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Now of course I mean each morning- not at night! I think because I am post menopause I don't face the TOM weight gain either. I hope I haven't jinxed myself!

I'm not sure, I think the real issue is whether you're using dieting behaviour to control some sort of issue in your life. I think I've only been anywhere near this realm once in my life and I found it different to simply enjoying the lack of appetite that I had with the band and eating very little just because I could. That's not necessarily healthy behaviour but then again, you probably wont keep it up. However, its not anorexia. I found during the last year with my cancer treatment, I slid into what I consider almost anorexic behaviour without realising it, and it was a control issue. I got my band totally unfilled and I started being VERY careful so that I wouldnt gain. No problem there. But over time, as I got really skinny and people begain to comment, I actually enjoyed the attention and the fact that I was so very thin. I began to look forward to seeing my surgeon or oncologist and seeing them express concern at how thin I was. I felt very very anxious that should hang onto this low weight, to the point where I began to get upset at things that happened beyond my control - dinners out, changes in meal plans, having a wine or a cookie or something thrust at me in a social situation. I was thinking about what I wasnt going to eat 24/7. I happened by pure chance to come upon Portia De Rossi's book Unbearable Lightness and I read that and got really scared - so much of the behaviour she describes, I was doing. I was also running 8kms a day, going to body pump, all stuff my body was used to and my regular routine, but my reasons for doing it became to stay incredibly thin and keep that concern and horror from those around me going, and also it was my way of controlling what cancer did to my body. I was also very depressed and anxious at this time about everything, because I really couldnt control my medical progress, my career, our family's finances, etc. When i finished chemo, it was like a light went on in my mind, suddenly I was rational again, my body was healthy again and I couldnt control the slight weight gain back up to a healthier weight. I fought it for a while, but that sick way of looking at food and eating was just suddenly gone, as was the anxiety, depression and negativity. I really believe for me, it was a side effect of chemo - and much as I am my normal self - never thin enough, always could do more, eat less etc, that behaviour has settled back into the realm of relatively normal for a female who has had weight issues. So..... for me, it was definitely a control thing, a way of manipulating those around me, an inability to stop punishing my body. Definitely disordered, and I knew it, but I liked being too skinny too much to seek help. I'm very lucky it just kind of all went away and it seems completely nuts to me now. But just eating barely anything because you can - not necessarily disordered or abnormal but beware that if you start to like the result or fall into the habit of eliciting responses in others by your eating behaviours, it might be time to seek some help. The way you say you feel superior to food, its a little bit left of centre and perhaps a warning sign.

Hi everyone! So this is my second real attempt into the beginning of getting Bariatric Surgery. I have visited this option for many years now, but it has never been something that myself or my family ever considered to be a smart or reasonable option: not until this past winter did I ever bring it up to my family and tell them that I really wished to do this. I am 21 years old, a senior in college, and weigh 300 lbs. This is the highest weight That I have ever been at and I have decided that this will always be the highest weight I will be at. I think starting from the beginning will probably be easiest for me (maybe not for you, lol) but I hope I get some people to read, give me some feed back (good and bad). I don't remember a time not being overweight, I see pictures of myself when I was heading off on the first day of school and that was probably the last time I saw a skinny version of myself. In every school picture I have I see myself getting bigger and bigger as I get older and older. It wasn't til 4th grade did I finally realize something wasn't right. I was the only child in my class who wasn't wearing the cute outfits and didn't have lots of friends; In fact I was the only kid to get made fun because I couldn't run as fast as the others and I was purposely picked last in games because I was fatter and slower. 4th grade was the first time I started to diet to try and lose the weight. Obviously It didn't last very long and my life growing up was a vicious circle or 1 step forward 3 steps back. I have tried about every diet out there; medifast, atkins, weight watchers, nutrisystem, the new weight watchers points plus, weird diets i found online, liquid diets.....so on and so forth. I've also wasted hundreds of dollars on gym memberships in which i attended for about a month and then gradually went less and less till I was just paying to have a tag on my key chain. Once I hit high school I just began to ignore the problem, I was a size 20 and could care less about it. I had the mentality that I was invincible, I was fine just the way I was and if someone said something about it they could (in my teenage angst voice) "suck it". 3 years out of high school and I have gained 80lbs....I have gained over 100lbs in just 8 years....wowwwww. ha, Yea this is not okay. After my last and final "diet" program is when I confronted my parents and told them that this is something that needs to be done. Though they were very displeased with this because of the risks they knew things were going to get worse if i didn't make this change. I am already at a weight where I have restless sleep, terrible knee pains, I have a hard time bending over to pick things up, not to mention my asthma is getting worse...I now have to do this awkward side back bend to pick something up because my knees and back just arn't doing what they should be at age 21. I also visited my OBGYN about my period being so off schedule; she told me it was because of my weight and that my body is confused and thinks my rapid weight gain is because I'm pregnant. The thing that made me most upset to hear from my OBGYN was that I am at such a high weight and am considered morbidly obese that If i even tried to have kids there was GOING to be complications.....Now I am NOT trying to have kids in the first place, but If I have gained over 100 lbs in 8 years what is my weight going to be in another 8 years when I am ready to have kids? I visited a seminar on WLS about 3 months ago, and I began the process about 2 months ago....I got as far as deciding I wanted lap band, and going to see the nutritionist the first time to meet her and get paper work started for blood work and my psychological evaluation. I think I get nervous and gave weight watchers point's plus a try, I lost 10 lbs but then had a hard time with tracking and gained it all back. I am now getting ready to go back to the nutritionist and talk more with them about what to do. I am pretty sure That I have to start over from square one, but that's okay because It gave me more time to realize that I no longer want lap band, but feel that the VSG is a much better fit for me. I want a permanent life style change, so I want something that Is going to permanent. There is no easy way around this, I am ready for something to finally kick me in the ass and force me to make the decisions I need to make. Now I know this surgery will not make my brain want carrots and peas but If I can slowly retrain myself to eat as well as to like new foods then that's how It needs to be. I am already trying new foods and cutting back drastically on fast foods, eating out, and have practically quit smoking. I have been on and off smoking for about 4 years. I haven't bought a pack in 4 months, and have only had about 6 cigarettes in those 4 months. I honestly don't feel the urge to smoke anymore! .....now to quite drinking diet pepsi.....I hate coffee and tea so idk how i'm going to get my caffeine fix!! so to conclude this entry, I believe I am ready to try again and actually go through with this. My question for all of you who actually sat here and read all of that.....what were some of the worst things you didn't expect after surgery? how many of you had 2nd thoughts and/or even backed out like I did? why? did you go through with it? Also did anyone have issues with cigna insurance covering this procedure? Thanks for readying everyone, sorry if it got kinda lengthy. (I will also apologize now for this blog's and any other blog's gramatical errors...writing is not my strong point! lol) -Heather

For me, this has been the best thing ever! I have been struggling with weight gain for the last 8 years, and was finally diagnosed with PCOS 2 years ago. This surgery is working so well for me. I have done every diet known, only to lose a few pounds and gain it back + some. Since surgery, my energy levels have increased tremendously, I haven't needed any diabetes meds, I just got taken off BP meds, and after another blood test in 3 months, I may be taken off cholesterol meds as well. My periods have already become "normal" (shorter and less heavy) and on time! I feel like a new person already!

Hi! I am in a very similar situation. I was banded by Dr. Spivak in June 2009. I lost only about 40lbs. initially with my band, but never really gained anymore weight and was able to eat a pretty normal diet. I too cheated a lot and new that I needed to really commit to the diet that goes along with the tool. In May 2011 I found out that I was severely anemic, and had other Vitamin deficiencies and let my doctor convince me to have the Fluid taken out of my band so that I could swallow all the Vitamins and supplements easier. They also wanted me to do a detox diet that required several supplements. So, I had the unfill. Dr. Spivak was not in, so Brenda did it. I think he probably would have talked me out of it! I started the vitamins, coincidentally found most of them on Bariatric Advantage site so didn't really need the unfill. I never even finished the detox. Mid June I called the office to be filled again, had only gained maybe five pounds at this point and heard that he was moving to Isreal and was given the number for the "other doctor"! Brenda suggested that I wait to get filled until after our cruise in July, so I waited. Waited too long! I just went in to the "other doctor" after gaining back about 25 pounds! I had the same interaction with him. I felt rushed and he even forgot to tell me what diet to follow after the fill and weight gain. But what he did feel obligated to share with me was his opinion of the lap band. He said that they are now finding that patients are not having long term success. He said that Dr. Spivak was actually doing this particular study and that the sleeve was now the preferred treatment. He said that he would go ahead and start fills for me, but it looked like I am probably one of the many who will not have long term success with the band and that I should consider the sleeve. I left his office feeling totally defeated. I do not want another surgery. I had to self pay because my weight was not high enough and I have no other health issues. I really can't afford another surgery and frankly don't want to go through that again. At first I beleived what he said to me, but then started wondering if he's just trying to sell me another costly surgery. I'm sure he doesn't make much on the office visits. I hate to think that way! Really miss Dr. Spivak

Neither hypthyroidism nor the meds directly cause cravings or weight gain. Having your thryoid off kilter can make it difficult, even impossible to lose weight though because your metabolism slows down. Is your doctor following up with bloodwork and tracking your TSH levels? When mine would get off kilter, it would take more than a few weeks and sometimes one or two Synthroid adjustments to get me back on track. As for lack of periods, that definitely can be caused by a improperly functioning thyroid, could be a sign that your Synthroid dosage still isn't right. Stress may be causing you to eat more as well. Are you eating a lot of comfort foods (starchy and or sugary carbs)? This is what many of us turn to when we are stressed and that just causes more intense food cravings. Then again maybe you just need a fill.

Many congrats on the pregnancy ! ! ! The main issues is that you can NOT continue to eat low carb. Ketosis causes fetal brain damage so GO EAT A SANDWICH, if you are still low carbing it. Honestly, VSG has not complicated my pregnancy. The biggest challenge has been the inevitable weight gain, but you might not have as much as I have. I've gained a solid 20lbs at 29 weeks pregnant and even though that is perfectly on target, it's mindbending for me to gain weight. I have struggled with the physical changes, my ever expanding belly, and the fact that I'm 34 doesn't help! This is also my 2nd pregnancy, and higher numbers on the scale are expected with a 2nd pregnancy. So, my recommendation is to get to your ob, you shouldn't have to take any additional Vitamins, but make sure they monitor your B12 and Folate on a regular basis. If you aren't taking anything, start now. Folic acid and B12, Iron are the ones we need the most. My labs have remained stellar through my pregnancy. All you'll need is a prenatal with a sublingual b12. If you have worked out through your journey, keep working out. I admittedly didn't work out, and haven't in the pregnancy. I know that has contributed to my weight gain. Depending on your starting pregnancy weight, will determine your pregnancy calorie/protein/carb goals. I'm to eat 1700-1800 calories, 100gr of Protein 100gr of carbs, and 100oz of clear fluids per day. Yes, it's challenging, and I drink some calorie-filled drinks because I simply can not eat all my calories. Grape juice helps tremendously. Again, many congrats, and if you need anything, feel free to shoot me a message!

Hahahahahaha! I agree there are MANY MANY MANY Ways to modify the poll, but I really just want to know exactly what I asked. How much weight gained (IF ANY)?

OK so you would fall under the 1-5 lbs. I understand you normally lose it, but I'm really just interested in the MOST weight gain sleevers have had. Thanks sweets!

HI Y'all, I wanted to do some research with REAL people instead of reading about it in some report. I'm wondering how much weight (IF ANY) you have gained since being sleeved. I go up between 1-3 lbs. so my answer would be 1-5 lbs. I'm curious to see how this goes. Thanks!

Hey Donnie - Thank you for sharing. I started noticing weight gain. So I found another bariatric doctor (because mine conveniently left state) and he did an endoscopy and found it. The thing is it had been eroded for awhile so what I dont understand is why didnt my surgeon find it. I hated my band. It hasnt done half of what I was told it would. And I was a self pay for it so I feel like its money down the drain. However, I spoke with my insurance company this morning and they say with a medically necessary letter the surgery could be approved. My doctor is already working on it so hopefully I will know something soon.

These are the reasons I am fat: 1-I am Italian...anyone else that is Italian knows the emphasis we place on food, and that all family gatherings are centered around the dinner table. I grew up loving food and not understanding the importace of nutrition and exercise. 2-when i finally did learn the importance of fitness at age 13...always the fat girl, of course, i joined the swim team. I toned up quite a bit. Swimming 11 times a week will do that! After i graduated high school, i was so burned out from swimming that i just stopped, but continued to eat like i was swimming 11 times a week...this is where my first big weight gain happened. 3-I hovered around upper onederland for quite a few years. My biggest weight gain started about 3 months after I got married. I had a pretty severe back injury that prevented me from doing most activities. The combination of the injury, adjusting to married life, plus going back to school full time and working full time led to a lot of really, really bad choices. The day of my surgery, I weighed a whopping 286 pounds (yuck). I am struggling with a major plateau right now, but I am NEVER letting myself get to that point again.

My band was installed in Oct 2007 and removed in February 2011. My sleeve was placed August 10, 2011. My surgeon said he could've performed a direct revision but I had chickened out at the very last second. I waited 6 months but I believe it was for a good reason. The scar tissue is softer if you wait between, easier to manuever/peel around and the 6 months allowed me to see exactly what I was up against, as far as weight gain, if I decided NOT to have sleeve surgery.

Research is starting to show that after you have reached the obese range of weight, your physiology changes, and it is not like a regular sized person who wants to lose a couple of pounds anymore. It is probably true that you could eat like you have the sleeve for a year and take off lots of weight... but that would be crazy! I ate 350 cals a day for the longest time, then slowly popped up to 800, 900 and now 1100 at 8 months. I will probable stay pretty close to this for the next year I am guessing. Without the sleeve and Drs supervision, that is pretty much an eating disorder! With a regular sized stomach, could you really eat this way for the rest of your life? That is why my diets failed in the past... I just couldn't keep it up. I couldn't fight the hunger, the small portions, or really HUGE portions of no calorie foods....no feeling of satisfaction...skipping meals, trying to stay away from the foods I loved. Well with the sleeve, I am satisfied with much less, I do watch protein intake and when I drink my liquids... but I can eat a little abnormally for long enough to get the weight off, and then eat pretty normally to keep it off without getting killed by those couple of weeks of birthday parties, holidays or vacations that make it sooo easy to bust the diet and spin out of control again. I just can't eat enough at this point to spin very far out of control, and the next day I just don't even want to eat crap. I say this at 8 months, and I see statistics show some folks have some weight gain between 1-3 years... I may not have met that challenge yet, but I am working on it right now changing habits before I get there.

I read a story of a vet sleeve patient that I could relate to all too well. I leaned on her for support as a mentor. She posted her reflections and it clicked for me. She told me that her choice to have surgery was like ending a toxic marriage. Kind of like divorcing that abusive, inconsiderate, doucehbag of a husband who was a person she loved to hate. The relationship was toxic, but they had good years similar to the good years we have with dieting/exercising/doing it the "old fashioned" way, and then those toxic behaviors, issues in the marriage would pop up again, and the marriage would go to pot, AGAIN. That made perfect sense to me, I could lose weight, I could diet and exercise, I knew the cause of my weight gain after each diet attempt and why I couldn't keep the weight off. I had a toxic relationship with food, quantity and my love of food with no consequence other than being fat were my issues. I wasn't an emotional or compulsive eater, volume was my issue. I just knew that I couldn't do it without surgical intervention. Just like some people can not leave a marriage/relationship without intervention from family, or a major trigger to make them see that they need to get out. I hope all of that makes sense. I never had any issues post-op with the acceptance of having to have surgery to be successful. I'm not one of those that believe this is the easy way out, it's easier because I had surgery, but so is driving to the store instead of walking.

I just had my WLS Tuesday. Today was Friday. I stopped by my in-laws house to drop some things off and talked a little bit with my mother-in-law. While there, she asked me how much I had lost. I told her I had gained weight (5 pounds) because of the IV Fluid, but I lost it all in a day and that I was the weight I was at when I went into surgery. This is 3 days after surgery. Later, my husband talked to his parents. His mom commented on how I didn't look like I lost any weight yet. My husband laughed about it. He couldn't believe his mom's unrealistic expectations. He told her it wasn't an overnight fix. (Yay hubby!) I know my mil is dealing with her own issues. I've heard through my father-in-law that she is now considering weight loss surgery of her own. She has an investment in how I do, and I think she is kind of hoping I don't do well, so she has a reason not to have WLS. I'm not concerned about her since I know what I have to do, but it is amazing the little digs people will get in even when they know better. I think what ticks me off most is that I had explained to her that very day that I had some weight gain because of IV fluids, but she was still being unrealistic and critical. I just think most of that was posturing for her husband who I think has been encouraging her a little too much for her liking to look into WLS.

I had to get more taken out of my band than was put in on my last fill because it was too tight. For the last two weeks I have been able to eat like I did before my second fill. I could have sworn I was going to gain, but instead I actually lost 6lbs. I did start the month off with a lot of exercise daily, but as the tempature got into the triple digits I didn't even bother. I just wanted to post this too let some of your who has had a month were fluid was removed not to freak out, instead exercise and try not to get obsessed about lossing. The more we stress the less we loss. Stress can also cause weight gain.

I love seeing the stats on the ghrelin levels. I have also seen studies that show that increase of reflux follows the curve of the weight gain almost exactly! Any Reflux I have had seems tied to what I eat for sure... crappier food, fried food, sugar = more reflux......= weight gain...?

I also followed the low carb, high protein diet pre surgery and lost 53 lbs while I waited for paperwork to go through. I had surgery less than 1 1/2 weeks ago and will continue with that until I am close to goal. I expect it'll be 6 months(ish) I see others eating whatever they want and then complain of slow weight gain. Like everything it's what you put into it to a point. Others just lose faster or slower no matter what they do. But I will say that it seems those that put the effort in and follow the guidelines seems to lose most of the weight within a year.....a little more for those that have 200+ lbs to lose, and most seem to lose the bulk of it within 6 months. I'm down 63lbs in 5 months and I've only been sleeved for 1 week. Most of that was on my own dieting. The sleeve just makes it faster. Good luck, hun!

A question for the ladies who have had the sleeve. Do you experience weight gain with your TOM? If so, when does it usually happen - the week of, the week before or 2 weeks before? I'm just trying to figure out why I gained 4 pounds a week ago and have stayed at that level. At the support group meeting last night, the PA suggested it could be because of TOM. I'm inclined to think that is what caused it because I haven't really changed any of my other eating habits. However, having my surgery a month ago and it screwing with my TOM, I really don't know when I should be having it again so am a bit confused with this weight gain. I should have started my TOM last month on the day of my surgery, but it started a week later. So now I am thinking that I will start sometime next week (at least that is what I am hoping considering my normal migraines that come just before TOM started yesterday).

I think it might have something to do with whether or not you do the emotional work.If you don't work on the things that gave you issues with food you can fall back into the same problems. Slider foods are easy to eat and they taste good. I think weighing regularly and taking action if you gain a couple of pounds will keep that from being a problem for you. It is slipping into denial and the old ways of eating and eating around the sleeve that causes weight gain. The sleeve is a tool m that is all. It would be nice if it guaranteed weight loss and maintenance but that just is not true. We are the captains of our sleeve ships and I for one am committed to not joining that weight gain statistic. I think if you set a firm policy to weigh, and to take action if the scale creeps up then you will be fine. It will take you a while to determine what your maintaining intake looks like but trust yourself!

OK lately I've been hearing that A LOT of wls people have gained or are gaining a lot of weight back after wls. I actually just met a lady in my panni class a few weeks ago that gained 50 lbs. back in a 2 year period...hearing this is TOTALLY freaking me out. I go up and down between 1-3 lbs. and that's the MOST I've gone up. Are there any sleevers out there that have gained 10, 15, 20, and up??? If so, how long did it take for you to gain???? Also, by any chance do you drink with your meals??? I use to be really strict about waiting the 30 minutes to drink after meals, but I'm finding that it's easier to drink sooner than the 30 minutes, and I'm wondering if that will contribute to weight gain. Right now I'm really trying to maintain (difficult stage to be in) and not counting or watching every bite I eat, because I really don't want to lose any more (for the MOST part I do make healthy choices), but on the other hand I'm freaking out about gaining my weight back after hearing about all these other folks. Any feedback would be appreciated!

I also have a leaking port or band. Dr. had to fix my band last January 2011 and since then I haven't held a good fill and have not lost weight. I had only lost 40 lbs total in the first 6 months then gained 10 of it back and have stayed there until now. Its been over 2 years now. I am fighting to keep the weight gain from happening and its now getting to hard. I have started gaining and hunger is out of control again. I have had several fills since January and I lose fluid each time. Yesterday I went to the Dr and he was in the room when they pulled out the fluid under fluoro and he said yes I have less fluid. I told him everytime I have come in it hasn't held. He was mad because I didn't come to HIM and let him know I was having problems. I thought his nurses would tell him. Anyway, I have to wait 2 more weeks and he will check it again himself. He said I may need a port change but I want him to put contrast in the tubing to see where it is leaking because I don't want to have a port change and find out it is the band not the port. My band was causing me horrible pain when they would unfill. It was so bad that he agreed something was wrong and went in and fixed it.I didn't get a new band. He adjusted the band and I wonder if he nicked it or something and thats where the problem is. He is working hard with me on my issues and gave me hope again yesterday that my HUGE cash payment for the band was worth it. I hope to lose 40 more pounds in the next year. Not asking to much but sure want the band to work properly so I can use my Tool as they constantly say. Hope is in the wind. He hasn't talked about money to do this so I don't know how much it will be. My insurance now coveres Lapband and they will cover me also after appeals on my part were done when I found out they covered the surgery when I had it done. They told me it wasn't a covered expense and the book said that and so did the on line benefits. So I paid out of pocket for it. We must keep the faith. I read so much about it not working and all the problems. I am counting on my DR to get me back on track and he seems to be willing so we will see.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life, because today is the day I decided that this weight thing is serious enough for me to start considering the other options. I'm terrified. But, I guess I should probably start out with Hello. My name is Jen, I just turned 30, and I live in sunny Florida with my husband and 4 year old. All of my life, I have been heavy. I remember weighing one sixteen in the 6th grade, which was heavy then because I was just a wisp of a girl. My heaviest was 350, during my first marriage. I dumped the ex, got divorced, and lost 60 lbs by diet and exercise. I had my time of partying, feeling good, met my current husband. That led two two pregnancies, of only one which made it, and the plateau of weight gain that followed. I'll be honest and admit that I was a freak of nature, I only gained a total of 7lbs during my full term pregnancy, it was the afterwards that it really piled on. Now, I have terrible pain in my feet if I walk around, and I know that it has to do with my weight. Currently, I know I am about 300lbs or more. I get too depressed to look at the scales, so I try to avoid them, but I know that my pant size has gone up. Also, seeing pictures of myself disgusts me so much I have asked my relatives not to take any. And if they do, they are not to post them on social networking sites. It truley is sad when you can see a picture of yourself at 260lbs, and think "I want to be -that- girl again!" Which leads me to yesterday. Yesterday, I was sitting next to my husband thinking that I do not wish to be unattractive anymore. I slept with that in the back of my head, and woke up this morning thinking "I am ready to start looking at the options." So I've been researching all morning, (With a bag of potato chips.... What cruel irony.) and I find my stomach flipping in knots. A gastric sleeve! How frightening! RNY? I can't even look at the photographs. Lap band? Seems like the least invasive. But what about band slippage, erosion, all the side affects. I am scared. But I know it is what has to be done, and I am in the process of finding out the insurance options for me. (Currently on Florida Medicaid, but I'd be happy to hear any of the options you ladies/gentlemen have, or if anyone else has Florida Medicaid.) So really, I guess I am asking.... Where do I start? What are the chances and rates of side effects, and how long have some of you had your bands?

I haven't been around in a while, just now able to really sit at the computer for long. Congrats to all of those on the losers bench and to those joining us soon. I'm still having pain and needing Tylenol every 4 hours, but I am getting around well. I was up and walking a lot right after surgery. They called me their star patient, but I seemed to have a lot of pain and bruising. sleeping is a challenge, but I have no hunger and have not regretted this once. I actually gained 12lbs overnight from all of the fluids. It took quite a while to lose that, but the pounds started melting off within the last 3 days. I am 8 days post op and down 7lbs even with the 12lb weight gain, so 19lbs in 8 days. <laugh> I was able to start mushies yesterday. Everything is going well so far, but I eat very little. I don't want to over do it especially since it's only 1 week since surgery. I can see my muscles wasting away already and cannot wait to be able to exercise and lift again. GL all.