luck to you and I wish you a happy, healthy pregnancy!!!

Look into the health issues caused by most artificial sweeteners, including weight gain and insulin response. Organic stevia seems to be the safest out there. Sweet and lo, Equal and Splenda have been linked to cancer, parkinson's, alzheimer's, dementia, and lots of auto-immune disorders. I feel we should avoid the chemicals because we want to lose weight and be healthy too - not trade obesity for some other horrible disease. It's so hard to avoid the chemicals in low sugar "diet" pre-packaged items, like Protein bars. I do eat them when I need protein, but try not to have the chemicals in coffee, diet drinks, and processed stuff. I found a Protein powder (Jay Robb egg protein) that was approved by my NUT because I have a dairy and soy allergy. It is sweetened with stevia. Good luck to you!

How many times have I heard this. Everyone with the band is not going to lose weight at a high rate of speed. To me a loss is a loss whether it be a pound or an ounce. Many factors play in to weight loss and they are consuming less calories then you burn, getting 8 or more hours of sleep, moving your bowels regularly, eating high protein meals with good carbs such as vegetables and fruit and moving. Actually wheat products such as wheat breads and pastas have been proven to be no better then white bread and pastas and may even cause more weight gain. Yes, gluten is a real problem. But the problem is not just gluten. In fact, there are three major hidden reasons that wheat products, not just gluten (along with sugar in all its forms) is a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, depression and so many other modern ills. How Wheat -- and Gluten -- Trigger Weight Gain, Prediabetes, Diabetes and More This new modern wheat may look like wheat, but it is different in three important ways that all drive obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia and more. It contains a Super Starch -- amylopectin A that is super fattening. It contains a form of Super Gluten that is super-inflammatory. It contains forms of a Super Drug that is super-addictive and makes you crave and eat more. So if you have changed over to wheat products and are not losing this may be why. It really isn't wheat anymore but a bunch of fillers so that may impeade your weight loss. There are many reasons why you may not be losing as much as others, but I say keep doing what you are doing and eventually you will get to goal. It can take two years to lose 100lbs that is not uncommon. Yes you want it off now because you had surgery but the slower the better and if you lose weight slowly you will be more apt to keep it off long term.

Every week (thanks to my wonderful husband) I go get a massage. It helps my stress, helps me unwind and believe it or not has helped with water weight loss. So you're thinking it's only water weight, well yes it is only water weight but weight is weight. The first day I ever got a massage, I seriously think I peed a river and that is no lie. The next morning I was 5lbs less. I thought maybe this was just something crazy I was imagining but the next time I got a massage the same thing happened. I started researching about massage and weight loss and asked my massage therapist and doctor the same thing "how does massage help with weight loss"? Metabolism is the furnace that keeps your engine running. After a certain age your metabolism can slow down. This sometimes results in weight gain. Regular massage sessions can boost your metabolic rate–jolting it to burn fat faster and help utilize your food intake turning it to energy rather than fat. If you are young, then massage can maintain your fast moving metabolism before it gets sluggish. This does not mean that you do not have to watch your diet but that a combination of healthy food, daily exercise and a weekly massage can be an excellent recipe for losing weight. So now not only is my massage helping me to feel better but its helping me with my weight loss journey also. I got a membership at massage envy which only cost me 39 a week to get a massage so I am helping myself and it helps me to feel great. Most of my pain is gone and I feel wonderful. You owe it to yourself to be your best and to feel your best. Do what makes you happy. But definitely massage has been a wonderful adventure for me.

You know, I always feel like the odd one out when it comes to eating & these kinds of threads here. My problem never was overeating/being addicted to food or anything like that. Growing up, I was around a mom who barely ate, an older sister & younger brother who depended on fast food (they are sticks and can eat a houses worth of food daily) and a dad who was always gone at work. I ended up picking up my moms eating habits, because fast food always has completely grossed me out in every way possible, and I was too young to really make my own food when it started. It took my doctors a good 5 years of constantly running blood tests and me pretty much living in my hospitals lab work area to figure out what was wrong with me. But as soon as they realized that my weight came on from massively under eating, they were constantly trying to push me into nutritionists and getting me to eat what I should be. My biggest issues with nutritionists is that the amount of food they want me to eat, is way too much for me. I could not keep up with her meal plans without physically getting sick, by the amount of it. My weight gain came from the fact that I never ate enough. It didn't matter how active I was growing up, because anything I did eat, my body grabbed on to. It wasn't until I was 18 that I fully understood that myself, when my doctors started telling me how worried they were because it was seemingly impossible for me to lose weight until I started eating more. I have always eaten healthy, always. I can't stand sugar, candy, cake, ice cream, most Desserts, or anything like that. I don't do chips, or excessive amounts of cheese. I was the healthiest person in my family in terms of eating, and yet I was the only one with the weight issue. Early 2012 I continued with my healthy eating, but added more vegetables/etc to my meals, and then by the time my lap band surgery came around, I was eating enough for the weight to start coming off with my exercising schedules. I've been slower than most here with the weight loss (two years - 112 pounds), but my doctors are constantly reminding me that it's harder for me to lose weight because mine didn't come from overeating. TL;DR: I've been programmed to eat healthy, so I've had no will power issues at all. My main thing is just making sure I do get my three meals a day in, just to continue with the weight loss.

All you need to do is look in the mirror and be honest. You'll know if the weight gain is mostly muscle or fat. As far as what you told your doc, what you REALLY meant was that you would not gain back any fat. The number on the scale isn't very important. He can look at you or check your body fat % (not BMI) and know what happened. As far as your 20 lbs+ go, based on your lifting advances I would guess maybe at most 10lbs of muscle, plus some Water weight if you're better hydrated now and maybe a bit of fat.

Hello fellow Bariatric pals! I am 6 days post gastric sleeve surgery. My surgery was performed April 18th, at St Francis Indianapolis by Dr Shamseddeen. Some Background info on me and my choice to have bariatric surgery: I am male, age 48 married with one adult child and two teenage children. I have been married for 21 years. We have a Noah's ark of pets but our primary pets are two cats, and three dogs (Lucretia a 6yr old female Newfoundland, Freya a 4 yr old female St Bernard, and Vivien a female 5 month old Newfoundland pup) I am a Registered Nurse who had specialized in geriatric/hospice/long term care before having a heart attack in 2016. I switched to homecare and work primarily with special needs and medically fragile children. After my heart attack with stent placement I started to number my health issues and I had a lot, obesity, smoker, copd, sleep apnea, Congestive heart failure, High cholesterol. I began to treat these with medicines, cpap, quitting smoking, light exercise. The one issue I did not really tackle was my obesity. With quitting smoking my weight went up as I replaced smoking with snacking. I had grown accustomed to being larger and just came to accept I was the fat old man, thats just who I was now so no use in fretting over it. Then my primary doctor handed me one more diagnosis... diabetes. I was just taking metformin, and was so far non insulin dependent. As a nurse who cared for older patients I have witnessed diabetes ravage my patients, I have prepped toes for amputation, then parts of feet, then legs... I was 329 lbs at this time and was fearful of dieting turning into yo yo dieting that would lead to greater weight gains. I began to research bariatric surgery. My first visit to St Francis Bariatric Clinic was September 14th 2017 (From first visit to surgery was about 7 months). I started my journey with the monthly meetings, nutrition appointments, pysch evaluation, and getting numerous surgical clearances from my other doctors. I started my preop dieting and got down to 317 lbs. When I started my preop liquid diet I was my worse enemy when my friends would come over to celebrate my surgery.... by offering me "one more for the road" food offerings of pizza, white castles, take out chinese food, etc. I appreciated the sentiments but I should have been stronger in my resolve to say no. But even with temptations, day of surgery I was about 311 lbs. My Surgery Day experience: Pre-Op prep was no problem, no complaints. IV placed, skin scrubbed, some labs drawn. Basic stuff. Rolled back for surgery, again no problem, introduced to surgical team as I was wheeled into surgical suite, moved to operating table and arms positioned at sides. I don't even remember when they administered sedation as my next memory was waking in recovery. Waking in Recovery: I won't lie..I was in intense pain and either due to sedation or just the level of pain I couldn't say how much I hurt, all I could do was moan..loudly and forcefully. I have never given any pain I have had a rating of 10 on a 1-10 scale, even when I had my heart attack, but this rated an 11+ After a minute or so I think i was given something for the pain and I passed out again. I awoke in my hospital room. Day 1 post op: In my room I was greeted by my wife and nurse. The nurses I had over the next 24 hours were great in treating me, as well as caring for my family. I was allowed one oz of ice chips to sip on and I had my PCA (pain medicine pump) to hit every 15 minutes as needed. I was wearing a truss, had a drain ball on my abdomen below the large incision site where my stomach portion was removed. I also had a foley cath placed. I have placed thousands of foley caths, but have never had one myself. I had an intense urge to urinate that made resting difficult. I kept joking with the nurses I was going to swipe a 10cc syringe to empty the cath balloon and remove it myself. Later that day I had two small 1 oz cups of chicken broth brought in for me to try. I was able to down 1 over 20 minutes and couldn't even start the 2nd. I had a 1 oz cup pf ice chips now and then but was not worried about dehydration because of the bags of saline and antibiotics they had running in via my IV. I started doing my inspiratory spirometer and I say this as a nagging nurse who has had many patients post op refuse to do them, now as a patient i can say that the inspiratory spirometer does help a lot. My first day I was walked a short distance, and that night I slept in the recliner as I found it more comfortable then the bed. I had still had pain but between the PCA and re-positioning it was manageable. Discharge day: I was walked again a little farther then before. I had my foley cath removed (Yay!) which led to 48 hours of a burning sensation on urination that eventually faded. I had my IV discontinued, and started on liquid pain meds which about a little less then 1 oz took forever for me to sip. The only notable pain I had that day was when they pulled my drain tube out. I knew it was going to be uncomfortable, but the nurse didn't just pull it out quickly, or even as 1 long pull but did it in 3 jerky pulls that sent pain rocketing from my navel down to my toes. Aside from that all was well, I had moderate pain, was sore and hurt to stand from sitting or to bend but it was all tolerable. Back Home again and starting my new reality: Since being home at first I tried to religiously follow the instructions I was given on nutrition, being on the modified liquid diet, taking my vitamins, and staying hydrated. I ran into several issues. First I had no appetite, you really do have to force yourself to eat, but also to eat properly over 20-30 minutes to get down a 2 oz cup of broth or yogurt. To quickly and I would feel nauseous and full. I would not drink within 30 minutes of either start or end of eating. I had no thirst for the first few days. Even taking small sips I found it hard to get in 40-60 oz's of water a day. I have been struggling to get in 70g protein a day. First the shakes would make using the Premier dry whey protein mix would froth a lot and give me a very full/gassy feeling. The thickness of the shake even after thinning would fill me up quick after a few sips. The taste wasn't good, but not terrible but you won't catch me saying "Ya know what would taste good right now? a protein shake" The vitamins. All of my vitamins right now are chew-able. Only problem I have is I have no teeth so I have to suck on them until they dissolve over time. Again not the best tasting, but they also seem to trigger fullness or nausea in me. I may switch to liquid vitamins, pills (when I can), maybe even the patches I saw advertised here. Some solutions I have found. I was looking over youtube videos and saw some people make Popsicles out of their protein shakes and I did the same with Powerade zero. Doing this I was able to get down at least half my shakes in a day (40g protein) and it really helped top off my liquid intake by sucking on the powerade pops I made but still limited the intake over time so I wouldn't get sick. It is day 6 for me and it is a learning process. I see that we all have many things in common but that everyone's experience with bariatric surgery is very much personal and individualized. The highlight of my week has been actually going under 300 lbs for the first time in many years and passing gas on day 5 (Hey to nurses passing gas is as much a sign of life as a pulse or respiration plus shows our digestion is working) I have been reading many of the forums and have enjoyed the stories and humor, and appreciated the advice given and I hope to read many more over the next year. Good Spring (when it gets here, I am from Indiana after all) to all

Here's my weekly update! My band was filled to 3 cc's on Monday Aug 4th. I left the doc's office feeling pretty good after keeping down 8 oz of Water before I left. An hour later........MASSIVE MONSTER HICCUPS!!! It was HORRIBLE. (kinda forgot what those were like! I was unable to keep anything down including liquids by that evening. Pain in my stomach was pretty bad that night and I had to sleep elevated. It brought back memories of having the band put in initially 10 yrs ago. ARGHHH!!! I don't think I was prepared for that! By Wednesday, all resolved it self, I'm keeping my liquids down. Protein shakes are agreeing with me and I was able to move to mushy foods by this past weekend. I have lost quite a bit of water weight and am a little dehydrated due to the restriction, but now moving in the right direction. (10 lbs gone.....I KNOW this is water weight!) Living in AZ, we drink water like crazy because it's so FREAKING hot!! LOL I have an appointment with the doc in 2 weeks. PB's have been helpful and I am encouraged once again to be moving in the right direction. The added 45 lbs has put a lot of stress on my hips (thanks mom for your bad hips.....appreciate it!) and my knees. I'm looking forward to walking around the block with my fur babies and not be in pain as much! As for AROSE, my doc stated we can remove the band and replace if the insurance will agree to pay. The newer bands are better than what we have (mine is also a 5 cc band). You have to be off band for 3 months before they will replace it though (at least with my doctor) and he stated he doesn't want to see weight gain during that time. SELF CONTROL!! lol It's all a matter of what you are looking to do. You've already lost 15 lbs. That's such a great start and it seems you are on the right path. Eat right, use small plates, drink fluids after eating! I think you'll find that you will lose those 15 lbs and probably a bit more now that you've found the right doctor. Good luck to you! Let me know how you do!

I have heard many people on this board getting so upset about weight gain and lack of weight loss. And don't get me wrong, I completely understand. I have gotten on the scale myself and had that sinking feeling in my stomach when I saw the number. I have wanted to scream and cry when I saw the number go up. Trust me, I understand. But there is something that I was missing, and that was Godly love. I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was four years old. I don't remember if I even understood what that meant at the time, but it was what the grown-ups wanted from me, so I did it. I went to church with my mom until my pre-teen years. But then things started to fall apart in our family and we all lost our way. I don't want to get into it all right now, but there were many things that happened that were emotionally painful, and I felt like God had turned his back on me. I felt lost and abandoned. So I gave into the world's way of living, doing basically whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I still felt like I was a good person, and I believed in God, but felt like he didn't want much to do with me. After years of living this way, I noticed that He was showing up in my life more and more. Little things that would happen, little comments that people would make. I felt the need to go back to Him, but I didn't. I thought that after all of the bad things I had done, all the commandments I had broken, that there would never be a church that would accept me. After all, you can't be a Christian without going to church, right? But God kept insisting, kept calling me. Eventually I went out and bought myself a Bible and started to read. It took me a while, but it finally dawned on me that I didn't have to go to church to be a Christian again. I didn't need other people to accept me to be a Christian. I didn't have to be perfect. I didn't have to have a perfect past. Jesus did most of His work among the people who the church considered "undesirable," like prostitutes and tax collectors. If Jesus could accept them and love them, maybe He could love me too. Several months later, I was watching a television show on Daystar network, a Christian station. The woman who was speaking was talking about God's love. She said something that changed the way I looked at myself forever. "God loves you just the way you are," she said (paraphrasing.) "You don't have to lose ten pounds, you don't have to do anything different for him to love you." The woman was Joyce Meyer, and I have watched her regularly ever since. But that message really opened my eyes. It's really true. God loves you exactly the way you are right at this very moment. He loves you just as much as he loves anyone else. You are His child, and he made you knowing that you would be just who you are right now. He knew you would do everything you have ever done, good and bad, and he loved you just the same. When you feel the most unloveable, He still loves you just as much as He ever did. Even if you don't believe in Him, He still loves you! How wonderful! If you take anything at all from this blog, I want you to know that you are loved. You are loved more than you know, more than you could ever believe possible. And this love is not dependent on how much weight you lose, what kind of clothes you wear, or even how you act. You are loved simply because you exist, and you are important simply because you were born. God does not do things by mistake, and He would not waste time creating something that He was not proud of. It is important to take care of your body and make sure that you stay healthy, because our bodies are our home until we are done with our journey on the earth, but your weight is not everything. It is part of you, but not the thing that defines you. Even if you never reach your goal weight, God sees you for the beautiful creation that you are. And I hope that you do too.

Really? Why on earth would you want this newfound stamina to calm down? My wife and I are counting on any increase in hormones and sexual desires it to last a VERY long time post-op. We used to enjoy a very active physical relationship prior to my weight gain and we so desire to get that spark back so I.... we are both looking forward to what should be consider as a very desirable benefit of WLS.

Banded on July 7, 2009. Lost 52 pounds but holidays hit and I've gained back 7 and am scared to death. I've had one tiny fill and I have to keep reminding myself that there is a reason I had the surgery. If I could have done it myself...am too embarrassed to call surgeon but I don't want to slip slide back into old habits either. Some uplifting words would totally rock right now!

Based on your post above, you may even be suffering from depression. Most of us have had it at one time or another, and for me, it does lead to weight gain. Perhaps talk to your doc about the possibility.... Good luck, if you can improve your outlook on life, your weight loss will continue.

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.

Im here. And nothing is happening. Ok, thats not COMPLETELY true. Who am I today and how did I get here...here goes... Im 39 and will be 40 next month. Wow, as if that isnt something breathing down my neck in regards to pressure! I work in a financial call center and spend most of my day sitting on my rear. I am engaged to be married for the THIRD time, they say that it will be the charm, I hope so because at this point im concerned my family will refer to me as Liz (that would be JLO to all your younger gals, for a point of reference). I am a mom in a blended family, DH has two sons, one who lives with us and I have a 16yo DS and 13yo twins, boy and girl. So how did I expand to my maximum density? Slow but steady like the turtle. I think back to Jr High weighing 115 and thinking, I need to lose 10lbs! I could really smack myself now in retrospect. But puberty got to me VERY early and that started the hips and booty expansion, but the serious weight gain happened after my first marriage because we loved to eat and I ballooned from 145 to 190. Then I lost weight after the divorce 3 years later and HAHA looked good enough to get pregnant and went up to 215 delivering a 10lb child! Marriage number 2 and the twins came along but I was careful to only gain 25lbs with those kiddos but my husband owned a pizza place and that was good for 3 years then he sold to my parents so it stayed in the family. I went down to 190, then back up. I tried Weight Watchers (lost 15lbs gained it back). Did the Cabbage Soup diet, Atkins and the 30 Day Body Makeover (I did lose 32 lbs but gained it and then some with current DH). When I met current DH I was feeling good about weighing 207. Thats right, 207lbs. Did I mention im only 5'2"? People have told me that I carry my weight well and I dont look as big as I say I am. Well I may not look it but I feel it. And thats what got me here. I met DH and worked on maintaining. But I ate just like he ate, the same trap that got me eating like my male coworkers ate 8 years earlier. I was eating like a 6ft early 20's guy and I was a mid 30's hispanic woman! We moved to Dallas last year and I gained 20 more pounds from just wanting to leave work. I was eating the way I said I never would, going through drive throughs and eating in my car in the parking lot. I was embarrassed because I was getting winded just going upstairs in our home. Our kids could get away with not doing their chores upstairs because they knew Mom wasnt getting her rear up off the couch to check. What finally did it was when we went to Ross for who knows what and I stepped on the scale and it read 250. I almost cried. I was embarrassed and asked DH to step on it to test how accurate it was. It was accurate alright. So I called the WLS center and started my journey. So where does the Microwave Mentality come in? Well, as a kid I really loved Joan Rivers. I just thought she was hilarious. She had this joke that Elizabeth Taylor was so fat that she would stand in front of a microwave and yell "HURRY!". Well that was me when I was reheating a meal and thats sometimes how impatient I feel about the weight loss process. I want it done in a hurry. And im learning it doesnt work that way. Normally when I am interested in something I research the heck out of it. I went though the WLS center and read all my stuff and had the surgery on May 1, 2012. However, 2 days after my surgery did I notice the line on my Doctors list of do's and don'ts that state I will not get a fill until 3 months after my surgery. WHAT??!!?? 3 months? I check other's blogs and their posts and see some people who got some of a fill at their surgery and others about a month later. I am almost 2 months out and I feel I havent even arrived to the race. WTH??!! I lost 15lbs in the first week and kept it off until 2 days ago where I have gained about 4lbs back. Because it feels like nothiing has ever changed and it feels like I have no restriction. Because I went back to my old eating ways. I did quit soda altogether. I do make better food choices. I started working out, walk/jogging on a treadmill and did Zumba on Monday. But at the same time, even though its early days, I feel a little cheated. And this is where the Microwave Mentality creeps in. So im rising to the challenge another lap band blogger threw out to the lurkers. BLOG- hold yourself accountable. Make goals and track accomplishments. My body, my health, needs this to work. Starting weight 262 on surgery date 5/1/12 247lbs 5/16/2012 251 lbs 6/27/2012

Like others, it depends on how you define "stall". Every month from the start I went 10 days to a couple of weeks without weight loss and then a big drop. I'm still doing that. I don't see it as a stall. My body is just adjusting. For example, if I drank a lot more water the day before or I had more pickles (salt aka water retention). I love tracking my food too so as long as my calories were low, I know it is just a matter of time. Even people who are bed ridden need over 1000 calories just to survive. For me, I think I would be far more anxious if I didn't track calories though. Seeing low calories day in and day out gives me comfort so I don't have to worry. It's very calming. Excessive worrying just causes cortisol spikes and weight gain. Sent from my SM-S908U using BariatricPal mobile app