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I'm a guy about an hour northeast of DFW.Commerce Tx.Feel free to lean on me a bit.Ive had my 10cc realize band for about 2years.I lost a lot of weight for the first year.Then in January of 2012 I had a fill to 6.5.I was complacent up to fri October 12.Then I went in for another fill.im sitting on 7.5cc right now.I do work out and I lift heavy.So I don't know if my weight gain could be attributed to that.I feel good and my friends say I still look good or even better.So this has been my life changer and story.I think this last fill will hopefully put in my sweet spot.By no means am I an authority on this.Still practicing to get it right

Hiatal hernias are common in obese people and common in people with reflux, whether or not they're obese. The band can resolve reflux by acting as a barrier between the stomach and the esophagus, but a band that's too tight can also cause reflux. You need to ask your surgeon about why. Also, it's not uncommon for hiatal hernias to develop after massive weight loss. Again, ask your surgeon why. I know several bandsters that's happened to. The gastro doc who diagnosed my hiatal hernia 20+ years ago told me that hernias usually develop in people who were born with the potential - they have a weakness in the diaphgram, and weight gain can aggravate it enough to encourage a hernia to develop. Finally, large hiatal hernias are considered a contraindication for band surgery, but most surgeons repair the hernia during band placement.

It's a shame how people treat obesity yet there are 'rehab centers' etc. for under-eating, bulimia! I truly believe obese people also suffer from body dysmorphic disease yet no one addresses this psych. factor of weight gain! They think and say, "move more, eat less!" (duh!) But do they say to anorexics "move less, eat more and you'll be fine!" of course not. Our society and culture's obsession with physical beauty is to blame! Anorexics can hide their skeletal frames under clothing, hair and makeup! Obese people can't hide-they do so by avoiding social interactions where they feel judged and less than everyone else. Don't get me started on drug addicts-in snd out of rehab -mostly on taxpayers dime, they can't work (or won't!), free housing, etc. our culture is warped! In the 60's women burned their bras as a symbol of freedom from male oppression and to be proud of our "natural" bodies! -FF to the 2000's and women must have huge breasts to feel beautiful, so they have augmentation! Why hasnt Gloria Stineham addressed this flip-flop of women's lib! Sorry for the rant! I feel better now! Peace!

I just had my 100 day session with NUT and she said 18 months. That surprised me. I thought we would be done after 12 months. Now, I am also wondering if the power of the sleeve as a weight loss tool is with us forever. If we wanted to do the sleeve experience in, say, 10 years from now after a hypothetical weight gain, would it be possible? By this, I am asking if the sleeve will restrict and drop the lbs like it is doing now. Or is it a 1 shot deal?

Im sorry but I just dont understand why people get so judgemental and holier than thou over low bmi'ers. You've ALL been there and none of you jsut ate less, exercised more or were honest with yourself back then either! As for cosmetic surgeries - well I am not ashamed in the least to say that vanity was my major reason for being banded. My BMI was 35, I wasnt sick. Nobody blinks an eye at breast enlargements or tummy tucks but have lapband surgery - a surgery which is likely to improve your health in many many ways even if you're only mildly obese - and suddenly that's wrong? Jeez, how hypocritical. I just cant believe that people who have failed to control their weight gain to the point of becoming morbidly obese can then judge someone else's unsuccessful efforts and accuse her of deluding herself or being dishonest. Do any of you REALLY think if you'd just approached it in a different way you wouldnt have needed to be banded? How many freaking times did you diet and gain it back? And yet we STILL give out this advice thinking it will work?

My clinic say no weight gain. I'm freaking out about it as I haven't been good in what I've been eating lately. I gotta get back on track and stop eating myself out of surgery.

My best friend of 20 Years has remained my friend through most of my weight gain. She is a nurse and although she doesn't lecture me, we have talked about my health as it relates to my weight. When I told her of my decision she was very supportive. She is thinner than me and said that she can't wait until I'm able to do more stuff with her like we used to. When she said this, wow it hit me how much "life" I've been missing. I know she'll be my friend after the surgery and will probably be my biggest supporter as I go through this life-changing transition. I can't say that about anyone else in my life - I'm so blessed to have her!!!

Hi Everyone! So it has definitely been a while since the last time I shared. I am 26 days out... 4 weeks to be exact on Monday. A week prior to surgery I weighed 245 lbs., the day of surgery I weighed 234 lbs and as of last Monday I weighed 219 lbs. I am 15 lbs. lighter since surgery and wildly confused about my latest eating experiences. For the first two weeks, I was basically on all fluids, Soups, Protein shakes, sf popsicles and Water was not well tolerated at all. After my two week follow-up appmt with the surgeon and the NUT I was cleared to eat "pureed" foods. I was given the green light on lots of different types of food, except rice, bread, Pasta, and other "carbs" that my NUT didn't think would help my supposed "high protein diet" that included Beans, oatmeal, Cereal, cooked carrots, corn and potatoes. Also, she said no to creamed soups, because they have too many preservatives or additives. I tried to be good and so far I've been cooking almost every night pretty healthy meals including baked skinless chicken with veggies including carrots and corn (lol), baked salmon with veggies, ground beef with red, green peppers, small pieces of potatoes, onions, sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese, parmesan crusted- pan seared salmon fillet and veggies and soups including creamed soups. For fluids, I am still having the "stuck" feeling with water and yet sf popsicles are super easy to eat and my personal favorite drink green tea with unsweetened lemonade and two splendas goes down super easy as well. Plus, since I commute to New York City for work Monday through Friday, I walk about 30 minutes at day at a fast pace (in other words, that is my exercise)...Lol Soooo, for the most part I stay on track not eating those "no no foods" however, lately it seems like I've been more relaxed with the rules and I've eaten everything from popcorn (at the movie theatres), to an 8oz slurpee, and a few Oreos (without the cream). I've taken bites of some junk food here and there, though I steer clear of bread, rice and pasta no matter how much I want to chomp down on them....and finding accompaniments for meat and fish has become a creative process. Lol. Sort to say. So with all this said, I am pretty worried, because many times I have been able to eat everything that I wanted at pretty high portions like 6oz of meat or fish and 3 or 4 oz of veggies even though it takes me a few hours to finish, but I get it down. Lately I've been asking myself if I'm even sleeved?? Geez! I'm almost sure I am. Lol, but I am so scared to gain weight, I have gone through the weight loss/ weight gain thing wayy too many times and I should be sure that since I'm sleeved I will go down, but I am not 100% confident. Is it possible to dialate my tummy already???... Our sleeve is a tool, I just hope I'm using it the right way. I'm sure that I don't even get half of the liquids that I am supposed to be drinking, TMI ALERT: my pee is way dark and definitely no enough at all times due to my lack of liquid in take, but I'm sure eating. My goal is to be 160-165 lbs. much sooner than later. I hope it happens. Good luck to all of you out there, reading your posts helps me immensely. I wish all of you that are having serious complications and financial issues blessings and that all gets better soon. I'm having financial issues too. But it will get better! ...and to all of you that are doing good/great keep it up! =)

I jumped on the scaled and saw that I've put on 2kg is this normal ? I don't understand how I could put on weight I was eating the same food I eat last week ?? Last week I lost 4kg and this week I've put on 2kg , I felt that I didn't lose weight ? I'm getting worried that I'm gonna start putting weight on again

Diarrhea is pretty common because all you are taking in is fluids, so out comes fluids. But if it becomes really bad, you risk getting dehydrated again. I know they gave me something, can't remember what it was, to stop the diarrhea that I got a couple of days after surgery. As for the weight gain gabby899, remember they are pumping you full of fluids, that is why you gain weight. It is all Fluid weight and as soon as you start eating normally and are not on IV anymore, the weight will come off!

I was sleeved September 28th and Day 13 where do I end up? Yep hospital with dehydration and pancreatitis. Yes to the lose stool! Have Gerd but not extreme! So day 2 in hospital with tons of Fluid and I'm sure weight gain although I just don't get it when your not eating how the crap do you gain weight! Frustrated here so I hope you feel better!

I lose some weight and then I gain some weight. It fluctuates up and down and now I'm not stressing about it anymore unless it goes over 5 lbs weight gain. I am weighing myself at least 1 time per week at the least. I thought I was done losing and low and behold I lost a couple of pounds. That feels really good too.

make sure you weigh your food and try to limit it to no more than a cup to prevent weight gain and other issues.

I knew what you meant We didn't really set a goal weight loss for the six month diet. They actually told me at the beginning my bmi was just barely qualifying so if I lost too much weight I would be denied. I wasn't concerned with that because the way I saw it, if I was able to lose weight during the diet visits, maybe I didn't need surgery after all. So I tried. And yo-yoed like I always have. I think a big part of my struggle is that my PCP started me on Paxil for anxiety and depression about five months ago. A major side effect from that is weight gain, so I'm hoping my insurance company sees it like that.

Week 28 (7 months) Last week’s weight – 195.8 This week’s weight – 195.8 Total weight gained/lost this week – 0 Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 50.4 lbs I need to have a serious “talk” with myself. I am not happy with this yo-yoing I am going through. Currently my weight is fluctuating between 197 – 195.8. I know this is due to a lack of focus. I hit the 50 lb mark and now I am not as motivated or as focused as I was. My worst time is after work. I am bored or avoiding house work. That is when I munch and drink. This is what I ate yesterday – 16 oz of water Slimfast ready made drink with 20 grams of protein Walked into a training where the trainer had Halloween candy. I ate 6 small twix and 3 whoppers (not hungry it was just there). Cream of Chicken soup at hand Crystal Light Lemonaid with 20 grams of protein (added strawberry protein stuff from Unjury) Dinner with friend at Outback Firefly Lemonaid Drink (had a few sips and then took home and finished later) Ceaser Salad Chicken Flatbread Pizza Appetizer (ate one slice and then took the rest home which I ate later) [*]Finished rest of flatbread pizza (shared 3 slices with husband) and drink [*]Ate a bunch of pistachio nuts (not hungry – bored while watching TV – avoiding laundry) [*]Ate a bunch of dried mangos (not hungry – bored while watching TV – avoiding laundry) I did work out in the morning – Crossfit. In hindsight I should have not ordered the drink. I should have avoided the Halloween candy. I should have had the croutons taken off my salad. I should have drunk more water. I should have avoided the pistachio and dried mangos. Ugh….I stepped on the scale this morning and yup I was up from 195.8 to 197.2 (not counting it because I only record weight on Wednesday). Need to be more mindful about my eating and drinking this week.

I had my band put in 9/19/12, so I'm only 3 weeks out. The first 2 weeks I lost 11 lbs, went for a check up last week and was told I was doing great, and my first fill will be nov 18. Since my appt last week I've gained 4 lbs, and feel hungry like before I had the surgery. Of course I feel the restriction of it all going down (like of not chewing fully) but I'm becoming discourage by the weight gain and length of time before my fill. Ive contemplated calling the dr and requesting an earlier fill but not sure if that's frowned upon! Any advice is welcome:) Thanks!!

I'd I spell that right? I'm curious. Have any of you used these during the early stage when the surgery weight was bloating you? It's not on my " never use" list and I was thinking it might help eliminate the bulk and pain in my midsection (from below the breast to the top of my legs) . I feel and look like a starving baby from those commercials that I always turn off cuz they break my heart. I know it's swelling and Water weight gain from 22 days on ivs in hospital, but it's fairly not comfy..I feel 15 months pregnant!

You're off to a good start then! You're going for the VSG? Then you know that it removes a lot of the stomach that produces the "hunger hormone". But if I were you, I'd plan for tackling the Oreo attraction.... IF, and I say "IF", your surgery does the trick for hunger, you are still going to be in love with Oreo s. I wonder, if your hunger were satisfied, would you be able to turn down an Oreo or just have "one"? Nibbling it slowly, and savoring every morsel of taste? Hell, you don't have to have the whole box, and that's what behavior modification is all about. Sometimes it may be easier to say "no" instead of having to use restraint. But if you have the surgery, you have a darn powerful tool to help you to have restraint!! It's such a paradox..... that we enjoy such abundance, and that people around the world, and even in our OWN country, don't know where their next meal is coming from.... And we are grateful that we live in such a time of abundance! We pray that others may be as lucky as we are! Back to the subject; You know how hard it is to lose the 'baby fat' and as we age, the metabolism slows, naturally making weight gain easier. The VSG is rather radical as opposed to the lap band, but even if the VSG were to not be enough, as you already know, you could elect to go for the full duodenal switch and go the full magilla. But then, I don't know what your BMI is and how much you need to lose. Point is, Surgery, is just one tool in the tool box of options for us to choose from in order to cope with the plethora of food we have at our beck and call. Tonight in the Supermarket, I was marveling at what we have, so close and at our reach. Basic food, prepared food, frozen, even hot, ready to eat. And you'll drive past fast food franchises on the way there and back. Are we food obsessed??? Yep. So don't feel like you're lacking in any way because you are uncomfortable being overweight.... It's miraculous that everyone isn't 200 lbs overweight! We're not a food oriented society, say like France, where they savor food and look to their Chefs, like our people look up to sports stars! It's all dollar driven, and Big Bucks Food Industries box it, bag it, freeze it, and sell it to us on tv, in magazines, on billboards, in newspapers, heck, even on the internet! We are the first, biggest and best consumer society in history! An experiment in action! I'm rambling, but I think what I'm saying is that moderation is the key. Anything anyone can say about "DIET" is "Calories in, Calories out." that's it. Anything I, or anyone else could say is an elaboration of that. And surgery is just another tool to help YOU regulate those calories. I'll pray for you. But you are the one who'll carry the load.... And you can do it! You're making antother step helping yourself towards achieving the life you want to lead....

I went to my Dr for my 1st appointment about a month ago. But I do my grocery shopping once a month and had already done my shopping for the month. (My appointment was a last minute appointment because there was a cancelation) So the Dr said it would be ok to do Weight Watchers for a couple weeks then to start on the Medifast Lean and Green diet. Well I didnt lose any weight on the Weight Watchers, because of the medicine my primary Dr had me on (which had a side effect of weight gain) I am no longer on that medicine, it caused me to gain 3 pounds. Anyways, I started the Lean and Green diet on Monday. I hate it. Most of the foods I am allowed, I dont like. I am just so hungry all the time. When I go to the Dr on the 22nd I plan on getting the Medifast shakes which from what I hear, will fill me up for a few hours. I am started to get cranky and I am just so miserable. I cant make this feeling of hunger go away. And to top it off, my husband comes home with pizza for himself for lunch! Now I know he has every right to eat whatever he wants but did he have to eat it right in front of me?! I dont know if all Dr's have you do the same pre surgery diet, but if any of you did this lean and green, please tell me what to do to make myself feel full. I am so scared that I am just gonna get to the point where I am so hungry and I am gonna pig out. Thanks for any advice.

You have to remember there is a difference between weight gain and FAT gain. Did you gain fat? Highly doubt it. (Generally accepted) Consume 3,500 more calories than you burn, you gain 1 pound, burn 3,500 calories more than you consume, you lose a pound. So ... in that period of time, do you think you consumed 7,000 more calories than you burned? Yeah, didn't think so.

I know the feeling, it truly makes you wanna skip the whole process, but when you think about light at the end of the tunnel you're reminded why you started this journey in the first place. I can go on and on about water weight, muscle vs. fat to explain the weight gain and as logical as it is it doesn't make you or any of us feel any better when the numbers on the scale go UP. A week and a half go, I got on the scale, log my weight, had my band adjusted ate properly, exercised 3 days out of 7, got back on the scale the following week and had gained 10 freaking pounds. So trust me when I say, I feel your pain. I encourage you to hang in there, keep your head up and keep doing the right thing and it'll all pay off in the end.

I agree with Missy. My weight fluctuates 3-4 pounds everyday. It's usually due to Water retention. That is why I am trying to get away from weighing everyday. It isn't a good measure of weight loss. Once a week is plenty. However, it usually does correct itself. You can help by drinking lots of water and keep up with the exercising. That will help you body let go of the excess water. Also, 20 pounds in 1 month is AMAZING!! You should be proud of that!! Your body is basically a machine and sometimes, it has to recalibrate itself. So, after loosing that much weight, your body is rebooting and moving stuff around. That can cause a temporary weight gain. I seriously doubt you gained 3 pounds of fat. It's probably just your body readjusting. Mine has done it numerous times throughout my weight loss. I will gain 5 pounds one week and the next, it's all gone plus 2 pounds. It's completely normal and nothing to fret over. Just keep doing what you are doing and it will correct itself. Again, big congrats on getting back on track and with the 20 pounds. It makes my little 5 pound/month weight loss seem petty. LOL Best of luck to you!!

Peace with food and weight loss that lasts are possible. Here are some common traps that even the smartest women fall for and the success strategies you can use to avoid them: Peace with food and weight loss that lasts are possible, and yet, these aren’t the places where most women who struggle with overeating end up. Emotional eating and overeating can feel like a never-ending battle and a roller coaster ride of diets, gimmicks, and “new” approaches that don’t take you where you want to go. It doesn’t have to be this way. Here are some common traps that even the smartest women fall for and the success strategies you can use to avoid them: 1. Getting too focused on what to eat. Cycles of overeating and weight gain are rarely fixed by focusing only on the food. A focus on what to eat doesn’t address or fix the situations, feelings, or relationships that may be triggering overeating. Yes, portion size matters and sometimes food intolerances or metabolic difficulties cause weight gain. However, even these situations become clearer and easier to sort out when you start listening to yourself and paying attention to how you feel, instead of focusing your attention on every bite, calorie, or fat gram that you put into your mouth. 2. Disregarding what you really need. You know yourself better than anyone. Instead of focusing on what “should” work and what you “should” do, take this bold step that many high-achieving women skip: Ask yourself what you really need to be successful—and then give it to yourself. You’re likely to spend less time, energy, heartache and even money in the long run when you trust your inner wisdom. Do you need the help of an expert? Be honest about that. Better tools to deal with stress or difficult emotions? Do you need some one-on-one mentoring or support? Don’t cheat yourself. Investing in what you know to be true and getting the targeted help you need will likely make more of a difference than all the self-help books you can’t figure out how to make work for you. Too many women spend too much money on solutions that aren’t comprehensive or individualized enough and don’t really meet their needs. Not only does this lead to failure, it burns up your hope and your sense of effectiveness. Do you feel like you know what you need but it isn’t possible? Don’t let that stop you. Ask yourself what it would take to make it happen and ask what is do-able that would start allowing you to have more of what you need. Start believing that you deserve to get what you need and start asking for it. You might be surprised what shows up. 3. Refusing to ask for help. High-achievers can fall into the trap of believing that lifestyle change has to happen solo. Many women who are successful in other areas of their lives feel embarrassed and even ashamed of their struggles with overeating. They feel like they are alone in their struggles. Unfortunately, not reaching out for help increases the sense of isolation and decreases your potential effectiveness. Asking for help might be the scariest step you take in order to make peace with food, but stepping outside of your own head, your own mindset, beliefs, and traps, can start change happening—and quickly. 4. Not addressing time issues. My heart almost broke when I heard an outwardly successful professional woman tell me that given the hectic state of her life, she believed that she wouldn’t be able to focus on her own goals for the next ten years. Really? What kind of life is that and what kind of example are you living? Change requires a commitment to making it happen. Whether it’s taking the time to attend a class, listen to audios, create a plan for healthy meals, or meet with a coach, if you don’t create the time, it isn’t really a priority. Honest truth. If you need help learning how to make or find the time, or how to put yourself first, make this your first action step. Coaching Challenge: What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to making peace with food? Where do you get stuck or thrown off course? Please join the conversation by sharing a comment. I’d love to hear from you. Then, be bold and share one step you will take to start doing it differently. Peace with food is possible. I challenge you to go for it.

Peace with food and weight loss that lasts are possible, and yet, these aren’t the places where most women who struggle with overeating end up. Emotional eating and overeating can feel like a never-ending battle and a roller coaster ride of diets, gimmicks, and “new” approaches that don’t take you where you want to go. It doesn’t have to be this way. Here are some common traps that even the smartest women fall for and the success strategies you can use to avoid them: 1. Getting too focused on what to eat. Cycles of overeating and weight gain are rarely fixed by focusing only on the food. A focus on what to eat doesn’t address or fix the situations, feelings, or relationships that may be triggering overeating. Yes, portion size matters and sometimes food intolerances or metabolic difficulties cause weight gain. However, even these situations become clearer and easier to sort out when you start listening to yourself and paying attention to how you feel, instead of focusing your attention on every bite, calorie, or fat gram that you put into your mouth. 2. Disregarding what you really need. You know yourself better than anyone. Instead of focusing on what “should” work and what you “should” do, take this bold step that many high-achieving women skip: Ask yourself what you really need to be successful—and then give it to yourself. You’re likely to spend less time, energy, heartache and even money in the long run when you trust your inner wisdom. Do you need the help of an expert? Be honest about that. Better tools to deal with stress or difficult emotions? Do you need some one-on-one mentoring or support? Don’t cheat yourself. Investing in what you know to be true and getting the targeted help you need will likely make more of a difference than all the self-help books you can’t figure out how to make work for you. Too many women spend too much money on solutions that aren’t comprehensive or individualized enough and don’t really meet their needs. Not only does this lead to failure, it burns up your hope and your sense of effectiveness. Do you feel like you know what you need but it isn’t possible? Don’t let that stop you. Ask yourself what it would take to make it happen and ask what is do-able that would start allowing you to have more of what you need. Start believing that you deserve to get what you need and start asking for it. You might be surprised what shows up. 3. Refusing to ask for help. High-achievers can fall into the trap of believing that lifestyle change has to happen solo. Many women who are successful in other areas of their lives feel embarrassed and even ashamed of their struggles with overeating. They feel like they are alone in their struggles. Unfortunately, not reaching out for help increases the sense of isolation and decreases your potential effectiveness. Asking for help might be the scariest step you take in order to make peace with food, but stepping outside of your own head, your own mindset, beliefs, and traps, can start change happening—and quickly. 4. Not addressing time issues. My heart almost broke when I heard an outwardly successful professional woman tell me that given the hectic state of her life, she believed that she wouldn’t be able to focus on her own goals for the next ten years. Really? What kind of life is that and what kind of example are you living? Change requires a commitment to making it happen. Whether it’s taking the time to attend a class, listen to audios, create a plan for healthy meals, or meet with a coach, if you don’t create the time, it isn’t really a priority. Honest truth. If you need help learning how to make or find the time, or how to put yourself first, make this your first action step. Coaching Challenge: What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to making peace with food? Where do you get stuck or thrown off course? Please join the conversation by sharing a comment. I’d love to hear from you. Then, be bold and share one step you will take to start doing it differently. Peace with food is possible. I challenge you to go for it.

hi, I'm not expecting yet, but can i give you some advice? Listen to what your obgyn recomends as far as your weight gain, and also talk to your lapband surgon about how to safely eat while pregnant and banded. The obgyn is looking for your baby to get the proper nutrtion via what you eat diet wise and maybe with the help of a nutrtionist and your lapband team you can give your baby the healthy nutrtion it needs for growth, and you can avoid the massive weight gain that for some comes with pregnancy via the old school of thought that momma should gain 50 for her baby. Congrats on your baby and keep me posted on how you are doing, as I'm hoping to get pregnant after i hit my goal with the lapband.