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Every day i wonder and day dream of how i would look if i lost enough weight to weigh under 200..even in my teen years i was 210-215..now im 256...not a real big weight gain after 20 years and 2 kids. Does any else think of the same thing?

Hi There! I have been working with Dr. Cobourn for several weeks now. I essentially also spoke to him when i inquired about the process. He is extremely nice, and dedicated to the craft. I was able to speak with him, and he appeared to be very realistic regarding the results. He was very clear this was a tool and I need to work alongside it in order to achieve success. Since the holidays (Christmas 2014) I have been working with the Smart Shape team. They have been very supportive and very professional. My surgery is Wednesday of next week. I am anxious, excited and scared - all of the above times 10! I have never been put under, and I worry about this stuff, and naturally i think anyone does. I was so scared a week ago that Dr. Cobourn personally called me again and reassured me that this is normal, and truthfully there is nothing to worry about. He made me feel very comfortable and I was able to shift my focus from fear to thinking about my new shape! The cost of the surgery is rather expensive, but I have tried many different avenues at weight loss and everything seems to lead me back to weight gain. It's time I do something that I am convinced will work - crossing fingers. As for reviews, in my experience i have done a lot of internet research and of course spoken to a few folks who have had the surgery locally here in Toronto. I find the internet is filled with a myriad of posts, comments. I had to realize quickly some people who do not follow the healthy lifestyle after banding are quick to say it does not work. Every experience will be different but overall this process seems to work for many people. Best of Luck!

I'm almost 8 months out. In the immediate pre- and post-op sleeve environment, it had a really profound effect - changing my relationship with food, getting a full-body "reset", having little to no hunger, much more energy, etc. I never had any problems with any food or drink along the way. But I have since learned the hard way, that that's not necessarily a benefit. Over the summer I was travelling, for basically 4 weeks, and it became difficult to stay completely on track the entire time. So, occasionally at first, but then with more regularity, I started trying more foods that I've been avoiding - wraps for lunch, chai tea from Starbucks (the only thing other than regular tea that I can drink there), and other foods (mostly carbs) that I told myself were a one-time only thing (like my dad's birthday cake). But once I started introducing carbs/sugar back into my life I noticed 2 things - one, that my cravings came back with a vengeance, and that I didn't feel full or satisfied as I had in the past; and two, that my weight loss came to a complete and absolute standstill. It's clear that I can eat anything - I did not have any negative reactions to anything that I tried - therefore, I know that I will have to vigilant about food for the rest of my life. It's taken me a couple weeks to wean myself off the carbs and back into a proper diet, much harder than when I did the pre-op diet. It's been a real wake-up call for me. So I'm thankful that my sleeve (and the effects from it) is preventing any demotivating weight gain, and that I have a chance to get back on track.

*raises hand* My first period after surgery was VERY heavy (compared to pre-wls) and very LONG (it lasted over a week!). It continued (and still does - I'm two years out) to be comparatively heavier than before surgery, but the duration has gone back down to "normal" (for me, that's about 3-4 days). Another thing of note is that it comes like clockwork. I used to be very regular before I became obese, but then it became very irregular after the weight gain. The 1-2 years before surgery I would go months without it. I thought I was going through menopause or something, but I guess it was just being fat? Edited to add: I'm 49

I realize that even after losing over 60 pounds in 7 months, I'm not going to feel "skinny." I have at least another 60 pounds to go and I also realize that even skinny chicks have their fat days. So, I'm just going to wallow a bit in my fat day. Yesterday my feet were killing me. I have had MUCH less trouble with my feet as I have lost weight. At the height of my weight gain, I could barely get through a normal day of work in crocs or tennis shoes. Now, I am careful with the shoes I wear, but I can wear "normal" shoes to work and I work out regularly. My feet ache some, but I think that is normal. However, yesterday, it was like I was back up to 285. :cool: They hurt throughout the day. At the end of the workday, we received an email that the elevators were not functioning. We were told that we could use the service elevator, but there is only one. The service elevator is the slowest form of transportation on the planet under normal circumstances. For it to service all 22 floors, it would take me an hour to get to the lobby from the 18th floor! I had to get to Jazzercise, so I took the stairs. I have to say that it wasn't as bad as in the past when we have had to do fire drills, so that's a plus. But my legs were a little jello-ish at Jazzercise. My feet hurt so bad at class, I feel like I was at 50-60%. I don't think walking the stairs was the cause since they hurt throughout the day, but I'm sure it didn't help. I was SO internally cranky during that class. I was picking fights with people in my head to the point I had to physically shake it. [sidebar: Do you all do that? I often times find myself picking fights or having arguments in my head. For instance, if I know that I'm going to tell my boss something he isn't going to like, I have the worst case scenario conversation in my head. It drives me crazy! I'm getting better about not doing that, but I certainly did it last night!] I went home and did all the things with my feet that I am supposed to do. They feel a lot better today and I tried to pick out a pair of comfortable shoes. No Jazzercise today, but I'm planning to workout at lunch. I think I will choose the ellypical or the bike so I can limit impact on my feet. Then, because I am a glutton for punishment, I plan to walk down the stairs at the end of the workday. That is my punishment for wallowing in my fatness. :laugh: Oh well, tomorrow is another day!!

Don't worry about counting calories or carbs at this point. You just had 85% of your stomach removed. You are not going to get in too many calories. Least of your worries. Like Kimmy says, have more soup. Have another Protein shake. Grab a popsicle or two. Again, 85% of your stomach removed ... an excess of 3,500 calories make up 1 pound of weight gain ... do you really think you are at risk? The weight will come off ... trust me.

I was 227 around Holloween now im 240! ..I gained 13 pounds n I feel like shit...I swear losin weight has got 2 b the hardest thing in the world especially if u love food...but Im goin 2 make sure I lose those 13 pounds in 2 weeks..I am NOT goin back to 288! I just had 2 vent...Has any1 experienced this tramatic weight gain? If so, lemme know how u pulled through..thanks!

Thanks for replying! I have a caliper that is very very cheap so I gave up using after it told me I was 8% one time and like 35% the next time (haha) and there's a machine that's at my gym that gives you all kinds of information, including body fat. It rates me between 15 and 18% depending on the day. That is utter nonsense though because by all accounts i am still "fat". I look and feel like I could easily lose 40-50lbs from my abdomen and inner thighs alone. I was using a trainer for a time and am friends with the training staff at my gym but none of them have knowledge about bariatric patients, including their nutritionist. It feels like two different worlds to me - the gym environment and the bariatric environment. Neither one appears to have legit knowledge about the other. This is part of the reason I've been stressing about this. I need to know where the balance is. I'd also love to know if it's possible for me to actually use this surgery after 12 months for something other than creating a toxic bathroom and buying lots of vitamins for the rest of my life! You would think that would be covered day one of your consultation, but I feel like it's skimmed over in minor detail, and when I asked the simple question I got five different answers from five different medical experts. If you google something like "gastric bypass two years later" there's next to nothing other than a few weight gain articles and one forum post that says "gastric bypass 8 years later and out of control!" I am also very interested in talking to someone who knows both athletics and bariatric stuff. The nutritionist at my hospital comes across like she mostly deals with older people who cannot/do not exercise and doesn't really know my needs. And I'm scared about how hungry I am all the time. I feel like I did this for nothing :(

My new favorite saying "You haven't failed until you quit!" as long as you are working with your band you can not be termed a failure. You have lost almost 100 pounds. How many people have done that? Seriously. I got a fill last month that just kept getting tighter, .7 then I went back 10 days later and they took .3 out. What a relief! There is no reason for you to suffer. Take a little out. The band is for teaching you sustainable eating habits. You cant live the rest of your life on a few bites of food at a time, besides it will encourage grazing and then weight gain. A half unfill isn't bad. Then you will still have some restriction. I don't think you can be getting your proper nutrients from the way you describe eating. So yes I think lack of food could be affecting your mood. Have you talked to your Dr that prescribes your depression meds? Maybe they just need tweaked. Plus we could all use some sunshine. I'm sorry that you are feeling sad, do you have some preop pictures that you could compare to your current ones? (If you don't have current ones you really need to take some) Sometimes when I am sad I minimize my accomplishments and if I have a visual reminder that cant be denied it will make me feel better. 100 pounds has to make a real difference in your appearance! Try and concentrate on the positive. Try and silence the inner voice that is saying bad things (OK maybe you don't have this but I do, I have to shut it up a lot!) Good luck and keep us posted.

Hi everyone, I'm new here and feeling so discouraged . I need help and if anyone has ever been through this before,I would appreciate ANY feedback. After my surgery,I had terrific success. Once I started the program,I was almost 300 pounds,291 to be exact. The day of my surgery ,I was 261. I'm not 249. I feel so disgusted with myself and so discouraged that I can hardly see straight. Actually ,for the first few months,things were great but right around September of 2009,I went in for my 3rd fill,at that time,I was probably around 215. I was feeling great,I had motivation unlike I've ever had before. Well not too long after that fill,I started to throw up all the time,I thought it was might fault,like maybe I ate too fast or too much but I wasn't doing anything different. Then I started to notice I wasn't losing any weight. So I went for months like this ,thinking it was my fault but what started to happen is that I was hungry all the time. I guess because I was throwing up all the time. I thought it was some sort of art form that I had yet to perfect with the new fill lol. Well it wasn't until December that I saw my surgeon and had a "unfill",so I thought it was ok but then I start gaining weight back so time goes by,they make me wait to give me another fill to give my band a break so to speak,so I have another fill and this sounds strange but for a while it was ok but I still wasn't losing weight hardly at all anymore and I started to get hungry all the time and then what I started doing was eating "around" the band just to fill feel. For example like ice cream because it tasted good,it was filling and it didn't make me vomit. I was seen a couple of weeks ago to have an "unfill". I think right now I'm only at a 3 ?? I am feeling really awful about my weight gain and I feel like I can't get that motivation I once had,back. What is wrong with me ? The Surgeon and his nurses said their not worried,that I will get back on track and that it's their fault for giving me too many fills(I don't feel it's their fault though) and that it's really a trial and error type thing but I feel like a failure and I also feel like other people see me as that. I really hate to admit this but there are a couple of people that I know that probably want to see me fail. I so badly want to prove them wrong. Has anyone else been through this and did it finally change for you ,for the better ? I need all the advice I can get . Thank you!!

I unfilled my band completely in October last year for cancer surgery and chemotherapy and I had very little trouble with weight gain. I really have patted myself on the back for a job well done, loudly and publicly, lol, but in truth, on reflection I think I had some assistance, what with being so sick. I remained unfilled for seven months and gradually over the last five have refilled my band up to decent restriction (althoug h I've not found the sort of restriction I had before, I've got what I can live with, thanfully as my band is 0.2cc from full). I found it very easy at first, I still couldnt eat a lot, and stuck to very small meals and healthy foods. It took months for my appetite to expand, I began to notice that dinner would leave me wanting, becuase I always restricted through willpower what I ate between meals fill or no fill. That sort of head hunger stuff was just the same. I kept running and going to the gym right through treatment. But I did gradually begin to eat more. Now with fill going back in, I dont feel any "different" like I was expecting to, but my meals are much smaller again. I might feel the same, thinking I had toast for breakfast, but then I realise that once again, the idea of two pieces of toast like normal people eat is like a major pig out, absolutely excessive and I realise yes, that restriction is there. Restriction really isnt a tangible thing that you can feel, it just subtly changes how much you eat, and you have to listen hard for it, and ignore the head hunger - that isnt real hunger. But its interesting to see what its like when restriction has gone isnt it? I think it has made me a better bandster, I kind of needed a kick in the pants after six years.

Hi me again, I had my gastric sleeve 21 days ago I had a follow up with my doctor on my 15 day and was Dehydrated, they sent me to the emergency to get some ivy's after that I had to go to my primary doctor due to my pancreatitis level were to high they weighed me and I had noticed I gain 3 pounds I figured it water weight now I am on my 21 days and just weight myself and notice that I have gained additional 2 pounds now I'm worried I am also still on my liquid diet. Thank you Sent from my SM-N976U using BariatricPal mobile app

Well, today I saw the Endo, but it didn't go quite how I would have liked. Becaue I don't have the strechmarks, and because I work out I don't have the thin arms and legs, he doesn't think I have cushings, but he ordered the 24 hour urine test and three other tests. (my husband has my PDA with that information). I do know they are testing my testosterone because of the increased body hair, the increased facial hair (6 laser hair removal treatments and it is all growing back) and the male patterned baldnes, he thinks I might have something wrong, like a masculinizing tumor, but probably not cushings. He wasn't interested in my sudden and unexplained weight gains, my fatigue, or my inability to lose weight. I think the man weighs 150 soaking wet. He's going to send me to a doctor that specializes in metabolic issues, although she mostly sees professional atheletes. He kept refering to me being obese (no kidding) and thinks that is why I'm having all the problems. He thinks I should work harder at losing weight. (hello! I had WLS for crying out loud, I work out, and I've managed to lose 15 pounds net since April. I'm not terribly optimistic, but he didn't dismiss me altogether either. He did tell me to stop taking the thyroid medication. He looked at my test results from Jan and couldn't believe the other doctor put me on thyroid medication.

I did not accept I had an eating problem until the day after I was banded. I have PCOS so I always blamed my weight gain and hunger on PCOS. But one the hunger was curbed, my need to overeat did not go away. I am/was simply used to eating family sized portions of food. In fact those first two weeks I was simply MANIC for food to deal with the stress of surgery. I staved it off with lots of Fiber rich smoothies and yogurts. I also learned that sugar free stuff made me super ravenous and I stopped eating it for good. At one point, overwhelmed, dazed even,I went to a drive thru and bought two chicken finger sandwiches (before I was off liquid food) and tried to eat one in my truck. I got something stuck for the first time then. Buns are NOT your friend with a lapband and neither is non-water soluble greasy chicken coatings! I found out real quick what happens: pain and nausea. You simply can't throw up hardly at all anymore, at least not in any way you will remember. When you eat too fast, or eat a gluey, chunky type-food and it gets stuck, it feels like someone has your heart in a vice. You will heave. Pain sets a VERY strong deterrent for eating foods which are naturally bad for you anyway. Any kind of bread, pastry, pie crust, and any crust with butter or grease in it, anything that will not melt naturally with Water, can get stuck at a moments notice. Carbonated sodas are out too, because the bubbles stretch the pouch. All this sounds hard to deal with. But the GREAT thing is I don't feel hungry. That empty feeling is gone. Just having the empty feeling gone all the time has helped me emotionally and physically get over the fact I can't binge anymore. Even more so it reminds me I don't have to binge to fill that void in me to feel full again. I get plenty to eat. I am eating good food. My food budget is down to 1/4 of what I used to spend. I'm loosing weight carefully and slowly. I just can't eat like I used to. And I really avoid those foods that make me choke. Once you choke on something, you really don't want to ever go back there again. Which I think is a good thing in the end.

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!

Depo is known for fairly significant weight gain. I gained 20 lbs in 6 mos on it and had not changed eating/exercising to attribute to it. I know lots of women who had this same experience. Further, Depo should not be used for more than a couple years at a time. It decreases your bone density. I became osteopenic in one vertebra after 3 years use. One year after stopping, my bone density did return to normal.

I wish I could answer your question. I actually have the same question. Depo provera has been the most effective and convenient form of birth control for me over the last 10-12 years. It's also be been a part of my 50 lb weight gain over that period. Of course the larger part of my weight gain was due to my unhealthy eating habits and inactivity. My banding isn't until April 2012, but I would somewhere down the line like to consider going back on it. I know that I have to get my lifestyle (food and activity) under much better control first.

I worked for an gynecologist for a few years, and I learned that Depo is notorious for causing weight gain, the average being about 30 lbs. Most of the doctors in the practice would only consider it for women who had low normal BMIs. I would try to find another option if you can; you don't want to be behind the 8 ball before you're even banded.

Thanks all! I think reading these boards and seeing all the different ways our bodies adapt, feel, and change has helped as well as the fact that everyone seems to experience success overall, despite lulls and challenges. I'm 13 days post op now and pretty sure I'm about to start my period. For me... that's typically about 6 to 8 pounds of retention on a typical month, I'm pretty convinced I'll have a big drop once it passes given I have all the symptoms EXCEPT the weight gain... pretty much staying steady. Thanks for the support and encouragement!

I am 2 years 4 months post op and I know I have stretched my sleeve all that it's going to stretch. I can't possibly eat more than I could at one year out. Getting too full just plain hurts. That does not mean you can't graze and eat Snacks that cause weight gain.

I've also hit another pleateau, I had to have surgery to remove endometriosis, so I had to go on a medicine called Lupron which they give to cancer patients, there are so many side effects and one of them is weight gain. I have not gained any in the last couple of months, but I'm not losing any either. I can't handle another adjustment right now because I'm tight as it is. I feel like i'm fighting a losing battle here. I thought about stopping the medicine but then the endometriosis will come back I that has to be one of the most painful things that I've gone through. I could a feel but than not be able to eat. So what do I do?

Had sleeve gastrectomy 1yr ago and want another baby but am terifed of regaining the weight does anyone know how much weight if any I would gain apart from the 10kgs baby weight? Will it just fall off post birth as pre pregnancy? Thanx

SOunds like you have been dealing with some hormonal shifts and that can TOTALLY cause weight gain / stall. I woudl recommend that you start getting some more Fiber in your diet to get the bowels moving regularly. Eat a 1/2 cup of oatmeal every day if you can. I am also really bad about Water intake, but it doesn't seem to stall my progress. I also find jusy changing up what I eat can keep my weight moving. I was eatign the exact same thing every day for the first couple of months - since I started to change it up, I have been losing more every week. I would also go back to the doc and talk about the dysmennhoria (no periods). It is not normal to have that for a long time. At this point in your weight loss journey, you should be getting back to normal. You might have to go on a hormone suoplement (birth control pill) to get the periods under control until your body can regulate on its own. Good luck!

Was wondering if any of you have been pregnant since the band. My husband wants to have another baby of course I am going to wait longer but we r thinking of trying come fall... How was pregnancy, eating, and weight gain???

(((HUG)))) I know that after surgery that's the last thing we want to see on the scale. Believe it or not, I'm up about six pounds from my pre-admission weight. I'm certain none of it is a real weight gain, because I feel like a bloated balloon at the moment. Either way, your body is just recovering, and there's no way you have gained actual pounds of fat right now. it's probably just reorganizing and holding in Water to help you heal. I'm sure it will come back off in no time =)