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25 lbs is a healthy weight gain. You'll lose like 10 right away at delivery, with the baby/placenta/amniotic fluid. The massive uterus (which went from the size of a small orange to bigger than a large watermelon) and the breast engorgement make up another good 5-7 lbs, so you can expect to drop that weight in the first month or so, at least as far as the uterine shrinkage is concerned. So most of this weight has nothing to do with fat. I think you'll be able to lose the odd 5 or so lbs of fat you gained by breastfeeding and using your sleeve to your advantage.

remember a baby is between 7-8 pounds and there is a large placenta and lots of fluid. 25 pounds seems like a very healthy weight gain! Congrats!

I haven't had the sleeve yet, but I am on my second Mirena. LOVE it! Didn't really notice much weight gain from that.

I have been using Nuva Ring for 7 years. I didn't notice any weight gain when I started and over the years I don't think it's contributed much to my weight gain, mostly that's been caused by eating too much. You're most likely going to have to try a few different kinds to see what works best for you, we all have a different reaction. This works best for me since I can't seem to remember to take a pill everyday. I also tried the patch before the ring but it was always ripping off the top layer of skin every month when I changed it out. Another benefit of the ring is very minimal bleeding, sometimes I don't even get my period before I start the next ring.

I am 5 years post op RNY gastric bypass. It is common to have some limited weight gain after weight loss surgery. They call it a 20 pound bounce. The important thing is not let go beyond this 20 pounds. Most times this weight gain is due to a poor choice of snacks. Snacks should be limited to primarily to whole food options: nuts, natural nut butters, fruits, veggies, boiled eggs, string cheese, yogurt with berries and almonds, tuna pouches. Avoid processed packaged foods as much as possible.

I've been using the NuvaRing for years and I love it. Never noticed any weight gain. I do love that its made my flow VERY light and only a few days(usually less than 4). Total bonus for me. Talk to your Lady Dr. about all your options, but I love it.

I'm sure it's a combination of things, her own personal issues at home. She probably really wants to be supportive but feels awkward about her own weight gain. I think you need to have a heart to heart so it doesn't have more of an affect on your friendship. I had to tell someone, if you can't be supportive then just keep your mouth shut, she may be doing that(?)

Everyone is different, so I can only speak from my experiences, but many of the fears, rumors, advice has turned out to be far, far off base. I am not promoting or endorsing any of my particular choices for others, but I've found that I can still have anything and everything I like to eat and drink and more. I rarely exercise, I can drink any form of alcohol I like, with no difference in tolerance from pre surgery. No special gear, eating utensils, measuring devices, apps, fitness gear is necessary. If anyone is told they need any of those things by other post vsg individuals, they really don't (unless it is the advice of a surgeon/doctor). But, hey ...if it works for you or makes you feel better, by all means go for it. Weight goes up and down. Stalls happen. Weight gain happens. Its not hard to get back on track. Paying close attention to what my body is telling me is one of the big differences for me. hair falls out, hair grows back. With a large weight loss at an older age, there is extra skin that I may or may not address at a later time. My latest lesson is that there are extremely unpleasant consequences to missing B12 supplements for very long: shaking, numb hands and fingers bruises weakness breathlessness extreme...very extreme, joint pain debilitating back pain Sometimes I'm not hungry and don't eat all day. Other days I eat constantly.

Hang in there and stick with it. Your weight gain could be attributed to several factors, including the replacement of glycogen stores. Many people on here say your body stores 4oz or water for each 1 oz of glycongen stored. If you stick to your 450-700 calories a day, your body may fight to hang onto every calorie it can. But eventually it will have to burn those calories for fuel. I was stuck for about 8 days during my 3rd week. Weight wouldn't come off at all, then I had a MASSIVE POOP and was down over a pound that day. :-P Since then, I know that I've had at least one other week where I was stuck at a certain weight for the week, then the weight just started falling again.

Do you sometimes suffer from head hunger? Do you sometimes find your self munching on something and ask your self why? Do you feel remorse and quilt after you eat sometimes and don't understand why you ate that? Well you are not alone, many of us, me included still suffer from these very triggers that cause head hunger even after WLS. Our surgery did not fix our brains or stop us from putting unhealthy food in out bodies. It takes months and years and constant reminding to undo unhealthy behaviors. The one thing that can really sabotage a WLS patient is themselves. Once we start down a self destructive path we can easily justify why we are doing what we are doing. How many of you have lied to your self about taking just one bite, when you really ate the who thing? Grazers sometimes have more difficulty with WLS than binge eaters. It is much easier to graze then it is to binge after WLS that is why it is so important to learn what your eating triggers are and to learn how to deal with head hunger early in your journey. I often surf the internet looking for ideas that may help me to stay true to my healthy self and like to share with others in thoughts that it may help someone else. Everyone has to individulize their journey and has to learn how they can best cope with this change in life style. Some of the tips for dealing with head hunger suggests things that if you are a WLS person like myself, you cannot do. We cannot bulk up on low calorie foods or eat big salads, we cannot drink soup before our protein meals to fill us up and we cannot drink large volumes of water at one time when we are eating. If these things worked for us we would not have had WLS. As a bariatric patient we must learn to deal with our triggers and behaviors that sabatoge us. I found what I consider a good article this morning that I would like to share with all of you. The article is from the Obesity Help web site. http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/mental-health/Head-Hunger-Coping-with-Your-Triggers-for-Overeating.html Head Hunger - Coping with Your Triggers for Overeating by Michelle May, MD Do you sometimes confuse “head hunger” with “body hunger”? If you’re sensitive to food cues, weight management becomes much easier when you’re able to recognize the triggers in your environment and break the associations that lead you to overeat simply out of habit. Let’s take a look at just a few of the common triggers for overeating and strategies for coping more effectively. By the Clock: Society programs us to follow a schedule, so like Pavlov’s dog, we’ve learned to salivate when the bell rings. The reality is that it’s more convenient to eat at certain times than others, so it takes effort to listen to your hunger cues. Strategy: Though it’s challenging to change this routine, you can adapt it to fit your own needs. Learn to pace yourself by observing your natural hunger rhythms. You’ll probably notice that you get hungry every three to six hours, depending on what and how much you ate at your last meal and how active you’ve been. Keep a healthy snack handy to satisfy hunger that doesn’t conform to mealtimes. If you’re consistently tempted to snack right before a meal, consider moving the mealtime up or adding more protein to your previous snack. High-Risk Times: Many people have times of the day that are high-risk for overeating. For example, you may experience a late-afternoon energy slump or a tendency to munch when you come home from work to transition into your evening. Strategy: Know when you’re most at risk and develop an alternate strategy. For example, create a Recharge Ritual or Transition Time that helps you relax or unwind. Save a favorite magazine or book to read, call a friend or walk your dog instead. Create a list of things to do instead of eating. Keep the list (and any necessary supplies) handy and make a commitment to try one of these activities before eating simply out of habit. ‘Tis the Season: Be aware of your seasonal and weather-related cues for eating. Holidays can be especially difficult because of all of the social ties to certain foods and even certain people. Many of the foods you eat during this time may seem “special,” and therefore, harder to eat in sensible quantities. Strategy: These occasions repeat themselves, so you can anticipate what typically occurs and create a plan for dealing with your triggers. Make it a point to really listen to your body instead of the external cues when making your food choices. Also, keep in mind that special foods will be even more special when you eat them mindfully when you’re hungry, focusing on the appearance and flavors of the food, the ambiance, the other people and the reason you’re all together. Tempting Displays: Seeing displays of food like candy or nuts in dishes and tempting foods when you open your cabinet or refrigerator can trigger you to want those foods. Strategy: Out of sight, out of mind. Don’t use food as decorations or leave appetizing foods in plain view. Try putting tempting foods behind other foods in your cabinets and refrigerator. If a co-worker keeps food out, ask him or her to put it in a drawer instead. Media: Food is everywhere in television and magazines (ironically, often right next to the articles about the latest wonder diet!). Strategy: Get yourself a glass of water during commercials, avoid watching programs that focus on food and skip quickly over the food ads and recipes. Break the habit of eating while watching television—usually a mindless, high-calorie activity. Location, Location, Location: If you eat in front of the TV, in bed or standing in the kitchen, you may feel an urge to eat just from being in those places. Strategy: Try to eat only while sitting at a table. Make it a family rule to limit eating to one or two rooms in the house. This will decrease triggers like TV and reading and help you focus on enjoying your food without distractions. Biggie Size: Restaurants often serve overly large portions to make their customers feel that they are getting value. Strategy: Be prepared to have extra food wrapped up to go as soon as you feel satisfied, or estimate how much you think you’ll need and wrap up the rest even before you start eating. If you leave the food sitting in front of you, you’ll be more likely to keep nibbling. Remind yourself that you’ll get to enjoy that food again when you’re hungry. You can also share an entrée or order an appetizer-sized portion. Forbidden Food Syndrome: Although it’s a popular topic of conversation, the mere discussion of dieting can trigger feelings of deprivation and cravings. Just thinking about restrictive dieting has been shown to increase food intake. Strategy: Decrease the amount of time you spend talking about food, weight and dieting. Depend on your physical hunger cues to let you know when it’s time to eat. By learning to recognize and cope more effectively with your head hunger, you’ll begin to break free from old, problematic habits. You’ll find yourself eating less, feeling more satisfied and meeting your needs more appropriately. To get a one-page handout called “101 Things to Do Instead of Eating When You’re NOT Hungry,” visit http://amihungry.com/enews.shtml. Food and Feelings Emotions are common triggers for eating. People sometimes eat to cope with stress, distract themselves from difficult emotions or stuff down feelings they don’t know how to express in a healthier manner. However, boredom, anger, anxiety, loneliness, stress and other feelings are a natural part of our lives, and eating won’t make them go away. In fact, eating in response to these feelings disconnects you from important information about what you need. For example, “I want brownies” might really mean “I want comfort,” “I need a reward,” “I wish I had a friend to talk to” or “I wish I could tell you how I really feel.” The food you eat to deal with feelings comes with strings attached—weight gain and regret. But more importantly, it denies you the opportunity to discover and satisfy your true needs. Since eating cannot meet your emotional needs, those unmet needs trigger overeating again and again. The way to break out of this pattern is to stop judging yourself when you overeat and instead try to figure out what you needed that drove you to eat when you weren’t physically hungry. Examining your current eating behavior can be a powerful source of information about your inner self and your true needs and wants. Once you have identified the emotions that triggered the urge to eat, seek ways to comfort, nurture, calm and distract yourself without turning to food. Michelle May, MD, a physician and recovered yo-yo dieter, is the author of Am I Hungry? What to Do When Diets Don’t Work, available at www.AmIHungry.com.

Hello All: I just returned from my pre op appointment with my surgeon. I wanted to share with you the questions I asked and the answers I received. Q. Can I take my capsule (Cymbalta) medication after surgery? A. Yes, do not stop taking it, but open the capsule pour the contains in something to get it down. Q. I am allergic to vicodin and codeine. What can I take after surgery when I get home? A. You will be prescribed something nice and strong, but it will be in pill form and need to be crushed up before taking it. Q. What is the deal-o with "gas" after surgery? Is that due to the surgeon's technique or specific to the patient? A. All the gas pumped into you during the surgery is removed while you are asleep. There are three types of pain, 1. incision pain 2. irratation from the gas 3. ..... oh heck I forgot lol if you did well with your gallbladder surgery, you should breeze through this no problem. Q. Do you make everyone's tummy the same size or is it based on the patient's orginal tummy size? A. The stomach size is a constant, determined by the tube used as a "pattern" to guide the cutting. The only variable that is not controllable is the length of a persons stomach. Q. Is there anything you might find during surgery that would cause me to wake up without being sleeved? A. 1 in a million chance that there would be anything that would be found during surgery that was not identified during the pre op testing. He has never had a surgery that ended in no sleeve. Q. Straws? What is the theory behind straws? A. The straw mystery is a myth. However you can get your liquids down is fine by him. Q. Weight gain from/after surgery? A. Yes there will be some bloating and Water retention. Don't bother weighing yourself for a week. Q. I had to out right ask... do you... or are you going to do a nicotine test? A. No. "Should I?" lol I think those were my primary questions as I can remember them. Most of my questions I was able to find answers on the internet or VST. My surgery is a go for October 22nd. I officially clocked in today at the doctor's -15#'s. I start my pre-op diet on the 9th. And I am super excited and very ready to get this party started. Thanks for reading. Bonnie

I have PCOS and I have my initial visit with the dietitian at my surgeons office Mar 5 and decided on the gastric bypass vs the sleeve because of the PCOS. My symptoms are not that bad right now. I have the hair growth on the face and chest, and weight gain. Has anyone of you ladies noticed alot of weightloss since surgery? My biggest fear is getting the surgery only to discover that the weight is coming off really slow

Did anyone gain weight pre op?? I was weighed in May, and I've gained 10lbs since then. My surgery is in Sept. and I meet with my surgeon tomorrow, and I'm so nervous he will turn me down. I have been working really hard, but I still gained..help....

Im 2.5 months out and weighed myself this morning and the scale was up 3 pounds. It's nothing to worry about. I eat 600-700 calories a day and know it's not really weight gain, it's just being human--and a woman. I'll lose two or three days in a row, stall for a few days, sometimes go up, even, and by the end of the week I'm back to my loss weight. Then, on the eighth day I'll have a two or three pound loss again. It can get frustrating and this is why they say only weigh yourself once a month, but I'm a scale addict.

Well I had major side effects I gained 100lbs in 9 months with Depo that is what started my weight gain for me and I have never been able to loose more that 50-60lbs since. I am praying that with lapband I will get below 200 agian! The other problem is that my Blood pressure shot out of control and since depo have not been able to use any other birth conrol because my BP shoots up. I had been on BC for 5 years before depo an never had a problem. I think people on Depo should really read the research and see all the problems it has caused for many people!

I gained 14 pounds my nut told me what I was doing was completely normal that many do it. I was eating everything that I thought I could never have again. I had no issues as far as my weight gain and the surgery

Like you said, this isn't a diet...so in the scheme of this new 'lifestyle change' where NOTHING is off limits we just have to make good choices most of the time. I've been trying hard not to think of these moments of poor choices as 'cheating' as we've all been in that diet/cheat cycle for so long and beating yourself up leads to stress, which leads to weight gain. You made some poor choices this weekend, so did I, don't beat yourself up. Just try to make better choices this week...one day at a time. That's the great thing about the band...it will be with you for life.

My first week and a half was amazing I saw almost 2-3 pounds a day and lost over 20 pounds and then it just stopped. Week 3 and now week 4 I have not lost a single pound and I noticed that I have gained 3 pounds and I feel like it is mostly my fault. I don't drink enough water because I am not thirsty and I am eating soft solids now and I don't eat enough I think or I could be eating the wrong foods. I am just feeling defeated. My support from the surgeons office tells me its probably my body going into starvation mode and possibly constipated. I just feel alone and it is making me depressed. I don't binge eat but during Thanksgiving I went crazy on the stuffing I might have eaten that stuff in bits throughout the day I really wanted to feel normal for a day but now full regret since I saw the scale go up one pound. Is there anyway feeling the same way or has been there and was able to overcome it?

Gee I didn't have to give any pre-surgery weight history at all. I do think BCBS is a bit less strict. They want letters from your primary care doctor and from the surgeon stating why you need the surgery. I got my approval yesterday. I have gained weight since 1985. Up and down 50 lbs. here and there. I had early menopause and hypothyroidism that wasn't diagnosed for a few years. I gained a lot of weight then. Showing a weight gain shouldn't be that bad since your having the surgery because of that weight gain. A history and a letter from your doctors saying you have tried to lose weight and were unsuccessful over those 5 years should be all they need. Good luck everyone Having surgery August 7, 2008

You must understand some people who have bands 4 or 5 years sometimes have problems with acid reflux, and weight gain. I'm one of those folks. My tool worked great the first couple of years and it has been down hill since.... There are a lot of folks who have had this problem and are still having it... Plus not to mention I'm in menopause... Just looking for some NEW ideas.... Thanks

GEEZE..where to start.. since my last blog in July things has turned for the worse.. my husband finally returned to work after his injury (thank goodness) but my mothers health has deteriated rapidly..she is now at stage 4 cancer..its gotten to the point where hospice has stepped in and is taking care of her..it hurts to see her in pain and there's absolutely NOTHING that I can do to make it better. She use to be such a happy person and now all you see is sadness in her face..this has been a rough road for my family..back in 2001 I lost my daughter and now Im about to lose my mom.. I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO..I have been very depressed and this LAPBanD is NOT going too well.. I am now back up to 221 LBS..WOW!! I cant believe it.. I have about 6 cc's in my band, I have some resrictions but not too much..Im just LOST..I know that I am not making the right food choices because of the massive weight gain..but I tend to eat what I can hold down, which of course is JUNKFOOD.. someone help me!! PLZ!!

I totally agree! Since you have done this before, it should be i dont want to say easy, but maybe expected? You can do it!! I started following the program again after 7 years and a lot of weight gain, at first I had NO ambition to start, but now Ive lost 8 lbs!! You can do it!!! 2 shakes, light meal and NO out to eat ! Remember......feeling hungry is a good thing. I notice when my belly is grumpbling all day I loose a lb or 2. But I still eat something light all day. Eat right away when you wake up. no drinking 30 minutes before or after or during meal 2 shakes light meal stay away from processed foods 48-64 oz of water!! Come on!! YOU CAN DO IT!! Its only 15 lbs!!

Clients do come to me frustrated that they are not losing weight quickly enough. My response always is; what is holding you back? The band or you? Most people who choose to undergo Lap Band surgery, do so because they want to change their body and improve their health. Most people understand what to eat to lose weight, however you need to understand how to do this in conjunction with the Lap Band. The Lap Band can behave slightly differently each day creating variability in the food you can tolerate. The most important consideration is to ensure that the Lap Band falls within the green zone. That is, the Lap Band is not too tight. Clients do come to me frustrated that they are not losing weight quickly enough. My response always is; what is holding you back? The band or you? I often get a confused looking client in front me. This question can be quite confronting and forces one to self-reflect and be honest with themselves. I believe honesty is the best policy. With this article I would like to discuss a common challenge faced by most lapbanders, how much and how often one should eat? My philosophy is to keep things simple and easy to digest. Realistically I like to see a minimum of three meals a day consumed. Rather than focusing on how much to eat, try and place the focus on eating quality healthy food that would fit on a small toddler portion plate. This portion should take 15 to 20mins maximum to eat, after which you should feel disinterested in eating more food and be happy to stop eating. Remember, it is not the role of the Lap Band to stop you from eating, this is your responsibility. Ask yourself, are you really using the Lap Band to its maximum potential? Happy eating Helen Bauzon If interested, on Wednesday night 27th November, I will be running a 30min live webinar where you can ask me any question, plus learn a key activity you can do to prevent weight gain during the festive season. http://weightlosssurgerydiet.com.au/index.php/online-webinars

AFTER THE FILL I'm not sure what everyone means by "restriction". I don't know that I feel "restricted". I do feel like I get a fuller a little faster and have eaten a little less since my fill. Still feel like its a good amount of food and when I eat with friends and family it takes me more time to eat my food than to eat their food. I feel proud of how little food is on my plate rather than embarrassed about how MUCH food is on my plate. There's been nothing that I can't eat yet. I have tried to stay away from the doughy stuff just cause I've heard horror stories. I'm not that big of a fan of bread anyway. So, its' been 7 weeks and I'm 24 lbs lighter - YAY! I probably would have lost more if I would have gotten filled the first time around. I've never vomited, I've not felt miserable, since the first few days - I feel fabulous. Nothing has ever gotten "stuck" nor have I ever had to "dislodge" anything. Those words are scary to me and blessedly I'm not exactly sure what they even mean. I am very pleased with the results thus far. For the most part, I don't even feel like I have the band - just that I eat less, have more energy and my snug fitting clothes now fit like they're supposed to. No one other than the few people I've told - fam and a couple of friends - have commented about my weight loss. I can't wait til my coworkers say - hey you're loosing weight! I'm fighting the urge to run out to my garage and pull out those 2 boxes of my favorite clothes that I had to pack up because they were too tight! I'm gonna wait until I've lost at least 40 lbs to do that! I can't wait - I had some cute stuff! The one thing that I haven't yet incorporated is exercise. I do get up and get moving more - around the office and at home. I've walked to a nearby park and played around there a couple of times. I also bought a stretch band that I use for arm exercises as I watch tv. However, I need to incorporate a full exercise plan that includes 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 days a week. WEIGHT LOSS Well I've made up for the 4 lb weight gain - I'm down to 347 for a total of 25 lbs. Woo hoo. I did this week stop drinking juice. I was probably drinking 300 calories a day in juice. Now Ice Tea and I are friends! I don't know why I didn't think of that sooner. I also bought some of these new Sobe/Lifewater drinks that have zero cals. My Fav is the apple pear. So far - I couldn't be HAPPIER. I feel FABULOUS! :wub: