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Right now is what people like to call "bandster hell" which is when you have healed from surgery, swelling has gone down and you have little to no restriction from your band. I had the same thing and right now is all based on your own will power.....you have to stop thinking I can eat like I did and keep the pre op/post op diet fresh in your mind....I can only eat this much and stop yourself. Don't let the "I can eat again food monster invade your thoughts" bc he will and I think that monster is the cause of a lot of post op weight gain. My loss since surgery has been SLOOOOOOWWW and I just had my first fill Friday. Are you scheduled for your first fill?

That's interesting. Sometimes I feel sorry for my body and all that I have put it through with the weight gain and surgery. We put ourselves through so much with our weight gain, and then even our tool to fix it makes us feel strange.

Oh, and there's plenty of women who still have weight lose who lose weight until the end. It's NOT out of the ordinary to not gain weight in pregnancy especially after weight loss surgery. I have a very close, personal friend here in real life, she just had a baby, gained a whopping 12 pounds and delivered a healthy, thriving, full term 8lb baby. So, weight gain is NOT inevitable, and you might continue to lose a few pounds here and there. I didn't gain for months into my pregnancy, and here I am 3 days away from delivery with a 35lb gain which is what the doctors predicted and told me to shoot for.

Good Lord!!!!!!I am not going to say shame on you but instead you need some help immediately with this journey.You could be a danger to yourself eating those things!!! Identifying the problem is the first step to solving it.No the band will not "work for you" because no,it is not magic(I wish it was!) but instead you must do the work first and foremost (good food choices,following your doctor's recommendations to the letter and excercising 30 min a day minimum 3-5x per week)and the band will mereley help with your portion size,chewing thoroughly and eating slowly which helps with feeling satisfied.It really is a process, not a magic bullet. You must be ready able and willing to make a permanent lifestyle change forever and ever amen. Meaning=You must commit yourself to feeling good and being healthy with the Lap Band and say goodbye to the foods that are literally stealing your health and your life away! I recommend that you get to an overeater's anonymous support group pronto,(do a websearch)visit an nutritionist and cover what your food choices and portion sizes should be plus how many times a day you should eat and no more,plus what supplements you need to take.Last,see a psychiatrist/psychologist if you think you are still "comforting yourself" with food. Depression = comforting your self with food = weight gain (I should know) I am not trying to be mean,I just don't want you to cause yourself a serious complication by not following doctor's orders on this and eating all that horrible food.You can serioussly damage your band and even cause band slippage/erosion from poor behavior choices. Good luck to you and I hope you take me seriously but know I am not trying to hurt your feelings but instead to help you with this.(((HUGS))))

Don't worry about that! Just like any normal weight loss journey most everyone will experience some ups and downs. Her weight gain will no doubt turn into great losses over the long haul. Also, everyone's journey is their own. It's always best to not compare yours to hers or anyone else's journey's. I wish you much success!

i had UHC Only.... i went to the free seminar, got the packet, met with the surgeon, they set up all my appts. I asked for as many in one day as possible. So i did the bar-am swallow, nutritionist, and the nurse in one day. Did the cardo and sleep study in the same day/night. Went from the Cardo to the sleep study that night. got my referral from my family dr that show the 5 year progression of weight gain. They complied all the info along with a surg. day and submitted it to UHC..... got approved the first shot out. I really think having the dr. compile everything and sending in all together with a date was the key. UHC likes to "lose" paperwork. It's easier to lose one sheet than a whole packet...... First dr. visit was in Aug. and my surg. was 11/10/09. Normally, you have to submit to your primary insurance first... if you have insurance on you thru your work, and your husband has insurance on you at his work..... your insurance will be primary for you and your husbands will be secondary. For your husband his work insurance would be primary and your insurance would be secondary. You can't choose which one you want to be primary. UHC required that i call before they started any test so that they would be covered. Hope that helps

So sorry Ms Lady but just remember that it is a temporary weight gain. It will come off again and eventually forever. Plus that weight gain can be because so many things including Water weight. I could give a mile long pep talk but sometimes it is ok just to say that the situation sucks as long as you don't hang out in the pits for too long.

Please do not get depressed- remember why you have done it, right now I am only getting 1 cc in at a time too but 4 weeks apart. I sometimes still fill hungry more than I think I should but I grab water or 1 of my fat free jello. I am 61 days post surgery and I too wish that I had more restriction faster but I know the process will be slow just as my weight gain was slow. I hope that I have encouraged you somewhat. Yolanda

I was sleeved Oct 17 in South San Francisco, CA. My journey has taken several years and I've had to switch surgeons. (The first required me to lose 85 lbs pre-op and even after I lost 50lbs he said to keep going, and stop eating fruit... needless to say I got a 2nd opinion) I was originally scheduled for June 20 but got sick, then I was put on steroids for my asthma, so my rescheduled date of July 22 was canceled also due to weight gain (due to the dang steroids!!!) So I'm now happily post op!

Monday - I left Halifax early o'clock in the morning and flew to San Diego via Toronto. Flight was uneventful even if it was with Air Canada and strike threats. Arrived in San Diego and was met by driver by the Info Booth. Was driven to the Hospital where I was met by my coordinator Trish and escorted to my pre-op tests. I was early arriving and was given the option of having my surgery that afternoon instead of the next morning as originally scheduled. I decided to wait till the next morning as I was not mentally prepared at that point. Funny later that night as the nerves, second thoughts, what ifs, set in, I kinda wished I had just gotten it done and over with. Tuesday- I was up and waiting at 0700hrs. Anxious yes but feeling confident with my decision. Dr Kelly came by and talked with me and answered my questions. I gave Dr Kelly my camera for a picture of my stomach that was removed. I did not have a lot of questions, I am typical type A personality and control freak. I researched the hell out of this and knew what was going to happen. Went to the OR at about 0900hrs and was back in my room about 1030hrs. All done. Slept for most of the day. That afternoon tried to get out of bed to go pee and start my recovery process but I was in too much pain and was given pain/nausea meds and rested for a while again. Late that afternoon early evening got out of bed to pee and went back to bed. I was on pain meds thru night but was able to get out of bed to pee on my own. Vomited during the night and cleared blood? from stomach. Felt so much better. Wednesday- Felt great. Up in morning and started walking the hallways. I was given ice chips but I sipped water in tiny amounts. No real pain at all. Was still on IV fluids with nausea meds and antibiotics. Had a lovely shower. I felt so human again. I put on my PJ's and continued to walk and rest the remainder of the day. Dr Kelly checked on me multiple times during the day and was pleased with my progress. Had a good nights sleep. Thursday- Woke in the morning feeling even better than the day before. Dr Kelly came by and removed my drain. Wow what a difference. I felt even better. I showered and remained at the hopsital walking and sipping for a couple of hours. Then off to another hospital for my leak test. I had no problems with the barium drink stuff. Leak test was good so off to the hotel. At the Lucerna (very nice indeed) I rested walked about and ordered some chicken broth. My coordinator Trish left me a pack of goodies, gatorade, SF jello, water, and extra dressings for me incisions. Dr Kelly and the coordinator came by again that evening to check on me. I had an ache in shoulder and neck that was due to the gas from surgery, I knew to expect this and brought my heating pad, it helped alot. I had a wonderful sleep that night. Friday- Feeling really good. Haven't had any pain meds since night of surgery or needed any. I was feeling a bit cooped up. Dr Kelly came by to check on me in morning and again very pleased I was doing so well. Trish came by after lunch and brought me out to see a bit of Tijuana. It felt great to be out and about. Yes I did a little shopping. Back to the hotel for rest and some more yummy soup broth. Went to Starbucks across the street for green tea that evening with Trish. Saturday- Feeling superb. Dr Kelly came by to check on me again as I was leaving that evening for home. All is good. I left hotel with Trish my coordinator and went back to hospital to visit a lovely lady Stephanie(sorry if I misspelled your name). She had her surgery on the friday and looked great. Wasted loads of time until I was picked up by my driver and brought back to San Diego Airport. Going over the border to the States was a simple process. The van went in a special lane for buses and commercial vehicles. We stopped at the customs agent. I got out of van with my bags and went into special line and was processed and then bags were xrayed. Met the van and driver at the parking lot on just after exciting the customs building. Easy Peasy. At San Diego Airport checked in a waited for my overnight flight to Newark. Slept the whole flight. Met my next flight to Halifax. Slept the whole fligt again. Sunday- Got into Halifax Airport at about noon and hubby drove me home the 1.5 hrs to Kingston NS. I am now 2 weeks Post op and doing great. Getting in my protein drinks and liquids. Be vigilant at measuring how much liquid you ingest as I was feeling weak yesterday and realised too late that I hadn't drunk enough the day before. I have talked to Trish multiple times as she calls to check on my progress. I was 284lbs when I was weighed prior to surgery. I was 289lbs when discharged (water weight gain from IV fluids). I am now at 2 weeks post ov 272.6 lbs. So actual lose from preop weight is 12lbs so far. Lessons Learnt- I went on my own and that was a good thing for me. I didn`t have to worry about a companion. I didn`t have to keep answering questions like: how are you feeling, how are you doing, are you nervous, can I do anything for you. That would have driven me insane. My heating pad was a great thing for me to bring along. My Kindle was great, My Ipod was nice to have. My smart phone allowed me to send messages and updates back home with wirelss connection but I did not have any cellular service. I was happy with having a pair of PJs, they allowed for the checking of incisions without having to pull up a nightie or keep my hospital gown on. I had t shirts and yoga capris for day where in hotel. I wore same clothes home that I wore flying to Mexico. Gas X helped. If you have acid reflux issues they will give you meds to helpl I think that is all. I wasn`t scared at all in Mexico. I had faith in Dr Kelly. Trish was fantastic and really took care of me.

Hi there, and congrats. The key to nutrition post any weight loss surgery is taking care of your body. The baby will take from your body what it needs. Your doctor will give you a calorie range with carbs and Protein numbers that you need to shoot for each day. If you have 35lbs to lose, you might not gain much at all until the end. Most WLS patients who get pregnant before goal typically do not gain weight, and continue to lose for the first couple of trimesters. So, don't be alarmed, and Celebrate not gaining weight in pregnancy. I'm 6 days away from delivery of our daughter. My starting pregnancy weight was 130lbs, with a normal BMI, and I've gained 35lbs which is perfectly in the normal weight gain range for my pre-pregnancy body weight. No extra Vitamins are needed. You'll just to make sure you continue with a good pre-natal, keep you B12 and folate numbers good, and do not slack on vitamins.You'll need a sublingual B12 since our bodies do not absorb b12 properly. I was prescribed to take in 1700-1800 calories per day, a minimum of 100gr of protein and a minimum of 100gr of carbs. You can not get into ketosis so no low carbing it. Ketotsis causes fetal brain damage. The recommendation for most pregnancy caloric intake is a simple addition of 200-400 calories over the normal daily intake. Water intake is vital, and I've had to really work on that one. I struggled immensely with weight gain for the first 2 trimester even though the bulk of my gain has occurred in the last trimester. It's a mind twist losing all of my weight and growing out of my clothing. I don't care what anyone says, pregnancy weight or not, it's a real fear, and it's very difficult to manage. I don't care if people say it's "baby weight, it's normal, you'll lose it" I lost 145lbs and regain is scary. I've let go of the weight gain issues because I'm just so done being pregnant at this point. VSG has not complicated my pregnancy in any form. I did not have morning sickness or any nausea. If you have lost your hunger, do not be alarmed by the insane, and absurd cravings. I had them and I gave in. Also, if you have worked out, continue to do so at a decreased level as it will help with the fatigue and other pregnancy issues. I am not an exercise person nor did I work out, so I never did it in pregnancy. And, yes you can lose weight after the baby is born. I plan on going right back to low carb as soon as I deliver to drop the weight as fast as possible. I lose exceptionally fast when I low carb so that's the plan. I have gained mostly in my abdomen, and my hips are a bit bigger. I still wear a size 6/8 in maternity pants, small and medium tops, and wore my own tank tops through the entire pregnancy. I really am all belly. I've updated throughout my entire pregnancy in the pregnancy after VSG and in the success stories forums if you'd like to peruse those topics where I have shared the good, bad and ugly. Best wishes!

Hi, my name is Lizzee Leslie and I am 21 year old who had to make the difficult decision to undergo the Gastric Sleeve procedure. My journey begins and the tender age of eleven when I started to uncontrollably gain an enormous amount of weight. It was a shock considering I was a swimmer with the youthful dream of one day joining the US Olympics Swimmer Team, I was healthy and then all the sudden it changed. No one could figure out what was wrong with me. It took two years and over 120 pounds later when I was diagnosed with PCOS. For those of you who are not familiar with that is is when there are hundred of cysts on the ovaries and the symptoms are uncontrollable weight gain and as well as hormone irregularities. I tried everything, I joined a weight loss program for kids where I was eating less than 1200 calories a day along with 1.5 hours of exercise. But even with that there was no change. Nothing and no one could help me. It was ten years to the summer when I was giving the hope that doing the Sleeve procedure would help with my PCOS which in turn would help with my weight loss. So after a lot of thinking and praying and with the support of my amazingly wonderful family I decided to go ahead with the procedure. On 31 May 2011 I underwent the start of my transformation. It has been hard both emotionally and physically. It is hard because I had to go back to school in May and there were many question concerning how I lost all this weight and why I eat so little. I don't know how to explain without going through the entire story, which I don't feel as if it is anyones right to know. It is hard because of the extreme changes that are happening with my body and I know that it will continue to change and I don't know how to deal with the changes and the attention that comes with it. I molded myself and all who I am around my weight and as I lose it I feel as if I have to start over. I know that my quality of life is approving but it is hard when everything is changing. But I know with the help of my close friends and family that I can get through this positively and with a healthy attitude.

I admit I lost focus over the summer and even had a weight gain, amazing how easy it was to slip back into bad habits! I had a .75cc fill earlier this month and am mentally & physically back in the groove and it feels so good. Truthfully it is a huge success for me to stumble but then get back up and continue. Anytime I have lost weight prior to being banded as soon as I stumbled I gave up. So that is probably what I am most proud of!

NON SCALE VICTORY....lol It is a good feeling when you are in the middle of a simple conversation with your husband and he stops you to say....."wow, babe...you are really beautiful". and of course I ask him where that came from and he say to me. "You know I think you are beautiful. But you can already see a difference in your self confidence and I really like it". <INSERT HAPPY DANCE> I am CRAZY IN LOVE with my husband. It's weird...5 years together and he still gives me butterflies. I didn't realize how my weight gain had effected my relationship...because of how I felt about myself.....but it did. Everytime I turn around today I have Corey coming up behind me to steal kissed or hugs and to tell me how sexy or beautiful I am. The way he acts you would have thought I had already lost 100lbs instead of 25 to 30lbs. It is wonderful.... It truly reaffirms the fact that I made the right decision to get the surgery. He tells me everyday that he is so proud of me. I know I am a very lucky woman and I cannot thank God enough for such a special man in my life. He's not perfect (Lord knows he can make me mad at times) but he is perfect for me. He likes to read my blogs and is always impressed with the support I receive from all of you ...... but I hope he knows that his support is amazing in itself. THAT IS MY NON SCALE VICTORY SO FAR.....and I would say it's a pretty darn good one!

We're getting so close, and I was finally able to get my maternity photo shoot done so thought I would share with everyone. Update on the medical stuff super fast; 2 weeks ago I was put on prednisone to help my platelets stabilize. They had dropped down into the 70Ks and normal is 150-400K, the anesthesiologist didn't feel comfortable with my numbers that low to have an epidural or spinal block so the steroid therapy is the only thing that they could give me to get my numbers up. 10 days on the pred and my numbers are up to 121k, still not within normal range, but over the 85k that is needed for the spinal WOOT WOOT. If it weren't for VSG, I would not be able to have this treatment. I thank God every day that VSG was possible because if I would have gone with RNY, I'd be looking at general anesthesia for delivery since steroids would cause major issues with a pouch. We're scheduled for the csection on 1 November. I'm so ready for her to get here. This last Thursday, I was released from the high risk ob because everything is spot on for both of us. Tatum is now weighing 6.5-7lbs, and I'm super uncomfortable. Hanging in there, and trying to stay off my feet. Luckily, I have had zero side effects from the pred other than major hunger, and major irritability. I have officially gained 35lbs, and will probably gain at least 5-7lbs due to the prednisone therapy that I have to stay on until delivery. I gained 5lbs in just a week once I started the pred. But, the doctors are elated with my progress and honestly, I do not care anymore about the weight. I'm just ready for her to get here, and be done being pregnant. Thank you all for your continued support, encouragement and friendship ! ! ! Maternity picture time 10 days from delivery - weight gain to date 35lbs Life is well pretty fantabulous ! ! !

I would really try to focus on how far you have come. 100 lbs lost is amazing! But maybe you need to think about not wanting to slide back. Weight gain is a slippery slope. And vacations can really de-rail an over eater. Have you talked with your surgeon about your issues with the band? You will feel so much better if you get back to a good place with your food and exercise. You have worked so hard to be where you are. Those of us newbies need inspiration! Don't let us or yourself down! Good luck!

Be nice to yourself, it looks like you are early in this journey and that is the hardest part! There will be a day when a restaurant serving of egg fu yung would last you a week if you ate it at every meal! Even if there are set backs (there willl be) or Christmas weight gain, I always tell people in a year or two none of it will matter and you will barely remember it! I know I agonized over every choice and every pound but now in maintenance I really dont! It has become easy and that will happen for you too!!

When I was banded - I told EVERYONE! I was so proud and excited. However, this time around only two people know about my revision. My husband and my best friend. Other family and my co-workers know I had surgeryk but think it was only to have my band removed. My band was such a failure for me (with complications and weight gain), I heard I told you so - so much. While I"m typically the kind of person that doesn't care what anyone thinks...for me this surgery is so personal I really didn't want to hear it or feel I had to defend myself. So, I decided to keep it to myself. One day I may decide to let the world know, but for now it is MY journey and not theirs... What about you?

Definately time for some new spandexy type pants. Too funny, but hey I think you would be much happier buying for weight loss than for weight gain. #priceless & #so worth it. This story has made my day.

Hi, I had my surgery on October 17th in Buffalo NY. My surgeon was Dr. Pham from Synergy Bariatrics. I have to say that my hospital stay was different then I nexpected. Private room, bathroom. The staff was exceptional. Right now I am 4 days out and still having bad spasms. The pain is pretty much gone but the spasms are a real trip. The bad news is when I get on the scale I still have the 7 lb weight gain I brought hoe fromthe hospital which seems unreal since all I have been taking in is water and crystal lite. This morning I actually got a 4 oz. liquified protien shake down and so far no nausea. I am taking this as a very good sign that things are getting better. I just want to see that scale move. Good luck to all. I am so glad to have this forum.

I haven't done anything other than regular diet and exercise and HCG, but like I said-they won't accept hcg since it isn't fda approved for weight loss. My PCM documented conventional dieting and exercise as well as my hcg, but that was it. I won't go back to my PCM because he laughed at me for my weight gain (Talked about it in another post). He was a new PCM and I just got him to send the referral to the bariatric center and I will switch pcms when this process is over.

You have to like what you're doing at least somewhat. I mean, I have stopped kidding myself that I will EVER go to the gym and lift weights. Its just not going to happen. But I do love running. What I love about running: - you can set goals. Distances, times, fun runs, small goals (5K) big goals (half marathons). You can measure your improvement, you can do it in different places. And it was just a goal of mine. I never ever get over the kick of being able to say "I am a runner". To me, it was the ultimate of what losing weight is all about. And on that note - its about focussing and enjoying the outcome, perhaps even more so than the process. I plan to do a hard interval run on my treadmill tonight. I dont really "want to" per se, but I know I will and once I get going I will feel awesome about what I am doing and when I am finished I will feel GREAT. And I have accepted that its what I have to do to have the body I want. I look around the workplace, there's a few of us women between 40 and 55 and nobody is really obese but everyone has softened into middle age, and has big tummies and large breasts and thighs that want covering. They all sit at lunch in the staffroom with healthy lunches, salads, fruit and yogurt, rice cakes and avocado. Nobody eats crap. nobody brings chocolate for Snacks, nobody drinks soft drinks. I am the only one who is not fat and looks fit. I have a lapband and I'd say I eat more during the day than half of these people. The difference is my running. I wont ever stop! I've been through early menopause at the age of 43 thanks to chemoradiation and I have none of that typical round the middle weight gain and accelerated body aging. Bone density tests have shown excellent results (they were worried about me what with being only 43 and so thin) - that's thanks to running. I got through it with minimal pain - thanks to running. Anybody that doesnt exercise will live a substandard life as they age, its that simple. It keeps you young. Thin is only a small part it.

I can really relate to your post. My husband became the food police, and started offering me little bites of his ice cream or other junk food while I was in the losing stage. I always declined, and then the comments would start. We had to really sit down and talk about my issues. He does NOT understand the need for surgery, even though he was supportive and knew that I was going to lose weight he was NOT prepared for me to get so small. He wanted me to quit losing at around 175lbs, and felt that was small enough. The comments about leaving him after you lose weight are directly tied to his own insecurities and there's nothing you can do but reassure him that you'd leave due to his behavior whether you were fat or skinny. My husband got really possessive, and would make me uncomfortable in public with his constant need to touch me and "claim" me as his property. He pulled some major b.s. on me once when a man came up and was just being polite by saying "hi, how are you?" He rushed over, slid his arm around my waist, and kissed my forehead. I looked right at him and said "Stop hiking your leg on my thigh!". He was so mad that another man would even speak to me, and it did cause a lot of conflict. What he failed to ever recognize is that I got hit on before even at 270lbs yet he was never intimidated or threatened by other men when I was fat. It was a long road for us, but we communicated and worked through it. Once I reached goal weight, I continued to lose another 25lbs. It got even worse, and we really had to sit down and talk it out. I had to remind him that I was healthy, that I was not starving myself, that I was eating double the calories and carbs that I ate during my losing stage, and that I was under direct care of multiple doctors. He still to this day tries to get me to eat more because my surgeon believes I need to maintain around 140lbs instead of 125lbs, and that I would not look so thin. So, I made the mistake of taking him with me to an appointment where my surgeon addressed my maintenance weight. I've never been able to live it down, and now with the 30-33lbs weight gain in the pregnancy, and the urging of my ob's to keep my weight around 140lbs once I deliver, it is even worse. He's hidden the scale, he's back to being the food and medication police, every day I hear how much did you eat today, did you take your meds, and Vitamins, did you drink all your Water? Every day it is a battle. At this point, and being over 2 years out, it's a lost battle, he's lost a lot of his possessive tendencies, but the fact that my face and neck has plumped out in the pregnancy, he likes it better. He has a preference for me to be a bit bigger, and a little more fluff, it's just so difficult. I have no magic answers or solutions. I just want you to know you are not alone, and I wish I had some fabulous solution, but alas, it's a struggle for us even being this far out. It spurs a fight/argument a couple times a week because he knows that I plan on getting back down to my original maintenance weight. He's so mad that I have moved my pregnancy clothes out of the closet and have pulled out all my "tiny" clothes in preparation to wear those again.

I still take one med for high blood pressure, down from three, synthoroid for thyroid and allopornol for gout. When I was at my max weight the testosterone shots did very little and the gel did nothing, the shots are a lot cheaper. When I was at my max weight I was hardly ever interested in sex, I had to work myself up to it for my wife's sake, but usually we had relations every month or two. Now it is more like 3 or 4 times a week, and I could probably go every night if I got to bed early enough and I am approaching 60 years old. As far as food calling me yes I still have cravings but then I remember how I felt then and how I feel now and I can usually pass up the bag of chips and go for some baby carrots instead. Now that's not to say that I don't cheat once in a while it is hard to change years of bad eating habits overnight. My advantage is that I never had a sweet tooth, my problem is carbs and a lot of my weight gain come from drinking, wine and beer are my downfall. I still drink occasionally but usually bourbon on the rocks, no mixers. I went from about 4 or 5 drinks per day since I was 21 to 1 or 2 a week or less. As I said before the band only controls your appetite, it does nothing for cravings, that is where the will power comes in. The other problem is that you can fool the band. If you lube up your food or eat slider food it goes right through. For example I may be able to only eat half of a chicken breast but I could sit down with a bag of chips and dip and eat every bit of it. You really have to want this and it sounds like your do. The motivation is loosing the weight, you feel so much better you can't imagine going back there again, and the band will help you maintain. This device does have it's problems and may not be for everyone but for me it was the best decision I ever made. As far as the ratio of male to female 9 to 1 is probably on the conservative side. Women are more concerned about weight gain than men. Men tend to be like us, they wait until they reach critical mass before doing anything about it. I keep stats for our monthly challenge (the link is at the bottom of the page) and it consists of me and about 30 females. Feel free to add me as a friend and keep in touch. Larry