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Not me, and good hook in the thread line. I went 3 months with no weight gain or loss. Not until I got a fill that gave me restriction did I start to lose more weight. I was OK with that since I wasn't really dieting very hard up to that point. I've been on diets for years and was waiting for the band(my tool) to do it's job(I paid for it damnit). tmf

Hi Tweety... there is always hope! I completely understand the fear that you feel; in May I had my band removed due to major erosion. 2/3 of stomach had been eroded by the band along with some other severe complication due to the erosion. a couple years ago I felt as though the band wasnt working and started counting my calories and exersing on my own and began to lose weight slowly but surely, then I found out last month the band had to go and the fear of weight gain set in. I had gained 20 the 6mos before removal from being so sick, in pain and swollen. (i stopped counting calories and exercising) so I made a plan.... I refuse to let this band removal control my life 1. keep counting calories on my fitness pal 2. keep my goals of a 5k, or 10k race every 3-4 mos (keeps me moving and training) 3. keep training to do a half marathon (on of my biggest fitness goals) 4. keep control of My life 5.plan for weigt gain after band but dont let it stop me from getting it back off These are a few of the goals I use to keep me on track... I have lost 15 of the 20lbs I gained, (I had a lot of puffiness which I think was a big part of the weight gain) I feel strong and ready to conquor this set back... it has only been a month and am just now released to walk/jog... You can do this, stay possitive and make a plan on what you want your life to look like afterwards

Wheetsin, thank you for all the great suggestions! It had crossed my mind this morning that I could possibly get my Internist to maybe help me push on this since she was very supportive of me taking this path for help when I mentioned to her. And, of course she has the records of all my bloodwork, etc. We have been struggling for the past two years trying to find a cholesterol medication that would work for me which might could help too. The weight gain, in spite of multitudes of attemtpts to get it down, has been steadily going to up by 6-10 lbs every year. It's simply in my genes. My brother got sleeved last July and he just looks great and is so much happier, energetic, and healthy.

Apnea should definitely count as a comorbodity. Also you might want to talk to your PCP and see if you have anything else going on. Lots of people have comorbidites and don't know it. I had early onset osteoarthritis, and had no clue... I just got a gritty sensation when I turned my head on humid days. I would throw in your BP and diabetes, too, because those will be costly to insurance in the long run. At your height, 218.5 lbs will put you at a BMI of 40. What has your weight gain looked like in the past few years? E.g. do you have a trend of gaining about 10 lbs a year or anything? You could also "project" (as long as you have history to back it) a likely timeframe when your BMI will reach 40, and include that info. It won't win you an appeal, but every little nudge in your favor helps. You can also see if your PCP could write you a letter explaining adjusted BMI. BMI really is a crock of poop. By any BMI stnadards, weightlifters with under 10% body fat are still "obese" because they're heavy. "Modern" BMI charts account for your age, gender, and build as well. One of my co-workers is very tall and lanky, "beanpole" if you will, and weighs around 200 and is categorized as "obese" and wears a 34" waist. Sigh...

Congratulations for making your decision on changing you life in a healthy manner. I'm also sorry you have those who are not supportive of your decision. I read it and hear it alot from those on this website and people I personally know who have had the lapband. All I can say is chalk it up to ignorance, jealousy, fear & care for us, and who knows what else. Hopefully you've researched your surgeon and staff and have found the right mix for you. You will also learn so much here on LBT. I'm sorry I found this after my surgery but better late then never. I'm still learning from everyone on here on a daily basis. My husband & I had the surgery earlier this year and we've had nothing but support from loved ones, co-workers, clients, etc. And if someone thinks differently about our choice of "taking the easy way out", that's their opinion as they're entitled to it. I'm 57 and at the stage of my life that I can't worry what people think about me. I still have a good 25 lbs to lose and feel so much energy and confidence then I have in the past years of putting on a good 60+ lbs and not being able to walk up or down the stairs without holding on to the railing, enjoying gardening, and just getting out of my car to food shop was a problem with my knees and back. At this point I can do it all and then some! Have there been compromises along the way, absolutely. Like any other addiction, I'm learning to change people {moi} places and things that caused my weight gain. In the beginning it was an everyday challenge and right up there in my conscious mind, As time goes on, with the help of the lapband being a tool, it's helped us to be just a part of our everyday life and reminding us to make better choices. So far so good. I wish you the best on your journey. Hopefully, as time goes on, your loved ones will see you made the right choice and change their minds. If you need support, we're all here for you on LBT 24-7.

Been on liquids only for 2 weeks... No scale movement... Went the wrong way since surgery! I'm afraid this won't work for me. Starving and not losing sucks

I don't say anything to others about their weight loss for all of the reasons Emlefe states. Also, for the same reason it is not acceptable to comment on weight gain, I don't comment on weight loss. Let's face it, people who lose weight are very likely to gain it again. Of course, we are in a different situation, but others don't know that.

I'm sorry to hear about the problems you are having. If you are on an IV then your weight gain is probably related to fluid retention. At this point you should just focus on getting better and don't worry about what the number on the scale says.

I kInow my weight gain after surgery was due to fluids... It came right off once they took me off of the IV that delivered fluids to me. I was able to take in my clear liquids pretty good and with the IV delivering fluids as well I gained 7 pounds.... But that didn't las long....

The sleeve is different from bypass, but welcome here just the same! Some weight gain could be from moving. I read that the stress of moving is equivalent to losing a love one (who knew) But I completely agree, go back to basics. Go to the website "5 day pouch test" and try that diet. It takes you for 5 days, 1: clear liquids, 2: full liquids, 3: mushies, 4: soft and 5 regular. That may help getting back on track. Good luck!

In my experience, my OB didn't have much knowledge of the band so him and my surgeon communicated often and also my nutritionist. It worked well and my daughter is beautiful and healthy and I stayed right on target for weight gain. This might be an option for you with your local OB and surgeon. Good luck and congratulations on yor pregnancy.

WHAT IS MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR? The term “adaptation” brings Charles Darwin to my mind. His theory of evolution is considered heresy where I live, but whatever your personal belief about the origin of the human species, you’ve probably observed many times that humans and other living things have an amazing ability to adapt their behavior, and even their forms, to better survive and thrive in its environment, and that as the environment changes, so do the creatures living in it. Here in Tennessee, the weather is getting hot enough to send us into our closets to bring out the shorts and sandals and bathing suits we need to comfortably survive the summer. At the same time, our dogs and cats are shedding the extra fur they’d acquired to keep them warm during the winter. The humans are adapting their dressing behavior and the cats are adapting their forms to adjust to hot weather. This is adaptation in its positive sense, but adaptation also has a dark side. Defining “maladaptation” requires us to assume that certain behaviors are normal, while others are abnormal. That does not necessarily mean that normal is healthy and abnormal is unhealthy. Someone (or something) is considered “normal” if they conform to a widely accepted standard or practice, and abnormal if they deviate from the norm. A behavior can be identified as maladaptive or abnormal only in the context of an environment. It is not intrinsically wrong or evil, and its degree of deviance or abnormality depends on things like cultural and social rules and norms (cannibalism may be a normal behavior in one society, but not in another), systems of psychological and medical thought (a mentally ill person may be “abnormal”, but able to function despite that); as well as political beliefs and ideals (in a democracy, the practice of communist principles is considered “wrong”). I’m going to try to bypass all those interesting but knotty aspects and give you definitions and examples that don’t require a PhD in sociology or psychology to decipher them. Some maladaptive behavior is disruptive to society because it interferes with group functioning. A child “acting out” at school in reaction to the stresses he experiences at home is an example of this. His frustration with his home life turns into anger that fuels temper tantrums in the classroom. His behavior is maladaptive because it doesn’t eliminate the stresses at home and creates a whole new spectrum of stresses and problems at school as his teachers and fellow students react to his aggression. He can’t learn lessons in school that he needs to learn because his “bad” behavior gets in the way. Other maladaptive behavior is expressed in an inward fashion. A shy, anxious art student is horrified when her painting teacher publically critiques her painting and tells her and the rest of the students that her artwork is exactly what they should not be doing. The art student loses confidence in her talent and changes her major to another subject. Her behavior is maladaptive because it makes it much harder for her to achieve her original goal of becoming an art teacher. My own definition of maladaptive behavior is this. It’s a nonproductive behavior that prevents you from adapting to situations, or changes in yourself or your environment, in a healthy way. It can begin as an attempt to deal with or avoid an unpleasant experience but it does not solve the original problem and eventually becomes dysfunctional. You adjust to a situation in a way that makes sense at the time but that eventually misdirects your energy and focus, and interferes with your personal and interpersonal functioning, your health, and your ability to achieve your goals. At the start, the behavior feels like a helpful, even positive response to abnormal, difficult, or negative circumstances. As a bandster, I used both old and new maladaptive eating behaviors. My decades-old behaviors, like eating to deal with stress, did not disappear on the morning of my band surgery, and 5 years later, I’m still working on changing that. I also developed new behaviors in response to the experience of having an adjustable gastric band. The long-term result of these maladaptive behaviors is unintended and undesirable. The maladaptive eating tactic may seem to solve a current problem while it's actually creating future problems: slowed or stopped weight loss, weight gain, band slippage, band erosion, and so on. SOFT CALORIE SYNDROME & OTHER DANGERS A classic example of bandster maladaptive eating behavior is known as Soft Calorie Syndrome. I discovered the perils of this syndrome for myself when I traveled to New York City to attend a trade show when I was about 8 months post-op. I had gotten a fill the day before I left, and by the time I got to New York I had realized that my band was too tight for me to tolerate. I couldn’t eat any solid food, so I spent the next 3 days eating soft, high-calorie, low-satiety foods like soup, milkshakes, and ice cream. I was just trying to survive long enough to go home and get an unfill. My eating behavior achieved a temporary goal (comfortable survival) while sabotaging my long term goal of losing weight. In fact, I gained weight during that trip and ended up feeling disappointed in myself. A frustrating aspect of maladaptive behavior is that it’s often easier to see in others than it is in yourself, but even someone who’s fully aware that her or his behavior is counterproductive may feel helpless to change it. If I had a dollar for every time a bandster has confessed to eating to relieve stress or boredom, I’d be a wealthy woman now. Emotional eating tends to be so longstanding and deep-rooted that it takes on a life of its town, like a devil lurking inside us who seductively whispers, “Chocolate! Chocolate will make you feel soooo much better!” when you’re too vulnerable, tired, or upset to make a different or healthier choice. When I was being treated for PTSD years ago, a counselor asked me to make a list of behaviors and activities that I could choose to do instead of engaging in self-destructive ones. At first the exercise seemed contrived and silly, but eventually I realized its usefulness. I was not able to think clearly and make good choices when in severe emotional distress. All I could think of was razor blades. My index card of alternate behaviors reminded me that I could telephone a friend, go for a walk, take a bath, listen to music, pet a dog, and the like instead of playing with sharp objects. Now, I very much hope that you’re not dealing with severe emotional distress (which I would wish only on my worst enemy), but I do believe you can benefit by making your own list of alternatives to emotional eating. Carry a copy of that list with you everywhere you go and keep a copy in an easily-accessible spot at home (I tacked mine to my bulletin board). TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES In the 1960’s and 70’s, contestants on the “Truth or Consequences” game show would try to answer ridiculously obscure trivia questions and be forced to perform silly stunts in punishment for getting the answers wrong. The host ended each episode by saying, “Bob Barker saying goodbye, and hoping all your consequences are happy ones!" The relief or pleasure or other immediate consequences of a maladaptive behavior may seem like happy ones, but they generally short-lived, so the behavior must be repeated over and over for the benefit to be felt. As with an addiction, it takes more and more of the behavior or substance to cause relief or pleasure. An anxious person, whose mother lost a leg to gangrene (death of flesh) from bacterial infection in an untreated injury, naturally fears germs. She washes her hands thoroughly and often, especially after touching anything that might harbor germs. At the start, her own home is clean and safe, but because her hand washing doesn’t remove her basic fear, eventually she must practice it all day, every day, over and over, even in her own home, until her skin is scrubbed raw. She sees the abrasions her scrubbing has caused as more vulnerable to germs and increases the hand washing. Soon the hand washing excludes all other activities and she dares not leave her home. The salutary practice of hand washing has become a maladaptive and destructive behavior. Unlike the hand washing or other compulsive, fear-based, abnormal and ritualistic behavior, maladaptive eating is rarely perceived as strange. Eating is socially acceptable as long as the meat on your plate belongs to a different species. It’s also something that’s easy to do in secret, while you’re alone in your car or your bathroom or wherever you go to escape other people. But when you do it over and over again, your repetition of the behavior cements it into a wall around you, keeping you locked inside instead venturing forth to find relief elsewhere. And should you confess to this maladaptive eating behavior, people who don’t use food in this way simply cannot fathom why you would do it. They say impatiently, “Put the fork down! Step away from the table! Just say no to chocolate!” Ah, if only it were that simple, that easy… SMALL-TIME CRIMINALS Some maladaptive behavior arises from ignorance, misconceptions or misunderstanding. Take the case of Martin. He received minimal pre-op education, so when he found himself PB’ing (regurgitating) on a daily basis after his 3rd fill, he assumed that this was simply a fact of life for bandsters. His problem is ignorance. The same thing happened to Annie, who assumed she was doing something wrong but was too shy, ashamed and embarrassed to ask her surgeon about it. Her problem is misconception. And when PB’ing intruded into Carol’s daily life, she believed it was like vomiting, caused by “a stomach bug”, so it never even occurred to her that her eating behavior might be causing it. Her problem is misunderstanding. All too often, a maladaptive behavior seems like such a small “crime” – it was just one ice cream cone – that the bandster minimizes its importance without realizing that the cumulative effect of a series of small crimes can be just as destructive as a single big one. It’s kind of like ignoring the posted speed limit when you’re driving your car. You shudder at the news of a fatal car accident when an acquaintance driving at 70 mph in a 35 mph zone loses control of his vehicle and crashes into a telephone pole. In that instance, ignoring the speed limit is clearly a bad choice. But when you’re late for work (again), run a few yellow or even red lights (again), and drive at 70 mph in a 35 mph zone (again) in your eagerness to get to work on time, and nothing bad happens, speeding doesn’t seem like such a terrible crime…until the day you can’t stop in time to avoid the car turning into your path and end up as a bleeding mess choking on dust from your car’s air bag while an ambulance carries off the person you killed because of your maladaptive behavior. IS THIS BEHAVIOR GETTING YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? A bandster once confessed, “I eat pretty good all week and then I allow myself a junk food day...a bad mistake on the weekend since that usually means a junk food weekend...once I start, it’s so hard to stop and of course weight gain is the result and I end up beating myself up. I'm never going to be where I want to be if I continue this behavior.” I want to repeat that all-important last sentence: “I'm never going to be where I want to be if I continue this behavior.” That, my friends, is the take-home message of this article. Take it to heart, take it home, and take it out and study it often. Ask for help in identifying and dealing with your maladaptive eating behaviors. Take them seriously, but don’t build them into mountains right in the middle of your path to success. Sometimes the solution or treatment for a big maladaptive behavior can be a small piece of common sense. One of my favorites is: Don’t keep trigger foods in the house. If chocolate is your bête-noir (the black beast that’s the bane of your existence), you’re not going to be able to gorge yourself with it the next time you’re feeling weak if there is no chocolate in your house. Yes, I know you can hop in your car, ignore the posted speed limits, and pull up in front of the Chocoholic Market in a matter of minutes. That’s why we have to be vigilant, honest and aware. And remember this, from page 299 of Bandwagon: It takes anywhere from 18 to 254 days of daily repetition to make a new behavior automatic….so, practice, practice, practice!

I have struggled with weight gain since about 1998. I was small during my high school years but after marriage I gained up to 180. After getting pregnant the 1st time I gained up to 214. Got down to 193 when I found out at 5 months after my first child I was pregnant with baby number 2. I have been struggling with dieting and been up and down with my weight. I decided after my body feels like a broken record that it was time to get my life back. So I started my journey in Oct of 2011 and did not make a consultation until march. Now I have started my pre op diet and I must admit its hard. My surgery is scheduled for the 28 of June. I am excited for the chance to have this opportunity but it is hard right now. I am needing all the support I can get.

I haven't been banded yet and while I am going to work out with weights and try to fill in the skin, drink plenty of water to hydrate my skin, and apply lotion frequently, I am realistic in knowing that I have had 2 babies back to back, which included a 50lbs weight gain with the last one, and both were c-section. It's not ever gonna look like abs of steal. My fiance is prepared to pay for a tummy tuck and a breast lift once I am at goal and I am completely ok with that!

Hello Looking Head Everyone's body is different, but it took me about a year. The first three months were fast and then a stall. It picked back up and I began losing again. Weight gain here and there, because I have lower extremity edema, which is Water weight. I had good and bad days, but it worked out. My edema is really bad; I had water gain in 24hours that was a jump of about 20lbs. I have to take Lasix and potassium @ day and wear compression stockings all day. Don't worry too much, you'll be just fine. Always comeback to the boards for support. I do. Krys

My name is Vanessa and I am turning 40 on December 14th. My first 40 years, it seems, I have spent trying to manage a healthy weight with a string of diets and will power. All of that has got me where? To my heaviest weight to date. My next 40 years, I want to spend traveling...reaching my goals......raising healthy children. All without my body being a hinderance. Earlier this year.....I couldn't ride a rollercoaster with my 11 yr old son. I couldn't fit in the seat. I was mortified for him...for me. That was my rock bottom. For a fat girl...I have alot of energy and am pretty athletic as I am on a softball team and a yoga student. My mind believes that my weight, in general, doesn't keep me from living life. In part that's true. But my heart and soul wonder, what could the healthy weight girl do? What could she accomplish? How much "better" could she be! I would be a rockstar....a super hero! I look forward to meeting her once I dig her out of years of weight gain and disappointment. I know she's there....I can hear her!

Yay! Its going to be a good august. Not only that but hopefully no holiday weight gain. I'm super excited to get this done before the holidays. I don't want them centered around food anymore! Good look to both of you too!

Hey fellow sleevers, I've just started thinking about the fact that I am on Estrodiol for hormone replacement (total hysterectomy at 33) and also Effexor for mild depression due to hormonal changes & to help with hot flashes. BOTH of these are known to have side effect of weight gain which is no doubt why I was able to put on over 100lbs in less than a year (that's way faster than normal). So just wondering from personal experience if weight loss has still been good if on either of these or has it not even been an issue. Also have Hypothyroidism which didn't happen till after Hyster also..... Thanks for any experience....

Ok so.......I am happily married and have been with my DH for almost 7 years. When we met I had a one year old son whose father wanted myself and our son when it was beneficial for him to have a family! AH won't cry about it, I only wanted a relationship with him for the stability it would give my son. Didn't work and God blessed me with the most wonderful husband and father to our children! Ok fast forward 7 years my son is turning eight yay and we have three additional children. My son's biological father whom he has not seen in almost 6 yrs does not call, write, email anything he has abandonded the role of a father and we are fine with that! Well I have to go to court next week and I am hoping to get him to sign over his parental rights! Mind you although he has been an absent father he has actively pursued certain "relations" with myself (yeah right buddy)! He never saw me at my highest weight as I moved out of state and the majority of my weight gain was rapid and within the last 2 to 3 yrs. Well I am down 40lbs almost to the weight I was when we last saw each other and I plan on losing another 5 to 10 by the time I have to go home for court next week. I am willing to resort back to the original post-op diet for a few days of Clear liquids just to blow his mind! ok so that is person number 1 who will need to close his mouth. #2: Growing up I was extremely skinny and the majority of my family.......NOT.....as I got older and began having children and gaining weight they went from calling me anorexic to fat....well guess what they can say hello to my little friend. None of them know that I have had the surgery but they all seem to have an accurate count of every pound I gained! Well I cannot wait to see every one that made the comment ooooh how did you get so big? or Oh you can't call that baby weight! I might carry around extra tissue for the drool. I made a post a couple of weeks ago about how I do not like taking photos well I ahve been snapping like crazy. I finally see a change when I look in the mirror. My surgery scars are no longer a mile apart, those boogers are right there close together! And possibly my favorite NSV was when a young lady I know said I hope I look like you do after 4 kids when I get older. I smile so much now........no one knows my secret but all see my progress. Guys that are pre-op it is worth it your quality of life changes drastically after the first 7 days post-op! And each day it gets better and better! Go for it. I am 2 1/2 months post op and down 41 pounds and I feel like a new woman. I made a decleration that I would not turn 30 fat and this time my words are not full of hot air!

I suffer from depression and was diagnosed with it last year. I was put on several medications for it trying to find the right one and I gained a ton of weight in the process. Finally I am on a medication that works and weight gain is not one of the side effects. I am finally at a place mentally that I am able to try to get the weight off. My doctor checked my band yesterday. She did a complete drain and found 1.5cc less in there than they had recorded should be in there. The doctor and nurses where not concerned with this. They said it happens sometimes since I haven't had a fill for 2 years. They said there is no leak. She also told me my band is at a weird angle and not sitting where it should be. She is not considering it a slip and says it will still work where it is. She said the barium was passing through fine. She refilled the band and put and additional 1cc in there. So, liquid diet for 48 hours.... I go back in a month for follow up. One of the nurses was so rude to my husband. He was asking questions about the angle of the band and could that be why I get food stuck sometimes. She started going over what the band does like we are stupid and haven't been going through this for the past 3 years. She also said that in the future if I cant eat solid food I should just purée everything. Then she said he must be making my food too dry when he cooks. He ended up storming out of the office. I just don't know anymore what to do. I am at the point where I just want them to take this stupid thing out of me. It worked at first but then I gained all the weight a lost back and then some. The mean nurse also told me that I need to be careful with my insurance because I didn't come in right away when I started gaining weight. Well, sorry lady I wa kinda SAD and couldn't get out of bed. I was also in a hospital out patient program for 3 months and I am finally stable. Ugh! I'm just sooo frustrated and needed to vent.

Hey KRussell, first of all, CONGRATS!!! That is fantastic what you've done. I have a feeling there are many out there who started where you are. In college, I had a girlfriend who kept claiming to be fat, but only needed to lose 10 lbs. it frustrated me when by comparison I knew I was 110 lbs overweight. I think I judged her feeling she had lost persective... Yet to her, it was a big deal because the weight gain was enough to make her clothes not fit. I couldn't relate because I wear a lot of elastic... But also realized she had an eating disorder and challenges I couldn't relate to. Everyone has their own battles and it's important and a big deal to them. Keep your head up and do TRY not to compare. Your journey is YOURS and it's important and valid and NOTHING should minimize your commitment and effort. You're awesome! Keep the faith! Be so proud of yourself!!!! You're rockin' it!

Thursday I'm going for a WLS information session. I'm a little nervous about the whole thing, but also anxious. I'm very lucky that my insurance covers WLS after the 6-month prep. In fact, where I work I can't throw a stone without hitting someone that's had it, but usually they opt for bypass. My preference is to have an implant as opposed to removing part of my innards. Plus I know a few people that had the bypass and wound up stretching their stomach back after a few years. And I don't want to lose my ability to digest sugar, cuz I'd still like to eat a small piece of cake on my birthday! My breaking point has been the weight gain from a recent pregnancy putting me higher than I've ever been combined with a venous insufficiency in my left leg. My left foot is always swollen up, and with a family history of diabetes, I'm pretty terrified I might wind up eventually losing my foot if my weight doesn't go down. I can't even find decent shoes to fit my fat, swollen feet anymore. I've never been under a size 16 in my entire adult life. If I ever get under a 10 I'll probably die of shock, lol! But I'll just be happy to not groan and hear my knees grind when I get up from a chair.

Just to let you know, weight gain is caused by PCOS. Not the other way around.