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OMG, that woman was totally out of line. You should report her you know what as soon as you can. I had been made to feel like a failure many years ago after a small weight gain--it totaly derailed my progress. Now, looking back, older and wiser--i wish I never gave that power away. That PA is a liability to that doctor's practice and he should know about it. And i hope you are finding a way to recover from the experience. We are all unique and on unique journeys. My progress the second time around is much slower than the first--but it is happening, slowly but surely. Stay focused on how much better you feel, and how much better you will feel in the future, however long it takes to get there. Best of luck to you.

I too was a bander at one time. I worked in a hospital and there were 5 of us who got it including my husband. In the beginning we all had success, however, for me it was short lived. I only lost 24 lbs and gained almost 50 back. After a few years my restriction was getting worse and I decided to look into the revision. I found out several things...my band was placed too high (by a different surgeon), when he sutured the band to my stomach the sutures punctured my stomach in two places, and my band was ulcerated. I had to first get my band removed to allow the ulcer and my stomach heal and then three months later went back for the sleeve. My husband established care with a surgeon a few weeks ago only to find out that his band was "too tight." Which resulted in weight gain from almost two years of eating slider foods. As for the other 3 women who had the band in 2009 and 2010 when we did, NONE of them are happy with their bands and two are looking into revision now that they've seen my success. Yes, the band was the craze several years ago, however, the surgeon who did my sleeve...his practice is no longer doing them because of all the complications and failure rates. Also, the sleeve is not as "new" as some believe. Back when the bypass began 20 plus years ago, they used to do the sleeve on super obese patients as a first surgery to get their weight down to minimize the risks of the bypass surgery. A lot of these patients lost so much weight and never bothered going back for the second part of the surgery. If you look under anniversaries...a few weeks ago I seen someone celebrating her 20th year post op. It's believed that the sleeve will have better ratings than the bypass, but since it hasn't been an exclusive surgery as long as the bypass it will take several years for the statistics to show it. As for your SIL, the sleeve is very different than the band and she will be thrilled with the success compared to the lack of with the band!

Congratulations on both your new baby girl, (beautiful and I like her name!), and you small amount of weight gain. Best wishes! Karen

I would say, by definition, I was a slow loser. I had a total of 80.5 lbs that I wanted to lose to my goal after I had my surgery. In the first 6 months, I lost 55 lbs. Then, it slowed to a crawl. In the next 6 months, I lost 21.5 lbs I stalled at this point for 3 months and I actually thought I might be done losing, then I lost 3 more pounds, now at 15 months post op. Once again I stalled for about 2 months and thought I was done losing, still about 5 or so pounds from goal, but I was really that worried about those 5lbs. Then, 18 months post op, I hit my goal weight of 140lbs and 80.5 lbs lost. In the months following, I dropped a few more pounds! Now I have a 3-4 pound weight fluctuation. My cycle is a major factor in how much I weigh, so I try not to let it bother me. I can go up as much as 2 or 3 lbs during ovulation and 3-4 lbs during TOM. My weight loss near the end only really occurred in the 2 weeks in between Tom and ovulation, so I highly encourage women to really pay attention to their bodies. I also get wicked cravings and have a very hard time not wanting to eat everything in my path. How do I cope with the cravings? I do not keep anything in my house that I know I will eat. Now I am over 2 years post op and have not had many issues maintaining for the last 8 months. I am still learning as I go and I still make mistakes. But over all I would say I eat healthy 90% of the time, and 10% of the time I don't. If I am going to be truthful, I never counted anything (calories, carbs, protein), I never weighed anything, and I don't exercise by definition regularly. I did follow my post op guidelines. I rarely eat bread (but I will eat garlic bread when out for supper) and I eat very little other "white carbs" like rice, Pasta, flour, sugar (notice that I did not say never). I do not drink with my meals, I still occasionally drink Protein shakes, I eat a lot of greek yogurt sweetened with stevia, drink 2% milk, eat nuts, and enjoy veggies AND fruits. I will still have an ice cream cone once in a while, I will still eat chocolate and I will still have other treats as well. I just do not keep them in my house so they are not tempting because I do not have any more will power now than before surgery if food is sitting in front of me (hence a 4 lbs weight gain over Christmas that I am happy to report is all gone again). I wanted to make changes that I know I could live with, maintain, and be happy with for the rest of my life. I am happy with the weight I lost, and even though it was slower in the "sleeve" world, it was still faster than any other time I had tried to lose weight in my life. My new habits are firmly entrenched, and even if I stumble now (like Christmas), it is not difficult to get my head back in the game. I would not change what I did and how I did it and I love this tool that I have been given!

I would say that for nearly 20 years the numbers on the scale had the power to affect how i felt about myself each day. Now though, I think i'm so much more than the number on the scale--or the number on anything else for that matter (i'm so much more than my age, my height, my income, my shoe size, or my dress size!) For me personally, I find that obsessing about anything does not feel good to me--especially obsessing about the numbers on the scale. I try not to weigh more than once a week and I remind myself that it takes 3500 calories to gain one true pound of fat. If the scale shows a two pound weight gain from one day to the next, does that mean I ate an extra 7000 calories?! No. Water weighs a lot...those two pounds are more than likely water retention. I think bodies are tricky things to try to control...they sometimes have their own agenda/wisdom. If you're exercising and eating right, then eventually the mathematics of what you're doing right will show up on the scale or on the tape measure. Best of luck.

My surgeon is shooting for next month provided we get all the testing results back soon. I'm so excited but scared. I keep thinking its not gonna happen because I want and need it so bad. The cardio is the only thing I have doubts about tho. Over the last couple months a couple times a day I find myself gasping for air. It ably last two seconds. I have also gained an additional 20 lbs in the last two months and have been major stressed because I lost my job (also two months ago). I think it's from my weight, high Bp, etc. I was told about 10 yrs ago to stop taking diet pills because of something with my heart.... Forgot because it was soooo long ago. But I remember it was something minor. Most docs are against diet pills tho. I think if something was wrong with my heart I'd know it. I feel fine besides the weight gain, back pain, and headaches from high Bp lol.

I am a vet lol. Never thought I'd be happy about that. I am so happy we have this post. Thanks Susan. I agree on no complaining about stalls and the earlier process of our weight loss. I really do like hearing from others about how their doing when in maintenance and about whether they have weight gain etc. right now I'm doing food. I do look kinda baggy too. Noticed how skinny I look in the mirror and went wowZa. I do love my body. /)

I had a band twice and agree with others that I should have chosen the RNY. I was worried about the malabsorption, but have since learned that the is minimal malabsorption depending on your surgeons technique. I have a good friend that had the sleeve done she did well 6 months out and now I only see weight gain on her. you can stretch out your sleeve just as easy and your RNY stomach in time. The biggest difference the way the food is routed and digested with the RNY. I was offered the sleeve but told that the only difference between my band and sleeve is a foreign object (band). The gold standard for successful weight loss is the RNY you have to t ready to change the way you look at food and if you are a sugar addict you will suffer the consequences and I doubt you will every want sugar again if you have a dumping syndrome moment. I have a sister in-law with RNY same time I banded and she lost 90 lbs in the first 6 months, but now has gained back half. He surgeon won't even see her after a year post op! If you have a good surgeon/bariatric group you will be a lifer with followups which is the way it should be. Anyway sorry I ran on and on. I will be band to bypass on Feb 6 and I am excited and nervous at the same time. I have a lot of scar tissue and adhesions that my surgeon has to contend with but I have the utmost faith in him as he has repaired many botched bariatric cases. This blog is great I have had many good conversations with people and hope to have more and learn more as my journey progresses. I am sure you will make a well informed decision and it will be right for you:-)

I know there is so much more to weight gains than just food addiction. I wonder sometimes if I've gained weight to "test" relationships that I have, Push people away...

Don't beat yourself up. It was one day, one slide. The weight gain was likely just due to sodium. Even if we eat according to plan, sometimes, the scale goes up (can't help myself I weigh every day). 50 lbs is fantastic! You will be fine, and if the time comes you have another 'oops', it's OK. As long as they are not every meal every day - you will be good. :-)

Sara-You can start walking right away! the strength training they want you to wait 6 weeks, but I started just doing light stuff at 4 weeks and I was fine. I did squats, lunges, 5lbs curls/flies/chest press, and I tried to walk a mile a day. I would have to go back and look at my old posts and see what I really did! LOL but that is what I remember. At 4 weeks I hired a private trainer and it was the best decision I ever made! So everyone else who is struggling with the eating and the ups and downs of weight, I have a suggestions. Counseling! I started this journey with bimonthly counseling sessions and during really tough times I increased it to weekly. September was a very emotional month for me as some of you can remember and she helped me stay sane and maintain my weight for the month and get back on track. I don't think I could have done it without her. I know I am an emotional eater and will always be an emotional eater, but having that person to help me sort out my emotions so when I do eat I don't over eat have been really important. We all have baggage that has caused our weight gain and until we work on it and deal with it we will always struggle with eating. I originally thought I could just get the band see my doctors monthly and therapist every few weeks and be fine. but I quickly learned that was not enough. Here is what I have in place now: 1. Personal trainer once a month and a semi-private circuit training with him 4 days a week, once a month nutrition check in 2. counseling 2 times a month 3. My fitness pal daily 4. Lapbandtalk weekly or more if needed 5. Dr. visit monthly 6. Hospital support group monthly (I can't always make it) that is a lot of support and I needed every one of them to get where I am today. Well of to meet with my trainer for my 1 year anniversary with him! I am going to have full measurements and a weigh in!! I will report back as to how many inches I have lost. Oh and he is going to look at myfitnesspal diary and help me with better choices, since they have not been so great lately!! TTYL

I am almost two years out( July) I can not loose anymore weight. I went from 273 to 188 and now back to 199. I need help. I am getting married in July and want to look amazing. I am only 26 and this is starting to depress me. Hence the weight gain from depression meds.

Good luck!!!! I'm a former runner looking to get back to a pre weight gain and pre ankle injury running status I understand where you are. Please be careful and don't push yourself too hard. You'll get there. I'll be cheering you on. Be sure to keep us posted on your progress.

They told us to actually expect some weight GAIN post op until several days out because of all the fluids they give you and the swelling etc going on.

just want to remind you that one of the pitfalls i have heard about is drinking your calories. drinking things high in calories will not promote the weight loss and can even bring about weight gain. I know how you feel about missing something you loved. I loved icecream and it is one of the few things that still tugs at me saying "eat me".. i haven't given in and i hope not to.. not yet anyways.. still have lots of lbs to lose! good luck!

Hello All, It has been a really long time since I have been on the message boards. The last time I posted I got some what negative or no feedback but I am desperate and going to try again. First of all I got banded in May of 2012 and since then I have lost about 50lbs. I was so excited when I hit the 299 mark! Well the holidays threw me off track and I did not get a fill since like October. When I finally went for my fill 2 weeks ago I had only gained 5lbs since my last visit so I was dissappointed about the gaining weight...but psyched that I didn't gain way more because I basically ate whatever I wanted over the holidays. So since getting the fill in January I feel so very uncomfortable. It feels like Water trickles...every meal hurts and I am resorting to soft foods just so I can get things down because it takes forever to eat anything. I really feel like I am in the red zone. I called the doctor about getting an unfill but was basically told "no chew slower". I know my body and my weightloss has been pretty good but this just doesn't feel right. Prior to my fill I actually lost 2lbs. But since then...only been gaining! I am back above 300....306 to be exact and not pleased!!! Now on to my second "problem". I have recently found out I am pregnant!!!!!!! Needless to say it was not planned. I am sad and happy at the same time. I was in a relationship for almost 10 years and could not get pregnant. After all that time he tells me he is now too old to have kids (43yrs). We broke up almost a year ago. I since then had found a "special friend" and low and behold...when I gave up on every being pregnant here I am 37, banded and 6 weeks pregnant! I can only assume the weightloss led to an increase in fertility...I knew that could happen but assumed after all that time I just couldn't get pregnant. So now I am freaking out because I don't want to tell my Band Dr that I'm pregnant because he might remove all the Fluid in my band. I want to go in and tell them to take some fluid out due to the "red zone" feelings....but definitely not all...and most important...I don't want to gain all of my weight back because I am now pregnant. At this point my mind is spinning and I'm scared to gain back weight when I was so close to being under 300lbs! I don't want to gain any weight during my pregnancy but I also want to do whats best for the baby. Not even sure if weight gain is baby related, band related or what....definitely think its too early to be baby related. So that is my novel!!! Help me with Red Zone thoughts, help with dieting while preggers, and help with worries about gaining...just help!

The research is mixed on this. I wrote a white paper on this very issue a few years ago. I was addressing a hospital that banned all sugar sweetened beverages from being sold on its campus. I wanted to see if there was a link in the research between artifically sweetened beverages and obesity. There is emerging evidence on this but the physical link is not very strong. I found several studies on animals and only a few of them seemed to indicate that there was a metabolic effect and it was not replicated by peers, which means it's somewhat questionable. However, the mental link between consuming artifical sweeteners and weight gain in observational studies is more compelling. (essentially meaning, that those who drink diet sodas are more likey to engage in food craving behaviors) If you want to send me a private message with an email address, I would be happy to send it to you. It has a lot of good literature referenced in it that you could look at. As an aside, I consume splenda. I count my carbs, Protein, fat and calories everyday.

I just did mine yesterday and mostly they want to know that you have researched the procedure that you are aware of the risks and complications. Unless you are very unstable you are going to do fine. I have anxiety and depression and she just said that i need to change my med to one without weight gaining possibility and that most people that have had the worst life changes (deaths, child abuse etc) tend to do the best with this surgery. Basically we survived worst things..

''Third major problem: (was not told this ahead of time either) weight gain is guaranteed if you DRINK liquids with your meals, had I been told this I would have never gotten it because I know I drink with nearly every bite I eat. I knew there would be diet changes, etc, but not this! '' In my opinion thats just not normal whether u are banded or not !

I have figured out that a lot of the reason I use to eat had nothing to do with hunger. see something- eat it. Smell something- eat it. Board- eat Worried- eat Meal time - eat I ate my way to almost 250 and I knew it had to stop. Now I am much more selective about what and when I eat. I now eat 3 meals a day and sometime one snack. I still eat things I love, but I eat less or them. Today I walked into the breakroom at work, there was a smorgasborg or treats: grapes, cheese, crackers, pimento cheese, rolls, celery. While these foods aren't bad foods, I didn't eat them, I wasn't hungry. In times past I would have fixed a nice rounded plate and gone back to my corner office and ate up. While my mouth and mind were saying yummy, just one bite, my tummy was saying, but hey yo I don't want any, not hungry please don't. My eyes, mouth and mind get me in a lot of trouble when it comes to food. My husband in blind, but very strong resourcful, brillant wonderful man; but he can't see the foods laying around. He never picks and taste at things, he doesn't graze. He eats his 3 meals and about 2 snacks a day and that is it. He isn't tempted by the stuff laying around because he can't see it. Now at meals he eats well, but that is a different story. But, I think I need to become more like him; blind to the food just laying around. When I make a concious effort not to indulge I am fine, but when I uncounsiously peck I will pay with weight gain. In my wieght loss journey I need to get my mind, mouth and tummy all on the same page.

Has anyone had any serious weight gain? I haven't had weight gain I was just wondering in fact totally the opposite for me, I'm at a stage where I'm trying to stop the weight loss!! My mate had the procedure fond on the same day & he's started regaining weight.

3500 calories = 1 lb of fat 3500 / 7 = 500 calories per day That's 500 calories per day MORE than you consume, to loose one lb per week. So, if you consume 1000 calories, you must burn 1500 calories....OR consume less calories per day. Ideally consume less, and burn more...increasing the gap between the two.... And that is for real fat burning weight loss, not the quick early stages of weight loss which everybody experiences If you want to loose more than one pound per week, you have to up the above numbers.... Also, in my case, I have always found Protein to give me more energy than calories.... Also, since I am no llonger concerned about loosing weight, I find that exercising everyday covers a multitude of sins....with no weight gain...

My husband has always loved me big or small. I had a woman ask me once " what does your husband say about your weight gain" I told her "he loves me the same" she said "oh what a good man he is to love you after gaining weight" what??? Like he's a saint for sticking around?? Lol.. But he is a great man for many reasons . He wasn't really thrilled when I told him about the sleeve. But I asked him please come to a consultation with the doctor with me. At the doctors I let him see how much I weighed and laid everything out on the table for him to see. I mean I was big enough to qualify! I think he really didn't want to believe I was that big but I was. He is now my biggest supporter and likes seeing me happy!

I read the whole post and all the responses here is what I can share and hope it helps: I had thyroid cancer so I don't have a thyroid, my TSH levels must be kept at hypo (slow) rather than normal or hyper. This has Always caused weight gain or extremely slow weight loss. I went to many seminars listening to every dr and after awhile they all sounded like used car sales people! Then I met a dr who said the band is not the cure all its not magic and if you do this you have to think of it as a marriage, you must love me and I must love you but above all that we must work as a team. 2011 June I got my lap band from then till now I am down 110 however that is a number. Not every plan works for every person, I decided to stay on weight watchers and go to weekly meetings. This kept my focus and my sanity. It also kept me eating healthy. I eat my Protein first, then my veggies last my complex carb. I only eat on a appetizer plate. I weigh and measure all my food, I take Calcium supplements. I work out, Pilates has done wonders for me. I finally after 54 years put myself first. If I'm hungry in between a meal I will eat an apple or some small fruit or yogurt. If I was in your shoes the first thing I would do is get all your medical records and see another doctor, I would then see a nutritionist. Finally I will say that I am married to a professional chef and the one thing he has taught me is every calorie is not the same. Just because your only eating 900 calories a day does not mean they are the right calories that are going to burn the fat not store the fat. Hope this helps you, please remember when you put something out there on a public forum your going to get many opinions the hope is that you can get some support where you need it. Good Luck

Now I wait. I have UPMC for You, which is medical assistance here in Pa. I had some issues with weight gain during the 6 month diet because of a severely abnormal TSH level, so I'm a little concerned about approval. Hopefully the letter from my PCP helps that. Fingers crossed. And toes. And eyes..........