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First, you are welcome of course to do what suits you. Everyone has a different body type that may react differently to my suggestion of eating TDEE number of daily calories. Eating TDEE works well because it will reset your BMR if has been set too low because of extended period of eating low calories. Low calorie is defined as under under 1000 calorie. A lot of us, including myself, start out at eating 600 daily as a post op and am quite good at dropping the weight at 600-900. a day. This is good and the amount of calories the sleeve was designed for you to dramatically lose weight. However, eating low calorie has some drawbacks. It leaves you hungry and makes it easy, almost effortlessly, to gain weight. The reason for both is that low caloric intake drives your BMR (aka "the metabolism") way down and will make it quite easy for calories to be stored as fat. This is not "bad," but is simply your body saving energy for the future in case it has another case of famine. Sadly the post op diet of eating way less then TDEE - 300 is interpreted as famine by your body. The good news is that you can definitely retrain your body to understand that, yes, you need to eat more without storing it. This requires you to *slowly* increase your caloric intake to TDEE - 300 in order to eat, but still lose weight in terms of fat loss. For example, my TDEE is 2154 and eating approximately 1800 calories a day has made it possible to eat mostly protein all day long without gaining any weight and not being hungry. In fact, I still can lose weight by doing this even at healthy BMI weight. I eat healthy foods, of course, but am careful about eating proteins first in order to try and hit 170 g a day ( .92 * BMI ideal weight of 180). Do be careful about adjusting your caloric intake upwards. You need to do it slowly in order to slowly convince your body that more is indeed better. For me, it took a few months of gradual increase to go from a daily amount of 900 to 1800. Focus on driving up calories first by eating more protein per meal. Eat meals often during the day, like 6-7 times. next, make sure to add in healthy fats and carbs. a well balanced set of the macro nutrient ratios are key in order for the body to process protein effectively. I am also exercising daily, but do not know if this is necessary when increasing caloric towards TDEE. I assume the answer is no, it is not necessary. Eating a well balance set of macro nutrients is key to making this change and at least 80% of the answer to losing weight with this balanced approach. In other words, you need to get your diet balanced or exercise is not going to mean much and not help much. Sorry that is the simple truth. Eating Paleo (no dairy, sugar, breads, etc) has really helped me in finding the right balance of protein, fat and carb, but I am certain there are many other ways to do this successfully as a post op. You do not need to eat Paleo, just balanced. Others have been able to increase their calorie intake to TDEE with a balanced approach to diet and also with daily exercise according to posts here on VST. And they are maintaining or losing towards goal with success. Read enough posts and I am sure you will agree. Again, do go slow as your body is quite comfortable on low caloric intake as a post op. Your body is pretty finicky in terms of caloric TDEE requirements. Forcing your body out of TDEE comfort zone too quickly will cause weight gain. Good luck !!

Hi All!!! A little about me: I'm 27 and my current weight is 259 (wow did I just say that out loud? Lol) oh and I'm 5'5. I just had my consultation with my surgeon on this past Friday and I'm stoked. My surgeon told me that I was a "star candidate" and the insurance rep told me that my insurance was perfect since it would only cost me about $250 out of pocket for the syrgery. The only thing is that I have to wait another 5 mos before I can have the surgery due to insurance requurements (not so perfect after all). So it'll be around December or January before I'm banded. Like many of you I have been battling with my weight as long as I could remember..I was at my smallest my last two years of hs when I was fitting comfortably in size 12 jeans...and even then I thought I was fat (crazy much?) But since then things have spiraled out of control. I've been up and down beteween 30-40 lbs but the weight loss never lasts and the weight gain is always around the corner. Last year was the first time I contemplated the band but my insurance didn't cover it so I kind of just gave up. Then this year I got a new job with really good benefits and revisited the possibility of having the procedure done. And so here I am. I know that this will be the kick in the pants that I need to get me to the healthy me that lies underneath the fat girl that has been smothering me for all these years.I love swimming and want to start running and I'm so excited that I will finally get the chance to do both freely while eating healthily. So in the closing of my intro I would like to say thank you to all of the members of this platform. The joyrney pics, the success stories, the fall off stories, the pain stories (pre and post op) and just the openess and honesty of each and every one of you has encouraged me to follow in your foot steps and take control of my life. I am open to any comments or suggestions as to how I can be successful in my journey. (Steps down off soap box:) Thanks! Sweets27

As some of you know I'm 47 and divorced, will soon be 2 years this month. Let me start how my weight gain all started for me, I wasn't an obese child nor a teen. I married my high school sweetheart in 1986 and boy did I think I knew the world, if I knew then what I know now, ha. He was shy and I was the outgoing one, he was super skinny and I was average. He ate and ate and ate and I thought I could eat along with him so my weight kept creeping up over the years of our marriage little by little. By 1990 I weighed 199, said to myself I'd never let myself weigh over 200, I ate crow alright. We were unable to have children so we occupied ourselves in the life of luxury of world travels and cars and later in life our dream home in '06. By that time he had a corporate job, I had not worked in years and we had our dream home with a pool. It was all I could do to keep house it was so huge but I loved it. Guess you could say starting in '06 I could see a change in him and I began to stress eat more. His job was very stressful, afterall he managed a factory, oh how proud of him I was but then the alcohol began and then my food addiction began. From 2006 until he left me Oct '09 I literally watched him become a full blown alcoholic and my eating had well, let's just say I gained about 25 lbs. He began staying out late till the wee hrs of the night/morning in bars, coming home drunk, it was horrible. Then on that fateful afternoon in Oct. '09 he came home and said he was leaving me, I was devastated to say the least. I had no idea he wasn't happy. Yes we had our ups/downs like anyone else but I guess he had gotten tired of looking at a fat wife, I had let myself go, certainly not the girl he married. I stayed in the marital home a few months until I couldn't care for the acreage and pool and he made me move out and he move back in. At this time he had asked for a divorce and I was at my all time low, a deep depression. I guess I have to admit I was on the verge of suicide but I'm deeply religious and knew better and had it not been for my faith in God and my mom and of course my Psychiatrist I never would have made it out of the dark hole. My mom stepped in and bought me a home close to her and I rented it from her. Guess she wanted to give me my independence for the first time in my life. By this time it was May of 2010, divorce proceedings were ongoing, I was living alone and eating and eating. BIG mistake. I had no accountability, I was sitting alone in a house with a dog and a tv and eating whenever and whatever I wanted. I literally was eating myself to death. I knew I didn't want to die an early age like my dad but yet I still kept eating. I had ballooned to 294, I was huge, could hardly walk, couldn't breathe. In early June '12 I moved in with my mom for financial reasons and she sold the house, talk about humbling, having to move back in with a parent at age 47. One afternoon I asked my mom to go with me to a seminar for lap band surgery, this was April 2012. What a revelation. Yes I had done my homework, I had actually gone to a seminar back in '08 but wasn't ready mentally then. This time I was ready. The next day I called my ins, they covered it, called the dr's office made an appt, got right in, from start to finish I was banded in like 4 weeks, his office pushed my ins approval thru really quick. Needless to say this saved my LIFE. Has it been a struggle, yes, I struggle each and every day with head hunger and sweets and sometimes give in, that is why my weight loss is slow but I'm proud of my 68 lbs in 1 year and will never look back. My eating habits have changed, for the better of course, I look at food differently, I taste it now instead of gobbling it down. Had it not been for all of you all on here answering my questions throughout this last year and Jean's book I don't think I could have survived my first year. Thanks to all of you out there you're the best! You guys are family!!! Looking forward to the next 12 months of a happier, healthier new me. Donna

I was banded march 2012. I am down almost 90 lbs. I had a fill in January that put me in the red zone. They removed the fill. I was ok at my February appointment and didn't need or want a fill. Last month, I felt I needed an adjustment (since ice been on a plateau since January). They gave me .2, I can't tolerate anything more than that. Anything more takes me right in the red. Anyways,,,, I've always been tight in the morning, coffee is my morning beverage of choice always. I have trouble with tiny tiny sips for about the first 2 hours in awake. About 4 hours after I'm awake, I can comfortable eat oatmeal and nothing else. Breakfast is usually about 10 am. lunch comes at noon and usually I can eat my lunchtime meal. After lunch my band is really open and I'm totally in the yellow zone and constantly hungry till about 6 pm. About that time, I'm in that wonderful green zone. I tighten up almost immediately as soon as I lay down. My first and second meal have to stay on schedule... If I don't have my lunch on time, it's Soup the rest of the day or I have to start over with oatmeal. If I go more than a few hours without eating... I close up. I've never had symptoms of being too tight. Besides the over restricted, nothing is getting through this baby bandster hell. No night cough, reflux, weight gain... Nothing. At my last appointment last week, they did a swallow, due to my appointment, I skipped my noon meal and of course I was over restricted. The barium was sitting right on top of my band. I had a tiny bit of dilation but not enough to warrant a complete unfill or even a partial unfill which shocked me. She put me on the 2/2 as if I had a fill and said to come back if I had anymore problems. Before being banded, I had really bad reflux. Once I was banded it completely disappeared. There was NO hiatal hernia repair either. There are times I feel burning around my band, but nothing like the reflux I experienced post-banding. I'm finally losing again, being 4 lbs the last month! Not much, but so glad I'm on the losers bench again. Has anyone ever experienced this kind of fluctuation between zones? What have your experiences been? Mine are: No more than .2 at a fill 2-4 weeks before I'm adjusted to the fill Extreme morning restriction If I lay down more than 5 minutes, I'm super tight. After 30 minutes... It's as if I'm at my morning tightness. I have to eat on schedule Any recommendations? It's really hard to keep a newborn eating schedule and I live in constant fear of eating! As long as I stick to my schedule, the PBing is maybe 4-6 times a week. Thanks for any input!

I'm 4 years out and I am just now starting to feel a lot of hunger again. I hate it. Like everyone else, weight gain really freaks me out. I have clothes that don't fit me anymore and it really makes me very sad. I think it would be a little bit easier if I were younger. I am just plain tired. I can't do the amount of exercise I used to be able to do. My neck and spine hurt all the time. I do go to a support group, once a month. The nutritionist comes to the meetings, and he says exercise is not the key. Eating right is the key. It's very hard to eat tiny portions now. I am trying to eat more vegetables and salads but I am so tired of all of this. I have been dieting all my life. It's really difficult to order a salad while friends and family are eating pizza. I'll keep plugging along though. I still have my tool and I know the basics. I just hope that's enough to keep maintaining.

I would always lose some weight each Spring and Fall only to regain it plus 5 pounds more. I retired becsuse I was fat and tired, frustrated because I could pass the strength and agility job requirements but could not stop the weight gain . I retired two yesrs ago at 230 and my weight has decreased and increased from 230 to 204 back and forth. I have sleep apnea and have tried everything to find a cpap system that I can sleep with, but no luck 2 years out. So I am exhausted as well as fat. My PCP referred me for bariatric surgery and I have attended the first semjnar. I am pretty excited thst maybe I will get my life back....have energy again to do the things I love. I spent the last 30 y ears struggling with every diet known to man all to little avail.....from a the post

Um I have love that I got my sleeve, am wouldn't change it for the world. That being said my boobs are not small then they where when I was in high school before I gained all my weight. I was naturally before weight gain a 34D a large D after I gained I was 40F and a large F. Now 7 1/2 months later and almost 100 pounds down I got measured at Victoria Secret I am a 36B, oh my gosh a B. I actually teared up when she told. My boobs have always been one of my favorate things about my body and now well they are gone. I am learning to deal with it and am saving to get them bigger and lifted. However again I would choose small boobs and being healthy over my big boobs any day, but it is a bit depressing I will say, lol!

You said "almost" all the Fluid taken out. So you still have some in, yes? If so, then it sounds like you still need to have more removed. Keep in mind there are people that do great with a completely empty band. It's all dependent on your anatomy and how the band fits around your stomach. I would definitely follow up with your doctor. You need to be able to eat healthy "real" foods or you risk running into soft calorie syndrome- eating soft slider foods that go down easy- usually resulting in weight gain. Best wishes

My wife, three neighbors with LapBands and this forum helped me make the decision to get the sleeve. My because for three decades she has seen me yo-yo diet and lose 50-100 several times. Only to gain the weight back plus more and she wanted me to succeed this time. The forum because of all the support and counsel I received when I was battling it out with Aetna for 18 months to get approved. Finally I have four neighbors with the LapBand, one is doing ok, but the other three have had serious complications, and weight gain. Think of this as my wife describes it as a more get it and forget it operation because I wouldn't have to go in constantly for fills. In addition, the complication has been rising and success rate plummeting. My doctor is doing less new LapBands and taking out many as he does sleeves. Yes, it is a bit more dramatic but your chances for success are greater. Good luck to you.

I am dying laughing over here "my knees sounding like rice krispies every time I sat down" but trust me I know the feeling...I had bad knees before the weight gain and the extra weight didn't make it any better.

I had 2 kids, then did a tummy tuck after losing the pregnancy weight gain and I had a great looking stomach, with stretch marks gone and even a four pack. I then had two more pregnancies over the next few years and my stomach went flat again and it was a great result to see the tummy tuck held up so great. No added stretch marks for me and no pouch. The four pack went away but the rebound was awesome. Hope that help, Good luck. M.

Sounds like a tough week ladies! Chin up! Most of us know how to maintain, its just that most of us have called it a stall in the past! I don't mean to make light of it. This whole weight loss, weight gain, maintain thing is still pretty much a mystery at times! Glad I'm alive, glad I have some tools, and loving life is the tool that REALLY pays off.

June 05 2012... Is a Day i will Always remember is the Day i took the big Decision to stop my Overweight... Today 1 year Later i feel GREAT to be here with more Energy.. I was 258 pounds with a terrible hormone imbalance, my weight gain was after so many meds to try to conceive a Baby... That was my life Struggle, i was never a skinny Girl. But neither as big as i was... Unti one day i said ENOUGH and made the decision to Stop, today 1 year later i am almost my 100 less, with a much better health, no more PCOS in my LIFE.... Today i acomplish a Goal, setting a new one!!! Keep it off and work hard!!!

June 05 2012... Is a Day i will Always remember is the Day i took the big Decision to stop my Overweight... Today 1 year Later i feel GREAT to be here with more Energy.. I was 258 pounds with a terrible hormone imbalance, my weight gain was after so many meds to try to conceive a Baby... That was my life Struggle, i was never a skinny Girl. But neither as big as i was... Unti one day i said ENOUGH and made the decision to Stop, today 1 year later i am almost my 100 less, with a much better health, no more PCOS in my LIFE.... Today i acomplish a Goal, setting a new one!!! Keep it off and work hard!!!

I had that happen! At two weeks post op I hit a stall, and I gained 5 pounds in 5 days. I was so frustrated! But, here is the way it was explained to me: Right after the surgery your body starts to burn glycogen that is stored in your muscles. After a couple of weeks your muscles start to rebuild their glycogen supply. With the glycogen it has to store Water. All of that extra water it stores leads to weight gain. But, while it's doing that, your body is still burning fat! Don't worry, you'll get through it and the pounds will start coming off!

Heatwhip, I don't have any words of wisdom for you, just know you're NOT alone! scales went up 2 lbs over the weekend and are staying there right now. I'm doing my damndest to ignore it and just tell myself that the sleeve has worked for hundreds (thousands?) of people...it'll work for me/us, too! If nothing else, I look at the averages. I'm 3 weeks post-op...even with the weight gain, I've lost ~12 lbs...so that's 4 lbs/week. That's still really, REALLY good for me. You've lost 14 lbs in TWO weeks...or even if it's now 10 lbs, that's FIVE lbs per week. Prior to the sleeve, I bet you'd have been thrilled with that! So chin up, girl! Just keep doing what you're supposed to be doing, give it time, and you'll be thinner before you know it!

Thank you everyone for your help. I am now taking the meds for hypothyroid and have lost 2 pounds I guess I just paniked. I find myself freaking out over anything that may cause weight gain. Thanks again! Their are some really good folk here.

Listen I know the thought of weight gain is scary! Prozac can do the same! But it's a balancing act. Because you are depressed now you are eating things you shouldn't trust me the weight gain is worse with the untreated depression than it is with the medicines! I eat to stuff the feelings. I eat to comfort myself. I eat to the point of pain to ease the pain. I guess what I'm saying is I know what you are going through. Please seek help again.

Yes thank you!! I was sleeved May 16th 2013..i have Hasimoto's which can also make it hard to lose. I have lost 35 pounds so far due to having it under control along with surgery. But i can not say that for me my weight gain was all due to my thyroid....that's why i was just wondering how this surgery would still help you. Congrats and i am glad you have found a solution!! Best of luck!!

Couldn't agree more - it's a baby not weight gain. Grrrrrr! Ha ha

Got the band out on 5/23/13 and just received a call for KC Bariatic, they received the clearance from the cardiologist, waiting on the one from the pulmonologist which is on the way. See my PCP for weigh in on 17th and that will be it. See the dietatian on Thursday and then have to do something else, which I think I might have already done. Will know more of what it is, nurse is leaving a packet for me. So it looks like surgery in August for the bypass. Thank goodness, didn't want to fight any weight gain and think a couple of monthss will be manageable.

Weight loss and weight gain is simple. It's calories in vs calories burned...we all know that. Sure, metabolism has some influence on that equation but every human still has a resting basal metabolic rate. Based on age and height/weight and activity level, it's a mathematical configuration that will tell you how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. If you eat more, you gain weight. I don't understand how a human being can eat at such a restrictive level, calorically speaking, and become morbidly obese. It's not that complicated and even if you had extremely poor metabolism, you still need at least 1,000 per day to pump blood through your heart and oxygenate your lungs, etc. Your situation is very interesting and suprising to learn about. Best of luck!

Welcome to the forums! You'll get tons of support here :] I'm just curious what has been your history with weight gain or loss?

Hi! Yay for a poster in the April banders section! I'm doing really well. I had some really big issues with dry heaving at the start until we figured out my Vitamins and B12 were causing it. I've been taken totally off those as of 3.5 weeks and its stopped the problems. That did, however cause a 4 pound weight GAIN because I could suddenly actually eat again. (I was literally starving myself because of the dry heaving) That being said...I've relost those 4 pounds and am down a total of 21 pounds so far with a goal to hit 25 by this next sunday...4 pounds this week? lol. I can try, right? I was banded 4/24/13. Two days ago I decided to try on a pair of capris that have always been too tight and hurt my belly if I wore them for any amount of time. They fit! No pain! No rubbing! No gut sucking to zip them up. That was a great NSV. Those capris have caused me so much grief over the years, though...I can't wait to get rid of them because they are too big! No fill yet...Scheduled for June 7th.