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If I can stop shoveling the food in, I loose weight quickly. But historically, I also loose in spurts. I just found it interesting that this is also happening with the band, though it makes sense. The band isn't going to change how we loose weight, as far as I can figure it, it helps with the "shoveling food in" part. The real fun for me will come in a couple of months when it is warm enough to start cycling again, as I start training to do a Century in the fall, my weight will bounce all over the place as I spend more and more time on my bike. When I train heavily, I put on muscle, retain Water and see weight gains for weeks at a time to see 10 pounds drop in a week. It is a real "E" ticket ride.

Had pre-op bootcamp today. Xrays, bloodwork, education, etc. But when I came in I had a 5 lb weight gain and my left leg is swollen (normal for me) but my Water pills are not pulling Fluid like normal and I am not sure if it is due to lack of sleep. Since they gave me my surgery date, I cannot sleep but 10-20 minutes at a time. Going to see my pcp at 3...just frustrated. Sent from my SM-S920L using the BariatricPal App

sheabh huh, what, oh your done??? oh no you made me so tired i nodded off!! so happy you had a wonderful experience in tiajuana i will be honest and say i would be weary about the travel out of country but so many OP tell of their wonderful experience in Mexico - so it sounds like you did great too!!! great pre-op weight loss weight gain after WLS? yep i've heard that but everything settled out, and you lost more glad your sister came along for the ride support is so helpful/important glad she enjoyed the food - and you enjoyed the aroma see, i can be long winded too!! did you nod off?? you are on your way towards health, happiness and a longer life continued best towards your great recovery - and all your future successes good luck kathy

I was banded on October 15th and after a couple of fills at the beginning of January I finally started to see regular weight loss. I know I shouldn't have jumped on the scale on monday or morning, or tuesday or today, after starting my period on Sunday, but I did., and I am up 6lbs. I never used to weigh myself on a regular basis since it always remand the same. So, I am not sure what is normal. But 6lbs seems like a lot from my weigh in on Friday morning. Thanks Tania

After Gastric Bypass surgery, I lost 120 pounds (8.6 stones) within around 7 or 8 months after surgery. One of the advantages of this surgery (RNY gastric bypass) was that I completely lost my hunger. It was not difficult to lose the weight when you are not constantly hungry all the time. Eventually after about a year the hunger returns but it is not as strong as before. A picture is worth a thousand words - so here is my before and 6 month after - photo comparison. Initially the weight loss is rapid but as time goes on it slows down and then eventually stops and a person transitions into the Maintenance stage. In this stage the goal is to maintain the weight that has been lost. There is also something called the 20 pound bounce. Many individuals will gain around 20 pounds back from their bottom but it is important to not let this weight gain accelerate beyond this bounce.

Today is my first year bandiversary! I have lost 173 lbs this year and have gone from a size 28 to a size 14, from super morbidly obese to obese and teetering on the edge of overweight. This is a weird post to write. It feels like emotional homework. For whatever reason, I don't feel like taking inventory of all the things that have changed for me this year -- the new me is so good that I don't want to waste a single second on the time I spent unbanded. Not that they were bad years in every way -- of course not -- it's just that who I am now is who I'm supposed to be. I'm so content and so confident that I've found the long-term solution to my weight management that I don't need to focus on the way things were anymore. Does that make sense? <O:p</O:p<O:p Anyway, for those of you just starting out, I thought I’d give you my top 10's: 10 reasons to get banded:<O:p</O:p <O:p</O:p (1) I lost from 358 to 185 in exactly one year without doing anything I'd consider extraordinary. I'd like to lose 30 or 40 more, but if I don't, who cares. Life in Onederland can't be beat. <O:p</O:p(2) I can travel so much more comfortably. Since I live 10 states from my family, that's a huge deal. I can fly Air Tran and not pay to select my seat ahead of time because if I get stuck in the middle, it simply doesn't matter. I don't live in the world of seatbelt extenders anymore. In fact, I almost like being in the middle seat because I can sit there just as comfortably as anywhere else. (3) food has lost its importance in my life. I don't count the minutes or hours until my next binge. I don't order 2 (or more) Entrees at a "to go" place and come home and eat until I fall asleep. I actually enjoy going to a restaurant or cooking a good meal more now because I still feel good afterwards, since I only eat a reasonable portion for my body. Food doesn't kill the whole night. (4) I fit into life again. I used to walk up 4 blocks to make sure I got a single seat on the bus. Now I don't bother. If I get a double seat on the inside, that's fine too. I fit in a subway seat. I never worry about getting into a friend's car and whether the seatbelt will be comfortable. I don't worry about breaking office chairs our lawn chairs or whether a theater seat will accommodate me. (5) I've found other things that are almost as fun as food. Manicures. Pedicures. New clothes. Haircuts. Even exercise. I didn't do any of those things before. It was too hard to voluntarily look in the mirror. (6) I'm an extrovert. I was always an extrovert, then somewhere along the path of gaining 200 lbs, I became an introvert. Except I wasn't really an introvert, I was a closet extrovert who acted introverted because of the limitations of my size. That's painful and I don't do it anymore. (7) I don't worry about my health on a daily basis. I used to think every little pain was a sign I was about to have a heart attack, whether it was a pain in my arm or a heart palpitation, etc. Now I know I'm healthy. (8) I take no medications. I don't need blood pressure meds. I'm not a walking time-bomb for diabetes. I don't have migraines, lower back pain, or foot pain when I get out of bed in the morning. I have excellent bladder control, even when I sneeze. (9) I'm starting to feel comfortable telling my "story." I didn't tell many people about getting banded. Now I'm more comfortable telling people. I truly don't get bogged down in anyone thinking it's the "easy way out." Anyone who thinks that doesn't understand WLS. And, even if it were the easy way out, who cares? I want the people I care about to have an easy way out of a horrible disease. I don't go out of my way to tell people I have a band, but if I'm asked directly about the weight loss, I don't try to hide it anymore. That feels good. (10) When I daydream about the future, it doesn't make me sad. I'm starting to believe the things I daydream about could actually happen. 10 Things That Helped Me and Might Help You With Your Banding: (1) Just hold your breath and get banded. Quit second-guessing yourself. I second guessed my decision for 3 years of "research" and if I'd just accepted that needing the band is a responsible solution to weight management and isn't a sign of failure, I'd be at goal right now instead of having wasted that time. Yes, I could have lost the weight on my own, as I'd done before, but the band is the only reasonable tool to lose AND keep it off. (2) Once you're banded, quit expecting to lose tons and tons of weight before you get a good fill. Being banded but without a good fill is almost like not being banded. Your cravings won't be dimmed until you're filled. Quit expecting this to be anything other than what it is. Get filled and you'll lose weight. It's frustrating because you just had WLS and it isn't really activated yet, but it will be, so hang in there. (3) Exercise at least a little as soon as you're physically able. Realize this has to be part of your new life in order to lose steadily and maintain for the long term. (4) If you're not losing 1-2 lbs a week, count your calories for a few days or weeks to see where you're going wrong. I happen to believe all weight loss is calories in compared to calories out. Not everyone believes it's exclusively this, but everyone believes it's at least in part this. You don't have to count calories all the time, but if you're frustrated with your progress, it's one way to speed things along. (5) Once you're 4 or 5 months into it, consider finding someone to mentor. It'll help you stay focused on your own journey to help someone else with theirs. (6) Don't worry about sagging skin. You may have some, but it's more attractive than fat, and even if it isn't, if you've lost so much weight that you have sagging skin, think of how much healthier you must be. (7) Don't worry about having to have a revision surgery. Lap band surgery isn't that big of a deal, in terms of surgical recovery for most people. If you have to have a revision, so be it. At least you'll be 100 lbs thinner and having surgery to STAY thinner, not to get thinner. Your recovery will be a ton easier at a lower BMI. (8) Accept the fact that being too tight is not healthy and won't necessarily help you to lose quicker. Get an unfill if you even suspect that need it -- if you suspect it, you really do probably need it. (9) See a therapist as often as you can during the weight loss phase, if you can at all afford it. With very limited exception, there are emotional reasons why we carry extra weight. Even for those with medical reasons for weight gain (PCOS, etc.) there are emotional issues that come up from carrying the weight, even if the emotions themselves were less of a factor in the actual gain. As the weight comes off, you have to deal with those issues or else you might stall until your mind catches up. (10) Quit blaming yourself for being fat. You're a cool person. You're doing something about your weight now. Forgive yourself for not doing something about it before. Just jump on board and do something about it now. There's a whole new world waiting on you. Thank you to all the moderators and members of LBT who have gone through this life changing year with me. You have been my most stable and constant source of support and I am so very grateful.

So when I decided to have a revision from sleeve to bypass, due to bad reflux and weight gain, my surgeon warned me that my weight loss results would be slower than if I had not had previous WLS. I defiantly felt like I lost more quickly with my initial surgery. I just wondered for those that are farther out from revision......... Did you reach your goal? How much of your excess weight did you lose 40% 50%, 60% or more of your estimated weight loss goal? Do you feel that your weight loss was slower than with your initial WLS? Did you weight loss slow dramatically after the first few month? How long did it take you to get to goal? I would love to hear any information or progress stories you revision veterans are willing to share. Thanks!

I posted this same set of questions, nearly identical, a month back and only got a few responses, most of which said it is no problem, but none of those people still had a lot to lose like me (and you) do, I still have about 40 lbs to lose. I have one non-VSG friend who had her GB removed and she blames everything on it, her weight gains, her getting sick more often, everything.

Umm....im on full Fluid, and i can drink a can of soup....is this bad? I am also starting to be able to drink more....should i REALLY be super hardcore about sips or is it ok...I'm worried....i dont want to be like...on well i feel fine so it must be fine...But thats kind of what im going through. But really...i'm young, so i'm guessing my stomach healed quickly, like yesterday i was out and walked a good 2Kms no biggie...i'm feeling pretty much 100% and im 1 week out of surgery. I mean, it is only liquids, and the operation shouldnt have an effect on liquids should it? All it does is make the stomach smaller for food...but liquids are liquids...they go down easy no matter how small the hole...right? I don't know...You can't stretch your pouch on liquids can you? I have talked to another bander who is my age and he says he can get liquids down just like before...it's only the food thats not (which is what i'm hoping...its the point of the operation) And he's lost over 100lbs....so to me that means something. I'm throwing a lot of questions out there...sorry. I'm sure everything is fine....i'll stop worrying. IMO--as for the weight gain....i wouldnt be worried, i mean, you werent drinking enough calories and such in the Water and Clear Liquids stage...so i'm sure it's your body fighting you now to take back everything you lost...just like the yo-yo diets. But now that you'll start consistantly getting enough calories, just much less than pre-band. You should start losing again.

Thanks Rootman, I'm also doing self-pay and there is no aspect of this decision that was easy. Easy was gaining the weight and easy would be letting the repercussions of the weight gain continue to deprive me of living. I've tried so many ways to lose weight, different diets, different exercises, and it just didn't work for me. And it isn't working for Americans in general. I refuse to listen to another person who hasn't battled what I'm battling.

Just an FYI for anyone on DEPO, that can cause weight gain as well. I was on it for several years and gained a LOT of weight in that time. It also can take a while after you go off it to get pregnant (if that's something you'd be interested in). It took me almost a year to get pregnant after my last shot and I never went back to it. I have problems with any of the birth control with hormones in. I went to an IUD and haven't had any problems. I am still a little concerned about the weirdness in my periods, but I'm going to wait until next month to bring it up to my doctor. Maybe it'll be back on schedule by then.

I agree Michee. Protein is calories, just like any other food. Protein has similar calories as carbs gram for gram and if you eat too much protein, and that leads to excess calories, it WILL make you fat just like any other food. However you can play around a lot with how much of your daily calorie intake is made up of protein v carbs v fat of course. The way protein damages the kidneys is not by taking 40 grams at a sitting. overtime if you have a very high protein intake (like over 100 grams a day), your body doubles the rate at which it excretes Calcium and THAT can cause kidney stones and gall stones (the calcium based ones) and also if you take in your protein with a lot of animal products and saturated fats you can predispose yourself to gout (nitrates) and heart disease. However, if you take in a lot of manufactured protein (as in soy products) this can have detrimental effects on the hormonal systems of the body, particularly males. Body builders LOOK fantastically healthy. That doesnt mean they are. Big muscles does not equal cardiovascular fitness or health for example. Many body builders cant run around the block and they can have awful blood make-ups. It has to be done right and it doesnt transpose that because you're an average joe, working out four times a week you can go slogging three or four Protein shakes a day and the calories wont add up, or you wont be overdoing the protein. You need "adequate" protein to grow muscles, more doesnt equal bigger muscles necessarily. Moderation is the key. 60 grams a day for a woman is fine, there's absolutely nothing dangerous about that, but it should come from a variety of sources, dont overdo any one food or rely totally on shakes. Protein shakes on top of a normal diet can easily cause weight gain if you're not burning it all off. And protein is not complete nutrition, you also have to remember all the other elements of a healthy diet. But even staunch carb eater that I am, I do have to admit that a high protein Breakfast stops the mid afternoon cravings for sweet carbs So lately, I have been trying to do that. For me, high protein breakfast and high protein lunch = awful awful gas. High protein breakfast and then my normal carb based lunch (like a sandwich including a small serve of protein like chicken or egg) = no naughty treats in the afternoon. dinner for me is usually a protein and veges, I usually cant fit in the starch, but sometiems we do have Pasta.

Two years ago today I was banded.. I do not regret my decision for one single second to have my band nor that I went to MX to have it done. It changed my life..I am happier and healthier then I have ever been in my life, despite my erosion on November 28th 2005. For 18 months my band did its job..I am happy to report I have lost 106 lbs to date and NO weight gain in the last 5 months without my band. I went from a size 22 to a 10..I have learend to use my head and do this solo, it is not easy ..no lie there but I am determined. Best of luck to all of you..I wish you the same success I had with my band :scared:

I saw this online in another site and thought I would share with everyone. It got me to thinking about ways to insure my success: 1. Not taking Vitamins and supplements. 2. Assuming you have been cured of "obesity". We have to live a healthy WLS life-style for the rest of our lives or the weight WILL come back. 3. Drinking with meals. The tool of not drinking with meals is a critical key to long term success. 4. Not eating right. In today's society it is a challenge to eat right. Make it easy on yourself. Don't skip meals, don't keep unhealthy Snacks around, feed yourself at regular intervals so you won't make poor choices about meals. Consider having some personal absolutes such as: avoid all fried foods, avoid all sugary foods, always use low-fat options, or only eat in a restaurant once per week. 5. Not Drinking enough Water. Most WLS patients are at risk for dehydration. Drinking a minimum of 64oz per day will help you to avoid this risk. Drinking water flushes out your system, helps you lose weight and avoid kidney stones. 6. Grazing. Nibbling small amounts here and there throughout the day can make your weight creep up. Make a plan for what you will do when you crave food so you will do something constructive that will not involve eating. 7. Not exercising regularly. Exercise is one of the best weapons a WLS patient has to fight regain. It boosts your spirits and keeps our metabolism running strong. When you exercise you build muscle. The more muscle you have the more calories you will burn even at rest. 8. Eating the wrong carbs (or too many). Face it, refined carbs are addictive. If you eat them you will only crave more of them. Eat complex carbs. 9. Drinking Sodas. Some people claim that drinking sodas stretched their pouches. What we know for sure is that sodas keep you from getting hydration you need after WLS. Diet soda has been connected to weight gain in the general population. Find other drinks to fall in love with. 10. Drinking Alcohol. If you drank alcohol before WLS you will probably want to drink it post surgery. Most surgeons recommend waiting one year after surgery before drinking. Be very cautious, you may get drunker quicker which can cause health problems and put you in dangerous situations. Alcohol is connected to weight gain because it has 7 calories per gram where Protein and vegetables only have 4 calories per gram. It is noted that some people develop ad addiction to alcohol after WLS so be very cautious. If you notice a problem, contact your doctor.

A fluroscope is used for fills. The dr has me drink a Fluid that he watches pass through the band to gauge the amount of fluid needed in the band. Upper GI is when the dr uses an endoscope inserted through the mouth to view the esphogus and stomach. Everyone I know that has a band has either spasms or gerd or both. Anyone know why this is? Anyone out there that doesn't have either? I am frustrated by the spasms and the gerd but not wanting to get my band removed. Afraid of the weight gain. I also have Fibromyalgia and Osteonecrosis both of which complicate matters for me. The FM can and does cause the spasms and gerd along with a host of other things and both limit ability to exercise. Would like to know if others that have FM have similiar banding issues.

I'm there with you Teachamy -- I'm right around the 210 mark at 36 BMI. I just don't want to hear that "but you're not that big" comment so I'm not telling a lot of people before surgery. It's my decision to stop this weight gain cycle and improve my health before it gets so bad it makes the surgery more risky. I do have to admit, when I told my 20 yo son I was having the surgery, he did say "You're not as big as you think you are..." and it made me smile. He loves me a lot and thinks I'm too hard on myself. Of course, it doesn't sway my decision because he's my kid and doesn't get a vote, but, it still felt nice that he could express he cares.

45 pounds is great! You are headed in the right direction. I also experience slower weight loss than I expected, but at 14 months I am down 90 pounds from my highest and 75 since surgery. When I stall, it lasts for months! I actually thought I was done losing weight when I hit a major stall at 6 months, but since then I have had spurts of weight loss and now I am 20 pounds from goal. Try not to get discouraged. If you keep eating healthy and stay within the parameters of the diet your doctor laid out for you, you will continue to lose. Slow weight loss is better than weight gain any day, right? You got this, Pinkgirl. Congratulations on your success so far!

I'm about 4.5 yrs out and have gained 40lbs, which I have gotten 15lbs off by working out like a crazy person. I wish I would of stuck to the road map I was given 4.5 yrs ago. It's a lot of work to start over, I'm 47, menopausal and it just flat out stinks. I was doing good, until 2 years ago, I had my appendix removed, then my gallbladder removed 2 weeks later and then I had to have hernia surgery and then I got an infection... then depressed & Made the worst decision, I did Not contact my weightlost surgeon & nutritionist & keep up on my bloodwork. Big mistake! Huge! Mistake! Slowly weight gain.... Got depressed & gave up.... until this past March just casually mention to my doctor, have you checked all my labs? Yes, I have checked all your levels. Well have you checked my B12? Yes Have you checked my Vitamin D? Yes, are you sure? Let me check. Oh I have Not! DingDing!!!! (I can't blame the doctor, she isn't a weightlost doctor, she is just a general practioner) my fault! Vitamin D levels were so low, almost had to have an infusion... bad very bad! I could go on and on!! Kicking myself so bad, but all I can do is pick myself up and start over... which I have and now I'm finally in Onederland again. But the skin sagging is horrible, but I'll take it over the health problems and I won't stop again. But it's a day by day struggle. Also very expensive lesson. Other than that, I don't regret the surgery, I regret abusing my Tool.... and not following the rules! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using BariatricPal mobile app

You've obviously already done a great job Ginger and I think you have a great plan for moving forward into the maintenance stage. I really believe that gradual calorie increases followed by monitoring your body's response in terms of weight gain or loss is the way to go. BMI is a less than ideal measure of healthy weight, especially for those with a higher than average amount of muscle mass. I think your plan to get the body fat analysis is a terrific idea. I've never had one but would be very interested in your experience and what you learn from it. The rapid weight loss part of the journey was incredibly exciting and rewarding. But the maintenance stage was, for me, where the real fun began. It's one thing to prove to yourself that you can lose weight. It's quite another to discover that you really have made the all important lifestyle changes. That you can eat quite a "normal" diet and still maintain your weight. That you can manage your weight instead of it managing you. That you really, truly, absolutely are in control and lovin' the new you!!

Don't worry about weight gain just post surgery. It's quite normal. Congratulations on the surgery and speedy recovery

I was sleeved on Oct 3 - down 36 pounds thus far and feeling great about it! My husband got sleeved on 12/19/12. He is doing great, healing nicely and we are on this journey together. Now, here is where the problem lies... Growing up with two brothers I have always been so competitiive. food was always a competition for me. If my brother had 2 hamburgers, I had to eat another hamburger (not b/c I wanted it but I always felt like I couldn't be outdone!) Hence my weight gain in adult life. Part of my success in losing weight thus far with the sleeve was that I was limited in what I could eat (liquids, purees, mushies, etc.) to prevent medical issues. Now that I am able to eat anything I am concerned that I will sabotage my own efforts b/c hubby is losing weight more quickly than I. I don't want to feel like a failure, but let's be quite frank...men can lose weight without even trying...us ladies have a hell of a time getting 1 pound off. Any suggestions on how I can stay motivated and losing when hubby is lapping me with his weight loss? I am happy for he and I to be on this journey together and he is VERY supportive of all my efforts and success thus far. I am more concerned about myself (my own worst enemy...) Any thoughts....

Hello, Well I had the gall bladder taken out and THEY SAVED MY LAPBAND I am so happy!!! I definitely think the vomiting from the gall bladder stones took a toll on the lapband too! The lapband is a piece of cake over this gall bladder. Very interesting fact for you guys. Essentially when you are on a low fat diet for along time like we all have been for the most part...the bile in the gall bladder which really is just cholesterol becomes hard hence turning into stones. In other words the liver shoots out bile when you eat a high fat meal, if it can't keep up it has the gall bladder shoot some bile to break down the fat. But if you don't eat high fat meals the gall bladder's bile turns sludgy then can turn into stones. Unlike kidney stones these stones can not be broken and must come out. So if you guys get food regurgitation into your mouth, bloating, rotten egg burps right shoulder pain and pain in your stomach check your gall bladder. I have to start all over again with Clear liquids, full , puree, mushies, soft...I can barley remember the stages. You guys reading your posts I see you beat yourselves up over those ten lbs up and down, but the more people I see that have had the full RNY have large weight gains back, hang in there. I have had so many complications but still love my band.:thumbup:

I know it's practically a cliche, but stress can physically, LITERALLY block you losing weight, and in fact CAUSE weight gain despite caloric intake/exercise levels. I know you're in a stressful situation in general, can you add in any meditation or Yoga or anything to turn off the adrenals a bit? I just listened to this podcast, says it's only available for 24 hours (from when, I don't know) -- and I had to use a work VPN via a US server to get it to play...but it talks all about how stress and cortisol and adrenal overload impacts weight severely (also causes chronic inflammation and malnutrition, bad digestion, autoimmune symptoms increase, etc.). In case you want to try listening to it... http://mindvalley.on...1503/1378361422 I would definitely not revert to post-op eating, it's not sustainable or healthy over the longer term, which is why we only do it for a short while post-op. I think it's a point in time to lose like that, not that it's healthily do-able in the longer term. You need nutrition and self-care, GT, not to starve yourself.

I had my gastric bypass Rny completed 10 years ago, on May 24th, 2004 to be exact. The surgery went well and the initially results were more then I could have asked for. My initial goal was to reach 150; when I reached 130 I was just amazed! The journey in itself was not always easy. I struggled with holding food down. Now fast forward to today, I can eat regular sized meals and am not limited on the foods. Now as great as this may seem, I am not struggling with keeping weight off. In fact, over the past two years, especially this past year, I have gained a tremendous amount of weight. I feel so defeated and just lost in what I should do. I am 42, so I do expect so weight gain. I recently had my thyroid checked just to narrow down the possibilities. As of now, I am even considering a revision surgery. Not sure if this will be needed, however; I am keeping those options open. Anyone else experiencing this or something similar?

Hi !! How are all you members going that have had your banding ?? are you glad you did it ..any down side..?? I am going to a film and talk on the banding tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday) ..I really think its the only way left for me to go ..I have just given up on all other ways to loose weight.. I am a oldie ...62yrs old in February ..I don`t want to be fat on my 63rd Birthday so hopefully will get the surgery asap after seeing the specialists .. What am I in for ..?? My weight gain has continued slowly from about 50years of age (menapause and the empty nest syndrome hitting at the same time)..I was slightyly over weight in my mid to late forties , so I thought but when I look back now , I wish I was back at my then weight... I am about 118.00 Kilos.. so need to loose 40 to 50 kilos ..................I wonder if its too late sometimes ... I am so sad to have let myself come to this and just want to hide away from the world... O.K I hope after tomorrowI have the courage to go ahead with this plan... Excersizing is hard , I have no enegy or motivation ..and worse of all my joints scream with aches and pains just walking which I am trying to do starting 3 times a week ..when the weather is extreamly hot I just can`t do it ..I am too ashamed to get into swimmers to use a pool which I am told would be easier on my knees.... Oh ! well I will see when I get to speak to the specialist see what hope they give me.... I hope you are all doing well and I would love to read about your experiences Good and bad .. Chat later .. Majj