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Styct, I don't eat strictly low carb. I don't know about you but I didn't have this surgery so I could continue stressing over calorie and carb counts. That being said I still do follow the rules to the best of my abilities. I try to eat all my protein first. I wait an hour after I eat to drink. It is a funny thing my body has done to me though. I don't really like a lot of the simple carbs anymore. My husband has made roasted chicken and potatoes and when I try to eat the potatoes they don't taste the same anymore or they don't taste as good as I remember. It is totally weird its like I put them in my mouth and chew and they just are not appealing anymore. I told someone that and they thought it was sad and I guess if I hadn't had the surgery it would be but its not like that its as if my brain has switched off my potato loving button. But my doctor actually wants us to have three servings of dairy a day, either yogurt or milk and both yogurt and milk have carbs. Plus, one serving of a complex carb a day. So I guess my doctor's diet isn't strictly low carb. I have lost 26 pounds in 5 weeks which for me is fast enough. I think if my weight loss started to slow down I might consider being more strict on myself. I think just follow the rules and don't stress over it. Plus if your stressed about the diet your own you might hold fat. Stress is known to cause weight gain.

Yes we can! My first appointment with the surgeon is on Wednesday. He is very strict about weight gain after your first appointment so I will find my will power. I need this surgery.

My doctor didn't require any weight loss, just no weight gain during 6 month pre-op appointments.

I'm only 10 days out from surgery, and had a weight GAIN yesterday and today. It just sucks and I'm bummed. It's just frustrating to have a gain this soon. Grrr!

A total weight gain? Like you weighed more at your final weigh in than you did when you started? Or did you gain a pound or so while doing your weigh ins?

Hey, I am just the other side of a thigh injury and I was given strong pain meds and anti inflammatory... I will be honest here... I did put weight on... I completely freaked out.. cried, had a 'moment' ... but am pleased to say that as soon as the meds stopped the weight gain stopped and it has now gone. The difference between you and I, is that I was completely immobile during the time I was gaining. Sounds like you have been advised to keep active during the time you take the meds, so, fingers crossed it might not happen to you?! Good luck and I wish you a speedy recovery!

Anyone out there that's had weight gain struggles post gastric bypass? I had my surgery back in 2009, did excellent with weight loss but over the past year I have put weight back on. I'm currently getting back on track and losing the weight but I'd like the support of a buddy who's gone down the same road.

I’ve been looking at this bariatric forum for many years and have appreciated the insight of the stories on here and thought I’d share the end of my lap band journey and my story might be helpful for anyone considering having theirs removed. Banded: April 2004, Dr Talbot, Sydney, Australia (79kgs at consult, 85 kgs at surgery) Unbanded: February 2017, Dr Ali, Glasgow, Scotland (85kgs) When I was banded I thought it would be a quick fix to weight loss and was advised to gain a few kilos to be eligible for the surgery. I wasn’t mentally prepared for the drastic lifestyle changes I would need to make and the band was not a success for me. My problem was binge eating of sugar and carbs – chocolate, ice-cream, biscuits, cakes etc. and unfortunately the band did not help with the psychological issues that caused my binge eating. I never had a problem with healthy or normal food or portion sizes; my weight issues were due to junk food and binge eating excess calories when stressed, happy, sad … sugar and carbs were used as an emotional regulator as such and no form of weight loss surgery will help to fix this – I’ve since learnt that psychological understanding and therapy including CBT is more successful. In fact, life with the lap band created bad eating habits as I could no longer tolerate the majority of healthy foods including most meat and vegetables, this was even with no liquid in the band. I have been lying constantly for the past 13 years as very few people knew I had the band, I was ashamed of it. Eating out was a nightmare as could only tolerate certain foods and having to find a way to get food unstuck without having red eyes from my eyes watering when regurgitating. Dinner parties were a nightmare so lots of declines when I would rather have gone. Work dinners and travel/functions made me anxious of thoughts of getting stuck. Always having to review menus ahead of time when they were available to have a plan of attack of what I might be able to tolerate (if I could tolerate). Some days no issues, other days full restriction regardless of what I ate and especially in the mornings. I was unhappy. And I could still consume sugar and carbs in binges with no problems most of the time. I had my removal surgery yesterday and was wheeled to surgery at 1pm and woke up in recovery around 2.45pm. New incision scars were required but this time with internal stitches and I can’t see them at the moment due to the dressings but they look small and I’ve been told very neat. Was told my band and port were in perfect order with the original sutures still intact, they were removed along with the capsule that had formed and was told it was one of the best placed bands he had seen with minimal scar tissue and after 13 years I feel blessed to have had no erosion or major issues. Pain after removal is minimal and I was so worried and nervous, would have had this done years ago if I knew how good it would go. It feels like I’ve done a lot of sit ups and that is very easy to deal with, I can even sleep on my side if I’m slow with positioning myself. I do have a mild sore throat from the anaesthetic and shoulder tip pain from the gas used during surgery to see my organs and that will eventually dissipate from the body and go away. I’ve had a stitch feeling on my right side (near the port) today when I move quickly and have been told that could happen and hopefully that will go away over time also. I had some panadol before going to sleep last night and some today after the car trip home but that’s about it for pain relief requirements. Overnight stay in hospital but could have left same day I felt so good, I ate chicken with carrots last night in hospital with no restriction a few hours after surgery! That is the first time in 13 years … was a bit emotional. I’m not particularly hungry but the surgeon warned me at consult, before and after surgery that most patients gain a voracious appetite and gain weight rapidly after having the band removed. He wanted me to have conversion to sleeve surgery but I was not interested. Time will tell … I’m hoping to get my binge eating reasons sorted and be able to eat a healthier way … I wasn’t even in the obese category when I went for consultation 13 years ago (BMI 29 and then went into obese with the weight gain I was told to do to be eligible). Fingers crossed this decision ends up being a good one all over with no weight gain going forward.

I was told years ago that when we make fat cells we never lose them. They grow with weight gain, and shrink with loss, but still there. If we have enough from being very heavy, we need to get out fat % down to lowest for our best, but if we have a lot, will never be stealth like those that never got heavy. This is why liposuction is used to remove the cells.

I had surgery on December 6th and I have lost a total of 20 pounds - I stalled at 2 weeks, too - no weight loss (or weight gain) the whole week I started back on solid food...My husband says it is a marathon, not a sprint! RUDE NURSE!

i went back to oral contraceptives. it remains a good option for me since I still have some form of PCOS (but it's fading quickly according to bloodwork and ultrasound!). my surgeon warned me to avoid Depo because of the potential weight gain with it, and ultimately left it up to my OB-Gyn who helped me make an informed decision.

Today I started my two week post-op diet. I was doing really well until lunch when I was completely famished!! Luckily some steamed vege did the trick - I wonder how long before I crave something terribly naughty! I took my 'before' photos which was very brave of me. Braver still was going out and buying a new sexy set of scales (if you can call scales sexy... somehow I don't think you can). Later in the day I finally plucked up the courage to jump on. I had prepared myself for it to be bad but I obviously hadn't prepared myself quite enough!! After not weighing myself for about a year I thought I would be around 115kg/253pounds. (which would have meant I had gained 20kg in a year) BUT NO!! I was shocked to find I had eaten my way to 121.2kg/266pounds!!!!! A weight gain of over 25kg/55pounds. My boyfriend weighed himself too and he was a mere 76.8kg/169pounds. Ahhhh!!!! I am nearly twice as heavy as him. So my goal is to get to 70kg... well and truely under him. And there you have it. I just need to make it through the rest of the day and there will only be 13 more to go until the op that will totally change my life. I just can't wait!!!!!

I am a former D1 college wrestler (heavyweight). I've been big all my life, and wrestling/football kept my weight under control. I wrestled at 285 in college and now I weigh 475. While I once blame the immobilization of my two herniated discs in my lower back and the meds administered afterward for my weight increase (common med steroids) ,I think we all know that terrible eating and drinking habits are the true culprits to my excessive weight gain over 2.5 years. Im 6 ft 5 in. So how on God's earth can I go through the sleeve operation without having the extreme drooping and sagging of my skin after losing the weight so quickly?? I hope to schedule my surgery before Christmas '14, but I feel I need to get a gym membership to lift and run asap to start the process now. What are tips and workouts to follow before, during, and after my procedure to keep from having skin removal surgery? I am open to any and everything! I am getting married to the love of my life on 6-4-16, and I want to look as amazing (265) and fit as I did when Liz first met me. I also want to increase muscle mass along with the weight loss. Again, any advice is welcome. Thank you for your help, -Adam

Nina-- If you aren't vomitting and can get a reasonable amount of food down, there's no reason your band should slip. Talk to your doc about weight loss/weight gain during pregnancy depending on what you decide to do. My doc was ok with me maintaining weight, though I'm on track to gain an appropriate amount of weight-- 20-ish pounds. I had a total unfill, so I'm happy with that. Some people have reported that their doc was find with weight loss as long as the patient was eating enough food and baby was growing. Depends on the doc and the person. If you decide to continue with your pregnancy, your band will still be there when you're done. I know it's frustrating, but the band doesn't have a "honeymoon" period like some weight loss surgeries. Yes, the full signals may be a softer as time goes on, but there are a lot of people who lose a little weight early on and go on to finish losing weight years after their band is installed. Good luck with your decision!

Been reading through a lot of the comments for the past week. I know everyone's situation is different. About 4 years ago I went on the Optifast diet and did the Kaiser diet program. I lost about 40 points overall. I have unfortunately gained it all back. I know beer and inactivity (cubicle job) plays a good role in my weight gain along with snacking after work. From what I have read on here, a lot of doctors require you to go through a weight loss program like Kaisers. I think part of the problem with going to the class I had with the Kaiser program is that I was the only male in the class of 12. I know about portion control and triggers. I really want to plan on having this surgery next year. My insurance (Blue Cross Colorado) will cover the surgery minus my deductible or about $4k out of pocket for the sleeve surgery. I am wondering what other costs I should plan for. I am going to max out my FSA contributions so that most will be taken out of my paycheck. Few questions for the group: 1. What other costs should I anticipate for the surgery both, before and after. 2. What is the average recovery time after the surgery? (Need to schedule this off work.) 3. How soon did you return to work? I know I will have more questions. Need to go to my primary care doctor and let them know I am interested in this program to get the ball rolling I know. Thanks for the help and responses!

i agree with the other ladies,u should be able to eat some kind of fruit or vegtable and v8 is very nutritious. u may need a small unfill. it can be scary especially when u are afraid to regain weight like alot of us are but sometimes a small unfill may not doom u to weight gain because if you are too tight not it may get worse and cause unneccesary stress when u do conceive and i pray u conceive soon cause trying can also be stressful( i know im trying again after miscarrying at 12 weeks with a d&c). all of it is stressful but the best thing to do is try to relax ,pray and try to manage our weight even during preg with healthy eating. hopefully we all will have very beautiful,healthy babies nine months from now.:smile:

This year I was diagnosed and treated (with surgery) for Cushing's Disease. I don't yet know for certain if I am in remission, but I am hopeful. Cushing's, for those of you that don't know, causes among other things weight gain. My BMI is now 57 thanks in part to Cushing's. My question for anyone that knows -- would a surgeon even be willing to take me on as a patient? I am very slowly losing weight right now after my pituitary surgery, but my weight is so high that I really need to get as much help in getting the weight off as possible. A BMI of 57 is obviously very dangerous. Anyone know? I don't want to waste much time persuing WLS if it isn't even a possibility for me. Thanks in advance!

We had a change in insurance mid year and I had to start all my check ups again but I didn't have to re-do any of the medical test. I only had to do a 3 year weight history and since I didn't have it because we moved 2 yrs ago and I havent seen a doctor I just had to write a letter and send 3 yrs of pictures to show the weight gain. Hang in there it is so worth it.

I’m self-pay, so no issues with insurance due to weight gain, thankfully. It is the time of year, every year, when I start to eat uncontrollably and gain weight. I have SAD, and It happens EVERY year between late August and late September as the days start to get shorter. I’m already up 5#, and I Can’t Stop Eating. My surgery is September 24, and I’m just so irritated, even though this is Just what I do this time of year. Anyone else have this problem?

I gained 1.5 lbs today. I know I'm not supposed to weigh every day, I waited a few days and weighed today. I'm 3 weeks post op. Anyone else in this boat?

So I had to do some research here because I was on program and the day after I started antibiotics I gained weight. It's not Water retention. The articles I read indicate that antibiotics mess around with the bacteria composition of the gut and could cause weight gain.

Mamaz2ndbaby, My consultation is next Thursday OMG it's only a week away. I am almost certain (99% before seeing the doctor) that I will have the band done if the insurance approves it. The honeymoon is over, I know about erosions, and slippages p'bings, etc but I do think that this if for me. FOR ME the RNY is too permanant and I worry about malnutrition from the malabsorption of an RNY, and there are more complications. The lap-band is reversible although I hope everything goes well and does not need to be taken out. I can not for the life of me imagine why being a black woman vs a white woman would make a difference. Since you have 3 months before they will submit to your insurance can I make a suggestion? I bought the book "Lap-Band for Life" by Dr. Ortiz and a couple of others from Amazon. The other 2 haven't been delivered yet and I forget what they were. All I remember is that one of them is humorous in nature and very expensive. I am also thinking about getting the 2 books by Carnie Wilson. She had the RNY and has had problems with her weight afterwards. She had a baby afterwards, which explains some of her weight gain, but she ended up on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club. I can't imagine losing most of my stomach and still having a weight problem. Of course we tend to focus on the apperance aspect of it and not the fat brain that we have. Another good book is "Body Clutter" by Leanne Ely and Marla Cilly available at amazon.com and flylady.net. They help to deal with the fat brain. My opinion is you know you have 3 month before they submit to insurance. Use that time wisely and make the best decision for you. What is right for me may not be right for you. Good luck, Susan

They say stress causes hormone changes that cause weight gain. Maybe the stress of this upcoming huge event is to blame. I agree with perforce, how can they refuse the surgery due to weight gain when you have been approved. I am sure your team has seen this before. If you are really scared call the Drs office and talk to someone. Maybe the y woudl have you go on the liver shrink diet sooner. Good luck.

So I have been walking everyday and not changing my diet for the worse. I haven't been eating great but my surgery us Nov. 9 and my Pre-op first is set for Nov. 1. I have gained so much weight!! Is it stress? Water? What? It's making me so nervous for my physical. I have been approved and the date is set. There is no way I won't have it right? God I'm so scared!! And I have no clothes that fit me cause I'm gaining. I just bought some sweatpants and I look like..well I hate it! I wish my surgery was yesterday I'm so anxious!