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Help I have gained 5 pounds while on vacation! Does anyone else have this problem? Also I have no restriction after having 1 full so far.

Has anyone gained weight or stayed the same weight during the 6 mo pre op diet? If so, were you still approved?

I have PCOS and never expected to get pregnant without intervention, so I was surprised when I learned I was pregnant 3 years after I was banded. I had only lost 60# (with 120# to go) in those 3 years, but was in very good health all the same. I had 2.5cc in my band and left it there because I had no real issues with vomiting or heartburn during the pregnancy. My pregnancy went so smoothly that my OB and nurses commented quite often, because my age and weight usually equate to complications. However, I had no preeclampsia or gestational diabetes and with the help of a dietician, and regular physical activity, I kept my weight gain down to 7#, which is what my son weighed when he was born (7#1oz). Labor and delivery went very smoothly and I'm pleased to say I beat the odds and had a vaginal birth rather than a c-section. Post-pregnancy I felt/feel great. I recovered very quickly. My mother is a nurse and she was astonished by how quickly I was up and around doing housework and gardening (4 days after delivery). After a couple of weeks I started noticing I was getting heartburn and some acid reflux. I attributed it to the amount of Fluid I've been forcing down in order to keep up breast milk production -- food just seems to float, and if after an hour it hadn't gone down I'd just go cough it up. I don't want to risk erosion or slippage, and I've been dropping 4# a week which can endanger breast milk supply, so I've had 1cc removed from the band. Hopefully this adjustment will allow me to continue reducing weight but at a healthier pace. Those are my experiences with pregnanct and breastfeeding with the lap band.

congrats on taking the steps to changing your life. Few things you didn't mention: your height, your weight, have you had kids? natural or c-section? Theses are my reasons: I find that the taller people that don't have a huge amount that have not had kids do better with the skin issue. I on the other hand am 5'2" weight 223 had two kids via c-section. I have lost 80lbs ... give or take a few. I exercised and lost weight slower than most. My underarms, legs (inner and outer thighs) have no issues, no problems with the neck either...... But, my stomach was different. Even though i worked out i still had the stomach apron, mostly due to the two c-sections. So at two year and three months out i went and had a tummy tuck. :) I'm so happy....for the first time in 20+ years i can wear a bikini in public. Like the rest, i would rather have the loose skin then be back at 223lbs again. Others are right, every person is different with the band and so is every person's insurance. I started my process in Aug. 09 and was having surg. nov. 09. I had the seminar, visit with nutritionist, heart dr., swallow test, sleep study, I didn't have to do any diet as i was right at 40.8 with no co-morbid s..... in fact i purposefully gained 10 lbs to meet insurance of 40 BMI. I'm not ashamed of that and would do it over again. At one point i was at 230 and dieted with WW and got down to 213. But could not go below that.... so when i started research and found out i had to be at 40 i gained 10lbs back... Gain 10 to lose 80... hell yes and i would do it again. My PCP sent in a paper with my medical history and so did my GYN... to show my progressive weight gain over the years. that was it... approved first letter. I wish you all the luck....

When I found out I was pregant I was 43 years old and 15 weeks along. I had 2.5cc in my band and was pursuing a course of slow weightloss (2 to 3 pounds a month). I had just gotten below the 300# mark and freaked out when I learned it was likely I would gain back much of what I'd worked so hard to lose. I immediately contacted a team that specializes in helping women who are pregnant post-WLS to manage their weight while ensuring good nutrition for their babies. With their guidance, moderate exercise, and with the tools I'd already learned regarding handing cravings and whatnot (see this post http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/147416-one-year-post-op-no-results-please-help/page__st__20__p__1787949#entry1787949) I managed to keep my weight gain down. The day I went in to labor I was 7# up from my pre-pregnancy weight, with an added benefit that keeping my weight down meant a smaller (7#1oz) baby for vaginal birth. I experienced some nausea and had little room for food the last month of pregnancy and practically lived on frozen yogurt bars and Protein drinks, but did not have my band unfilled because I knew it wasn't my band that was causing the problem, it was my being so pregnant (my mother lived on popsicles on the last month of her 3 pregnancies, she said). I'm 3 weeks post partum and just had 1cc removed from my band yesterday -- I'm struggling to keep down food along with all the Fluid I'm drinking (at least 64oz a day) because I'm breastfeeding and losing 4# a week is too fast. I've dropped 27# from my pre-pregnancy weight, and I've done that by making sure to get up and around as soon as possible. Moving my body and keeping my metabolism up is integral to reducing my weight. I've been walking a mile (minimum) every day since the baby was 10 days old, first with the pram and now I'm wearing him in a baby bjorn for the walks and a few hours a day. I'm 3.5 years post-op and down 90# with 90# to go. It is slow going, mainly because I've got PCOS and I'm a foodie (I like really good food rather than junk-food) who had portion-control issues. I've learned to address emotional eating and cravings, portion control (I use salad/dessert plates for meals now) and to move my body however I can (be it dancing in my living room, parking father away from my destination, or going for a swim). So far, having a baby hasn't hijacked my weight loss -- it's increased my focus. I have doubled-down now that there is a little person dependent on me being healthy and here for the new couple of decades. I suppose what Im trying to say is -- it can be done. The band is a tool, but in order to use it effectively over the long term, you have to develop tools to deal with cravings and portion sizes and food choices, and once you've got those tools down, the lap band is more of a back-up tool, rather than the primary method of weight reduction and maintenace.

swde73 ~ You are 3 weeks post op and your tummy is still really swollen from the staple line. The weight gain is most likely fluid retention. I love your out look and you are going to be very successful in loosing your weight! I love the positive attitude! Keep Rockin that Sleeve! It will happen.

NannyG ~ I am in the same boat, I eat a little bit of carbs, and low and behold, I had a 5 lb weight gain within a week period of time. Yikes! So I finally dropped 4 of those lbs. I think it was water retention. But I will have to focus on protein, veggies and some fats. I have a lot of head hunger that I need to address. It is so hard but am learning the task to just refocus myself to eating a fruit or something. You are an inspiration to me and hope to here more about your experiences. thanks so much for sharing. Dorrie

Waiting in the Dr's office for my 1st fill, the nurse said I defiantly need one, as I gained 4lbs in 2days ( I was 304 on Tuesday, & blame the weight gain on my monthly friend lol) but I'm only "down" 2lbs since 2wks ago. I've been eating the right things. Hope this doesn't hurt, & hope I don't have any problems as my Dr is leaving for vacation!

I feel 100% normal and I enjoy food everyday!! I feel in control cause I cannot eat big portions-- I do however eat reasonable portions and what ever I want! I can eat a 6in sub from subway with just the bottom bread for example. or 1 small slice of pizza and a buffalo wing. Perfect, no pain, no nausea, no weight gain!

Hi! I was banded and shortly afterwards had some family emergencies (terminal illnesses) that required me to move to another State and basically got in the way of me doing any of the follow up fills for two years. I dropped just 20# in that period, which most people would consider a failure of the surgery, but I did not, if only because my weight, which had been on a trajectory of a 10# gain each year, did not go up above the weight I was at the time of the surgery. I, too, have PCOS, so I understand that challenge of losing weight when your hormones are making your body think its on steroids. I'm not a 'bad eater' per se, but portion control has been always been challenging for me. Once I got a couple of fills and got some restriction, I started losing more weight, but it still took 18 months to drop an additional 40#. At the 40# post-op mark I found that moving my body got easier and I started walking more and eventually joined a health club, which accelerated my weightloss. 2 months after joining the club, I got pregnant, and once I realized I was pregnant I panicked over the possibility of gaining back the weight I'd worked to lose--I'd just gotten under the 300# mark and absolutely didn't want to cross it again. I contacted a dietician to work out how to manage my weight so that the baby's nutritional needs were being met while keeping my pregnancy weight gain to a minimum. I upped my exercise and watched my portions and managed to keep my weight gain to 7#. Because I stayed active during my pregnancy--which was difficult, I felt like I was walking through a pool full of Water most of the time--I actually lost weight. A few days after delivery I weighed at 16# less than I had when the pregnancy started. I'm 3 weeks postpartum and I'm down a total of 27 pounds from 10 months ago. I am breastfeeding, and my exercise is limited to a mile walk a day plus normal household activity. I just had 1cc removed from my band (I had 2.5 cc filled) because I dropped 8# in 2 weeks and am worried about keeping up milk production with such rapid weightloss. I'm not a perfect eater, but I've developed some coping mechanisms and strategies to help me stay on track. I've learned how to handle cravings, for example. I know when to re-direct and when to relent. I know when to stop indulging (most of the time) and I know when to get rid of something tasty because I can't resist the temptation to keep indulging. Redirect: This strategy starts with a question: Am I really hungry, or am I bored/nervous/upset? If the answer is yes, I really am hungry, then I try to redirect focus from the death-by-chocolate cake I am craving to a Protein or granola bar or a piece of fresh fruit--ie, to something healthier that tastes good, too. If the answer is no, I'm not hungry, I'm bored/anxious/whatever, then I redirect to an activity that gets my mind and/or body off the comfort-food focus. Depending on the craving and the reason, I may meditate to calm myself, or take a 5-minute yoga break, or go for a walk, do some weeding/chores, take a bath, masturbate, or take a time-out to touch base with what is really going on inside me (ie administer some emotional first aid). Relent: Relent, for me, comes after multiple attempts to redirect. If I've eaten my healthy mandarin and I've done my chores and I've finished writing an email or whatever other tasks I've put to myself to in order to get my mind off the craving and I still want that cake (especially if I've craved it for a few days), I'll go buy a single-serving cupcake or something, both as acceptance of the craving, and as reward for the work I've done to earn it. If I absolutely have to have a slice of that $20 death-by-chocolate cake and they don't sell it by the slice, I'll buy it at the bakery, ask them to slice me a piece, and then give the rest away to the people working there, or as samples for their customers. (Yes, it raises eyebrows, but no one has refused me yet.) Then I relish my $20 piece of cake, eating it slowly, savoring every bite. I don't bring home more than one serving of a craved food anymore. It's too easy to say to myself, "Oh, I'll bring this whole cake home and share it with my family" and then end up eating more than one serving because I don't want it to go to waste or because it is just that good. I suppose I should have the self-discipline to be able to eat just one serving of something I crave and leave the rest alone for others or for another time, but I don't. And I am self-aware enough to accept that. I'm also self-loving enough to get over the whole self-sabotage / self-punishing thing for my supposed lack of will-power, no longer hating myself even as I am rewarding myself with a tasty treat. Today, I allow myself to eat that thing I really want, but just one small serving. And I give away or toss away the rest. I may feel a little foolish for eating what amounts to a $20 slice of cake -but- I figure that it's $18 worth of extra calories I'm not adding to my waistline, and given the work I have to do to take off just one pound, it's f-ing worth it. So--this is how I've learned to deal with food cravings over the years, and how I managed not to gain weight during my pregnancy. I practice self-awareness and self-acceptance, a bit of self-discipline, and a lot of self-love. I'm as flawed, outrageous, and complex as the next person, and what works for me may not work for others. Still, it's worth sharing if even just one person benefits from it.

I don't think a little weight gain soon after the surgery is uncommon or anything to worry about. Just focus on the protocol and let it run it's course. If it gets to seven or more pounds, then you probably will want to talk to your doctor.

I am three weeks post op, started work on Monday, since then I have gained each day!!! What the hell!!!!! Need to quit work?

Im here. And nothing is happening. Ok, thats not COMPLETELY true. Who am I today and how did I get here...here goes... Im 39 and will be 40 next month. Wow, as if that isnt something breathing down my neck in regards to pressure! I work in a financial call center and spend most of my day sitting on my rear. I am engaged to be married for the THIRD time, they say that it will be the charm, I hope so because at this point im concerned my family will refer to me as Liz (that would be JLO to all your younger gals, for a point of reference). I am a mom in a blended family, DH has two sons, one who lives with us and I have a 16yo DS and 13yo twins, boy and girl. So how did I expand to my maximum density? Slow but steady like the turtle. I think back to Jr High weighing 115 and thinking, I need to lose 10lbs! I could really smack myself now in retrospect. But puberty got to me VERY early and that started the hips and booty expansion, but the serious weight gain happened after my first marriage because we loved to eat and I ballooned from 145 to 190. Then I lost weight after the divorce 3 years later and HAHA looked good enough to get pregnant and went up to 215 delivering a 10lb child! Marriage number 2 and the twins came along but I was careful to only gain 25lbs with those kiddos but my husband owned a pizza place and that was good for 3 years then he sold to my parents so it stayed in the family. I went down to 190, then back up. I tried Weight Watchers (lost 15lbs gained it back). Did the Cabbage Soup diet, Atkins and the 30 Day Body Makeover (I did lose 32 lbs but gained it and then some with current DH). When I met current DH I was feeling good about weighing 207. Thats right, 207lbs. Did I mention im only 5'2"? People have told me that I carry my weight well and I dont look as big as I say I am. Well I may not look it but I feel it. And thats what got me here. I met DH and worked on maintaining. But I ate just like he ate, the same trap that got me eating like my male coworkers ate 8 years earlier. I was eating like a 6ft early 20's guy and I was a mid 30's hispanic woman! We moved to Dallas last year and I gained 20 more pounds from just wanting to leave work. I was eating the way I said I never would, going through drive throughs and eating in my car in the parking lot. I was embarrassed because I was getting winded just going upstairs in our home. Our kids could get away with not doing their chores upstairs because they knew Mom wasnt getting her rear up off the couch to check. What finally did it was when we went to Ross for who knows what and I stepped on the scale and it read 250. I almost cried. I was embarrassed and asked DH to step on it to test how accurate it was. It was accurate alright. So I called the WLS center and started my journey. So where does the Microwave Mentality come in? Well, as a kid I really loved Joan Rivers. I just thought she was hilarious. She had this joke that Elizabeth Taylor was so fat that she would stand in front of a microwave and yell "HURRY!". Well that was me when I was reheating a meal and thats sometimes how impatient I feel about the weight loss process. I want it done in a hurry. And im learning it doesnt work that way. Normally when I am interested in something I research the heck out of it. I went though the WLS center and read all my stuff and had the surgery on May 1, 2012. However, 2 days after my surgery did I notice the line on my Doctors list of do's and don'ts that state I will not get a fill until 3 months after my surgery. WHAT??!!?? 3 months? I check other's blogs and their posts and see some people who got some of a fill at their surgery and others about a month later. I am almost 2 months out and I feel I havent even arrived to the race. WTH??!! I lost 15lbs in the first week and kept it off until 2 days ago where I have gained about 4lbs back. Because it feels like nothiing has ever changed and it feels like I have no restriction. Because I went back to my old eating ways. I did quit soda altogether. I do make better food choices. I started working out, walk/jogging on a treadmill and did Zumba on Monday. But at the same time, even though its early days, I feel a little cheated. And this is where the Microwave Mentality creeps in. So im rising to the challenge another lap band blogger threw out to the lurkers. BLOG- hold yourself accountable. Make goals and track accomplishments. My body, my health, needs this to work. Starting weight 262 on surgery date 5/1/12 247lbs 5/16/2012 251 lbs 6/27/2012

I start my 2 week pre-op diet on July 2. I have my shakes ready, my freezer is full of chicken, fish and veggies. I started taking my multi-vitamin faithfully, post-op prescriptions are purchased. Phew, I am so ready for this. I went to the mall to buy my 10yr old new shoes. We spent less than hour and my knees and back are killing me. Some days I feel like I am carrying weights under my clothes, it's miserable and some days suffocating. I was not always a big girl. I was 130 lbs when i married 21 yrs ago. I never struggled with weight through high school or as a child. However, when i began having children my weight began to increase. I have blamed it on pregnancies for years and one day I noticed something very strange about my appearance. My face was swollen, my hair was falling out and my joints were becomeing increasingly painful. After many weeks of testing and different doctors, the end result came back as a form of Lupus. I had already had part of my throid removed, and just prior to getting my test results I had back surgery. This only impacted my weight gain...along with a lot of emotional eating. I am not completely innocent, I enjoy food and flavor. I enjoy trying new things to eat. I overindulged myself to 250 lbs. If I keep going, I will gain more weight. Somedays I would eat because it was the only thing to do. Somedays I would eat because I wanted to get the junk food out of my house and I felt guilty throwing it away. Somedays I would eat healthy and feel so good about not bloating and hurting...that didn't last long. So here I am...at the end of my rope grasping for life. I am so greatful to have this chance to find the old me again. I don't need a new me, I want that girl that used to walk with pride, cared about her appearance and new she could do anything I set my mind to. Look out world, she's coming back!

I didn't like Muscle Milk I thought it tasted "gross", I tried it thinking I didn't have to mix it and was just being lazy but "ick" couldn't stomach it. I use the Isopure Dutch chocolate w/Skim Plus Milk and I have it with Torani sugar free rasberry syrup which makes it taste extra good all in all very low in sugar, sugar adds to weight gain. Best Wishes!!

1. This procedure is relatively new so long-term data is hard to find, but check out the pinned topic "Weight Gained Since Being Sleeved." A lot of long-termers talk about their success on that thread. 2. I'm not super awesome about taking my Vitamins. I take them a couple times a week, when I remember. I spent a lot of money at first trying to find vitamins I liked. I bought a few different B Complex ones until I found ones that didn't smell horrible, and I had to buy different Calcium chews because I bought the wrong kind. I don't even notice it in my budget anymore. 3. I'm 10 months out. No psychological issues so far. Nothing but joy, really. I check myself out in the mirror, a lot. 4. I think I got lucky here too. I love shopping now, but my budget helps keep that in check. I enjoy cooking a lot more now, and making "normal" (protein-rich) recipes instead of the low-cal/low-fat/low-flavor crap I was cooking while dieting. I do drink, but no more often than before, and less volume because I get tipsy faster. Hope this helps.

I would definitely let him remove the band. I would also move Heaven and Earth to try to revise to the sleeve. The things I've read about weight gain after band removal are horrifying. It doesn't even sound like "normal" weight gain. It sounds more like accelerated weight gain due to the body being so accustomed to such small amounts of food while banded.

I had lap-band surgery in Aug of 2009 and lost over 120 lbs now for some reason, eating the same foods I did to lose weight, keeping a daily log, still religiously dieting and eating small amounts, I started to gain my weight back in Oct 2011 and since then I have put 50 lbs back on..I don't think I need another fill, I have a problem if I am filled to much all I do is vomit EVERYTHING back up, even Water. I got to the point when I was tight that I started losing my hair from lack of nutrition. My Doctor thought from the pain I was having in the pit of my stomach that I had a Gall bladder problem, turns out it stopped working, it was removed, they thought that would solve the weight gain problem, NOPE!! then they sent me for blood work, my thyroid was to slow (been on thyroid meds for YEARS) so they upped my dosage, still gaining..I am so depressed from this, I worked so hard to get the weight off, I was almost at goal and now I am back to my big clothes and at such a loss on what the problem is..I am asking my Lap-band Doc to look over my blood work again and see if there is something they missed..I had my Band reattached about a year ago because it slipped, Doc said he looked at it when I had the Gall bladder surgery and it seemed to be fine..HELP!!!!! PLEASE...I would be so willing to take full responsibility for the weight gain, if I had been pigging out and eating all the wrong things, but even my friends and family can't figure out how I even survive on what I eat..I know its not me. Thank you for any help anyone can give .

So this past weekend I ate real healthy and I gained two lbs by tuesday morning. After a bad tuesday i ate bad tuesday night and this morning i woke up to having lost the weight gained and also having lost another two pounds. I dont fet it!

I was banded in 09 and am having my band removed in Sept. my surgeon said it barely slipped but my reflux was so bad they had to take out most of the fluid. I have already gained some weight and I have been strict on WW trying to maintain. Hoping to have the sleeve in November. I am angry too and fear having it out because of the weight gain. My self esteem is soo low right now it's depressing. Nicole I hope you start to feel better. You aren't alone .

Years before surgery I had only tried Depo. I really didn't care about the weight gain, now I do...lol. So I think I've pretty much ruled that one out. My doctor gave me the mini pill to try but she said she had little faith in it and really recommends that Mirena IUD. I'm just so scared of having something implanted. But it would be worse if the mini pill was ineffective...lol! I am such a baby when it comes to pain, but I have to ask......did the actual placement of the device hurt? Can you feel it everyday? Is it uncomfortable? What about the side effects? It says possible hair loss....lol....=0 .....more loss? Ugh! Did that happen to anyone?

I'm afraid of depo bc of weight gain and the pill makes me sick. I've done nuva ring with success in the past. It's easier than it seems!

Portion control, and getting enough Protein are necessary to maintain weight loss. I know that if I am not getting enough protein, my weight loss stalls. Try not to get angry at yourself; the scale will fluctuate. You're doing the right thing to look for the reasons and the solution for the weight gain. Follow the rules, measure everything, exercise, and the weight will come off... Best wishes...

I am so sorry you are feeling discouraged. Are you eating processed foods? The reason I ask is because processed foods will always slide right down because it already has gone through a phase of digestion it will not stay in your pouch. Take a look at your diet are you really not satisfied after eating some skinless chicken breast, vegetables and sweet potatoes for example? For the first year I battled with head hunger I kept telling myself I was really hungry but I wasn't I just wanted to eat. But please keep on going in the right direction no matter what your scale says doing the opposite will only cause weight gain and you already know that.

Do you know how strict they are on weight gain during Ur 6 months? Bc I have gained just found out I have under active thyroid and meds aren't adjusted yet so having a extremely hard time losing