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I am not, but my SO is. He was always really skinny when we were younger, but after diagnosis he was placed on lithium and invega. He had about 30lb weight gain and has slowly been losing. He is about 150 now, but does not have the physique he once did. is what you're feeling head or real hunger? Unfortunately weight gain is a common problem with these types of meds.

I take wellbutrin, it's one of the only that actually helps lose weight not gain it. I wouldn't take ability, my son does and it is a weight gaining drug and it increases blood sugar.

I am so down. I weighed myself on my friend's scale at home and according to it, I have gained 4 lbs! I was doing so great and yes I did stop going to the gym because I am going through menopause and I had a really bad period that lasted 2 weeks. Now I am very down. I can't say depressed because that would be too "drama Queenish" for me. But yeah, down is the word. I am trying but need a good kick in the butt. Any good suggestions? Oh I was banded on Nov 4th 2011 and lost 40, now gained 4. UGH!

I worked for an gynecologist for a few years, and I learned that Depo is notorious for causing weight gain, the average being about 30 lbs. Most of the doctors in the practice would only consider it for women who had low normal BMIs. I would try to find another option if you can; you don't want to be behind the 8 ball before you're even banded.

I wish I could answer your question. I actually have the same question. Depo provera has been the most effective and convenient form of birth control for me over the last 10-12 years. It's also be been a part of my 50 lb weight gain over that period. Of course the larger part of my weight gain was due to my unhealthy eating habits and inactivity. My banding isn't until April 2012, but I would somewhere down the line like to consider going back on it. I know that I have to get my lifestyle (food and activity) under much better control first.

Ive been on the depo shot for over a year and been banded for over three months with an injection half way thru those three months and it hasnt made a difference to my weightloss or did i notice any weight gain originally.. best of luck in march.... you wont regret it...

I am actually getting my first depo shot today, so I will let you know what happens on the scale. My gyneo said that since you work out so much you really should not gain any weight. Hope j can keep losing though. He said the weight gain is no different than any other birth control.

So after I had Fluid taken OUT of my band in October 2011, and after gaining 20 lbs, I finally got the courage to go back to my Dr. and get a fill... 18lbs I gained I had my fill today, and just ate some broth for dinner (Drs.' orders) i am SO HUNGRY and craving sweets... Im full, but I still want something. Water is helping a little - hopefully I get back on track and get motovated to work out and get my a$$ in gear!!!!!!!!!! How do I combat these cravings/urges... i feel lost again

Hi, this is my first post on this forum. I had a tummy tuck a little over a year ago. Since then, I have regained thirty pounds. I plan to loose at least 15 of that (several people have told me I got too thin). I'm not sure it will be enough, I guess I'll just have to wait and see. My question is, did I effect the results of the TT. Will my skin bounce back? Has anyone experienced weight gain and loss after a tt?

I am not required to do a 6 month diet, but recently read someone else had been on a 6 month diet and was required to do another 3 or 6 months due to weight gain. Not sure if this is the norm or not.

I have such a similar story as many of you. When I was in high school and college (the 1st time ), I was 125 pounds and 5'5". People told me I looked ill and needed to gain weight, to me this was crazy, because 125 is the "ideal" weight for my height. I thought I looked similar to how I looked at my heaviest of 244. Years later, after starting my steady weight gain, I saw a photo of myself and was mortified. I looked awful, my eyes were sunken in, and I was a strange shade of grey. I told myself I would never allow myself to feel the way I felt when I was thinner. I gained weight for the next 20 some years and didn't think I looked horrible. I knew I should lose a few pounds, but it wasn't until seeing another photograph of myself that reality yet again hit me....I was huge. So here I am today, and have been losing "just 10 more pounds" for the last 25 pounds or so. I am steadily around 130 pounds and until a week ago, I wanted to lose "just 10 more pounds." A week ago my 14 year old daughter told me I looked really pale and my eyes looked funny. At that point I weighed about 126. That was my awakening, and I realize that I may never feel like I look thin. I have three teenage daughters, and I am terrifed that at least two of them have body dismorphic disorder. Maybe if I get them help now, they can overcome it. Good luck to everyone on your journey!!!

It may be a great way to get nutrition in considering fluids are much easier to go down with the sleeve than solids. My concern is weight gain from the sugar content of fruits. I know not all sugar sources may be equal, but fruit sugars can certainly put on weight for those of us prone to gaining. I'm really considering getting one, but I'll be getting creative with the discounted fruits/veggies for sure!

1.5 years out, have been around the same weight for a year now. Like LilMissDiva mentioned above, you'll have your "bad" days occasionally, and the possibility of regaining 2-3 lbs is always there, but it's easy to stop. I can't vouch for what things will be like 3.5 years down the road, but just taking things a year at a time, I don't see myself gaining any significant weight a year from now. To gain weight with the sleeve, you really have to eat a LOT of junk food - you won't be able to consume large enough amounts of normal foods to cause weight gain. I've had a few periods of 2-3 days of non-stop chocolate consumption, but I don't find it too hard to get back on the wagon. I always make sure I hit the gym hard at least twice a week no matter how busy I am, even during weeks when I work 80 hours. Most weeks I work out 3-4 times/week. If I notice I've put on a pound or two, I just rein myself in a bit - I go back to drinking water with my meals instead of alcohol when I go out, get a medium latte instead of a large in the morning, etc. All those "sensible choices" that women's magazines always harp on about are an awful lot easier to make once you've had the sleeve.

Hey Globetrotter... why don't you try 1000 cals a day? What harm can it do? As you move about a lot, your body might be holding on to every pound? If I go below 1000, which is rare, I feel like crap! Headache, grumpy and mega tired... Since the New Year, so over a mth now, I have gone back to my pre op routine... 3 meals a day, sometimes a good snack if I am low on cals, plenty of water and movement as much as I can. Ok, so I am not rocking the world but I am back to my 2lb bounce of 166lb... I did go to 170lb, my lowest 164lb so at least I am going in the right direction - I even put the weight gain on my ticker cos it wasn't shifting! I find the food and exercise thing pretty easy to be honest... the water is tougher but I am aware and trying my best. The hardest is staying positive and motivated. I've started tracking too, and finding that it helps keep an eye on things, then when I feel I need a rest from it, I take the weekend off tracking but still keep in mind what I am doing... Rest assured, I and others on this thread, know exactly how you feel... how can we not shed weight when eating like we do and exercise like we do? Some might think we are kidding ourselves and 'cheating' but I can promise you that I am honest here and honest with myself. If I make a cock up , I will fess up! Oh, and for the record, you ain't fat!!! Like I said before, 18mths later you are 130lbs smaller, lighter, fitter... that is a ****ing MASSIVE achievement. In saying that I also appreciate how fat 'feels' as I have fat days and not so fat days. Use this thread to spur you on, vent, celebrate... whatever, knowing that you aren't alone... hugs from across the pond and remember, we are in this together... x

If you had PMS, bloating & weight gain before surgery, you will still have it after surgery. Relax. It's all a part of the process. In a few months you will have something to compare this against. Blessings2u--BJ

Got really bad news today. True Results does not accept my insurance. Now I start searching over again. Like you, I don't have issues with food. I was thin all my life until I went thru chemo. The steroids caused a massive weight gain. Sounds like you're on the right path.

I was thinking today about what I've learned so far on this journey. Shockingly, it was a great deal. Here are the top 10: 10. Know yourself. There is a ton of advice all over the net and in our own circles.. but we have to be wise enough to know how to "eat the meat and throw away the bones." Not everything that others do will work for you. We've invested in our bodies and now we have to make sure we get a ROI (return on investment)!! Don't sabotage yourself by trying to stick with the regimen of someone else. If you're not sure, speak with your doctor or nutritionist/fitness expert. Your medical team created a plan specifically for YOU! So while it's always good to get ideas and advice, we have to make sure we are first and foremost doing what is best for us. 9. Goals. Look to the future always. Don't get complacent w/the amount of weight you've lost or frustrated with the amount of weight you haven't lost..but always keep reaching for your goal. Set small goals in the interim and reward yourself. We're busting our asses and deserve to be kind and sweet to ourselves every now and then. 8. Excuses, excuses! While we are our worst critics, we also tend to go easy on ourselves at the least opportune times. "I've been working hard..I deserve that slab of chocolate cake." "The kids wore me out, and now I can't exercise." Don't get me wrong, I think we all need a break and need to reward ourselves every once in a while..just be careful not to let it snowball. I made this decision because I needed a lifestyle change.. not to continue to give myself "outs." 7. Positivity. Stress causes the secretion of Cortisol.. which leads to weight gain in many people. Thinking positive and generally finding the good in your situations creates what I like to call, "Happy Juice." Aka: Endorphins! Also created when you work out! Endorphins crush Cortisol and can result in weight loss! So stay positive and encouraged..even if that doesn't cause you to lose weight, you'll be a happier person! 6. Kindness. Be kind to yourself. I have a very swift tongue and can cut someone down like a hot knife through butter... unfortunately, I can do the same thing to myself just as easily. Remember it takes time to see results..but if we keep placing one foot in front of the other and keep pushing we'll all get to where we want to be. 5. Do something! Move your feet and your ass will follow!! Everyone works at their own pace. They lose weight at their own pace and that's OK. If you want to see results (possibly faster) and reduce your risk of other complications that come along w/being overweight, get moving!! Even if it's 30mins a day..some of us spend more time than that on the phone, watching a movie, talking to a friend, reading a book.. etc. The good thing about those activities is they can all be done in conjunction w/exercise. 4. No Magic Bullet. This band is not a "fix all" ..after you get banded you will still have taste buds that crave certain foods.. you will still be a jerk or a prima donna..or a sweetheart.. you'll still have money problems if you had them before.. you'll still have personal life issues to deal with. The world doesn't stop just because we've gotten banded. As we're taking the steps to lose the weight, we must take the steps to improve ourselves to be more well-rounded and level people. Don't neglect the rest of your life..the band, while pivotal, is only a small portion of it! 3. Support. Surround yourself with like-minded people, with common goals..not just for the band, but for life. This is such a life altering experience and you find yourself not only wanting to do better health-wise, but improve all the aspects of it. Make sure you have people in your life that will add to it, and not deduct from it. 2. Keep it simple stupid! Don't major in the minors!! The band is hard...but it's not complicated. Follow the rules and listen to your body (the good stuff) and you will succeed. Don't make the band something it's not or try to complicate it. It's a simple tool.. work it and it works!! 1. Prepare to wait! Patience is KEY in losing weight this way. As the saying goes, "We didn't put this weight on overnight.. we won't lose it overnight." I'm learning a ton about myself..but the most important thing I'm really starting to grasp is that I'm worth it!! =) -Mary-

Divorcing food is as difficult and emotional as divorcing a person. I am serious. I don't regret having this procedure done because I've lost 30 pounds and I'm 1 week post op. However, seeing delicious food in front of you and knowing you can't eat it because you're fresh out of surgery really burns. In fact, knowing I can't eat it because it'll make my stomach hurt and I'll probably throw it up is what really burns. I've been watching videos of food recently because I haven't seen solid food in pretty much 2 weeks. It's probably not a good habit but its already a habit so the way I see it, I can't eat but I can at least look at it. I thought that my stomach is healing fine and faster than usual, so the other day I had some tuna. It was about 1 spoon full of tuna. My bodies reaction wasn't pleasant. Long story short, my stomach is 100% not ready for solid food or even soft food but that doesn't stop food from looking good. I want to lose 100% of my excess weight. At this point in time, The reason I want to lose weight the most, is so I can eat. Is that weird? I want to eat lasagna one day and with absolutely no thought of my weight in my head. I want BBQ porked. I want to have Georgian, Armenian, Greek, Vietnamese, Chinese, Caribbean, Italian and more in my regular life. Obviously, not all at once. I'm very scared by love of food. People say you have to reset your mind with this surgery. I feel that, although i don't mind giving up sweets things like soda, candy, Cookies and deserts (not a fan of sugary things), I don't want to give up meat and carbs. After I reach my goal weight, I'm really hoping that I can find the perfect balance of eating things I love and maintaining my weight loss and health. This has just been on my mind all day. I think this is my initial shock to realizing that the sleeve is permanent. Unfortunately I have been feeling hunger as of late but It's definitely a lot more manageable than in my pre-op diet. How do you people feel about food? How has your day to day diet changed? What do you eat when you eat out? What foods do you find affect your weight the most? I know the VSG allows one to eat what they like in the end but I know many people cut things out completely because of the fear for weight gain. How do you guys feel about food?

I lost weight very quickly, 107 pounds in about 10 months. I stuck to a very strict high protien/ low carb/low fat/ low cal. diet. Didn't cheat at all. I started working out about 5 days a week about 4 months post op. That being said, I have gained back 30. I feel like I didn't learn how to eat for the long haul, I was so restrictive. I have since moved to a pretty much south beach diet. The right carbs and the right fats- in moderation. My cals are 1200-1400 a day. That's all I log. I know I am getting plenty of protien- lots of lean meat and eggs, and one protien shake a day. I had the first good week last week in a while- lost 4.5 pounds. My suggesstion is to not rush along this journey. Think about lifestyle changes you can live with. If you do what I did, I realize in hindsite, it's just another diet. As far as my band, I had trouble staying in the elusive sweet spot. I was there for a few weeks here and there. I was pretty satisfied in the early part of the day, couldn't even eat solids in the morning, had a protien shake. By 2 or 3 my appetite would really kick in. I had small fills that pushed me to the other side and I was getting sick even on shakes. Very frustrating. I am frustrated at the weight gain too, never thought I would let 30 pounds creep back on. However, I am back on track and not looking back. I know it will be slow going, but the weight will come off and hopefully I will have learned to eat the way I need to for the rest of my life- well 85-90 percent of the time anyway lol.

How can erosion and slippage NOT have to do w/ fills??? So what exactly happens when you overfill?? I mean, besides the obvious discomfort, if your band is too tight it is the main reason for erosion, and the gag factor that would be increased with an overfill, causes the stomach to contract, and absolutely can cause slippage.... I understand the need to vent, and no one should be judged...not judging the person, just the rather irresponsible actions.....the reason something does need to be said, is because there are newbies out here, who may be newly banded, or looking to be banded, or just struggling, and perhaps having issues of feelings of failure and having difficulty facing their surgeons (perhaps due to weight gain) who may read this (and not be a medical professional) and say, "hmmm....I could do that..." and so it goes, and it probably isnt going to be good..... there are a *LOT* of us who have had our bands for some time, and are having great, safe, success with it, and at least for me, that is because of follow up, and a great practice. We need to let folks know, that this *is* possible....but so much more possible if you make sure to get a great, accessible team.... so this whole thread is a great argument for well, not getting this done abroad....sometimes, apparently, you do get what you pay for,...

That's a good point. When I went in there I already knew about the hyperthyroid. The first doctor I saw nine years ago made me eat a nuke and get radioactive to check for nodules and etc. I did not have Grave's Disease. She considered it "idiopathic". The next doctor I had, who hated me, told me I was slightly hyperthyroid and that was "good news", because I was then not *hypothyroid". i remember telling him I thought this was part of the reason I ate so much -- I could easily put down a whole Domino's bacon chicken ranch pizza by myself in those days, and I remember him saying to me, " Well, we should talk about why you're eating a whole pizza, that's not good for you at all." And I just sort of looked at him. ( Are we not talking about that right now? Hello?) But I did go in complaining of exhaustion and anxiety this time- actually I just have trouble sleeping mostly. So I had Iron deficiency anemia and hyperthyroid, sort of as usual, but she wanted to treat my anxiety with beta blockers and tricyclics because, basically, all doctors seem to think I'm trying to hit them up for benzos. Which I should add, I am -- I don't abuse them but it is darn nice to have one or two floating around in your purse for luck. If I had deformed left cardiac ventricle or frequent bouts of tachycardia and excessive sweating and all that, I would go on the things. If I had any other risk factor for a heart attack or stroke, I would definitely go on them. But I don't want to fight off another fifty pounds for freakin *insomnia*. I'm not even convinced the problem is actually my thyroid. None of these last two doctors did that other test -- the FT4 or whatever it's called. I'm really sensitive to drugs that cause weight gain. Not only that, I think...well, really -- my sense is that one should do as little messing with one's thyroid as possible because endocrinology is the most delicate of sciences. I'm not going to start drugging it or hacking at it just because some doctor I've known for ten minutes tells me to do it. I swear I think doctors just throw drugs at people lately. Maybe it will work, who knows, I'm being "treated". But here's the kicker question: is it really a better medical decision to prescribe two heavy duty meds on top of one another after a glance at a lab printout and five minutes talking to me than it would have been to just write me a prescription for Ativan? Bah.

I have been without a thyroid due to cancer for years- Although many medications have a potential side effect of weight gain it is not 100% guaranteed. The benefits sometimes outweigh the risks of NOT taking anything. What works for some may not work for all- If it will make you feel better physically go for it- you have the tool to work with the weight loss (your sleeve) and you ve already proven to be successful with that- Now get the rest of you healthier and who knows maybe when every bodily system is in sync more weight will come off...

I just have to post this regarding weight scales. They are a good thing but can also be your worst enemy. I have read countless post regarding people that get on the scale and do not lose any weight and then get depressed and feel like if they did not lose they might just as well eat. YOUR SCALE IS YOUR WORSE ENEMY AND YOUR BEST FRIEND.....................you just have to know when to use it. For those of you who feel the need to weigh on a daily basis............STOP. When you were gaining weight did you weigh daily..NO......WHY???? because you did not want to know how much you had gained since yesterday. This weight gain may not have even been due to the amount of food or what you ate. Maybe the food you had was full of sodium and your body held on to more fluids and that is where you weight gain came from. It is the same after you have the surgery.......WHY WEIGH DAILY???? You did not put this weight on in a day so why do you think that it is going to come off in a day. Yes some of you will lose weight fast and on a daily basis but this is not true for all of us. My suggestion would be that you pick a day of the week and weigh only on that day. This will keep you from being down on yourself so often as you may not lose weight everyday or even may gain a pound. If you can stay away from weighing daily then take your scale to a friends or the neighbors and go and weigh once a week. You will know when you are losing weight when your clothes are getting lose, your pants do not fit as tight or you are not huffing and puffing so much going up the stairs. The scale is only a measurement and can not be used as the single instrument in your weight loss. Please to those of you who let the scale control your life after WLS get rid of them.

Gayle, sometimes we just need to vent, that's very normal. It is very frustrating to have any stall, whether it's a wk or months. Trust me when I say, you are not alone with your stall, I have had very long stalls!! I have to stop weighing, because it's such a mind game. But the fact is, you have done an amazing job at losing weight, 120 lbs in 10 months is freaking phenomenal!! It may indeed be slowing down for you, because as we get closer and closer to goal, it does sometimes slow down. But you are not done by any means. You might want to change things up to shake up your metabolism like increasing exercise, lowering carbs but not calories, etc. I am actually going to lower my carbs and not eat any kind of wheat to see if that helps me. I'm reading the book "wheat belly" and it's very eye-opening. Some of us are more sensitive to bread, crackers, etc. You may need to increase your protein? I know it's difficult not to, but don't worry about it too much, stress increases cortisol which promotes weight gain, especially in the abdomen. You're doing great, and an inspiration to me and others!! We can do this!

I take meds for my hyperthyroid, no weight gain here, I think you should try it and see what happens, I sleep a lot better and the sleep we need to help with weight loss.