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You should be very proud of only a 2 pound weight gain on vacation. Don't be hard on yourself!! Cool on the YMCA. You will really enjoy that!! My cousin is a personal trainer, so I get a REALLY good deal on training. I just started this week. Amy

This is going to sound harsh but please believe me - it is meant to be helpful. A calorie is not a calorie, different foods have different effects on the body, for example in encouraging insulin spikes and fat storage. But, however you look at it, if you take in fewer calories than your body is using, your body has no choice but to use stored energy - fat. That's is! That's how the body works. Some of use calories more or Jess efficiently, some take meds or have a condition which predispose them to weight gain, so some may lose on 1500 cal a day, some may need to drop to 800. But the basic equation holds true. So to stall for six months, you are taking in at least as many calories as you are burning. Exercise is excellent but unless you are training at the level of an elite athlete, diet counts for 80% of loss. Have you spent a week measuring and recording every singie thing which passes your lips? The only reason being too tight causes stalls is if oeople resort to soft slider foods which are often higher calorie.

Yesterday and this morning lots of pain in abdomin and around port site. Today, less pain, but still pretty sore both topically and in the gut. Unable to urinate well due (I think) to anesthesia. Lots of diarrhea and a weight gain of 6 pounds, despite liquids only diet for 3 days. Could it get any worse?

I had GERD, Gastritis, Esophagitis and Hiatal Hernia. All GI issues had to be diagnosed by a gastroenterologist. I had an endoscopy with Bravo (pH testing), esophageal manometry, and barium swallow tests completed before Aetna approved my surgery. I had weight gain, but wasn't in the Obese range, so that didn't factor in.

Hi Guyyysss !!! I've been a lurker on this site for a while now. I decided that I'd post something since the surgery is no longer a pipe dream but a reality. I've been approved!!! Surgery date is February 1!!! My emotions run the gamut right about now lol. But I must admit this ain't my first weight loss surgery rodeo. My mom and I had a bands put in Jan 2009. She shelled out $20,000 just like that. It worked...in the beginning. I went from 208 to 159. Looked pretty friggin hott too. But I was miserable with my band. I was losing weight and following the rules to a T but I knew the band wasn't for me. I NEVER felt any restriction so my weight loss in my opinion was a result of militant calorie restricting and exercise bulimia. Then complications lead to loss of effectiveness which lead to weight gain and ultimately removal. I gained all the weight back and then some. But now I've been approved, via insurance this time! No strict pre-op diet, no red tape, and a BMI that barely met the requirement. I've been thanking my lucky stars every day. Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and thank all of you guys for your informative, helpful, and inspiring posts that made and will continue to make me want to take control of my health. I hope the surgery brings me much needed success and I'll def be updating regularly. Thanks for reading )

Thanks for the article. I still have so many questions about obesity and surgery. I would like to think surgery studies would be different from the biggest looser weight loss program. I don't see many surgery patients 6+ years out. I think for many reasons. Life turn to normal..You don't Identify with weight loss mode and some experience weight gain. Patients in my area don't keep follow up appointments for 5 years. The studies at my surgeons office are not correct due to the lack of continued participation. This Leave me with more questions than answers. I still depend on all the senior surgery patients. I follow what keeps them successful. I wish I met more people long term out.

Hello all, I have a lot to say/ ask so I hope someone out there is reading. For some background knowledge, pre surgery I weighed 225 pounds. In the last year and a half I maintained a weight of 152-157 I never reached above 160. I recently had a big move, new job, leaving my boyfriend, and a medical issue. I. H.a.v.e gained around 22 pounds in 2 months. I. H.a.v.e all of this self hate. I can’t look at myself because I pick myself apart, I notice a line in my neck and get nervous it’s a fat roll forming, I notice a double chin. I notice it all and it’s the most miserable I have ever been. I can’t fit in my clothes, I cry daily and try to avoid planning outings because I can’t stand my self appearance anymore, where as 3 months prior I loved myself and how I looked. I weigh about 172 as of today. I think one of the biggest things I. H.a.v.e noticed is that I had very little maintenance diet guidance. so I am coming to all of you for answers. In the beginning stages of our diet they say we should not be able to eat more than 8 ounces at a time. now that I’m 2 years out I guess my question is: how do you no how much to eat, how many ounces should you be eating each meal and how many ounces of each food group per meal? They say to eat your protein first then veggies, then starch.... if you were to make a dinner meal for yourself: how many ounces of each would you make. I cant let myself become the person I used to be, I need to get back on track.

Hi everyone. I’m new to the site and have just received confirmation that my band will be going ahead in September! I am so happy I just can't put the excitement into words!! I was diagnosed with POCS 9 years ago. At the time all I suffered from was irregular periods and very erratic moods. I managed to have 2 sons which I am very grateful for. As the years have past though my weight has increased considerably. This weight gain has caused other side effects like Hirsutism and Acne (the acne is mainly just my back) but the hair is on my face, neck, chest, breasts, stomach, arms, back, shoulders ect ect. I have fair hair and blue eyes but this hair is dark and coarse. Unfortunately the excess hair/acne combined with the weight gain and an unsympathetic husband meant my confidence and self esteem hit rock bottom. I became a shadow of my former self and avoided people and social situations. However, I'm pleased to say that things are looking up! I got rid of the unsympathetic husband a few years ago; I have a new career and my two wonderful sons. And I’m hoping that with the help of the band I will be able to lose some of these stubborn pounds and gain some of my confidence back. I was wondering though if anyone could tell me if the excessive hair does improve with significant weight loss?? Sally xx

How many calories are you eating? You may not be eating enough. Undereating and over-exercising will lead to weight-gain; not fat gain (there is a difference) but weight gain. This has to do with hormones, Water weight, and cortisol levels. I disagree with the posters above in the fact that you're building muscle. Everyday bodybuilders maybe put on .2lbs of muscle a week; there's no way you're seeing muscle gain. Gaining muscle takes eating above your caloric maintenance as well. If anything I'm gonna say you're not eating enough and water retention may be the culprit. Give your body another week to get used to the new exercise, maybe reassess where your calories are. I had to bump mine up again recently after seeing that I was burning upwards of 2400 calories a day. Good luck!

Holy Crap!.. i dont know what to say to that Joe, other then thanks for preparing me. I think i better stay off the scale. I don't want to see a weight gain. I think i would just sit in a corner and cry. well that said I know it isn't the end of the weight loss so keep up the good work plug along and you will see a loss soon.

I really don't know what can be said here to offset what you are going thru and how tough it must be to deal with such a loss. So sorry for your loss. But aside from the grieving, you have stated all your pitfalls and potential weight gain issues. You know what is putting the weight back on. So I got nothing. You have to stop doing what you know you need to stop doing. Start with scrapping the coffee. Replace it with some Protein drink to fill you up. Or drink the coffee bitter with not creamer. Possibly with your loss you have developed too much solitude and sedentary idleness. Get out and get exercise. At least if any grieving thoughts keep creeping back in, you'll be burning calories and building up endorphin's. You're situation is textbook sliding back into old habits, (with the obvious additional depression triggers) Get a grip and get your life back in control. You can. It will get better. Life does go on.

Laura - As you obviously know by now, an unfill is not necessarily a bad thing. Being too tight can be downright miserable! In my experience, it was difficult for me to come to the realization that I needed a little Fluid taken out, I didn't want to, but being uncomfortable everytime I ate is not something I wanted to live with. I found myself pbing and sliming a couple of times a week and was embarrassed when it happened with friends. Just a total of .2 cc's unfill was all I needed to make me feel "normal" again. I guess we can both chalk it up to lessons learned. Your weight gain could be from swelling caused by pbing and the inability to eat more solid food. It's so easy to eat slider foods, softer foods that go down easy and yet aren't good for you. It seems like you end up eating all the wrong things when you're too tight, just because it's the only stuff that goes down. But in the end, the ability to eat a more varied diet and more solid food is what helps with the weight loss. I guess sometimes you need to go "backwards" to go forward. Good luck to you! Hope you've found your spot!

As most of you know I have been dealing with a lot of spine problems that have progressively gotten worse over the last 6 months. I had surgery 4 weeks ago to have an old non working neurostimulator removed. They believed that the surgically placed leads were somehow causing this severe nerve pain across my back and radiating into my right rib cage. Honestly this pain has been some of the worst I have ever felt in my life and having severe osteoarthritis in my spine in other places is pretty severe. This pain is even worse. Anyway, we have to wait another 4 to 6 weeks to do an MRI to ensure they don't address artifacts from the surgery I had. prior to this they did do a CT scan which showed a Schwarnoma (benign tumor) on one of my nerve roots in my thoracic spine. Today when the doc examined me we discovered that I have numbness both on my back and my right front rib cage. He believes it is this Schwarnoma on my T11 level that is causing all of this and is not wanting to order an MRI. Instead he wants me to remain on both Vicodin and now gabapentin to see if that helps. If that don't work he wants to do epidural injections and consider putting a new neurostimulator in. I will not agree to that plan. Anyway, he did say that gabapentin can cause weight gain. I have never taken this drug and I am guessing because of how I eat and my bypass tool, the weight gain should not be an issue. I am wondering if anyone is experiencing weight gain with gabapentin and if so do you have tips and tricks on the weight gain front? I have worked very hard to get nearly to my goal and I am very restricted on exercise. I have to be honest I really am nervous about this approach but I am willing to give it a try because this pain has literally stopped me in my tracks. It has been going on since June and it actually overwhelmed me. I have very good coping skills and I normally would not take narcotics but no matter what I do this particular pain has really gotten the best of me. So I am willing to try it but just wondering if anyone has experience with this drug post operative. Thanks for your help!

I am getting my band August 31, 2012 and it is a done deal, I was excited and now I have major doubts. It doesn’t help that my loved ones closest to me have the same doubts as I now do. I have told two people my mom (just in passing so she doesn’t know I am doing it in 11 days) and my boyfriend. Both never had weight issues, super healthy and fitness freaks. I have never really shared my weight struggles and agony with my boyfriend so he just thinks I haven’t tried hard enough, that I am quick to give up a lot. Maybe he is right and maybe this will not work and I will be out of a lot of money. I am looking to not do this alone and have someone that understands weight gain and loss. Who understand why I am doing this and we can support each other to be successful.

I'm 11 days post op and behind what I can eat. I haven't eaten in 2 days cuz I've been severely dehydrated so I been drinking as much water and powerade zero as possible so I have no room for broth or anything.... I stepped on the scale and I'm up 4 pounds from yesterday how does this happen any advice?!!

My obgyn says the anesthesia during surgery can throw off our periods. I'm due again around feb 10 and I'm hoping I don't get the heavy clotting and dizziness that sent me to ER on jan 13. Nuts!!! I'm on Iron supplements too 27mcg 1x a day -- metabolic weightloss doc put me on Vitamin k for one month due to all the menstrual bleeding and OB also gave me aygestin to help slow down extra heavy bleeding next month if it happens for more than 6 hours I'm so hoping I never have to go through that again it's so scary and worse than dehydration for me Wouldn't want to go on any birth control pills either due to weight gain and the bad experience I had with them 6 years ago with rapid heart beat (I was on yasmine) I'll be 7 weeks out tomorrow and feeling so much better these days

Sorry to be so late in responding to this. IMO you did right to measure the chili in a measuring cup rather than weigh it. And you're right in the thought to weigh solid Proteins. And MOST of the time, I measure my veggies in a measuring cup (my doc says 1/2 cup lower carb veggies). I've started weighing them too, just out of curiosity, and different veggies weigh different amounts. I know some bariatric surgeons say it's really more important to go by volume than weight when managing food intake. Your doctor or nutritionist may have other ideas, but when it comes to weighing food, I don't worry if it's 2.7 or 3.2 oz.. as long as it's close to 3oz, that's fine. And if I've been working out extremely hard or if the Protein is a very low calorie one.. like fish, I will sometimes have 4oz. I try not to increase my protein very often though as it could be a slippery slope back to weight gain. It can be a very confusing thing to try to decide how to measure your food, but you, your doc and your nut or dietician should be able to come up with a method that works for you, the individual. Remember the band "rules" aren't really all that rigid.. they can be modified to work with the individual. That's why I much prefer to call them guidelines. All this is based on my experience.. others might have differing views and that's ok too.

I had it from 2008-2011, and I loved it for the first while cause I had no periods. And I also had no significant weight gain. But it does take away libido have its been in a while. So I had it removed. I am getting the Paraguard copper IUD. (no hormones! yay)

Four weeks post-op you are probably only just getting onto solid food. This means that your body has more fuel to burn for you to lose weight. If you are up to it, kick up your exercise a bit. Stalled loss and even slight weight gain is normal at this stage of your journey.

I must've not seen this - cause I wouldve responded :biggrin1: Im very open about my usage of diet pills. I prefer Tenuate (generic) taken with a little food or protien shake preferbally around noon time. The pills are oblong so I break them in half and take just 1/2 a day - when needed. I might take one everyday for 4 or 5 days, then not take another one for 3, 4 days or even a week later. PRN - as needed. When I was first banded and discouraged in weightloss, I remember using the diet pills more often, maybe every day? cant remember. But I DO remember thinking that I would do whatever it takes to get the weight off - even if it was taking the diet pills WITH the band. As for now, I stay around 180 and when I feel a weight gain OR see that my eating has increased (esp. around my period) I pop the Tenuate. ALSO - if I dont have a bm in 3 days I will take gen peri-colace tablets for a couple of days to get things flowing . Dont mean to steal the thread topic, but I did want to repond to you. Im also very interested in reading about the other forms of WLS. So now there's a mini-bypass?

Hi Lisa, I think you are an awesome woman with a bright spirit and kind heart, based on the way you cared for your husband. The six month mark after a death is a tough one, and with holidays approaching, it's even tougher. You are doing the best you can. That's all any of us can do. First, I agree with @@CowgirlJane, the calorie math is crap. There is way more to it than that. However, having said that, it's one of the guides we do have to use to gauge our intake. You probably know what yours should be, otherwise you wouldn't have been so successful to start with. Use that knowledge to guide yourself now. I use myfitnesspal, and the best advice I can give you around that is weigh, measure, and be brutally honest with yourself. That's one of my key actions to keep on track. Second, sometimes during stress you actually can gain weight without an increase in calories, or you can gain in a disproportionate amount to intake. Do some research on stress and weight gain. Lack of sleep (which often accompanies stress and depression) can also lead to weight gain. You could try a counselor for that as you mentioned. However, I was a hospice nurse, so I do suggest you contact your local hospice and join the support group if you have not already done so. They have bereavement coordinators who can talk with you and visit, as well as spiritual care people. The support groups are wonderful. Another idea is to volunteer with them. We had the most wonderful volunteers who had been through losses with hospice, and they said it gave them purpose and the opportunity for social interaction, often with people who had similar experiences. Or maybe you have a church or other group that you'd like to help. It's a way to get out of the house, not strain your back, and have a purpose. As for how to manage your diet, I am with you on the coffee creamer!! When I was 300 pounds, I always had black coffee. Lately, I've been drawn to pumpkin spice coffee in the keurig, and pumpkin coffee creamer. That 35 calories does add up. I'm also going to have to give that up - and I really don't want to! But I know that it is contributing to me hanging on to the last few pounds. It is really hard to make that change, isn't it? I do have the chike coffee, and I love it! And keep coming here for support. We got your back

Mandi, Welcome!!. I'm from Sydney and am being banded on 3 December. I think it's great that you are looking into this properly before making any decision. You may already have investigated this aspect, but have you been seen by an endocrinologist yet. Sometimes weight gain as a teenager is due to hormones. I am 47 and no one ever bothered to consider this until recently and it's been discovered that a lot of my problems are hormonal. This isn't a cure at my age so I'm still going ahead with the banding. I'm not trying to put you off banding - I think that whoever invented this surgery should be immortalised!! But please make sure that you have checked all possibilities for the cause of your weight issues first. Good luck with whatever you decide and let us know what you decide. Danna

I've been lurking here for over a month, this site has been really helpful to me in terms of what to expect and all the little details that aren't mentioned on webMD and the like. So my first order of business is to thank everyone! Second order of business: I got a PCP referral and was called later the same day to set up my first two appointments, I couldn't believe how fast it was and how nice the gentleman on the phone was. Well today I went to my nutritionist appt and it was jarring to say the least. The first thing I was told is that I'm not eligible for the surgery because my BMI hasn't been consistently high enough, and that I need to change what I eat. This is before I even had a chance to even tell her what I eat. I had written up an outline of my past weight loss efforts and she didn't even want to see it. She was very dismissive and offered to give me a diet plan, which I accepted. I was there, and need to lose weight, so why not. What she gave me was practically the exact same thing that I was given about 2 years ago by my old ob-gyn (the one who diagnosed me with PCOS and switched me to a different pill and I will <3 him forever for improving my life) and that wasn't too successful. She didn't even acknowledge me when I told her this, just handed me some paperwork. I have only been with kaiser about 3 years and my BMIs from previous physicals were under 40, which is why I do not qualify. According to her (and she's on the approval board) kaiser of VA requires you to be over 40 for a 3 solid 3 years OR you need 3 co-morbidities that cannot be controlled with medication. My most recent weight-gain has led to high blood pressure but they haven't started medication yet, I have to get it monitored for a bit first. She pointed out my lower BMIs, I explained that I have struggled with my weight since I was 15 (developed PCOS and blew up) and while I can lose some of it I've never been able to lose it all or maintain. I have only been successful in losing weight eating 1000 calories or less (and being hungry all the time), and hitting the gym at least 10 hours a week for running, elliptical, and bodypump classes. I have it all written up, the different caloric restrictions, weight watchers, atkins, etc etc. I was told to do it again. I am just blown away by the fact that I exercise being used against me, when in the next breath I'm told that the surgery won't do the work for me. So, I'm not qualified because I've worked really, really hard in the past, but they don't want to operate because you have to work really hard to make the surgery a success. WTF??! I cannot believe that if I had sat on my butt for the past few years instead of trying to improve my health it would have allowed me to have this procedure and thus improved my health in the long-term. I'm beyond frustrated. I was told that my name would be brought to the next approval team and would be denied for sure. Then I can appeal. Those of you who have been successful getting kaiser VA to approve, how did you do it? I really believe that the difficulty shedding weight is related to PCOS, should I emphasize that, or my past efforts, is there something else I should do? Help!

I'm amazed at how easy this process was. I was banded on 4/11/14. This, was after a four year decision process encouraged on by continued weight gain and insurance cooperation. I did a one week pre-op Adkins diet which provided positive results but I know I could not have done that one for long. I need variety. The surgery was minimally evasive which was plus. I was in by 6am and out by noon. This would include registration, waiting, surgical prep, waiting, visit from the anesthesiologist, chaplain (prayer is always good before surgery) and doctor. A bit nauseas post op, but a shot took care of that and knocked me out again. Then home to sleep it off. Went out the next morning to get Advil. Probably wasn't my best idea, just a little overly optimistic but, they said to keep moving. The gas used to inflate the cavity for the laparoscopic surgery needed to be reabsorbed in the body and eliminated. The process speeds up with movement. So, good time to kick off and exercise program. I've been walking a mile everyday. I have an awesome doctor (Dr. Shayani) and team. They check in daily and no question is minimized. I'm on a liquid diet until day 8 post op, at which time I can convert to soft foods and began to learn which foods I can tolerate. I'm beginning to feel normal again. Based on my home scale I have lost a total of 19lbs from 4/4/14 to 4/15/14. Amazingly though, I have more movement and none of the usual aches and pains. I'm usually dealing with arthritic pain in my knees and back. I'm thrilled about this. I am experiencing a persistent but slight headache. I attributed it to my body detoxing from all the surgical and post surgery pain meds in addition to all the crap I had put into my body prior to pre-op. My doctor encouraged me to have a cup of coffee. Which I am currently doing and will keep you posted. So there you have it, one person's experience after banding.

Here's my weekly update! My band was filled to 3 cc's on Monday Aug 4th. I left the doc's office feeling pretty good after keeping down 8 oz of Water before I left. An hour later........MASSIVE MONSTER HICCUPS!!! It was HORRIBLE. (kinda forgot what those were like! I was unable to keep anything down including liquids by that evening. Pain in my stomach was pretty bad that night and I had to sleep elevated. It brought back memories of having the band put in initially 10 yrs ago. ARGHHH!!! I don't think I was prepared for that! By Wednesday, all resolved it self, I'm keeping my liquids down. Protein shakes are agreeing with me and I was able to move to mushy foods by this past weekend. I have lost quite a bit of water weight and am a little dehydrated due to the restriction, but now moving in the right direction. (10 lbs gone.....I KNOW this is water weight!) Living in AZ, we drink water like crazy because it's so FREAKING hot!! LOL I have an appointment with the doc in 2 weeks. PB's have been helpful and I am encouraged once again to be moving in the right direction. The added 45 lbs has put a lot of stress on my hips (thanks mom for your bad hips.....appreciate it!) and my knees. I'm looking forward to walking around the block with my fur babies and not be in pain as much! As for AROSE, my doc stated we can remove the band and replace if the insurance will agree to pay. The newer bands are better than what we have (mine is also a 5 cc band). You have to be off band for 3 months before they will replace it though (at least with my doctor) and he stated he doesn't want to see weight gain during that time. SELF CONTROL!! lol It's all a matter of what you are looking to do. You've already lost 15 lbs. That's such a great start and it seems you are on the right path. Eat right, use small plates, drink fluids after eating! I think you'll find that you will lose those 15 lbs and probably a bit more now that you've found the right doctor. Good luck to you! Let me know how you do!