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Hi! I can semi relate a lot to u n yes unfortunately I slowly but surely gained all the weight I had lost with the LB. Which, overall it’s been very upsetting.😩😞 So now, I’m getting ready for a possible RNY in about 6 months cuz I again refuse to let myself go without exhausting all measures for BETTER HEALTH. Also, ever since I entered menopause arnd a year ago; my body has been going through lots of unpleasant changes n weight gain is one of them. Meanwhile, I’m already being monitored/treated by a Bariatric specialty team n too pray to God for His will over my body/health. Therefore, I too recommend u do the same in exhausting all measures for better health n cuz it’s better to BE IN PEACE instead of IN PIECES. Agreed n God bless. 🙏🏽

Thanks you speak for all of us. By you being aware of our weakness IS a strong tool. It is easier to keep it off now than before. We were out of control. Weight gain will aways be our fear. It's good to have that. It makes us stronger. You story is very real. Thank you again.

Congrats on this big first step! It's wonderful news that you're able to take decisive action and make such a major decision to improve your life! I'm worried when I hear you say you hope the surgery will make you stop hating yourself. This surgery is a great health improver, but there's no guarantee how you'll feel about yourself afterwards. You could easily end up skinny but unhappy. I'd guess we all come into this with pretty low self image due to all of our previous failures at weight loss. But I would recommend taking some time to understand what's contributed to your self image and weight issues to this point before actually having the surgery. For most people it's not just stomach capacity that led to the weight gain. For those of us using insurance, we had to sit down with a psyche professional and they usually poke around and try to unpack these issues for each of us. Your doctor can probably recommend someone similar that works with MWL patients. I think it'd be a great benefit to you if you reached out to them for some counseling before making your mind up. I hope I don't sound preachy. I would just hate to see you spend all that money and go through everything and end up unhappy. I will pray for you and I hope you get to a really great place!

Look into the health issues caused by most artificial sweeteners, including weight gain and insulin response. Organic stevia seems to be the safest out there. Sweet and lo, Equal and Splenda have been linked to cancer, parkinson's, alzheimer's, dementia, and lots of auto-immune disorders. I feel we should avoid the chemicals because we want to lose weight and be healthy too - not trade obesity for some other horrible disease. It's so hard to avoid the chemicals in low sugar "diet" pre-packaged items, like Protein bars. I do eat them when I need protein, but try not to have the chemicals in coffee, diet drinks, and processed stuff. I found a Protein powder (Jay Robb egg protein) that was approved by my NUT because I have a dairy and soy allergy. It is sweetened with stevia. Good luck to you!

I know it's been a few weeks since I posted. I have just recently moved AND had an out of town visitor for a week so little to no time to come online. I am going to be 3 weeks out tomorrow. I saw my doc 1 week post op and he gave me the go ahead for mushies. About a week after that I moved myself to soft regular foods (chewing thourghly) and now am on to regular food. I haven't had any problems. The "suggested" diet was just way too slow for me. I kind of feel guilty about moving forward to quickly, but I chew my food very well, and use my teeth as a blender so everything is "pureed" before going down (gross, sorry). I have not had any problems, everything goes down really smoothly. I have been working out for an hour about 4 times a week(treadmill and elliptical) and feel fabulous. I am really happy with my weight loss, about 20 lbs so far and my clothes are feeling looser. Waiting to get my 1st fill next week though, and boy do I need it! I feel that if I let myself go, I would be able to eat just like I used to at this point. I have zero restriction, which I know won't come until the first fill. I am in a weird point right now. I am on to regular foods, with no restriction. What does that mean? Yeah...weight gain. At one point I gained about 3 pounds. That really freaked me out. But I was able to curb my eating and get it back off. But it was a reality check. I need a fill. That is what this whole LAP-BAND® thing is all about right? Being able to limit what we can consume.

Hi all - I feel like a Newbie to Bariatric Pal when in truth I have been a non-active or at least not very active member since 2008 when I had my band placed. I am now in the process of insurance approval for RNY. When I first got my band in Sept 2008 I had great success in the first 4 months, losing 60 pounds, but then some stressful health issues raised their ugly head combined with depression and fills/unfills never finding that "sweet spot". I feel like I wasted 6 yrs of my life with the band. My original choice of surgeries was RNY but my previous surgeon talked me out of it due to the fact that I had a DVT 3 yrs earlier after bunion surgery. I guess was afraid of me coding on his watch... but that's another story. I have been trying to get thru all the hoops you must jump for both doctor and insurance approval since May 2013. I was at the point were my previous surgeons' office (not same surgeon, as he's no longer in the practice) filed papers with insurance and I was denied because my chosen surgeon did not work in a COE supported by my insurance company. His hospital WAS a COE just not an approved COE with my health insurance company - United Healthcare. So.... I had to start over with a new surgeon in Jan 2014. I am hopeful for an approval thru my insurance but they DO say that they will not pay for a 2nd WLS unless it is a medical necessity. Well, I think not being able to eat most solid proteins, throwing up or forcing myself to throw up because I feel like I have swallowed a golf ball, total weight gain and multiple comorbidities should be considered in their evaluation. I just hope they see it the same way I do. Good look to you all in your journey.

The barium test is a standard practice among surgeons who specialize in gastric surgeries. It is the best way to ensure there isn't even the slightest leak. It's done within the first 24 hours this way if anything is even detected they can fix it asap instead of waiting for the problem to come up later on. I knew about having the test before I had the surgery it was explained to me ahead of time. Now for me I drink Muscle Milk for my protein. It's 310 calories for 32 grams of protein even drinking that 5 times a day would put u at 1550 calories in just shakes alone. Then add in food. In order to gain 20 pounds in under 7 weeks you would need to average 3 pound weight gain a week. There is no way unless drinking weight gainer protein that someone ONLY 7 weeks out gains that type of weight AND there surgeon tells them they stretched out there sleeve. You CAN NOT stretch out that sleeve on a basic liquid diet it's physically impossible. I have to agree with others that if her surgeon did a sleeve on her and told her that then she needs to see a different surgeon to ensure he is being honest with her in the surgery that he did and 2 that it was performed properly and correctly.

Also fogot to mention that since my first fill ofc3 cc I can only eat 2-3 bites then it comes up. But usually I can then eat the rest of my food. This happens at almost every meal. I am not as excited with this fill as I was before it. And I take a few weight gaining pills for my bipolar and even with the fill I am losing very slowly...almost too slow. I try to watch what I eat but when I get really hungry I eat whatever will go down the easiest. Bad choice? And my hair is falling out. It was thin bc of hypothyroidism but now have a few balding spots. I see my endocrinologist today so maybe get my thyroid in check and maybe with eating more protein my hair will start coming back. There's alot more but I'll leave it like this. Thx

I just wanted to post a follow up on this thread. I had a support group meeting at my bariatric center and asked one of the nuritionists specifically about the no weight gain aspect during the medically supervised period., She said it does vary from insurance policy to policy but most of them would make you start the medically supervised period over again from the beginning if you had a weight gain at one appointment compared to your weight at the previous appointment. So as an example if you have a 6 month supervised period required, and at appointment 4 you had gained weight compared to appointment 3, you would would have to start all over with a new a new appointment 1.

Well, TOM just came for another visit today - a week later than I thought it would. I hope this is not the new norm - I was a clockwork 28 day cycle before which I liked because well - it was clockwork. This is a 35 day cycle this time. Just a note for those who are curious: July 12 - surgery (I was supposed to start period then, but did not - probably because of the surgery). July 18 - TOM came for his normal visit of 6 days. August 4 - a 4 pound weight gain that stays for 1 week. August 11 saw a 4 pound drop and then an additional 3 pounds in the next week came off. August 18 - a 1.5 pound weight gain and a migraine (normal timing before start of period). August 22 - TOM returned. I had cramps and migraines before the surgery that always came with TOM. Unfortunately, he has brought them back this month. That was something that I was hoping would change. Oh well...

I’m about 3 weeks shy of my 2-year surgiversary. My husband and I are expecting our 2nd child, 1st one after WLS. My surgeon’s goal weight loss was 100 lbs. I lost 90 lbs prior to this pregnancy. I still track my daily intake on MFP and make support group meeting when possible. Prior to this pregnancy I consumed about 150 less calories/day. My OB/GYN says she thinks I can make it through this pregnancy with only a 10lb weight gain. Unfortunately, any amount of weight gain terrifies me[emoji30]. At 18 weeks visit I was up 3 lbs [emoji1430]. Baby is healthy, we are expecting a girl & hoping I can make it with very little weight gain and reach goal weight ASAP after our baby girl is born. [emoji120]

The first 6 months after the sleeve you are healing and your stomach is swollen so you have the most restriction and can eat the least. This is the best time to build good healthy habits because your stomach is going to offer you the most support and you should hopefully have no legit physical hunger during this time period (notice I said legit physical hunger, you can still have head hunger or confuse acid for physical hunger). 6-18 months you are fully healed but you should still have little to no ghrelin (stomach hormone that signals the brain for hunger). It gradually returns over time. The first 18 months you get the most physical support from your body to facilitate weight loss. You also have your set point lowered so your body is not actively trying to maintain a higher weight. So while you have this support from your body and this hormone and physical reset, you should take advantage. Learn new eating habits so they because a new lifestyle not a diet and avoid things that cause weight gain. I don't eat carbs, I didn't eat them during the first 6 months and now I don't want them. If I have the occassional carb, it is a once a day once a week kind of thing, not a habit. They just don't appeal to me. You can really change the way you think about and relate to food if you follow the eating steps laid out in your plan. WLS is more than a physical thing, it offers the chance for a complete mental reset in how you think about and relate to food. If you don't follow the plan or the steps you blow that chance and a lot of people end up feeling like they are dieting forever. So the difference ends up being, creating a new way of life, or being on a diet forever, or worse, failing. This Dr has a lot of very good information about Weight loss and weight loss surgery

Well, for several reasons I need my parents approval when I do things. I've got that kind of personality. Sometimes I do things against their approval, but I have a lot less anxiety in life knowing they support me.. so it was important they were on board with me. I didn't know about lap-band. I wanted RNY.. 3 years ago or so. They said they were completely against it, just diet, etc. So I did.. I lost weight.. gained it back.. then this past December, after gaining another 60lbs on top of my highest weight.. I decided I was getting RNY with or without their support. I was doing research to get information put together to convince them this is what I needed to do. That's when I found lap-band. So instead, I presented them all the lap-band info.. before I could show them anything.. I had to take a deep breath and explain.. I was doing this.. and my mom had seen a Dateline on the lap-band the week before I came to her, so the 'fight' never happened. She said she thinks it's a great idea, they support me. I asked if I could get a loan from them to pay for it (my insurance won't cover it), and they said they would pay for it without it being a loan. So that was that. I'm sure if she hadn't seen Dateline, it would be a relapse of the RNY thing.. how I shouldn't do it, it's unhealthy, I'll get sickly, etc. Maybe your parents just need the educating! Get information on it, show them how it's reversible if it ever needed to be, it's adjustable to fit your lifestyle, etc. Show them the death rate, and complications statistics. It's a no brainer when you get to the nitty gritty. Compared to RNY, where the statistics are scary.. but being the overweight party you're willing to risk it.. even when family is not.

Hey all, I had my pre-op class today and I have gained 6 lbs. I was told I should lose it as fresh weight gain goes right to the abdomen and takes up the room they need to operate.If there is not enough room for the intruments, they won't do the surgery. Yikes!

I had to quit for 90 days or my doc wouldnt even make an appointment and then they did a carbon test on my blood. Came up positive because I was inhaling second hand smoke from my hubby's cigars. Had to do another 2 weeks later. They didn't do another test after that and I was smoking again from October to April. I did do little sneaky things so that he wouldnt know I was smoking, like showering and washing my clothes right before an office visit. No one said word one that they had any idea. The nurse said that it was up to the docs descretion if he does another one. I am still smoking. I am going to try and quit again after I reach my weight goal minus ten pounds for the notorious weight gain lol. Do I want to? Nope, but I know I should lol .

I am going to copy/paste an email that I sent to my Monday night group therapy/weight loss class. Thought I'd give you an update about my lap band appt yesterday with Dr. Forgione (the surgeon). Well, the first frustrating part was that I had gained THREE pounds in the last week. He was kind but told me that any more weight gain was unacceptable and that surgery would be cancelled. I was really embarassed and upset but realized that I ate like crap over the weekend and Monday night and didn't exercise. What did I think was going to happen???? So, last night I was back on the treadmill and have vowed to log all of my eating this week and get in my exercise. I am planning on going back over there next Tuesday to weigh in to chart my progress. He also told me that my Upper GI showed that I have a small hiatal hernia. Basically it's when your stomach starts to go into your esophagus and it's very common with overweight women. Mine is very small and I have never felt any symptoms. So, he told me yeseterday that when he goes in laproscopically he may find that he has to repair the hernia that day and not do the banding until a different time. He is quite hopeful that he won't but wanted me to be aware. I'm pretty concerned about that but trying very very hard to stay positive. Tentatively, surgery is scheduled for Feb 20th but I will hopefully know more before our meeting next week. ___________________________________________________________ Well, I wrote that email 2 days ago and I am feeling much better. If I have a hernia that needs to be repaired I would rather fix it before I have the surgery and risk a greater chance of slippage. I'm working on the food. I had 2000 calories yesterday which is too many but am happy to report that I've been on the treadmill for 30 minutes each day. I've decided that I get NO days off with exercise. Once I give myself a little wiggle room I just don't do it. I'm trying to make it as natural as brushing my teeth- wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?

I am on Wellbutrin, Sertraline, Clonazepam, and Rexulti. I have always dealt with depression and anxiety. I have be prescribed so many meds, and most of them caused a lot of weight gain. These seem to be doing OK now, but is I begin gaining weight after losing it, my first call will be to my psychiatrist.

Clients who regain weight after bariatric/weight loss surgery often ask us about the ‘5 day pouch test’. This much debated ‘test’ promises to ‘reset’ your stomach and help you lose more weight. It’s so popular in fact, it has its own acronym – the ‘5DPT’. So what’s the deal, is it too good to be true? Let’s start with a bit of background The pouch test was ‘created’ in 2007 by a fellow gastric bypass-er named Kaye. She struggled, like many, with discouraging and disheartening weight regain after bariatric/weight loss surgery. In an attempt to recreate that ‘tight newbie feeling’ again, she developed the pouch test. To start off the 5 day pouch test, she instructs you to ‘get back to the basics’. Or in other words, she wants you to return to the post-op liquid phase that is required in the first few days after surgery. She then recommends that you progress slowly from soft/puree protein, to firm protein and then lastly to solid protein (what’s the difference between firm and solid protein? We don’t know either...). Following this, you are supposed to feel a renewed sense of self. MYTH... The 5 day pouch test WILL NOT... - shrink your stomach - reduce hunger and increase satiety (feeling of fullness) - ‘reset’ your body - cut your cravings for carbs and sweet/salty foods FACT... We do however agree with some of Kaye’s suggestions. 1. Always delay your fluids from your solids foods. --> Stop drinking 15 minutes before your meals/snacks and wait at least 30 minutes after eating to start drinking again. WHY? - Drinking and eating at the same time ‘flushes’ the food out of your stomach too quickly. This causes you to feel hungry soon after eating. 2. Take your time to eat. --> Eating slowly and savouring your food without distractions increases satiety at meal times. WHY? - This gives your brain time to process that you are eating and lets you get the flavor fix you’re looking for. 3. Ask yourself if liquid protein snacks (aka ‘slider foods’) keep you full long enough (Ex. milk, yogurt, soft cheeses, cereal). --> While these foods are nutritious and provide good quality protein, they may not help you feel as full as you felt in the first few months after surgery. WHY? - These liquid foods spend less time in your stomach which is why you maybe feel hungry soon after eating. 4. Include a high protein food at every meal and snack. --> WHY? – High protein foods help keep you full longer. In our opinion, the ‘5 day pouch test’ is just another diet in disguise. Anything that promises to ‘reset your system’, ‘boost your weight loss’, ‘cut cravings’, ‘kick start your metabolism’, ‘burn fat’, etc. is unfortunately wishful thinking. There are no short cuts to healthy eating and lasting weight loss. There is only you, your pouch (i.e. your little stomach) and knowing how to use it! How do I know if my pouch is still small? Believe it or not, the majority of weight regain after bariatric/weight loss surgery is NOT related to having stretched your stomach. This is good news! In our experience, weight regain is more related to what you eat, the timing of your meals and snacks, and how you are eating. For example, if you feel comfortably full for 2-3 hours after eating the amount of food that fits on a bread plate, which includes a combination of protein, a small amount of grains, and some vegetables, your pouch is likely perfectly fine. We even asked one of our favourite bariatric/weight loss surgeons about the 5 day pouch test! Here is what he said: Need help? If you are looking to get back on track with your weight loss and healthy eating, sign up for our Get Me Back on Track package. Whatever the cause of your weight gain, we will give you realistic strategies and tips to tackle your triggers and barriers to healthy eating. Even simple changes to your home and office environments can make a big difference.

Hello, I gained 35 pounds since my surgery over two years ago. If anyone has regained and loss again, please give me some pointers.

I am a sugar addict myself and though this surgery did not stop me from wanting sugar the amount I ingest has diminished immensely. I will have one or two hersheys kiss in the evening just to get my little chocolate in (I'm a major chocoholic) but it seems I'm basically good with that. I use a little of the sugar-free syrup (sweetener) in my Protein shake so that gives me a little sweetness too. The only thing I really can't eat after this surgery is bread, Pasta, rice etc. I don't want that kind of food anymore which is great for me cause I was a carb junky too, I do wish that the surgery took away my sugar issue but I guess you can't have everything. I can say I don't eat not even close to what I used to consume so I am not guilty for the little I do eat. As for the artificial sweeteners, I know they are not healthy but for me it is a necessary evil Its like when I smoked I didn't eat a lot but when I quit I gain 50lbs in 4-6 months and if it wasn't for my bronchitis I would kept smoking to prevent the weight gain but I picked breathing over smoking and weight. I had this surgery so I can still have a little of what I like to eat I just don't eat it all day long I give myself 5 minutes to enjoy something sweet then move on to something else. I don't think any surgery will take away all of our little demons from poking at us, we have to excercise that will power as well as our bodies!

I'm 18 months out, and I can eat fairly decent size portions especially if the food is low in Protein. I don't like to eat bread because it expands in my belly and is uncomfortable. This isn't noticeable right away, but it starts bothering me within 10 minutes or so.Because of this, I tend to stop eating for a minute or so several times throughout my meal, so I can wait to see how I feel. If the food is high in protein, I can't eat a lot. If the food isn't high in protein, I can eat much more. I could eat a 6-inch sub, but I wouldn't eat all of the bread. I would usually remove the top bun and only eat part of the bottom bun. If the bread is toasted, it is easier for me to eat. I second the suggestion to talk to your uncle. It may be that he learned not to eat so much because of the way that much food made him feel. The weight gain may also be temporary. I went on vacation last summer and ate well throughout, but I still ended up gaining 6 pounds. I was shocked, but it turned out to be Water weight, and I lost it again.

@@Kindle is right. The scale will drive you crazy. Especially this soon after surgery that "weight gain" could be the transition to soft food, Water weight, normal body fluctuations that come with being a female. Eat your Protein, drink your water and get your exercise. It will happen.

I think this is a hard topic esp. for coworkers. If they don't comment on your weight gain they may not comment on weight loss. They don't want to come across as inferring "Ya know you were fat before and you've lost a little". I met a former coworker for lunch after surgery. I had lost about 70 pounds since I had last seen him. He did not say A WORD! My other friend who knew I'd had surgery brought up my loss (but not surgery).

Today's goals 1) face the music - weight gain - when I see the surgeon and nutritionist today - okay, just got back from the dr - hold even exactly...but we had to take some fill out because I'm sensitive to heat and I'm going to be climbing ruins in Mexico for 12 day...I better climb alot cuz I wanna come back weighing less. 2) 40 minutes on the treadmill - done - and did an additional 15 minute walk Left to do 3) pick out medicine cabinet, toilet topper, blind, towel racks, floor tile, counter top for bathroom (this may take 2 days) 4) not eat after 8 5) remember to relax and unwind Okay, Lisa, I'm going to have to keep myself busy tonight so I don't eat. I will keep checking on you to see if you have exercised. - BEWARE!!

I can relate to this like nobody's business!!! Right now, as I sit at my desk, there is a table less than 8 feet from me. On that table are Doritos, Cheetos, Potato chips, pretzels, Chex Mix, Munchos, Pub Mix, peanuts, mixed nuts, Fudge Strip Cookies, Russell Stover candies and various other candies. And the table is not as stocked as it usually is!!! Every other Wednesday is "square donut day". And occasionally vendors will drop in with goodies. To top all that off, our new company president wants to have company cook outs every other week during the summer which started last week. Since it was a pot luck event I brought in greek quinoa salad. It was delish, but needless to say my healthy offerings don't go over that well around here. ( so I have a ton of it to take home) I ate a cheeseburger w/ no bun, some cheese cubes and the quinoa. But later on I was over come with temptation and had some cake. Ugh! It is hard to spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week being confronted at every turn by your worst demon. If self control was not a problem for me I would not have been obese or needed the surgery, right? I can control what I bring into my house, but I have no control at work. ( where I spend the greater part of my week days) It is beyond frustrating because so many people have complained about weight gain and poor health here, yet the snack table lives on!!! Do they really not get it?