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Hiya! I have UHC as well. My plan required I be employed with my company at least 2yrs the other requirements were pretty much the same. However, I only had 1 comorbidity-mild obstructive sleep apnea. I didn't have the 5year history-only the last 2 years. I had to write a letter (made it personal not technical) and got approved within a couple of weeks. From what I understand the insurance company wants to make sure that this isn't a sudden weight gain over the last few months and you are doing this to lose it quickly. I believe they just want to make sure it is necessary. I had my surgery NYEve and it was inpatient. I didn't have a problem getting that authorized either as they submitted everything at once. Good Luck on your journey..keep us posted! Cheryl :scared2:

I actually gave baby food to my dogs the other night and they totally loved it! I finally returned mine to the store today. It was annoying cuz I threw out my receipt (I honestly never return groceries!) but I bought like $40 worth of baby food and was definitely not going to eat it so they let me return it. To you girls that are having trouble moving the scale: I think I actually gained 7 pounds from surgery. Preop I weighed 138; 140 at the most. I have never weighed more then that. Then after surgery I suddenly weighed 145.5! I think during surgery they pump you with fluids and also your body is in shock because of the surgery so it halts weight gain, which sucks cuz we arent even eating anything! I actually had 2 dates today (I scheduled them before) and they were good. I went to this great brunch place that I love and ordered tomato bisque. It was great. The guy was looking at me weird because it was taking me so long to eat each bite. Anyway, my scale is finaly going down a bit, but since I weighed 138 preop, I really only lost a pound and a half. So dont worry, it will get better. I dont see how we can be so restricted with what we eat and not have it have a big cumulative effect within a month.

I was banded on 6/17 and lost a total of 21 lbs from pre op diet to 1 week after surgery. I am 4 weeks post op and have noticed a 2 lb weight gain in the past 2 weeks. Why is this? I gained weight moving from liquid phase to mushie phase. It's Frustrating! When do I really start losing?

Prednisone is a steroid notorious for causing weight gain. I've been on it several times since my VSG and have not experienced any regain. Bottom line is, no matter what medication you are taking, its still comes down to what you eat that causes regain. (And I don't count water weight because it's not "real" weight) You may just have to be a little more diligent about your diet plan if you are taking these types of medications.

I am 8 months post-op and doing FABULOUS! I've lost 70 lbs. and have 70 to go! I found out about Lap-band from my mother who had the surgery two years ago. I was very leery about the procedure at first bc of all of the problems my mom has had (slipped band and chronic pneumonia from the acid reflux) but I found a great surgeon and I have had absolute success. I used to play a variety of sports during high school but ankle injuries side-lined me and I began to live a very sedentary lifestyle while taking in the same amount of calories. I'm actually very tall (6'1) and it took awhile for people to notice my weight gain. I remember going for my pre-op physical and the nurse being shocked that I actually weighed 321lbs. But since the surgery, I've rediscovered my love of physical activity. I actually look forward to my daily work outs and have to force myself to stop most of the time. I love have this much energy and I have a productive outlet for my competitive nature. I've known about this board since before my surgery but I normally just lurked. I had some problems earlier this week after a fill and decided that I definitely need to participate more with people that KNOW what I'm going through. So here I am! I'm looking forward to getting to know the Lap-band community!:tt2:

My thyroid has been checked through and through. (Because docs look at me and assume thyroid.) I get under 1200 calories a day, never feel hungry really, and I am usually at 700 cal. Due to the Celiac's it slowed down my digestive system very badly. I am assuming my weight gain is due to Celiac's as I cheat a lot (when depressed) and have caused damage because of that. I am really worried about the GERD, I already lose my voice from it. I also have PCOS w/insulin resistance which makes my body turn almost everything into fat. I have been overweight my whole life 100 lbs. at 7 and 200 lbs. at 13. My Mother restricted my food intake a lot but with poor quality foods. I am just super used to not eating. I get sick if I eat something I am not "craving". At this point I am tired... I sprain my back by just standing, and even though I have been this weight for 5 years. I am tired. I need something. I just don't know if this will work for me.

I am 1 year and 3 months out and am wondering is it normal for the pouch to stretch and how much should I be able to eat at this point. I feel like I can eat more but should i? Also, is there a picture to see what our stomach (pouch) looks like now. How usual is it that the stomach would stretch to a very large size and is that what causes weight gain and if not what causes weight gain after surgery. Thanks, Irelandgrl

hi...thanksallof you for your guidance and support....I did write down my calsand Protein....I am having around 40gms protein and around 1000 calories.. so I need to increase on both fronts.I do exercise daily for 40 mins....but otherwise my life is very sedentary....my movements are slowdue to arthritis. I willincrease my calorieand protein content and yes willwrite it down daily.....I tried only 3 meals...but my body is used to 3meals and2 Snacks since years...so maybe that is causing weight gain... Thanks all of you!!

I weighed 355 (Nov '16) Surgery weight 338 Current weight 283 (I didn't track very often before so I would disregard previous data points.) But you can clearly see sudden drops, weight gains and stalls. Rarely matching my consistent dedication to my plan. I know as I change my relationship with food and make good choices in each moment and day, the rest will take care of itself. Just not in a perfect line. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My daughter also has PCOS. It is very likely to cause weight gain and is a common factor. Also, forcing her weight back down via WLS will help with the PCOS. My wife went to Dr. Aceves. She is getting ready for her regular food. It is EXTREMELY important with a sleeve to stick to the post op diet. With a band it could cause problems down the road to not follow the post op diet, with the sleeve you can create horrible immediate complications or even death. Just be sure she understands the post op diet is NOT optional in any way shape or form, and it will be mentally difficult.

Thank goodness my doctor and nurse warned me about the hospital weight gain. I came home 17 pounds more than the day I left for surgery. I have lost all of that and 17 more. My surgery was 11/8. Tomorrow I can begin on pureed foods, going very slow with that. My issue is I don't like sweet stuff, so the protein drinks are challenging at best. Good luck - it will get better!

I would never have considered this surgery until I was told it was the only fix for my hiatal hernia. I have many mixed feelings about it. 98% of my stomach is up in my chest area and it's all twisted up. It can be very painful. I've been told that the twisting can shut off blood flow and cause death so it doesn't seem like there's much of a choice. Almost 2 years ago I had breast cancer. During my treatment I lost 45 lbs. once treatment was over and I could eat again, the weight came back fast. The doctors say my stomach pushed upward from the pressure of the weight gain. I'm hoping for my surgery before Nov 1st because of insurance/financial issues. I'm nervous and a little overwhelmed by all diet restrictions/requirements. Also, can I use Davinci or Torani unsweetened flavored syrup in my protein drinks?

Your story is my story ...had my revision surgery December 28.I was in lapband misery since 2004....total failure...revision to bypass and getting that crap out of me is the biggest and best thing I have done for myself in years.The years of torture ,sliming,vomiting,slippage,weight gain....was back fat as ever...Gerd....High chloresterol,PCOS,fatty liver,fear of reoccurrence of breast cancer,joint and muscle pain....flipped ,eroding painful port area...just so many problems....I HAD TO DO IT!Get it done!!!!Take back your body and your health.....do it fast!

I was 213 when I had my surgery. I am now 183 and I am struggling to get out the 180's. My goal weight is 125. Others who have had the surgery have lost their weight fast and I am struggling. I don't know if its because the meds I take cause weight gain, if I am not working out enough, or I stressing. I would love to meet others who have been through the same thing I am going through and know what they did to fix the problem. I will say I struggle to get enough Water in. I also don't go to the gym consistently but that will change because my son is going to start going with me to his 24 hour gym. I am on myfitness pal under mirandaperry2005. I am also on twitter under the name miranda perry. I am praying I can start to get this last 50 pounds off.

Fiqah87 I'm so sorry to hear what you are going through. I have a friend that went through the same thing you are talking about. She got depressed from being sick all the time and just gave up. Now she is only about 50 away from where she started and she is really depressed. But also, come to find out, she quit taking her recommended medicine and Vitamins and she also started back with bad eating habits. Now she is at the realization that she got too comfortable and started eating the way she used to eat because she had lost so much weight and then due to the rapid weight gain, she started staying then she was so sick that she couldn't eat. I pray things get better for you. Good luck Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Until we reach true restriction we should all be getting fills. Once you can only eat less than a cup of food at a sitting and stay satisfied you are at your sweet spot. Weight loss should average 1-2 lbs a week. And NO doctor should make you feel bad about weight gain of how much you lose. As a PP stated a little "talkin' to" in one thing but belittling is out of the questions. Best wishes!!!

Hi, My name is Chris, I am 50 years old and had VSG on January 20th, 2014, in LaCrosse, WI. at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital. My surgeon was Dr. Grover and my starting weight was 322# on December 7th 2012, my weight the day of surgery was 295#, as of today, September 14th, 2014, I am down to 217.6#. My reason for surgery was that I was going to be turning 50 years old and was definately not in the best shape and needed to change my life so I could be around for my husband, children and someday grandchildren. The last 8 years truly have tested my faith and wonder for life. I have lost my parents, 2 siblings, but the worst was the loss of my oldest daughter, 2 days before Christmas 2007, she was only 23 years old. I truly have no idea how we got through it, but we did, although life is never the same, but we have to go on, as we have two other children that needed to be taken care of and loved. We also had 3 family losses on my husbands' side of the family, another one being only 22 years old, which in turn brought back all of the memories and loss of our daughter. The losses I lived through, were part of the reason for my weight gain, it was easier to eat than to deal with the pain and suffering. There were also other reasons, but I have decided I cannot live the past and must let things go and learn to enjoy the present and future. I truly wish I had had my surgery earlier in life, due to the fact that I feel so WONDERFUL,so full of energy, that I almost can't imagine how I got through life carrying so much weight around. I am down over 200# since 2012, and am hoping to lose another 50#, but if I don't, I am so thankful for where I am at now. In 2012, I wore a 4XL nursing assistant uniform, today I am in an XL. I can hardly believe it. My jeans were a 26/28, my shirts were a 4xl o a 5xl and today I fit into a 16 pants and an XL shirt. I have not worn those sizes in at least 30 years. It is hard to believe that I can go into a store and be able to fit into regular size clothes and not feel embarassed that I won't fit into anything they have or get the stares, like why are you in here? I feel so blessed that I am almost giddy. I have written down certain dates that have been important, such as the date I got into a size 18 pants, now a size 16, when I got into the different sizes of uniforms. I am now off my blood pressure medications, which makes me terribly happy. I remember the day I was able to fit into my jacuzzi tub without touching both sides of the tub and not being able to be comfortable when the jets were turned on. I feel like I am in such a new world that I am just amazed by so many things, that most people take for granted. I truly struggle with eating some days, as the old habits want to come back into play, but I know that I NEVER want to weigh over 300# again and hopefully soon, I will be under 200#. I do sometimes think that is a dream, but I am trying very hard to make that dream come true. For people who are having a hard time deciding whether to have this surgery or not, please do not wait any longer, you will be so much happier and feel so much better. It is not easy, but in life nothing is easy that you truly want. I could go on and on, but will close for now and hopefully will talk with some of you later.

I'm on Camila daily and have had no problems with weight gain or loss. (Although I was just banded last week on 4/18.) I did have a concern about antibiotics weakening the strength of the pill. I'll be checking with my doc this week.

WTF????? I do not understand what is going on with me and my scale. I got my latest fill a few weeks ago. It worked very well, I was so motivated and lost 8 pounds pretty fast. Then last week, TOM, and Water weight gain + cravings. I didn't give in to cravings, etc. Now, understand that I retain SERIOUS water - like 5 to 10 lbs of water. It sucks. Okay, so water gone, scale went back to normal. I fully admit I fell off the wagon on Friday night and gave in to temptation (Marble Slab Creamery is the of the devil). I logged my food at thedailyplate, and yes, I was way over, but not enough to even gain a pound, much less the NINE pounds that my scale reflected Saturday. I thought it was a fluke, but it was still there Sunday and this morning. NINE pounds - as in, heavier than before my fill. Again - WTF??????

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

I was very thin as a kid. I can remember saying I weighed more than I did on my 1st drivers license so I wasn't smaller than my friends. my second year in college, i gained a bit, but was easily able to take it off by watching what i ate. I stayed stayed thin(under 125) with minimal effort until I divorced my first husband and began taking paxil - I was 30. I didn't gain much weight, but found it was suddenly much easier to gain. I remarried in my mid 30s and probably weighed 135, but didnt mind because i gained most of it in my boobs. After having two kids I never lost the weight and I kept getting heavier and heavier. I'm now sitting about 230. I believe paxil and having kids contributed to my weight gain, but know that my real problem is poor eating habits.

Well after almost 5 long years of having the band not do a thing but cause problems for me, Reflux, gaging, weight gain (lost 116, gained 40) and feeling like crap, I am set for tomorrow to have band removed, and sleeved. YAY! Have lost 9 lbs in the past 6 days from the preop diet. Not too bad. Have not been hungry, which is a good thing. The shakes help a lot. So wish me luck, and I will see you on the flip side. Montie

I was banded on Monday too! The gas pain is just awful, more than I expected. I'm taking pain pills just for that pain - the incisions don't hurt a bit. Walking helps but not as much as I had hoped. I generally have a heating pad on my left shoulder, and it helps some. With that being said, I would do this again in a heartbeat. As for the hernia, I did as much reading on that as I could before surgery because I knew I had a big one. My doctor said that most people have small hernias, but mine was the biggest he'd seen in 30 years of medical practice. Anyway, with all the reading I did, no one seemed to have a reason for hiatal hernias, just that they happen quite commonly. And I am so happy that this is now fixed - none of the weird symptoms I had before are there. That part of the experience is just wonderful. I'm also not very hungry and find it a bit difficult to get in all the Protein shakes. Takes me a while to drink a whole shake, and if I add anything to it for flavor or texture (like frozen strawberries), I can't finish it. I did that in the diet before surgery, but can't manage it now. That's a good thing, I've started losing weight again after a couple of days of slight weight gain. Anyway, happy to join you and the other folks in Bandland!

Can someone help with my weight gain??? Please!! I had my sleeve surgery two and half years ago and for about two years I stayed the same weight...125 lbs. However about two months ago...my weight went up to 137 lbs and my frame is filling out more with muscle and not so boney. But I am concerned as I have gained 12 lbs. in only two months! I have been exercising the same as I always have although honestly I have been snacking a bit but nothing out of control. My calorie intake is roughly the same. I don't understand what is happening with my body and my clothes don't fit well. What can I do?

My "this is it" happened this past week. I reached 220 and I am uncomfortable daily. I am 5 ft 3 and successful except for this area of my life. I see myself in a window of a shop and I am startled by my weight gain, embarassed of my vacation pictures and really avoiding social situations. I have lurking on weight losss sites for two years but really thought it was all about me not being in control of myself. I have tried multiple diets, pills, personal training etc. I am glad I am doing this because it is the only selfish thing I have done for myself. I dont think it is magic but it is a powereful tool that will help me reach my goals!