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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.

I had never heard of this before so I googled it. I found that there is an app that tells you what foods are supposedly better. What is FoodGauge? FoodGauge is a revolutionary food rating system that helps you make food choices to assist in weight loss. This 5-point system simplifies food labels and nutrition. It was developed by Bariatricians (weight loss physicians) Robert Ziltzer, MD and Craig Primack, MD FoodGauge favors food with Protein and Fiber, and disfavors food with carbohydrates and fat. Why did we develop FoodGauge? Trying to figure out if a food is going to cause weight loss or weight gain by reading a nutrition label is confusing. We made it simple! A single score tells you what you need to know. It is available for iPhone and iTouch through iTunes or direct download, and Blackberry through App World. What types of foods will be highly rated? Foods that are high in protein and/or fiber will rank highly. This includes lean meats, chicken, fish, eggs, and nonfat cheeses, as well as vegetables and low sugar fruits. Many high protein, low-carb Entrees will be highly rated. What types of foods will receive a low rating? Foods that are high in sugars (carbs) and/or fat will be poorly rated. This includes baked sweet products, candy, butters and oils, most cereals. Sticking to lean Proteins, vegetables and fruits will assist in making proper choices.

I can tell you you sound really similar to me - I have been doing a little better after the surgery but I have a metablic condition that my body kinda "tricks" itself into needing just what calories I happen to be providing - and if it is "excessive" in what it is interpreting as enough I have seem weight gains at 1000 calories a day. But seriously - here is the deal - something in what you are doing is just not quite what it seems - be very thorough and careful. I know this from experience. I do not respond the same from 1000 calories a day of 30+ are carbs as opposed to 10 or so carbs. I have to have excessive amounts of Water. I canot eat highly processed foods. Thing is, if you aren't snipping around the ends, then it is just a long process - but with the sleeve you will lose. It has become an invaluabel tool while I wait out my stalls and literally outstubborn my metabolism.

Bandsters: Many thanks for chiming in. I know my question is strange because most people (who get the lapband) you wouldn't consider them an excertise guru. But I love working out...alot actually! If I had my way....I would be there 3 hours a day. Used to lift alot of weights...but I mostly concentrate on cardio for the last 4 years. Maybe...that has contributed to my weight gain from 2005 - 2012 (212lbs to 290lbs currently)...outside of moving from a warm weather climate to cold and alot more stressed out (eating more comfort foods, and noticed I have drank in moderation more than before)".. Regardless, I"m curious as how my body will respond with the band....while I maintain my regular work out schedule. I absolutely love working out, so I'm trying to anticipate how my body will respond with little food and lots of excercise. Anybody else fit this category as maybe the could shed some light on this? P.S. I know its a tough question (as every person's body is different) but I'm sure other bandsters fit this category and wanted to pick their brain as to how their body responded. Or...maybe you know someone who fits this category....and you observed how they responded. Any "general trends/observations" that you noticed would be greatly appreciated! Thanks Bandsters...YOU ROCK ! Thoughts/Opinions?

It IS a great place and I feel like the men on here can identify with where I am more than any men I've known, which is why you all are the ONLY men who have ever been privy to my actual weight (besides a medical professional). Even my husband had NO clue as to how much I weighed until a few weeks ago. I just know that everyone on here, men and women, can relate to every feeling I have or have had about weight gain, weight loss, surgery, or anything to do with all of that. Anything we're going through, we can jump on here and find someone else that is going through it too. Very awesome.

I am really nervous. I am not eating that much, but have gained 5 pounds in the last week. Am I doing something terribly wrong? I'm not eating bad stuff - carbs, pasta, rice or anything. I have sausage or eggs for breakfast. Tuna, turkey, chicken salad for lunch or dinner. If I have a late breakfast, I won't be hungry for lunch so I'll have the salad for dinner. This weight gain has me worried. Any advice?

I'm currently recovering from brachioplasty and have had some complications. I'm almost 3 weeks out and actually am going to have to take 2 more weeks off b/c I had to get 18 stitches today. I can't lift anything... pretty much need to baby my left arm. Since I'm a nurse I can't work without a left arm! All that said... don't be scared I don't regret a thing. I say wait absolutly! The reason... you never know if you will have complications. If you do have complications you don't want to rush back to work b/c you won't heal. The weight gain is also a factor! I gained 30 lbs at one point down 10 of that now but still have 20 lbs to work off. You don't want to have to do that twice! Plastic surgery is no joke. I found my brachioplasty to be the toughest surgery I've undergone. I've had my gallbladder out, pilinidal cyst removed, and the lap band.

My doctor didn't require one either, just no weight gain

Rimonabant hcl is fda approved. Not on the doctors lists so theres no kick backs for him to push but if you ask for it it is available. My wife quit smoking in a week because it made her. Heres the true background information: Rimonabant also known as SR141716, is an anorectic drug primarily used for comprehensive anti-obesity treatment. It is an inverse agonist for the CB1 cannabinoid receptor.[1] The primary method of action is through reduced caloric intake, due to the anti-hunger effects of rimonabant. An inverse agonist refers to a chemical that binds to a receptor and, when compared to a known agonist for that receptor, shows approximately the same affinity and exhibits roughly inverse effects of one or more primary effects of the agonist.[2] One of the primary effects of cannabinoid receptor agonists is an increase in appetite; rimonabant reduces appetite, demonstrating an inverse effect. Some effects of rimonabant are admittedly under-studied or not well known or explorer; for example, rimonabant-dosed mice reduced voluntary wheel-running behavior when compared to a control group.[4] Rimonabant does have other uses besides weight loss; though the mechanism is not well understood it has been demonstrated to increase probability of quitting smokers by 50%: From the preliminary trial reports available, rimonabant 20 mg may increase the odds of quitting approximately 1(1/2)-fold. Adverse events include nausea and upper respiratory tract infections; the risk of serious adverse events is reported to be low. However, there is current concern (August 2007) over rates of depression and suicidal thoughts in people taking rimonabant for weight control. The evidence for rimonabant in maintaining abstinence is inconclusive. Rimonabant 20 mg may moderate weight gain in the long term.[5] Researchers hypothesized, in keeping with the inverse-agonist nature of rimonabant, that (because cannabinoids nearly univerally impair memory), rimonabant may improve memory; this is borne out thus far in rat studies: The positive influence of rimonabant on performance indicated that the action of endocannabinoids was to reduce SmR code strength, resulting in trials that were at risk for errors if the delay exceeded 10 s. Thus endocannabinoids, like exogenously administered cannabinoids, reduced hippocampal encoding necessary to perform long-delay trials. The findings therefore indicate a direct relationship between the actions of endocannabinoids on hippocampal processes and the ability to encode information into short-term memory.[6] Researchers speculate that due to the pervasive role of the endocannabinoid system in the reward (and therefore addiction-perpetuating) system, rimonabant might be successfully used to treat other addictions besides nicotine.[7] Rimonabant has been demonstrated to successfully block the psychological effects of cannabis use without interfering with the physiological effects.[8] Respective excerpts follow: Recent studies have shown that the endocannabinoid system is involved in the common neurobiological mechanism underlying drug addiction. This system participates in the primary rewarding effects of cannabinoids, nicotine, alcohol and opioids, through the release of endocannabinoids in the ventral tegmental area. Endocannabinoids are also involved in the motivation to seek drugs by a dopamine-independent mechanism, demonstrated for psychostimulants and opioids. The endocannabinoid system also participates in the common mechanisms underlying relapse to drug-seeking behaviour by mediating the motivational effects of drug-related environmental stimuli and drug re-exposure. In agreement, clinical trials have suggested that the CB(1) cannabinoid antagonist rimonabant can cause smoking cessation. Thus, CB(1) cannabinoid antagonists could represent a new generation of compounds to treat drug addiction.[7] Single oral doses of SR141716 produced a significant dose-dependent blockade of marijuana-induced subjective intoxication and tachycardia. The 90-mg dose produced 38% to 43% reductions in visual analog scale ratings of "How high do you feel now?" "How stoned on marijuana are you now?" and "How strong is the drug effect you feel now?" and produced a 59% reduction in heart rate. SR141716 alone produced no significant physiological or psychological effects and did not affect peak THC plasma concentration or the area under the time x concentration curve. SR141716 was well tolerated by all subjects. CONCLUSIONS: SR141716 blocked acute psychological and physiological effects of smoked marijuana without altering THC pharmacokinetics. These findings confirm, for the first time in humans, the central role of CB1 receptors in mediating the effects of marijuana.[8] Citations: [1]Fong TM, Heymsfield SB (September 2009).Cannabinoid-1 receptor inverse agonists: current understanding of mechanism of action and unanswered questions. Int J Obes (Lond) 33 (9): 947–55. [2]Kenakin T (2004). Principles: receptor theory in pharmacology. Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 25 (4): 186–92. [3]Suicide risk fears over diet pill. BBC News. 15 June 2007. (URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6755665.stm). [4] Keeney BK, Raichlen DA, Meek TH, Wijeratne RS, Middleton KM, Gerdeman GL, Garland T, Jr. Differential response to a selective cannabinoid receptor antagonist (SR141716: rimonabant) in female mice from lines selectively bred for high voluntary wheel-running behavior. Behavioural Pharmacology 19: 812–820. 2008. [5] Cahill K, Ussher M. Cannabinoid type 1 receptor antagonists (rimonabant) for smoking cessation. Cochrane database of systematic reviews (On[line) (4): CD005353. 2007. [6]Deadwyler SA, Goonawardena AV, Hampson RE. Short-term memory is modulated by the spontaneous release of endocannabinoids: evidence from hippocampal population codes. Behavioural pharmacology 18 (5-6): 571–80. 2007. [7]Maldonado R, Valverde O, Berrendero F. Involvement of the endocannabinoid system in drug addiction. Trends Neurosci. 29 (4): 225–32. 2006. [8]Huestis MA, Gorelick DA, Heishman SJ, et al. Blockade of effects of smoked marijuana by the CB1-selective cannabinoid receptor antagonist SR141716. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 58 (4): 322–8. 2001.

Id wait and do both at once. Cosmetic surgery is a big upheval with a band and brings quite a risk of weight gain. I didnt unfill for my TT nine weeks ago but have suffered suchdiscomfort since that i advise doing so. Ive unfilled my band once for a major surgery and it has never been the same, i definitely would not choose to unfill it twice. Its taken me a loooooong time to be running and spinning and bodypumping again at anything like my previous schedule. Avoiding weight gain has been HARD. Alo, its common to get a little depressed after. Your new body is still not perfect, and changes take a long time to see. Nothing else in your life changes eithet, you kind of have a post surgery letdown. I also ouldnt want that twice. Then theres the money. Cheaper to have one anaesthtic.

Well, don't laugh... Pre-weight gain, I was a 32A, I am now a 36 D to DD. I am also very cheap since I have gained all of this weight (it's going on 14 years). I have tried them all, I love enell, but I found that wearing 2 hanes walmart sports bras works great for me when I need a little extra support. Gotta keep the girls close!

It's all about the FOOD! If u ask me ne ways. When I'm @ restriction I don't count calories. Also u will plateau. Everyone does. I personally loose for 2 wks then hold steady for 2 wks. I'm down 120 lbs in 13 months. I've had a lil set back due to be unfilled & unable to exercise bc of plastic surgery. So currently I am counting cals to help get the last 13 lbs of my 30 lb weight gain off! Surgery was 3 wks ago... I had a ton of swelling. But right b4 surgery I hit 120 lbs lost & was 14 lbs from my 150 lb goal weight

I was told 85% also. If they do not take enough of the stomach, then the stretchy part of the stomach will remain and can stretch back out again causing weight gain. They have to take out enough to get down to the non-stretchy part to keep good restriction. (I'm not very eloquent tonight, cheeeez!)

K33, it has been my experience that antidepressants do cause some weight gain but not all of them. Depression can also be a chemical imbalance such as bipolar. Antidepressants help the chemical imbalance in the brain. I can tell you from experience that depression can be present when you are skinny or fat. I suffered for year with untreated depression when I was skinny and finally was diagnosed and put on medication that really helped me. Not sure of any research but I plan on staying on meds with probably the same dose after my VSG. To me it is much better than being depressed. I know this probably didn't answer your question but I feel for you.

Hello everyone! It's been quite some time. This thread is pretty much dead. But if any of you are still around, I thought I'd share... My second LapBand placed in Feb 2009 became disconnected!! I mean really?? How many LapBands should one girl have to mess with? LOL....so, I started gaining weight pretty fast and had to bicker quite a bit with the insurance company. But ultimately I was approved to have the Band removed and get the Vertical Sleeve. I had surgery almost 2 weeks ago and so glad it's over. I am so frustrated with the weight gain, but so glad that there won't be any more fills/unfills or getting stuck!! I'm on the mend and tired of mushies....for the third time! hahaha I hope all is going well for the rest of you!!! Best to all, Carol

If you were taking anti depressants pre-op, have you found less need for the medicines post op? This does not include changes from XR to Regular absorption meds, or a change in your medicine schedule. But, have you felt less depressed after surgery? I know it's possible PO to feel a let down 6-12 months out, and am not really talking about that either. . I gained 50# in the throws of my depression, probably from carb craving that comes when I am depressed. Yet I was taking medication, too. Hard to get a straight answer from the medical field about to what extent anti depressants provoke weight gain, so I am turning for answers to my VSG buddies. Naturally you may have guessed I take antidepressant medication pre-op. Not counting the mood lift and feeling the thrill of being thin (which could wear off once the reality day to day of living sets in 2-3 years out), I am hoping to take less anti depressants when I am years out as well. What is your experience? Does anyone have research sources about this topic?

I never thought to ask those questions either! Once you are at proper restriction you need fewer and fewer fills. You may have been gaining for a couple of reasons. You started eating higher caloric foods or larger amounts of foods. The reason for larger amounts of foods with the same fill can be that as you lose weight, you lose it everywhere, including the fat around your stomach beneath your band. When that happens, your band feels looser. Like what happens to a belt as you lose weight. When your band feels looser you get hungrier. For me hungrier means I eat more, eating more means weight gain. I seem to just get a teensie tune up fill yearly. About 0.25cc. It's good though, because I see my surgeon this way, and he checks everything out. He does an upper GI each time to check placement is still good. I had my last top-off in September. According to my surgeon the older bands seemed to have a bit of Fluid that seeps through the bladder of the bands over time. Not so much in the newer bands. He said my AP Standard 10cc band is one of the newer ones. For me, I've reached a fill level where what I eat is appropriate to maintain my weight. At this point, I could not take any more fill in my band. I am far from the capacity of it. I have a 10cc band, I have less than 7cc in it, not sure of the total. My surgeon has the total in his notes, it doesn't really matter to me, what matters to me is that I can eat and maintain my weight.

I was unfilled for nine months while I had chemo. It was hard work but I didnt gain. I ran and went to the gym (rpm and bodypump) like normal during treatment, yeah I was pretty run down but I had to do it! I couldnt let myself gain! If I can do that through two surgeries, radiation and chemo and keep the weight gain away for nine months you CAN do this!

When I'm at good restriction I don't count cals. I eat prob an ave of 600/day. I recently had an unfil for plastic surgery & with that came weight gain, plus I couldn't exercise, so I'm currently counting cal & trying to stay @ 1200. As long as ut loosing weight wouldn't stress to much about it. For a while I became so obsessed with cals in cals out. I had a body bugg & tracked everything religiously. One day I just decided I had wls so I wouldn't habe to do all this crap... & stopped. My weight loss actually picked up once I put all of that energy into exercise & making healthy choices But I do believe when u find urself slipping sometimes u need to get back on track with cal counting

Allison0927 the weight gain was caused by a combination of unfil and being unable to exercise. The biggest factor probably was the unfil though. But protein intake for proper healing is more important than worrying about weight gain... Hard to do though! Bayougirlmrsc it's good to hear you got all healed up! I had a massage with rheke (?sp) and I feel like that has really helped speed up the healing process, along with a lot of Vit C

I really believe it is a multi-layered issue - I know that I am much better to able to control my own, as well as my family's weight gain and moods by eliminating processed carbs and sugar from the house. I read a great book last year about these issues called The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite - by David Kessler, former head of the FDA. http://www.amazon.com/The-End-Overeating-Insatiable-American/dp/1605297852 He himself wanted to lose a few lbs and found it quite challenging, as a scientist he started to do research as to why humans have been roughly the same body composition since the beginning of time (with considerations for improved hygiene, advances in medicine etc.) and why in the 1980's obesity numbers began to skyrocket. He talks about how the combination of sugar and fat is one that does not exist in nature - two substances that we are genetically hardwired to want to consume in quantity when available - our biology has not had time to catch up with our industry in nutshell. Lab rats consume 'rat chow' as their main form of nutrition, when scientists started to feed them layered combinations of fat, sugar, salt (as restaurants such as Cheesecake Factory, Red Robin, and the like do.) these rats no longer would eat their nutritious yet bland rat chow - their dopamine centers lit up like a Christmas tree, setting up a cycle of addiction - so much so that these rats would cross electrified floors that would almost kill them to get to the bad stuff. These substances do the same things to us. It is a good read. One thing that the nutritionist at my surgeon's office said is that there are no essential carbohydrates - our bodies will make what we need from Protein and fats. I have noticed that when I drop the carbs down to 20g or less a day - which is akin to Atkin's induction levels and my pre-surgical recommendation - I am always satisfied with very little and do not have hunger cravings like I do when I consumed carbs, sugar, caffeine, and diet soda.

It has been almost 3 yrs since I had been banded and I have started gaining weight!! I have have no major issues with the band, NO pain, NO anything out of the normal except major STRESS for the past year sitting all day working at a job I absolutely hate. I moved, working hard at getting my life in order. NONE the less there is a problem here I am so not sure what is going on. I do not seem to be eating anything out of the norm of what I had been but maybe what I had been has been wrong from the get go. I moved to NJ a little over a year ago and although my doctor is one of the best in the state I really feel as if he is not the best for me. I had a couple very small fills and it has been almost 8 or 9 months since he filled my band the last time. Now with the weight gain he seems to think that the band has reached its point of no use. It has NOT even been 3 yrs! He now wants to remove it and put in a sleeve..WHAT another surgery I DON'T THINK SO>> Now keep in mind that since I have found him when I moved here, He has not one time done an ultra sound to make sure all was ok with the band, not one time did he even do any kind of xray! Really how would he know anything was up or not.. So bottom line here is this, I have gained weight and I mean like 10 lbs of weight and I am angry with me and at him because his quick fix is to take out the band and do another surgery without every getting to the root of the problem. I am going to a new surgeon here closer to my home who once again has come to me highly recommend from many different directions and hopefully we can figure out what is going on. Maybe I just need a fill! Maybe there is a leak in the band, maybe something horrible is going on and I just don't know. Although if something very bad was going on I think I might know, don't you? I have been getting a bit of heartburn as of late so I am really a bit nervous about it... Please help..any thoughts or personal insight would be helpful. My appointment is at 2pm Est today Michele

Thats good news! Did the weight gain,occur because of an unfill for surgery? I want the same surgery just curious thaanks!