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Based on your post above, you may even be suffering from depression. Most of us have had it at one time or another, and for me, it does lead to weight gain. Perhaps talk to your doc about the possibility.... Good luck, if you can improve your outlook on life, your weight loss will continue.

That is a scarey thought Wendy. I guess we have to stay diligent in keeping an eye out on any weight gain. Even though I am not at goal, as soon as I see any weight gain I make sure I jump right back into doing more exercise... I think that is why I kept off the weight when my band wasn't working. I guess despite the band, we will be "dieting" for the rest of our lives.

It is not as simple as calories in vs calories expended. Our bodies react very differently to different calorie sources especially if you have a metabolic issue (PCOS, metabolic syndrome, syndrome X, insulin resistance, thyroid issues, Cushings Syndrome, etc.) There are plenty of documented cases of women with PCOS being vegetarian, on a diet, exercising and still gaining weight. I do believe most people who are obese have diagnosed or undiagnosed metabolic issues. I have PCOS and know for a fact that if I eat normal portions I gain weight no matter what. I have been eating on a salad plate for years and still was weighing 265 lbs when all of this started. In order to loose weight, I have to eat portions that fit on a dessert plate about what my 3 year old would eat. I cannot eat that portion without being ravenous. I got the lap-band to help curb hunger. I do get tired of doctors and others saying that there is no way a person cannot be loosing weight or even gaining on a limited diet. It happens all the time. If you are not loosing weight on a limited diet, perhaps you should see an endocrinologist and get a workup done to see if there are metabolic issues or other medical issues. Of course, see your PCP or pharmacist to find out if any medications you may be on is causing weight gain or slow metabolism.

Most of my weight gain was due to medical conditions/medication. Don't get me wrong, when I feel bored I still want to snack/graze but I now go for a walk and it seems to take away the boredom/hunger.

I think there is a misconception with wls. I had a friend go from 285 to 130. I think I was told I'd lose like 60 lbs? My goal for myself was 150. I said I'd be excited to hit 140. Which is where I am now. I didn't really put any expectations on this, other then I just wanted to be healthy. I have a chronic lung condition, I was mid diagnosed as a teen with a condition and was put on steroids for 3 months on a very high dose- I gained 80 lbs in 2 months. And could never get it off. A few years ago I had a lung mass found and because of the location and size no surgeon will remove it since it's considered "stable" so they choose to treat it with steroids, 5 months of that cause weight gained again I couldn't get off. I was diagnosed with svt in 2015 and had an ablation at 33.So for me it was important to try to do everything I could to get the weight off, just to be able to give my lungs a fighting chance, and to avoid a pacemaker. I'm 36. I have a 15 year old that I want to see graduate high school, so I knew I needed to consider what my pcp was suggesting. It took me a full year to consider gastric surgery. At 230, I wasn't sure I was "fat enough" to qualify, but I had enough co-morbidities that got me approved. You may be in a stall right now, but keep going. Trust me I've delt with fair share of complications from it too. You're going to get there. Some journeys are tougher then others. But I bet in a few months you'll be one to tell someone who is doubting " you got this! I've been in that same spot!"

Oh, and there's plenty of women who still have weight lose who lose weight until the end. It's NOT out of the ordinary to not gain weight in pregnancy especially after weight loss surgery. I have a very close, personal friend here in real life, she just had a baby, gained a whopping 12 pounds and delivered a healthy, thriving, full term 8lb baby. So, weight gain is NOT inevitable, and you might continue to lose a few pounds here and there. I didn't gain for months into my pregnancy, and here I am 3 days away from delivery with a 35lb gain which is what the doctors predicted and told me to shoot for.

About a million times so far. Especially after losing 8lbs this first week on my liver shrink diet. Sitting here thinking "Now... I can do this on my own, and at this pace, I could hit my goal weight without surgery." Then I remember every single failed attempt from the past, and my hormonal issues that have contributed to the weight gain, and all of the other factors. Then I un-second-guess myself. [emoji4] I'm nervous, but mostly that surgery goes okay and I come home safely to my family. Everything after that is something I know I'll acclimate to in time. This is all for a healthier me for my family, so that's what I always come back around to.

I was banded 3 weeks ago, and I think I've hit a plateau already!! Is this possible?? I lost 20.7 pounds, but for the past few days I've been up a pound, down a pound, up a pound, down, and today UP again! The thing is I'm still on the soft food/puree phase and I'm probably only getting in less than 1000 calories/day. This is so frustrating! I knew that the weight loss would slow down, but I definitely didn't expect to see a weight GAIN after going through this surgery. I just don't understand the science behind a weight gain with such a low amount of calories plus 30-45 minutes of exercise. Definitely bummed today...

Briar Rose - yes, its a huge decision and major surgery. I hope we can make the best decisions for our health and well being and not think we are taking the easy way out. Reading these posts there is no easy way about it and can have some long term ramifications. Don't get me wrong, I am still intrigued by the surgery; however have fears of complications and weight gain of course. It will cost me $19,000 to get the revision done. So it needs to make sense to me.

Alot of us on here got the surgery costs covered by insurance, so yeah, having to shell out $19K adds ALOT to think about. Its easy to say now that I am 2 years post op that I would totally do it again, even if I had to pay, but really, if I think about it, I’m not 100% sure I would have gone through with it knowing nothing of my outcome back then if I had to shell out that much cash. With that said: I started gaining weight about 15 years ago, and spent maybe the last 10 of those years morbidly obese. Yes, I had done diet and exercise several times...on THREE separate occasions I even lost 50+ lbs. The longest I kept those 50+ lost lbs off my body was probably 2 months max...until it started to slowly pile back on to return in its entirety plus some within 4-5 months. There was no mystery to this: I went back to eating the way I did pre-diet and stopped exercising. Now, with WLS, I have been able to keep the 120lbs I lost off of me for SEVENTEEN MONTHS so far. Again, there is no mystery to this: I eat much less and I exercise every day. Yes, I am doing this myself, but the WLS gives me a HUGE boost (at least with the eating part...I actually have no idea why I stay active all this time, and actually like it, GASP!) I have no illusions that I am immune to weight gain. Just because I had WLS does not mean I can’t eat cookies for every meal and sit on the couch all day (but it will limit me to the number of cookies I eat at a time). I have to keep doing what Im doing to maintain where Im at. So far, so good, but we’ll see I guess. In the meantime, I am grateful and satisfied with it all. Soooooo....this is my long winded response that I do agree with you that your immediate and long term success is primarily up to you, but the WLS gives you that extra “umph” to help u get there (and stay there). Good luck with whatever you decide!

I have not gotten surgery yet, but I will be in the next few months. I have told only a few people and every single one of them gave me backlash. "It's the easy way out, but you're so young, just exercise and eat right... it's not that hard... you just have to want it." I did not think I would receive this much opposition from people who have seen me struggle my entire life, who have witnessed me go through depressions, weight loss, and huge weight gains. It wasn't until a year ago I realized this was a food addiction that I started understanding myself. Not everyone has caught up yet. If a smoker uses a nicotine patch, or rehab no one calls them a cheater or a little bitch. They applaud their efforts for trying to save their life! This surgery should be no different. I have an addiction. I am seeking help. I want to save my life. And in my opinion taking the easy way out, or the wrong way, is to sit at home and pretend that nothing is wrong.

I weighed in at 272.0 lbs. I showed a weight gain. I know it's not much, but a gain is just that - a gain. I have showed a weight loss then I show a weight gain. It is very frustrating.

I got my band Oct of 2012 and have only lost 40 pounds at first. Now since my one year bandaversary I have gained weight. I am having such a hard time losing. I have a 10 cc band (I guess) and have 7cc fill. I have not seen my Dr in months for another fill because I was ashamed of my weight gain. I fell like a failure and thinking about having the band removed. I am at the point that I just have to accept that I will always be a fat girl/mom/wife. My body is never going to change to matter how much I want it to. I feel like I wasted everyone's time and money getting this wonderful band in. I feel ashamed I have not lost any weight. I can eat full meals and not feel full. Now and then my food will get stuck and I get rid of it, but then I will take another bite to replace what I just lost. This just is not working out for me. I guess I am just that one person who will not succeed at losing weight.

It's really frustrating! It happens to a lot of people; it took me 7.5 months to have the surgery, but your delay sounds really unfortunate. As @ShoppGirl said, you will be there before you know it. Work on the depression the best you can with therapy and medication if needed (If you start medication for depression, make sure the doctor tries a medication that is less likely to cause weight gain). I found that once I was set to have surgery, I tried to live a more "bariatric" life, by eating more protein and fewer carbs and exercising more. It's so hard to do any of this when you're depressed, but at least try upping your protein. It will help you feel less hungry, or at least it did for me. If you can take a walk in the fresh air, it might make you feel better for a bit. (Of course, that depends on your weather... I live in Boston where we have crap weather a lot, so I often walk in the mall!) Stay strong!

Try not to be too discouraged. These are the hurdles that your insurance company hopes will make you give up so they don’t have to pay for your surgery. Keep getting treatment for your depression and do the best you can with your weight. I bet once you have a surgery date you will be able to lose a bit if you want to. Be kind to yourself though. Depression is real and weight gain or loss is not at all uncommon. I have actually had it present both ways in myself. When I was younger I would lose weight during bouts of depression but now that I am older and also on medication it makes me gain (not sure if it’s age or the meds that cause it but I can’t change either so I just accept it). I have my fingers crossed for you that your consult appointment goes on as planned and you are able to officially start this journey. Once you are on the other side of surgery looking back you will realize it goes faster than you think. But definitely keep getting treatment for that depression because you want that under control before surgery to give yourself the best chance at losing all your weight post surgery. Keep posting on here too. This is a pretty special community. It’s been very helpful for me. Congratulations on your decision to pursue WLS and best of luck on the next few hurdles. You’ve got this.

I take small bites too. I don't have any issues with overeating; I'm just not making the best choices regarding WHAT I eat. Even if I eat bread, I can only take a few bites but I shouldn't be eating bread in the first place. While it may not be a huge issue now, I'm afraid it will lead to weight gain in the future when I am able to take more than a few bites.

I agree! Physicians as a whole tend to be dismissive of the mental aspects of our health. Not just bariatric surgeons, although one would think that doctors performing wls would be more in tune with the mental aspect of weight gain and loss. I'm disappointed with the lack of follow-up care with my surgeon. It's not bad, the center has monthly support groups, required visits with a nutritionist, and a patient coordinator who is available to answer questions. However, I find that the support group is more like a pep rally and doesn't give me much support. And my 3 month f/u was scheduled for 4 months, and I'm told by other patients that I won't even see the doctor. I'm ready to cancel it and wait for my 6 month f/u. Why pay the copay just to get weighed on their scale and tell them I have no questions? I've looked for support outside the wls community as well. I talk to a therapist and I've gone to oa meetings. It helps a lot.

Hello everyone, here's where my story begins.... 1994 is when my weight started becoming a problem for me. I already had both of my children, one in 1990 and the other in 1991. I was about 189lbs after I had my second son and things were pretty much stable at that weight for me. I wanted to lose weight but it didn't become a serious problem until about three years later. I put on about 30lbs from 1991-1994, and it just continued to increase from there. Of course I decided to begin taking weight lost pills (phentramine/and the other phen). I both pills for about two months and quickly lost 50lbs. I thought the battle was over at that point until I gained the weight back about 6 months later (as I stopped taking the pills). I tried some of my own remedies like exercise and all types of diets. I walked and did lots of activities with my children but the weight just wouldn't go anywhere. Looking back at my weight lost journey there were a total of 11 years that I have been trying to lose weight with all types of attempts. I've taken so many diet pills and shakes that I can't even count. My husband and I attended a seminar for day one surgery in Chicago Illinois in March of 2008. In April of 2008 @ 232lbs, I decided to start working on a supervised diet plan with my doctor, I told her that I wanted to attempt a lap band procedure and she let me know that most insurance companies require that you have at least a 6 month history of a medically supervised diet. In addition to that my doctor had just started seeing a patient of hers that had the procedure done, she called her and let me speak to her to see how she felt about the surgery. I decided to go with the same doctor (Dr. Klem out of Central Dupage Hospital, in Winfield IL.) that she has since here experience was so positive. So the 6 month program began. That included Phentramine, water pill and a 1200 calorie diet plan. I lost about 10-15lbs over the 6 month time frame, which wasn't very sugnificant to me. Once I stopped taking the pills I was right back at square one.... back to 230. In September of 08' I began seeing Dr. Klem, he has been performing this type of surgery for the last 17 years, he gave me all of the pro's and con's of the procedure and told me I was a candidate for either surgery, the bypass or the lap band. My husband and I decided that the lapband was the best choice for me since I didn't have any pre-morbid conditions. The process began the next week after being catagorized as morbidly obese. By the way when I started seeing Dr. Klem I was up to 242lbs, this was barely enough to be considered for insurance (why I'm not sure...). By the time my scheduled appointment for nutritionist came I was a all time high of 247.6lbs. That was a depressing time for me, I cried when I left the office and spoke with my husband about the weight gain that I was experiencing. We decided the I should try Weight Watchers to try and work on the problem immididately, as I had developed high blood pressure by this time and my doctor decided to put me on blood preasure medicine. I began Weight Watchers which I started doing very well with and dropped about 15lbs. Unfortunately I put the procedure off because I thought maybe this would be the fix that I was truly looking for. That did not last for more than a couple of months because of the high amount of sodium that was in so many of the meals. By now it's December and I'm right back in the same visocus circle that I've been in and now my weight has really gotten out of hand. by January I was a whopping 252lbs and had a very low self esteme. I didn't want to go to any social settings and couldn't fit any of my clothes. I was up to a size 18/20...I'd never wore this size clothes even when I was 9mo pregnant with either of my children. Life seemed very glomy for me. In January I decided to get back to business with Dr. Klems office and get the show on the road. As most of you know this can be a very long process because of all of the steps you have to take to be qualified for surgery. By March of this year I was finally finished with all of the steps that I needed (so I thought). My Information was submitted to my insurance company and I thought it was complete but of course my insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois denied my case. They claimed that I didn't have enough previous documented diet attempts for at least 5 years. When I submitted 7 years straight of failed diet attempts with one diet (Dr. Greenspon) doctor. My case was taken on by the Attorney that handles lap band denied cases, which took almost two months to get resolved. Finally got approved (this was a very stressful time needless to say).:tongue_smilie:As I was waiting for the approval I decided to try another dietary option, Weight Watchers (This was so costly, but my husband wanted to make sure I tried absolutly everything.....) by June of 09, I was finally approved... Now to set the date...July was full for my doctor so I opted to take August 12th. I'm now scheduled....:thumbup:... Kept doing Weight Watchers for a minute until I ran out of thier food and I'm now at 239.5. My liquid diet starts July 29th, which does consist of some food. I am to have a protein shake for breakfast, a morning snack (which will be a fat free yogart without fruit), Protein shake for lunch, mid lunch snack (which will be sugar free jello), and then a dinner (I've opted to use a Smart One's meal which is approved by my nutrutionist as long as it has meat in it.) and I can have up to two sugar free popcicles or fudgecicles. This doesn't seem like a liquid diet but the doctor knows best and it's ment to be 1000 calories. My nutritionist said it was good that I've been on the Weight Watchers diet because it's comparable to what I will be doing except it's 200 calories less. I will continue to post after my procedure but I can say that I'm happy that it's all most time for me to get this part over with....It's been a long time coming.:confused: Start Weight: 252lbs Pre Op Weight: 239lbs Pre Surgery Weight: ??? Goal Weight: 145

I beg to differ. I'd say that emotion eating and addiction play the biggest part in weight gain. I know several people who eat only healthy foods but way too much of them. It is okay to enjoy ALL foods in moderation. If fastfood is a trigger for you (mine is sodas) then stay away from it. Make the best choices you can and understand that treats, like fastfood, are just that. They are not everyday food.

It's really important you find a bariatric surgeon. I know it can be hard, but your health depends on it. Right now, you are clearly too tight and are having soft calorie syndrome and weight gain as a result. This is explains why you've gained back 75 pounds. Plus, you're putting yourself at serious risk for complications. Tighter isn't always better when it comes to the band, in fact it can be dangerous to your health and sabotage your weight loss.

@@Kindle, you ask a GREAT question! I am so much a "WHY?" person too. But as so many mental health professionals have suggested to me, sometimes there just are no answers some questions and we serve ourselves best by being at peace with "what is." Sorry for all the pain you are experiencing in your life, but hope you are being extra kind to yourself in acknowledging how awesome your are for your strength in the midst of all this adversity! For so many of WLSers who suffer major emotional life changing events (deaths, divorce, job loss, etc) that is a huge trigger for major weight gain. Having the knowledge that this DOES happen when we experience major life events, and being able to keep in the back of our minds that we will need a lot of support at these times helps so much. Somehow, you have been able to maintain your weight during all this and wow that is amazing. At four years out, I can relate to a lot of what you have said (except the therapist part--definitely working on head). I feel pleased with my WLS success. I attribute that to FINALLY in my life being READY TO CHANGE, and being totally HONEST with myself. No more excuses. That meant letting go of a lifetime of old unhealthy eating habits forever and working REALLY HARD that first year to figure out what new, healthy eating habits and lifestyle even were (I really didn't even know.). For me, without question, the difference from all the other times in my life that I tried to lose weight is that the sleeve provides the restriction that was never there before. Why can I keep the weight off when we see other WLSers regain? That's where the work that we do in that first year to change our habits is so important. Also, I often repeat to myself a mental affirmation: (Your disease of obesity was so severe that you had the majority of your stomach surgically removed--behave accordingly!) I know what healthy eating is now. I don't count calories any more. I know what 1200 quality calories a day is. Fake, processed junk foods do not live in my house. I eat whole, clean meals/snacks prepared at home. I really think it just all boils down to CHOOSING TO CHANGE, forever. It is not about willpower. It is about choosing to live your best life and restoring your body to health. Sure, the number on the scale, and the fun clothes etc are nice, but if those are made the priority in the WLS adventure, my opinion is that the long-term success might be in question. Give yourself an extra pat on the back today--because you deserve it!

Hi all! I am 13 months post op and 8 weeks pregnant. I am really struggling dealing with the food cravings and being hungry all the time! I am still king mostly healthy choices but if I don’t eat like every two hours I feel sick. I have gained a few pounds already and was hoping for some diet help. I can’t eat cold meats or deli meats which made up most of my diet before. Does anyone have a diet plan they follow during pregnancy? I understand I will gain weight but I want it to be a healthy weight gain. Thanks!

Hi Amber, Yes, this is common experience for many of us. I knew I was overweight. The term morbidly obese was hard to hear. Honestly, I hid from cameras and didn’t spend much time looking in a full body mirror. I was not seeing my self correctly pre surgery. It took time for my mind to catch up with the rapid weight loss. I finally saw myself correctly after goal and my weight settled. A vet gave me a good suggestion. Place a photo of yourself at your goal/low weight on your bathroom mirror. Look at it as you get ready in the morning. I used a counselor to get past this issue. She said some people eventually see themselves correctly, some may take years and some never do. I see myself as smaller. I have confidence and feel comfortable in my own skin. (I should say loose skin) I’m maintaining five years out. It’s ridiculous that a five-pound weight gain can make me feel like I am at my high weight all over again. The fear of weight gain is still something I’m working on. I am better with this as time progresses. I’ve had to learn to trust myself more.

This topic is still on my mind. FB has reminded me of where I was a year ago and I am able to look at myself and see that yes I was morbidly obese. When I compare a picture from yesterday's 15 mile training walk to a year ago when I was still recuperating from a total hip replacement, I can see what was obvious to everyone but me. I never talked about my weight since it was such a source of embarrassment and pain. Thankfully my husband sensed this and knew to never bring it up. When I did he was always supportive and even joined me in eating healthy. He has really helped me when it comes to the mental aspect of losing weight. For example, a few years ago we went to an amusement park with our middle child and friends to celebrate their high school graduation. They took off and my husband and I made our way to a roller coaster. When we sat down and I couldn't get the bar to lock, I was shocked. I was mortified when I realized that I had to get up in front of all those people waiting in line. I could feel the judgey comments and disparaging remarks being muttered under their breath. My husband just got up and said this ride hurts my back - let's get out of here and go to the casino. Yesterday, he asked if I wanted to go back to the amusement park with the kids. While I told him yes, I also explained to him that our daughter wouldn't be able to fit any more because of her weight gain, even though she has a different body shape ( I am an apple and she gained hers in her bottom half and our daughter needed a seat belt extender on the last air flight). I explained that I don't want her to have to go through the same experience and how much I loved him for the way he reacted. I have vowed to keep taking pictures of myself and looking at myself in the mirror when I step out of the shower. I can see the flaws but then I remind myself that this body has been through some trials and allows me to do some amazing things that I couldn't have done a year ago. When the BMI chart had my doctor telling me I need to lose another 71 lbs, I laughed. Here is why: my job requires me to lift 50-100 lbs. I have been doing this for over 23 years. I have some muscle on me under all the fat. I showed him a picture of my coworker who is 5' 8" and weighs 180 lbs. She doesn't have an ounce of fat on her but is considered overweight, borderline obese. My surgeon understood that I will not be going by his chart. I will continue to follow my program and do the activities I love but I will not stress about getting down to a number on a scale. I want to be healthy and active, not sickly and weak just to say I can fit in a size 2 jeans. With my personality and competitiveness, I could easily fixate on that but it wouldn't be healthy for me. I don't have to have an "all or nothing" mentality. It can be one day at a time, making a healthy choice for that day. Because soon all those tiny individual choices add up to positive changes.

Surgery is painful. Everyone experiences pain differently. For me, the pain medicines made me comfortable. I am in my 40s, I was back to normal in about 2 weeks. The weight does not fall off at first. With a band, it can take several months to get to the appropriate fill level for the band to give the most help. The band is a strictly restrictive procedure. the weight loss you achieve is based on calorie restriction, not on restriction and malabsorption like gastric bypass. Lapband patients are advised to expect losses of 1-2 pounds per week. Being at a higher weight, you might lose faster at first, once your calorie consumption is under control. If you are looking for rapid weight loss, gastric bypass or vertical sleeve is the way to go, not banding. Exercise, you do what you can. Even lifting weights or dancing in a chair will help until you can start weight bearing exercises. The band is not meant to be a temporary item. It seems when most people get their bands removed or unfilled, old habits creep back in and weight gain occurs. When there is no Fluid in a band, for most of us, it is like we have no band. We can generally eat the same amounts we could before surgery. There are some here who have restriction without any fill in their bands, but they seem to be the exception, not the rule. I have never had all the fill removed from my band since I had it installed. Having unfills for special events in life is just not something I would consider. My new way of eating is for life, and it is not dependent on chances to eat more food or new foods. I can experience plenty of food without unfilling it. Steak...well, it can be problematic for many banded people. Like a previous poster, I can eat it if I cut it into very small pieces and chew VERY well. I tend to get tired of chewing before my portion is gone. It is a lot of work to eat. You might be able to eat it, you might not. It is something you will have to be willing to give up if it turns out to be something you cannot eat. Keep the questions coming, the better informed you are, the better decision you can make!!