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I'm curious to know, what would you say are the main reasons you had a weight gain? I'd say 21 Lbs is rather significant gain. I'm hopeful that keeping a good eye on the scale, my workouts and doing a good job watching what I'm eating for the most part will help keep the weight from creeping back up. I don't plan to be super rigid with my eating, but I'm hopeful that if I notice my scale going up more than a normal 5 Lbs bounce I will work toward getting it back off. Thank you in advance for any insight you might have! I'm just trying to avoid this if I can.

Hi ladies.....there is hope. I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 20 always been overweight and never ovulated. It took me 8 yrs to conceive my daughter who is now 13yrs old I always told her she was my miracle baby:) After my daughter I was still not ovulating never had a period and the PCOS was just as bad. I ended up getting a divorce. I am now remarried and happy as can be. So now at the age of 37 I decided at my highest weight of 330lbs to get weight loss surgery done otherwise my husband would never have a chance to have children. I choose the Sleeve due to the issues everyone was having with the band and gastric bypass. So lets skip ahead once I started losing weight I started to ovulate became pregnant very quickly and the Dr said it is due to all the hormones being stored in my fat cells and when you lose the fat all these hormones are released and that is why you need to be very careful right after surgery. Well on a sad note I did lose that child but once again in 2 months was pregnant we also lost that child was very distraught and emotional so the doctor suggested birth control for a few months to regulate my hormones and take a break and to not have to worry about getting pregnant. So I took his advice. I took birth control for 2 months then stopped taking it and bam once again I was pregnant but once again we lost it. That happened on July 9, 2011. As all you ladies know that PCOS can not be cured weight loss can help with many symptoms such as ovulation. But you still have the high risk of miscarriages. After each loss they have you wait to have a complete cycle before trying again and we always do...but in July we also had a trip to Vegas planned and we ended up getting pregnant AGAIN!!!! I am now just about over all this baby stuff not wanting to go through all the pain and heartache of losing all my children. So my husband and I agreed that if we lost this one we would be done. So now it is December I am now 22weeks along and baby is doing good. We know it is a little girl we will be naming her EMMA. So now with the sleeve they do not believe that my miscarriages were connected that it is due to the PCOS. I do have to supplement with a Protein shake called Monster Milk due to no weight gain and low calorie intake. My 18 week ultra sound shows her growing right on time except for her stomach and it is a week and a half behind but my Dr believes that is due to the low calorie intake from me. And now that I am drinking this Monster Milk she should be able to catch up. Sorry so long and please feel free to ask any questions. It has been a long hard road for us but I believe in April 2012 (same month I had my surgery done) we will have out little bundle of joy to Celebrate. Oh and by the way husband said since it is a girl we will have to try one more time:

I just got back from Mexico having to get a port replacement. Apparently the tubing between my port and connector had needle pricks in it causing the fluid to leak out. I was within 20 lbs of goal and off nearly all my diabetes medication. I got sick and in order to take the medication I had to have the band emptied. Then the nightmare began. After 5 attempts with one doctor going in by 'feel' I finally went to another dr who used a flouroscope and found that my band was still empty. After a few times the second dr. put a thicker fluid in the port and found the leak. Now I am out $3200 for surgery, all the useless fills and transportation and lodging to Mexico to get things fixed. My diabetes is back with a fury and worse than ever (now on insulin) and diabetic kidney disease is back due to the contined weight gain as I went a total of 10 times over 8 months to get fills. Does anyone have any experience in how to make claims. I have the medical records, the damaged port and floroscopies. Would not like to have a big expensive lawsuit process if not necessary. Thanks in advance for any insight.

1 pound is not a cause to worry about weight gain. Your weight will go up and down. I have hovered awhile between 188 to 194 for the last month.

I am a pre-op lap bander (shooting for feb date) and have a crazy question! Did anyones shoe size change post lap-band? I have been wondering about this as my shoe size increased with my weight gain. Thanks for everyones input- love this forum!!

Thanks Yall. I will keep taking the meds. Waterlover- I was set to have the sleeve almost a year ago and backed out for very similar reasons. Then I spent the past year struggling the same as I always have losing weight, gaining it back, exercising, etc. I think we can all attest that we all have tried very very very hard and struggled with out weight if not for an entire lifetime, then at least for a good bit of it. You are not lazy. C.C

Thought I would post a quick update. I'm still on a high dose of prednisone and as I wasn't having much relief, my doctor did a colonoscopy Weds and found that my colitis has gotten a bit more severe (though hasn't spread through more of my colon). He has added in a script for Cipro which I'm not thrilled about because it's got some pretty harsh side effects. So far on day two I'm doing OK with it and am hoping to start tapering off the prednisone in the next few days (I'll still have to taper for about 5 weeks so I have a while with it). Luckily I haven't experienced the weight gain or extreme hunger that prednisone can cause (yet), so my weight loss has continued. I've definitely not been able to get my protein targets in and haven't for probably about 3 weeks, but as I'm starting to feel better I think it will be easy to get back to my routine. I hit ONEDERLAND this week! (nothing like raging diarrhea and no hunger to help along those lines) so I'm still motivated to move my weight loss forward. Thanks to all of you for your kind words, it really helped when I was feeling so wretched. Now that I'm feeling better I'm anticipating getting back to the gym next week, if only to do some walking on the treadmill or track to get back in gear. It feels good to almost be myself again!!

Hi: I've been banded for more than four years. Been struggling with my band for the past six months with weight gain and being able to eat alot more than I used to. Tried the fill method with small, but frequent fills. My surgeon did a barium test a couple of weeks ago and he said he's filled me as much as he will because the stream of barium is very small below the band, so the band is tight enough. However, I can still eat way too much. He's recommending that my band be emptied and then start the fills gradually again. Has anybody done this? How does this help? Did it work for you? Please advise. I've got to do something! Thanks. Sue

Hi all, I'm Danielle. I'm 27, not married and no kids. I have been overweight since puberty due to PCOS and bad choices because I felt like there was no help for me anyway. I had been tossing around the idea of WLS for a few months silently to myself, when I saw a friend from HS I hadn't seen in almost a year. He was so concerned about the weight gain in that amount of time that it just killed me and I knew I had had enough. That was a Saturday and the following Monday I made the appointment for my seminar. My cousin and I went on this journey together. Due to her insurance her options were LapBand or Bypass. She chose Bypass. We were both operated on December 5, 2011 by Dr. Cerabona and Dr. Maffei. We were roommates in the hospital and have been a major support system for each other. Since coming home yesterday I have lost the 5 pounds gained from fluids in the hospital as well as an additional 5 pounds for a total loss of 10 pounds since Monday morning. I won't lie and sugar coat this surgery. I wish someone had prepared me a little better. It is painful. I have no interest in eating or drinking and it is a real struggle to get in even half of the fluids I'm supposed to get. Partly I think that might be because I am letting myself sleep if I am tired. I obviously can not wait to be skinny, but that is not the real reason I had this surgery. For years now I have felt helpless against PCOS and felt like it was robbing me of the future I wanted for myself..... So when I met with my surgeon and he told me that this surgery can reverse up to 80% of PCOS cases I have not looked back for a second. I will be a mother! And even if this surgery doesn't lead to biological children I will be a healthier mother to those I am blessed to adopt. It will happen. I wish you all the best of luck on your journeys. If your surgery is later in the month and you have any questions please feel free to ask, I would be happy to answer if I can. The pain is worth it. To lose 10 pounds in this amount of time is just unreal to me! I know that the rate of loss will not be like this even a week from now, but it makes the pain easier.

Weight loss surgery? Really? For me? Why? What’ll it cost me? Perhaps a better question is “What’ll it cost you if you don’t?” With today’s uncertain economy and rising healthcare costs, it’s normal to wonder if now is the time to consider the LAP-BAND® AP System. Extra weight on a person often goes hand in hand with extra financial burden. Obesity can have significant medical costs over time. Weight loss surgery can help reduce the cumulative cost of living with obesity: like weight loss programs, prescription medicine and hospital visits. Knowing this, you may want to consider these questions: What are your current out-of-pocket healthcare expenses? Are they due to go up? What are your current prescription and over-the-counter medication costs? Are they due to go up? How many times a year do you see a doctor or specialist? Has that gone up over time? How many days have you missed work over the past few years? Has that gone up? How much have you spent on non-surgical weight loss programs? (WeightWatchers®, Jenny Craig®, etc.) Did that work? How much have your costs for groceries and dining out gone up? How much have you spent on additional clothes due to your weight gain? Acting now by using the LAP-BAND® System to help you significantly reduce your weight — may also reduce your weight-related costs!

I am sorry things did not work out for you. I agree with the previous poster. I hated that "full" feeling, i like the satisfied feeling much better. Nothing fun about feeling like a stuffed turkey. I agree about the sleeve. I have 2 friends who had the bypass done and lost a lot of weight, gained it all back, plus some in 2 years. One of them had it redone, and is losing again, but has all this saggy skin. They lose way fast and the body has not time to catch up with with the skin elasticity. I have one friend who had the sleeve done, and she has done great with it. My surgeon will not do the bypass because he feels it is a worthless procedure. good luck with your decision.

I drink with my meals as well. Hasn't killed me any. But of course, the choice is yours and like you say if you start noticing a stall or weight gain, well drop the drinking. Good luck

Welcome! I haven't been banded yet so can't speak for that. But as far as the Depo shot... I hated it! I took it a few years back. It was one of the major reasons I began to gain weight! I sincerely hope it hasn't had the same affect on you. But if you've noticed more weight gain while on it, I would consider changing my birth control. Good luck! =)

I joined WW a week ago. I'm a little over a year out and have been plateaued about 20 lbs from my personal goal for almost 3 months. I need a little fill, but have to wait until after the holidays to get into my doc's schedule. After I gained after Thanksgiving (my first weight gain since August 2010), I knew I couldn't wait until January to get back on track. I don't know about you all, but now that I'm wearing medium clothes, the mental motivation to keep pushing had disappeared. I need the structure to get the last pounds off. So since I've always found WW to be effective for me for about 20 lbs and that's how much I have left to lose, I figured it was worth it. First week and I've lost my Thanksgiving gain, so that alone was worth the money for me. It's the tracking that's imperative. I was really starting to eat a good amount of volume again, so I have to pay better attention.

Here's an article I was given that helps explain temporary weight gain, loss and stalls: Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet. As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy so it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored. I hope this helps.

Same here! I've been pushing myself at the gym a little harder as of late. I was surprised to see the scale move up a few pounds. I tested my body fat and measured my waist size and they both dropped very nicely. You can increase your muscle, which will increase your weight slightly. This type of weight gain is healthy and awesome

you are worth the changes we need to do. we became obese because we never said stop to food, right? now you have a new challenge, you are worth it. take one step at a time, take a breath and see what happens. walking will help you get your mind off the weight gain, start now. keep in touch with the forum. we want to see you succeed, you can do it. drug addicts and alcoholics stop using, so can you. I have been drug and alcohol free for almost 29 yrs. if I had looked at stopping everything past one day or even one hour at a time in the beginning I would never have made it. the best thing I did was get and use support of a group. I trusted others who had gone through the same issues, it works. smoking is not good for you, it is a drug. take care of you, you are worthwhile!!!

Hi fellow April bandits- Well, After losing 38 pounds I have been fluctuating up and down without any weightloss since August. I had to have extensive eye surgery and was out of work and under docs orders could not excersise and soooooo I got out of the groove, The positive is that I haven't gained any weight. I just keep fluctuating 3-4 pounds. Last week I started back at the gym so hoping that helps. I did go for a fill 3 weeks ago, but they denied me saying that it sounds like I have restriction and that I need to work out again and it will come off......I am in the lower 190;s which is a weight that I have been stuck at quite a few times before the band.....Hopefully the gym works. Positives- no weight gain. Negatives- no weight loss. LOL!!! I am back on now.....Thinking I may have another visit to the dietician to put me back on track as well.

Just a little words of wisedom. Your weight gain didn't happen over night and it's not going to all come off over night. Things take time and your body is adjusting to all of the changes it's going through. Eat right and move as much as possible and give yourself time. If you do all of the things you are suppose to do the weight will come off soonier or later. I know soonier is what you want to see but time is the only true judge!

Hi, I am 1 yr post op and have 6 mls in my band. In August I started a new job and during my orientation I have been switching between day shift and night shift every few days. My eating habits are crazy trying to eat at night and then eat during the day. And now I'm just hungry all the time and I've gained 15 lbs. Does anyone have any advice on how to get back on track and to not feel hungry at all hours of night and day? I will be permanent night shift when my orientation ends.

I also didn't do any kind of a pre-op diet, I could eat up until 8 hours before surgery. My surgeon told me I didn't need to take the magnesium citrate that the surgical service automatically prescribed, which thrilled the heck out of me! When the surgery was approved my surgeon sent me a very sternly worded letter, stating that if i had any weight gain between then and the surgical day, the procedure would be delayed. Since I had to get through Thanksgiving I tried to be a very good girl, and ate lightly the last few days before the procedure (Cereal & milk, Protein bars, etc). I was told later that my liver did look like it had some evidence of Fatty Liver Disease and he took a biopsy while he was doing the surgery to rule out anything else. Losing weight is the best treatment for FLD, he said. I haven't gotten any more phone calls from the hospital so I'm assuming all is well. I'm kind of glad that I didn't have to do a pre-op diet because I think those that did seem to be getting sick of liquids and Protein shakes pretty quickly, and might be tempted to advance their diet too fast. I actually like the way my Protein shake tastes. :tongue2:

Hi Penpen, If you are a stable weight right now, and not fluctuating up and down, then don't be worried about weight gain during pregnancy as long as you gain the recommended 25-35 pounds. This extra weight gain is normal and easily drops off after delivery. Just be sure to plan a healthy pregnancy diet when you do get pregnant, and keep a pregnancy diet plan as well. You should be fine. Good luck... http://www.signs-of-pregnancy-week-by-week.com/weight-gain-during-pregnancy.html

I eat 6 times times a day and im hungry 6 times a day.I asked my surgeon and he said its normal but to.make.sure I stick to mainly protein so I don't risk weight gain after my body has adapted to my sleeve.