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I second everything that was said...and, I can't wait to buy something sexy to wear for my husband. He is my rock. And has loved me and called me beautiful regardless of what size I was...he is my hero. I also can't wait to look great in our family photos. We haven't ever done any with all of us. Because of my weight gain I didn't want to be in them. So much to look forward to!

I mean we all have things that attract us to someone and stuff that does not attract us. Would you expect someone who really isnt attracted to their significant other to fake it? 3 years tho is a long time to not really show any intimate affection. i would be having a discussion probably within the first few months. me personally i know what i am attracted to and what i am not attracted to. and i have been told by a girlfriend before that they are not attracted to me anymore due to my weight gain. but the good thing is they told me. but still the original poster its a bit messed up for being married that long and only now showing interest when you are loosing some weight.

So... I've been a busy new mom, so I haven't been on posting as much as I'd like, but I thought I'd update everyone on how things went. Hopefully this will be encouraging to other bandsters who want to have babies! So after several years of infertility, I do believe that my weight loss from being banded helped me get pregnant, have a healthy pregnancy, and a healthy baby. I got pregnant in July of 2011 (one month after being banded!) and had a miscarriage. Then I got my a** in gear and worked with my doc to balance out my hormones; but she said that she thought I was healthy enough to go for it! I got pregnant with my daughter in January 2012. These were my fears: 1) Nausea and vomiting would make me slip my band... Well, I'm glad to report that although I did have a fair amount of nausea, I was just really careful about keeping it under control as much as I could, and when I did throw up, to treat myself as well as possible. No slippage! 2) Weight Gain Well, I have 2cc in my band, and I still have 2cc in my band, and I still have restriction. I still don't know if I'll ever need a fill or not. I only gained about 17 pounds total for the whole pregnancy, and I've lost that and then some since she's been born (Yay breastfeeding!) 3) Other complications I had NO gestational diabetes. I think though, that this is because I was EXTREMELY picky about my diet throughout my pregnancy. I realized that everything I was eating went directly to the baby, and with the lapband, I had to make the best choices possible nutritionally so that I got enough nutrition in to help my little one grow. That being said, I did have a couple problems. I don't know if they were related to my weight or not... certainly not to the band, but here they are: Kidney stones: Yes, I had them. They HURT so bad!!! I thought I was going into early labor; but nope. Kidney stones! Fortunately, they were small enough that I just passed them. OW! Pre-Eclampsia: I developed high blood pressure at about 26 weeks. It just didn't go away... eventually it got worse and worse, and there was Protein in my urine. I got induced two days before my due date and my blood pressure was 190/110!! Fortunately, the cure for pre-eclampsia is to have a baby! Swelling: I had a lot of swelling, but I think it was due to the pre-eclampsia more than anything. I got scolded by doctors for 'doing too much.' I was told to stop exercising at 7.5 months. C-Section: This was most likely related to being induced. A lot of the time, when the body is in an unnatural state of labor, ie induction, it's just too much stress on you and the baby. I never dilated past 4cm, and the baby's heartrate was fluctuating dangerously. I tried to labor. I labored for over 30 hours, and nothing... so I got a C section. I'm actually not disappointed. The medical staff was awesome, and I really liked my doctor, and they took good care of me. My baby girl was born perfectly healthy 7lbs 8 oz with an apgar score of 9! She had no health issues whatsoever. Funny things: Doctors kept thinking that my port was the baby's foot. It poked out a lot during pregnancy. I called it my 'turkey timer.' So I hope that provides some perspective. I really hope that all of y'all who are hoping to have babies get to experience this joy. You all deserve it! If anyone has any questions, I'll be happy to answer them! Here's my little sweetheart! She's now 3 months old!

I had it from 2003 to 2012. I didn't find out about the erosion until my band was attempted to be replaced because I didn't have any symptoms, other than weight gain. I attributed the gain to stress and quitting smoking. I went for a fill and found no fluid. I had the port replaced first but it kept losing fluid so we thought I had a defective band. I had one of the small bands done in Mexico as self pay. My insurance wouldn't pay. Now I'm married and my husbands insurance pays. And I'm so incredibly happy!

I use the depo shot. I love it. Go in every 3 months, for 15 mins and you are done. I haven't noticed any weight gain and I don't get periods anymore. I would recommend it but check with your Dr.

Hello I'm new to the forum and thought I'd introduce myself im Bec I'm 31 i live in Australia and I've just booked in to have a lap band in October, I'm so excited to finally be able to shed the kilos, I've tried diet after diet exercised personal trainers you name it I've tried it, I have just also been diagnosed with PCOS and found out my weight gain is caused from that so lapband it is for me I look forward to getting to know you all Bec x

you are being way too hard on yourself. Im sure your weight didnt come on overnight... it took a long time, as it did with me. Along with the weight gain we had wrong food choices and portion sizes. ...and to make things worse, we ate for emotional comfort. When you think about it, you didnt just have a surgery to put a band in, you also were put on the road for changes in every area that Ive mentioned above. This takes time... if you have a day where you slipped... just put it behind you and move on. AS for your dr... im sure he will understand completely what you are going through.. after all, he sees so many patients and knows the issues that come with lap banding. I agree that you shouldnt change the drs appointment. If you do that, it could open the door to the wrong approach even further. You dont want to do that. I tell you... you are NOT ALONE IN THIS. Every issue youve mentioned here im sure everyone of us has been there. i know i have. ive eaten more sugar the last month or two than ever before... so its an issue that cropped up with me and i have to deal with it. I can see on various emotional levels and physical levels, more than ever, what needs to change. i had no idea before hand. i think if someone had tried to explain everything in this area to me i wouldnt have completely understood. i had to go through it myself . Despite have issues with sugary confectionary... im still so happy with the band... and know that ive made the right decision. if my weight loss isnt up to scratch... too bad. it will come off eventually. Meantime im busy learning more about my psyche.... and dealing with it. Good luck, and like i said , dont be so hard on yourself.

I dont even know for sure where to start.....all i can say is i went for what i thought was gonna be a fill....well it went poorly.....my blood pressure was up the Nurse Practioner was rude basically yelling cause I gained 10 lbs....I tried to explain that my Endocrinologist said my sugars were high and suugar was spilling into the toilet in my urine....now sugars are better due to going on insulin pump and due to better sugars i am retaining some calories causig a lil weight gain. She said.....they are NUTS and yelled thats the craziest thing she ever heard....I tried to explain i feel i need a fill.....i am not getting a full feeling....she wouldnt even listen.....do i deserve to be treated and chastised for making a mistake.......i guess i just need to vent....so how do i know i need a fill??? and also what point is there in even going when she said i am at 6.5 and thats the max fill.........my band is a 10 cc can i not ever get more?? if thats the case why do i drive 2 hrs to go get treated poorly.....and when i leave there end up in an er for high BP?????? thanks for listening

As some of you know I'm 47 and divorced, will soon be 2 years this month. Let me start how my weight gain all started for me, I wasn't an obese child nor a teen. I married my high school sweetheart in 1986 and boy did I think I knew the world, if I knew then what I know now, ha. He was shy and I was the outgoing one, he was super skinny and I was average. He ate and ate and ate and I thought I could eat along with him so my weight kept creeping up over the years of our marriage little by little. By 1990 I weighed 199, said to myself I'd never let myself weigh over 200, I ate crow alright. We were unable to have children so we occupied ourselves in the life of luxury of world travels and cars and later in life our dream home in '06. By that time he had a corporate job, I had not worked in years and we had our dream home with a pool. It was all I could do to keep house it was so huge but I loved it. Guess you could say starting in '06 I could see a change in him and I began to stress eat more. His job was very stressful, afterall he managed a factory, oh how proud of him I was but then the alcohol began and then my food addiction began. From 2006 until he left me Oct '09 I literally watched him become a full blown alcoholic and my eating had well, let's just say I gained about 25 lbs. He began staying out late till the wee hrs of the night/morning in bars, coming home drunk, it was horrible. Then on that fateful afternoon in Oct. '09 he came home and said he was leaving me, I was devastated to say the least. I had no idea he wasn't happy. Yes we had our ups/downs like anyone else but I guess he had gotten tired of looking at a fat wife, I had let myself go, certainly not the girl he married. I stayed in the marital home a few months until I couldn't care for the acreage and pool and he made me move out and he move back in. At this time he had asked for a divorce and I was at my all time low, a deep depression. I guess I have to admit I was on the verge of suicide but I'm deeply religious and knew better and had it not been for my faith in God and my mom and of course my Psychiatrist I never would have made it out of the dark hole. My mom stepped in and bought me a home close to her and I rented it from her. Guess she wanted to give me my independence for the first time in my life. By this time it was May of 2010, divorce proceedings were ongoing, I was living alone and eating and eating. BIG mistake. I had no accountability, I was sitting alone in a house with a dog and a tv and eating whenever and whatever I wanted. I literally was eating myself to death. I knew I didn't want to die an early age like my dad but yet I still kept eating. I had ballooned to 294, I was huge, could hardly walk, couldn't breathe. In early June '12 I moved in with my mom for financial reasons and she sold the house, talk about humbling, having to move back in with a parent at age 47. One afternoon I asked my mom to go with me to a seminar for lap band surgery, this was April 2012. What a revelation. Yes I had done my homework, I had actually gone to a seminar back in '08 but wasn't ready mentally then. This time I was ready. The next day I called my ins, they covered it, called the dr's office made an appt, got right in, from start to finish I was banded in like 4 weeks, his office pushed my ins approval thru really quick. Needless to say this saved my LIFE. Has it been a struggle, yes, I struggle each and every day with head hunger and sweets and sometimes give in, that is why my weight loss is slow but I'm proud of my 68 lbs in 1 year and will never look back. My eating habits have changed, for the better of course, I look at food differently, I taste it now instead of gobbling it down. Had it not been for all of you all on here answering my questions throughout this last year and Jean's book I don't think I could have survived my first year. Thanks to all of you out there you're the best! You guys are family!!! Looking forward to the next 12 months of a happier, healthier new me. Donna

thanks all for the responses and for understanding. Yes this is an issue for my psychiatrist but I'm an hour and half away from him, he's in Nashville and I'm Ky so it's not like I can jump in the car and make an appt and go see him on a whim. I have to do these things by phone. His assistant called today to ck on me and to see if the Depakote was helping and my response was :::"why in the world would he prescribe me something that causes major weight gain knowing I'm a wight loss surgery patient and on top of that due to my surgery I already am losing hair and this med causes that so no I'm taking it". she said oh, well, let me talk to him and call you back. Well, the day went on and never heard back from her. This is not like my dr, I've been with him for 7 yrs, love him to pcs, he's been there with me thru ups/downs and my separation/divorce but right now I am kinda peeved no one called me back today. On the otherhand my medical doc mentioned Lithium in a low dose...torn between doctors here. All I know is I cannot continue being short fused with everyone including the freakin dog of all things, she doesn't know any better. Zingy, like you I don't take criticism very well either or I take it to heart or wear my emotions on my shoulder so to speak. Thank you for sharing your story, it was brave of you. At least I'm not alone. Donna

I weighed in at 272.0 lbs. I showed a weight gain. I know it's not much, but a gain is just that - a gain. I have showed a weight loss then I show a weight gain. It is very frustrating.

I admit I did it... but I was also self-pay. The surgeon I went to see first wouldn't even consider doing the surgery (self pay or not) if you weren't 40 BMI or 35 with co-mortalities. He wouldn't even consider high cholesterol or high trygliserides or an immediate family history of diabetes and heart disease. My insurance had an exclusion so it didn't matter what my BMI was they weren't paying for it. I was desperate because I had struggled for so many years and all the diets and exercise and hard work just got me about 30 pounds more each year. I wanted and needed to stop the weight gain... for my health. I went to another doctor and he also said the same about the 40 or 35 BMI so I added clothes and rocks and heavy shoes... I was 5 pounds shy of the 40 BMI they needed. I later found out that my new doctor was way nicer and would have done it without the deception. He made exceptions for self-pay that the other center wouldn’t. I asked them but didn’t ask again because they told me it was the law. (it was a law I was willing to break – kind of like speeding) I'd do it again in a minute. I couldn't take another day of failing at diets, which really just felt like failing. It was a daily struggle not to let my weight balloon 100's of pounds out of control. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o></o> Since I was self-pay I don’t feel too bad about it.

Sounds exactly what I went through after my first year. Everything was going great then all of a sudden I started having acid reflux at night which could not have been the result of being too tight (no fill in the previous six months when the problem started). However I did have a slight unfill and the acid reflux stopped but the unfill naturally resulted in weight gain. I also started having occasional heartburn which I took a weekly Prevacid for. Fast forward to year 5, my band slipped. I just had it fixed last week along with a hiatal hernia that I did not know I had. I am convinced that the hiatal hernia caused the acid reflux, heartburn, and eventually the slip. Do not ignore acid reflux and heartburn it is a sign that something else is wrong other than simply being too tight.

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....

Different doctors and dietitians have their individual approaches to instructing their patients...and for my surgeon, avoidance of all foods which have any added sugars is necessary for success with your weight loss. Also, I was advised to never count calories, only to measure portions carefully, and make healthy food choices with unprocessed foods. This surgery requires developing healthier eating habits, and breaking the ones which contributed to our weight gain to be successful on the weight loss journey. Continuing to give in to your craving for sweets does not break the cycle of carb cravings, only sustains it. While our brains need carbs to function, there are naturally occurring carbs in many healthy and unprocessed foods. Your choices and mileage may vary... Best wishes to you as you continue your weight loss journey!

I have had my band for a little over 5 years and I am very happy to say I have had success with very little problem. Went from 314-171. I have gained about 17 pounds since December and this is the first weight gain I've experienced since banded. I'm having a few issues. Weight gain because I can eat most anything and more of it, acid reflux, (which my reg doc recently put me on meds) and bloating and gas. I'm just wondering why I can eat greater amounts and bread and other no no foods I couldn't eat before? Can my band have lost Fluid or restriction on its own or could there be another prob? Thanks so much for any advice or words of wisdom!

I am 7 years post VSG. I lost 145 pounds and kept it off 3-4 years, had plastics and looked and felt great, and then life happened. I cared for Sick parents, husband with early onset dementia and dearth subsequent death, a year of grieving....then one day I woke up and faced the truth of a 55 pound weight gain. September 2019 I began focusing on my health and goals again, and I’ve lost 22 pounds. I had a barium swallow which revealed I have a normal capacity stomach, so really, no restriction. I never had the restriction others describe. Anyway, as much as I hated to do it, I joined WW. I basically eat like a Bariatric patient, using WW as guardrails. I also have increased my exercise and am totally in the Peloton “cult”, which is great because I am loving exercise for the first time ever. I never thought I’d be here..yet here I am, living proof that stomachs DO stretch and even smart, determined people can end up with regain. I believe it will take me until June or July to get back to goal, but every pound lost is a great feeling of accomplishment.

Perhaps this is a normal stage of the process for us, but I am having trouble dealing with even the small weight gain. My workouts are more stringent than ever, but my snacking has definitely increased. I'm snacking on Cereal, but still logging/counting calories. Carbs definitely higher, but still not too bad. I'm thinking of just stopping the cereal, though, as that seems to be a trigger for more eating ....

Actually my insurance doesn't state weight gain part at all. I was just worried because I read many cases that have been denied.

weight gain is also a concern of mine after ridding the band.

After two failed lap bands, I am scheduled to have the band removed and revised to a sleeve. Despite my best efforts, my surgeon insists that I have the band removed, allow 3 months 'rest' time for my stomach then have the sleeve procedure. Has anyone had the same experience and how did you manage/control your weight over that time? I'm terrified I will gain back majority, if not all of the 60lbs I've lost this far in that 3 months. Any story's or tips from fellow banders/ex banders/current sleevers would be appreciated!

I haven't been eating the best foods for me which is how I got into the habit of eating less because I couldn't seem to stick with the good for me foods. I only want the surgery to loose the weight, its Hell having no appetite or desire for food and to continue to be this big for no reason. My weight gain is not from an overeating issue, emotional issues or binging. I have another debilitating condition and with weight loss, I will be able to workout minimally and eating less will be now good for me. Plus hoping to get pregnant and learning to eat better is another plus that had escaped me as a young adult. I'm learning more everyday from you all!!

Hope you are feeling a little better now wellbutrin is the only med I have stuck with it suppresses my appetite and gives me energy to exercise ..most importantly it eliminates my depression ...maybe it could work for you...all of the other AD i took caused crazy carb cravings and some actually raise your blood sugar and effect the way you process carbs ...most psych meds have weight gain as a side effect ..weight gain from psych meds is what actually made me feel that surgery might be a good option for me....Very sorry about your mom hope things get better for you ..nothing that i hate more than depression

You are right, you do need a serious wake up call. At least you see it. This surgery is just a tool. You can read that in almost every post of this group. If you are unable to make smarter choices about food it is all for nothing. The sleeve will not keep you from gaining weight if you are determined to do so. It will limit your intake at EACH meal but you can graze yourself into weight gain with it. If you go for fast food after seeing your therapist, you have to ask yourself "why are you making those choices?" It is after all a choice what you eat. Is this therapist really helping you? Have you told them you are going for fast food after your session? Why are you still choosing to eat unhealthy food? What is it that is causing you to sabotage yourself? Good luck and I hope you take a deep honest look at yourself and get answers to these questions!

Hi... i know this has possibly already been covered... but i suppose this is my story... I had lapband surgery in July 2007.... lost 20 kg... and my band erroded on 12 months resulting in m having it removed in July 2008.... Now 12 months on and having kept my weioght off for 9 months... and now having had a weight gain of 8 kg... approx 16 lb in the last three... it is time for me to rethink my surgical options... I alternate between rebanding or sleeve.... my against banding is that it may erode as quickly again... My against sleeve is that there is metal staples .... I would be interested in others thoughts and stories as to what decisions they made....and would appreciate the help My surgeon is open to doing both surgeries, and he wants me to make the decision to what is best for me.... Heather....