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I haven't had anything done yet, but from experience of gaining weight...Yes, your ring size will get smaller. It may only be a 1/4 size or a full size. It depends upon how much fat is in your fingers (some people's fingers are boney, mine are pretty padded like baby fingers, lol). My feet a little wider but not longer. However, I have flat feet and always have had flat feet. Some people experience their arches falling with weight gain. With weight loss their feet kind of spring back and they might be shorter. (Your feet actually flatten out a bit while running which is why they reccommend buying shoes with some room in the toes, the same principle applies with weight gain--more pressure on the foot means they flatten out). The sleeve is basically enforced anorexia. You will only be getting a few hundred calories during the first part of your post-operative period when your stomach is healing. Whenever you drop below 50% of your BMR in calories, you body will respond by burning excess fat and muscle. In obese people, the primary loss is in fat and very little muscle. Most obese people already have quite a bit of muscle from hauling their large bodies around (let's face it, our 100lbs backpacks do make us strong). This is how are bodies are supposed to work--we store energy as fat when we get extra food and we burn it off when we aren't getting any. That is how the sleeve works. There is no malabsorption of fat like alli, where the fat is blocked from being digested and comes out in your poops or uncontrollable farts.ick.

With my weight gain I went from a 36DD to a 40H/38I (depending on the brand). One reason I did the WLS was because the plastic surgeon I saw for breast reduction told me that if I did the reduction now, I'd be higher risk of complications (losing nipple, etc) and longer hospital stay. He actually referred me to my WLS doctor. He said, 'Lose the weight, let them deflate, them come back in a year or so and it will be SO MUCH EASIER!" I can't wait!! If I can be a B cup I would be SO HAPPY... they just get in the way with stuff I like to do. I haven't been able to "walk around without a bra" in 20 years. When I sleep at guest's homes, I even where one just to sleep in because I didn't want to risk getting up in the night and running into someone in the halls. I know they'll be ugly, but I'm ready for these things to GO AWAY!

I have been "thinking" about WLS for about 1 year. Last year I did a pretty restrictive diet and inbetween ate normally. I lost close to 40lbs without a whole lot of effort (gained the holiday 10, but that is almost officially off too). I am 35 and don't want to wait until I am 45. I went into my surgical consult last month convinced to get the band. However, they seemed real keen on the VSG and saying without saying not so much on the band. So I have been reading both. I am fat, but I have no health problems related to weight. My blood pressure is good (105-117/65-80 on average). My cholesterol is good, triglycerides are good, my HDL is good. My blood sugar is excellent and no diabetes in the family. I am able to stick to a diet for awhile, but when I go off, I go off and then have big motivation problems getting back on. I do best on a high Protein, low carb diet so this sounds like a good match. My tendency is to be very black and white in my eating patterns. If I am not on a diet, then I am being "bad" and if I am at a restaraunt, then I order what I want to eat. I am trying again to reroute my mind into middle ground that yes I can have Cookies, but that doesn't mean because I had cookies, I need to eat chips to round out the badness. I can just have the cookies and still be good. So I am *working* hard on changing my thought patterns. I was normal sized up until my early 20s when I was first put on birth control pills. I had a slight weight gain then. But then they changed my pills and I ballooned up. Combine rapid weight gain with a "damn I'm gross, eff it I'm eating Burger King morning, noon, and night!" attitude after I gained about 60lbs in about 6 months or so, I continued to pack on the pounds year after year. From my lowest weight of 118, my old "set point" of 125, to at my highest recorded of 252. OMG. So basically, there are many elements of this surgery that I like. I like that after time you can still eat all of your favorite stuff, just a few bites instead of a full serving or two. I like that there is no foreign body to have to work around or ports to get infected or the nearly 100% chance the band will have to come out within the next 5-10 years. What I don't like is the lack of long term data. What happens to me in 10, 20, 30 years? Will long term nutritional deficiences cause me problems? Is this surgery going to shorten my life? Because it can. There is absolutely no guarantee being fat will since we have some chunkers in my family who have lived to ripe old ages (although I would need to lose and keep off about another 30-40lbs in order to be where they were). I also don't like that it is permanant and that if anything goes wrong with the staple line, or my stomach explodes, I am stuck in some sort of bypass situation which is something I DO NOT want. In fact that is my biggest fear. The other part of the permanent thing is the lack of control. I can't get my stomach back but a band can be removed. So I am still in the driver's seat. I am also a bit scared of the rapid weight loss. I'd prefer to lose a steady 5-10lbs/month than huge 30lbs drops that I am seeing on the boards. Crazy, I know! But I am weird :tongue2: The VBG was popular and people who were a few years out raved about it. But it is now considered a very dangerous surgery by the AMA according to the wiki. Liver and kidney failure were common with that one. Bypass patients seem to end up with heart attacks. I know it may sound dramatic but it is very real to me trying to make this decision. Many of the people posting on this board had serious weight related health issues and mobility issues, so the choice is much easier to make, at least in my mind. Hands down, if I had diabetes, could barely walk, and/or was on a million pills a day to keep me alive, I would do it ini a heartbeat. But was anyone healthy but fat and made this choice? What brought you to the decision?

I am 42 years old and been married for 8 years this feb.21, 2012. i have two 16 yr old girls and a 7 yr old girl. my wife had a D.S Switch in 2001 and has lost 200 pounds and has kept them off all these years with the ocasional 20-30 pounds of up and down. she kept telling me to have it but i did not want 2 and kept telling her i could do it myself. in 2003 we lost our daughter at 20 weeks and it was very hard on me to anything but sad and this went on for about 2 1/2 years. after losing the baby we decided to take the family on a vacation to yosemite and i decided this would be the time to make a change in my life so i started the atkins diet in august 1 week before our trip and did very well on it. after three weeks we came home i was sixteen pounds lighter but still had that cloud over my head but kept going and lost a total of 44lbs. by december 03. we also found out my wife was pregnant and was 5 weeks so they put her on complete bed rest for the rest of the duration so the diet came to a stop and the weight came back because i was more worried about her then the weight loss. after the birth of our daughter weight went up and down till she had her seventh birthday and one day said you know daddy your fat and well i smiled and thought i need a change so went for my physical and ask for a referal. i got a call in sept. 2011 and started my diet so when i started class i was 305.6 lbs. and i tell you after my first options class at downey kaiser i knew this was the right move. i came back every thursday and averaged 5-6 lbs a week, by week 8 i lost my 10% and after the final class was down 50 lbs. saw my bariatric surgeon DR. MUN on the 23 of jan. he was so impressed because by the day we talked i was 260.4 and was told that the ave. weight gain over the holidays was 3-5 lbs. so he set up my surgery for Feb. 1, 2011 and was weighed one last time and was 241 lbs.so he was really happy. was in my room by 6 p.m. and walking by 10 p.m. and felt so good. he let me know i was his new model as he should me the pictures of my sleeve and how good my liver looked. so if you ever go to the kaiser at harbor city and get DR. MUN for a surgeon he'll show you my surgery pictures. i am 9 days out lost a total of 70.5 pounds and just feel like my life just started over and well i love life again. ONE OF THE BEST CHOICES I MADE :biggrinjester:

Had my surgery on Jan 30 and it's been a success so far in that I never had vomiting or nausea, have been able to get in all fluids, Vitamins and Protein every day. I'm not losing as quickly as I'd hoped, but I'm putting some of that on being pre-menstrual (I hope). My worry right now is my brain. Ever since my surgery, I have nothing but horrific, mind-bending nightmares and even a few terrors where I wake up in a panic. A few mornings, I've woken up not sure where I was or what day it is. They are like nothing I've ever had before!! And believe me, I've had some nutty dreams in the past. They are the kind that stay with you all day and mess with my mind, I know I'm depressed. Usually going for walks and taking showers helps for a little bit, but I do not feel like my normal self at all. On top of that, I'm worried about my marriage. I'm wondering if anyone else had this problem? My husband is a fit, athletic, great guy with a kick-butt metabolism. He's never been over 165 his whole life. He can eat whatever he wants. A big part of my weight gain happened the year we moved in together. He's been nothing but sensitive, giving, loving and extrememly supportive about my surgery. Dotes on my every need and is my biggest cheerleader when I come home from walking or finish a shake. I love him like crazy. But since the surgery, we're not really talking much. Seems we used to do a lot of that over cooking great dinners, or going out to restaurants and talking about the amazing food. Now, we're in a slump of him making all his own dinners and I sit there next to him with my broth/protein. Plus, we can't be physically close because of how sore I am in so many places. It really feels like we're drifting apart. I miss him, I miss what we used to have and I'm worried we'll never get it back.

Ooh, Kelly, I'm with you in hoping you're not allergic to dairy! I'm a cheese girl, too, even more than ever now, since sleevie doesn't like most meats or eggs. Globe, I really think you should contact your doctor. Something's off, and it's not something you're doing, as far as I can read. Sounds like you're doing exactly what you should with your diet, and you exercise a LOT, in my opinion. Seems like you're burning more calories than you take in, so I'm really puzzled about the weight gain. So strange! But definitely check with your doc and keep us posted! So the last few days I've been kind of overdoing the carbs, even for me (I've never really restricted carbs because of the pickiness of my sleeve). I'm going to get back on a more "normal" diet for me--I'm thinking I'm going to up my salad veggies, lower my chips/crackers and cheese, and up my shrimp. I'm also going to try chicken again--maybe a bite or two with some salad, just to see. I tried turkey on Monday and it was rather emphatically rejected by my sleeve, but I really want to find a good animal Protein source that I can rely on besides shrimp. Need the Iron and protein!

Yes, extreme indeed. I couldn't keep my own saliva down. I think that was the worst. If it was just or even if it was just water maybe my night wouldn't have been soooo horrible. But OMG -- you can't stop your body from producting spit. LOL, I was getting creative to make it through the night. Trying to spit out any saliva before it escaped down my throat. Of course, saliva is not only produce in your mouth so my attempts for futile and the foam just kept coming. and coming ... Yes, I'm glad that I had an unfill. I'm not worried about weight gain ... That's the least of my worries. Just happy to be healthy, pain, and foam free. Honestly, after the horrible experience -- these 3 days of liquids only have been the equivalent of eating a steak dinner to me .. I'm happy as can be and hope I never have the experience of an overfill again ....

Congratulations! and welcome to The Losers Bench! It is a great feeling. Glad to hear that you aren't having a lot of pain. If the Iso Pure is bothering you, try a diffferent kind. I like Unjury in the chocolate flavor. It tastes just like chocolate milk to me (I mix it with milk!). Take care of yourself. Get lots of rest. And don't be discouraged by the weight gain. The fluid will be gone soon and you will start to notice the weight loss! Again. Congratulations! Kathy D

After momths and momths of research, attending support groups, 3 seminars, etc, I told my best friend I decided to have lapband. She knew I was doing all this research and yet her response to me was " so you're going to take the easy way out". I was stu ned by her reaction. She has seen my weight gain, we work out hard everyday together and we are constantly supporting each other.....until that remark. I was very sad and hurt and decided then that I would not discuss my surgery with her anymore. My reply to her ignorance was to say: actually, this is the hardest decision in my life (im 57!). I will subject myself to surgery, have 5 holes drilled in my stomach, change my eating habits forever, give up bread, smash my meds everyday because they wont go down easy, commit to some meds for the rest of my life, possibly have temporary hair loss, awful stuck episodes, etc, in hope of weight loss to relieve my joint pain, ward off diabetes and feel human again... After all of that she admitted that she is jealous that I will be losing weight and she didnt want me thinner than her. OK, that I can understand. Just dont tell me Im taking the easy way out when you dont know a thing about it!

Alana, I am 8 months post op, and down 100 pounds. Everyday I struggle with the thought that I might gain it back. I am scared to death that I might gain. And somehow, my old friend--- food--- always pops up to comfort me. I struggle not to eat junk food when I am worried about weight gain. Doesn't make sense does it? I am trying so hard to break the habit of turning to food when I am stressed. It is a life long habit, and SO hard to break!!! I was 258 pounds at my highest. I am now 158 or 159 depending on the day. But some days I actually go up to 160 or 161. Those are the days it is hardest to stay away from the foods that have always comforted me. I tell myself over and over that I shouldn't eat ___________ (you fill in the blanks, it might be Twinkies, HO-HOs, mashed potatoes, ice cream, etc. But for sure it is a comfort food.) But somedays I just can't stop myself. It makes me worry about my long term success. Every one says how well I have done, but they don't know I am scared spitless that I might wreck it and eat my way back up to 250+ pounds. The main reason I continue to frequent this forum is that it helps me keep my determination to stay where I am and continue to lose. I am so thankful for the wonderful people here who encourage me to keep on this path I started in June. Best of luck on yur journey!

I was started on a new med that says it may cause weight gain. I've been on it 3 weeks. Anyway, I'm eating 1300 calories a day. 70 grams of Protein, 14-16 grams of Fiber and less than 100 carbs a day and I'm jogging 30 minutes 3 times per week and I've gained 2 pounds. I know that doesn't sound like much to some of you but I need to get a handle on it before it's 5 pounds, 7 pounds, 10 pounds. Ideas on what to change up? I'm 150 and I'm trying to get to 135.

BACK WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE, WE DIDN'T HAVE APPS FOR OUR CELL PHONES!!!! LOL I'm in a funny (ha ha funny mood today) which made me think about technology has helped me as a bandster, and I have to thank my dirty little secret... fat secret that is Not only is it a FREE app for your phone, but it also is online as well, and it links your accounts. Where my office is, I have no cell reception. But, being the sometimes good bandster that I am, the food that I'm eating is already recorded on my app, but for example if I don't eat something, I can go on my computer, log into my account on fatsecret.com and update the food for that day, then when I do have cell phone service and check the app it's updated. Sooo freaking cool! I swear this is not an advertisement they are def not paying me to promote the app. Let's see I weighed myself this morning, gained 4 lbs, but down 2 lbs since Monday so I'm blaming Aunt Flo for the 4lb weight gain she is such a pain! Went to the gym last night for only a half hour, but I have to say that usually when it is my TOM I don't want to go to the gym at all. Today I'll go for 35 minutes, Thursday 40 minutes and Friday 45 minutes. Also just received my Keurig brewer for my office in the mail yesterday, I'll bring it in Friday (I take the train to work and the train is least crowded on Friday). I usually need that ONE cup of coffee around 3pm to get through the rest of the day. I already brought in my mug, a teaspoon, and non dairy creamer. Tomorrow I'll bring in some K-cups. As a bandster I thought it would be good, because after every fill, I'm on liquids for one full day, so I can bring in some cup of soups and use the Keurig to heat up the water for it! I realized last night that changing jobs has helped me be a good bandster. My old job required me to have such a sporadic schedule that sometimes I would only have a few minutes (literally 5) to eat lunch. The job I have now I'm so independent, that at 9am, I stop whatever I'm doing have my breakfast and at 2pm stop everything again and have my lunch. Sometimes a life change will change your health too. Now I'm not recommending everyone leave their jobs for something else. I did it for the independence, the stable hours (M-F 8-4:30) and the flexibility for time off. And I love every minute of it! Well enough blabbing for today. To people that read this, I'm going to start asking you questions for input....when you work out and start to do weight training, how do you find what's best for you? Do you hire a trainer? Go online? Or just wing it?

The band is designed to work best with solid food. Things such as meat, chicken , fish, vegetables etc. These do not break down too easily and pass through the band slower therefore increasing the amount of time until you get hungry again. If you have too much Fluid in your band it becomes very difficult and uncomfortable to eat foods such as these so generally a person will start eating foods that go down easier.Foods that are liquid, smooth, dissolve in the mouth etc. These are termed sliders as they go down easily.Think chocolate, biscuits(cookies), crackers, nuts, custard, icecream, mushy foods etc. As well as going down easily they are generally high calorie and they do not satisfy you for very long. What happens is a vicious circle. The person thinks they are not tight enough so they go for fill after fill after fill. They are able to eat less solid foods and they eat more sliders. The person still feels hungry between meals and they are gaining or not losing weight so they think they need another fill and so the problem gets worse. Too tight leads to weight gain, reflux, slips, erosions and all sorts of problems. A lot of the reason that people get too tight is because they are chasing a mythical "sweet spot" or "restriction" . They have read about it many times and think that just 1 more fill will put them in that magical place where they can eat next to nothing and never be hungry and never want chocolate. That place doesn't exist. Each fill makes a difference. Some great, some slight. It is important to recognise and work with each one. HTH and that I haven't confused you too much

Being too tight will often lead people to eat more high calorie slider foods which is what is responsible for weight gains. It is often the high calorie foods that slip past a tight band.. and if u are too restricted u are hungry and often desperate to get some form of food inside you ... Plenty of threads on the forum about people unable to eat protein but can eat pizza and burgers and all the other junk food

@Elcee.....how does being too tight lead to weight gain? Thank you.

Most of the issues you are having with the band you would probably have had with the sleeve as well. Try going onto the sleeve board and reading some of the threads there - life isn't always greener on the other side. Would you have felt ashamed if you had needed a kidney transplant because your kidneys weren't working properly? No, then don't feel ashamed that you neede WLS because your hunger control mechanism wasn't working properly. You might feel that you could have lost 60lb without the band but I bet that you couldn't have lost that and kept it off. If you could have done then you would have done. Stop being so down on yourself. Instead of looking at the glass as being half empty see that it is half full. And most importantly make sure that YOU ARE WORKING THE BAND and not expecting it to do all the work. You should not have a band that is so tight that it restricts your diet. Ideally a well adjusted band should mean that you are able to eat most foods but less of them and not get hungry soon afterwards. Being too tight leads to weight gain, slips and other issues.

Like it's been stated, this is your decision. Don't forget that there are also negatives about the sleeve: higher complications, longer recovery time, possibility of weight gain after the body learns how to reabsorb things. Have you thought about the Iband? It's a procedure where they take the stomach and suture it into the shape of the sleeve without removing the stomach portion, and then a band is placed at the top. From what I've read, this lowers the risk of slippage with the band due to the stomach shape and also requires less maintenance/fills because the plication of the stomach only allows for so much to be held. The negatives of the lapband are easily found too: hard to eat breads/rice/pastas, fibrous veggies, some leaner meats. You must go in for regular visits with the Dr. to get fills and check ups. You may get a leak, a flipped port, an erosion, or a slip. Recovery time is a lot less than the other WLS because you are not getting anything cut or rerouted. I just look at it like this: if any of the above complications occur with the band and prove it to be a tool I cannot use, I can always petition to insurance to have a revisional procedure. But, if it does work as planned, I have my whole anatomy and I lose weight. And, maybe in the future they will have developed an even better way to lose/maintain weight and I can upgrade then. Just really analyze the pros/cons of both.

Discrimination and hatred of fat, obese, overweight (whatever you want to call it) is extremely rampant. I really wish they would add it as a criteria to the Disabilities Act. I was FIRED from my last job for being overweight. No I'm not being dramatic -- I have physical WRITTEN proof that my boss' boss did not think I "fit in with the look and feel" of the rest of the team. Granted, it was with an athletic-centered company. I used to be very athletic pre-accident/injury and weight gain, so a majory of my resume speaks to working in that industry. But since most people have known me for 10-15+ years, they knew who I used to be, who I am on the inside, and generally never bothered them. It was the best job I'd had in years, I was so happy. Then they hired this jack*** who had a real problem with not just weight but women in general who were of "childbearing years." It was a bloodbath how many good people he got fired. However, this story has a happy ending: His *** was FIRED for being a disappointment just a few weeks ago. He barely lasted 8 months with the company!! Also, I've had to unfriend a number of people on FB because they will make frequent posts poking fun at overweight people. Do not need that in my life!! I honestly feel really sad for them and feel like it's their own fears or worries to not love themselves if they ever got above 20BMI. I had a boyfriend about 10 years ago when I was 140lbs and our relationship started online. I NEVER lied about my weight, showed recent pics, etc. but he always talked about how he was concerned about a woman "gaining weight after marriage and having kids." Red flad #1. When we finally met, his face showed his disappointment. Mind you, I was very athletic and very large chested. A majority of that weight was in my legs (cyclist) and in my bra. Yet, he seemed to think I needed to be about 110lbs. That's what his former girlfriend was. Granted that relationship sunk faster than the Titanic and I have THE WORLD'S BEST HUSBAND now! Just like there are racists, sexists, etc. - there are these people. Just pray for them and hope they'll find a way to cope with being perpetually disappointed. I wish your fiance could let him know people can SUE and WIN for that type of discrimination, so he should watch his back!

I think you're right, I don't know why I weighed myself, I think it was to teach myself a lesson that I can't slack off no matter what. I really am attributing the weight gain (most of it) to the TOM, darnit! Thank you for your support as well

Here is a study that did something similar, Banded sleeve gastrectomy--initial experience. Alexander JW, Martin Hawver LR, Goodman HR. Source Center for Surgical Weight Loss, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA. jwesley.alexander@uc.edu Abstract BACKGROUND: Isolated sleeve gastrectomy is being used with increasing frequency for the treatment of morbid obesity. This study was done to determine the potential benefit of placing a band of processed human dermis around the upper portion of a sleeve gastrectomy to prevent late dilatation and weight gain. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients underwent a sleeve gastrectomy followed by placement of a band of biological tissue (AlloDerm) placed 6 cm from the gastroesophageal junction. The results were compared to 54 patients with a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (GBP), matched for sex, age, and initial body mass index. RESULTS: All 27 patients had improvement or resolution of their diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and sleep apnea after banded sleeve gastrectomy (BSG) similar to the control GBP group. There were no deaths, but one patient had a pulmonary embolus and another had a presumed leak. Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease generally improved. Overall, results were almost identical to patients with GBP. CONCLUSIONS: BSG provides results comparable to GBP in the short-term follow-up, but avoids potential long-term complications including internal hernias, postoperative bowel obstructions, anastomotic complications of the jejunojejunostomy, hypoglycemia, bacterial overgrowth, and a spectrum of malabsorptive problems. While this study documents the feasibility and possible benefits of this modification, prospective controlled studies with long-term follow-up are needed to establish its place in procedures for surgical weight loss.

YES ... i still have this problem 6 months out ... nothing taste the same anymore... I just look at it this way- Food is Fuel for my body and so I eat what I need to keep it running properly. Don't get me wrong I do treat myself every now and then to foods that really taste good- I like to think of this as Premuim Fuel and I don't do it all the time just because Premuim usually comes at a higher price JUST LIKE GAS ... The higher priced Premuim usually equal to weight gain or more time at the gym... either way- I HATE THE COST... #STICKING2REG(most day LOL!!! )

I have heard many people on this board getting so upset about weight gain and lack of weight loss. And don't get me wrong, I completely understand. I have gotten on the scale myself and had that sinking feeling in my stomach when I saw the number. I have wanted to scream and cry when I saw the number go up. Trust me, I understand. But there is something that I was missing, and that was Godly love. I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was four years old. I don't remember if I even understood what that meant at the time, but it was what the grown-ups wanted from me, so I did it. I went to church with my mom until my pre-teen years. But then things started to fall apart in our family and we all lost our way. I don't want to get into it all right now, but there were many things that happened that were emotionally painful, and I felt like God had turned his back on me. I felt lost and abandoned. So I gave into the world's way of living, doing basically whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I still felt like I was a good person, and I believed in God, but felt like he didn't want much to do with me. After years of living this way, I noticed that He was showing up in my life more and more. Little things that would happen, little comments that people would make. I felt the need to go back to Him, but I didn't. I thought that after all of the bad things I had done, all the commandments I had broken, that there would never be a church that would accept me. After all, you can't be a Christian without going to church, right? But God kept insisting, kept calling me. Eventually I went out and bought myself a Bible and started to read. It took me a while, but it finally dawned on me that I didn't have to go to church to be a Christian again. I didn't need other people to accept me to be a Christian. I didn't have to be perfect. I didn't have to have a perfect past. Jesus did most of His work among the people who the church considered "undesirable," like prostitutes and tax collectors. If Jesus could accept them and love them, maybe He could love me too. Several months later, I was watching a television show on Daystar network, a Christian station. The woman who was speaking was talking about God's love. She said something that changed the way I looked at myself forever. "God loves you just the way you are," she said (paraphrasing.) "You don't have to lose ten pounds, you don't have to do anything different for him to love you." The woman was Joyce Meyer, and I have watched her regularly ever since. But that message really opened my eyes. It's really true. God loves you exactly the way you are right at this very moment. He loves you just as much as he loves anyone else. You are His child, and he made you knowing that you would be just who you are right now. He knew you would do everything you have ever done, good and bad, and he loved you just the same. When you feel the most unloveable, He still loves you just as much as He ever did. Even if you don't believe in Him, He still loves you! How wonderful! If you take anything at all from this blog, I want you to know that you are loved. You are loved more than you know, more than you could ever believe possible. And this love is not dependent on how much weight you lose, what kind of clothes you wear, or even how you act. You are loved simply because you exist, and you are important simply because you were born. God does not do things by mistake, and He would not waste time creating something that He was not proud of. It is important to take care of your body and make sure that you stay healthy, because our bodies are our home until we are done with our journey on the earth, but your weight is not everything. It is part of you, but not the thing that defines you. Even if you never reach your goal weight, God sees you for the beautiful creation that you are. And I hope that you do too.

I am feeling really good. I had a lot of second thoughts at first. I canceled my first appt. and everything. I am just so sick of being fat and tired. I have a gorgeous husband and two handsome sons and I just feel out of place. My husband is supportive but, says he loves me no matter what. I know that is sweet but, I need to do this for me. I have a really bad back and I take some serious pain meds which probably helped with the weight gain. I work full time and honestly I don't know how I do it sometimes. I am 207.5lbs but, on a 5'0 frame. I feel so terrible. I fell like a 4x4 (hahahaha). I want me back and I am willing to do this to get me back. I know it is scary and I am not telling many about this. If they notice I am losing weight, I am going to say thanks and go about my merry way. My work people do not need to know, I don't need any judgements. Most we tell are like you are not big enough or you will just gain it all back, or my favorite, I heard someone died of complications of that surgery.....I will just keep it to myself for now. Did I hear you say you were going to Mexico? Tell me about that and I would also like to hear more about you......nice to have a pal on here. Thanks for posting.......Heather

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.