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Today is Day 1 of my pre-op diet. I am ready for this. I managed to gain another 3 lbs, but I expected that. I hope that starting the diet early will make up for my weight gain during this time. So far this morning I had a single serving yougurt and coffee. I am not even sure what to take for lunch so I thought I would take a tub of cottage cheese to stash in the fridge along with another yogurt and a serving of SF Jello. It is hard to gauge how hungry I will be. I will take my glucometer with me because my blood sugars will be very unpredictable. Another reason for doing this early so that I can have them in normal range consistently before THE BIG DAY!!! THE BIG DAY - not long now. Can't wait to join the banded in this quest/challenge/journey. Update: DH took my before pics and they are not pretty. I find it so interesting how I can look at myself in the mirror to get dressed and not see myself. They were especially difficult to look at - and I really LOOKED - becauseI am wearing underwear that I wore 30 lbs ago! I am too stubborn to buy bigger clothes because I got rid of all my larger clothes last time. I will this time as well, but I am more positive that I will not EVER need them again.

Here are somethings that no one knows about me: 1) I was sexually abused by my father until I was ten years old and he was put in jail. He also abused three other girls (one being special needs) 2) I have never been into drinking or drugs. 3) My idea of a good Friday night has always been putting on comfy PJs and cuddling up with a great book (what a dork). 4) I dropped out of college in my Junior year and went back to get m Associate's Degree after the birth of my son. 5) I only went out with my DH on our first date because I had nothing better to do!!!!:nervous 6) I am the only one that colors in my son's Coloring Books! 7) In my mind, I'm an average sized person. 8) I'm a obsessive coupon clipper. I hang my receipts on my fridge to show everyone how much money I've saved! 9) I struggled for many years with depression but have gotten it under wraps with meds (which adds to my weight gain)! This thread was a great idea!

Coops,, have you considered a medical issue or medications? Why Aren't You Losing weight? By Carol Sorgen WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature Reviewed By Charlotte E. Grayson, MD You're following a weight-loss eating plan. You're exercising almost every day. You're proud of the new healthy habits you've learned. Yet week after week, the scale barely seems to budge. What gives? Chances are your food portion sizes have crept up (time to get out the scales and measuring cups again). Or your workouts may not be quite as intense as you think (start checking that heart rate). But if you know you've followed your reducing plan religiously, there's another possibility: A medical condition -- or medication -- may be to blame. "If you haven't been able to lose weight and you can't understand why, you need to determine whether there's a medical condition underlying your weight problem," says Peter LePort, MD, director of the Smart Dimensions Bariatric Program at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in California. "You need to cure that problem first before you can address the weight issue." Medical Reasons for Weight Gain Several conditions can cause weight gain or hinder weight loss, says Rebecca Kurth, MD, director of PrimeCare at Columbia-Presbyterian Eastside and associate professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University. Among them, Kurth says, are: Chronic stress. When you live with anxiety, stress, or grief, your body can produce chemical substances -- like the hormone cortisol -- that make your body more likely to store fat, especially around the waist. That's the type of weight gain that really increases your risk of serious health problems. (Extra weight around the hips and thighs poses fewer health risks.) Cushing's syndrome. This happens when the adrenal glands (located on top of each kidney) produce too much cortisol, which leads to a buildup of fat in the face, upper back, and abdomen. Hypothyroidism. If your thyroid is underactive, your body may not produce enough thyroid hormone to help burn stored fat. As a result, your metabolism is slower and you will store more fat than you burn -- especially if you're not physically active. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This disease, the result of a hormonal imbalance, afflicts more than 5 million women in the US. Common symptoms are irregular menstrual bleeding, acne, excessive facial hair, thinning hair, difficulty getting pregnant, and weight gain that is not caused by excessive eating. Syndrome X. Also called insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels), syndrome X goes hand-in-hand with weight gain. Syndrome X is a cluster of health conditions thought to be rooted in insulin resistance. When your body is resistant to the hormone insulin, other hormones that help control your metabolism don't work as well. Depression. Many people who are depressed turn to eating to ease their emotional distress. Hormonal changes in women. Some women may gain weight at times in their lives when there is a shift in their hormones -- at puberty, during pregnancy, and at menopause. Two other considerations: people tend to gain weight with age for unknown reasons, and though it's not a medical condition, drinking alcohol in moderate to excessive amounts can sabotage your efforts to lose weight. Alcohol (including beer and wine) is a refined carbohydrate, similar to sugar, candy, and white flour. Besides adding calories, alcohol may raise blood sugar and insulin levels, which can contribute to weight gain. A Prescription for Weight Gain? It's not only medical conditions that can add pounds. Some medications can also cause you to gain weight, or keep you from losing it, says Ken Fujioka, MD, medical director of the Scripps Clinic Nutrition and Metabolism Research Center in San Diego. "It's not only medical conditions that can add pounds. Some medications can also cause you to gain weight." This was from a quick search.

I'm from the US and I said yes to high Protein and low-carb, but this is by no means Atkins variety plan. The goal is to make sure you get enough lean Proteins first, eat healthy fruits and vegetables second and carbs are fine for whatever is left. Carbs are not restricted in that I can have them, but they should be of good quality. Whole grains, potatoes, rice, etc. are fine but they should be healthy. The carb restriction is really more for slider foods such as chips, cakes, etc . . . which I feel is perfectly reasonable. Because we have limited capacity, I think it is well and good that we focus on whole foods that are healthy and nutrient rich and limit those things that are highly processed. I know that being an American I have heard the proponents of low carb everything extolling the diet virtues in my ears for many years now. It was the low fat or sugar free craze before that. I do not feel that I am taken in with that. Too much low carb or sugar free or fat free products can still cause weight gain easily if you take in more than you burn. I think sometimes the low-carb debate is lost in our definitions of a carb. Whole fruits and vegetables are always going to be healthier for me than cakes, Cookies or chips hands down. The whole protein first, followed by fruits and vegetables and carbs for last rings true in practice as well. I do know that I love potatoes and if I eat a baked potato first, I will not have room for anything else. In real life, I take a bite of this, a bite of that, etc but try to keep a healthy balance.

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!!

ummmm...i dont think that 20 lbs in 8 months is bad at all. I lost only 17 lbs the first year and a half. i started out at 218. i just kept reminding myself that if i keep following the rules of the band, i will eventually see the results. Finally, after all those long, long months, the scales started moving. I lost 25 lbs the next year, and today, i have lost 63 lbs, and I have 20 to goal. I think it is wayyyy too early to call yourself a failure. You need to give yourself and your body more time to work. Just a note...my weight loss has stalled at all of the same points where my weight GAIN stalled as i was getting bigger. My first weight jump was in my late teens/early 20's when i went from 115-145, my second was in my mid 20's when i went to 160's, then in my late thirties, i went to 200, then after i turned 30, 210's. I have plateau'd at 200, then i suddenly lost rapidly to 160's. i have stalled at 155. i am betting when i suddenly start losing again, i will plateau at 140-145, then i will lose to goal. did that make sense? did you spend a lot of time at your current weight at some time in your life?

I actually thought I looked fine when I was 215lbs. I dressed well, was generally happy, never really felt unsexy, never suffered from lack of attention from men, but let's face it, I was still very overweight, and I was risking my health and my future if I didn't take control of my continuing weight gain. I understand seeing someone with a much lower BMI and not getting what they're unhappy about. But anything over a BMI of 35 is considered obese. And obese is obese. It isn't healthy and it isn't good for you in the long run, whether you're 50lbs overweight or 250lbs overweight. So people deciding to do something that will give them a longer life, better health and a better chance at less obesity-related disease is a good thing. Does it really matter *when* they decided to do that, in the grander scheme of things?

I have the copper to prevent weight gain and it was very painful - but ive never had children

Hi Frustr! I had a transoral bariatric surgery in 2009 that wasn't approved by FDA, as it was not working as they thought it would. I lost 100 lbs on my own! Working out and cutting out all the fried food i used to love and working out 6x a week. I was taking about 30k steps per day. Walking everywhere all the time. I maintained my weight loss for about 6 years....began fertility treatment which contribute to lots of weight gain, became pregnant and have struggled since, gained back almost all of my weight. HW 291=8, lowest 162, currently 250. Stopped working out, which doesn't help. i am doing revision to a surgery that gave me zero restriction. I am currently debating on going back to my original surgeon or a new one. I have a scheduled appointment with a new surgeon for consultation. Very excited to see him. Hope that helps! my surgeon suggest i do the bypass and i suggested he takes my suggestion of DS lol, which he agreed lol. The second surgeon is well known for DS and SIPS, so I am certain he will agree as well.

This is the first time that I have written on this forum. I hope that this is informative or helpfull in some way. I was at about 290 lbs and 5'9 in September of 2012. I am currently 224 lbs and feeling much better. I also found out through this process that I have celiac disease. Change came in a major way to my life when I began this process. Most likely some of my weight gain came from how completely off my entire system was from the celiac. I was deficient in every Vitamin and severly anemic. That has been corrected. Ironically the band helps me as much with the celiac disease as the celiac disease helps me with the weight loss. I have to avoid so many foods now. The band helps with that because I don't need to eat nearly as much as I did. Alot of people that have the band complain that they have had problems, slippage, vomiting whatever. I can tell you slippage comes from the fact that many of us have so much viseral fat when the band is installed that the band can't really be anchored. The person who recommended the doctor to me, went a year and had to have his band replaced. Now his new one is anchored, due to his weight loss, that was now possible. He will never need another surgery. I needed 40 percent a large fat deposit around my stomach to be removed in order for my band to be installed in the first place. That much viseral fat = no good. The up side is that viseral fat goes away first. The other problem, that no one wants to admit, is many people don't follow the doctor's instructions. That causes the majority of the problems. People think they can get a band and do whatever they want. It doesn't work that way. You need to make a lifestyle change. If you aren't ready for that then don't do it. You need to be a different person after the surgery. It will also take some time to master how to control the food intake with the band. You will need to learn about volume and speed at which you eat. I pause several times while eating as I feel pressure start. Also watch your Fluid intake while eating. That will get you faster than anything. You'll end up burping to try to get air out and possbily throwing up. I can manage this very well now. I am now at the point where I am beginning to realize that I look so much better than I have in a long while. I'm down 64 lbs and am 10 lbs away from where I was as a baseball player in High School. I was always a little higher on the scale than the average person my height due to muscle make up. I was always a weight lifter. I describe myself as a work in progress as I still have work to do. I get a lot of compliments now and it is nice to hear. My personal decision was to not advertise the fact that I have the band. Very few people know about it. I'm not embarrassed by it, I just wanted it to be personal. I wanted the battle to be won, but didn't want to feel that people were trying to judge my progress. There are only a couple of people at work who know and I do talk to them about it. Sorry to chew your ears off about it, but thank you. The few that know, I love you guys for your support. My immediate family knows and I talk to them about it here and there. That's about it. I'm not telling you out there to do that. It is just what works best for my personality. This is what I want to point out, at least to the guys out there. No one tells you this part. You will find new confidence in your new look, when and if you get there. I'm a married father of two. I have found myself recently thinking about other women that I encounter and even acting out like I'm gonna try to make that connection with them to make something happen. I sware I stopped myself, and have done nothing wrong. The problem is, you all of a sudden correct a problem, in a short period of time, that you've most likely had for years. You suddenly start feeling like you can do anything and like you've been reborn. It is mostly good, but just be careful and make decisions based on where you are at in your life, not where you are at in your weight loss and new self image. I actually started to walk over a talk to a very attractive girl, this week, a total stranger, who I was able to see showed interest in me. I was going to try to get her number or whatever. I then said to myself, "what is wrong with you, you're married." I then changed direction and walked away. I sware, this is what happens when you get to the point that I'm at. I'm sure it will fade, but I'm just saying, be aware that your thought process can be a little affected by your success. Just don't act without thinking carefully. You don't want to make a mistake that you will regret. By the way, some one showing interest in you is ok. It's kind of validation, especially if you haven't felt good about yourself in a long time. It helps you see that you are getting somewhere, but if you don't see that in someone, that doesn't mean that you're not doing well. Just remember you can see that type of attention come your way, that doesn't mean you need to act on it. For me, it brought me back to a time in my life where that type of attention wasn't so illusive, a time when I had a very different self image and level of confidence. It did make me feel good. The funny part is, that encounter made me realize that I'm well on my way to experiencing life with that type of self image again, just not totally there yet. Time will hopefully totally get me there, but I'm doing well now. If you're single, knock yourself out, have fun. If you're not single then remember the one at home who most likely helped you get through the rough part and helped you get where you are right now.

Congratulations on your recovery. I can't believe you are spinning already. I hope to be back to some kind of exercise routine in a few weeks also. All of this sitting around has me worried about weight gain. I bet you look fabulous in your new clothes!

Hello Everyone, For the past week I've kept losing and gaining the same 3lbs. So, far I've lost about 40lbs in 6 weeks. I had surgery on 1/29/13. I haven't had my first fill yet. My start weight was 340lbs, and last week I weighed 298lbs. I was super happy. But now it's the same stupid 3lbs up and down each day. It's hard to explain, but I can lose the 3lbs in one day, but it's back the next morning. My doctor prescribed Water retention pills because I gained 10lbs in a week...all water. I lost that 10lbs in a couple of days. I have to drink orange juice and water all day, so my kidneys don't start hurting. The pain is almost unbearable when I don't drink enough fluids. I exercise an hour a day, but I might boost it up to an hour and a half. I know I'm over doing it. I just really want to get as far away from 300lbs as possible. I'm not sure if this is still water weight or, I'm doing something wrong. I'm trying not to get discouraged, but I'm getting depressed because I can't lose these 3lbs and move on. Any advice from my fellow banders would help tremendously!

What a relief, Sherry! I'm so glad some definitive action was taken, and I understandhow nervous you are about weight gain, but face it, your health and well-being are first, then the weight loss can be taken up again after that. That's one advantage of the band, is it not???? HUGS to you, sweetie! We'll be here, like Dianne said, to hold your hand and encourage you, and remind you that your health is #1! Dianne, so glad to hear that your new position is fun and you enjoy it! I bet it's a kick to help other people who are just starting out! Yes, I do stay busy, but I like it that way, then I like some down time, and this way I'm in control of that! When I was teaching, I just had to say "no" to a lot of things I really wanted to do. Maybe now I say yes to too much, but I enjoy it! Tonight I'm going to a potluck dinner for Children's Ministry Council for our church...in fact, I've gotta put the stuffed pizza braid in the oven right about NOW! Hey Mandy, Betty, Patty, Eileen...and everyone else I left off the personals...will catch ya the next time! Hugs, Cindy

I believe I'm getting enough Water, but today I'm tracking that as well. Just because I *think* I'm getting enough of something (or not too much of something else) doesn't mean reality matches up. Thanks for asking Paula, and yes, uhm, every thing is coming out all right, as it were. I have not checked recently to see if my meds cause weight gain. I am not currently on prednisone, but I was prior to being banded. I can't think that previous use of steroids would impact my current weight loss. But one of the very first things they want ot do to you here in SE ID is put you on a course of prednisone if you come into the ER with an asthma attack. If my oxygen is below 90%, they put me on steroids.

Prezo & wallflower, Great to hear good results. I am only 5-ish days post op and I have not had to take my Lantus at all or my Humalog. Sugars are holding stable. Once my food intake & food types increases I expect to start the Lantus at 5 units & step up as needed. I've been in a lot of pain but I am thrilled not to have to inject 115 units every morning. Since my pancrease was damaged from other health issues I was wondering how I would do post op. so far I am thrilled. Oh and to the main question of this thread. Yes, loosing weight is more difficult for diabetics. That is one of many fundamental parts of diabetes. Even with well controlled sugars it's still difficult. Often folks with diabetis also have other health problems that will contribute to the difficulties in loosing weight. One of My problems is I am unable to work out at the levels I use to loose weight because of herniated disks (back surgery soon). That lack of exercise & eating too much = weight gain. I had lost 70lbs before my back injury & gained that and then some back. I have had a very healthy diet for the last 10 years. Room for improvement...absolutely. Eating too much is my other problem. No matter how healthy we eat too much of a good thing is bad. Wow...I think I have babbled on enough waiting for the pain mess to kick in Night ~Manda

U lok great and I have gain back about 8lbs.im 15months out.i lost a total of 128lbs in 12 months but im jumping rite back into the groove..i feel real bad about my weight gain..it look like I gain 16lbs and I have pics and I rilly look small on them but now I lok at myself and say damn..but it will be ok very soon.

I agree, sabotages and haters lol But, realistically, this is life right? We will all face eating bad sometimes and we give in. Lifestyle changes are what our mutual goal Is. What I feel is this. I've been post op almost 2 years now. I eat like crap at times, sometimes a lot. I know it's not good and can lead to weight gain. I'm human and become more mindful and eat " like a sleever " is suppose to. I was truly devastated one time when I was told on here I was eating To Many calories. I was losing fast and I needed them. I didn't know that at the time and my whole mindset was shot. So people who may eat lousy sometimes, it's life. We have our whole life ahead of us and as long as we know the repercussions of our actions .... It's ok. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I would ask your gynecologist what it best. I know there are lots of options, I had an IUD in a long time ago which worked fine. It was removed when I had my tubal. The non-latex condom option could work, but clear that with your husband as he may not like the idea of having to wear a condom. Some people have a depovera shot, however, some experience weight gain from it.

Hi Gang! Working has been nuts. Talking about the Lap-Band ALL day long is great and I love helping people and giving them help for themselves but it is hard to then come home and even loov at the word Lap-Band! So I know it's a poor excuse, but I just veg at night. I do miss you all and will try to peak in durning the day and say hi. Hope your all doing good. I got a fill this past Monday and I can really feel it. I want to get to my goal by Nov 08 20 more pounds! The only major concern I have is my thyroid surgery the end of August. My understanding is that the thyroid medication takes a while to get adjusted and there could be weight gain! So I guess I need to kick butt before then. I am going to get a conplete unfil a few days before the surgery in case I have another bad reaction to anatesia. Have a good SAturday! Hugs to all!

@Cat225, I hate the "You have such a pretty face" saying!!! I imagine punching the person in the face as those words come tumbling out of their mouth. I have struggled with my weight since middle school and have done every diet out there. My Mom took to me to a weight loss clinic when I was 15 and the doctor told me to take the pills and drink coffee and not to eat. I am serious that is what he said. My weight has gone up and down and I am now at my biggest weight gain ever since having my 2nd child. I am now 36 and I feel that the Lap-Band is what is right for me and I am doing this for me and only me! I see so many wonderful posts here in this forum and can not wait to get my surgery!

I told my husband, but do not plan to tell anyone else. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what to tell my boss. So far, I'm going with - I'll be out for a few days because I am having elective surgery for a minor medical issue. If pushed, I will say it is of a personal nature. Thoughts? Omar from Dr. Kelly's office just called me and was giving me pre-surgery instructions. My son overheard and asked - "Your having surgery? When were you going to tell me?" He's not great a keeping secrets, so I told him I just told him I was having surgery on my stomach. He kept pushing so I said the doctor was going to remove some things (non cancerous in nature). He kept pushing - so I said like cists and I added that they may be the cause of my weight gain. He's 15, so he was kidding around and said, "Eww. You have pimples in your stomach?" Oh well, I'm not sure if him telling people I have pimples in my stomach is that is much better than just telling people about the WLS

Yay Laura, Exciting to buy those smaller clothes. I started at a tight 20w and now a 12. Would love to be a 10 or 8. I was wondering how long you took off from work. I plan to only take two weeks off but my third week will be during thanksgiving so will only work 2 1/2 days. I hope I'm up for it though. I am having a TT and BA. I had a breast reduction 11 years ago before I gained a bunch of weight. Now that I lost boobs are flat and skin stretched from weight gain. Need a bit more on top Did you take Vitamins before the procedure (bromelean, Biotin, arnica (whatever that is)?

I don't have any children but I can relate from the perspective as being the daughter. My mom used to be a lot bigger than she is now; not morbidly obese but bigger. She is now about a size 12/14 (and also in her late 60s). When she was in about her mid 50's (I would have been in early 30s) her and my dad just completely changed their lifestyle and their habits and she ended up losing quite a bit of weight and has successfully kept it off (just leading a healthier life). Though I was always happy for her...deep down I was slightly irritated that my own mother was now a smaller size than me (and due to my constant weight gain she is now a MUCH smaller size than me). But I never let her know that so as not to hurt her feelings....it was just frustrating because no matter what I did I couldn't get the same outcome. We never talked about it though. (but we have never been super close). Once I had some medical issues diagnosed I felt better (in a sense) because I knew that I was fighting some medical issues that made it so much more difficult for me and it helped...having that explanation. She is aware of these issues and has always been supportive. I would suggest you have a heart to heart with your daughter (if you haven't already) and tell her how you feel and that you don't look at this as a competition in any way and that you are doing it just to be healthy. You know, that you aren't getting any joy about getting into "Her" clothes size...that your joy is centered around being healthy. Plus you could gently remind her that if she can make some healthy changes to her lifestyle now (if that is indeed a problem) then she can make positive changes to and not have to be faced with such a hard decision like you were....etc etc.... Of course it all depends on how close your relationship is. Good luck though, I know it can be a difficult thing. I wish my mom and I had been able to talk about it better back then but it was not to be. I still haven't told her about the surgery...but only because she is out of the country on a trip and I didn't want her to worry...I'll tell her when she gets back . I know she'll be happy & supportive of me (as much as she can considering she lives on the other side of the country from where I do). Don't know if any of that helped...but that was my limited experience from the DD view! What

Michelle, everyone's loss is different. There is so much variability. So many different things to think about. I really would try not to compare your loss with anyone else's because it gets really hard if you don't lose as much as someone else. Or then if you lose more than someone else you get a little complacent. It's crazy the head games we all play. 40 pounds in less than a year is awesome! I tried carrying around a 5 gallon bottle of Water yesterday, which is about that heavy, and it almost killed me carrying it to the truck. And just think how much healthier you are. Awesome. As far as how you are doing, I would look at the skills you have learned this last year. Have you gotten great at getting in all your fluids? 60+ oz per day gets you hydrated enough to burn calories. It is so key and seems so unmeaningful. Have you gotten great at counting your calories without a counter? I'm pretty good at judging my calories without using my book. With that skill I can stay pretty close to 1000 cals without a lot of effort. But it took me a few months of plugging in EVERY food to the daily plate. Until I could judge my cals I was up and down too much to stay consistant. Or maybe you have done a great job of getting in exercise 4-6 times a week. That's my downfall. Honestly it's the first think I don't do....and that is always a slippery slope. The other thing I do EVERY DAY is weigh in. That way I can keep close track of any weight gain. I have a number that if I get over that any morning I work extra hard that day to follow all the rules. Usually it's just a matter of daily fluctuation but I never let it get above that set number. So look at those things and see which you have made an awesome part of your life. If this is going to work, you have to make it a natural part of every day. That way we won't get off track so easy. Celebrate the greatness you have done. Then look at one more thing you can put into your daily routine. Make it natural and then see what else you can do. You are doing great though. This is a forever thing, not a month or two thing. We will always have times when there are bad days or weeks. It is just as important to have ways to cope with those as it is to lose steadily. Keep plugging away and celebrating your losses. Way to go!!!!

I just want to stress that it didn't take over night to become overweight. We all had many years of practice. So it's not going to take overnight to be thin. It's also going to take many years of practice to break that cycle, even when you DO reach your goal weight. Weightloss is a never ending battle. Weight Gain is a battle worth fighting. As for the fear of gaining the weight back because of your personal experiences with mostly bypass patients. My doc told me that after 2 years the bypass stops working because you have already reached a certain amount of weight and it can't be adjusted. After that 2 years it's up to you. The lapband can be adjusted. But I'm not saying you don't have to continue your battle. What I will say is that YOU look amazing. And I know you have worked hard and will continue to work hard. Be proud of yourself that you got this far. Don't look to far in the future because it is very scary. Take things one day at a time.