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First of all I take it you are currently obessee? the lap band system is designed for use with folks with 100 or more pounds to loose. If fifty is all you need to sheed I'd continue with your carb free diet and exercise along with your insulin sensitizing tablet. (glumetta?) If that tablet is not doing the trick I'd ask about metformin it is a stronger insulin sensitizing agent and many with pcos take it to lower their insulin and possibly give the body an easier time to ovulate. If you continue to gain weight as if often the case with pcos I'd deffinately look into surgery and you can get pregnant sometimes with pcos if your body dropps enough weight(they are called "band babies"). Look into the lap band and how the system works and ask questions about health durring pregnancy with the band with your surgon if this is the route you choose. I have pcos and i'm obesse I have about 80 or so more pounds to loose before I can even think about getting pregnant. But because i've lost over fifty so far, my doctor's office told me to be "careful". This pcos can be a real bear with the weight gain so keep an eye on your gain/loss and report any adverse effects to your doctor ASAP. Because it seems like with me overnight i'd put on fifty plus pounds, but also withn six months i've lost over fifty. **** luck let me know what you choose.--icestorm

Things have been a little overwhelming for me too lately... but not really SO bad. I do feel like running away sometimes, but don't have the money or guts to do so. There are so many rotten things going on in the world right now, but we both have jobs, and jobs that really mean something too... and we just lost a TON of weight, and have lots to be thankful for. Chin up, one minute at a time if need be. I figure I will get out of this crappy eating pattern soon, I bet as soon as my mom in law and sis in law are back home. I love them and they are really nice and easy going, but my obsessive calorie and protein counting is out the window, and my exercise habits are off kilter too. Not their fault, but I just need a fine balance to get the job done right. Don't even mention the wine and nibbles every evening! I am enjoying it, but the little weight gain and tiny voice telling me " keep this up and gain it all back baby" is not adding to my feelings of well being. I look forward to exercising a little more control soon....sooner than later! I had a great vacation by the way... lots of walking, and lots of good food. The sleeve helped me so much to stay at least in the ballpark...gaining only a few pounds is really a miracle.

I am being banded on June 5th and I also have PCOS. I'm a little worried about slow weight loss but hoping to stop the weight gain. I have lost 13 pounds on my pre-op diet so far. I am glad for all of the info on this site, and think reading all of the stories will help me not be discouraged : )

Thought I would post a quick update... Prior warning - not in a happy place; lots of moaning... I'm still not feeling great, my back has got to the stage where I needed to take time of work and I haven't trained for 3 weeks now...grrrr Also went to my docs for a range of bloods to be tested as I've been feeling exhausted for several weeks; they've come back normal. I haven't seen the doc, the lovely lady on the phone told me - I hate it when that happens! I have mixed feelings on the results, not that I want to bring an illness on myself, but I sorta hoped they would flag something up that could easily sorted eg low Iron, thyroid etc. So I am still none the wiser as to why I feel soooo bloody sh*tty! Also been to see the meno doc, she said that the HRT is why I am retaining Water but didn't offer me any solution. She also suggested for me to take the tablet form of HRT, Kliofem, as the Patches are making me 'show' pretty much daily since I started them. I have to pick the new tabs up later; I will try them and see what happens. She did recommend the IUS - coil? - but I said no... can't remember where or when but I am sure a lot of ladies have had trouble with this and it caused weight gain! Anyone had any experience of this... Talking of which, the nurse weighed me and I have gained on their scales... I told her that I have gained at home and she said 'oh my dear, you must stop eating so many calories... aren't I a cow?' and chuckled... how I didn't smack her smug fecking face in I don't know. I replied 'oh I do watch my calories and believe me when I tell you I don't over eat'. She said; 'the weight you've gained is due to too many calories, weight is as simple as calories in and calories out'... I told her that my caloires are between 1000-1200 daily and that I can't function on less and she looked at me as if I was lieing...'Then my dear, you just have to exercise more won't you' ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! At this point I just smiled and walked out cos I could feel my blood boiling and I didn't want to cry! I just hate the fact that this woman who doesn't know me feels that it is ok to judge me... she did it before so I should of been prepared... but alas I wasn't! I am sooooo angry at her... and to be honest, I am starting to feel a little helpless! Nothing I do is working for me right now and am at the top of my bounce range and have been for over a week... this is seriously doing my head in and then to hear that from some stupid old cow didn't really help matters! I am hoping that this is a blip in the matrix and things will get better as I am starting to feel low and I don't want to crumble now when I have done sooooo well! Sorry for the rant ! xx

I am 2 months out......down 36 lbs and about 3 to 4 pants sizes. I am getting the compliments and people notice my loss, however........I have not taken any post op pics! I look in the mirror ( with clothes off) and don't see that big of a difference, and I know that I am overly critical of myself and I still feel as though the camera is going to tell a story that I don't want to hear! LOL. When were you all able to look in the mirror and see the changes for yourself? I notice some of our fellow sleevers are in love with the camera. Due to my weight gain I have resulted to saying I am not photogenic! I have been with my husband for six years, we have four children and have never taken family photos.....This is crazy and my weight has controlled so many aspects of my life! I am taking a stand!!!!! My 29th birthday is in August and since I no longer face going into my 30's fat, my family will take pics this August! YAY. I have a goal in mind of where I would like to be but hey I am just thankful that I am almost 40 lbs lighter than I was just 2 months ago........this post was random, but you guy's before and after photos inspire me and I realized I have none. Going to start tracking my journey.....and actually posting pics. Now the larger challenge........finding a BEFORE pic..LOL

Hi everyone. Just wanted to check in and let you know that y'all were right. Water weight gain. By Tuesday I was back down the whole 7 pounds. I just had to drink more water and watch my sodium intake. Thanks everyone

Thanks Rootman, I'm also doing self-pay and there is no aspect of this decision that was easy. Easy was gaining the weight and easy would be letting the repercussions of the weight gain continue to deprive me of living. I've tried so many ways to lose weight, different diets, different exercises, and it just didn't work for me. And it isn't working for Americans in general. I refuse to listen to another person who hasn't battled what I'm battling.

So ok. I started having feet problems back in 2004. was working on concrete all day and figured I needed some sort of orthotic. my weight was around 400. over the course of the next year, started having chest pains which the Heart Doc said was caused by stress, weight steady climbing. in 2005 weight is almost 500 lbs, feet and knees killing me, drinking tons of energy drinks to make it thru the work day, seeing a podiatrist who says I have heels spurs and degenerative bone disease. makes me take LOA from work to wear special foot supports (boots) to try and ease the plantars fasciatis. off work for 1 month, weight stable around 500 at this time. september of 2005, the podiatrist again makes me take medical loa and am off my feet for next three months. weight starts climbing. can't sleep at night, chest hurts all the bloody time, usually because I am angry and blood pressure now a major issue. go in to visit with HR and they tell me that my only option is to report for work or be terminated. doctor says I can't work. lose my job, lose my benefits, watch my 401k get eaten alive, go into bankruptcy. I go in for a sleep study and find out I have sleep apnea, the sleep doctor tells me that I have apparently not gotten a good nights sleep in almost 25 years. cause for depression, suicidal thoughts, weight gain, I get put on a cpap. laying flat on my back now, can't move around, weight going up, chest hurts, legs hurt all the way into my hips. get a chest x ray and my heart is the size of a small football. no wonder it hurts...skip forward as all I am doing in 2006, 2007, 2008 is lying in bed dying. finally get aproved for medicare and go see a doctor. after a few visits, he suggest I see Doctor Lee Schmitt from alabama surgical weight loss center. I go to a seminar at St Vincents east in birmingham alabama and weigh myself. 590 lbs.gained almost 2oo lbs in 4 years. speak with Doctor Schmitt. he tells me to get my weight down below 500 lbs and he will do a gastric bypass. I start drinking protein shakes and eating salads. my weight starts inching down a lb or so a month, I start trying to walk and can make it from 1 telephone pole to the next and back again. I start trying to extend my walks every week until I can walk a quarter mile, and go back to a bypass support group meeting st st vincents east, I weigh in at 550. I have lost 40 lbs. I continue doing the protein shakes and salads and start going to the support group meeting every month. I have an interview with Doctor Schmitt and my weight is at 525. NOW I have to start jumping thru some hoops, visiting with a Psychologist and a nutritionist and getting evaluated and poked and prodded. I get a surgical date for december of 2008 and 1 week before my surgery, when I am doing a liquid diet to shrink my liver prior to surgery, the bloody shrink puts a the breaks on my surgery. she insist I speak with a therapist and take a test, the test cost me out of pocket over 400 dollars and told me what I already knew, I am depressed and suicidal and bi polar and just suffering from PTSD. I go in for a sleep study (also required) still need the cpap. I hate that thing. hurts my face, if I roll over I drool and the bloody thing fills up with drool, ever wake up drowning in your own spit? GROSS! february 15th 2009. report to ST V's at 5:30 am. I weigh in at 490 lbs. they lay me down on a bed, a nurse injects something into my IV and off to sleep I go. wake up time, my wife and daughter are trying to wake me up in recovery. jessica tells me that cloee my cat wants me to wake up I think, kinda foggy on that memory, but I wake up. within the next hour Sandra, My Wife, gets me up and walking short distances in the hallway. 2 days later I go home. will continue this story later.

@ Shape Shifter --> WOW! That is insane. I cannot believe PCOS caused that much weight gain. That is truly a detriment to your health. Sheesh! I am also insulin resistant which has turned into full fledged diabetes because my diagnosis was so late. I have the ability to loose weight on my own but I find that it is extremely low when I take insulin. However, without the insulin, I am able to loose weight at a moderate pace. It's almost like a catch 22. My surgeon said the insulin resistance will definitely reverse. I am just praying the PCOS will also. Ugh!

When I was in my early 20's, I gained 100 lbs over 4 years and went to doctors for years to determine the cause, as I did not consume enough food to cause such drastic weight gain. After years of searching for the cause, along with a 48 day cycle, I had an internal sonogram and was diagnosed with PCOS. Side effects being weight gain and difficulty losing weight (insulin resistance), as well as infertility - which never really mattered to me. Last month I saw the Nutritionist at the Bariatric Center of Excellence, and I asked her why I am not losing weight at 1600 calories a day (myfitnesspal says I should be losing a pound a week), and she said it is because I have PCOS. I asked her if I will lose weight with VSG. She said WLS was the only way to lose weight... but not with the lap band. I felt very validated, after years of trying every program under the sun and feeling like a failure.

My dr had a fit I went back on the pill right after surgery because it can cause blood clots and doesn't absorb right. The have a 3 month bc shot but it can cause weight gain ):

Didn't you just overeat like 5 days ago per your blog? Sweetheart, you are missing your coping mechanism. Believe me, I know the feeling so pls don't think I'm posting hate messages or anything ill willed, just maybe poorly said on my part. Remember you did this surgery to save your life - remember you said previously you were glad to have this surgery or you would have gained 30 more lb.s by now? I too understand that feeling. Ok the weight gain didn't happen overnight. It's not going to come off that way either. Relax, practice patience, know that God is trying to get you to learn to work on the head while the body takes it sweet time. Some basics that I try to remind myself whenever I get to this level of frustration: Are you exercising on a consistent basis? Are you drinking your water? Are you tracking your input (calories in) vs. calorie burn (calories out)? To that, I suggest myfitnesspal.com - it's wonderful! You have a lot of stress in your life right now so that's only adding to things. Relax, find a way to 'destress' and practice THESE basics - get your water in, get your exercise in on a consistent basis and track your i's and o's (inputs and outputs) and I BET you $100 you will see the scale move. Don't revert to 'fad diets' like going back to total liquids. You cannot live on those. But I too know how easy that appeals to me too whenever I'm stuck, grr. Practice the 'basics' and know tomorrow is going to be better! Good luck!

I have bcbs of al. I had to do a required 6 month supervised diet with my pcp. I had documentation from my ob/gyn dr saying that I had been overweight for a number of years prior to this. I was on the lower side with my bmi so I had to have a comorbidity and I didn't really have anything major I had elev cholesterol once and I had an instance of high blood pressure. Over all I was fairly healthy. I do have some mild back pain caused by weight gain. I just followed a reg diet and that was monitored by my pcp. I was approved with bcbs within 3 days! I will get my surgery June 12!!!!

I'm on the southern Oregon coast. I'm not a success, though still working on it. I've gained weight back. I need to update my profile, but that's admitting that I've made a mistake, and didn't catch it, and deal with the weight gain. I have never had restriction with my band. I have never noticed that I have one. If I eat ground meat, I will fill up rapidly, and may slime. Mostly, I don't eat meat. I went to a TOPS meeting a week ago. I feel that going to the meetings will help. I am back on a mostly liquid protein diet to get the weight off. High protein has me going to the bathroom way too frequently! It looks like you just had surgery. How far away is your Doctor and support group? How have you been feeling since the surgery? Anita

I hear alot of people here saying that they are skipping breaksfast my Dr tells me never to do that and that you should eat withing a 1/2 hr of waking if your weight lose is slow and you're not eating breakfast maybe try and add a protein in the morning and aee how you do This is an article I found Some people skip breakfast in an effort to lose weight, but the practice is more likely to cause weight gain than weight loss. Skipping breakfast is strongly linked to the development of obesity. Studies show that overweight and obese children, adolescents, and adults are less likely to break the fast each morning than their thinner counterparts. According to research, skipping meals, especially breakfast, can actually make weight control more difficult. Breakfast skippers tend to eat more food than usual at the next meal or nibble on high-calorie snacks to stave off hunger. Several studies suggest that people tend to accumulate more body fat when they eat fewer, larger meals than when they eat the same number of calories in smaller, more frequent meals. To teens, especially teenage girls, skipping breakfast may seem like a perfectly logical way to cut down on calories and lose weight. It's important for moms to educate their kids about the importance of the morning meal and the role it plays in maintaining good health and preventing obesity.

197 for me................grossly under estimated the weight gain from the cruise (5pounds) but I was able to get that off and still come out with a 3pound loss (I think thats correct).----so not too bad. I go you my 2nd fill on thursday.

Hi Guys, Lets just keep it simple. You may like to try an exercise. Have a simple meal such as a dry biscuit and some low fat cheese or tinned tuna on top. Take 1 tsp portion, chew to a paste and wait one to two minutes and then take a sip of Water. If the water goes straight through, the upper part of 'funnel' concept is empty. It supports the research being conducted by CORE. Also keep in mind if someone has a pouch and oesophageal dilation, it's likely to take longer for the food to pass through. This is a whole other discussion. Once an individual loses their desired weight, removing the band or removing all saline from the system, will result in the hunger returning most likely. I see this in my practice when Fluid is removed short term for a variety of reasons, weight gain is common. In theory, each mouthful will take that 1-2 minutes to pass through the band all variables controlled. So whether it is the first or last mouthful it should be the same. I'm glad we are having a great conversation around this topic, because once the mechanics of the band is understood, from my experience more people will use the band correctly and minimize regurgitation and maximize their weight loss and well being. As a dietician specialising in the management of Lap Band patients I feel it is important to discuss the management holistically. Just like in my general practice, I explain what coeliac or diabetes is as a disease state prior to explaining the required dietary changes. Point taken, research articles will be included with the original post from here onwards. I feel very fortunate to be working so closely with the team at CBS and CORE to be made aware of the most recent research as it occurs. It is all about working together. Happy chewing.

Guys have a hard time with there ego (Did I just say that) we don't like to admit we have issues especially in that dept. my wife is 5'1" and 105lbs soaking wet and I'm 350lbs dry She has a very high sex drive and mine always was to but with weight gain (145lbs over 10yrs) mine died. She was asking me if I was getting it somewhere else and I was in my mind thinking she would go somewhere else if I couldn't keep up so I went and got checked. Now we're like rabbits I'm just a big bunny scared I'm going to break her one day So that's why I'm getting the sleeve so maybe I can keep up with ease again. I married up in my opinion and would do anything to keep my wife we've never had any issues and I want to keep it that way. I'm only looking at your tiny avatar but you look to be an attractive woman and he should want to get checked out for you. He needs to know that to.

I have been banded approx. 3yrs., 3 months. Goal to lose: 70 lbs weight loss; 30 lbs. On scale of 1 to 10 with satisfaction of the band: 5 Because I was post menopausal when I had the band put in,I was told that if I did not exercise, it would not work for me. I have not exercised. That is my fault. The psychological exam before the surgery was a joke. Anyone who has dealt with being obese for years would easily give answers the psychiatrist wanted to hear, rather than the truth. If you are still considering the band, listen to the people who say it is just a TOOL. That is what it is. You will still have to plan out meals, write down what you eat, and exercise, ... as you did before the band. The band will allow you to eat portions that will satisfy you, and you can easily stick to the plan. Concentrate on doing whatever you have to do to get to your goal, and the glory is, that the band will facilitate staying within 5 pounds of your goal weight a breeze compared to the past. I found the support groups that I attened for the first 18 months to be very frustrating. They were pretty heavily populated with people who had Roux-En-Y surgery, and they do not have to deal with the same issues that we do. At the support groups, I was sold tupperware, and people brought lots of dessert recipes. Let's face it, I was not obese because I had a lack of dessert recipes. How to cook chicken and fish meals that are low fat and interesting, that I could use. I am grateful that I do not have to obsess every day on what I eat, and get on a scale and have it show that I have gained weight anyway. I have stayed at the same weight for the last 2 years. No weight gain during the holidays, vacations, etc. I do need to find a support group. Maybe I can still pull of the next 40 pounds and feel good about myself. Before band, I ate more vegetables than the average person. Now it is easy to 'fill my face' with a yogurt (which is fine on the healthy intake scale) , or a burrito from Taco Bell, etc. ... or something that does not go down well, ... like a half a bage and cream cheese, or a donut, so I deal with the 'stuck' feeling for the next few hours, but I skip a meal that way.

Strength training is awesome! I was told I may gain some weight once I started, but I didn't. I think it really just depends. And even if you do, just know that it's temporary. The benefits are totally worth a temporary weight gain! I believe strength training is necessary because although you would lose weight with just cardio, your body will look odd. Oh and definitely ask the doc before starting on the weights. I had to wait 2 months I think. Good luck!

it's not time to panic yet! That is probably mostly period water weight gain. Most women eat more on their periods or right before their periods. I agree that it is probably water weight. If the scale continues to go up steadily for the next few weeks then I think you need to re-evaluate what you're doing as far as calories. Are you still doing protein first? I hope you figure it out

Wondering - Sorry if my post upset you that was not at all my intention. That just seems like a massive amount of calories for a sleever. My doctor advised me that calorie intake would have to be 1000 calories or less to maintain weight loss. Admittedly, I am not very knowledgeable on this topic. I have PCOS, and can go ten pounds up or down every week, so I guess I did not see the weight gain as significant as others might, I hope you figure out what is going on and begin losing again.

You will have some hoops to jump through, as most of us did. There will be medical tests, insurance documentation, psych eval and othere challenges, but the biggest one will be the pre-op diet. Some of these run 2 weeks, others up to 6 months. The two week pre-op diet is usually an all liquid diet, though some are allowed one sparse meal of real food per day, depending on doctor's orders. The object of the pre-op diet is to shrink you liver so the doctor can get at your stomach without nicking it. It's tough, but not impossible. Most of us had the same doubts, but got through it. The first few days are the worst, then it smoothes out. We all faced challenges during our pre-op diets like birthday parties, holiday feasts, etc, but if you make it through (and you will) you will have demonstrated that level of commitment. After surgery, you can look forward to about 6 weeks of liquids, then mushies, then real food. Here's the neat thing though.....you probably won't be hungry, and you will find that many of the things that led to your weight gain over the years you won't be so attracted to. Couple that with the fact that initially your stomach will only hold about 3 ounces, you will feel full very quickly when you eat. Good luck, and I assure you that you won't regret this decision. We're all here pulling for you. Use this site as a support resource and post whenever you have question.

Jess, you have already accomplished what some people never do: you are aware of your triggers, and understand how your faulty beliefs have created an emotional dependence on eating. Build on that awareness, because in addition to having an emotional dependence on eating as a coping mechanism to manage stress in your life, now you are engaging in self blame, anger, and shame. All of these are incredibly negative thoughts, which set you up for a cycle of unending self criticisms and anger at yourself. You need to break the cycle... To break this cycle, it is essential that you do a reality check; if you could have lost all of the weight you needed to without the band, why did you not accomplish that? It is necessary to change your perspective, and re-frame your thinking so that you are not engaging in allowing your flawed thinking to generate negative thoughts of anger towards yourself and the world in general. There are numerous coping techniques you can use to distract your thoughts, and it does, to some degree involve "mind games". Only you control your thoughts, and we all, to varying degrees, have some automatic thinking, which is subconscious. Looking at ways to change the messages on those tapes of automatic thoughts will be a core issue for you and your therapist to address. The mind, like the band, is a powerful tool; learn how to use it to your advantage. Give yourself permission to be patient with yourself. Your thoughts did not get to their current perspective overnight, so understand that it is unrealistic to expect immediate results with anything which involves a process of change. Change, whether it involves mindful thinking or behavior modification is a process, and not an event. I do recommend that you seek treatment with a licensed therapist; though understand ahead of time that psychotherapy only works if the client is receptive to the therapy and the insights to be gained from that different perspective. You should approach working with a counselor with an open mind. Too often, if the client is not ready to engage in an honest self inventory to assess what the core issues really are, the therapy is destined to fail. I did read some of the other posts, and most contained valid insights. I encourage you to be your own person, and think for yourself. You know yourself best. It is unfortunate that some of the participants on this forum engage in writing in terms of gross generalizations; that is their perspective of a "one size fits all" solution. We may share some basic commonalities, but for the most part our path to here was as unique are we are. There are many reasons why a person may become obese, and certainly genetics can play a major role, along with the family relationship dynamics and home environment. I vehemently disagree with the belief that "we all have an eating disorder", as another individual has written in response to your original post. Emotional dependence on eating as a coping mechanism does not qualify as a diagnosis for an eating disorder. There are so many factors which contribute to one's weight issues. In my own case, it was medications which caused the weight gain, coupled with a metabolism which due to age sort of went into hibernation. Being angry at the doctor who prescribed the medication does nothing constructive to alleviate the problem; taking positive action to loose weight under medical supervision provides a solution path to improved health. Self inventories, which you are already in the process of doing, as evidenced by your writing about your new awareness of how your flawed thinking is a major contributor to your eating, can be difficult. Many people choose to live in denial rather than accept that their thoughts need to be modified. Give yourself the credit you deserve to have gotten to a place of awareness. I sincerely hope that you will continue on your journeys...both with the weight loss and with your awareness that you hold the keys and the power for your success. Only you will hold yourself back! Good luck!

Splenda is what I use. I hate Stevia/truvia, it makes an awful after taste in my mouth. Aspertame like in crystal light and Equal give me killer head aches. Plus Aspertame is linked to weight gain. Never liked saccarine/sweetnlow. I also use a tbsp of honey a day in tea since it has a low glycemic index and doesn't raise my blood sugars. Splenda is closest to regular sugar on a molecular level. So that is how I feel its best for me.