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Also, you're supposed to double up on birth control the first 18-24 months. My surgeon strongly recommends a barrier method with pills/implant. However from personal experience, condoms and NuvaRing are tricky. Not hard, just tricky. And I had a friend with implanon that had seizures, weight gain, and pregnancy. It's all your choice though. Just remember to double up!

I'm 3 weeks out and I'm hitting 350-400 calories. I don't think you are going to mess up at your metabolism at this point. I spent my six month pre-approval doing 800 calories a day and hitting 80 grams of Protein and staying about 45 -60 grams of carbs a day and I lost weight, gained muscle tone during that time. That's pre-surgery with a regular sized stomach. I think you would be pushing it to try to get in more calories. I'm still on liquids. The body will use up the carbs you are using for energy and there are plenty of fat stores for the body to have to burn through before you start messing up your metabolism and blowing through your protein stores. This should not even be a concern at this time. ps I think most people stay at about 800 calories a day until they are in maintenance and those that are extremely athletic may go up 1200, but on a whole, maintenance is about 1100.

I thought I would jump in and give perspective from someone who is about to hit my 5 year "bandiversary" in August. Would I do it again knowing what I know now? Yes! I can't say it has been a picnic and my loss was very slow over the last 5 years BUT I did not get this surgery expecting to lose it all in the first 6 months and be done with it. I KNOW we all expect it will be fast and some are very quick losers, but I decided I did not want to be a perfect bandster and I eat crap when I want to..but I don't beat myself up about knowing what the consequences are..slow loss vs fast loss.. I feel sad when I read Zengirl's reply that she is already given up on the band in a few months and wished she had bypass. You REALLY don't, girl. There is absolutely no benefit to losing it faster or what you may think is easier. I have personal experience with both. I was banded in 2002 at 286lbs. I initially lost 20lbs pretty quickly, but then it really came off in slow chunks from there..after a good fill a little came off..I would get the flu and drop 10lbs(not a fun way to lose but it happened) and no matter how "perfect" I thought I was..I would not budge..your body will be like that. You need to reverse your thinking on this band. Not how fast or easy the weight comes off, but how much easier it will be to KEEP IT OFF!! I have not gained back an ounce in almost 5 years..took me as long to lose it, but I managed to maintain it! Okay..fast forward to 2005 when my best friend, weighing around 285lbs at her sugery had gastric bypass. For some medical reasons, she explained to me gastric bypass was a better option(personally I think she made that up because her insurance would not cover the band but would cover the bypass or she felt that bypass was better to her..don't know) At the time of her surgery..I think I was just about 200lbs..can't remember..had already lost 85lbs..but after almost 3 years banded..still had another 50+ to go. My friend quickly lost down almost to her goal in the first year of her surgery. She passed me and kept on going. She was bound and determined to not "cheat" or even have sugar pass her lips in fear of dumping. Well that quickly ended when she did indeed have surgar. She doesn't "dump" and get really sick..she just gets extremely tired. She can quickly pass out after a few drinks..she gets stupid drunk fast and I worry about her dating men she doesn't know who could take advantage of this. I tell her not to drink but a glass a wine at the most when around other people. We eat about the same amount and just about the same foods, but she does watch how much sugar she consumes. I finally did get down to about the same weight..I weigh around 150 now..she got to 140 something, but has since started to gain a little weight. So I think she actually weighs a little more than me now. She just started having to take B12 injections and I really don't think she gets enough Vitamins in as she should. Her doctor told her to take a flintstone Vitamin. Not much in those even for kids never mind a bypass patient. She is almost 50 and will need extra nutritional support as she ages..but we shall see. So..you see..we both reached goal..she has more worry about weight gain than I do. I keep my band pretty snug and if I needed to..still do have some room to make it tighter..but I am pretty set where I am at right now. I don't have the worry about eating certain foods or consuming too much alchohol(and we are not talking ALOT to get her seriously screwed up!..a few glasses of wine can do it!) I would worry about the long term effects of actually bypassing stuff and getting nutritional support to my body..she always seems more tired than I am..but I am 9 years younger..but I know people who are 80 and more active than her! Looks like most of you are pretty recently banded and barely begun getting fills. It can take a while to get to a good fill..depending on how your doctor fills you and how agressive he/she is in keeping up with you. I was banded in Mexico and went down for fills, but I don't think my doctor ever really filled me enough worrying that I may have to come back for an unfill (and I live in Nor Calif!)..I finally started going to a fill doctor in Tahoe area(only a 3 hour drive instead of a 9 hour drive to Mexico) and though he fills "blind"(no flouro)...he gave me excellent fills and I finally started feeling like this was working. He spent more time with me each visit and really laid down the law with me...some of which I listened to and other stuff I was the typical "yeah, yeah, I know it all!"..but mentally..I needed a kick in the pants and it worked. Don't Don't Don't give up on this band and wish for that bypass..DON'T assume to be a hare and be fine with a tortoise as long as you don't gain it back. The journey..your journey will be different than EVERYONE"s elses journey..so don't compare. Don't beat yourself up about being too slow..I think we are more concerned about what our friends and family will think if we don't peel of the weight in a few months and THEY think it is a failure or you made a mistake..tell as few people as possible about the surgery..it will save you some agony on your journey. My in-laws were just told earlier this year! They obviously have seen my loss..but I never admitted to surgery until recently..now that I am done, they can know the truth. Does it feel good to be down to a "normal" weight finally? Yes..it does..lots of times my friend and I complain how uncomfy it is being too bony on hard chairs and feeling bones protrude where they didn't before. I was talking to her about seeing a pair of pants on ebay that I used to buy in size 20..in a size 2 and always thought..no way would I ever be there..but last week I tried a size 4 on at a dept store (I usually wear size 8-10 now with a few 6's and few 12's depending on cut)..so 2 now just does not seem that far off! Very weird. It will happen ladies and gents...don't fight it..don't regret anything..just enjoy the journey! Patty

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'm up 4 pounds this week and I've been more active than ever, burning around 3500 cals on the 3 days I worked out. Because I weigh daily, I noticed a spike in my weight the day after an intense workout ( cardio+strength training). Is this normal?

Hi There,, I recently had to have my band (and port) removed due to slippage. I was throwing up, had major heartburn all the time, and could hardly eat anything that wasn't "slippery". I was freaked out, too. I had lost 65 pounds and did NOT want to gain any of it back. I decided to have the gastric sleeve done right after the band was removed, but when I woke up, they said they were unable to do so because of the damage done from a hiatal hernia repair that was done when my band was put in 5 years ago. (something about some mesh that was used and it looking like "hamburger" by the time they removed it all) Anyway... I am steadily gaining weight and NEVER feel full. The scale is going back up and up and I"m trying really hard not to get depressed. I love that I don't have heartburn though. I am scheduled for the gastric sleeve in 4 weeks, and I can't wait!!! (meanwhile, I've had to purchase a bigger bra, underwear and stretch pants. NOT WHAT I PLANNED 5 years ago!!) Deep breath. This weight gain in only temporary, right? If you remove your band, replace it with another form of weight loss is my suggestion.

Hi MarilynJ6354! I've always equated any liquid diet to a kind of Jenny-Craig-Syndrome. It's all fine and dandy while you're on it, but humans are not made to survive on Clear Liquids (or prepackaged meals) alone! As soon as you come off of the diet, your body has to reregulate and adjust to not being starved anymore. Your body is just figuring things out right now. While the pre-op diet is essential, truth be told, it's main function is not to make you lose weight. They put you on liquids in an effort to reduce the fat around your liver, making for an easier surgery (and less chance of complications). Some of your liquid diet weightloss was Water weight, and with your exercising now and increased food options, the water weight has just returned. I know it's hard because your band is so new and exciting, but try not to stress about your weight too much right now. Let your body heal, follow your doctor's instructions, and your big weightloss will happen when you're back to real foods and have restriction. For what it's worth, I think going back to liquids would be a HUGE mistake. The only way for us to loose weight long term is to change our daily habits to something healthy and sustainable. A liquid diet is neither healthly nor sustainable. And you will experience the same weight gain everytime you go back to other foods. Hang in there! You're on the right path :-) Just try to focus on making good food choices and keep hitting the gym. The rest will fall into place.

Needing some inspiration today! I feel horrible, I've gained 5lbs... I've been in physio for the last month as I was in a work accident before my weight loss journey began.. I've been here for a month doing physio 5 days a week and only get to get home on the weekends! They only thing I've noticed besides the weight gain is I have bicep that I've never seen before! I live in a hotel for the week and go home the weekends, I try and eat as healthy as I can I buy a roasted chicken and the bagged salad, I know not the greatest but at least it's better then restaurant food! I also have a smoothie for Breakfast everyday I'm here, 1 cup frozen mixed berries, 100 calorie single serving of Greek yogurt, a scoop of body by vi and a scoop whey Protein powder and water! I indulge in some chocolate everyone and then nothing over the top now, and just recently started drinking tea and hot chocolate for a sweet fix! I don't eat potatoes, Pasta or bread! I do how ever eat long grain rice 2 tbs at the most very rare though! Is Water seriously the issue here? I think I've answered my own question I think I only get about 1800 mls a day and obviously that is not enough! Any advice any help would be appreciated as I don't want this to be it the 250"s my goal is too loses anywhere to 80-110 more pounds! Thanks guys... I go home Friday for good and start slowly back to work as a nurse, agh so stressed????

Kickboxing is one of the best things you can do for weight loss, muscle building and strength. I've done it for a long time (before weight gain) and I loved it. I can't wait to get back to it! Sent from my SM-G920T using the BariatricPal App

I stopped taking my birth control a month before surgery and haven't needed to restart it. However, my period has been really heavy and I am thinking about going back on it. Has been on the pill affected your weight loss at all? I know it can sometimes cause weight gain.

I was first diagnosed with PCOS when I was about 18 years old, this was around 1992. At that time, little was known about PCOS. I was basically prescribed birth control pills to regulate my periods. I think I was probably around 200 lbs then. I actually participated in a clinical trial at a research hospital where they were researching the use of metformin to treat PCOS (yes, it's been a while:/). Gradually, the weight gain, painful acne, facial hair, diabetes, high cholesterol, high triglycerides snowballed. All that became complicated by clinical depression. By the time I was 30, I weighed more than 300 lbs. I could not understand why I continually failed at weight loss attempts. I had graduated colleges with honors, earned a Masters Degree, and excelled in my career....I knew I was not lazy nor ignorant, but I could not succeed with weight loss no matter how hard I tried. The depression spiraled out of control and I generally stopped caring about my health, defeated. At 32 years old, I topped the scales at 333lbs. Then I began having long, heavy periods which was my body screaming that something was wrong...endometrial cancer. In 2006 I had a complete hysterectomy at age 32. Single, no children, devastated. Then came medical menopause. I eventually began to feel better and was able to lose down to about 265 on my own with diet and exercise, but it was a hard, hard struggle. From 2008 until 2012 I bounced around on the scale from 265 to 280 or so. My diabetes was out of control, cholesterol very high. I had lap band surgery in March, 2013 weighing 258. Today I weigh 222. My recent lab work revealed excellent control of the diabetes, cholesterol that is only slightly elevated. My skin/complexion has never looked better. I sleep so good at night and wake up rested. I want to lose down to about 180. I don't have periods any more due to the surgery, but I do feel that the WLS has helped to alleviate the PCOS symptoms. PCOS is more than just a disease of infertility. It affects your whole body and your whole life. It is nothing to deny or to play around with. Oh how I wish I had the information years ago that I have now. I would have had lap band surgery years ago. The lifestyle for wls still requires work and conscious decisions to make your health a priority, but the difference for me is that the work I put in actually yields results! Yesterday I bought a size 18 pants when it wasn't too long ago I barely squeezed into a 28. The NSVs are great too! I know that was a long post, but I hope it helps someone.

Thanks so much for sharing your stories. I was banded in March and am down 33lbs. My pcos symptoms are slowly fading. Good to know there are others out there as frustrated as I was with the catch 22 of having a diagnosis that causes weight gain while the only "cure" for it is weight loss. Best decision I ever made!

I expected big things from 2011...just not me! I was banded on September 30th, 2010. It has been a long, but quick process, if that makes sense. I have gone from 325-327 (by my at home scale) to 293.6 , as of this morning. It seemed so daunting when I first started the insurance process, seminars, etc, in April of last year. But, it truly went by quickly. Before I knew it, I was banded. If anyone is reading this and is overwhelmed by insurance hoops, don't be discouraged. Just take it one step at a time because the payoff is HUGE! My last fill, # 3, they put in a little more in my band. That was 3 weeks ago and I've lost about 6 pounds since then. Slowly, but surely! Fill 1 was okay...no real restriction, though, fill 2 was an overfill---followed by some being taken out, then fill 3, I feel, is my sweet spot. I feel like I eat too much (i'm so paranoid about overeating), but my husband says I hardly eat anything. In comparing what I ate before, he's probably right. I still keep track of everything on sparkpeople and really am trying to watch everything. It certainly something that isn't easy and is something that we all have to continually work at. Each day, I still argue with my body about what to put in it. I think it will get easier and easier, but it has hard not to stop at McDonalds in the morning for a breakfast sandwich (not that I can really eat it without getting stuck anyway!), but my mouth would still try. I have just started really trying to get serious about working out. I don't really have time for an actual gym between my kids and my husband's crazy work hours. I have picked up Zumba and also love working out to my Wii! My doctor's office has a program they refer to as 'Bootcamp'. It is 3 nights a week for 6 weeks. Of all of the places in my city, it happens to be held just a few miles from my house, which is great. You work out with a personal trainer those 3 nights, meet with a counselor for a few minutes on 2 of those nights and meet with a nutritionist the other night after your workout. And, as long as you don't miss more than 3 sessions, it is all free. So, I will be beginning that on their next session start next month. I really can't wait! I am starting to have loose clothing, which is great, and my knees are already feeling better when I go upstairs. I love that. When I met my husband, I was hovering around 270. Still fat, but nothing as to what I turned into over 5 years! I guess my happiness was directly correlated with my weight gain, which, ironically, caused unhappiness. But, one the road to being a better me feels good! I recognize I will never, realistically, be 135 pounds ever, but I'm okay with that as long as I can get down to a healthy weight of maybe 170. I really can't wait to to do things with my kids this summer! I can already tell I'm getting more energy and can't wait to see how that goes up, too. Anyway, those are the thought that are in my head today. I hope everyone is doing well after the holidays!

I just completed my 3rd week today and I struggle to get my 400-500 calories a day. I work it ALL day and its a full time job between getting the calories AND fluid in. I too hit that 3 week slump, and I actually gained 2 pounds at my weekly weigh in. HOWEVER, despite the weight gain, I lost inches. I don't really dwell on the weight, but concentrate on the inches lost. I weigh myself weekly as part of my documentation, but inches are more important. Good luck to everyone!

I have trouble remembering to take pills, so my DR recommended Nuva Ring. I've been using it for two months & love it! I have not had any weight gain or swelling.

Ditto here took mine the same night after surgery. i take Ortho-cyclen and it's smaller than a tic tac ! For what my GYN has said the pill will only increase weight gain in some individuals by just 3.5 lbs. If you're swelling up then its water retention and you need to drink, drink, drink water.

Just curious, if anyone tried anything like Optifast before opting for surgery?If so what was your deal breaker that caused you to go ahead with the surgery instead? I'm on the fence my BMI is 32, I can't find anyone docs in my area that will do the surgery with my BMI, however I'm an insulin dependent diabetic, just was put on an insulin pump, which I fear will cause me more weight gain, I've looked into Optifast, wasn't sure I could do all liquids, but after reading on here, looks like for a time after surgery you are on liquids anyway. Any input would be appreciated.

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.

I am donell1000 and I have alcohol and "dry goods" free for 22 years. I sleeved 6_10_2016. What is interesting about getting sleeved is that it feels somewhat like doing a 28 day detox/rehab. Each day I learn something new about myself and I have to work my weight-loss program the same way I work my recovery. What I am trying to wrap my mind around is how someone can loose weight and then gain it back. Is it just going back to eating the wrong foods? Does the smaller sleeved stomach grow back in size? Please let me know your thoughts... How to Prevent Weight Gain After Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery

Preferences § 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 - = Backspace Tab q w e r t y u i o p [ ] Return capslock a s d f g h j k l ; ' \ shift ` z x c v b n m , . / shift English Deutsch Español Français Italiano Português Русский alt alt Preferences Hi, I'm 2 years post op and have 2 issues. First my doctor has me taking 1 Prilosec daily. I recently read that taking Prilosec regularly over the age of 50 yrs, causes "bone mass loss"... makes you more susceptible to fractures.... And on top of that another side effect is weight gain! I was never told that. And I initially lost approx. 25 lbs. but now have gained most of it back. I feel like I never should have had this surgery. I had one fill of my band approx. 10 months ago. A few months later I went back and was told that I didn't need another fill as they were afraid I wouldn't be able to eat without vomiting. I guess my biggest concern now is the Prilosec. Is there any alternative? Do other doctors regularly order this? What should I do? Thanks, Sue Preferences § 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 - = Backspace Tab q w e r t y u i o p [ ] Return capslock a s d f g h j k l ; ' \ shift ` z x c v b n m , . / shift English Deutsch Español Français Italiano Português Русский alt alt Preferences

Hi all! Great topic since I'm sure we see people come and go on this board; it's nice to know a little bit more about those who are currently active. My name is Carrie, I'm 35, and live in Shawnee, KS, which is a suburb of Kansas City. I grew up in St. Louis (Go Cards!), and my family is originally from New York, so I have a crazy weird Midwestern/NY accent. Some things I say make me sound like I'm straight out of Brooklyn and I talk very quickly. I went to the University of Missouri (Mizzou) with a BsED in Secondary Education English and taught high school English for one year. My husband's job transferred him to Kansas City in 1999, and I followed. I've been married for 9 years, and we have a little girl who just turned 2. We also have two dogs: A 4 yr old black lab mix and a 12 yr old yellow lab mix - coincidentally Mizzou colors I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2001 after gaining 40 lbs out of nowhere with no changes in diet or exercise since college. I was always athletic with cheerleading and track and field. I probably had PCOS in high school since my periods were very sporadic but the extreme workouts I did for my sports held off the weight gain. I went through four years of infertility treatments before being successful after rounds shots and IUIs. When I turned 35 I kind of freaked out about it and realized that I'm lucky. I have no issues with blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, etc. I knew I wouldn't be lucky for long carrying around 100 more pounds than I'd like. The PCOS, even with Metformin, made it frustrating to lose weight and almost impossibly no matter what I tried. I decided the band was drastic but necessary. I was banded on 2/17/11 and don't regret it at all. I quit teaching for numerous reasons when I moved to KS and started doing Project Management. I'm now a Quality Assurance Manager for a software company that does software for smartphones (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, etc). I actually get paid to play with the latest mobile devices; very sweet! Nice meeting you all! -Carrie

Fried shrimp is not a sin. I know you are being facetious, but the drama decreases your ability to put things in perspective. Less than perfect choice? yes. Going to cause weight gain and undo your WLS? no. Put it in perspective, learn from it, and move on. Maybe you are not a horrible person because you ate fried shrimp. Maybe the truth is that you gave in to a craving and you are panicked that this is the beginning of the end for you? The thing about humans is that we are not perfect. The thing about successful WLS is that it's what we do 95% of the time, and that we do it for the long haul. One last word of advice - be honest with yourself. Was it 3, 4, or 5 shrimp? As you get closer to goal, it gets harder and harder to lose. If you don't learn in the early days what it takes for your body to lose, you'll find yourself befuddled as to why you are stuck. I do applaud you for taking it seriously. You'll be fine.

I am 7 years post VSG. I lost 145 pounds and kept it off 3-4 years, had plastics and looked and felt great, and then life happened. I cared for Sick parents, husband with early onset dementia and dearth subsequent death, a year of grieving....then one day I woke up and faced the truth of a 55 pound weight gain. September 2019 I began focusing on my health and goals again, and I’ve lost 22 pounds. I had a barium swallow which revealed I have a normal capacity stomach, so really, no restriction. I never had the restriction others describe. Anyway, as much as I hated to do it, I joined WW. I basically eat like a Bariatric patient, using WW as guardrails. I also have increased my exercise and am totally in the Peloton “cult”, which is great because I am loving exercise for the first time ever. I never thought I’d be here..yet here I am, living proof that stomachs DO stretch and even smart, determined people can end up with regain. I believe it will take me until June or July to get back to goal, but every pound lost is a great feeling of accomplishment.

I just wanted to add some facts that have been missed or misquoted in this thread: 1) the last study on mortality associated with RNY showed 4.6% died within 1 year of the operation. In those 65 and older, that figure was 11.1%. The 'way under 2%' death rate that has been suggested in this thread is fundamentally incorrect. It represents perhaps those that actually die on the table (instead of within 1 year), or perhaps the results of one highly superior surgeon. Overall, the picture is far worse than that. 2) There have been several international studies that show by 5 years out, the weight loss for RNY and GB are within 1-2% of each other. RNY do gain weight back starting in the third year, on average. GB studies I have seen show no weight gain or a very small weight gain by the 7th year. Of course these are average results. Some people do much better on one or the other; some do worse. 3) Gastic bypass is the 'gold standard' ONLY in this country, and our medical system is ONLY ranked around 37 in terms of the world. In other words, if there is a gold standard, we probably don't have it- some country with a much better medical system probably does. (Sorry to those who want to think America could only have the best of everything.) Those coutries that are in the top 10 all hold the band as the gold standard.

Hi meimei. I'm in the same boat as you with the RA. There was research done that shows Bariatric surgery has a positive effect on people with RA. I was diagnosed 9 years ago- right after I turned 40. Went through every drug they had. Finally got some relief from Actemra. Get infused with that in addition to my methotrexate shots weekly along with plaquenil. My weight gain was mostly due to being on 60-80 mg daily of prednisone for 6 years. The worst best drug out there. It was the only thing that allowed me any mobility while trying to find something that helped me. I even ended up allergic to Orencia! That was lovely lol. So between lack of movement and the pred- boom! Obese. Funny thing- I was completely flaring prior to surgery and assumed it would be more of the same after. Not! I've been hitting anywhere from 3-5 miles walking a day. Who knew? I'm not allowed to resume methotrexate or Actemra until 30 days out. Kind of wondering if I will? I suppose the best bet is to have some blood work done to check disease activity level. I don't want to go two steps back, but heck- the thought of no RA meds is certainly appealing!!!!