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I just got my 4th fill a dew days ago and I think I am a little to full.. I am PB'ing even after I eat yogurt.. I am taking small bites and eating very slow... Even after I drink a few sips of Water I am burping... No Pbing.. I can drink Protein shakes just fine.. Did I read this correctly that you drank beer?? how is that possible? I miss beer and can't drink it.. I have a date (first one with this guy) I think I have to cancel... I have no idea how I am going to eat. Is this okay to PB all weekend or should I stick to Protein Shakes?? Thanks to all of you. It is VERY nice to hear I am not such an exception! I read these boards often and no one seems to have the problems I am having. Even my doctor says my case is somewhat unique to her. I know a few people personally who have gone through being banded. A couple successful and a couple not so much but none of them had my kind of problems. 1 year and 3 months into this and I am FINALLY getting restriction!! The unfill did help A LOT!! I am still able to eat what I feel is just enough. The scale is starting to go down too!! Let this be a lesson to you. DO NOT LIVE WITH THE BAND IF IT IS TOO TIGHT BECAUSE YOU ARE AFRAID IT WILL RESULT IN WEIGHT GAIN!!!! It can mean the difference between misery and your green spot!! Bonnie, Cassie and Sara I hope it all works out for you in the end! (Knock on wood) I am doing REALLY WELL with this NOW!! LOL

I normally gain during November and December and then take the next few months losing the weight. This year I had to work from home and by the middle of May had gained 7 lbs from the holidays and then an additional 10 lbs from March to the Middle of May. As of today I have lost the 17 lbs. Part of my insurance program is they have an app where I weigh in every day and give you suggestions on losing weight. You also have to take picture of your meals and submit on the app. As a result of having someone to be accountable to has kept me somewhat in line. The main weight gaining opportunity is unhealthy snacking. So this been curtailed as well.

Oh how nice it would be if diabetes made you lose weight! People with diabetes don't respond correctly to insulin. The main job of insulin is to signal your cells to take up the sugar in your blood to use as fuel. Because that process isn't working like it should, people with diabetes have excess sugar in their blood. That excess blood sugar has to go somewhere. Where it goes is that your body converts it into fat and stores it. There's a reason why type 2 diabetes is strongly correlated with obesity. Being overweight can lead to insulin resistance on a cellular level, which can lead to more weight gain, which makes your body unable to as efficiently process the insulin, which can lead to more weight gain, and so on. Now just like any other potential hormonal imbalance, being diabetic does not make you gain weight. It just means that all other things being equal, it's more likely. To gain weight, you still have to eat more than you burn, regardless of any hormone issues.

Wow! I empathize with your frustration, but perhaps you should just wait until you calm down and think this through. Your reaction sounds a bit childish. You sound like Veruca in "Willy Wonka and The chocolate Factory". "I want it Daddy! I want it now!" Did you gain all your weight in a month? I doubt it. Sometimes it seems like weight gain came on really fast, but losing it takes even longer. It's not like the band goes in and wham - the weight falls off. Your body hasn't even had a chance to finish healing, so even though it may not feel like it, you probably still have some swelling. You also have to work with your body (and your mind) to kick it into weight loss mode. Whether you like it or not, the human body comes equipped with a strong survival instinct and will automatically kick into gear, slow it's metabolism if threatened with what it perceives to be starvation and/or injury. Your job is to give your metabolism a kick in the pants to get it going, eat healthy but fewer calories than you burn so you lose fat instead of muscle after you heal. You're not even far enough along to start a proper exercise regimen. Right now your body has been injured (surgery), or so it thinks and you've changed what it was used to consuming. Be patient, this takes work! I hope for your sake that your insurance and doctor do not give in and remove your band this early in the game. I don't think you have had it long enough to know whether or not this will work for you. Perhaps you need to find a support person or group and take a look around on this forum so you can see what it takes to make this work for you. You may be right that this is not for you, but since you've come this far, what have you got to lose (no pun intended) by sticking it out a little longer?

Hi all. I had my surgery on Jan 16 and am currently one week post op. So far so good! The only issue I've noticed is I can consume anything cold. But down 10 lbs :-) A little back story. I'm 25 and was diagnosed with a hormonal disorder when I was 14. It's caused a lot if weight gain, blood sugar problems, and infertility. I've always been athletic, played volleyball and was a runner most of my school years, but I was always the chunky one. After high school I got married and have been a nanny/homemaker. To no avail, my husband and I have not been able to conceive. So 120 lbs later and countless failed diets, except use routines, and fertility treatments, I am here. I feel good about my decision. I'm hoping to get to know other RNYers and have a support system since my surgeons office is 4 hours away and I won't be able to make the support meetings. I've read so many post and have so much respect for this outlet and the people who bare the souls on here! Hope to get to know y'all Mandi

I sometimes wonder if it would be easier or harder for me if I had been normal size at any time during my formative teen years, on forward. These are of course only my personal feelings, but on occasion I think about how many of you mention that you were 120lbs in HS or 115 when you married, etc. and you just can't stand the way you look now and how much you've changed. I find myself thinking you have no idea...I have NEVER been a normal weight since I was 9 years old. That is a terrible way to think, I know. Is your struggle easier than mine? No! But I'm being honest. I think to myself that at least you've experienced life at a normal weight. At least you've had the experience of going into a store and having someone come right over and help you. You've had occasion to not worry about which way to walk through a crowd or through a restaurant so that you don't bump against someone or have to squeeze through. You've ridden public transportation and not had someone look at you in disgust when they had to squeeze next to you in a seat. You've not had someone look at you with disdain because you are sweating after running to catch a bus or a cab. You've probably flown without worrying that someone will have to move out of their seat to let you out to the restroom (I won't go on a plane, I am afraid of not fitting in the bathroom). Some of you have joined the mile high club, I can't fathom that. You've had the experience of shopping at a regular store for clothes or shoes or swimsuits, maybe you were able to get your wedding dress off the rack. You've stood up in weddings, I haven't. I think sometimes it is because some brides worry about the appearance of their pictures, some don't want a fat bridesmaid in them. Some don't want to limit which dresses they choose for their maids to something available in plus-size. Some don't want a fat girl in a strapless dress. You've had sex and been on top without worrying that you'll crush a guy's pelvis. You've had sex and not been mortified when your stomach rolls smacked against each other and made that horrible sound. You've not had some man make a comment about how huge your thighs are when he starts to "go down there" (that ruins ANY chance for having a good time, let me tell you). Maybe you have been lucky enough not to have your heart broken after you fall in love with a gay man because that's the only man who will give you attention and affection. I cannot remember being thin. I have been smaller than I am now, so I still have the issues with running into someone I knew years ago when I was merely obese, not super morbidly obese. I put on almost 100lbs since I've met my DH nearly 9 years ago. My 20th HS reunion is coming up and I still think about how much I've gained since HS. I see the Slimfast commercials where someone wants to lose thirty or fifty pounds for their reunion and I laugh. I was a 22 in HS, I probably weighed in the low 200's. I'm in the 300's now. I was near 400 about eight months ago. So I do still have some of the issues that those who were at one time thin struggle with, too. I am sure it's hard on folks who married thin and then have gained a lot of weight over the years. I know that there are spouses out there (men and women) who make comments about how their mates have let themselves go, and that's painful. I'm fortunate my DH has not said one word about my weight gain. But my previous love did. He told me about how his previous long-time love had gained from 130-280 over the course of their relationship and then he said he didn't want me to gain an ounce (I was about 250 then). When we split he said he was grossed out by my gain (about 20lbs) and disappointed that I wasn't still going to the gym like I was at the beginning of our relationship. He was 400lbs himself! Now I certainly have not sat back and been a wallflower. I am a very in-your-face type of person, I have the ability to be an extrovert, or be somewhat introverted. I never did let my weight stop me from doing much. I used to dive, I loved coasters (until I did get too large to fit), I travel. I am one of those life of the party types. I can go to a gathering not knowing a soul and walk out with two or three lunch dates and a few new friends. I guess that's a good thing, hopefully as I lose weight and get closer to whatever "normal" will be for me, I will not change. I do not want to become a different person. I do worry about that, though. One of my friends here said in one of her posts that her DH knew her thin, didn't like her fat, and is now treating her like shit because she's losing the weight he wanted her to! That he knew who she was at all stages and that she hasn't changed. For those who like her met their mates at a normal weight, I think the transition *might* be a little easier, unless a situation like hers arises. But how are my DH and I going to handle it when my exterior begins to transform into someone he's never met? He's certainly larger than he was 15 years ago, but there are pictures, I'd recognize him at 165lbs like I recognize him at 235lbs. There are no pictures of me at a normal weight, I will be a different appearing person. I don't want that change to affect me/us in a negative fashion. I work with a woman who is 112lbs and is doing Weight Watchers to lose 2lbs. She is devastated that she can't get back to 110lbs. She has 3 children. I am sure her struggle is a real one to her, I would never poo poo her difficulty. But it is NOT the same as mine. No one's struggles are the same as the next person. I don't think you can categorize what anyone goes through.

As a "lower BMI bandster" I've never thought for a moment that I faced the same journey. The health and fitness I enjoyed even as an obese person was a blessing and made my journey that much easier. The fact that I never became super morbidly obese was because my obesity was due to lifestyle factors - the typical weight gain that happens when you have kids, stop work etc. I wasnt just piling on more and more pounds, I'd reached max fatness and held it for a few years before I got banded. I didnt have anything like the headwork to do, anything like the dysfunctional eating to battle and absolutely none of the emotional scarring to heal. I've never not fit in a movie seat, a booth, an aeroplane seat. I got banded becuase I was worried about my ankle, yes, but more so because I didnt like the way I looked. It was totally a decision based on vanity. I've never tried to pretend I totally understand what others are going through, I'm sure actually my "just do it" attitude has at times been insensitive even, because honestly, when people post that they need more and more restriction or they've gained or they cant stop eating chocolate, I really do just marvel that they've gone so far as to have surgery and they STILL cant control themselves? I know that I just dont get it. I try to be respectful of it as a journey totally different to mine and I hope that that works in reverse and people understand that a little bit of weight is much easier to tackle than a lot so why the hell not do it now before it gets even harder?

Awww...we all do it! I just think it is a bit of the "old me" popping up. The one that got me to my pre-op weight in the first place. Even though the band is a great tool to help us physically change our bodies, sometimes I think our minds lag behind. I know that in my case, my weight gain was very much psychological. I ate to soothe many negative feelings....anxiety, stress, sadness, crankiness, exhaustion, disappointment, etc. Now that we don't turn to food anymore, those thoughts just pop up sometimes. Hopefully, the positive changes in our minds will soon catch up to the positive changes in our bodies. In the meantime, keep busy with activities that make you feel good....exercise, a mani and pedi, a nice warm bath, or playing with your pets...whatever! Just find something to occupy your mind when those pesky negative thoughts pop in!

Weight gain is normal from all the IV fluids. Drink as much water/liquids (as your program advises) and walk walk walk. This will help with any pain and get your body back in whack.

I opted for the Depo Provera shots. No daily pills, no Nuvaring (my daughter saw the commercial about the bad side effects of it and I stopped using it). Just once every three months, and that's it. I don't even have periods anymore. I'm loving that!!! And I haven't gained weight with it. It even says that average weight gain is five pounds. The weight I have gained is due to PCOS and not being able to exercise like I'd like to. Just thought I'd share an alternative to pills. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi I am very interested in more information on your experience. I was banded on Oct. 7th. With the 5 day preop diet until now I have lost 21 lbs. But the facts are not that simple. I lost most of it from the start of the preop until about 3 days post op. I feel no restriction whatsoever. I am still slightly sore at the port but otherwise the surgery was very easy. I did every thing I was told and now feel fine just slight soreness at the port site. But I am starving. I tried testing it last night to see and sure enough I can eat anything. No side affects at all. My first fill is Nov. 17th. What I do feel is thirsty all the time and I am drinking probably 100oz a day all non-caffeine teas or water. What drove me to try real food was horrible upset stomach from all the artificial sweeteners. I have 110 lbs more to lose. So your experience with the fills is very interesting to me. Right now I have serious buyers remorse and hunger. One problem that exasperates my situation and led to this massive weight gain over the past 8 years is a very serious foot condition that prohibits any distance walking. I have just bought a recumbent bike and this weekend I am going to see how I handle that with the little bit of residual surgical pain I have. Any additional information or advice would be greatly appreciated.

You know, I always feel like the odd one out when it comes to eating & these kinds of threads here. My problem never was overeating/being addicted to food or anything like that. Growing up, I was around a mom who barely ate, an older sister & younger brother who depended on fast food (they are sticks and can eat a houses worth of food daily) and a dad who was always gone at work. I ended up picking up my moms eating habits, because fast food always has completely grossed me out in every way possible, and I was too young to really make my own food when it started. It took my doctors a good 5 years of constantly running blood tests and me pretty much living in my hospitals lab work area to figure out what was wrong with me. But as soon as they realized that my weight came on from massively under eating, they were constantly trying to push me into nutritionists and getting me to eat what I should be. My biggest issues with nutritionists is that the amount of food they want me to eat, is way too much for me. I could not keep up with her meal plans without physically getting sick, by the amount of it. My weight gain came from the fact that I never ate enough. It didn't matter how active I was growing up, because anything I did eat, my body grabbed on to. It wasn't until I was 18 that I fully understood that myself, when my doctors started telling me how worried they were because it was seemingly impossible for me to lose weight until I started eating more. I have always eaten healthy, always. I can't stand sugar, candy, cake, ice cream, most Desserts, or anything like that. I don't do chips, or excessive amounts of cheese. I was the healthiest person in my family in terms of eating, and yet I was the only one with the weight issue. Early 2012 I continued with my healthy eating, but added more vegetables/etc to my meals, and then by the time my lap band surgery came around, I was eating enough for the weight to start coming off with my exercising schedules. I've been slower than most here with the weight loss (two years - 112 pounds), but my doctors are constantly reminding me that it's harder for me to lose weight because mine didn't come from overeating. TL;DR: I've been programmed to eat healthy, so I've had no will power issues at all. My main thing is just making sure I do get my three meals a day in, just to continue with the weight loss.

I had my band for almost 11 months. I had peritonitis, undiagnoised for almost too long. In hospital for a week after removal, and in bed at home for 4 weeks after. It took me 4 more weeks to regain strength and return to somewhat normal for me. I have so many mixed emotions now, mourning my band, mad at my Doc, emotional eating and rebound weight gain. Emotionally out of control with food. I don't feel I fit in in any weight loss group. Because no one understand the mourning part. I had gotten acustom to its presents and was losing slowly but steady. Now since its removal I have gained 20 lbs in 4 months. Any support out there? Linda Tennessee

The weight gain is not real...10 pounds overnight would have meant you overrate by 35,000 calories. In a banded belly, I don't see how that would be possible. Drink your Water, get Protein in through shakes...ride it out and you'll likely drop the 10lbs plus extra

Glad the lap band worked so well for you! What a huge accomplishment! I think that you will find that most who have had the band removed have gained weight....myself included. While you could put yourself on a low calorie diet and potentially hold off the weight gain do you think that you could do it on your own indefinitely? Speaking for myself only, that is why i had to have the band in the first place and why i converted to the sleeve when the band failed. If you can see obesity as a disease than the lapband was to the obesity as the pacemaker is to the heart.

I am so happy that you are taking steps to improve your health! Please don't lose faith that you can do this! I would definately get a second opinion and try the other clinic. Make sure if you are expected to lose that much weight, that you ask for a food and exercise plan that will assist in you getting there. Like someone else said, make sure their program includes a nutritionist and physiologist that can help you work through your eating issues. You need a solid support system around you including your surgical team. In the meantime it sounds like you lost 76lbs last year. How did you do that? Most of us have no problem losing the weight, it is keeping it off where we fall down. It sounds like you have experienced this as well. I would work really hard to move to a high Protein low carb diet now. It will only prepare you for what is to come. Also like someone else said, if you are drinking any calories stop that now, you won't be able to after surgery and many times this is where a lot of weight gain comes from. I know you can do this, you have done it before. Don't let yourself get discouraged to the point you give up, it will only cost you more down the road. I wish you the best of luck! I hope you are able to find a clinic that will give you the support needed for a successful surgery and recovery. I will say a prayer for you!

Don't panic, it's not real weight gain. You just had major surgery. It's fluids and swelling and stuff. Quit weighing yourself for a while. This too shall pass.

I have decided to get the Lap Band after many years of weight gain and loss and now am looking for a place to do it. I have had a consultation at CIBO and they can do the procedure very quickly which kind of scares me...shouldnt there be a longer wait...regardless I am looking for positive stories from CIBO patients

ok, so I am almost 2 weeks out from my port replacement and doing fairly well. I did have to get my lortab refilled. I had trouble sleeping. Still am not losing. But I figured I would have to get a fill right away anyway. I am wanting to ask you all your opinion on something. Dr K said he would be going after the manufacturer for the cost of the surgery and such. What I was wondering, is should I make a case for extra? With all the flights, hotels, recovery time, weight gain, wasted time etc.? What do you all think? I have obviously never been in a position like this before and would love some input. Thanks! <!-- / message --> <!-- sig -->

Yes those numbers are correct. But, I only had a total of 60 lbs to lose prior to surgery. I lost 25 w/i about 2-3 months but it has slowed since.When band was too tight I was eating higher calorie "slider foods" that caused the weight gain. In addition, I am too indulgent at social settings and that is my biggest obsticle b/c I tell myself "I deserve It" problem is I am very social!!!! I need to stop lying to myself. I know what I have to do...I just have a hard time actually doing it in this environment. I m having no issues with the surgery itself, I truly beleive in this surgery. I don't even feel as though I have had any procedure in terms of after effects, side effects etc. It is absolutely the best thing I have done for my weight and health issues. Biggest perk: being satisfied with less food/weight loss. Biggest drawback: not a big one but probably the scars. Back on track and I feel terrific

It looks like you've lost 8 pounds since your surgery. You're doing good. You didn't put the weight on overnight. It's not going to come off overnight either. When they blow your body up with gas to do the surgery, it causes a weight gain. That weight will come off as the gas dissipates from your body. That takes a while too. It sounds like you're doing everything right. Keep it up, the weight will come off. If it helps, in the beginning, I had months where I only lost 3 lbs. Then I would have a month where I lost 15 or more.

I gained weight in the 6 months prior to surgery. It scared because I thought "If I can't control this now, how will I be able to control myself after I'm banded?" I reached an all time high of 285 lbs before my surgery on 10/12/10 and now I'm down 65 lbs. So the pre surgery weight gain did not doom me to failure, but it did put me farther away from my ultimate goal. Don't think of the 6 month wait as a bad thing. Think of it as time to get you mind together before you take the big plunge. It can also be a time to work on some things like slowing down your eating or taking smaller bites. The six months will pass before you know it and I'm actually glad I had that time to get some things in order. Good luck to you!

Thanks everyone for your replies. Reverie: I am in therapy. My therapist is working on helping me to change the way I think. Some days it works, some days it doesn't. They put me on a very intense high Protein low carb diet. I did it for 1 week, lost 6 pounds and I was very excited then something happened that made me lose my motivation and I gained it back. I have a condition that is causing swallowing issues and I'm having a esophageal manometry tomorrow to see if I will even be able to get a lapband. I gues since it's so out of reach, it's just making me feel less enthusiastic about even trying. If I was counting calories and excercising, I probably wouldn't have posted.lol I could set here and make alot of excuses, I do have some valid reasons but I really just wanted to get support and possibly hear there was someone else out there that knew what I was going through and could shed some light. I know what I need to do, I think this is a mental issue but I'm not sure what it is but would like to figure it out. I'm waiting for the day I wake up and have gained control. cwm812: It sounds very familiar! I'm going through the exact same thing you did. It's good to know your doctor had faith in you and were able to get the surgery anyway. I hope my doctor feels that way about me, I have been very worried. He doesn't know about my weight gain yet, but will see me tomorrow for my procedure..makes me a little nervous. mattie7632: That's a good point you made. I hope I have the same successes you have if I get banded...maybe when I hear that I actually get to have it that will change the way I think? I don't know if it's a deeper issue or not. 54Shirley: I've suffered from depression and anxiety for a long time. I do think that it has alot to do with the reason I lose motivation so quickly. I'm so scared I'll do the same thing if I get banded. In a way the 6 mth diet is a 2 edged sword. On one side it's the waiting game that makes me anxious and unmotivated, the other side is giving me time to get my mind in the right place which is apparently something I need. Thank you, I'll check out that post. crecia1975: I know you are so right. I'm going to have to just face my demons and get working. Maybe I need a life coach or someone to keep me focused. I'm sorry you gained and went through what you did but it's good to know I'm not alone.

I also don't understand why they would unfill it completely unless for surgery as in Jachut's case. I have heard lots of people say that it is hard to get the restriction right again after a complete unfill. It seems to do something to the band - a bit like when you blow up a balloon and then let it down and blow it up again. I would be stocking the fridge with healthy Snacks e.g crudites or making big pots of veggie Soup. Stuff that you can fill up on that won't cause weight gain. And I would probably also take the opportunity to fill up on the healthy foods that can be hard to eat when you have decent restrction e.g fruit salad, salad sandwich, steak. Good luck, hope it all goes well.

My doctor also prescribed seasonal allergy meds. I've taken Zyrtec and a few others and they all make me eat like crazy; so much that I now suffer through the symptoms to avoid the problems with weight gain. I have questioned several others to see if it has done them the same way and they all agree, it makes you feel like you are hungry all the time.