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I am a firm believer of everything in moderation. I have failed too many diets because I would deprive myself of something I wanted, then couldn't stand it anymore and would binge like crazy. I got the sleeve because I want to eat like "normal people". If "normal people" want chips, they have a few and are satisfied. That is what I do now too, as opposed to eating a whole bag like I used to do. My partner is a nutritionist and he is a firm believer of this too. It is a matter of living a healthier lifestyle, making healthier choices and when you want a treat, have it, enjoy it, don't over indulge and don't beat yourself up over it. If any of you look at my diary on my fitness pal you will see, I eat like a "normal person". If I want ice cream, I have it, but I do go with the low fat kind now and about half a cup is all I need. And yes, on the weekends I will partake of an adult beverage or two as well. Now that I have my back problems somewhat under control, have recovered from the weight gain as a result of not being able to move much and it has been a while since my steroid injections, I am back losing a healthy two pounds a week and beyond happy with that. I feel good, I have great energy, a great man in my life and am happy, exactly what I had hoped for. Sent from my iPad using VST

K8tee, I know that a lot of medication can prevent weight loss and sometimes cause weight gain. I went to Mexico. I was soooo worried that they wouldn't make my sleeve small enough as I'm only 5 ft 2 in. Now, I think they may have gotten it too small. My surgery was September 17, 2014 and I weighed 218 pds. I now weigh 145 pds. and just bought 2 size 7/8 junior's jeans. I can usually only eat 6 normal size bites or 1/2 cup of whatever. I no longer count calories and eat ice cream and whatever I want. I don't get hungry very often but when I do I eat 6 bites and I'm done. I usually don't get hungry again but make myself eat. I have really bad acid reflux so that has a lot to do with my lack of appetite. In the beginning I wrote everything down on paper before it passed my lips and no matter how hard I tried I could not eat more than 500 calories. Usually it was less. I also tried hard to eat protein and kept my carbs under 15 every day. I did that for the first 4 months. If you are on any medication at all you should check the side effects. Alot of medication causes weight gain.

Kristie-- I am soooo with you. I stumbled accross the lapband forum maybe 3 years back and didn't have the 7500 ( at the time for it)... Then of course, I thought, nah, Nutrisystem is the way to go. Never works though! I always fall back into weight gain, and gain MORE. So, I'm with you. Good for saving up for Aceves. It'd take me years to do that - haha (Im a single mom ) so I gotta go with Almanza. Anyways, hang in there. Ladies, we will all be hot soon!

I am pre-op but I have pcos as well. Losing weight is really hard. Now that you mention it everytime I consume carbs it's like I can feel the weight gain. Carbs and me don't mix all. I hope the lapband helps me.

I started my day as usual.. running like a loon cuz I cant scrape myself from the warm, cozy bed but thats besides the point... I made my 2 scambled eggs w/my hunk of mozzarella cheese on the side. Thank god for the dog.. I could NOT finish my eggs :scared2:. I had my beloved protein shake at my 930 break. It hit me like a ton of bricks.. I was FULL. Lunch was half of a turkey on wheat wrap... I made it with more lettuce than anything. I also had a yogurt. can we say FULL. At my 230 break I had my other protein shake and felt... whats the word I am looking for... FULL. I came home from work and finished my salad (leftover from yesterday) and I am FULL.:biggrin2: Full is not something I have felt before. Not without a lot of food being involved. I am so flippin excited about this whole fill thing. It almost motivated me to get off my ass and use my treadmill. I said ALMOST. Instead I am being a mouse-potato and comtemplating a long hot bath since I now have clearance to take one. I do have one side effect of the fill though. I'm burping like a mo-fo. In the fat-club meetings, they said gas and burping repeatedly but in my first 5 weeks, I had nearly none of that stuff. Today..BURP. Every few minutes... BURP. While it doesnt bother me so much, I have very stuffy coworkers that are not so amused (BURP). Hell, atleast I wasnt farting. I am FINALLY starting to feel as if this has all been worth it and my mood is obviously improving a bit. I still hate my coworkers (most of them) but now I am starting to like myself just a smidge anyway. I am going to take the long awaited HOT bath and I am going to stay in there til I run out of hot water and wrinkle like a prune. OOOOOO. I almost forgot to mention that I went down a size in undies. I can almost buy hanes-her-way in a color other than white. Whoo-freakin-whooo. I have been so looking forward to the day I get to buy some pink panties!!!! Hell, in a few more months, I might be back to wearing thongs. I gave up thongs years ago after my enormous weight gain. While they were still comfy.. I couldnt bear to see the fat girl in thongs. Not attractive. Walmart has/had tummy control thongs. SERIOUSLY. why bother controlling the tummy when the booty is jiggling uncontrollably???

Are you both serious? Gastric bypass has so many drawbacks!! I looked into that long and hard. I have friends who have done gastric bypass. While they did lose alot of weight initially, they are both struggling to keep it off. They each have dumping syndrome. That very well could last FOREVER!!!! I know a few people that had gastric bypass many years ago and have now regained much of their weight. My own experience has been awesome with the LapBand. I have lost over 60 lbs in 6 months and am now training for a triathlon. I never thought I could have results like this. I once said that the LapBand changed my life. I have now amended that to : I have changed my own life, the LapBand has made it simpler. I know of a few ladies that were banded the same day as I was that aren't having the same type of success as I am. They have lost over 30 lbs. They are comparing themselves to me and others who are doing better. Remember, we each have our own weight gain history, so we'll each have our own weight loss history. Men and women are different as well. Think long and hard before you cut your stomach away. The LapBand is reversible, if necessary. Gastric bypass really isn't reversible. Good luck whichever decision you make!!!

Hi! I was banded May 6th, 2008! I lost almost 100lbs. Then I got pregnant and I am now starting over. It was really hard to watch my weight go back back up during my pregnancy. Afterwards I did not want to go back and have my band refilled because of my weight gain! I gained around 70 lbs from my pregnancy. I had planned to loss more weight before I got pregnant but that was not God's plan. I am starting over and a littled discouraged when I add what I have now lost to what was lost and realizing that I would be almost at my ideal weight now!

Beyond any shadow of a doubt, hands down, absolutely positively the single most powerful tool you can possibly have in your arsenal, regardless of where you're at in your journey - pre-op, rapid weight loss, maintenance, and yes - getting back on track following weight gain. Nuff said.

I am so frustrated. Right after surgery I lost about 15 lbs. Now, 15 days post op, I weigh myself and I'm back up 4. I just started mushies so I am having some foods with more sodium, but I'm not hardly eating. How could I have possibly gained weight? Does anyone know the reasoning for this or has this happened to anyone? I'm incredibly discouraged.

I put on alot of weight pre band too. I had all the last suppers of all my fave foods I thought I would never be eating again. Well sitting here 8mths later with pretty good restriction there is nothing I really cant eat if I am careful...so all that binging trying to get everything on was a waste. Actually I can eat steak but I find it so not worth the chewing chewing for so long...so if you like a good sized steak Id recomend that, because I dont think I have seen anyone here who is properly restricted and can eat steak easily. Anyhow I really wouldnt worry too much about the weight gain, but I do look back and wish I hadnt put on so much pre op because it was so much more I had to lose. Good Luck

My wife and I are considering having lab band surgery. Both of us have always been bigger people but we are heading in the wrong direction with our health. We are both close to the 400 lb mark and no end in sight. Her weight gain really happened when she had to go on certain meds. She gained 180 lbs. I gained a good 100 lbs from my desk job. Diet and excersize just doesn't seem to be working for us. We are wondering about the lab band and how it will affect us. What is the down time after the surgery? What can we expect? How much weight can be lost, and is it possible to still gain weight or stay at your current weight if you have this?

I'm back after a long absence and a bunch of weight gain. I decided that the best thing (for me) was to treat myself as if I'd just had surgery and go on all liquids for two weeks...well, I've done so well with it that I'm now in my fourth week. Protein is the key. It will help you not only stay healthy, but also help you with hunger issues. Right after my surgery, back in 2008, I wasn't hungry for at least ten days. You can do this. Just be sure to find a Protein shake that you enjoy. It took me foreverrrrr to find one. xoxox

hi stephh! i just had my baby 9-28-15. i started at 257 and was reached my goal of 150 when i was 14months out, then two weeks later i found out i was pregnant. i too was only taking in about 700-800 pre pregnancy. around 13 weeks pregnant i started getting insanely hungry, literally every two hours. for me it really didn't ease up until i was about 32weeks. my dr wanted me to take in about 1800 calories a day i ended up putting on 42lbs in total. i lost 15lbs after my c section taking me from 192 to 177. i have been stuck there for the past two minths unfortunately, the scale just doesn't want to move for me. keep taking in as much Protein as you can. keep high protein Snacks with you if you're getting hungry often! congratulations on your pregnancy, you can pm me if any questions Thank you so much for responding!!!!!! I feel like I'm in the exact same scenario you were. I feel so much better knowing that someone else is hungry too. I was afraid of it being head hunger. Congratulations on your new baby! How was your pregnancy besides being hungry? Had you been pregnant before? Was it different? Sorry, I have SO many questions!!! Your weight gain doesn't seem bad to me. It seems like a manageable weight and will probably come off. I already have argued with my Dr about gaining weight... He said I could aim for 10-20 pounds because I'm at the top end of my healthy weight range. So far, I've stayed steady, but I'm not very far along.

I am 51, 5'4" and weigh 220 lbs, most of my weight is right on my belly. I am a nurse and on my feet all day. I have controlled asthma, plantar fasciitis, arthritis in my ankles, yeast infections, abcesses and a bum left knee. I was skinny and athletic all my life even after 3 kids. However, at age 37, I left a bad marriage and was put on Paxil to help deal with anxiety and depression. In 6 months I ballooned to 170 lbs and then 4 years of university, while going through a 10 year expensive divorce battle, brought me up to 235 lbs. I have always been able to control my weight with diet and exercise prior to this weight gain, but nothing is working now. I have tried every type of diet and exercise program and yes, I might lose weight (one time up to 50 lbs) but immediately gain it back. Everybody in my family is obese. My mother has 12 siblings, my father 5 and everyone of them has metabolic syndrome so I know its just a matter of time. The writing is on the wall. After almost 15 years of yo-yo dieting, I have reached to point of giving up. I don't even see the point of watching what I eat and going to the gym anymore. Then after going to a surgeon who is connected to a weight loss practice, I started to get excited again. My BMI of 37 and lack of recognized comorbid conditions might not let me qualify for anything other than the band unless I am willing to pay out of pocket and even then I am not sure. I am tired of everyone telling me I look great, I carry my weight well, I could do it on my own and not have surgery etc. I attend a WLS presentation on Tuesday and can't wait.

I am concerned that you are taking such a drastic step physically without considering the mental/emotional aspect of your eating choices. If you gained your weight back with the sleeve, how will you prevent it this time? It can't be a solely physical solution - your body adjusts and your brain learns how to get the calories it wants, you've already proven that. Weight gain isn't solely a physical thing - the solution isn't solely physical either. It really worries me to see folks keep cutting away at themselves thinking the next surgery will be their nirvana, when what really needs to happen is dealing with the mental issues that drive the weight gain. From a personal perspective, I started looking into WLS two years ago and went in to therapy to deal with my compulsive eating issues before I had the surgery, and I think it's still a challenge even after all of that work. Just a thought, this isn't a judgment by any means, I found therapy to be really helpful and I'm so glad that I have that support right now as I deal with post-op stuff.

I saw too many people talking about complications and weight gain many years later after the bypass so I made sure to choose the sleeve instead. I only had 60-65 impossible to lose pounds to drop and I don't regret my decision. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Sending the last reply screwed up the formatting. This is how the top line should read: Diet- Started-Stopped-Weight lost-Weight gained back

The first few weeks can be challenging for many - physically and psychologically. Your stomach and your mind have to acclimate to profound changes. It's also common for your weight to fluctuate more then. I didn't even weigh myself for the first couple of weeks because I anticipated having gained weight from the anesthesia pumped into me for the surgery, and then a roller coaster of gain and loss as my body healed. I anticipated the infamous "three week stall" so many others experienced. I hadn't wanted to be discouraged, so I had my husband put the scale on a shelf that requires dragging out the step ladder to reach until things were more stabilized. I wouldn't really quantify the three pounds you gained as actual weight gain, considering that it came on the heels of a 17 pound rapid weight loss. Anytime you lose weight too fast it's common to gain some of it back. It's why the trendy juice cleanses and detox quackery usually cause people to drop weight fast, and then gain a portion of it back even faster. To me the positive to focus on is that you lost 17 pounds, but only gained back three of it. Meaning you've already lost 14 pounds since surgery just a few weeks ago. If you had a child who was recovering from a surgery and prescribed a diet specifically designed to help her heal, would you permit her to defy it and eat things that could jeopardize that process? I doubt you would. Love yourself as much as you'd love someone whose care is your responsibility. It's not a diet like ones you've probably followed in the past that is to help you to lose weight, though that's a side benefit. It's a medical diet, not unlike other ones people follow prior to or after a surgery or medical / dental procedure. As an example, one of my colleagues just had her teeth whitened and has to only eat white or clear foods for a couple of days to avoid discoloration, and another has been open about having to only eat certain foods in preparation for a colonoscopy. You might not have gotten sick yet, but you're chancing it by eating things your stomach isn't ready for yet. I didn't eat solids until the one-month mark, and got sick that day, so I then reverted to liquids and soft foods for another two weeks until I felt more steady. Have you ever checked out the blog "The World According to Eggface"? It has some recipes for each of the phases following WLS. Pinterest also has a lot of ideas. I enjoyed getting a little freshly ground peanut or almond butter from Whole Foods and adding that to chocolate protein (unjury was my favorite brand) and Fair Life (higher protein) milk and ice in my Nutribullet and having a dessert-like shake. I also still make a lot of smoothies using high protein yogurt like Fage, and lower carb fruit and some frozen kale (berries will mask the taste of it, and it being frozen helps with the texture) rather than having Protein powder. Tasty Soups, like the red pepper one by Trader Joe's, also helped me to have some variety. My nutritionist had suggested egg puddings for the soft food phase, and I found a low-carb, low-sugar but tasty recipe that uses SF Torani syrup. Persevere through this challenge. It's worthwhile.

it has been nearly 4 years since I had my band. 2 years ago I started gaining a little weight - not much - but I know I was eating wrong. About a year ago I started having itching all across my abdomen and a bruse-like spot to the right of the port. Now I have gainede about 15 pounds back of the 75 I originally lost. My abdomen is tender and sensitive. Sometimes I get a sharp type pain. I have constant IBS symptoms - have not had a solid bowel movement in weeks. I went to my doctor and he says I am gaining the weight because I have learned how to eat around the band. I agree that I do that - but not constantly. My abdomen seems hard at times - not soft. Last night it actually felt like the band had moved because I could not sleep on either side. Today the tenderness is there constantly. I have tried to go to a different surgeon but they seem to have a club because none of them will see me since they didn't do the original band. Has anyone else experienced these types of problems? I worry that the band has eroded and that there might be some type of infection. What would infection symptoms be like? I don't want to overact but I don't want to ignore something serious. Does anyone else have any ideas? I am in the Louisville, KY area if you know of anyone I can talk to.

Hello Everyone, I had surgery on 11/22 and I've had nothing but problems. Long story short, the surgeon put my sleeve too tight which they saw with the GI test the morning after surgery. I lost about 17 pounds between 11/22 and 11/30. Now I am up almost 3 pounds since 11/30. I'm getting down with the pain and the headache that I've dealt with because of the complication. Now that I am drastically better and the complications have lowered, I just can't get on track. I went from eating basically nothing between 11/22-11/30 to "cheating" and eating real food right now. I am still supposed to be on a liquid diet but I'm eating eating solids. I've eaten a pancake, Soup, a cookie, and I'm getting so frustrated! I know that it's my own fault but I just don't know what to eat! Protein shakes taste disgusting to me and I have hunger pains! What can I do? Help . I do not want to fail at this and cannot fail!

All of you are so inspiring. I have done the research and now trying to find the right facility - will go to the 3rd and last seminar this weekend, then make my choice. I am ready! I won't feel guilty or ashamed. I HAVE tried, many times, as have all of you. I have reached the point where only the most drastic of diets will help me lose weight, and the subsequent "maintenance" plan leads to weight gain almost immediately. At some point I just give up. Keep trying, but without real hope. Those of you in your 30s and 40s are in the perfect position. I am 65 - no lifethreatening co-morbidities (thank God), but very severe arthritis that limits me physically. As my doctor said - can't exercise without losing weight, can't lose weight without exercising... I have a very active, very supportive husband, but I feel like I am holding him back and keeping him from enjoying those things he loves to do. No more. I count my blessings that he is healthy, and I don't yet have the really bad stuff that comes with being overweight. We have a chance. Please don't feel guilty about saving your life - and don't allow ANYONE to make you feel that way. Many of you have kids to play with and raise. Kids take a lot of energy and strength. You are taking the steps to make sure you have what it takes to make life good for you and your kids. As for me - I'm making plans with my wonderful grandchildren! I wish all of you great success.

@@skeewee You should be worried - dehydration is dangerous. If it is impacting your kidneys - then it's critical that you increase your fluids. The weight gain is not unusual - but it's not what you should be concerned about.

I'm 6 weeks post op and have lost 30 pounds. However, today I gained back 3!! The doctor says it's dehydration and my GP said my kidneys aren't functioning at full capacity and to increase my Water intake. Should I be worried? Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App

I have been on psych meds off and on since I was a teen, been on more than I can count on fingers. About 4 years ago I started Effexor XR with no weight gain but when I started Seroquel I gained 30 lbs in 3 months. Nothing had changed in my exercise or eating habits so not sure why I gained. After 4th month on Seroquel I tried a new set of meds that had helped me lose in past, but did not work and had to back on Effexor/ Seroquel and just watched my weight increasing. After being off meds for 10 months for pregnancy, I had a hard time finding a right combo. Dr would not do seroquel again because of worry of more weight gain ( I was already too heavy and having back problems). Now I am on Lamictal/Pristiq and am doing okay with it. My PCP does not think that my meds have anything to do with my current weight gain. He also feels that if I lose weight will help with depression. Any thoughts on all this?

Ok, so I have decided to see how far I could go without throwing up and I feel like a bottomless pit. I was banded Nov. 15 and am going back for my 1st fill next week. I lost 15 lbs but have gained 6 of it back. It's x-mas time and I am having a hard time of it. I can eat a lot more that 1/2 cup of chicken. I guess the hardest thing for me to do is not drink anything until an hour after eating. Does anyone else have problems with this? I am getting discouraged.