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I may be late to this post but I agree with not going with depo. Especially if already on it long term. A few years ago I stopped taking BC altogether to see if that was the cause of my weight gain. Plus I think the depot was making me go crazy! When I got back on bc I went with The Nuva ring. It stays in for 3 weeks and on the 4th I take it out and have my period. I love it and so far no significant weight gain that I can tell. Only thing is it's hella expensive and your insurance may not cover it. I know mine doesn't and theres no generic

I am 25 years old 5’ 4’’ 240 ish lbs (~41 BMI) and I have been struggling with uncontrollable weight gain due to Hashimotos and PCOS for the last 7 years. I haven’t been told by any doctors that I should get a sleeve done and it won’t be covered by my insurance but I am willing to do financing. I will be talking to my endocrinologist tomorrow but I am afraid they aren’t going to want me to do it (Idk why I think I’m just nervous). I have already found a surgeon and location to do it Ive just got to make a final decision. Just looking for opinions!

As always I love kathy's @proud grammy perspective The work does not end after goal. Many of us have experienced the emotions that come along with a weight gain. Shame, guilt, depression and feeling we have failed. Self-esteem can take a big hit. This is one of the many mental battles with weight loss surgery. Recovering can be counseling or reading books on manage stress/emotional eating and self-esteem. Topics on whatever issue you are working on...Would love to see a book club because most of us have these issues in common.

This is SO SO SO good to see, i had band surgery on April 9th and have lost 18 lbs and gained 4 back ... My nutritionist took me off carbs, and put me on a high Protein diet. I lost 2.5 lbs. in 3 days :smile: I am eating 5 small meals a day, which also helps me a lot. The weight gain IS a little discouraging, but its worth it. I go for my 1st fill on May 14th, so hopefully it will help w/ the fact that im hungry during the night time, im up late 1-130am, so thats when i used to snack, guess my brain hasnt caught up to the fact that i have the band lol:laugh:. Good luck to all.

Your EF is good so I don't think that would be an issue or contra-indication to getting approval for the surgery. Leg swelling and weight gain is not associated with colds but it is with CHF so you might want to check it out with your MD.

Except for the weight gain, its a beautiful story...and welcome to our world...everyone needs support at some point in their life...Good luck on your journey bec thats what it really is...l think l would have gone nuts without this web site..so many caring people and so many stories..no matter what kind of day you might be having, something you read here, will cheer you up. we all basically go through the same things here..we are each others support...Welcome

I have BCBS also HMO in Massachusetts and they didn't ask for this form. I needed a referral from my primary and then document was submitted for approval. I just happen to be with the same doctor for over seven years and they had a record of my weight gain and lose over the years maybe that is what they used. But speak with BCBS and they asked me several questions and he said if you can answer yes to one of them then you will qualify. His questions were is my BMI over 40 - yes are you over 100 pounds over weight - yes does your doctor recommend this - yes, over the past few years have you tried any other method and list the methods - yes I named them all. Can you see if you can talk with your primary and get referal or he or she can write the letter for you to BSBS? I hope all goes well for you!

Big one in my opinion: Refuse to go to therapy. If I gain, I know I need to go to therapy. I'm not ignorant about the poor choices I'm making....I know this stuff backwards and forwards and I am noticing every ounce of the gain (even if I'm ignoring it.) If I gain...I'm choosing to make poor choices. There's always a reason for being self-destructive. Gotta tackle the reason to make good choices. For me, not going to therapy when I know I really should...is the quickest way to get in trouble. I don't go all the time, but when really hard stuff happens....I'm over being proud and defensive. I just go. And feel better. And make better choices. Boom! I lose weight. For me...weight gain= out of control food addiction being used to medicate emotions. Therapy helps me sort that out. Seems like it should be obvious by now, but it's not. Addiction is sneaky.

That's a good list. Those are the things that caused my 10 lb weight gain. Well, that and going into Walgreens every Friday night to buy chocolate! 🙂

To add on to this, as a collective nation, we have been "Low Fat-ed" death. Over two decades of people pushing low fat diets. Low fat foods which were stuffed with sugar and carbs to compensate for the loss of flavor. I also do not bother counting fat content at all. I eat a high Protein diet, and try to keep the carbs down. Fat falls somewhere in the middle and you'll find will moderate itself if you are keeping high protein/low carb. I'm not saying it's cool to eat a bucket of lard, but the way our brains have been conditioned to see fat in foods as bad is mind boggling to me. Fat in food does not equate to weight gain.

Let me/us know what happens with the weight gain and surgery date. I am on the diet and am worried also,,,thx.

Welcome from the Land of Gracious Living -- that is what it says on the local license plates. I am watching the sun set after a full day of watching the NCAA basketball tournaments, 60 Minutes is on the HD flatscreen, and I am overdue for my delicious dinner: a chocolate Protein shake. I am scheduled for my surgery on Wednesday, March 24th. I won't know for sure until tomorrow afternoon. Last Thursday I went to my surgeon's office to meet with the surgery scheduling person; they weighed me as I had been on the liquid only diet for the previous ten days. To my chagrin I had gained four pounds; the young lady I met with informed me they would need to reschedule me because of this. I was totally bummed and confused. How did that happen? After a few minutes of protestation and dismay, I gathered up my crestfallen ego, took my wife by the arm and made my way back to the parking lot. My option was to lose this weight and a few more by Monday; my surgeon would decide then if it was a go or no-go. If a no-go, the young lady promised to reschedule me the first thing the following week.:laugh: Fast forward to the afternoon when I met with my Family Physician. We chatted about this situation and he asked what exactly was I eating. So I rattled off a litany of things including V8 juice, the broth from chicken Noodle Soup and Beef Noodle Soup, and at least 72 oz of G2 Sports drink/day. He started to chuckle and asked me to lift up my pant leg so he could look at my legs and ankles. He gently squeezed me just above the ankle for about 30 seconds, enough to leave a noticeable indentation. He looked me in the eye and said, "I am surprised at you. You are a college graduate, a pretty smart guy. Yet you didn't realize you were pumping yourself full of Sodium. The weight gain is Water weight." Pointing to the bottle of water I carried in, he said, "And your solution to losing that weight is to cut out the G2 and stick to the water." So for the next three days it was Protein drinks and bottled water -- interrupted by a few dozen visits to the WC. Hopefully, I will have something good to post tomorrow night. And if not, I am cool with that, too. It may mean another week of protein drinks and water, but I will lose the weight to improve my chances for a successful surgery. Enough about me. How are you ex-fatties doing now. I need to read some success stories!

Does anyone know if any sleevers have had Mirena put in after surgery, and if they have had a weight gain?

I had the Mirena IUD put in me before surgery and have not had any problems or weight gain. Good luck and God Bless.

I hate to hear that you're going through this, but slightly relieved to hear someone understands...I'm six years post band, started to become underweight...upper scope by GI showed band slip and HHernia...waited a few months and decided to have conversation about band removal...first time seeing surgeon in 3 years...he was able to remove fluid from band 9/12...9/17 had extremely swollen legs, 9/19 scale showed 30lb weight gain. Started Lasix and some fluid has come off but now I have a distended abdomen...constipated, meds only way to get relief...surgeon does another scope, says all is fine and I must be eating too much...that was 10/14 where I had then weighed an additional 10lbs So within 30 days I've gained 40lbs, can't have a normal BM, or wear anything that's not elastic waisted...I don't know if I could've gained that much trying...look pregnant and feel so uncomfortable...waiting on insur to approve CT ..just hoping the mystery can be solved SOON!

I did have a therapist throughout but not through my bariatric team and not in connection with being overweight. I don't have a food "addiction". I gained weight during a long term illness that left me bed bound and taking medication that causes weight gain. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Well they say this is the first stop on here so i guess i should start here! I have not been banded yet but have been trying to be for 2 yrs now. When my mom first heard of this surgery we went to a meeting (Seminar) to get the info on it. Well I waited to talk to the Dr afterwards and I told him that I have been on this continual cycle of getting bigger and bigger and wanted to get this surgery done and he pretty much looked at me and said no way you are a candidate for this procedure. That really pissed me off cause I have seen what weight gain is like in my mother and I am headed straight where she was (before her weight loss surgery) except I am like 5 in. shorter than she is so I carry it very very different! I am still on this band wagon (ha no pun intended) and doin my 6 month term trying to get BCBS to pay for my surgery! Still have 4 months to go. Any suggestions or just a pick me up would really help I am so miserable its not even funny I want to go get a loan and just pay for this damn thing myself!:help:

Okay I'm not talking about like, 4 or 5 pounds... I'm talking like maybe 15 plus at least. I'm talking a significant weight gain. Yes it is possible for this to happen! I’m testimony to it. I gained from my lowest since banding of 227, to a current 255. Now before you get on my case, look – I know I blew it. I KNOW! Thank goodness this is a support website where we can all air our grievances without getting an earful from others who have not experienced this. I’m not looking for that. I’m looking for encouragement. Just a kind request: If you are here to tell me “Get a fill” or have an almighty attitude, please don’t. I really don’t want to hear any of that, and I truly thank you for honoring that in advance. I’m plenty tight, thank you. For that has no bearing when I’m eating ice cream or any other food that just slides right down. That said, I’ll continue on with what I had in mind. I gained when I was on birth control pills. I got off of them as soon as I could! They made me want to eat all day long! Now I’ve been stuck at 245-255 for the last several months! I can’t seem to get it right! But as I’m reading around I’ve noticed a few others like me that for whatever reasons (and I don’t care why it is) have gained some weight back too from their lowest. I don’t think that matters now anyway, as to the why. What is important is that it is accepted and to try to lose that weight again. Not over and over like I seem to be doing. I really have good intentions, and I will do well, but just until I get to a certain weight and I flux back again. I think it’s usually around “that time”, but heck the buck as got to stop here. I can’t take it, it’s like torture! I really have what it takes to do it, so I just have TO DO IT. So if you are in a similar situation as me, and you have gained some weight from your lowest, let’s get together and chat here. Let’s talk about what we are doing to correct it. Let’s talk about and announce our accomplishments and console each other when we have a set back. Let’s put up a ticker or something in our sig lines that are showing we are getting back to where we started! We can do this, if we do it together. I’m not looking for a challenge, the only challenge I face is with me. I just want to have someone to talk to that has similar issues. I’ve tried almost everything so far. Now I just need some people who can understand what I’m going through.

Hiya delove--- I have no problem swallowing the Camila pill (also known as the mini pill-- I'm assuming because of its small size and lack of estrogen). You take it every day at the exact same time and there is no week of sugar pills like with the other pills. It is very small and goes down easy. I don't necessarily need to wash it down with water either...it's that small. I've been taking it for almost 2 years now with no other problems, ie: weight gain, hair loss, etc. To get a good sense of what's best for you, check with your doc, but in the meantime, check out www.bedsider.org. There is tons of information on all the different kinds of birth control available on the market today. It also compares different types and can give you a better idea of which one may work best for you. They even have appointment reminders, refill of your medicine reminder, and daily reminders to take your medicine. You can use all of those things are only one of those things, whatever works best for you. I use their daily text reminders to make sure I take my pill at the same time every day. The reminders are usually facts about sex/birth control statistics and other random things, so just be mindful if you offend easy. But I like that they are using facts so I'm okay with that. (Even my co-worker uses the text birth control reminder the help him remember to take his heart meds daily, lol!!!) Message me if you have more questions!

Want, that is fantastic news! I’m so glad that you are still feeling restriction! It sounds like it just might have been the tech missing your port last time, or maybe when he unfilled to check how much was in there he did forget to put it all back in. Strange as it may seem!! You might want to, just for right now stick with liquids for maybe a day or so until your swelling goes down. It sounds like you had a pretty bad episode with the jerky. I’ve never had problems with jerky TG because I just love it! I can get by with just an oz of it and be good for a quick fix until dinner, or I will drink a slim fast first, and then top it off with that. It seems to be carrying me all the way until dinner time! That is so wonderful, and I’m enjoying this very much. Congrats also on your fullness!! That is so awsome and I do hope it helps to get your scale to co-operate!! :rolleyes2: JR, hello! Thanks for joining us. J Regarding the Slim Shots, I just pop one open and get it down my throat as quickly as possible. They taste pretty bad! Then I swish some Water through my mouth to get some of that taste out. Right after taking it, I’ll eat a meal (which the box suggests to do) and I seem to fill up pretty fast. Even faster than with just my band! I really like that because I seem to eat more than I should. Of course it is still way less than pre-band; it’s still more than I think my body needs for survival. Since doing this, included with discontinuing my steroidal inhaler and plenty of exercise, I’m starting a downward trend again. I’m pretty wary though this time. It’s familiar territory, and one in which I seem to keep finding myself in. It’s like I’m in some kind of crazy revolving door! Enough already!! I’m going down for good this time. I will be back down to that 227 that I left so long ago now. LOL!! I think I want to see that 227 more than I want to see that darned 199 for goodness sake! Heh, anyway, I’ll let you know when I get there. ;o) The reason I’m telling you all this is because, as you can see I can feel your pain. Yours is a revolving 5 pounds, mine is 10. Ten up and ten down... 145-155 over and over and over…. Blah! Thanks for asking about the interview, very sweet! J Unfortunately I don’t qualify for the position. I still need to take a few more classes to be reachable… It’s pretty sad too because I believe I was the top candidate. I sent my interviewer an email later that day after my interview explaining all the classes I have, vs. how many I should have. She replied and said, it didn’t look very good but she would investigate. Now one thing I know is, a manager won’t “investigate” unless they want to bring you aboard. I know though it won’t happen. There really is no getting around that, unfortunately. As a side note too, I want to reiterate that loving my band has not much do to at all with this thread. I TOO STILL LOVE MY BAND!! It has helped me in so many different ways, like preventing some serious weight gain. True I gained, but in the grandest scheme, it’s tantamount to what I could put on. Trust me, I know. I’ve gained 120 in one year before. Well, it’s been a year since I’ve stopped losing and it could be so much worse than my 30 right now. Pbrown, its really hard to get to the sweet spot. I guage mine by how much I can eat, not by how hungry I get or how fast. I’m pretty tight and I have a darnedest time eating (slow and chewing to hog heaven), yet I still seem to get stuck pretty easily. I just don’t think the band works exactly the same for everyone. I wish I was one of the lucky ones where the band helps to suppress hunger, but I’m not. That is why I have decided to find alternatives to do that for me. IDK, I just have a really hard time ignoring my hunger pains. *sigh* Welcome BTW!!

Hi all! I am 13 months post op and 8 weeks pregnant. I am really struggling dealing with the food cravings and being hungry all the time! I am still king mostly healthy choices but if I don’t eat like every two hours I feel sick. I have gained a few pounds already and was hoping for some diet help. I can’t eat cold meats or deli meats which made up most of my diet before. Does anyone have a diet plan they follow during pregnancy? I understand I will gain weight but I want it to be a healthy weight gain. Thanks!

I am 5'2" tall and 180 lbs, looking for an advice which procedure best and safest. I spoke to my family doctor and suggested the balloon but my worry there, can I maintain my weight after taking the balloon out after 6 months or gain back? I did Keto for 4 months and lost 20 lbs but gained back when I traveled somewhere for 2 weeks as I used to do exercise and cook my keto food. Until I slowly feel that my weight gained back and can't keep my keto routine and exercise. My family doctor says Gastric Sleeve surgery is irreversible and if there is an infection and something wrong or not for me, I can't put it back. And later on, there must be a serious side effect. And now I am here, I don't know what to do. Please drop advise and opinion and encouragement here please!!!!!!!!!

I just recently had mine replaced and I had to wait a week prior to gettin the new one and I noticed during that week I lost the most weight in one week ever. Now that I have gotten it replaced I noticed that my weightloss has slowed Down. I kno the alternative is pregnancy and that wud cause way more weight gain but I have to say that this is so annoying

My doctor told me I have to get an IUD. Weight gain worries me but my biggest concern is having it put in. I'm very big and had a c-section, I read it is harder to insert if a woman hasn't had a vaginal delivery. Anyone have difficulties? Sent from my iPhone using VST

Never been a big eater. Once a day. Which is where my weight gain comes into play. I haven't eaten a thing and I know if I was told I could I wouldn't be able to. I DO however have hunger pains and its annoying me. I know my body has calories stored and I'm not dying.