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My surgeon did not set a goal weight for me. He just told me to expect to get to around 160-170 lbs by my one year anniversary. I personally initially chose 120 because it was in the middle-ish of the healthy BMI range for my height. Decided to stop at 127 instead because I was thinking I was getting too small. I'm at 114-ish today. Go Figure. Edit: Adding that I also have an arm lift scheduled for mid-December (which I booked/placed deposit on almost 2 months ago)..I will be about 14 months post op come surgery day. My PS surgeon at the time of consult told me that a weight loss of 10-15+ lbs is more problematic than the same amount in weight gain after surgery. I've lost 13 lbs since I saw him last, and I am thinking I may gain that back as part of the regular bounce back after getting to lowest weight. I see him again in September, we'll see what he says then.

I agree with you! My insurance covers it, according to my plan. Except, it has a 6 months waiting period and here are some interesting pieces of "qualifying" events: 1. MUST be 40+ BMI (no co-morbid conditions) 2. MUST be 35+ BMI (2 co-morbid conditions) All of the following apply to both above: MUST have followed a medically supervised diet program for 6 months (unsuccessfully), MUST have tried x-amount of other programs in the past x-amount of time and then there are a few other qualifying events. Even at that, there is no 100% approval rate. In other words, here I was, with a BMI of 34.4 (yes, .6 below the required 35) but I had no documented conditions that would be considered co-morbid. However, I was short of breath, feeling aches and pains in my body, sleeping poorly at night, and emotionally drained from my weight gain. So, I would have had to gain enough weight to have a BMI of 40+ and live like that for at least 6 months. I ended up paying myself because I hit the highest I had ever been, and I just needed a life style change asap. This losing 40-50 pounds at a time and then not being able to keep it off is not feasible, or even healthy in my opinion. I NEED a tool to help me sustain a life long change. It isn't about "looking my best" first and foremost. I want to live a healthy and energetic life - looking my best will be a wonderful reward from that. Do I believe that my insurance should have covered it without the 2 co-morbid conditions? Yes, because it makes me healthier period. On the other hand, being the devil's advocate - I never had a weight problem when I was younger and I do BLAME myself for being where I am at now (ate unhealthy and did not stick with my "new changes" - and, I believe that because of this, I programmed my brain and stomach that it needed more and more). So, maybe it is right I pay for it. I hope I am making sense. **Please note, that I do not think everyone is to blame for their weight - some people have true medical conditions that have caused them to get where they are and I think insurance should be there for them.

we dont eat them in our house. this was an issue with my nutitritionist. she was really pushing them. i am 7 days post opt and doing fine. everything tastes weird from ketosis anyway. lol i use a natural Protein shake (plant fusion) and plain yogurt. i have small amounts of fruit. i'm not really into super sweet things anyway. i love chocolate.. eat the dark stuff. use small amounts of maple syrup and honey. bought coconut crystals to sweeten my ice tea after surgery. it has a low GI. growing up, my dad was fat, drank tons of diet pop, used saccharine in his coffee, even sprinkled it on french toast and pancakes. lost weight, gained it back, died at 56 from a second massive heart attack. they dont help much.

Does PCOS cause weight gain? I was once told I might have this, but it has not been diagnosed.

I'm not with ICE. I'm happy that you CBP guys are getting 6c. FLETC's always been a zoo. When I was there along time back, I stayed in the townhouses - which are now offices. Since then, a bad injury, a slow recovery and a lot of weight gain. It's coming off now though. Good luck to you guys.

It sounds to me as if you may be going into a manic episode. When I start to lose wieght it is easier for me to have them too. Just make an appointment with your doc and see if he can give you something to ease your irratability. I would also mention to him any other symptoms you have been having and the fact that you are banded and trying to lose weight as several of the mood stabilizer meds can cause weight gain.

I know how you all feel! Dont give up...... Well today ( 11/11/09 ) I made it to the doctors office... I weighted in @ 345 so I had to reset my ticker.. It came out 5 lbs over so I will call my start date today. My blood pressure was good, no issues there. I took a look at my chart and my last visit was on 8/5/08 my weight then 287.7 lbs.. Man that hit me.. I could not believe I let myself go that way! I saw a New PA and she was cool. I told her my issue and she said thats ok, time to start over a new beginning. I thought that was nice of what she said with a 57 lbs weight gain.. After a brief discussion she began to feel for my port but could not find it. She went to get the other PA ( who I have seen before ) and after he saw my chart you would think he would say glad to see you here, instead he says" what happen " I said long story.. That was a turn off... anyway I think she will be my contact person there from now on....They found the port and recovered only 6 cc of Fluid. My last visit he got it up to 9.cc, so it was a little concerning about the 3. 5 cc disappearance. He said hopefully it just demish, but was concern that just maybe I would have a leak. I now have 7cc in my LAP-BAND®.. I have another appt on 12/2/09 and they will check to see how many CC I have then. I will also attend an aftercare/support class... On is Bariatric essentials ( basically a refresher on what to eat/ how much/etc) and the other is Emotional Eating.. This will be all done on the same day since the doctors office is 1.5 hrs from where I live.. Hope to lose 6 lbs bt next visit!

I had my surgery November 8, 2008. I successfully went from 258 to 140. I had to have shoulder surgery in June of this year and now the fight is on. Blood sugar out of control, weight gain to 185, and thyroid medication d/t hypothyroidism, I am so ashamed of myself, I have gained all this weight and there seems to be nothing working. The Dr totally unfilled my band and since then he has put fluid back. No luck I am still gaining, and I feel like a hungry bear with no stopping. Blood sugar is crazy. i took 100 unit of insulin prior to surgery and I was able to go off the anything at all for blood sugar. My A1c has climbed and now having to do sliding scale. Anyone else having these issues?

I was banded March 2007. I have not only not lost any weight, I've gained 3lbs over the past 10 months. I have been filled to the max. I don't eat much, let's be honest, I can't. I can't even eat the 4 oz portions suggested. Yes, I'm eating the right foods. I work out 3 to 5 days a week at least 1 hour to 2 hours each time. I was considered a low BMI on the lapband scale but still enough of a BMI to get the surgery covered by insurance. I'm frustrated and disappointed. Isn't there anyone out there that has had this happen? What's wrong with me?

I don't think it is fair that you judge your weight gain while you have slippage. I would take the road of the band not working properly. You should be fine once your band is corrected. Good luck.

UPDATE -- I note that Anthony says (on a new thread he just started -- DEDICATED & RESTRICTED to the topic of back pain related to having a lap band appliance) that .... 1) he was totally drained of fill 6 months ago 2) his regaining weight began at that point in time.. So while it is true that over-restriction can lead to soft-food syndrome and weight gain, it is not true for Anthony. Again, I thank Anthony for coming forward with this problem because it stands to help many people... Theresa

Hi Caroline - I was pretty darn successful while I was banded, but since my unbanding... not so much... :cry But heck, I'll give you advice anyhow!! lol Okay, the trick when you're not as tight as you'd like to be, for whatever reason, is to maximize what your pouch CAN do for you. So you have to think, "How can I get my pouch to get full and stay full for the maximum amount of time?" Common knowledge: 1. Cold drinks generally tighten restriction 2. Hot Drinks generally loosen restriction 3. Water-loading gives an early pouch stretch, the sensation of which can last for some time, even after the pouch empties 4. Foods that do not "dissolve" with chewing tend to pass more slowly through the pouch - i.e. meats, raw veggies, fibrous things 5. Drinking sooner than 1 hour after eating washes food through the pouch faster, minimizing the amount of time to feel full, leading to return of hunger sooner 6. Exercise is a natural appetite suppressant 7. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger - most people are slightly dehydrated 8. sleep deprivation increases stress, which can result in weight gain Based on the above knowledge, this would be my suggestion to you to try: 1. Make sure you're drinking all of your Water every day - .5 oz per pound of body weight. Water and Fat Loss The levels of oxygen in the bloodstream are greater when the body is well hydrated. The more oxygen the body has readily available the more fat it will burn for energy. Without the presence of oxygen the body cannot utilize stored fat for energy efficiently. Not only will the body burn more fat when well hydrated but because of the increased oxygen levels you will also have more energy. http://www.tbfinc.com/water.htm 2. Get a good night's sleep - go to bed earlier than you're used to. 3. Do a brisk, 30 minute walk each day. 4. Water load before meals. Try to drink a quart of water in the hour before you eat, and then drink as much icy-cold water as you can, as quickly as you can, 15 minutes before your meal. 5. Eat solid Proteins and lots of raw/cooked veggies. 6. NO liquids for an hour after meals! 7. Plan, plan, plan. Plan your meals beforehand, so you know already what you're going to eat. Make your lunch and take it with you to work. PLAN on having Snacks, and plan what you're going to use as a snack, and make sure you have it with you so you have a better chance of sticking to your plan. Good luck, and I hope some of this helps!! I need to do this myself... lol

Sadly, I noticed his weight gain as well.

I use to use food for my depression I got up to 315 after surgery I dropped down to 195 well that was three years ago I started to use food as a crutch after the passing of my son I went back to my old habits and know back to 225 I still can't eat a lot but just can't drop weight like I did right after surgery any suggestions.. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using BariatricPal mobile app

I've made a decision that when the surgeon's office calls to set up my surgery date in the next few days or weeks, I am going to push for February. Preferrably the 11th, because where I work that would give me two Holidays off, plus one of my Friday's off. I have the 9/8/80 schedule if anyone out there knows what that is, or has it. I plan to take full two weeks off. Why not? I have plenty of time on my books, and I want to be sure I stick to my liquid diet 100%! That can be hard to do if you're stuck at work and end up not bringing enough to keep you satisfied during the day. So, anyone else out there with a date that month or trying to push for it? I'd love to hear from you and see how it's going. Here is my journey, I hope your up to a long read... I began looking into the lap-band surgery about three years ago when I first heard about the surgery. Not very intently at first of course, and I always said I'd never even consider bypass. Not long after hearing about it my PCP told me I had chronic hypertension. Well, I was only 30 years old at that time! I was blown away. I was a chubby child (not bad), but at about 12/13 I lost the weight and was able to keep it off until about 19. It was about 2 years later I met my husband and we married shortly afterward, and it was at that time I made the most of my weight gain. It was like I was sleeping all though it and I never realized it happened. My eyes were really opened that day my doctor informed me of my disease. Well, needless to say I hadn't even stepped on the scale in many, many years. I was wearing a size 28 at the time of my diagnosis. I made a conscious effort to lose some weight on my own, still not fully supporting the idea of surgery. I did pretty good. I did it through good old better eating and exercise. I lost about a pant size before making that ultimate step onto the scale. It said 315!!! OMG! :faint: You know, I knew I was pretty bad off, but still - even then - I didn't imagine it to be that bad. Keep in mind I'd already lost some weight. I've come to terms with it now, and can easily say I was probably at my max upwards into the 330's. Well, I continued to lose a little more weight in the same way - but somewhere betwee 270 and 280 I'd stopped. I've been yo-yo'ing the last ten pounds ever since. I've been this weight for probably the better of two years now. It was at the beginning of this year I realized I needed more help. I figured I needed a little something to keep my portions in control, as I noticed by journaling my intake I tend to "overeat" especially during dinner hour. Breakfast and lunch are perfect, as always. I do great when my mind is busy at work. It took a lot of courage to ask my PCP about bariatrics. It was almost as if I was admitting to myself especially that yes, I'm fat, and yes - I can't lose it alone. My travels from there have been long and arduous. But one moment of it, I do not regret. I am so thankful for the six month dietician appointments, as it prepared me a great deal and in so many ways. I don't think I will be as successful had I not done them. I am so close now, I can see the Bandland gates from here! So, anyone still going through the toughest part, HANG IN THERE!! It is, and it will be SO worth it. I simply can hardly wait!

I started solids this past week end. My weight goes up and down between 2 - 3 pounds all the time. So, I too am woried about weight gain with the solids. I will be watching what others post.

Well, sure, but even a doctor isn't really likely to want to operate on a healthy patient "just in case." Once the patient really did start to gain weight rapidly a doctor might reband, as happened in Wayne's case, but insurance carriers have their guidelines and preventing future possibilities aren't in them. Personally, if my band slipped when I was at or close to goal I'd first want to see if there were any possible chance that my new behaviors could prevent weight gain before having the band replaced. The less surgery the better, IMO.

@@sallo Honestly, I'm glad I dump from rice and Pasta. I was a raging carb addict, and I am convinced that those were by far the worst contributors to my weight gain (especially pasta - I think I ate it every day). If I could have selected what I dump on, those definitely would have been my choices!

Glycogenation is the primary reason for weight gain when starting a new exercise routine. Exercise enhances your muscle’s energy storage capacity. Active bodies require more fuel, so one adaption involves storing the carbohydrates you eat as glycogen in the muscle tissue. Therefore, you may be losing fat when you start a new exercise routine, but the progress you make has been masked by water weight gain. You could have perhaps lost a couple of pounds of fat the first week but gained a few pounds of glycogen in that time. In essence, you get on the scale and conclude you're stalling because you see water weight gain. You might have even jumped to the conclusion your exercise regimen is all for nothing. Therefore, hide the scale for several weeks. Measure your progress how loosely your clothes fit, not by some arbitrary scale number. Also, bump up your food intake. The less you eat, the more your body wants to retain water. Nourish your body with the food it needs, and it will reward you by eventually shedding its fat stores.

Hello, Well I had the gall bladder taken out and THEY SAVED MY LAP-BAND® I am so happy!!! I definitely think the vomiting from the gall bladder stones took a toll on the LAP-BAND® too! The LAP-BAND® is a piece of cake over this gall bladder. Very interesting fact for you guys. Essentially when you are on a low fat diet for along time like we all have been for the most part...the bile in the gall bladder which really is just cholesterol becomes hard hence turning into stones. In other words the liver shoots out bile when you eat a high fat meal, if it can't keep up it has the gall bladder shoot some bile to break down the fat. But if you don't eat high fat meals the gall bladder's bile turns sludgy then can turn into stones. Unlike kidney stones these stones can not be broken and must come out. So if you guys get food regurgitation into your mouth, bloating, rotten egg burps right shoulder pain and pain in your stomach check your gall bladder. I have to start all over again with Clear Liquids, full , puree, mushies, soft...I can barley remember the stages. You guys reading your posts I see you beat yourselves up over those ten lbs up and down, but the more people I see that have had the full RNY have large weight gains back, hang in there. I have had so many complications but still love my band. __________________

Hi, everyone! My name is Lisa. I'm 43 years old, live in Michigan, and am married, with a 7 year old daughter and a 22 year old stepson. I'm scheduled to have a VSG through St John Providence in August. I'm 5'3" and weighed 225 when I started the process a few months ago. A little about me: I've been overweight my whole life - "chubby" as a child/teen and just plain fat as an adult. You know how some people can carry excess weight and still look good? Well, I'm not one of those people. Although I'm not much of a snacker and don't get into sweets, I have a terrible time with portion control. I've had bad reflux for about ten years. When I was pregnant in 2005/2006, I started having terrible back and knee pain and developed sleep apnea, too. I ended up with preeclampsia and delivered early. I had been sick most of the pregnancy and the majority of the weight gain was from Water retention, which I lost fairly quickly, but the sleep apnea, back and knee pain never resolved. I ended up with an apron of fat that hangs at my waist (yuck) and a fat deposit at the top of my back that pushes my neck and head forward like a hunchback (I can't tip my head back and look at the ceiling). I'm tired and uncomfortable all the time, and sick of not being able to bend over to tie my shoes. I'm really lucky that my husband loves me enough to give me pretty manicures, but I hate that I can't do it myself. I buy Skecher shoes that don't have laces (gah! I used to laugh at people who wore those!), elastic waist skirts (think: grandma's), and the pictures of me in a bathing suit when my daughter was an infant were the stuff of nightmares. If you look at the scrapbooks I've lovingly created for her, there's not a single photo of me. How sad is that? I'm excited about the surgery, but worried about being able to change my portion control problem. I swing between being ready to do it RIGHT NOW and thinking maybe I shouldn't do it at all. My husband is very supportive and says that he loves me just the way I am, but wants me to feel better physically and emotionally and he will do whatever I need to help me in that endeavor. However, my parents aren't as supportive and my friends keep saying, "Oh, you don't need to have weight loss surgery." I feel like I'm being pulled in all different directions. And it doesn't help that I'm a little (well, okay - a LOT) resistant to change. You know, that fear of "out of the frying pan, into the fire"? So, that's me. Anyone out there with thoughts? Similar concerns?

Greetings All! I am happy to have found this site because all I had been finding is Lap Band sites with bad reviews and complaints :smile:. I am open to everyone's input, as I am in the decision stage of the process. I'm in a rut. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm the heaviest I've ever been. My weight problems began with a sudden onset of weight gain 21 years ago. I had a two year bout of a mystery illness and packed on 40 pounds within three months. It's been a battle ever since. My body hurts; my knees, my back, my stomach, my self esteem, my spirit. I hate having photos taken. I discard most of them. I’m depressed and have become unsocial. My worse fear is that I'll just get fatter and fatter. I can't honestly say that diet and exercise doesn't work, because I just can't seem to muster up the will-power to actually stick with a portion control plan. As far as exercise goes, my body just hurts too much to do the simplest of exercise routines. I tried walking several times last and this week and I was in agony. My knees were hurting and my back went into spasms. I’m discouraged and disgusted with who and what I have become. :thumbup: If anyone out there has Tricare Standard, I’d appreciate your commentary regarding insurance coverage for the Lap Band procedure and how easy or difficult it was to get approval. Thanks!

I'm sure your not the first person nor the last to do this You learned a valuable lesson for down the road even after a fill (I'm on fill #4 & still could eat candy if I wanted). I'd probably go back to poached soft fish, canned chicken, scrambled eggs (southwestern egg beaters are great), cottage cheese. Just for a low-cal jump start. The weight gain was your wake up call, but I think you heard it loud & clear. lol...Good Luck you can do this!

Texas u made me smile. I just spent 40 minutes blogging about this very thing. I am sure your weight gain is temporary, if you believe the literature you read, you can gain up to 2-3 lbs in water in any given day and than turn around a lose it. Honestly what you ate yesterday has not had time to turn to fat, I think that is why I stay away from the scales and just go by measurements, Muscle also weighs more than fat. Good luck and stick to what works for you not what others suggest we are all so different.

Wow. In one week, I will be celebrating my 3 months surgiversay. I can't believe my new life. It is amazing and I am so greatful for having the surgery. In retrospect, I can see clearly how being so overweight was affecting my life in a negative way. You make your own destiny. I truly believe that. You have to be willing to reach for your goals and seize opportunites when they arise. Being fat made me reluctant to reach for anything other than food. This sounds harsh, but it was true, so very true. Being so sad on the inside and mad at myself was reflected in my choices, decisions, actions, words, looks, marriage. Once some of the heavy weight fell off, so did the heavy feelings and it has been liberating! Since the surgery, my husband has been crazy affectionate ( more so than he used to be), I have earned a promotion and a substantial raise at work, I am remodeling my house and adding a large addition, and better yet, my husband has decided to take us to Cozumel first part of December-will be my first trip out of the country! I really think that because I BELIEVE good things can come my way now, they are. Before my weigth loss, I would have dreaded a beach vacation before because that means swimsuits, I would have stressed about a promotion and gained more weight, I would probably still be indecisive about what I wanted to do with y house because I was fearful of making decisions so I just didn't make them. I have lost weight before, lots of weight, but I was always overshadowed emotionally by the fear that I would gain it back--and i DID, everytime, plus some. This time, I just know in my heart and mind, that WLS is the key to PERMANENT, MEANINGFUL weight loss because it has forced that hand of changing my lifestyle. I have NO CHOICE but to eat right and if I don't the consequences are very real, very rapid, and very lasting. Hair loss, weight gain, feeling crummy, bone disease, dehydration, and malnutrition are pretty serious tools of leverage for maintaing a better lifestyle when I choose what I fuel up with! I never thought I would get such a sense of empowerment and forward momentum after surgery--I guess because I couldn't believe it to be possible, but NOW, I can!