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Hi, thanks so much for the reply. My clothes are what scared me, they are not looser at all. That was my first freak out, then the acne and then the weight gain.

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.

Well, let me tell you, as someone who uses the brand name Canadian version of your medication, Cipralex, that's exactly why. If you can get the generic of escitalopram, generally cheaper (especially if your insurance doesn't cover all of it), it tends to have the same potency. The apnea induces anxiety and panic attacks associated with obstructed breathing. These mimic a few symptoms of a heart attack, but rest assured, if your EKG is showing normal (make sure you get the long version of one if they didn't do that) your heart is fine.. for now. In the short term, apnea won't cause any problems with the heart, but over time the oxygen deprivation (even seconds of it is a shock to the body, hence the reaction) will cause significant heart damage, especially of the left side. So, your apnea goals.. the average person has 5 or less apneas per hour. In order to be on a CPAP I would hope you had a sleep study done. In my case, I had 55 apneas per hour. That's bad. My Fitbit watch also revealed this in "interrupted sleep" patterns. I will point out I'm not a doctor and cannot substitute for doctors advice, but as someone who suffers the same as you, I will give my advice as follows: Short term: - Use your CPAP - If you're a back sleeper, as I was before my weight gain, try sleeping on your side.. I personally find the right side easier on both apneas and anxiety attacks. - Elevation Long term: - Get your weight down, obesity causes this, you're doing great.. keep going - If normalizing your weight doesn't help obstruction, surgery on your airway to remove the obstruction should resolve - Given it's clinical significance toward preventing heart attacks in the long term, make sure your family doctors, physicians, and specialists related to this are aggressive in treating it as the underlying causes are treated A good idea to stay on the escitalopram until your apnea resolves. Its nothing to be terribly worried about as it's being treated.. just keep up the weight loss.

stop looking at the scale for the next week at the very least. you shouldn't be weighing at all the first month. your body has had a shock and it will just go up and down. you will settle in eventually and the weight will come off. really, lock the scale up and have someone hide the key until you are out of the mushy phase and onto solid foods. this weight gain is totally normal.

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

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.

hi Shadow well I have been banded since July of 09 and haven't lost much weight at all. I have never felt restriction and have recently hit rock bottom. So there I was looking up at my horse So me and Bandie decided to get back on track I began to exercise like crazy, drink plenty of water and make careful desicions. And then it happened my kids were driving me nuts and I woke up the next morning with my stomach in knots. Was this restriction I thought. I couldn't eat a thing and when I drank I felt nauseous. I called my doc who told me to come in for an unfill. It was a week to the day that I had my 5th fill. And sudennly after my unfill things began to kinda feel right I started to feel something and get an overall attitude that wasn't there before. Was this what I needed maybe an unfill can solve my weight gain maybe staying connected to my bandsters thru fb is a very important part of my journey. I wont be the same girl I was last yr. because somehow this unfill has given me a different feeling and a whole new attitude!

So far, so good. I woke up this morning and, as usual, weighed first thing. All but 2 tenths of the vacation weight gain had melted away...yay!! I was able to get up a little later than normal because I'm staying home this morning while I wait for my new chair. I attached a picture. It is a little wild, but the rest of my room is kind of plain so I'm hoping it looks good! Anyway, I went for my run. It took me 27 minutes to run 1.75 miles. Since I would like to run my 5K on Saturday in 45 minutes, I'm off the pace. This morning's pace is more like my Labor Day run pace. So, yay for doing it, but boo for not improving much. The whole first mile, I kept thinking that there would be no way I could do this tomorrow. I just hurt too much. But as soon as I was done, I was totally planning to do it again. Ha! No pain, no gain! :thumbup: I have just over 9 pounds to lose by Thanksgiving, so I have to keep at it. Yesterday, I did well with my calories and I was proud of my choices. I really wanted some ice cream last night, but I refrained! It's the little things that make me happy. So, my run is Saturday and it is Halloween weekend. I have a Halloween shirt and some devil horns, but I was hoping to find something more. I bought a pair of "one size fits most" halloween tights last weekend, but they were too small. I will keep them for next year! I would like to find something like that though. Have a great day everyone!!

I have really been thinking alot lately due to a very good friend of mine having her fill all removed due to slippage. She now has to have her band removed. In the time since the fill was removed she has put on around 30lbs in about 2 months. I see alot of people struggle with the same problem. What scares me is that we get the band, get to goal or are working on it and then something happens and we lose our band or fill. Is it just inevitable that we are going to put all our weight back on because we cant continue to eat the small amounts we did banded on our own. I know there is no way I could live on the amount I do without my band. I know I am worrying about something that hasnt even happened and may not ever happen, but I like to think through the "what ifs". "What if" you lost your band...I think I would be back up to nearly 300lbs in 6 mths....*sigh* but outloud I say "I will never allow myself to get that big again, I cant"...I just cant go back to that...the thought scares the crap out of me enough to really put a dampener on my day. This post really doesnt require an answer, I am just thinking outloud and sharing my paranoid thoughts. I really think I have come to the conclusion in my mind that i will slip, its just a matter of when. I cant get a grip on the fact that my life will not be led fat and depressed. I have a right to be happy like I am now...I really do, why cant I just accept that? This university course really has me doing some major thinking. :eek:

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

Hi everyone...Just wanted to let you guys know that tomorrow is the start of my journey, and can't wait!! I love reading all of the post on the site of all the succes that everyone has had since surgery, I just hope that I can add to the succes! A little about me...My name is Jason from New Orleans. I have high BP...sleep apnea...I just turned 40 in August, and my wife and I just had our first child (Logan) in July! If that is not enough motivation to do something about your healt/weight, then I don't know what is!! In high school I was a little runt and did everything I could to gain weight, and I think all those weight gainer shakes caught up with me!! LOL! After high school I went into the Marine Corps weighing 160lbs and 4yrs later when I got out I was weighing about 195lbs. I would say that that weight gain was more toned muscle, rater than extra weight, but...from that time until now I have put on weight. My highest weight was around 270lbs and was at the begining of 2011 at that time, I had came to the realization that I was just a "big guy" and kinda excepted my weight. Well since that time I brought a child into the world and I realized, that I have to be here for him!! Not only will I be an "older" parent, but I was fat and unhealthy and really needed to do something about it. That is the time I started getting serious about weight lose. Being that my wife has had WLS, she was very supportive of my decision to look into the Sleeve. She was not familiar with the sleeve but after asking her Dr. about it, her mind was put at ease. At my first visit in Aug. I weighed 266lbs with a BMI of 38,but because I have high blood pressure and slep apnea, the Dr. thought that I would make a good canidate for the sleeve even with a BMI below 40. Since that first visit it has all moved very quick, because I am a self pay patient I did not have to deal with insurance companies. Which brings me to now...my "Surgery Eve" I guess you could say. I only had to do my liquid pre-op diet for a week, and all I can say is wow!! Definatley a enlightining experience!! I am ready for tomorrow to get here, so I can get started! So....at 6:30am tommorow my journey will begin! I am looking forward to getting to know some of you and being able to share my progress with!

I am very sad for her because I have been there; not winning Biggest Loser but gaining back weight that I worked so hard to lose and the shame and embarrassment associated with that. Wonder if Dr. Huizenga will stop judging those of us who choose WLS and stop thinking we are taking the easy way out. Since Ali Vincent became the first woman to win “The Biggest Loser,” she has battled ups and downs — and struggled on the scale. After shedding 112 pounds to win the show in 2008, Vincent says she has gained back most of the weight she fought so hard to lose, nearly returning to her pre-“Biggest Loser” weight of 234 pounds. Her struggles, she revealed, have made her ashamed. “When I struggle I shut down, I feel alone, I push people away, I hide, I sleep all day, I eat, I try to feel satisfied and comforted but do nothing to allow true satisfaction or comfort.” Vincent became a celebrity during “The Biggest Loser’s” fifth season, when the 5-foot-5 champion walked away from the competition 112 pounds thinner. “I have had successes and I have had major losses,” she wrote on Facebook last week. “I have gone from feeling alone to having thousands of people reach out with support. I have experienced ultimate highs that I could have never dreamed of as well as nightmares I wouldn’t wish on an enemy. Quite frankly some of them have gotten the better of me and I have struggled. But the next year, she told NBC’s “Today” that she already was apprehensive about regaining the weight, explaining that she was worried that she would put the pounds back on unless she spent every spare minute at the gym. She said she continued to use her BodyBugg, a calorie-management system that the contestants wore on their arms, and threw away all of the junk food in her home. “I childproofed my life,” she told “Today” in 2009. “I don’t want to leave anything to guesswork when I have the tools not to.” But the weight started to creep back on anyway. Vincent recently appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN series “Where Are They Now?” and talked about a low point several months ago, when she was slammed with comments about her weight during a Facebook Live chat. “I really started hiding after that,” she said. On April 15, the eighth anniversary of her victory, she didn’t get out of bed, Vincent said. “I was ashamed,” she said. “I was just ashamed. I was embarrassed. It was a low point. It was probably my lowest point. I won ‘The Biggest Loser.’ I was the first female to win ‘The Biggest Loser.’ Like, I’m Ali Vincent. I’m supposed to be strong. I’m supposed to know how to do this – I do know how to do it.” Vincent said she realized that she was headed in a dangerous direction. “If I keep going in the direction I’m going,” she said, “I don’t know if I’ll ever come back. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to have the strength to do something different.” Then, Vincent said, on April 16, she did “one of the hardest things in my life.” She decided to lose the weight — again — and announced publicly that she has joined Weight Watchers. “I swore I would never be there again, be here again,” she wrote on Facebook. “I couldn’t imagine a day again that I would weigh over 200 pounds. I feel ashamed. I feel embarrassed. I feel overwhelmed. I feel like failure.” Vincent is chronicling her latest weight-loss efforts online. Weight Watchers,which is partially owned by Winfrey, said Vincent is a not a paid spokesperson. “I’ve decided to feel proud of myself again,” she wrote. “To hell with shame. I’ve been so afraid and worried of public shame and ridicule that I’ve created more pain for myself than anyone else can but not anymore. “I know there is going to be a lot of faking it until I make it on the proud front but I’m starting with taking action.” http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/%E2%80%98i-feel-embarrassed%E2%80%99-a-%E2%80%98biggest-loser%E2%80%99-winner-confesses-her-weight-gain-shame/ar-BBsq9yz?li=BBnb2gh

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.

So sorry you are freaking out. I have had the exact same experience. I started at 320. Came down to 240. And stopped. And stayed stop. And gained. And freaked. You probably will stay around a weight point. I have. Then I reviewed my program. Congratulations for weighing food and sticking to 3 meals plus one. When I reviewed I had stopped weighing and was snacking often, . I also never got 'into' exercising. I've started that now and the weight gain has stopped and the scale is moving down. Reevaluate. Try not to freak too much. Take a deep breath. Acknowledge you have a unique body. Enjoy the trip! Good luck.

I don't know what else to do, my weight keeps going up regardless of working out daily and counting calories. My insurance doesn't cover WLS so we're thinking going to Mexico. Has anyone with pcos and constant weight gains has success with the sleeve? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Weight loss surgery is challenging at any time of the year. The weight loss surgery diet is strict, and following it takes a lot of discipline and planning. Acquaintances and close friends alike may make comments about your weight loss and appearance. People who don’t know the first thing about weight loss surgery may not be shy about sharing their opinions of it. This can all get more intense around the holidays. You need even more discipline and planning when there are holiday treats everywhere you turn. People may notice your weight loss even more because you may see them only once a year. And the ones who share their negative opinions of weight loss surgery may be your relatives. It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture and get down on yourself during this season. But you’ll get through it, and come out on the other side ready to keep losing weight and following a healthy lifestyle. Staying positive helps. Here are some of the barriers you might come across, and how you can try to overcome them and stay positive. Comments from Other People Regarding Your Weight or Weight Loss Surgery You probably get some comments all year. People may notice your weight loss, or want to talk about your weight loss surgery once they find out about it. But during the holidays, this can get nearly unbearable. The people noticing your weight loss may be friends or family who are in town only once a year, and haven’t seen you since last year. They can be shocked at, proud of, or jealous of your weight loss, and any of these reactions can be uncomfortable if you’re not the type to enjoy attention. The other set of comments you might get include comments on your weight loss surgery. Almost every bariatric surgery patient has heard some unfair things about bariatric surgery, such as people saying that it’s “cheating.” What makes them worse now is when they come from family members. These comments can get you down. You may start to feel self-conscious about your body. You may feel defensive about your decisions. The negative feelings can wear you down. What to do about it. You have a few different options here. First, try talking to the people who are making the comments. For example, tell them: “Thank you for complimenting me on my weight loss. I appreciate it, but it makes me feel self-conscious. Do you mind not mentioning it, especially in front of other people?” “Thank you for your concern over my weight, but I think I’m doing okay. I’m working closely with my doctor and surgeon, and they both agree that I still have a few pounds to lose.” “I wish weight loss surgery were a magic solution, but it’s actually not. Would you like to hear about how it works and what I have to do to lose weight? Until you tell them directly, people may honestly not realize that it bothers you to hear comments about your weight. They may not know that weight loss surgery isn’t magic, and that you really do work hard every single day to lose weight and stay healthy. Talking won’t solve every problem. The next step is to prepare for the comments. If you know they’re coming, you can put up your guard mentally so they don’t get a reaction out of you or make you feel bad or defensive. You can also recruit a few allies, such as close friends, your spouse, or your parents. Ask them to stick with you at parties and gatherings so they can change the subject if your weight loss or weight loss surgery come up. Feeling Guilty. You go to a party. You eat a bit of this and a little of that, and then find yourself in the bathroom with dumping syndrome. Or you sneak in a treat here and a taste there, and at your weekly weigh-in, you find that you’ve gained weight. Bad eating and weight gain happen all the time during the holidays, and they can make you feel guilty. The problem is that guilt isn’t usually very productive. It’s more likely to drag you into a vicious cycle of overeating, feeling guilty, and overeating. What to do about it. First, forgive yourself. You can’t work with yourself if you’re mad at yourself. Admit you did something you’re not proud of, then accept your apology to yourself. It’s time to move on. Next, focus on the future. You can’t change the past, but you can shape the future. Recognize that you feel guilty, figure out why you have been making poor choices, and think of what you can do to do better next time. Log every bite, good or bad. Something as simple as keeping an honest record of what you eat is enough to stop you from taking that extra bite. Predict problems, and avoid them. If you know you can’t pass up fudge, don’t walk by the candy shop with free samples in the mall. Plan ahead. Take a salad, some chicken skewers, or a basket of mandarin oranges to your next holiday party so you can be sure there will be healthy food to eat. Feeling Deprived. The holidays are filled with delicious food. There’s candy at work, Christmas cookies from your neighbors, egg nog and finger foods at parties, and feasts with family. The problem is, you can’t have any of it. At least, you can’t eat the way you could before weight loss surgery. You’re limited to a few bites of certain treats. It’s easy to feel deprived. Your feelings can be even worse if you feel sorry for yourself for “needing” to work out, especially if you’re getting up early or staying up late to squeeze in a workout. The solution. This one’s not easy, but you can make it a lot better by changing your attitude. First, know that you’re not alone. Everyone feels that way. Don’t believe it? Go up to the most fit-looking person you know and ask. They will tell you that they are tempted by the holiday food, and they work very hard not to overeat. They’ll also tell you that they have to work to make exercise a priority during this busy season. Next, try to think about what you’ve gained by changing your lifestyle, and not about what you’ve lost. Sure, you can’t eat frosted cinnamon rolls anymore because they’ll give you an obstruction or dumping syndrome, but you can keep up with your friends at the mall. Or, you can’t drink spiked eggnog at Christmas parties, but you can fit into a flattering dress or suit to wear to the party. The holidays are about celebrating, being grateful, and appreciating friends and family, but you’re not alone if you find yourself getting down during the season. Weight loss surgery changes your life, and some of the changes can be magnified during this time. You can fight this by staying positive and planning ahead – just like you do to succeed the rest of the year.

This is reposted from another WL forum - thought it could be useful to add to a blog post to remember~ Ten Mistakes that Weight Loss Postops Make 1st Mistake: Not Taking Vitamins, Supplements, or Minerals Every WLS patient has specific nutritional needs depending on the type of surgery you have had. Not only is it a good idea to ask your surgeon for guidelines, but also consult with an experienced WLS nutritionist. Understand there is not a standard practice that all surgeons and nutritionists follow in guiding WLS patients. So, it is important to do your own research, get your lab tests done regularly, and learn how to read the results. Some conditions and symptoms that can occur when you are deficient in vitamins, supplements, or minerals include: Osteoporosis; pernicious anemia; muscle spasms; high blood pressure; burning tongue; fatigue; loss of appetite; weakness; constipation and diarrhea; numbness and tingling in the hands and feet; being tired, lethargic, or dizzy; forgetfulness, and lowered immune functioning. Keep in mind, too, that some conditions caused by not taking your vitamins, supplements, or minerals are irreversible. For example, a vitamin B-1 deficiency can result in permanent neurological deficits, including the loss of the ability to walk. 2nd Mistake: Assuming You Have Been Cured of Your Obesity A "pink cloud" or honeymoon experience is common following WLS. When you are feeling better than you have in years, and the weight is coming off easily, it's hard to imagine you will ever struggle again. But unfortunately, it is very common for WLS patients to not lose to their goal weight or to regain some of their weight back. A small weight regain may be normal, but huge gains usually can be avoided with support, education, effort, and careful attention to living a healthy WLS lifestyle. For most WLSers, if you don't change what you've always done, you're going to keep getting what you've always gotten -- even after weight loss surgery. 3rd Mistake: Drinking with Meals Yes, it's hard for some people to avoid drinking with meals, but the tool of not drinking with meals is a critical key to long-term success. If you drink while you eat, your food washes out of your stomach much more quickly, you can eat more, you get hungry sooner, and you are at more risk for snacking. Being too hungry is much more likely to lead to poor food choices and/or overeating. 4th Mistake: Not Eating Right Of course everyone should eat right, but in this society eating right is a challenge. You have to make it as easy on yourself as possible. Eat all your meals--don't skip. Don't keep unhealthy food in sight where it will call to you all the time. Try to feed yourself at regular intervals so that you aren't as tempted to make a poor choice. And consider having a couple of absolutes: for example, avoid fried foods completely, avoid sugary foods, always use low-fat options, or only eat in a restaurant once a week. Choose your "absolutes" based on your trigger foods and your self knowledge about what foods and/or situations are problematic for you. 5th Mistake: Not Drinking Enough Water Most WLS patients are at risk for dehydration. Drinking a minimum of 64 oz. of water per day will help you avoid this risk. Adequate water intake will also help you flush out your system as you lose weight and avoid kidney stones. Drinking enough water helps with your weight loss, too. 6th Mistake: Grazing Many people who have had WLS regret that they ever started grazing, which is nibbling small amounts here and there over the course of the day. It's one thing to eat the three to five small meals you and your doctor agree you need. It's something else altogether when you start to graze, eating any number of unplanned snacks. Grazing can easily make your weight creep up. Eating enough at meal time, and eating planned snacks when necessary, will help you resist grazing. Make a plan for what you will do when you crave food, but are not truly hungry. For example, take up a hobby to keep your hands busy or call on someone in your support group for encouragement. 7th Mistake: Not Exercising Regularly Exercise is one of the best weapons a WLS patient has to fight weight regain. Not only does exercise boost your spirits, it is a great way to keep your metabolism running strong. When you exercise, you build muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn, even at rest! 8th Mistake: Eating the Wrong Carbs (or Eating Too Much) Let's face it, refined carbohydrates are addictive. If you eat refined carbohydrates they will make you crave more refined carbohydrates. There are plenty of complex carbohydrates to choose from, which have beneficial vitamins. For example, if you can handle pastas, try whole grain Kamut pasta--in moderation, of course. (Kamut pasta doesn't have the flavor some people find unpleasant in the whole wheat pastas.) Try using your complex carbohydrates as "condiments," rather than as the center point of your meal. Try sprinkling a tablespoon of brown rice on your stir-fried meat and veggies. 9th Mistake: Going Back to Drinking Soda Drinking soda is controversial in WLS circles. Some people claim soda stretches your stomach or pouch. What we know it does is keep you from getting the hydration your body requires after WLS--because when you're drinking soda, you're not drinking water! In addition, diet soda has been connected to weight gain in the general population. The best thing you can do is find other, healthier drinks to fall in love with. They are out there. 10th Mistake: Drinking Alcohol If you drank alcohol before surgery, you are likely to want to resume drinking alcohol following surgery. Most surgeons recommend waiting one year after surgery. And it is in your best interest to understand the consequences of drinking alcohol before you do it. Alcohol is connected with weight regain, because alcohol has 7 calories per gram, while protein and vegetables have 4 calories per gram. Also, some people develop an addiction to alcohol after WLS, so be very cautious. Depending on your type of WLS, you may get drunker, quicker after surgery, which can cause health problems and put you in dangerous situations. If you think you have a drinking problem, get help right away. Putting off stopping drinking doesn't make it any easier, and could make you a lot sicker.

I was in a seriously abusive marriage---to levels most of you would find hard to believe! And yes, prior to the physical abuse, was mental abuse. The article printed itemizing abuse is right on the money. And he may very well be mentally abusive right now. The question in my mind is---does HE know he is being abusive? I agree that the first year with an infant and 2 jobs---is very, very hard. If he is working one shift, and you another, and there is a baby around, it doesn't sound like you two have much alone time together. A sleep deprived, sex deprived person can be mean...man or woman! The difference is, your body went through the birth, and the nursing, and you had all the hormonal changes---he didn't. He likely wants back what he had, and is suffering some serious guilt over thinking that---I mean I am sure he loves his daughter to no end, but remembering life before....makes one wistful. And if life has not changed enough, here you go wanting more change!!! How dare you!!! Just kidding, but maybe he isn't. Maybe he IS worried, my DH was...he told me after the surgery, he was scared to death I would die in surgery. Well, in your case, if your DH thinks that....he then has a tiny little girl, to raise without her Mommy. I am not trying to exonerate him from being mean---he is definitely being an ass....but, I have to wonder, before the weight gain, before the baby, when things got tough, how did you handle them? Have you changed as well? We all change, every day we change...and hopefully we can both go with the ebb and flow of things, and grow and change together...but when you are already obviously out of sync....it is time that one of you is going to have to skip a few steps to fall into step with the other one. It sounds like he may not even have an idea of what is wrong---anger is often the easier emotion for people to express. We saw that with my step kids, when it was time to go home, they would pick a fight with one of us---it was easier to be mad, than to be sad about leaving they finally said!!! If kids do it---so can he. At least try to get through the first year or so, and see if you can settle into a routine that is not leaving you both exhausted. If you truly feel now is the time for surgery, then talk to him, and do whatever you can to try to keep it civil. If you think waiting is better, no one is going to fault you for putting in off for a few months! There is no cut and dried answer to your problem. You are the best judge of how you feel---whether you are in a bad situation or not. I would try to view him as scared, as opposed to just mean, and see if you can work with him any easier that way. Good Luck! Kat

Hi all, so glad they added this forum! I was sleeved in 2017 and lost 90lbs. Unfortunately I experienced great loss and trauma in 2019 to recent and find myself meeting the criteria for weight loss surgery again. I’ve done a lot of work on myself since and learned how to cope without using food. I’m starting the approval process for a revision on 11/19/20. Anyone on here get a second surgery due to weight gain? I know they do revisions for GERD and other issues but I want to hear from anyone who had a revision for gain. Did you sleeve to bypass? Resleeve? Sleeve to DS? Bypass to...? Did insurance cover it? Make you do a diet program first? Did it take months? tell me all the things!

Let me first tell you a little about myself. I grew up as a very athletic and yes a very skinny kid without a care in the world. Then the teenage years hit and I started battling depression. As a result I was put on drug after drug, many of which cause weight gain or atleast an inevitable carb obsession which leads to obeseity. I essentially became my feelings: slow, sluggish. I used food to try to fix my problems. But it didn't work, so I ate more and more.Don't get me wrong even in my teens and twenties there were times when I was healthy and thin, but then I would yo-yo back everytime my medications would have to be changed or tweaked to treat my depression and anxiety. From the time I graduated college 2008 to 2011, I yo-yoed up 100 lbs from 155 lbs weight to almost 257 lbs at 5'4''. This was the position I found myself at when I started my process of approval for lapband surgery in July of 2011. I was over 250 lbs. A size 22 pants and xxl in tops. It was the seemingly little things that made life so miserable as an overweight person. Some of these little things included walking from my car into the schools for work. I got mad at myself everytime I forgot something upstairs because the walk up the steps took my breath away. I would get blinding back pain. And then there were the times when people asked me "when is the baby due?" that really ruined my self esteem. I guess it wasn't there fault. I did look like an egg on stilts with my apple shape and protruding tummy. I knew right away that a typical diet wouldn't work for me. As long as I was able to each such large amounts of food it wouldn't matter what food I was eating (even healthy food is not longer healthy if the quantity is too large). I needed something to help my control the bottomless pit that was my stomach. Something that would stop my stomach from being treated like the trash compactor that it had become. Most importantly I needed a solution that would allow me to still absorb the medications I needed to maintain my mood. The lapband was the tool I chose to help myself lose weight. Yes, it is a tool not a fix all or miracle cure. So far I have used my tool along with diet and exercise to lose about 60 lbs. I am now in what some people call "onderland" where that first number on the scale is a 1 instead of a 2,3,4 etc. It has to be one of the best feelings in the world. I now wear a size 14 pants and a large top. Even though I'm not what many people call skinny or what I even consider skinny, I know that the decision I made and the sucess I have earned and deserve is signifigant to my health and wellbeing. I now don't have to struggle so much with the physical and emotional weight that was taking over my life. I can walk, I can even run (a little) and I love cycling. It hasn't been easy. In fact, it has been really hard to give up the food that I was using to comfort myself; in fact I still battle emotions that cause me to overeat, but now I feel like it's a battle I can win.

I just have to chime on on this muscle gain thing. You just dont gain 10lb of muscle from what is a couple of weeks of pretty mild exercise - and only cardio at that. By the way, its a FANTASTIC effort to get started in this way, its goign to have great fat loss benefits and its what you need to be doing. But to gain 10lb in a short period of time, you'd have to be doing some pretty heavy duty lifting and as a woman, you probably STILL couldnt gain that much. 10lb in an entire YEAR would be good going! When we start working out, our damaged muscles can hold onto Water, leading to small weight gains. But cardio will only build muscular endurance, and tone you up, you will not gain a lot of muscle, although it will help to protect your muscle during weight loss. So it has to be a combo of other reasons - not realising what you're eating, carrying some extra Fluid, rehydrating, hormonal fluctuations. Hopefully it was just a blip and you've lost it again by now.

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

One other thing to consider (if you haven't already done so) is to have your thyroid checked. I was super active in high school but could not seem to lose the 15 - 20 extra pounds I carried around unless I went on a severely calorie restrictive diet. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at 17, and once on medication, I lost that extra weight in college. [Now, I ended up gaining about 50 pounds in grad school thanks to some mild depression resulting in inactivity, over eating and poor food choices. This and weight gained since is what I'm struggling with 25 years later resulting in my considering the surgery now.]

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!