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I got great news today; I emailed my PCP yesterday that I would like her to send me to a bariatric specialist and she emailed me today that she referred me to the Bariatric information seminar. I didn't even have to go see her again. WE had discussed my weight gain at my last visit in February for a physical and lab work. I think it would be best for me to stay on my Kaiser insurance and not switch to my Blue Shield option. I guess that is step 1, I am on way down the Kaiser WLS roller coaster. What should I expect at the seminar? do they weigh me there?

Ok, I've been good. I've tried to give myself some time, but now I'm just pissed and about to lose my **** with this sleeve revision. I had the band Sept of 2010. Piece of crap it was. I lost a grand total of 20 when all was said and done. Sliming, weight gain, misery- many of you know the deal. Fast forward to July 9th. The Crapband was evicted from my torso. Gone, never to be seen again. Along with it, a good chunk of my stomach. All was fine and dandy the first two weeks. I went from 217 to 203. Whoo Hoo! Yeah, I know a lot of that was Water, but who cares. But from that point on it's been completely disappointing. The past 9 weeks I have only lost 8-9 pounds. Yes, that is 1 f'ing pound a week on average. Are you kidding me?!!! No, I am not eating sugar, junk, etc. Yes, I am eating loads of Protein. I am not dehydrated. I'm not sitting on my butt all day. I go to physical therapy 3 times a week at a gym for a killer workout to get me back in shape for ski season. My muscles are showing the results of the hard work. I'm active beyond that. I walk. My blood sugar is perfect and my thyroid is allegedly fine(although my family history with it is horrible). What the hell am I supposed to do? This isn't at stall, this is a full stop. I have lost more weight on my own doing Weight Watchers or Atkins! I can not for the life of me figure out how I can be eating 1/4 of the calories that I used to and exercising more and lose a measly 1 pound a week. Am I really that pathetic? My surgeon has basically written me off after two surgeries. I get the same questions each time I go in. I think he is waiting for me to fess up to something so he can bust me, but I have nothing to confess! I don't even feel the need to go back to his office anymore. His solution was to prescribe me Phentramine. I seem to get no where with him, nor my Endocrinologist who should have some better insight into my obviously messed up metabolism. I keep reading the July Sleevers thread and I seem to be literally 50% behind (or more) everyone else in weight loss. Next Monday will be 12 weeks and I will be at maybe 23-24 pounds down. I can't imagine that many others have had this poor of a result, not once, but twice, band included. I would love to hear from anyone who is/has been in my situation. I need some guidance here. This is beyond me wanting to whine. I am past whining. I am pissed off. I have something wrong with me that is preventing me from really losing weight. The past few days I have been starving and eating a lot more than usual. It's not 'head hunger', but growling stomach, light headed, give me food now hunger.

AT 5+ years, I am still a work in progress. I still maintain at 55% EWL. I gained over 35 pounds in the last year+. Easy as pie. Literally. I can eat anything, and in large amounts if spread over time. I still do not drink with meals unless I have breakfast out which is not often. I reach for food when emotional or stressful situations come up. I know it... I watch it, I work on it. I mostly write down what I eat, and watch Protein, but those weeks that I don't, I gain. It is not easy to get off. Yes the sleeve still works. I eat less at any sitting... protein first really makes me feel full faster. I continue exercise, and recommitted again.... just finished the 5 day "pouch" test with a 5 pound loss and a lowering of the Carb addiction. One step at a time. The head has to be in the game, just like before weight loss surgery. The sleeve helps... it is a tool, just like they say, and has helped me to maintain at least 50 pound loss for 5 years. I had a weight gain at 2+ years and worked to get to goal after that... so I know I can do it. I think for me, this is something I need to watch and plan every day.... when I don't I gain. I am very happy I got the sleeve though.... VERY HAPPY. Kindle, so true! I didn't see that. @@feedyoureye - Is putting on the weight post-op much easier than it was pre-op? During the week I'm pretty structured but on the weekends I tend to be a little more relax. I normally eat whatever I want, but I still have been losing weight. I think it's because I walk an hour each day. I'm still in the pre-op stage but I was recently approved for the Bypass. I'm thinking of having the approval changed to the VSG because the RNY scares me. I can gain weight like I did before surgery at the same rate as I did after losing weight after dieting. It is easier to eat less now though... when I set my mind to it.

Funny how one person will read something and take it one way, while another person will take it completely differently. Jenna, I'm sorry you feel that low bmi folks are being "blasted." I have NEVER read anything on this board that I would consider blasting a low bmi person. Expressing surprise that someone with a relatively low bmi is considering the band is not blasting, it is simply expressing surprise. I'm sorry you think of yourself as a pig. I know that you are a cop, and "pig" used to be something that cops were called. I don't know if it is still the case. Could this be part of where part of your self-image comes from? This has to be a painful thing for you, and I am sorry for your pain. But your pain is not my pain. Your pain is not universal. I started my Band journey weighing almost 300 pounds. But you know what? My weight has not kept me from doing anything. And it certianly hasn't kept the boys away. At the last frat party I went to there were men clustered around me, plying me with drinks, wanting me to dance with them and in general vieing for my attention, wanting my phone number. And these boys were in the 20-25 age range for the most part. I'm 43, and these boys were facinated with me, all 275 pounds of me. When I enter a room, I if I so desire, I own the room. When I want to, I have a commanding presence. My weight has nothing to do with that. It has everything to do with my confidence in who and what I am. I too am an over achiever. I'm fat for lots of reasons, but mostly because I have been on masive doses of steroides since I was a little girl. I've been on other medications that cause a huge weight gain. I certianly wouldn't consider a PM a "chicken shit" approach. I would view it as a way to try to resolve a matter privately, and with some sensitivity. I know that people in different parts of the country and world for that matter, handle conflict differently. I probably would have also sent a PM. I believe that Babs did just the right thing. We have lots of lurkers here. Just because they don't wish to participate in your poll doesn't have anything to do with anything. Some are not ready to introduce themselves, others don't need what we offer. And that's fine too. I'm sorry Jenna that you have such self esteem issues. But your issues are not my issues. They are not universal issues. Fat does not equal ugly. I am not a pig, and I don't believe anyone else is either.

My doctor prefers 3 meals and if necessary, one small snack. Seems to work for me. I find that if I eat more often, I actually get hungrier and have the "munchies", which just leads to grazing and weight gain.

I have BC/BS Illinois and I live in Alabama (my work's group policy) and I got denied--and denied on appeal. My BMI was high enough, I was over 100lbs...and I have no co-morbidities. I was told by the phone rep that if only I were a bit sicker--or heavier. (Yes, I'm serious.) They said I needed more of a 6 month diet and exercise history however, I've been seing doctors about weight loss and been on every diet known to man (all documented) since 2002. As if my weight gain popped up in the recent 6 months and somehow the next 6 months of doing the exact same thing I've done for 6 years prior--would be the magic weight loss bullet! So, I got a Capital One loan and wrote it off my taxes. I had my surgery in July of 2007--and after losing 30lbs....my surgeon's office accidentally billed my insurance for a "fill"--and guess what? They paid for the office portion--but not the fill. Go figure.

My after care people were pretty good....could have been more informed but over all not too bad. Most do not know what got us to this point in our weight gain...most will never understand how it took us over and got the best of us. Which in turn means they will never understand how hard we will have to work to get it back off...but we will and we can be proud for doing that. It isn't easy at all....I am struggling big time. No magic bullet here that is for sure. I did think I would lose better than this so over all I am pretty disappointed with the process. But at least I am no longer gaining weight so I guess that is a bonus. We will see how it goes. I have to say though that if my results are not better in 1 to 2 more years I will have this removed. Assuming I continue to work out and watch my diet with no success! But once I hit the sweet spot I should see some improvement, at least that is what the doc says. I am hopeful J

Scared? Yes. All the time. But that is good right now. I was told by someone at work yesterday "you look great, you have lost so much weight. ....again". This was just a very good reminder for me for that I have had a very, very long history of weight loss and weight gain. Usually in the past this was the moment I would feel defeated and give up. I totally recognize this behavior now and am much stronger to just let it go. We can ALL do this! Keep up the great work.

@@AimsLu All I can do is share my experience with you as I am not a doctor or claim to be any kind of expert. I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in 1999. Freaked out, was put on meds, lost weight, gained weight, different meds, lost weight, gained weight ... well you get the idea. I had a full time career, husband, 3 children, aging parents to take care of, etc. No time to take care of myself. I white knuckled my way through losing 85 lbs. in 2008 (252 lbs. down to 167 lbs.) with a restrictive low calorie diet and working out 6 days a week. Everything went into remission and I was off all my meds. It's all I did and then life threw me a few curve balls and poof my weigh began to rise again. Now it's 2013 and I'm back up to 235 lbs. Feeling embarrassed, depressed and in complete denial, I hadn't been to a doctor so needless to say I'd never gone back on my meds. November 27, 2013, the day before Thanksgiving, I woke up in the thralls of a stroke at the ripe old age of 52! When I was admitted to the ER, my A1C was 11.2 and my BP was 195/120! I was in Mayo hospital for 6 days, rehab for 10 and finally on the mend at home. Then January 3, 2014, I end up back in Mayo's ER where I was diagnosed with Thalamic Pain Syndrome. A rare, debilitating nerve condition 3-5% of the people who suffer a stroke in the Thalamus of their brain end up with. Now my whole right side is affected and while it won't kill me, I will die with it because there is no cure. The road back to having a life has been a long hard one but after going through an intense Pain Rehab Program at Mayo in the Summer of 2014, I knew I could manage this horrific pain I live in 24/7. I only give you this background because it's what uncontrolled diabetes and high blood pressure did to my life. My primary care doctor referred me to Mayo's Bariatric department in October of 2014 and I began this WLS journey. I went in wanting the sleeve and when asked why, I didn't really have an answer. I was told Mayo no longer performs the band surgery because, after much research, they've found that merely restricting food intake didn't work long term. While they still perform the sleeve, since it's only been around for about 10 years, they worry it will end up with the same results. Then they explained that RNY had been around for 50+ years and it was my best bet at sending my diabetes into remission and getting off all my meds, with the exception of my nerve meds. They also explained the yo-yo diet syndrome. You see when you restrict your calorie intake and lose weight, your body goes into it's "fight or flight mode". It constantly fights to get back to whatever your highest weight was. For me that was 285 lbs. By having WLS it resets your body. In other words, you get a "do-over"! Now once you're body finds it's comfort zone (12-24 months post-op) that's it. You need to maintain your new weight within 5 lbs, either way. If you let it get out of control again, you'll be back on that yo-yo roller coaster ride! This really excited me. To know that I could have a second chance to get this right, I was all in! Having RNY was hands down the BEST decision I've made for myself. I had surgery at 8 am on a Tuesday and by 6 pm the next day I was home. Took 2 pain pills on Thursday, one on Friday as a precaution and by Saturday I felt wonderful. I've had no complications and was med-free with the exception of my nerve meds and 1/4 of the cholesterol pill I once took (only because I'm a stroke victim) from the date of my surgery. I can't exercise like a lot of people, due to my nerve condition but I walk as much as I can. I'm 54 years young now and sure I have loose skin and a few more wrinkles (I always say "fat don't crack") but I'm healthier and happier than I've been in years. I'm only 6 months post-op so I'm still on this fabulous journey!!! I wish you the best on whatever decision you make for yourself The 1st set of pics is me at 285 lbs. & 172 lbs. and the 2nd set is me at 257 lbs. and 173 lbs.

Apart from fantastic good looks (ha ha), I have also inherited inter-uterine fibroids from my mother's side of the family. Every female in my immediate family suffers with this and it is likely I have passed it on to my daughter who is in her early 20s and who suffers excruciating pain during her period. Apart from three of us the other sufferers have had hysterectomies. At last check almost a year ago, I had three fibroids: one the size of an apple sitting on top of my cervix and the other two the size of plums in the back wall of my womb. I call it my uterine fruit bowl! Although they are benign, these fibroids cause a lot of trouble: chronic anaemia, Fluid retention, reduced bladder control, pre-menstrual bloating, chronic back and pelvic pain, embarrassingly heavy periods which go on forever and, worst of all WEIGHT GAIN!!!!!!!! It's a guarantee that halfway through my cycle I will feel my lower belly swelling up and the distention is clearly visible. The physical discomfort can affect my mood as can the tiredness from the anaemia (fibroids grow by being fed blood through the surrounding capillaries). Fibroids also thrive on high oestrogen levels, which according to my gynaecologist, is more likely to happen if you're overweight. Ironically the treatments available in the UK are not considered effective for overweight women unless through hysterectomy. One treatment I underwent last year was being fitted with an Inter-uterine Device (IUD) which caused me to bleed every day for 6 months. In fact it became dislodged and was removed five days before I was sleeved. My treatment of choice would be laser ablation because this does not involve surgery. I need to lose another 56 pounds before I'll be considered for that, but thankfully, since being sleeved this is a totally achievable goal. That being said, the monthly weight gains are sometimes really hard to deal with. I'm doing the July 4th challenge and had lost 7 pounds in two weeks. When I weighed yesterday I had gained 5 pounds! I was depressed all day ...even though I know when my period arrives I will lose 8-10 pounds straight away. However, staying upbeat and positive is the challenge with this condition and there are worse things I could be battling with, so onwards and upwards for Laydee G: I'm sticking with the challenge and am determined to reach my goal of 10 pounds lost by the last weigh-in on 6th July.

Yesterday I hit a real wall. Was ready to go home and od on the insulin that I had to start after multiple problems that started last year. I was withing 30 lb of goal...165lbs lost. Then H pylori, anemia, kidney failure, kidney stone, dehydration, over medication, 8 car accidents. Then incompetent dr that punctured the tube from my port to the lap band. Finally went back to original surgeon (Dr. Rumbaut...great guy) who replaced my tube and started losing the 70lb + that were gained after fluid had been removed (after hospitalizations). So then I had to start insulin, but was beginning to loose weight. Now, I can't get fills, because of swelling. Barium won't pass through. But everything else can and am starting gain weight again. Diabetes continues to be real spiky, throwing up coffe color blood most mornings from irritated ulcer, gerd and pb. I am so tired of this and of fighting the losing battle. Hope to call Dr. in morning to see if it is the time of day or if the ulcer is making having the band difficult.. Am ready for something else, but not the weight gain and not the ocd dieting pattern again. Promised a friend I would not give up and hang in there a little longer....hope I can get some answers from the dr tomorrow. Thanks in advance or for any replys given. LA

My symptoms are irregular/light periods, infertility, facial hair, weight gain/slow at losing, especially belly fat. As someone said it is caused by hormonal imbalance, insulin resistance, high testosterone levels. Mine was diagnosed with a blood test after fertility issues and several other misdiagnosis. I just got banded last week, but I am hoping this will help with my weight as well as some of the other PCOS issues. I advise you to get tested.

Kudos to you and your decision to go through with it... I do not and I repeat DO NOT plan on walking around with an unreasonable amount of loose skin. I don't imagine I'll have a lot but after losing 110 lbs much can be expected. I'm going to a seminar in Sept at my surgeons clinic about cosmetic surgery following bariatric surgery. I am looking to get it as soon as I can if I have to. I know for sure boobs. I had them before weight gain but they were on the droopy side so... yeah I'm doing that. I'm watching my tummy. Never really had one prior to weight gain... when I 've lost in the past it always snatched back. Its pulling in real nicely right now thanks to PLANK TWISTS but again 110 lbs later who knows. I hadn't thought about arms and thighs until the last year. So I'm trying to figure out which is more important to me right now and so far 1. Boobs 2. Arms and Tummy are in for a close 2nd 3. Butt 5. Thighs I would probably never do that much plastic surgery in my lifetime. So it's likely I may pick 2-3 body parts and make it count in one procedure. Keep us posted on your progress!!! Wishing you a peaceful and speeeeeeeeedy recovery.

Personally I believe "not eating enough to lose weight" is a load of bull. The less you eat the more you will lose, it's proven fact. And if you work out you'll lose even more. So maybe your NUT disagrees but your not losing fast are you? Long term slow loss is probably better for you but I too understand how hard it is to have gone through this surgery and still be waiting for change. Get your Vitamins and Water and some Protein. Work out and eat low carb, low calories. And your weight loss will pick up. You may hit a stall now and then but your going to see big losses. Eating more to lose weight is a line the diet industry came up with to justify getting people into snacking which ultimately causes weight gain as it increases calories and habitats towards eating.

I had the sleeve and took omeprazole for about a year post op. I went off and had a great 3 years. This last year the pain of reflux and spasm has gone from mild to moderate to I am crying at 1 am unable to sleep. I kept my weight off (125 pounds) for 4 years but this last year I have regained about 15 or so. Is my weight gain the cause? I admit I was religiously off diet soda the first year or so but have slowly started drinking them again. Is it the soda? This last week has been unbearable. Should I try gaviscon or nexium? I have maintained my small meal small portion control. I blame weight gain to Covid, isolation, no gym and a sudden love of sandwiches (bread). Tho I eat a small half portion - is the bread doing more than weight gain?

I am post op bypass 13 months ( surgery was 10/07/2020) ) and am I now drinking alcohol every night . I have gained back a few pounds Like 8 and am scared to death. I feel like I am heading back toward terrible habits and need to regain back control now. I am working with a Psychologist that's not very good for PTSD issues and major depressive disorder. I have got control of that but I have now a new problem= alcohol! A year ago, I would never think of drinking on a week night or much at all but now it's become my new addiction and it leads to me over eating and then the dreaded weight gain. I have now drank every night for the past two months and I can't seem too let it go. This had never been me before as my family is filled with alcoholics and I could never understand it and now I do? It kills pain and drowns out so much. It definitely affects me differently after surgery and takes very little to have any affect at all. I am drunk or affected at sip 3. It is such a great escapism and good lord with Covid and the way of the world all I want to do is escape in a legal way and alcohol is legal. I am on disability and have a lot of pain issues and the doctors and psych's try to say its a lot mental / PTSD/ Stress related but they haven't lived in my body. I have had over 15 surgeries and have had many scars and all kinds of mesh - They don't live this body and don't feel my pain. They tell me I need to learn to live with it. Well hell , I am doing the best I can and alcohol does a great job of dimming that. But I know I need to find a better answer and am looking to my community as I know I can't be alone in my pain or journey. My New Year's resolution is to get back to that person that doesn't drink in response to pain. That learns to deal with it. That get's her weight under control in the meantime. Sending out an SOS to my community and asking for good advice or just shared empathy to know I am not the only one and that we do not travel on this journey alone.

There is also the theory that as fat cells empty they fill with water causing short term weight gain or lack of loss. The fat cells then over time release the water and weight loss is the result.

Hi! I too had my LB for 11 yrs n finally got it removed in 2018 due to many prior unrelated medical issues n the best thing I could’ve done. Thank God surgery n recovery went well with no complications period. Also, unfortunately for me 4/6 months after surgery I developed an under active thyroid that caused an onset of various menopausal symptoms. Got put on thyroid medication for 5/6 months n HATED cuz it caused me a weight gain of 50 lbs. In addition another 20 pound weight gained on my own due to overall menopause issues. It’s now been almost 2 yrs where I’m no longer on any medication n all of my menopause symptoms/issues have little by little started to subside due to incorporating a better wellness nutritional/physical care of my overall wellbeing. Therefore, I’m now down 30 lbs out of the 70 gained n still slowly making progress. Wish u the best with ur choices n surgery is going to go well.

First, here's my idea of how stress has affected you thus far in regards to your health. PLEASE forgive me if I'm being preachy. When we're under a lot of stress the body naturally goes into Fight or Flight mode. While this would work well if you were being chased by godzilla, stress causes numerous physiological responses. For the most part these are good but if you're under continuous stress the body isn't able to function as well over time. In the fight or flight response, the adrenal glands enlarge and spit out large amounts of adrenal cortical hormones. Cortisol, the name of the hormone, has been scientifically proven to cause weight gain because the body thinks that you're in a stressful situation and you may not get food for a while. So it holds onto every last calorie. Just a side note, when cortisol is released the body stops all healing processes and redirects energy to the vital organs. If you are healing from an injury or SURGERY, you need to be low stress to get better. Overtime, chronically elevated cortisol levels lead to abdominal fat, suppressed immunal function and even chronic fatigue syndrome. sleep plays a major role in stress reduction and weight loss. Grehlin a hormone in your stomach can cause you to feel VERY hungry and sleep deprivation raises levels of grehlin and cortisol. Both are released under stress and fatigue which probably significantly contributed to your weight gain thus far. However, I would think (I'm not a doctor yet, just studying medicine.... My mom's a nutritionist/dietician so I grew up with this stuff!) that with the band it will be easier to control your hunger but you might still have head hunger. For that, I would suggest seeing a therapist and getting some extra help for your mom. Also, if your stress continues to be a problem or you have trouble with being hungry after fills, there are all sorts of herbal remedies for helping with adrenal function. Ask your pcp for more information about what would be best for you. Hope this helps. Best of luck. With love, Sheila P.S. I know it's really tough... my grandparents are VERY resistent to change and caring for my grandfather's cancer and my grandmother's diabetes and alcoholism can be VERY stressful and tiring.

Yes, I lost 40 lbs on my own and my weight loss had stalled. That is why I went with the band. It hasn't been easy as I have only lost 40 lbs in 9 months but at least I haven't gained any back. That is the beauty of the band. I think your results will be good. Especially with weight gain.

Wow. I can't believe what I did tonight... I wasn't even hungry and all I did was eat. This is the self-destructive behavior that put me on the road to weight gain and I just experienced it for the first time since being banded 4 months ago. Has this happened to anybody else? Is it normal? I feel absolutely terrible about myself tonight. I'm thrilled that I already have another appointment for a fill on Tuesday but I'm just so ashamed that I ate what I did tonight. Any advice? Similar situations? I'd really love to hear from you guys tonight... I'm not doing so hot. Thanks.

Hello there, welcome and congratulations to taking your first step to the new you. I have Hoshimotos which is one of the most common reasons for hypothyroidism. Though I was just banded on November 2, 2010, I am feeling great. With the pre and post diet I have lost a total of 20lbs already. My Endocronologist did tell me that because of the thyroid my weight loss might be slower then others and have a tendancy to plateau at times. Those were all mights and to just stay focused. I also have PCOS (Poly cystic ovaries) all things that contribute to weight gain and difficulty in weight loss. This was my last hope and my doctors both Dr. Gedeon who did the surgery, my Endo Dr. Luthra and my OBGYN doctor (they keep changing doctors on me) all suggested that this was my best option. They are all very positive and tell me before I know it, there will be a new me looking at me in the mirror. I don't believe three independent opinions would lie. I am so excited for me and for you!

I am getting banded this Friday I was on implanon and had it taken out today. I am wanting to wait a year or so and am wondering which birth controls work well with having band. Obviously I don't want anything that will cause weight gain. And will probably do something in pill form. Thanks in advance for the advice

Just checking in after waaaay too long. I am so glad to hear about how most of you are doing really well and that the rest are getting in there are handling their problems! Speaking of problems, I've had some of my own. You might remember how I was having bleeding problems and got put on hormones that caused weight gain. Well, finally had surgery to correct that problem (yea!) but I am 14 pounds heavier and ready to get back on track. It's very hard to get my 'head wants to eat even if I am not hungry' under control. I've decided to return to the beginning...just doing Protein drinks for a couple days and then gradually add back the protein. I found it was too easy to let my hormone hell take control and I'd find myself buying ice cream or 'just eat a little'...all day long. Now that I have confessed :thumbup: I feel much better and will be checking in to keep myself in line. Janey

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?