Search the Community

Kimmy, I'm 5'3, and a "pleasantly plump" 210 lbs. My BMI is 36.5. I have bounced around from 125 to 298 for 16 years........no less than 6 times. Trust me when I say I have the stretch marks, the batwing skin, the tummy flap, the saddle bags, the inner thigh pouches, the sacks my boobs were once in.......ALL great little reminders of the roller coaster of weight gain and weight loss. I'm 40 yrs old. My mom doesn't agree with the surgery, nobody close to me thinks of me as "that big", but I KNOW ME!!! I'm tired of fighting my weight, losing it, only to gain it all back again over a couple of years. I'm doing this for ME, NOT for my mother and certainly not for anyone who doesn't see me as "that big". I, I, I, I, and may I repeat again, I, ME, MYSELF am doing this so I, ME, MYSELF can bend over, run, breath, feel the muscles in my legs and stomach again, and LIVE LIVE LIVE and LAUGH without jiggling!!!!!! If you know your body, and you've made this decision based on your own personal needs, then you are doing the right thing. NEVER NEVER NEVER let others influence you into something that isn't theirs to choose!~ I WISH YOU THE BEST! Keep posting! Christal

I've just had major abdominal surgery for rectal cancer with my lapband in place, that involved removal of a good deal of bowel and rectum and creation of an ileostomy. I've had a bowel obstruction since, and still my lapband is just fine. If its in there and well healed (as it would be after a year and a half) then a competent surgeon can work around it. I was extremely lucky that my colorectal surgeon had started his career with lapbands and by pure chance, workign with my lapband surgeon, but its not an insurmountable problem. I now have to eat a diet that's quite high in white bread, rice and Pasta and as such I am unfilled, there was no need to remove the band at all. Its there in the future when my stoma is reversed if I need to refill it, I will, but so far have had no weight gain. I've had chemo and radiation prior to surgery and am now having chemo again. of course it makes me sick, and of course sometimes I do get so nauseous that I vomit, I've got chronic diarrhoea and due to having my intestines exit before my colon, I am probably not absorbing the nutrients from a lot of what I eat. Both my surgeon and oncologist are on my back about my weight, but even through all this, I am eating well with an unfilled band and have enough energy to run and go to the gym. However, my band wasnt unfilled until right before my surgery, I got through a round of chemo and radiation with the fill in place. It can be done in seconds, at any time, so dont necessarily rush off and unfill if that's not what he wants to do. I feel for your husband, it really is the cruelest blow to reclaim your life and your health, to achieve a lifelong goal of weightloss only to have something like this happen, to make you think you might lose it all. But it really does not have to be that way.

I was doing real well and then I found out that I did not have to take any medison for diabeties, so as a result i begin to eat alot of ice cream and anything that will go down easy. I stop exercising and I had two bad experiences with being overfilled. Really for the past 18 months I have gain around 45 lbs. Probably the most important reason that I gained weight is I stop accessing this tremendous resource call the the Lap Band Forum. I got a fill on March 1, and started looking at the board again and am now back to watching what i eat and starting to walk a bit more. I feared that the diabeties would come back but it has not so I feel fortunate. I still am pleased with the lap band itself and even through the weight gain it still alot less then it would be of been in the old days where I would lose 50 lbs and gain 60 lbs.

I was banded on 11/15/10 and have lost 45 lbs with 35 left to go. We will be taking a 7 day cruise May 7 and I admit I am alittle nervous about the food. I have a signifigant about of restriction which always keeps me alert yet as my Dad used to say sometimes " my eyes are bigger than my stomach." I am hoping to replace that with the joy of being on a nice trip with my 92 year old Dad and my sister. We just lost Mother 2 months ago and decided we needed some good times together. The Lap Band was the one good thing I had going for me when Mother was dying. It made me feel I atleast had control over some aspect of my life and the weight loss rather than weight gain kept me positive in a very trying time.

Hey all, Well I am eleven days post op and I was down 12lbs. Today I weighed myself and I am up one pound. Ugh!!! Is this normal? Have I reached my "plateau"? I am still on liquids, I have slowly introduced tomato Soup, and cream of asparagus soup. Do I go back to Clear Liquids? Or stay on the full liquids and just keep trudging through this? Any advice out there for frustrated me?

the liquid diet will test your will power, i can say for 14 day i didnt cheat not one time, and this was during Christmas, amazed myself and my family that I stuck to it. Knowing what you have coming is SO worth it! What i can tell you and I dont want to be negative, but it is a possibility, after you can eat again u may try a "no no" food and be like oh that went down, so maybe i will try something else. DONT DO IT, it is the beginning of a very slippery slide. Example the other day i really thought i need a piece of candy, reminder, just because you had the surgery and made your tummy smaller your head still thinks it can do what it did before, so instead of eating 1 piece i ended up eating 25 pieces, yes 25 "fun size" pieces. There was NO fun in that but I couldn't stop. I felt so guilty that i did a 2 day liquid diet to "punish" myself. Just remember stay positive, set obtainable goals, and your weight gain didn't happen over night and neither will the weight loss. All the struggles and fighting is SO SO worth it. Keep in mind the big pictire. I have lost 37lbs since my 12/30/10 surgery, 56lbs since my highest weight and I FEEL SO MUCH better!! I wish you the best of luck and stay strong!

The band did work for me like that for about the first year and then that sort of fadcd away and my appetite returned to much more like normal, only I was satisfied by small amounts of food. i had to learn to deal with the head hunger and constant grazing. For me personally, the ONE thing that keeps my appetite in check and stops me grazing all day is to have an absolutely unbreakable rule that I DO NOT SNACK. Not even a little bit, not even a chip when the bag is passed around. Once I start, I have enormous difficulty stopping and then I get that "oh, well, I've blown it now, may as well really enjoy it". I never ever ever snack. So it worked for me to have less fill to eat slightly bigger meals to get me through. Overall, though, I've been unfilled totally now for five months and havent greatly increased what I eat. I think I've learned a lot of new habits, and whilst I do eat more at a time, its not enough to cause weight gain at all. I think the thing is, the band's effectiveness does wane a bit over time, and you'd better be sure to take an active part in learning a new lifestyle, or weight gain can creep on over time. Who knows though, perhaps if I do decide to get refilled, I'll find the band a lot more effective again? Diet pills are just not the answer though, so risky for your health and they dont work long term anyway. I decided to just accept that I was cursed with this damned appetite and it was my lot in life to have to work to control it. And over time, I really have become a lot different, its not so hard anymore.

Hi, Well... taxes are done and we don't have to pay too much. Well, Earl thinks so, but I'm happy with the bottom line! That is a big load off my mind! Used H & R Block software and it really wasn't that hard. Went to neighbor's today (Judy) and she walked me through 2 more hearts.... one from scratch, the other, the gold one I made 2 weeks ago and then had to take 40% of it apart because I found a broken bead down in the center.. I think I can do one on my own now. Swavarski crystals are expensive and it takes 74 of them to make a heart, but, they are so pretty. Want to make one for each sister and my Mom and two daughters and daughter-in-law. Don't know if the granddaughters would really appreciate it. But, I went over there about 11:30 a.m. and by 12:45 I had one done! Next one is going to be an iridescent capri blue! Linda.... wasn't concerned about the beads, just need my "stackers" back. I think I'm going to put in an order to FireMountain for some more beads. But I really need to get at the rests of my unfinished projects, too!! iPad and new laptop were purchased with some of my insurance money from the accident. Will save the rest for our next vacation. Haven't yet played with the new laptop. And maybe not tonight because we're going to a performance at the clubhouse tonight. http://www.freddiepelletier.com/index.html We've heard them before but not for a few years. Very talented, and funny! I think we're going early for ice cream! Not a good idea! I had a big weight gain at TOPS yesterday. Back on track w/exercise and food. But they usually have skinny cows or low cal option. One week from today we will be in Cabo! Leave next Friday morning at 7a.m.

OMG you are adorable and you've already done so much for yourself. I see you ran in the Susan G Komen in your area, that is AWESOME!!!! I'm running the 5k here in my area on May 7th... Firstly, welcome to VST Secondly, I am a revised lap band to sleeve person. I can tell you, regaining with the lap band is *extremely* easy once you figure it out. I could eat just as much as I ever could, thereby making my band pretty useless. I initially lost about 55 Lbs with the band, and gained it all back up to within pounds of where I started. That included with needing to go BACK on my HBP tmedications and severe joint pain (couldn't run anymore ) I decided enough was enough and I needed something PERMANENT AND REAL. Not something that I could just think that it's reversible so I chose not to take it as seriously. Besides I never ever found good restriction with it... like I was always chasing that dream that everyone else seemed to get. I felt like a total and complete failure, and thought it was me. It wasn't!!! I know this now because since I've been sleeved the weight is just melting off. I'm off ALL HBP medications and I CAN RUN AGAIN!!!!! :D I'm also the furthest from perfection, and yet I'm still losing really well. I know this will work for you. If you were able to make your band work so well, this is going to blow your mind. Can you imagine having perfect restriction every single day AND NEVER, NOT EVER NEEDING A BLASTED FILL???? Yeah it's as incredible as it sounds. I don't miss my band what so ever. I have it in my hat box at the top of my closet even. It's in a ziploc bag so at least its not collecting dust... lmao!! Once it was out, there was no need for it again. Believe me when I tell you, I now have a restored faith in the WLS world all due to my sleeve. I was skeptical even though I took over a year to finally take the plunge to revision. I wondered, well if I couldn't make my band work, what makes me think I can make this work? It's so easy though, it's working amazingly. Yes, it's not all the sleeve either, it is but a TOOL... but if you do what you're supposed to you are going to lose, and lose fast. I have total faith in it. I also have no more worries on whether I'll make goal. I'm more concerned I'll lose too much!!! Can you imagine??? I set my goal higher in case it takes me awhile to get used to maintenance mode, as I just don't think my body structure was meant to be on the thinner side. I'm also not worried I'll be able to hang on to my weight loss, because since the beginning of the newer smaller and thinner sleeve, the weight gain AND the making it to goal stats are pretty outstanding. Again, I'm no angel, but I'd say on any given month I'm at about a 95%. That alone will keep me losing and maintaining when I get there. Blessings to you, and keep in touch. We all love to support, and there are a lot of us revisioners just waiting to tell the GOOD NEWS!!

I will be 1 year out from VSG surgery in May and am now 15 weeks pregnant and very excited!! I was just wondering if anyone else was in the same spot and if so how is the eating and weight gain/loss going? I am terrified to gain, I know I am eating healthy for the baby and I have just gained 2 pounds this week... so I am a little freaked out even though I know I am growing a healthy baby. I just want to know if anyone else feels the same?

I often give in to my cravings around that time. Right before my period, when I am crankiest, is when I'm the most hungry and the most able to eat a lot. But I know that as soon as my period starts, my band tightens up big time, and I can sometimes only tolerate liquids. The calories seem to balance out, as it doesn't result in a permanent weight gain or loss.

Well, I made the mistake of getting on the scale this morning. In spite of eating barely nothing since Saturday because I just don't feel like it, I've actually gained about nine pounds. Talk about discouraging. I hope it's just the fluids they pumped into me, but still. Not the outcome I was hoping for. Amy

I'm so glad I found this thred. I'm right here with you all. Banded in Jan of 2008 I've been down and up, down and back up. For some reason I thought that once I had the band I wouldn't be riding this roller coaster anymore-reality check I guess So my starting weight was nearly 300- I think I was 292 the day of surgery. I got down to 203 at my lowest but over the summer gained 5lbs with vacationing and indulging in summer BBQ's anyhow at 208 I found out I was pregnant with my second baby (first post band) My pregnancy was very smooth, never even needed an unfill, however I gained around 30ish lbs during my pregnancy. I wasn't super concerned with that weight gain as I had gained around 50with my first so I thought I had done well Anyhow I lost almost all of it right after I had my baby!!!! I dont' know how? breast feeding?..I was down to 207 at one point and it just went up from there. Since returning back to work (baby is now 9months old) all I do is eat on the run, eat out at lunch, eat crap crap crap at my desk all day and get ZERO exercise! I'm currently back up to 229! ugg I don't even know where to begin to get back on track?! seriously I eat whatever I want, even bread-wouldnt even know my band was there except for the times I eat to fast or something my band realy gets mad at and I puke it back up. I just cant seem to wrap my head around getting back on track!! help!

I am not a nutritionist nor have I had the surgery yet... But my advice would be to really try to get in your water.. If you don't drink enough water, your body will start to retain what little water you DO take in.. So drink lotsa water so you won't have any water weight gain

Just a quick note for those who HAVE NOT had your surgery yet.....ask how much it will cost to remove it should the need arise. I know it is not something you like to talk about and figure "that will not happen to me" but I am now in the position just over a year after paying nearly $18,000 to have it put in! I have been having issues that never came up as a possible problem that will possibly require removal. Espophagitis/gastritis for the past 6 months. I had a good 6 months of the band then had to have my gallbladder removed. It has been problematic every since! I am not convinced it is my band and will see the doc tomorrow about it (his office called me to come in and discuss removal ~ that is not a fun call to get!) Here I sit feeling like I made a bad investment. I worry about weight gain (glad I did not get rid of all my clothes!) I will not opt for any other surgery. WE will see what he has to say tomorrow.

Hi There, My name is Kim and I'm a 36 yr old man from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. I am 6.1 and my weight is 341. After years of trying to convince myself that I was happy "just the way I was" my weight gain seemed unstoppable. Just like most of you I am very familiar with the "Fat is back with a vengeance" story. Sometimes my wife would tell me that I stopped breathing in my sleep, I thought she was nuts. Maybe she didn't listen good enough... I surely didn't think there was anything wrong. Ok, I lack energy and have been fighting panic/anxiety attacks for a few years. But I guessed that the low energy had to do with being morbidly obese. But my wife kept pushing the subject and I had it checked out. Of course she was right (a nasty habit that wifes seem to have, LOL) and it turned out that I have severe sleep apnea, AHI 68. That was quite the shock! I tell ya, it was scary to wait for my CPAP machine that would help me breath. Three weeks I had to wait for the CPAP, knowing that there are people out there that die in their sleep because of apnea. From that moment on I couldn't lie to myself anymore. I've known for a long time that my big body isn't that comfortable anymore. The feeling of relieve when I sit down after a few hours of shopping. Putting on my socks while holding my breath. Sitting down on the floor to fix something, OMG. Run to catch a bus to the citycenter is an absolute no no (Amsterdam city center is not as car friendly as most places in the US). I realized more than ever that I had to do something. I've had my weight steady at around 340 for about two years. The doctor from the hospital where I was tested for sleep apnea advised me to think about talking to the obesity clinic connected to the hospital. She explained that a lap band could really help me out. That planted the seed. It took me a while to get ready for this decision but in early January I went to my GP to get a referral for the obesity clinic. It's insurance policy over here to get this referral. I got an invitation for a seminar with eight other people. Nothing new to learn there... I already found all that information on-line. Then you have to go through a screening. A morning filled with meetings with; a dietitian, a physical therapist, a psychologist and a GP. These people have full authorization from my insurance company. They will decide if I'm eligible for a lap band. And when they give the Ok, I do not have to request permission from my insurance. So that saves a LOT of work, good system! Now I'm at the point where I'm waiting for their decision, it could take up to eight weeks (no idea why this stuff has to take so damn long) but I'm already four and a half weeks in so... fingers crossed! I hope to get my band before the summer and start a new phase of my life! So now you know my story. I'm glad that I will now be part of this very supportive community! I've got your back! All the way from Holland!! Greetzzz, Kim

I asked my doctor about the pication. He is one of the best WLS surgeons in our area, and has been doing the sleeve for a long time- worked with the surgeon who developed it. He will NOT be doing the plication- he believes the problem with lack of blood flow will be common and these complications are the tip of the iceberg. I am not wanting to be a Debbie Downer, I am just relating what my doctor said. I had been very interested in the plication, as of course it seemed attractive to keep the rest of your stomach and reverse it when you reach your goal. Once he told me his feelings, along with some of the complications I have seen, I decided full heartedly on the sleeve. I also wonder, considering the fact for many of us surgery is the last resort after trying everything, if reversible surgery will mean lots of weight gain ultimately.

I think you can obviously break it down into three topics: 1) life pre-band: speak about those issues that most of the people in the audience can relate to (fitting into seats, embarrassing moments, missed opportunities); maybe mention the cycle of dieting and struggle with your weight pre-band; maybe also mention your moment of revelation (when and how did you decide that enough was enough and that the band was your answer) 2) life with the band: when you reached restriction, when you first realized that things were really working, your first or proudest moment of success during the process 3) life after reaching goal: maintenance, the difference between your life now and before the band (things that you do now that you couldn't do then). Finally, maybe mention your strategies of surpassing challenges along the way (the urge to binge, conquering plateaus, dealing with setbacks like weight-gain or stressful events, how you motivate yourself to get to the gym) Maybe include some interesting anecdotes (a particularly interesting reaction of a person who saw you for the first time in a long time (whatever stands out) etc.).

There were many reasons for me choosing WLS in the first place, and the biggest drive force was for me to be able to conceive, have a healthy pregnancy, and deliver a healthy baby without the complications of obesity during pregnancy. I've been waiting 3 long weeks to share this news with all of you, and am happy to report I AM PREGNANT ! ! ! After 14 long, exhausting, and emotionally draining months, I'm finally pregnant. I am considered high risk for several reasons, and VSG does throw me into that category along with other medical issues I have which are NOT related to VSG at all. I have an idiopathic clotting disorder and the cause, reason is still unknown. We do know that I am missing certain Protein factors in my platelets, but other than that, they can not pinpoint the cause or even give it a name hence the "idiopathic". We know the treatment is similar to that of Von Willebrand's disease, but all of my work ups have been negative for VW factor. It's kind of crazy, and I have a feeling I will be having more lab work due to the disorder and pregnancy. I have that "mother's intuition" that we are pulling for Team Blue, and if all goes well, I will have a repeat c-section and tubal ligation since I will be 35 yrs old a month after the baby is delivered. My husband is elated, overjoyed, and of course stressed. He's become the food police all over again, and worries that I am not eating enough. BUT, per the recommendations, I am getting enough calories/protein/carbs currently. They expect me to gain 25-30lbs during the pregnancy, and I kind of snickered at that thought process, but I am not saying it won't happen. I've never read any WLS patient gaining that much post-WLS except band patients. So, we'll see how the weight gain goes. Thus far, I am experiencing sore boobs, crazy food cravings for anything spicy, and fatigue. I have experienced zero morning sickness and for that I am very grateful. I've been cleared to continue my Celebrate multi, b12, and Calcium. The formulation of these Vitamins actually exceed the values of any prenatal on the market, and my labs looked stellar except for my platelets were low normal (which is normal for me). Today was my first ultrasound appointment. I knew the day we conceived "Little Sprout", and had the due date spot on. Everything was perfect, strong, steady heartbeat at 150bpm, everything looked good internally. I'm being referred to a civilian high-risk ob/gyn team and my pregnancy will be co-managed between them and the base provider. All this means is that I'll have double appointments that most pregnant women have to go through. Sorry for the quality. The base equipment is a bit dated, but we were able to hear the heartbeat, and of course I cried. My husband was able to attend, and he just stood there staring at the screen kind of in awe. It was truly the most joyous event I've experienced. Thank you for all of your continued support and encouragement. I would ask that you keep our family in your thoughts and prayers. This is going to be a long process, and Sprout is due November 5th. This place is kind of like my 2nd home so I'm sure I'll be posting more updates as the months progress. . Oh and I don't have much of a belly bump at all yet. I'm bloating, but my clothes are fitting the same, and I have not gained any weight to date. I'm not any hungrier than I was before pregnancy, just insane cravings for random foods I would not have eaten. It'll be interesting to see how I look this pregnancy. I was around 200lbs when I was pregnant with my son 13 yrs ago, and gained 37lbs so I was just huge and round. This time I'm interested to see how my body changes, and hopefully I'll get the cute baby bump that I see on everyone else.

rosie, They may have had to give you additional fluids in the OR during your surgery. I know that my blood pressure drops alot with anesthesia, so I am anticipating a weight gain when I have my surgery in 10 days. Best of luck to you!!

Missavery12901, Hi.....Yes, Sandy posted fabulously regarding her own experience deciding to band or not to band...this is a question everyone who is contemplating this surgery gets stuck on before and even after.....as after its the question of see I lost all this weight....perhaps I could have lost it all without having done the surgery. Every one is different.....and every experience is different for each of us....so no one can say whether you should or should not have this procedure......however, there are some key elements that can help you make in making this decision......I will post here....what my own experience before surgery helped me with making my decision to having the band.... I have had weight concerns my whole life....however I was never over weight until the last 10 yrs before banding last March. I was always within normal limits....for medical puposes not for American purposes....of course....after all if you arent size 8 your obese lol BUT being a medium boned and size 12 most of my life from teenager up....well that was not "thin". I never exercized and ate whatever I want.....then I got married and pregnant......hahha stress and pregnancy...now we are talking weight gain....but still I was happy...and content. It was only until my blood pressure began to rise, and choleterol levels began to creep up and not the good kind either.....Asthma began to get worse and sleep apnea began to disrupt sleep and that gave way to exhaustion and hence furthering the complicaitons above....which is when the weight began to really increase.....so when the weight began to get past 210.....my doctors were really beginnng to become concerned......and suggested the lap band surgery.....because my family history with heart disease and cancer....and weight wasnt going to get better for me with time....Soooo there was no question about pre surgery diet and trying to do this at all....it was a matter of getting all these comorbidities under control, stop using medications for them if possible as the side effects and its uses were more detrimental then having this surgery......so my decisiion was based in medical factors as opposed to just weight loss. If I didnt have these comorbidities I would care less if I weighed 220 lbs. If I felt fine and wasnt at risk for dying or having a heart attack, stroke etc etc. ..,...So, I had the surgery to help me with all of the above and the added bonus was being able to loose the weight rapidly enough to get all of the things under control so that I can begin to lead a healthier lifestyle and live longer and be here for my daughter as she grows up. Yes, I do question whether it was possible to do all by myself without.....but heck I wouldnt want to find out.......so, these are questions that you and your doctors and family need to decide together.....this was my deciding factors....i hope I was able to help with some things to think about!! Regardless of surgery or not......eating right and exercize, healthy lifestyle changes are pertinenent for any one persons success so if you are not committed for living and making changes.....no surgery or just dieting will help....... Good luck in your decission.......we are here to give you all the support regardless of your decission!!!!! Jodi

Wow, thats amazing (maybe there isn't as many problems with the sleeve as with other WLS). . . with the sleeve the death rate isn't that big, head hunger of course but then you would get that with ordinary dieting as well. . . that is the reason most folks are not very successful doing it the traditional way. . .the weight gain, sure if your not careful and eat everything your not supposed to. . . this is JUST a tool, not a miracle thing! As with a hammer, it won't bang the nail into the post without you doing the work. . . the sleeve is the same, it won't MAKE you lose the weight, it helps you lose the weight but you MUST work on it. . . you have to watch your intake all the time! it's just easier having restriction to HELP you not overeat. . . my DH is an occupational therapist and hasn't seen the problems with all your sister says. . . so this must be different areas. . . I am out 15 months and the only problems i battle with at times is head hunger. . . but who isn't. . .you have to be able to combat it. . . obesity is a health problem as well as a psychological problem, you need to work very hard to help yourself with it. . . and the other is a problem that may have already been there but was never tested prior to the WLS is Vitamin D deficency. . . we're working on that now. . . but other than that, I've lost 150 lbs of fat that i will never gain back UNLESS I will it and don't work on it . . good luck to you on your future endeavors

I was banded Mar 11, I take several meds for bipolar disorder. So far everything has worked for me. I've lose 15lbs. Which is great because I attribute a lot of my weight gain to the meds. Don't be afraid, stay on top of what your body is telling you..Good luck..

i just got banded last week because of excessive weight gain from 15 years on antidepressants (zoloft and abilify and tried adderall to combat it, didn't work). i did a couple of long stints in therapy though and got to the root of my personal issues. it took about 2 years but it was so worth it because i can say that for the first time in 30 years of unremitting depression, i have been free of it. huge deal for me. i have been able to get off the abilify and i just take 50 mg of zoloft. hoping to someday get off completely but i'm happy with this for now. so i'm hoping that the lap band CAN help with this. i think though that if i ever up my dose again, i am at great risk of just gaining it all back because of the appetite increase and slow down of metabolism. and given that i paid $16k out of pocket for it (!) i don't want that to happen. so i'm just going to try to keep doing my therapy and feeling better so i can get off of them. they are of great use, but the weight gain traumatized me! good luck!

re: "the weight gain is due to eating the wrong foods"; <br />disagree.....consider it's due to OVER eating the wrong AMOUNT of food.... re: 'ovulation'.....can't speak to this as my ovaries have been inactive for quite some time... The 'sweet spot' does exist IMHO, and requires awareness of the nuances to manage satisfactorily. I found if I make sure most of my weeks total meals fall below a certain calorie count, I have no weight gain concern. And if I do eat over that point for a few days, I begin to feel like the old habit of eating more than my body needs begins to stir again. I do have some kind of long and subtle cycle of slightly more and then slightly less restricted. Sometimes my Band seems even a bit fickle. Life with my Symbiant, my 'Little Angel of the Silicon Fist' is far better regardless of the occasional frustrations. Finding a way to coexist requires adaptability. cheers on your journey