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I have an Allergan omni form (latest band) 14cc band with 2 fills of 1.5cc each time. The surgeon pre-filled with 1.5cc during band date. So I have 4.5cc in a size 14cc band. My surgeon wants me around 2 pounds a week loss or 8 pounds per month. He really doesn't care about "green zone". He believes long term for a patient to adapt to good eating habits first rather than the band doing most of the work. I'm scheduled for a third fill visit on Dec 11, but I'm close to 8 pounds a month in weight loss. So, I might not get another fill until he sees a possible weight gain. I have a very cautious doctor.

Hey there. So...I had the lap band in 2008 and had a pretty stable and successful lap band life up until last year. I started at 225 and the lowest I got was about 165. My goal is around 155-160 so I was pretty close. Last year, around this time of year, I started having a lot of issues PBing and I could barely keep anything down. This went on for a few months and it was very difficult because I moved to a new state and the doctor there was giving me problems about scheduling an appointment because I had the surgery elsewhere. After dealing with it for so long, getting frustrated then finally throwing up blood, i decided to go to the ER. They unfilled me completely and said I had some reflux along with pre-ulcer symptoms. They advised me to keep it unfilled for a while and follow up with a lap band doctor. Well, then I had to move again for work to another state. So in the process of all that, I haven't had it refilled again since then. With that said....I'm now back up to 210lbs. That's about a 40lb weight gain from where I was this time last year. :-( Discouraged and disappointment doesn't even begin to explain how I feel. It took so long to get to the weight I was comfortable with. After moving it took months to finally get an appointment scheduled with a lap band doctor where I'm living now and I have an appointment for next week. In the photos you can see me at my heaviest and lightest. I'm not all the way back where I was but I'm almost there. The picture of me in blue button down sweater is recent and feel like that's going to be my "heavy" picture again. I feel like I'm starting all over again.

I had surgery on the 2nd of April I was just wanting to know if the scale says I gained 2.4 lbs is that normal

Thank you all for your condolences. I don't think my weight gain has anything to do with Phycological trouble or things I haven't dealt with. I had a rough first year but now my life is fantastic, I'm back on my feet and loving life again. I think most of my weight was due to not making proper meals and endless snacking cause I didn't have someone there to give me the sideways glance when I go for the huge bowl of ice cream. Or popcorn, coke and bag of candy at the movies. Lol Even my dog has gained weight cause I now share with her instead of my late hubby. I really really want the change and currently feel like I'm a young skinny athletic girl trapped in this fat girl body. I know I hear all the success stores but I just worry with out having someone to be accountable to I will fail myself and the band. I have an amazing surgeon lined up but he's based across the country. What tricks helped you stay in track and accountable? I'm also concerned because for the last 12 yrs I've struggled with esophagitis and this causes me to choke on my food and have bad reflex. Is there anyone out there that has dealt with this issue and the band was still successful or the esophagitis got better after the band?? Thanks again!

I would go back on he protein shakes for at least a couple of meals a day. I had me band removed but did not have the water taken out before surgery.....thus I did not have the weight gain and I had to be on 2 weeks of the pre-op diet just as with the lapband. You will lose that 6 pounds and more so do not worry too much. I would be careful as not to gain too much before surgery as it is just more that you will have to lose once you get the sleeve.

Why not have a small piece of something on a special occasion? I think it’s unrealistic to think of certain foods as “never” foods. Should you justify eating whatever you want for a whole weekend because it’s your birthday? Probably not. Is enjoying one small dessert item throwing you down the worm hole back into an endless spiral of weight gain? Likely no. Happy Birthday and Enjoy.

Good morning all! Correction!! My surgery date is in fact 9/15/10 and not 9/14/10. Whoops! What a booboo, but hey at least I didn’t not (grammatically incorrect I know) find out and it was the day *before* I thought. Ha-ha now that would have been a big deal. Besides I'm sure the surgeon’s office would have been sending me reminders and it would have clicked eventually. So, all is good on that front! I will need to arrive in San Diego a day early. The reason is I will be riding into Mexicali and shortly after; I will undergo all the wonderful pre-operative testing that is imperative to be performed before undergoing such an invasive procedure. I’m getting ready though! More ready than I have ever been with any previous surgery. I’m also so glad I have the funds to be able to make my own decision this time, and not rely on insurance to make it for me. I need to create myself a to-do list since I will be traveling a distance to get there. I won’t fly in either since I’m scared to fly. I’m not that far anyway. San Diego is only a 7 hour drive from me. I will undergo any extra stress to do what I must. To be perfectly honest, I never thought I’d be so excited to have my band removed. I sincerely have zero faith in it anymore. At some point you become so detached with something that had so much promise. When you get like that, it’s time to move on. I had a choice though, keep the band and risk more complications, weight gains and misery – or work to have it removed, revise to something else and get your life back. I choose the latter. I am a fighter and until my last breath I will always forage on to become the best person I can be. All that starts in the head and it will manifest itself onto my body, my personality and everything in between. If that means cutting my losses and admitting a failure (not in a bad way) and making that into a success then I have done what I needed to do. I would encourage anyone to do this for themselves. The band did get me semi-results before it started going bonkers on me. It was very short lived. Only up to 4 months in, and I had gone from 283 on the day of surgery down to 227. The difference I felt in those 56 Lbs was incredible. I felt so freed of the bonds of that extra weight. I was wearing clothing sizes I hadn’t in more than a decade. I was so energetic and life was just bliss. I want that for myself again, more than anything. I was a much better person, easier to get along with and my outlook was super positive. Well when one goes in the wrong direction, and especially with WLS surgery this can be quite amplified, it can really put a strain on your inner self. Sure the bones can feel it physically, but the heart and mind I think go more into self-destruct than anything else. It spirals and spirals until you wake up one day and realize you have lost total control of that steering wheel. What do I do then? Accept the path I’m going down into certain crash? Or, rather do I grab back onto that wheel and veer it back onto the road. It will be a bit jittery getting back on that road, but at least I did something about it. I do not accept a negative fate. I have way too much to live for, to fight for… So with that, you all know a little where I’ve been and surely now know where I’m headed. Blessings for the day!

14 lbs in a month is amazing! That is a lot for one month. I'm thrilled to get 8-10lbs a month. A friend posted her weight loss post surgery, as she said it isn't about how fast you get there, but where you end up. She lost 100 lbs, it took over 14 months, fo the last 7-8 months it was 1-2lbs a month. Also, I agree with dr. Matthew Weiner's perspective on exercise. That there are a lot of benefits, but impact on weight loss is negligible and in fact it can create a risk of injury that can then impact mobility and then cause weight gain...I am active, but not doing heavy exercise right now, I walk and get in 10000 steps a day, I will eventually start weight training, but carefully because every single one of my weight gains was precipitated by an injury. Rotator cuff, torn acl, tennis elbow to name just a few.

Thank you Sherrie, I'm sorry to hear of our similar struggle. I am thinking that the first step will be for me to talk with my doctor and stop ignoring the issue. I think I feel a lot of guilt and shame related to weight gain as if I am failing the process when all I'm doing is hurting myself with that attitude. I came to this site because it's the next best thing to an in person support group for me and wanted to be able to walk through the steps on how to get back on track. We all started in the same place and worked through the program step by step. Need to get back to holding myself accountable and just moving forward in a positive way from here on. But of course if anyone else has any methods that they recommend I would love to hear. I've heard of a kickstart diet for sleevers who are +1 year post op called the 5 and 2 or another called the 4 and 3, which is a modification of the original 5 and 2. I'll let you know what I find! Best of health to you

Both Lapbands have websites that will tell her what to eat. It appears as though the Nutrionist is exaggerating quite a bit. She will be able to have those things in moderation of course. However, I have read posts on here where there were people who could not tolerate bread and certain other kinds of foods with their bands. I haven't had any problem with nuts but I have chosen not to eat bread because I want to get to my goal more quickly. Just a personal choice. I am not sure where she got the burping information but I actually burp now more than I ever did. Carbonated beverages are considered a no no and I just don't drink them ever now because they will swell your pouch and could cause slippage. I just don't want to take the chance and honestly I don't miss them. They do cause weight gain even the diet ones. I just personally choose not to drink them. There are a lot of good alternatives out there. My choice is Crystal Light. So many flavors. I don't miss it. With the Allergan, I received a full packet of information about what to eat and I received four videos to watch called "Emmi" about my band. They were very helpful. She really needs to talk to her doc.

I think more and more insurers are approving these band revisions ( I don’t know anything about sleeve to bypass). I’m not just dealing with weight gain, which is not above even 30...going down that dark path and fastI, but now the muscles in my lower esophagus have started to weaken and deteriorate, food is stuck all the time, the port has caused a hernia, and the band has slipped. And all this happening out of the blue within the last 5 months!

If you are worried about what you did then speak to your team. My advice would be relax a bit, forgive yourself, you know what you did wrong and hopefully would not repeat the incident. You are so near onederland it would be a shame to put off this huge milestone by weight gain. You have done so well, keep up the good work

Sorry it took me so long to respond. My symptoms were weight gain and after having four fills in a short period of time not having any restriction still. No pain at all.

Hi... lovely to hear from you! I'm really struggling at the moment... weight is stalled - Think because I'm on beta blockers which are notorious for weight gain! And today I decided to eat off piste - completely mental! which has really annoyed me! lol... how are you doing? how did you manage to get through it? I'm really loving this forum! Al ... x

I was recently diagnosed with Addison's disease. I truly had not changed my diet or exercise routine in 6 years and I just started to gain weight. I was banded in 2005 and thought the weight gain was because I was getting older. I was being treated for hypothyroidism and hypoglycemia for a long time. After several different tests and hospital admissions they found that I had Addison's. I saw my LB surgeon because I was not sure how to adjust my diet. My bariatric doctor tells me to follow my endocrinologist's suggestions for my diet and then the endocrinologist's tells me to follow my bariatric doctor's suggestions. UGH!!! I was wondering if anyone else has a LB and Addison's that maybe able to help me out. I do know that it is a low carb, low sugar (higher than LB suggestions) , high protein, high sodium and low potassium diet. I also had to have all of my fluid taken out about two weeks so I feel like I do not even have a band right now. I have been trying to incorporate the two diets together however I feel like it is not working out so well. The really bad thing is that my endocrinologist told me that working out causes stress on my adrenal glands which causes a chain reaction to other endocrine issues and that it maybe causing me to gain weight. I just feel frustrated and not sure what to do. Any help would be appreciated.

Just got the call this morning that I was approved for surgery!!! My surgery date is set for October 26th! So apparently the weight gain didn't cause issues, my paperwork was resubmitted on Monday so it was a fast response as well.

I've heard of the 3rd week stall! And guess how many weeks post op am I? Yep three weeks, but now my scale is saying am up a pound or two. And it's messing with my head! Is it because am on soft foods? Am feeling confused.

food tolerance and GI quality have nothing to do with weight loss or complication rates. Of course the band scores low in food tolerance. Restriction is the point! I personally would never choose permanent digestive surgery unless my life depended on it. Thankfully right now it does not. I have a food addiction not a physical disease. I've had nothing but malfunctions in my band for 8 years. Even when it had a slow leak or a fast leak I still fought to contain my weight gain. I committed to the band and it has proven to me over and over that it works for me. That being said, the band isn't for everyone. I just get so irritated with people constantly trying to prove its bad. You know what's bad? Irreversibly disfiguring your god given perfectly healthy digestive track for a psychological addiction. All my personal opinion.

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!

Yes unfortunately, your hunger does come back but what helps is all you’ve learnt about yourself & your eating habits. Like is what you’re feeling real hunger or head hunger? If it’s head hunger, try a strategy to help manage those feelings (distraction, glass of water, go for a walk, etc.). You said you feel like you’ve put on weight but have you actually put on weight? But you’re not alone worrying about possible or real weight gain. Doesn’t really matter how far along you are, possible weight gain can make you anxious & reflecting on your eating behaviours & your physical & emotional health is the first place to start & then start making any necessary changes. I’m currently battling a small gain so I’ve been revising my food choices & portion sizes. Have I become a little complacent? Is my metabolism slowing a little? Do I need to up my activity? Am I meeting my protein & fluid goals? Is my body ‘settling’ into a new happy place? Should it become my new happy place - more head work? Is my HRT the wrong dose now as I’ve been getting acne lately (WTF?!?!?)? So I’ve started by adding a little more activity, been more vigilant about my water intake, reduced my fruit intake, didn’t have wine at our girls’ lunch. We’ve got this. All the best.

For those of you that need or have had revision surgery, what do you think was the gateway to the weight gain? What do those undergoing WLS really need to be careful about?

Personally I would be very very concerned about your stuck episodes. I am 2 and a half years out and can count my stuck episodes on 1 hand. I absolutely do not think that you need a fill if anything you may need an until. Some people keep their bands really tight because they think it should stop you from eating certain foods. My doctor does not hold that philosophy. If your band is in reality not too tight then my guess is you could be eating some foods that don't agree with you. Having a too tight band will lead you. to choosing slider foods that go down without getting stuck. Problem with slider Foods is 1 they tend to be higher in calories and 2 since they don't keep you full you eat more of them. This will lead to weight gain. In the years I've been on this site I've read more than enough postings of people who started to eat ice cream and shakes from McDonald's because they go down so easily.

Tmrrw makes 1 week postop for me. I gained 4.2lbs while being in the hospital for surgery. I’m down those extra pounds & 2.6lbs on top of that. I know that the extra weight came from IV & probably also water retention. I woke up out of anesthesia burping & the following day, started to pass gas. I was finally able to poop this morning with the help of milk of magnesia. I’m able to get down 2 protein shakes a day, crystal light & other fluids. Can’t wait til I see the true weight come off. I’m big on taking measurements & celebrating NSVs, but it was a shocker to see the weight gain after surgery. You can keep up with my journey on IG @CurlyGirl_GetsFit

I would like to here from some members that may have had weight gain a year out from surgery. I know it’s from my eating habits and poor exercise regime. I have started back this week to exercise and I need to work on improving my eating habits. I started at 250, my lowest was 172, and right now I’m 186. My ultimate goal was to get to 150. I feel like such a failure, one of my biggest fears of having the surgery was failing and I feel that has happened. I looking for encouragement, guidance and I’m hoping that being honest and up front in a large group will help with accountability. Thank you for your support in advance. MKT

Well, after the weight gain with the band, my total BAND weight loss was like 30 lbs. I have only had the sleeve for 10 days, so........I can't answer for it. I can already tell I am much happier with the sleeve than the band. Since my pre op diet, and post of diet thus far I have lost 17 lbs.