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You are owning up to your failure and that takes guts. Drinking is one big weight gain problem and if you put your mind to it then yes you will succeed. 24 minutes is better then nothing. I wish you nothing but success.

One thing my doc gave me a new medicine for nerve pain. Been taking them for 3 days. Side effect for this medicine is weight gain. I can tell because after taking it about an hour after I feel like a bottomless pit

I was in the hospital, admitted this past Wednesday and discharged Friday. All of my Vitamin levels were low and I was dehydrated. I don't know if my weight gain is from all of the fluids they were giving me but my diet really hasn't changed. I gained 2lbs. Has this happened to anyone? Sent from my iPhone using VST

wow...12 months. That is amazing. I can understand why you would do that. It is stressful and I should eliminate as much stress as I can because stress leads to weight gain! I think I just obsess about the numbers. I guess I just want to know that going through all of this wasn't for nothing. If you didn't weigh yourself weekly, then how did you figure out how many carbs, protein, calories etc. you needed for your optimal weight loss? If you have any advice, then please share. Calories during the first month? protein? carbs? Thanks in advance.

No doubt! I seriously don't remember when I was a size 8 or smaller. I was a 12-14 in high school the the college 15 turned into the partying all the time 30 and then marriage and pregnancy made it impossible to keep up. Starting pre-menopause REALLY does not help matters and then there is the medication which causes weight gain...and don't get me started on gravity!!!! Lol

Sorry PDX didn't mean to imply that the carbs were the main problem with the pasta. Just stated it that way because it was easier then going into the whole starch thing. Obviously the sauce without the noodles will also avoid the expander of the pasta. Personally I do avoid the high carb items like pasta and breads because in my pre sleeve life I was a carbaholic which had a lot to do with my weight gain. Everyone's diet needs to be personalized to what works for them in my opinion.

Copied and pasted from my comment on "Restriction Riddles" There is another factor that affects restriction: My gastroenterologist told me that he's seen many pts like me who have developed GI motility disorders causing us to feel overly restricted. Also, the stomach can spasm due to being irritated by the band. This feels like tightening, because it is, but it's not your band that tightens, it's the stomach muscle. It's not necessarily a "fickle" band as much as an irritated stomach. Since going on a low Fiber, low residue diet almost 2 weeks ago, I can eat again and I'm not vomiting, PBing, or otherwise having "stuck" episodes. I'm eating rice, noodles, potatoes, breads. No problems and no weight gain, since my portions are small.

There is another factor that affects restriction: My gastroenterologist told me that he's seen many pts like me who have developed GI motility disorders causing us to feel overly restricted. Also, the stomach can spasm due to being irritated by the band. This feels like tightening, because it is, but it's not your band that tightens, it's the stomach muscle. It's not necessarily a "fickle" band as much as an irritated stomach. Since going on a low fiber, low residue diet almost 2 weeks ago, I can eat again and I'm not vomiting, PBing, or otherwise having "stuck" episodes. I'm eating rice, noodles, potatoes, breads. No problems and no weight gain, since my portions are small.

Hi All! Well, i'm back! I had replied to a post on here earlier about an elimination diet i started January 1st to see if it would help control some of my cravings, etc. I am happy to say that it has worked! I have lost 10 lbs and have managed to look at this "diet" as a new way of eating. I also feel that it has "renewed my sleeve" (if that's even possible). I guess I was feeling before I started this that I could eat so much more.. and thus gaining weight. I'm now back to literally having a few bites of things and then feeling full (the way we all felt post op to about 1 year after). The elimination diet is from a book a friend gave to me called the Virgin Diet (by JJ Virgin). I believe that the reason it has worked for me thus far is that you have to be completely obsessed about what you are eating all day in order to keep certain things out of your diet. You have to read every ingredient in everything you buy. You have to be extremely creative in the meals that you prepare for yourself. It might not be the healthiest approach, but in essence, I obsess about food anyway, all day, what I can eat what i "shouldn't" eat, which creates a lot of shame, and then tells my brain to eat more for comfort. This diet is allowing me to continue the obsession, but in doing so, i'm searching for healthy alternatives. I'm eating almost no processed foods (which is a huge culprit in weight gain). And by eating mainly Proteins and vegetables, brown rice, etc. this slows down the digestive process, which allows you to feel full longer.... and also, fills up your sleeve quicker. I will admit the past 4 days or so I had a few bites of a cupcake on Valentine's day....a chocolate....two bites of a cheese quesadilla and yesterday, totally forgot to order a "pizza" gluten free. (I say "pizza" becuase it was actually a huge farmers market salad on top of a gluten free crust... i just forgot to say gluten free and thus suffered the consequences). Yep, turns out that since I haven't eating gluten for almost 2 months, I had a reaction to it when I ate it yesterday (mouth numb and tingling and stomach issues). Also, since not eating eggs for the same amount of time, when I tried to reintroduce them, they made me want to gag. I know this sort of thing won't work for everyone, but I feel such success and a new way of looking at food, that I never thought I would EVER see.... I want to share it with all of you that have similar obsessive food issues and emotional eating. You can still eat as much as you want (which us sleevers know ,its isnt much)... that's why I dont really call it a diet... i'm not restricting myself. BTW, the cupcake and the chocolate did not taste good AT ALL! All I could taste was the sugar. I will say, however, the few bites of cheese quesadilla tasted incredible! I chewed and savored both bites of it.... but that was enough. Becuase I know that if I even attempted to eat an entire slice of a cheese quesadilla, the consequences that I would suffer the next few hours following that slice, is entirely not worth it. Anyway, thank you to everyone that posted on this thread. I've read all of your posts and appreciate all of the support here. My spirits are up and I feel like I am in a much better place. I never thought that my sleeve was going to work again for me, and I was completely wrong. We can get out of this.... and its not about willpower becuase that NEVER works. I didn't think I could change my eating habits, but I do feel so much better in my body and this feeling, of not waking up every morning to diarrhea (sorry to be gross but its true), is worth me staying on this path of food decisions. I do suggest you check out the book (or maybe you can find parts of it on line if you dont want to buy it). Take care, everyone!

Sleeved on Valentines Day. Came home from hospital on day 4. Stepped on scale to monitor progress...I was up 14 pounds after being down by 27 on day of surgery! What the heck...? Today I was down 5 of the 14. I had IV's while in the hospital and could understand a little water weight gain, but 14 pounds? Anyone have a similar experience or any answers?

A desk job and an outrageous schedule led to my weight gain more so than a love of food. I say this because I would frequently go a day or more without really eating because I would be too busy to eat. When I did eat, I would eat the wrong things and at the wrong times. My job hasn't changed. I still spend hours at a computer, but I've changed how I do my job. I converted my desk to a standing desk, so I can stand while working instead of sitting. I've also looked into treadmill desks. I feel the standing desk works better for me. I am standing in front of my desk in the profile picture, and I blogged about it when I created it:: http://www.lindasherwood.com/2012/12/06/dream-it-and-it-happens/

Will be meeting with surgeon next week about possible surgery. Want to find those of you who are bipolar who have had this surgery. Do you have any difficulty taking your meds after surgery? In general I would like to hear any/all experiences. I need to lose about 100 lbs - part of the weight gain can be attributed to my depression & medications. Will the bipolar medications I must take prevent me from losing weight after sleeve surgery? My bipolar is stable/controlled but it is imperative that I take my medications regularly 4xday.

I am not a foodie but have gained 100 pounds after being started on some meds known to cause weight gain. My Doctor recommended WLS after mutilple failed attempts at weight loss. Unlike others here who have lost and gained, I have never lost an ounce. I am scared I will do a drastic surgery and not lose the weight. Is there anyone out there who had surgery for the same reason, and did you succeed?

Best thing you can do is stop weighing every day, it will drive you insane. I weigh every Sunday morning before breakfast. Your weight will fluctuate daily, so if you only do it once a week you won't be subjected to seeing that. Yes, you will have stalls and maybe even a few weight gains. Our bodies need time to stabilize along the journey. As long as you know you are eating correctly and doing all the things you should be, just keep doing them and your weight will eventually start downwards again. Be patient and kind to yourself. This isn't a race but a journey that changes our lives.

Sagging skin will have a lot of variables to it. How old you are (the older you get, the less resilient skin is), how much weight you're going to lose (the more to lose, the more likely you'll sag), how long you've had the weight on, etc. Exercise will help. Some people swear by skin tightening cream and dry brushing to stimulate new cell growth. From a tattooist's point of view, where your ink is located will have a lot to do with it. If you carried a lot of weight in your hips, then you may have some sagging issues. If your weight has fluctuated a lot post-tattoo, that will impact it as well. In much the same way that the older you get, the more the ink you got when you were younger changes, so it goes with weight gain and loss.

Today makes 10 days since my surgery. I was 225 day of surgery and 7 days out, I was down to 216. I weighed myself this morning and I'm at 219! What is really going on? I started purée food Friday but I have yet to eat more than 600 calories a day and that is way less food than I ever eaten in a day! I am in panic mode about this weight gain and wondering if this sleeve was a bad idea. Anybody else experience this?

After a whole year (2012) of no fills due to lack of insurance, and me not being able to afford $350 p/fill, I went and got my 1st of 2 INSURED fill last month, I maintained my weight for the 11months i did not have a fill, which my Dr. said was pretty darn good, as he said he expected a weight gain, as did I. So we were both pretty surprised. 1st fill was 1/10/13 - weight was 259, 2nd January fill 1/31/13 - weight was 254. Im going for my 3rd tomorrow and i cant WAIT!!!! The hardest thing I think i had to "get used to again" was the restriction. After almost a year of being able to eat more than I should, its pretty difficult to only eat 1cup of food. Mentally this is hard. Sort of like starting over again but, Im excited and ready for 2013!!! Have any of you out there had the same experience, how did you overcome the mental hunger - bc its getting more difficult each day.

After a whole year (2012) of no fills due to lack of insurance, and me not being able to afford $350 p/fill, I went and got my 1st of 2 INSURED fill last month, I maintained my weight for the 11months i did not have a fill, which my Dr. said was pretty darn good, as he said he expected a weight gain, as did I. So we were both pretty surprised. 1st fill was 1/10/13 - weight was 259, 2nd January fill 1/31/13 - weight was 254. Im going for my 3rd tomorrow and i cant WAIT!!!! The hardest thing I think i had to "get used to again" was the restriction. After almost a year of being able to eat more than I should, its pretty difficult to only eat 1cup of food. Mentally this is hard. Sort of like starting over again but, Im excited and ready for 2013!!! Have any of you out there had the same experience, how did you overcome the mental hunger - bc its getting more difficult each day.

Mine was fairly routine.. but some of the same things you are going thru.. I sure didnt want to eat or drink.. and yes I was tired all the time.. slept off and on all day long.. I was extremely emotional.. but at that point I was told my son had been killed.. so I dont know if a lot of that was because of that..and some of it omg what have I done sort of response is all but gone now. .. but now Im 8 weeks out and all the worries and troubles I was experiencing have gotten lots better... and even a couple of weeks ago.. still not wanting to eat much cuz I was scared of weight gain.. but figured out thanks to my hubby that if I was eating the protein.. the weight would for sure come off..and he was right.. has it been easy.. no not by any means.. but I think the new journey that we are all on is a great one..timely yes.. but in the end.. omg the results are going to be fabulous.. a new you.. healthy and beautiful.. right now we are all like in our cocoons..and soon.. we will break out and be beautiful butterflies. this is a great site to come to for support.. there are a lot of us out there..and sometimes we need each other to lean on and help us thru rough spots.. and thats we are here for.. I have a great support system in my hubby he was sleeved 1 week after I was. He has been wonderful and so have my co-workers at both my jobs.. I still get emotional but for I think more for my son.. but Im better today than I have been.. I was never on meds or anything.. just being over weight was my issue . cant wait to get a new wardrobe LOL.. and not need a belt extension when I fly.. but by all means vent.. it helps.. and best of luck on your new journey.. join Us.. )

My family and a few others know I' had the lapband in 2007. Of course they noticed I lost weight (75lbs) but never got to goal. They never said anything negative and I was happy being 75 lbs down amd not really stressing about weight loss anymore....just coasting. 18 months ago starting to have problems...had upper GI and Endo 3 months ago and found....dilation of esophagus, prolasp of my stomach through the band. Port had flipped because of adhesions...my symptoms were extreme weight loss for 3 months then weight gain with nausea. And just feeling...not right. None of my family knew any of this except my husband. Now ..I'm telling some of my family since I'm having surgery to let them know....we're a close family. I'm really having a hard time explaining why I'm having the band out and going to a sleeve...since nothing really shows on the outside except I'm gaining weight because I can't keep solid Protein down and eat more slider foods. My siblings are asking why I don't just see if I can unfill and let it all go back like before...and they say surgery is dangerous. I'm just second guessing myself all over again. Maybe I want someone to tell me I can wait and everything will be fine....then I wonder how much damage waiting longer will do. I'm soooo feeakimg confused and scared of making the wrong decision like I did with the band..even though I thought amd was told it was the best thing out there for PERMANENT weight loss. My surgery date is Feb. 28th, 2013. Thanks for listening to my crazy ramblimgs.

I'm on one of the biggest culprits for meaningless weight gain, lithium. My psych doctor said that for some reason his patients who get wls don't have the weight gain effects after the surgery, but I don't understand why that would be possible.

I understand. I had my band done in October of 2008. I lost some weight, gained it all back, lost again, gained again plus even more weight, and now I'm trying my hardest to lose...again. Sigh. Right now I'm at the exact same weight I was when I got the band in the first place (and I've recently lost 8 lbs). I have only had 4.something ccs in my 10 cc band. I have had trouble going tighter than that, but have come to realize now that I haven't been doing the right thing by my band. Being able to take huge bites of english muffin isn't right. I'm supposed to be taking small bites and possibly not even be able eat bread. And, tonight I was thinking that I would like to have pizza for dinner. I've been thinking about pizza for three weeks. So, I was working out how much I could have and how many points it would be (just joined weight watchers) and I decided I could have two slices of thin crust veggie. And I was thinking, that isn't going to be enough food. I'm going to need a salad too. Then I was like, (parden the profanity) "Jesus! I shouldn't be able to eat a salad and two slices of pizza at all, much less in 20 minutes for dinner!" (I decided to go with a salad and a few baked coconut shrimp instead). And, I decided that after a year of hiding from my surgeon, it is time to go in for a fill. I'm asking myself, what was the point of getting the band in the first place if I'm not going to use it? I didn't pay $16,000 out of pocket for this surgery to not use the tool I've been given. And, FYI, I have really been on a roller coaster with my band. At first I was expecting magic and efforless weight loss. Then, when I realized it wasn't just going to be easy peasy with no effort from me, I got really pissed (again, sorry about the language) and hated the band for a few years. Fairly recently I decided I wanted the darned thing removed and to see if my insurance would pay for bypass or the sleeve. And, thanks to this website and some of the wonderful people here in the forums, have very recently decided that I can't just hate the band when I haven't really given it a chance. I mean, I am pretty non-compliant with the band. So, I have joined weight watchers and am trying to do a daily 30-60 minute walk out in the desert (soft sand). I made an appointment for a fill today. My appointment is on the 27th. When I called the office, I was disappointed to learn that my long-time nurse I've been seeing doesn't work there anymore! :-( So, I now need to start over with someone new. I am a little disappointed, but maybe this is exactly what I need. A fresh beginning for me and with a fresh person to manage my care (same surgeon's office, just a new PA). I'm going to take a leap and get a moderate fill. I'm going to say I don't want a tiny one, but not a big one either. I want something that I will notice, but won't make me hate life i.e. slime and throw up all the time.

Hi there i haven't had the surgery yet i been told by others who had RNY that when you start seeing the weight gain to get back to basics. High protein low carb and water should help keep hunger away long enough to keep the snacking at bay

Proudgrammy, your thoughts about your daughter really touched my heart. It is such a tightrope that I feel I have to walk when discussing weight issues with my own children. My oldest daughter is 18 and just had a baby. She has the baby fat around her belly because of the pregnancy, but she is still very small. Her weight is probably the highest it has ever been, and it is close to my current weight. I am very conscious of not talking to her about being fat or "losing the baby fat." Instead, I have tried to let her guide the conversations. She asked if she could go to my Zumba class with me, and I was happy to invite her. I've shared exercise tips that I am doing and tried to always frame it in terms of being healthy not lose weight. I think that is one of the things that worries me the most about having this surgery -- I don't want my kids to see it as "mom lost weight." I want my kids to see that "mom got healthier." I try to emphasize this whenever possible including when we are doing really active things. One of the things that worries me the most is that my oldest is a busy mom who works at a fast food place and going to college -- these are all the things that led me to weight gains. I want to help her learn how to avoid my mistakes. I am also concerned about my sister and niece. Both are very obese, but they aren't ready to do anything. My sister is at the point where her health is impacted -- cpap machine, knee surgeries, swelling in ankles and feet, short of breath, unable to walk.... Yet, she has never dieted, and she isn't ready to diet. She doesn't want to change her diet or give up food. I frequently hear from them comments about how small I am getting, and I shouldn't lose more. The other day, my niece mentioned that her son saw that picture of me (my profile pic) and said I needed to eat a sandwich. It is very hard to share what I am learning about being more healthy without turning them off. And I so do not want to cause my daughter to every feel bad about her body because she is amazing and healthy, and I want her to stay that way. It's a struggle.

I had a hysterectomy before my sleeve. I have been on hrt for a little over a yr and I know it causes weight gain. Im losing weight but compared to others im losing slowly. I can't get off my hrt because of awful menopause symptoms (even though I still have both ovaries and hormone levels test normal) Are y'all on hrt? highest weight 224#<br />sx weight 212# (11/20/12)<br />current weight 180#(2/8)