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I can not belive it will be 7 years since my journey began! My lapband is my best friend ,all my life like a lot of you have struggled with weight issues,my issues stopped the day i was given my lapband,thoughout the 7 years i have had 6 fills,oh i have the old band that holds 4 cc,i have had 3 unfills for a few surgerys. It took about 2 years to go from280,260 @ surgery to 127 ,i have had 1 set back of weight gain of 30 pounds because i was on prednisone for 8 months this last year but i have made it back i am @ 145 today,the band is always there for me. In the beginning i had a few slimes and a few upchucking but i learned,i never deprived my self of my love of cookies or icecream i had them at least twice a week sometimes more,i followed my rules of no drinking,chew chew chew,i do not eat bread,crackers yes breads no,i do not eat rice,or pasta,except once in a blue moon and i cheat 4 times year@ red lobster i have my long islands while i eat alot lol! I have not had any issues through my 7 years, but last month bad chest pains ,it looks like i have a hernia that is pushing on my band andd that is now pushing on a nerve and on my diaphame,doc says because i have lost the weight i have that he has to remove my band and also says because he sees so much scar tissue that he cant replace my band. I am the saddest person in the world right now! The dr says i can do the sleeve so the even smallest thought of regaining all my weight is just out of the question so i said yes to the sleeve,surgery is nov 21st, doc also said once he is in and if scar tissue doesnt look as bad as it did on film he will fix everything and leave my band! I am praying fr that very hard. Sorry so long of post and for not being on the boards like i used to be, i should have stayed and helped othhers for that i am a bad bandster.

The beauty of the band is, you can always start over. Weight gain after quitting smoking is VERY normal. I quit 18 months ago and gained about 40. But think of it like this- you're a non smoker! That is AMAZING and something to be proud of!! Plus, you can lose the weight again and when it's gone, you'll still be healthier because you quit smoking! Have you tried the 5 day pouch test? Not to shrink your pouch, but to "start over" mentally as well as physically. It takes you through the post op phases over 5 days and many find it's a great way to reset their minds and get back into the bandster mindset. http://5daypouchtest.com/plan/theplan.html I would also recommend seeing a Nutritionist to help get you back on track, too. Your surgeon as well. It's only 30 pounds, you can totally lose it again! Best wishes

I was banded July 2009. I statred out at 252 lbs and lost over 100 lbs. I got down to 147 lbs.. I was on top of the world. Until my band had slipped. I had gotten some fluid taken out to help it fall back into place. I was able to eat more comfortably. Then I had decided to get even healthier by quitting smoking. I quit in January of this year and have put back on 30 lbs. I'm so afraid this is just the start of a downfall.. so of course with the weight gain my self loathing is back and the depression is starting to set in again.... HELP, What do I do?????

Well done, Bawse52! Same here on the weight gain. Got down to 2 pounds from goal and now I'm 5 pounds up from that. The only change is that I stepped up the exercise. Has to be muscle gain. My clothes continue to get too big, I have to replace several pair of recently purchased, not cheap pants, ....what was I thinking?

Before I had this surgery I was worried about loose skin and not having any muscle tone after the surgery. Well I am proud to say that I am a year out of surgery and I don’t have any loose skin. I have always lifted weights and wanted continue after I had my surgery. I am going to be honest when I got back in the gym after surgery I was extremely weak, in college I could bench about 475 lbs., when I got back in the gym I could barely bench 145 lbs. I stuck to it and now I am up to 375 lbs., I work out 4 days a week and I swim 3 say a week. I don’t run or walk because of the stress on my knees, I think once I get to my target weight I will start to run. Just recently I have noticed that I have gained 15 lbs. but my waist and my shirt size has reduced by 3 sizes. At first I was frustrated about the weight gain but I was told that I am gaining muscle mass and it is much heavier than fat. I think I am going to add more cardio to my routine so I can get to my target weight then I will continue my weight regimen. I am so glad I decided to have this surgery..it has really changed my life!!!

FYI, the sleeve was started as the first step of the duodenal switch, not the RNY. Drs found many of those who did not go on to get the second part of the surgery still lost weight. The sleeve was developed as a stand alone surgery from there. People have had their stomachs removed for many reasons for many years... most live a happy, thinner life afterwards. My Doc said if I did not lose enough weight on the sleeve, or gained a lot back, I could always get it switched up to the DS. The DS is very drastic, and high maintenance... but has the best weight loss statistics. I have had the sleeve going on 2 years, and it has been a breeze for me in most ways. I have had a weight gain bounce.. of about 12 pounds... but my life and health are SOOO much better, and quality of life is where its at. Go for it.

No only am I BP (medicted) but my birth daughter, husband, and adopted daughter are also. It can be a struggle but so much more so when we aren't on meds. thsnks God doctors now see it and can help us find the right ones but sometimes the side effects is weight gain (as if we need another struggle) On here we support each other no matter the struggle so feel free to share yours some of us are going throught the same thing and we can learn from you.Thanks so much for sharing you have already helped us.....................line dancer

We all have our own issues. If a person has a problem with you they have the problem of being and idiot! I have fought clinical depression and axiety disorders for years. Now, on meds that make life great and helps me deal with stress. However, the meds do carry a possiblity of weight gain. I have to be really careful, but thankful for the meds.

tabbymonroe, when i first had my surgery 3 years ago, I hit a stall that drove me crazy! I had been losing so great, then boom at exactly one year i stalled for 7 MONTHS. . . it was crazy! no weight loss, no weight gain. . .I had really thought this was it! then one day it just moved, I lost another 10 - 15 lbs and that was it, BUT i did reach my goal the doctor had put out for me plus 12 lbs more, so that is what I call success. . . now at 3+ years out I'm still the same weight and am maintaining beautifully. . .I don't worry about anything anymore. . .I finally love myself and accept myself for who I am. . . good luck, it'll happen for you too. .

Losin it Thank you I am not going to derail all the work I have done. Going to continue to eat healthy and keep the pounds off I lost and somehow get these sugars down. More insulin, of course that will mean more inflamation and pain, and then weight gain. It is a vicious circle. But I truly respect my Doctor and Know that he is looking out for me.

My weight came on after living in a household that watches tv every night- I don't have that in my life prior to the weight gain. I had a solid job before I started gaining- so stress and therefore stress eating and alcohol consumption have contributed. Additionally, I quit being as active after an injury resulting in knee reconstruction, which took 2 months before I could even walk unassisted. After that- I got serious & dedicated- recumbent bike, etc. Started planning our wedding, had a pulmonary embolism in June this year- and it all went to hell from there. Not proud of this story- but it's honest.

I was sleeved 9/26/12 I am on the shot had it a few weeks before my sleeve I will not be getting it again. Now I have been on it for 5 years so I do love it but do not love the Side effects weight gain slow weight loss. DH got a vasectomy today so I would not have to worrie today I was due for my shot he did this instead.

Hey everyone! My name is Petra and I am considering lap band surgery. Ive been overweight most of my life...I started to gain weight when I was 7 or 8 years old and at age 13 (and around 200 lbs) found out I had hypothyroidism. I was put on medication and lost a lot of weight by 14 years old (and my slimmest at a size 9). I slowly gained weight since then and I am now 232 lbs. Ive struggled with hypothyroidism, and my major weight gains have happened due issues with medication dosages which cause a decrease in thyroid function. I have tried every diet except for pre packaged food and have lost 15-25 lbs but always gained it back. I now have high blood pressure and take a low dose of medication to control this. I am also at risk for diabetes since it runs in my family. Im tired of feeling horrible and depressed about myself, and Im tired of always feeling hungry even when I eat a "normal" sized meal. I want nothing more than to be able to shop for clothes freely without worrying if a store carries my size or not. I dont want pain due to excessive weight when I work out or do anything physical....and I would like for once just to feel comfortable in a bathing suite! I want to have lap band surgery, but I am also afraid. Im afraid that I will go through with it and it wont work! Im also afraid that I wont qualify or my insurance wont cover the procedure. I do know that I do not want a more invasive procedure and I started looking into the lap band since it is reversible. Any advice or guidance would be great...all I know from here is that I need to start talking with a surgeon. Petra

My wife was originally planning on having WLS (specifically VSG) after watching my successful recovery with relatively minor complications and successful weight loss. She was going to wait 6 months after my post op to see how things are progressing for me before making a decision to attend a WLS consulatation. Regardless, her latest decision is to not have WLS for a couple reasons. 1. Slimes and throwing up: She didn't like all the slimes and throwing up I went through when adjusting to the solids phase. It was mainly my fault because I am a fast eater and it took me a while to learn to "hear" the full signals. I had to learn how much to eat, how fast to eat and what types of food my sleeve an tolerate over time. Regardless, she didn't like seeing me in the bathroom so much after eating. I am better now, but still have issues with eating stringy things like roast bean or string green Beans in addition to fatty meats. Truely, it feels like dumping syndrome. I do try to explain to her that not everyone slimes and throws up and most of the time, it was my fault. 2. Auto-immune disease: She has at least 1 auto-immune disease. The one that she has requires an infusion of remicade every 6 weeks. This is one expensive infusion. It is called Ankylosing Spondylitis. You can follow the link for more details. It is basically an auto-immune disesase that attacks all the joints and there is no cure. When we talked to the surgeon during one of my pre-op visits, he said that people with auto-immune diseases might have more complications, but did not go into the details. She might also have PCOS. We do not know yet and will find out soon. This is where I could really use some advise from others. She has about 150 lb to lose as we both ended up in the same weight range at our heaviest earlier this year. Maybe it is because of life stresses? Who knows. The fact is that her extra weight may be contributing to other complications like high blood pressure, pregnancy issues, lack of desire to be outdoors like walking and hiking and on and on. There are plenty of reasons here alone that would make sense for her to consider it. She has tried manu diets (as I have), but has never lost more than 10-20 lbs on them. Atkins, weight watchers, etc. I've had fairly good results from the diets because I am very focused when something needs to be done, but then I lose my focus and the weight comes back. Hence, WLS was the only tool left for me in order to stop the up and down of weight gain and weight loss. She used to be "thin" (size 12) in high school, so I am pretty sure she remembers what that is like. She was a pretty hot girl in her younger days. In college she was slightly overweight, but still very hot and sexy (we got married then). We both put on a lot of weight in the last 12 years of our marriage. I don't hold the weight against her (never have), but I would like her to be healthy to avoid future weight-related complications. The weight does not cause her to be unhappy about her life (mainly family is what makes her happy). She is usually in a positive mood and certainly brings happiness and well-being to my life. I would like her to consider WLS because it is life-changing and truely opens up a lot of opportunities that did not exist before. However, I don't want to push her into something she is against. Any thoughts?

I love my mirena... I am still pre-op but haven't had any weight gain since I got it...

My doctor told me I have to get an IUD. Weight gain worries me but my biggest concern is having it put in. I'm very big and had a c-section, I read it is harder to insert if a woman hasn't had a vaginal delivery. Anyone have difficulties? Sent from my iPhone using VST

Anybody having issues with weight gain that has the Implanon?

Hi Everyone: I hope this message will not encourgage anyone on how i feel. Just needed some support. Been banded since 12/16/11, almost a year has gone by. My weight lost was from 240 to 163. Now since them i have been depressed on what to eat. Its really hard for me to see someone eating a hamburger with a bun! Potatoes, squash, rich, eggs, green beans, broccoli and yorgurt are so hard for me to eat. It doesn't matter how i eat them or cut them, they just don't feel good. I had to change doctor due to moving from another state. I now weight 180 and i don't understand how i gained weight. It don't seem like i eat anything. I have been having a couple glasses of Bailey's Irish Cream! Can you believe i can drink this! There are a lost of days i ask myself why did i do this! Please give me some suggestions. Thanks, Kelly

So here I am speaking from the horses mouth..................I had my revision with Dr Garcia September 10th. He only charged me $500.00 to take out the band. IMO it would be the best decision to do it in one surgery. I had a small stomach hernia and he fixed it also for free. I had no complications and had the band for 5 years. There is nothing to "heal" if you have no issues with your band, don't risk the weight gain by doing two surgeries. You could probably have your surgery this year and be well on your way by cruise time.

I have the para guard, no hormones or added weight gain. I love it. I was on the depo before, I will never make that mistake again!

So many complications due to my Mirena. Weight gain is one. Hopefully it will be out come this Thursday and then onto a tubal. Amanda Rae

I just recently had mine replaced and I had to wait a week prior to gettin the new one and I noticed during that week I lost the most weight in one week ever. Now that I have gotten it replaced I noticed that my weightloss has slowed Down. I kno the alternative is pregnancy and that wud cause way more weight gain but I have to say that this is so annoying

It'll be 6 weeks tomorrow & I haven't lost any in 2 weeks, GRRR !! I know we all go through it, but it's so frustrating . Going to start the gym tomorrow , hopefully that will help, at least there's no weight gain. Just had to vent .Any tips would help , thanks

Donna, I know you don't know me but I just want to tell you how proud I am of you! Your honesty is inspirational. My weight gain in the past was ALWAYS tied to emotional pain, family problems, and a lack of self esteem. I am slowly beginning to heal, and I know that you will too.

So I am 12 days post op and have done okay with the weight loss. But today when I weighed myself I gained 1.5 lbs from yesterday. I've been trying not to weigh myself daily but over the past few days I have not moved the scale so I was curious and saw the gain. I'm doing everything they tell me to do. I want to cry!