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I had a high BMI and about 40lbs of that was weight I put on at the beginning of the year cause I was diagnosed with a chronic illness and the drug they had to use to treat it causes mass weight gain on the dose I had to be on. I know you're probs sick of hearing it, but everyone really is different. I also detest Protein shakes so I eat 90 grams of protein a day, minimum.

Short answer: BREAST LIFT. Long answer: I had a breast reduction in 2005. I went from a 38 DDD/DDDD to a 36 DD. 3 lbs of breast tissue removed from both breasts combined. Like you, I had the lollipop procedure where he cut out my nipple and sewed it back up higher. I also had a wonky right nipple. One side of it healed in a permanent crease and I basically had 1/2 and inverted nipple, if you can visualize that. Fast forward to last year at my highest weight, and my bra size was 40DDD or 42DD. Because of the higher nipple placement, the weight gain did not make me look so very droopy. After the weight loss, I now wear a 30B, (or the mythical 28C, which in theory I was supposed to fit, so says my fitter). I also had pregnant doggy boobs when I bent over (they still looked OK standing straight up, just much smaller). Had my breast lift last week and am loving them so far. They are high and perky and round, like teenage boobs (am hoping this is not due primarily to swelling!) I don't know what size bra I will be wearing now, since they are higher up (and my back is wider higher up), but I am definitely not flat-chested, and both Mr. and I think the boobs actually look a little bigger cuz they are higher up. And I'm not even wearing a push up bra. Oh, and surgeon ended up cutting out both my nipples and sewing them back on. The wonky one to fix the funny crease, and the the other one cuz he felt they would be mismatched if didn't make it smaller. Edited to add: I originally got the breast lift primarily to address my side boob (with the lift just as an added bonus), but am now doubly glad I got it seeing the results so far.

If you're taking BC pills you need to continue them for at least 1 year after surgery. The risk is too high to you and the baby if you get pregnant before you lose all of your excess weight. Plus it's very unsafe for a baby to gestate in an overweight mother. While those babies survive just fine, they have many issues as they grow up so it's to your advantage and your future child's advantage for you to get on birth control (no reason to stop taking it 4 weeks before surgery - say on it the entire time - talk to your surgeon about that) and stay on it for at least 12 months following or until you've lost all of your extra weight then about 3 months after you've reached your goal. Once you're at that point you'll know how you should eat. This is crucial because it's very likely you'll have your Fluid mostly - if not completely - removed if/when you become pregnant and if you already know how to eat you'll be able to minimize weight gain outside of the necessary 20-30 lbs for your baby.

I will give you the opposite side since I see my clinic as more conservative than most I see here. We are told that we should ALWAYS follow the 30/30/30 rule. That rule is no drinking 30 minutes before eating, chew every bite 30 times, and no drinking for 30 minutes after finishing eating. Drinking while eating allows you to eat more since it pushes the food through your pouch. Stopping drinking and waiting to drink is making use of the tool that RNY is. Not following his rule most believe will lead to weight gain over time. As for eating carbs... We should always eat our Protein first. We must also make our protein goal. Once those are met adding in some carbs is fine. I have had potatoes, rice, crackers, and bread. The one thing that my NUT told me I should not go back to is Cereal for Breakfast. I always enjoyed oatmeal for breakfast. There is simply not enough protein in any of the cereals to make the daily protein goal. It's different for each of us, but I hope this helps. Good luck!!

green, I am OBSESSED with the scale. I weigh when I wake up, when I use the bathroom and before I go to bed. If there was a scale at work, I'd be visiting it hourly. While on vacation during Christmas, I was practically having withdrawal symptoms because I didn't have access to a scale. I'm afraid if I don't keep a close eye on my weight, it will creep back on me. The last time I put the scale away a year prior to surgery, I put on 30 lbs. I know it wasn't because of the scale, but I feel if I had kept better tabs on the weight gain, I wouldn't have been in so much denial. This is all probably an addict's way of justifying an addiction.

Had you been on a protracted diet presurgery (not just a 1-2 week liquid diet)? I'd been on a stricked diet for 8 months presurgery. After the initial shock of surgery my loss really slowed down. Not sure if you are female but TOM really affects water weight gain.

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!

According to this story, the gastric bypass surgery was done in 2007 and supposedly performed by an expert. I underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2013 and this story doesn't make much sense from my perspective. Before and after surgery, I underwent many steps. Firstly I had to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to see if I was qualified for the surgery, if there were underlying psychiatric issue that drove the weight gain, they had to be remediated prior to approval for surgery. In order to qualify for the surgery, my insurance required that I undergo a six month program of weight loss and exercise. I had to attend monthly support group meetings. Then there were a variety of medical tests that were performed to detect any medical conditions that may affect the outcome. So over a year went by since I started the process before I had the surgery. I also underwent a day of classroom training prior to the surgery that included very detailed information covering almost every aspect of the surgery and what was to follow and given a 1 inch binder of material to constantly refer to. After the surgery, I lost 120 pounds over the first 7 months. It was difficult because of the extent of the requirements (food types, food volumes, vitamin, etc.) But overall I was please with the surgery. Then there was yearly follow-ups. Gastric bypass surgery requires that the individual must take many types of vitamins for the rest of their lives. If someone fails to take those, their bodies will experience Vitamin deficiencies which caused damage in multiple organs. That is known up front. Every year for the first 5 years, I underwent extensive blood work. These test measured my various vitamin levels and allowed my doctor to fine tweak the vitamin levels. Also there was a mechanism in place for a psychologist in the event that psychological problems arose post surgery. There are many people involved in this process, not just the surgeon. They included nutritionist, psychologist, support group meetings etc. In order for this surgery to work effectively, it depends upon the compliance of the patient to follow the guidelines given and seek help when problems arise.

Not banded yet June 20 my date I know how I was in the past before the weight gain so I can just imagine afterwards. A lot of people I know who got banded got pregnant less than a year after being banded

Shelly513 I'm about 15months and struggling with a weight gain also. I was wondering what you were doing to drop your gained pounds and get back on track? I need help!

That area is where the terminal part of your large intestine is located. With the weight gain and pain in that area, could you be constipated?

I am having a really hard time and just wanted to express how I was feeling to people that understand. I'm almost 6 weeks pregnant and couldn't be happier, except for the weight gain thing. I haven't finished losing my weight and right now I'm terrified. I had to get completely unfilled, no morning sickness, but it's as if the moment I conceived my band became too tight. I was getting stuck with EVERYTHING I ate. I have already gained 4 pounds. I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but I'm freaking out. I have been so hungry, I wake up needing to eat something. his morning I had an anxiety attack and I can't do this, it's not healthy for me (or the baby)to be so stressed about my weight. I'm trying to relax and calm down.... How did you guys accept this, or did you? :smile2:

You're not alone! It's hard, even when you KNOW that it's healthy to gain some weight. I'm at 27 weeks and have managed to keep my weight gain to about 13 pounds so far. That said, my doc's visit yesterday was the first where I saw a big jump-- 5 pounds in a month. It was hard. I'm also looming up on 250, which is another mental block. I started at 322, so I KNOW I'm still WAY thinner than I was. For me, it helped to continue to plan meals and menus and workout as my body allows (starting to run into limitations there.) I don't obsessively count calories, though I check periodically to see that I'm not WAY off base. I've stuck to a moderately bandster friendly diet and have intentionally enjoyed some non-bandster favorites that don't work when my band is tight. HOWEVER, I'm eating more things like big leafy salads (light on the dressing) and raw veggies that I have trouble with otherwise. I'm enjoying a few more whole grain breads and other HEALTHY options that would otherwise give me trouble. My latest obsession is a broccoli coleslaw recipe from an online blog--I eat it by the bowl, sometimes as lunch itself. By enjoying the healthy stuff that doesn't work with the band, I feel like I'm getting a treat in exchange for the weight gain. The sugary/fatty stuff doesn't make me feel good, so I avoid it. It's hard. And depressing. And crazy-making. You're not at ALL unreasonable for finding the prospect of weight gain terrifying. But you DID THE RIGHT THING by getting the unfill! Don't forget that a good 20-25 pounds of pregnancy weight gain is baby-related, NOT counting maternal fat gain! That doesn't mean you'll be 20 pounds lighter the day after babe is born, but you'll be on your way. AND you have your band. It WILL work after baby is here! Good luck to you. There are lots of successful bandsters who have had babies, lost the weight, and gone on to reach goals. You can be one too!

Are you afraid of an unhappy outcome of your weight loss surgery? You're not alone. Use your fear to conquer obstacles rather than letting it conquer you For most of us starting a WLS journey, bariatric surgery is vast, uncharted territory, full of unknowns. We long for a happy outcome – maximum weight loss with minimum problems. We listen to stories told by other patients with a combination of hope (to be as successful as they’ve been) and fear (that we won’t experience the side effects or complications they talk about). No one wants to be haunted by the specter of anxiety and dread, but I think a little bit of fear is a good thing. I don’t want fear to dominate my life, but without it, I’m likely to become complacent about my weight loss success and/or revert to the old, all-too-comfortable ways that made me obese in the first place. In small doses, fear keeps me on my toes. Like pain tolerance, fear tolerance varies from one person to the next. Perhaps I’m able to tolerate and use fear because my childhood and adolescence were so full of fear-provoking experiences. By the time I was in my late 20’s, I actually got a little thrill out of fear, possibly because it stimulates adrenalin production. There’s nothing quite like a knife coming at you to activate your fight-or-flight system, causing a perverse fear “rush”. At the same time, prolonged exposure to fear has also taught me to respect it. I don’t play with fear the way daredevils like Evel Knievel did, risking life and limb for the brief thrill of jumping 14 buses at a time with his motorcycle. But I do like the way fear can clear my mental field, forcing me to draw a line between important and unimportant. When the choice is survival or surrender, I’d rather choose survival. I’m not a quitter. When challenged, I’m going to fight back, especially if something precious like my health is at stake. If fear tends to paralyze rather than mobilize you, you may have to use your own compass to navigate a problem, or play follow-the-leader (provided you have a trustworthy leader) instead. Whatever you do, don’t give in. Giving in turns you into a victim (click here to read an article about victim mentality: http://www.lapbandta...-of-obesity-r79), which is not a position of strength in any battle worth fighting. And your health is worth fighting for, isn’t it? So, how can you make fear a working partner in your WLS journey? Let’s take a closer look at two of the more common faces of fear. FEAR OF FAILURE Somewhere between my first, mandatory pre-op educational seminar and my pre-op liver shrink diet, I became uncomfortably aware of a shadow that followed me everywhere. It was dark and scary, and even bigger than I was. It was my fear of failure. After decades of struggle – diets, weight loss, weight gain – I felt that WLS was my absolute last chance to be healthy. And after slogging through all those pre-op tests, evaluations, consults and procedures, I danged well was not going to fail this time. Since I had to admit that my weight management skills were sadly lacking back then (as amply proven by the number on the scale and the numbers in my medical files), the only option available to me was to become the most compliant patient my surgeon ever had (click here to read an article about patient compliance: http://www.lapbandta...g-deal-abo-r112). I had to believe that he and his staff knew what they were doing and would guide me well. I’m a very curious and often mouthy person, so I asked a lot of questions and did my best to understand what was going on in me and around me, but I spent very little time trying to second-guess the instructions I was given. That approach freed up a lot of time and energy that I was then able to devote to changing my eating and other behaviors in ways that helped my weight loss. FEAR OF COMPLICATIONS Compliance served me well I this area also. I can’t claim that I was never tempted to cheat on my pre or post-op diets or to test my band’s limits. I can’t claim that I believed I’d be forever exempt from the side effects and complications I heard about from other WLS patients. But when my dietitian told me (for example) that I’d be mighty sorry if I accidentally swallowed a wad of chewing gum and had to have it scraped out of my stoma, I quickly lost my interest in chewing gum. When I observed that many bandsters experienced certain types of side effects and complications after engaging in certain types of risky behaviors, I resolved not to follow them down the road of no return. Eventually I discovered that life after WLS can deliver some unpleasant surprises, just as in every other aspect of life. I had to learn some things the hard way, like: If you swallow a large antibiotic capsule that can’t pass through your stoma and slowly dissolves into a corrosive mess, you will end up in the ER thinking you’re having a heart attack (and end up with a big unfill). And no, liquid antibiotics don’t taste good, but they taste a lot better than the weight I regained after that unfill. Most of the mistakes I made were the result of impatience or carelessness, but I did my best to learn from those mistakes and keep moving on. A handful of mistakes was about all it took for me to decide not to challenge the validity of my surgeon’s and dietitian’s instructions, and that kept me trudging along the bandwagon trail, getting ever closer to my weight goal. And once I reached that wonderful place, I was determined to stay there!

After being overweight my entire life I decided to get the lap band in dec. 2012. I really wanted gastric sleeve surgery at the time, but my insurance didn't cover it and I felt bypass was "too extreme". My band never could get in the "green zone" and because I traveled for work, often times would be in horrible pain because due to cabin pressure the saline in my band would get tighter. I was miserable! After continually vomiting, uncontrollable acid reflux and weight gain I decided to switch surgical programs and seek new advice. My new doctor advised me on having a revision done and now my insurance approves the sleeve surgery. I thought about it a few months as I was hesitant with feeling like such a failure with the band. In fact I was quite open with my first surgery but people would say later "I thought you were supposed to lose lots of weight?". It just added to my feelings of failure and this round I'm being much more protective of who I talk to about it. I've not gotten a lot of support for my choice but hope by joining this group others will be able to understand my journey and share their own. I'm now going through the approval process and hope to get my sleeve at the end of June.

I am 47 and weigh 420lbs and 6 ft tall and have to many problems to list. I jump through my last ins. hoop wed the 25th ins. said they will fast track me so I get to skip the 6 month weight loss. I have done enough research to know i want the vsg and the nut was unable to tell me anything I did not know from this site. She told me one thing I had not read and that was not lieing down after you eat for a hour because of presure. I do not own a scale and do not plan on using one to reach a "goal" my goals are to be able to walk and get some exersise and play with my two young daughters as I really can not do much now without large quanities of pain med. I have had 4 back sur. and one knee scoped and this has stopped all activities that i enjoy. I went back to school and received a degree in Civil Engineering in 2009 so the desk job has added to the weight gain. My wife is completely behind this and has provided much support. I live in a small town in SD 3 hours from the nearest town with a support group so I may have to start my own.

I also had a debilitating back pain prior to surgery.. 4 pregnancies, 9 years as a gymnast, 6 years in cheer, massive weight gain after said pregnancies.. Also, my posture is terrible after the weight gain. My back didn't stop hurting when I got my RNY.. And it seems to be consistent with where it was before. If I stand up completely straight, my right side of my abdomen has a searing pain- so it's difficult to make adjustment.. Hope you figure out the problem, & you're able to fix it! Hopefully weight loss and exercise will aid.

First off, Thank you to all the well wishers. I didn't have that hard of a fight. I met 2 out of the three items for their criteria. I'm just glad I have finally been approved. I know my life is going to change for the healthier. As far as the weight gain goes, yes, I do have to gain back what I busted my butt to lose. And to answer the question yes it is for insurance. 43.9 is not the same as 45 as far as BMI is concerned in their book, so I need to maintain 45 or better. I will keep all of you posted, thanks again for the congrats and the well wishes!!! Mike

Recently an acquaintance told me about seeing an obese man on TV who claimed that bariatric surgery hadn’t worked for him. “How can it NOT work?!” Patsy exclaimed. There’s no simple answer to that question. In the past I’ve written about why weight loss surgery fails (read the article here: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/page/index.html/_/support/why-does-weight-loss-surgery-fail-r88). Today I’d like to revisit the topic and focus on how our expectations affect the perception of as well as the ultimate success or failure of WLS. BARIATRIC MYTHOLOGY Some powerful myths influence our beliefs about and expectations of WLS. An especially insidious one that affects both bariatric patients and the general public is that WLS is essentially magic, requiring little or no effort on the patient’s part to achieve the desired weight loss. Hence the infamous and heinous phrase: “Weight loss surgery is taking the easy way out.” This magic myth has a corollary one that purports that the weight lost as a result of bariatric surgery is weight lost forever, again without any effort on the part of the patient. Sorry, but that’s not true either. While the whole point of bariatric surgery is to make weight loss easier, it does not eliminate the need for hard work by the patient. No bariatric surgery can cure obesity, which is a chronic, recurring disease. That doesn’t mean that succeeding with WLS means you’re sentenced to a lifetime of hard labor, dragging heavy chains and digging ditches, but it does mean that in the long term a successful patient is one who takes responsibility for his or her eating behavior, weight management, and general health. Reading the paragraph above may serve to shatter some illusions that you held dear, but when would you rather face the truth: early in your journey, or later? Although I was once a bandster like you, I lost my beloved band and recently converted to vertical sleeve gastrectomy. I have to tell you that despite all my advance research and preparation, the reality of living with a sleeved stomach is giving me a bad case of buyer’s remorse, but there’s no going back now. Seventy-five percent of my stomach is gone forever, but living with what’s left and finding a way to eat and to manage my weight now is an ongoing challenge. And I’ve heard countless stories from all kinds of bariatric patients about the challenges they face after surgery. Anyone who promises you a completely sunny picture of the future is either mistaken or trying to avoid bursting your bubble. BAND MYTHS There are a number of myths related to the adjustable gastric band. One of them is that slower weight loss with the band will prevent sagging or excess skin, and that just ain’t so. A more dangerous myth, peculiar to bandsters, is that fills cause weight loss and unfills cause weight gain. While fluid adjustments are an important part of how the AGB works,the fluid is NOT what causes weight loss. In fact, there is absolutely nothing in any part of the band system (the band, the tubing, and the port) that causes weight loss. The band does not directly affect the way nutrients from food are ingested or metabolized. It releases no weight loss instructions into the patient’s bloodstream, nervous system, or endocrine system. It doesn’t directly affect the patient’s eating behavior or exercise habits. It doesn’t compel the patient to make good food choices, limit portion sizes, eat slowly, or resist the urge to graze or binge because of boredom, stress, cravings, etc. Weight loss results from eating fewer calories than you burn, and the band helps with that by reducing your appetite and causing early and prolonged satiety. Those features are related to the pressure of the band against the stomach and the consumption of solid food whose mechanical digestion triggers the vagus nerves in the upper stomach to send satiety signals to the brain. If the patient ignores those signals, the calories taken in may exceed the calories burned, slowing or preventing weight loss. And since weight is affected by many other factors entirely unrelated to the band (like medications, hormone imbalance, etc. etc.), all we can do is to concentrate on the ones that are within our control and understand that it’s a fallacy to attribute weight loss to the band or to fills. One harmful consequence of the fills=weight loss myth is that the patient seeks more and more fills in the quest for “perfect restriction” (also a myth) or the legendary (but also mythical) “sweet spot.” This patient tends to tolerate side effects and eating problems that can cause serious damage to them and their band because they’re so focused on finding that perfect but elusive fill level and believes (erroneously) that the more fluid in their band, the better. When you suggest to this person that they may actually need less, not more fluid in their band (so that they can eat healthy, solid food instead of not-so-healthy slider foods), they react with panic, so aren’t able to make a good decision and may not even be willing to tell their surgeon about the eating problems they experience. Please don’t read this article thinking that my purpose is to discourage you. I’m the eternal optimist who believes in self-fulfilling prophecies. If you’re determined to lose weight and work hard at it, you can indeed use your band to reach your weight goal. The key phrase in that sentence is “work hard at”. There’s just no getting around that, so if your expectation is that you’ll lose weight effortlessly, you’re probably going to be disappointed in your band, yourself, or both. Your band can assist your weight loss efforts by providing early and prolonged satiety, but it’s not going to make good food choices, control portion sizes, make you exercise, be vigilant with aftercare, win you cash and prizes, or turn you into America’s next top model. On the other hand, believing that you will succeed and working hard to learn and change what you need to in order to lose weight will greatly increase your chances of becoming a bariatric superstar. And when stardom comes from hard work, it is much, much sweeter and longer lasting than stardom that falls at random out of the sky!

Weight loss surgery? Really? For me? Why? What’ll it cost me? Perhaps a better question is “What’ll it cost you if you don’t?” With today’s uncertain economy and rising healthcare costs, it’s normal to wonder if now is the time to consider the LAP-BAND® AP System. Extra weight on a person often goes hand in hand with extra financial burden. Obesity can have significant medical costs over time. Weight loss surgery can help reduce the cumulative cost of living with obesity: like weight loss programs, prescription medicine and hospital visits. Knowing this, you may want to consider these questions: What are your current out-of-pocket healthcare expenses? Are they due to go up? What are your current prescription and over-the-counter medication costs? Are they due to go up? How many times a year do you see a doctor or specialist? Has that gone up over time? How many days have you missed work over the past few years? Has that gone up? How much have you spent on non-surgical weight loss programs? (WeightWatchers®, Jenny Craig®, etc.) Did that work? How much have your costs for groceries and dining out gone up? How much have you spent on additional clothes due to your weight gain? Acting now by using the LAP-BAND® System to help you significantly reduce your weight — may also reduce your weight-related costs!

His name is Carter Lee and he was 20 1/2 inches long and weighed 8 pounds 9 ounces. When I found out I was pregnant, I was worried that I would have to be unfilled. But I talked to my doctor and she said she'll keep a close eye on him and how well he's growing and as long as he's growing fine, I wouldn't need to be unfilled. Obviously he grew just fine....he weighed almost 9 pounds and I delivered 2 weeks early!!! So thankfully I was able to keep my weight gain to a minimum. I squeezed (and I do mean squeezed) into a size 14 pair of jeans today. That's down from a size 22/24. It is so nice to be losing again. I am trying to stay away from carbs until I get another fill. It seems to be working. Thanks everyone for the congratulations. It's good to be back on this website and to read how everyone is doing.

Lee, Good for you for doing all you can to get healthier and doing what's best for you! I know it has to be hard to not have a lot of support from your family, hopefully they will come around! I posted my jealousy situation on another thread a few weeks ago, but I'll repost it here on yours, here's my deal: I am currently having a situation with a lifelong friend who has always and forever been the "thin" one and now our roles are almost reversed (I am by no means "thin" yet but. . . .) she has been gaining steadily over the last several years and now we are within 10 pounds of each other. Her weight continues to go up and thankfully, mine is still going down. She is having a very hard time with this as she is supposed to be the the "thin" one, not me -- I'm supposed to stay fat, forever. It has, as you can imagine, really put a strain on our friendship. She claims to diet and exercise constantly but when we are together and there is food involved, she makes all of the wrong choices for "dieting" or eating healthy and tries to get me to do the same. She gets very aggravated when I tell her I can't eat the cheesesteaks, thick-crust pizzas, mega fries and strombolis anymore. I've tried to explain to her that it will get stuck and cause me tremendous pain, not to mention all the other fun stuff we go through when something clashes with our band! I'm not sure how this is going to work out, but right now, it doesn't look too good. I'm really hoping she can come to terms with her weight gain and not be so negative towards me for doing something that is improving my health. It has to be hard for her, having such a role reversal, and I know all too well how being overweight and unhappy feels.......I've had years and years of practice. I've offered to exercise with her, share recipes, whatever, but she's not interested. The thing that really got to her was when her 7-year-old said "mommy, Stacy is skinnier than you now, you're getting really fat!" I know that really hurt her feelings, too. I feel really bad for her because I know her struggle, but she doesn't want to work at losing weight together. I don't know, I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens. I posted this about a month ago and sadly, nothing has changed. I've lost a few more pounds and she has gained more and become more bitter. I'm almost afraid to bring up anything about weight loss or healthy eating because she bites my head off. We don't talk nearly as much as we used to and she gets really ticked off if our friends comment on my weight loss. We have definitely drifted further apart; it seems the more weight I lose the madder she gets. :faint:

I'm just going to do two more months so that it shows 0 weight gain the entire 6 months. I don't want them to have any reason to deny me again. At this point I've been jumping through hoops for 7-8 months there is no way I'm stopping now. Over 2000$ in and down 22 lbs as of this morning. Not happening. I'm determined to get this approval!!!!

Hey Lissa, as far as last year it was. I'm so glad I stopped taking it when I did. I heard of weight gain but didn't think it was going to be so much...

Thank you for this explanation! I was getting concerned too. I only found out about this group last night. I am having gastric sleeve surgery tomorrow morning. Today is my one and only liquid diet day. But reading other people I was getting so worried. I am at a lower BMI, but qualified for the surgery because of a list of co-morbidities. My weight gain is hormonal. Gained more than 100 lbs after having a hysterectomy 7 years ago. I went from thin, healthy and energetic to overweight and tired with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. (It’s been a rocky 7 years.) I am 5’11” and am currently 258 lbs. Highest weight was 283. My goal weight is to at least get below 200. That is about when all the health issues started. Would be wonderful to get back to 150-160 lbs, but given my hormonal issues, that is probably a stretch.