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The reason for the weight gain is because you can still eat all the stuff you shouldn't eat if you are dieting and eating right. chips, candy, icecream, donuts....you name it. Yes, surgery cuts down the quantity at one sitting....but it doesn't stop you from eating all day and eating all the unhealthy stuff your heart desires. With any diet....its you who controls what you put in your mouth. Surgery is not a quick, forever, fix. It is no where near the "easy way out" so many people seem to think it is. Continue to do your research and make a choice that's right for you. Just keep in mind there is nothing out there that will take the weight off and keep it off without constant hard work. Nothing. Good Luck to you!

@@SWEETTEA No, don't worry about it. I struggle with depression, and my mom was bi-polar, so I can recognize it pretty easily. I'm glad you're in therapy, as it sounds like you have a lot you have to cope with right now. Just be aware that you're walking a fine line with the fear of weight gain. Make sure your therapist knows about your fear and treats you accordingly.

To add on to this, as a collective nation, we have been "Low Fat-ed" death. Over two decades of people pushing low fat diets. Low fat foods which were stuffed with sugar and carbs to compensate for the loss of flavor. I also do not bother counting fat content at all. I eat a high Protein diet, and try to keep the carbs down. Fat falls somewhere in the middle and you'll find will moderate itself if you are keeping high protein/low carb. I'm not saying it's cool to eat a bucket of lard, but the way our brains have been conditioned to see fat in foods as bad is mind boggling to me. Fat in food does not equate to weight gain.

For me, it was a matter of bouncing back and forth from one to the other to the third choice, then finally moving from wanting the band to wanting the sleeve. (I have yet to have my surgery.) I decided on the sleeve after weighing how I perceived the band as temporary. I wasn't seriously committed. I think a lot of folks do the same - "if I have trouble I can have it removed." My weight gain has been progressive, and consistent for a long time. Nothing about that sounds temporary. Once I got used to the idea that my commitment needed to be a permanent choice, the decision to have the sleeve made the most sense. That, and knowing I wasn't having something artificial implanted into my body. (Have you SEEN the videos of what a band looks like inside of you after a few years? Holey crap!) I'm content the sleeve will let me live the most normal life - just as a much thinner me. Dave

I could have written this myself. Someone I knew with a band actually had the fill taken out so she could "gorge" on a cruise. I wanted something permanent that would not allow me to fall back into old habits and continue the yo-yo of weight loss/weight gain. None of my Band friends have made goal. AND - none have maintained to the level where they stopped losing. All have gained back. And, they have all had complications such as pb'ing, swollen esphogus, stretching of the upper pouch, etc. While I am only 5 months into this, I can definitely say it's been a life changer for me. I love the restriction and the ability to eat anything I want - just much smaller proportions. Good luck with your research. We are here to help if you have specific questions.

Good morning everyone, I'm originally from Boston, currently reside in Philadelphia, been here for almost 5yrs now. I'm a single mother of a beautiful 3 year old girl; she is my sunshine and an inspiration to turn my life around. Currently in school, take care of my mother and work full and part time. I was told to join the website because the members on this site keep it real and any question's I may have, I can most certainly find the answer's here. About myself, I'm 30 yrs old and about 5'9...weighing over 300lbs :smile2::rolleyes2::drool::crying:I can go on endlessly on how I feel. I've been battling with the weight gain for almost 10yrs now. My goal is to weigh 175lbs or fit into a size 8!!! I am sweets and a fast food eater :w00t:...dislike veggies and fruits, even water! :thumbup: I've tried, weight watchers, Ediets, Medifast, Cookie Diet, over the counter meds, you named it I've tried it!! I strongly feel by submitting myself to the Lap Band and join a great support group I can shed these pounds for good. I really can't do this alone; I've failed doing so for 10yrs. I really look forward being part of this site and hope to speak with those that can relate to me. :glare: Chika

From the pic (this is of course speculation on my part!), but the majority of your weight is in your upper body. Your legs are not huge, and unless you have on 2 pairs of full length Spanx under your leggings, I think you're golden on the lower half. You may end up with loose skin on the arms if you fail to exercise post-op (once cleared by your MD of course) and do lots of weight training / bands etc. for your arms. Since you've had 3 c-sections, the retraction of your belly will be different from others who have not been cut with a transverse 'bikini' cut like you have; that causes a loss of muscle strength which is worsened by weight gain and the fact that it's been done 3 times. Also, there's likely a seperation of your upper abdominal muscles that can only be repaired with a tummy tuck. If you do decide to have an abdominoplasty after your weight loss, they can create magic for you, and you'll end up with a really nice, flat tummy. I think you'll do great! Youth is on your side!

Hello! I just came across you post and I can relate. I had my band in Jan. 2010 and in July 2012 had the port fixed due to it flipping. After that surgery everything went down hill but my weight. After 7 months of failed fills, trying to convince my doctor and a very painful port site that never healed right (I think scar tissue was the problem and he put it where my belt line lies) there is something wrong and almost all my weight gained back, I finally switched surgeons whom I just love and had the sleeve. I love the sleeve. It keeps me from eating to much, after a couple of bites of something, I am so done. I get my liquids in easily and walk each day. No gyms for me. Nothing wrong with gyms, but to expensive for me and I love to walk. The sleeve is saving my life. I had it done May 1 and down 40 pounds already. That's just by living normal day by day. No diet to follow, I just changed my eating habits and live by them everyday. I see a fast food commercial on TV and I feel like getting sick. So if I read correctly, you would have it done by now. Please share how it went and how you are doing. This site motivates me and allows me to be honest and open. We have all walked in each others shoes in one way or another. I wish you well and much success on your new journey. Renee from WI....

I’ll be 2 years out post VSG in January… lowest weight was 122 back in February… now I am 135 and I have an 18 month/2 year check up tomorrow!!! I am freaking out! I’ve been working out and trying to gain muscle but this weight gain has me stressed, overwhelmed, depressed, you name it uhhhh. Anyone else in the same situation want to talk and help each other out?

This post is JUST what I needed to read today!! I'm in a similar situation. I was sleeved May 14, and so far, have only lost 14lbs since the morning of surgery (20lbs from my highest weight). I am incredibly frustrated to have lost so little. I decided to join a local boutique gym, which I'll be visiting today for the first time. Hopefully this will give my butt (aka metabolism) the kick it needs. It's hard not to get down when you see yourself sacrificing and not getting the pay off. But, by the same token, I remember the mammoth plates of food I would eat before and not see the immediate weight gain either. So I am re-learning patience. I wish you much luck on your journey Mystigal, and am confident you will be a great success!!

I feel like i have made the biggest mistake. I clearly did not get the band for "myself ", but for my other half. When i first met my other half i was "chunky" but by no means fat. I watched what i ate... worked out....ect. After being together awhile i started gaining weight. After the birth of my son i weighed 233 pounds. Over the next 15 months i gained almost 70 pounds. I started looking into lapband and my other half was all for it. He didn't by any means push me into doing it.... He just thought it was a good idea. I kinda of felt like his friends looked at me differently because of the weight gain.... Almost as if i embarrassed him. I was fairly happy being big, i knew in time i would lose the weight when i was ready and willing to give it my all. I am not ready and not focused. I am hungry and unhappy. I see all my family having such a good time today, and they are eating. I feel like i am missing out. I was supposed to be on a liquid diet for awhile and I've already cheated. I've had yogurt, potato salad, 3 cheez it crackers and a few bites of biscuits and gravy and 3 french fries from my sons happy meal. . I know in a few hours my mom is going to bring out even more food that i am probably going to eat. I have no idea what to do next. I feel like if i get it taken out that i will let down everyone. : (

So glad I found this post. You are not alone in your worries. I have PCOS with insulin resistance. My doc put me on Metaformin it stoped the weight gain but even with a healthy diet and a personal trainer 5 times a wek I still haven't had any luck. WLS surgery was my DR. idea so I have to hope she knows what shes talking about. Not that I haven't been doing tons of research on my own. Either way PCOS and the Band will be my first Question at my consult. Good luck to you. And All us PCOSers should keep each other posted on our progress.

yep! before this recent weight gain, in 2004, I had lost 180lbs (hw:346 Lw:160) with just diet and exercise (maintained for 15+years). At that time I was just 21 years old and not accustomed to the new found attention I had been experiencing. Intentionally, I got a job waiting tables to help me get (way) outside my comfort zone and learn to process people looking at me. Before when people looked at me it was to stare or make fun of me - or whatever. But suddenly, I had to adjust to what those looks meant. I have to admit, in hind sight, I enjoyed that experience. It helped me to grow as a woman. I remember I used to turn red in the face if I thought a man was attractive and talking to me. Waiting tables helped me to focus on my purpose for standing at a table and not be distracted by attractions - one way or another. Good luck on your journey to love yourself!

Wow, thanks for your note... really describes 'where' I am as well. I can't imagine being 5'3" (I always have folks say 'but you carry your weight well'). I guess I am lucky I don't have high blood pressure, but I have everything else... I have given up on trimming my toe nails, putting on my socks (and shoes) is a daily nightmare. I work in a warehouse environment and my feet hurt constantly, with recent weight gains I try to sit whenever possible... I keep extra deodorant in my locker as I will start to sweat profusely at the drop of a hat. Thank god I have basic strength due to my size so I can move heavy things (part of my job). Are you still on any of the meds? Curious about the testosterone (I take it to) and there is zero "drive" (another down side, it affects 'everything' not just one aspect. Also find I isolate pretty heavily.I took the shots but am on the gel form (I really hated the shots lol, insulin shots are a breeze, the big honkin' testosterone shots are not!!) I realize the band is a tool, part of why I am looking seriously at this. Do you still see food sitting there and hear it 'calling' to you? How do you handle that? smile, feel like I have met a kindred soul (is it me or is the ratio of men banders to female about 9:1?)

Gaynor, give yourself credit. I am sure you lost alot of weight with the band. You have managed to keep most of that off and know your limitations. Just knowing that any cheating has a price is something most of us forgot before. I just lost my band 11 weeks ago and I loved my band. I am struggling to like life without it. Stopping the weight gain, trying to figure out what I can eat, and exercising are consuming my life. I hope to get where you are soon - knowing your stabized weight and how to maintain it. Hang in there and recognize the good you have done.

Insurance submission was on Tues. Got denied immediately Wed. due to I'd gained almost 10lbs. over the winter instead of losing..apparently they want to see at least 5% total body fat loss prior to surgery. So am working on this but here's the thing..I gained due to having ddd in my back and since last summer haven't been able to really exercise like I was due to the extreme pain in my back and shooting down my right leg..the back pain and getting some of the weight off was one of my reasons for getting surgery..to aleviate the pain some as there's no cure or surgery according to the neurosurgeon..I haven't been the same at all since last summer when I really messed my back up and had to quit the gym and everything, even yard work was trying for me and I LOVE being out in the yard doing stuff..does anyone have any suggestions on how to lose the weight without extreme exercise? I mean, I am eating low carb and cutting my portions but as soon as I can show 5% tbw loss I can be approved.

I have had mirena 2 different times, once after my first son and then wanted to have a second child so had it removed after year & a half. then again after the 2nd child. It's been about 1 1/2 years now and i don't have periods. I don't even know it is there. I didn't have a weight gain (other than not eating right) from it. Mine is good for five years and then you go in and get it replaced with another. It is great birth control, my doctor only recommends it to married people usually, because of the threat of disease and such from people not being safe. But if I were you, I would definately opt for Mirena over the latter of your choices. It is at least worth a try. You will spot for almost 3 weeks or so at first but then your periods will get lighter and lighter untill they disappear. Good luck to you. Only you can make the right choice for you and your body but hope the above info helps.

I LOVE my Mirena. I got it for birth control, not bleeding problems, about two years ago, but I stopped having periods after about nine months and haven't had one since. It's fantastic. I know four other women with them and they all love them. It wasn't even painful to have it placed - more like, hmm, I don't think I'd much want to do that for fun, but it was OK. I would definitely give that a try before a hysterectomy! Much less invasive and can be done in ten minutes in your doc's office - not weeks and weeks of recovery from abdominal surgery. When this one "times out" in three years I will be getting another, and probably another until I don't need them anymore. Edit: Oops, I forgot to mention weight gain - I had none; in fact I was losing like crazy but I also had just given birth when I got mine. Mirena's hormonal activity is very localized; it releases progesterone only in the area of your uterus, not throughout your whole body like when you take the pill. Also, the pill contains estrogen - Mirena does not. I'm not aware of weight gain being a side effect but I bet their website would tell you more.

Melody-- Thank you for being so positive--I've had people post me that pretty much made me feel guilty for getting pregnant so close after surgery, but I know this baby is God's will for my life, so I rejoice in that. I also believe that God lead me to get the lap band, so I'm confident that all will be well after the baby's born, and I'll resume my weight loss then. Sparkling, I know what you mean about the fatigue and lack of exercise. Before I was pregnant, I was jogging up to 2 miles/day and walking 2. At about 6 weeks pregnant, I was so tired, I couldn't do it anymore (and I have three children under the age of 5, so that makes me tired in itself ). Don't worry about your weight gain--just eat healthy foods and do the best you can... I think there are some signs to look for when dealing with a slipped band--more or less restriction (which I don't have much of at all because I have no fill), heartburn--I think that's the most obvious ones. I don't know. I just hope my band stays in place and works. I hope that I'm not stretching the top part of my stomach out too much...we'll see. Did you get a fill before you found out you were pregnant. I never made it that far...

Insane, right? My husband and I went to a consultation appointment last Saturday (1/31) and I was told that while I’m overweight, I’m not overweight ENOUGH to have my insurance cover the procedure – I can not afford to do this procedure out of pocket. Never, in a million years, would I have thought I’d hear that I need to GAIN weight (no my doctor didn’t utter the words “you need to gain weight” but he said “read between the lines”). The doctors asked that I come back in a few weeks (this upcoming Saturday) and weigh in again. They noted that since I had just completed my menstrual cycle it’s very possible that I would register a lower weight on 1/31 and that the bloating I normally experience might influence a higher weight. They also said if I weigh in again and I don’t meet the goal, I can drink Water to get myself there. Has anyone else experienced this? Being told you need to actually gain a few pounds? I stand at 5’7.75” with a weight of 252 and a BMI of 39.5. I’ve been on diets for about 20 years (I’m 28) and I’m finally allowing myself access to this tool after years of contemplating it. I’ve been on every diet known to man: Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach, Master Cleanse, Cabbage Soup, eat nothing after 7pm, eat only once for 2 hours, don’t eat anything white, drink two full glasses of water before meals, drink nothing before meals, carb cycle, Protein binge – you name it, I’ve done it. I’ve joined countless gyms, signed up for spin classes, yoga, pilates, yoga-lates, I’ve run a few 5ks, I used to get up at 6am (blerg!) to work out, I’d work out after work, I’d walk around the parking lot during lunch. I suffer from Hashimoto’s Thyroiditus AND PCOS – both make weight gain incredibly easy and weight loss nearly impossible. I am doing this as a last resort, I don’t like the idea that I’ve gotten so overweight that I need to have 3/4 of my stomach ripped out through my belly button in order to lose weight BUT I understand that I have done everything I can do and I deserve this. I deserve to walk into a store and not worry that they won’t have my size, I deserve to join CrossFit (as I’ve wanted to for years) and actually be able to complete the work out, I deserve to go into various yoga poses and not be literally suffocated by my weight. I deserve this and I’m ready. With that being said I’m struggling with the weight gain (“oh shut up!” I know, I’m sorry) and the mental anguish that goes with it. I genuinely enjoy eating healthy, I’ve played with Whole30 and the Paleo diet for over a year now and I love it. I feel amazing when I eat clean, I love all the different veggies that I’ve been exposed to (beets! rutabaga!) and it’s something I enjoy. Having a 3-4 pound weight gain to qualify for surgery looming over my head is more difficult than I thought it would be. I feel like shit…I eat shit and I feel like shit. I snack more and I eat more high calorie foods but I’m finding it very difficult to allow myself the sugar and dairy that I so carefully took out of my diet. I’m genuinely terrified that I’m going to step on the scale on Saturday (2/14) and not weigh enough. I can’t continue to eat like this. My clothing is starting to not fit correctly. I just need to make this weight and then I can go back to my healthy eating. Please offer some encouragement…something. Tell me I’m not alone. I’m freaking out.

my dr will cancel the procedure if there is weight gain between preop check and surg day. =(

Obese people have all sorts of emotional connotations attached to the word "diet", so you'll hear many people saying that you don't need to diet with the band. The truth is, if you want to lose quickly, good old-fashioned diet and exercise are the best ways to do it. The difference now is that the band helps to control the Hunger Daemon that rages inside all of us, so that we can actually STICK to the diet week in and week out for the long haul needed to lose all the weight. Yes, you can lose slowly if you don't consciously diet, provided that you make reasonably sensible food choices. The restricted portions will allow you to eat pretty much anything in moderation and the scales will still slide slowly down. However, if you allow too much junk to creep into those restricted portions, you can stall your progress or even gain weight. The key word there is "IN MODERATION". If you want to lose quickly though, pay attention to what you eat, count your calories, do the exercise and let the band (wonderful invention that it is!) HELP you to achieve success. I think that one of the best things about the band is it's flexibility. You can control how quickly or slowly you lose. When you get to goal, you can let go of all that focus on "dieting" and live like a "normal" person. That means that, like normal people, you need to keep a general eye on what you eat and try not to overindulge too often, but can get away with treats now and then and not have to worry about binge eating or rollercoaster weight gains and losses. Good luck!!

I read an article that, simply put, explained weight gain from consuming artificial sweeteners occurred because the body tastes sweet & so expects there to be sweet it can use for energy. (Our body does need some glucose to function.) But because there isn’t any glucose, your body thinks something is wrong & will store calories you consume as future energy i.e. as fat. Does make sense as your body will go into starvation mode & store as many calories as it can in times when food intake is low. It’s why many find their weight loss eventually stops on ultra low calorie diets. And of course artificial sweeteners do absolutely nothing to modify/eradicate your cravings for sweet things. Plus there’s a lot of the studies about the negative impact of them on gut health & your immune system. It’s hard to get sweeteners completely out of your diet as they’re in so many things but at least reducing the amount you’re consuming can only be a good thing.

Seroquel is usually prescribed for serious psychological conditions, not for sleep. It can cause substantial weight gain in some cases. There is another drug in its class, Latuda, that treats some of the same psychological conditions that Seroquel does but is not associated with weight gain. You may want to ask your doctor whether your condition can be treated with Latuda or another weight-neutral drug.

Yes! You can blend almost anything down, whether or not it will be edible is anyone's guess, lol. Just adjust the texture as you progress, it can become thicker. Some ideas - because I ate sort of like what you've just listed for a few days becuase taht's what the lists said and I was passing out by day 4 and feeling simply awful. So I started eating what the family was eating, where suitable, just by mixing and blending. We had spaghetti bolognaise one night, well I took some of the bolognaise sauce and blended it with a can of crushed tomatoes to a soupy consistency. Surprisingly good. Another night we had lentil dahl, I blended that with greek yogurt. Roast dinner - lamb, roast pumpkin, peas and carrots - surprisingly good with gravy and liquid chicken stock blended to soup. I made a huge pot of vegie and lentil soup and blended it with extra chicken stock also, and by the end just blended it as it was to a thick smooth soup. It didnt affect my weight loss, I lost heaps, but I felt I remained well nourished and had begun a good schedule of breakfast, lunch and dinner with 2 smaller Snacks (maybe a yogurt or glass of V8) rather than just sipping odd liquids all over the place. No constipation, and no rebound weight gain when I started mushies. I was on mushies on Christmas day and had my christmas dinner mushed up in the blender with gravy, lol.