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i agree, I cant count how many times I've had pig out days and got on the scales the next day and thought I'd gotten away with it. Only to find that 2lb appears 3 or 4 days later, lol. But 1500 isnt exactly pigging out or high calorie and certainly isnt serious or permanent weight gain territory, I lost all my weight never dipping below 1500 a day. What really helps me stay on the straight and narrow though is an absolutely no snacking rule. I cant handle snacking, I just eat too much over those six meals, it really is absolutely not proven to be any metabolic advantage, in fact there's lots of good research out there that suggests hunger hormones are way better controlled by long gaps between meals. I can follow the "no I absolutely cant eat that because I'm not allowed a snack" rule much better than "I can have small seerve of that for a snack" rule. I eat much more over the day when I snack and even unfilled now and needing to eat for maintenance not loss I find it hard to top 1500 a day on three meals.

it's not part of the process. My OBGYN had mine tested for me at their office when my weight gain started to spiral out of control for no reason. I also agree you should have your thyroid checked. You may have hypothyroid desease. That also slows the metabolic rate down.

Follow me.... my journey First, you need to have your metabolic rate tested before you can clam that 1500-1800 per day is the magic button. I had mine tested at my OBGYN's office and I only burn 980 cals per day so anything over that i'm gaining weight. Weight gain is simple just not easy. Calories in versus calories out. It you eat more than you burn you will gain weight. If you are gaining weight you are eating more than you burn. It is simple math just not simple to do. I was never over weight till I had my 2nd child at age 35. I went from a normal weight of 125 to 200 lbs. I have hypothyroid desease and a low metabolic rate. I can lose 30 lbs doing metafast or weight watchers only to gain it back in record time plus 5lbs. My Dr. couldn't figure it out either. My husand says i'm the healthiest fat person he knows (lovingly of course). I eat healthy, I never eat fast food, I avoid high calories foods and don't like sweets but i'm obese. After my first seminar the Dr. explained that with the Sleeve a hormone that makes us hungry will be removed and that often metabolic rates are reset. I have decided to have the Gastric Sleeve. In fact i'm one week post-op. Feb. 28th is my biggest loser day. I started my liquid diet today (to help shrink the liver before surgery). My starting weight is 215 and i'm 5'5" tall. Please follow my journey and I promise to be as candid as possible. Good luck with your decision. Kimberly from TX

"How can you drop inches if you're not dropping pounds." Your body will redistribute weight, you can be losing fat but gaining muscle (even if you're not working out you're likely moving a little bit more), you could have Water weight gain in some areas but lose fat in others - resulting in steady weight or gained weight but lost inches. There are all sorts of ways.

I agree with vlp. Your band should be looser the longer you are awake and eating. If it is too tight to eat at the end of your day (morning or not) then you are probably too tight. I found it took a few weeks of night shift for my body to catch on to my new schedule, but it was very hard. I worked 13 hour night shifts and gained a ton of weight! I think it was the fact that my hospital didn't have a cafeteria but did have a McDonalds! But there has been research that shows night shift can cause weight gain and other fun things (like an increase risk of breast cancer). May want to talk to your doctor about it. When you sleep use darkening shades to make your entire bedroom dark to offset some of the problems that shift work can do.

In April/2008, I had surgery for the lapband. I had nothing but pain and trouble with the location of the port. My doctor, at that time, and his staff refused to listen to me. They kept telling me that the pain would subside and the band and port would settle into my body and be fine. The pain was so intense that I was on an rx for pain. In August/2008, I ended up having a second surgery to correct the position of the port because it had flipped. After that surgery, I continued to have pain, at the port site and where the band was placed. My dr, again, denied that anything was wrong and just gave me pain meds. I went to another doctor, for a second opinion. His diagnosis, the port had flipped again and the band was possibly positioned incorrectly or something totally unrelated was going on. So from August/2008 until the end of April/2009, I ended up seeing not only seeing my original surgeon, the 2nd opinion doctor and yet a 3rd bariatric doctor. I ended up going to the emergency room several times. Then was hospitalized for almost a week to be monitored and tested , having 2 cat scans, an MRI, endoscopy,heart cath, barium series, ultrasound and of course labs. Nothing was found to be wrong except the port had flipped. So the 3rd surgeon was the one that made a decision to do an exploratory surgery to correct the port and see if anything else was going on. The surgery went well and I was without some of the pain but on a scale from 1-10 my pain level was always at least a 4 or 5. The port was very difficult to locate, possibly flipped again. Also, the weight loss was slow. Finally, in January/2010, I asked my doctor( the 3rd one) to remove the lapband and port. That surgery was February/2010. The port had definitely flipped again, plus the lapband had eroded into my stomach. No wonder I had pain. My doctor suggested having surgery for the sleeve. I was torn between the bypass and the sleeve. I ended up having the sleeve in April/2010. I have had weight loss and weight gains. My starting weight in April/2008 was 268. My lowest weight was 215. Then because of all the problems with food,pain, etc my weight flexuated between 215 and 240. My last visit with my dr was, Nov/2010. She explained the opening of my sleeve is larger than most because of the erosion caused by the band, so therefore more food can get into my stomach. I always have had hunger since the sleeve, too. On top of everything else, my dr left the practice, that I am in. I am currently waiting for my insurance company to approve a visit to the other, doctor in the practice. I feel like such a failure. I do want to lose weight. My goal weight is 125, my height is 5'4". My current weight is 238. I have 113 unwanted pounds. I have been so down and depressed about my journey. I DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP but I am not sure what is next.

just got back from the doctor- still having heartburn, regurgitation and weight gain. Doc removed all of my fill and wants me to be on a "band-vacation" for a month. YIKES! I'm afraid. I am really going to have to recommit to the rules and exercise to keep form going out of control. I really hope that I can do this. My confidence is not very high that I can. I am going to the CMA Awards in April and want to be able to fit into last years dress. :-) Wish me luck.

I have been dieting all my life, and they don't work. I didn't want my intestines cut, and pulled out, because there is no going back! So I chose the band. It was good in the beginning. You stick to what your Dr. and Dietitian tell you, and your good to go. You will lose weight. I lost over 120lbs. with a 4cc band. I went in for a fill, I was at 1.8cc, and they filled me with0.2cc. Total of saline in the band 2cc. It blew the band ! I kept trying to figure how could this happen? It's only 1/2 full? Well I quit beating my head of the wall and believe that it was defective. I never had any problem before, and it blew the line, or port. I'm hoping to get in to see a surgeon soon now that I have Ins. again. When I went back to my surgeon, he seen some weight gain, and told his student to instruct me to control my appetite, come back when I have lost weight, and will talk about a fill. Then I was escorted out. I was furious ! This was my last month of Ins. due to being laid off, but no one would let me see him so I was escorted out. I have regained all of my weight, and I am trying threw things that I have learned to cut back. It is hard. I have gotten the attention of another surgeon to see me VERY HARD TO DO! So I weight daily for a call, I will call tomorrow and see if they can work in a outsider. Just so you know. This is a plastic tool, and can break, and will somewhere down the line... So,, make sure you have a excellent surgeon. Find out if you develop a leak will he fix you, Ask questions! Find the answers to your questions before surgery. Then do what you want. Yes it is a Weight Loss Tool! It also works ! The choice is up to you. I know it works, but I know it can come with some problems. I wish you Luck. Shirley Banded 10/31/2006 Dr. Jeffrey Genaw "Chief Bariatric Surgeon" Henry Ford Hospital "Center of Excellence" Detroit, Michigan.

I have 4 of them but they were all pre-sleeve! I have a butterfly (ink and a needle at age 14) on my bottom, tribal art in a diamond shape on my lower back (tramp stamp - got it WAY before it was called that and before it was "cool" to have it there) I have tribal art on the back of my neck/top of my back that has a Gemini symbol in the middle of it for my daughter and then I have a teddybear holding a heart on my breast. I am very surprised that none of them have been distorted from weight gain or loss! I do want more but I haven't decided on what or where yet!

Are you counting your calories? Even though I am banded with a 4cc band "yep that's old" I still keep a diary and try not to eat over 1200 calories. I give myself a window just in case we should go to a restaurant, and you really don't know the calories. So I try to stay between 900 - 1200 calories. If I go over ten at that restaurant, I won't kick myself for it. Go to calorie counter.com and look for calorie king. They are the most accurate I think. Just type in what you had to eat "weigh your stuff, and measure like 1/4 cup" It will tell you your calories, and keep track of your Protein also so you don't go over, because then that can cause weight gain also. Good Luck. Shirley Banded 10/31/2006 Henry Ford Hospital

Hi there Natty, I was just banded 2/8. I didnt have to go on a pre op diet. My Dr. said that we are on a liquid diet after surgery and does not like to do that before because he believes its too long and people may give in an sneak or fail. The morning for surgery I got up and headed to the hospital alone. I had to be there by 8:45. My boyfriend was going to get our little girl ready and meet me there before surg. When I got there I checked in. They took me to a waiting room with other people having surgery. After a short time they called me back and checked me in and asked me a bunch of questions about meds, when I ate/drank last ect. I went back to the waiting room and about 15 mins later they came and got me. I was takin to an area that is set up like ER but its you and other people waiting for surg. I then changed into my gown and stylish non skid socks they give you. They were running a little behind. Another gal came in and asked me the same questions about meds, food,water ect. My two loves had now shown up. They gave me a shot in the tummy to prevent clots and said it would sting but I didnt feel anything and also got my IV started. I felt very relaxed this whole time. This was something I had worked hard for. 13 months to be exact. My Dr. came in and said sorry that they were behind but I should be just a few more mins. The anesthesiologist came in next and explained that there was a student there with him that day and asked if he could put the breathing tube down my throat. He explained thats all the student would do if I said yes and he would not be in there for the procedure. After saying yes he told me he was going to give me something in my IV to relax me. He said since I take xanax that I might not feel much and he would give me more in a min. He asked how I was feeling when we got to the OP Room and I said I was ok. He intoduced me to the two ladies in there that would be assisting. After that he said I am going to give you some more now and thats all I remember. I woke up crying lol. I said I was sorry for crying to the nurse. I asked how everything went and she told me it went great. She asked if I was crying because of pain. I explained to her that I was crying because I was happy it was finally done and sad because I made it and my mom didnt. My mom was trying to have the band and before she ever got to being approved or getting close she passed shortly after her 46th bday in her sleep from heart failure. She was amazed that I came out of it and was talking like nothing had just happend. I was told I had to stay in recovery for 2 hrs but after about 30 mins I wanted to go pee so she brought the lovely bed side pot over and I laughed. She told me its this or a bed pan honey. I got up and went and then layed back down. She called up and told them I didnt need to be there for 2 hrs and was ready for my room. My Dr. wanted me to stay over night. Went to my room and got to see my two love. Couldnt have anything to drink. My mouth was so dry. I finally talked them into letting me swish water around in my mouth and spit it out. Was givin the go on clear liquids by my DR but no more after midnight because of the swallow test. I stayed awake all night watching TV and playing on my phone. Did the test at 8 am. everything looked good so I was allowed to go back on clears. (I didnt mention that I was up walking around all night as well.) After surg I was up and walking within 30 mins of being in my room after the recovery area. Not much pain at all. I am now a week out and feeling great. I have already been going to the gym. My only complaint is that gas/ pressure in ur chest below ur breast and the water weight gain. Both of those lest day 5 post op. Sorry I shared such a long story lol. If I had to do it again I would no questions asked. I wish you the best of luck and I hope everything goes smooth for you. Ps. if you search surgery stories in the forum a thread will come up titled surgery day stories. I read from there non stop lol for 2 days before my surg.

thank you and i know i shouldnt compare myself to others, but im so bummed. is it common for weight gain after surgery?

i am 5 days post-op. just got off the plane and weighed myself when i got home. i have gained 2 pounds! i just read someones post who is one week out and has lost 16 pounds already. i have had nothing but clear liquids for 8 days and feel like i walked home from san diego to oklahoma city. how can this be? im feeling really bummed right now. has this happend to anyone else?

I couldnt live without my vitamix blender - but its a big investment. Whilst I had restriction, it enabled me to eat enough fruit and vegies - makes great Soups, smoothies etc. Now I'm on a low residue diet to manage chemotherapy and without it, all I could eat would be white bread, rice, Pasta and Protein, again, it pulverises the fruits and vegies so that I can eat them without them causing a huge workload for my gut. I never tried baby cutlery, but by far the biggest and most effective tool I used in losing weight and in keeping it off unfilled are small dishes and plates. I have an array of them and they make portion control easy to do without weighing and measuring. For example, I buy yogurt in big tubs, because I'm feeding a family and we all eat it, but in days gone by the tub would be gone in a day. Now we serve into teeny little bowls that hold about 200 grams - the amount in an individual tub of yogurt. I find as long as I stick to 3 meals a day of proper portions, I can eat absolutely ANYTHING I fancy, and usually even a little bit of desseert, without worry about weight gain at all, so much so that I have no plans to refill my band at all.

My boobs are saggy from the weight gain over the years and I am only 26. When I lose all my weight I am planning on getting the girls fixed so they are nice and perky.

I also had the sleeve in hope of concieving...I had PCOS and was not ovulating, We had been trying for 7 years I have a DD who is 8 this year, I had my surgery at the end of May 2010 and am now 9 weeks pregnant!! I still can't believe it, I don't think I will believe it until I actually feel the baby kick!! We are so excited and happy that this procedure worked for us and so quickly, we used condoms(yuck, I know!) for the first 6 months then nothing... I know you are suppose to wait 1 year before TTC but my doctor said I should be fine I was only 10 pounds from my goal weight. I feel great, and haven't gained any weight yet. I'm a little nervous about weight gain but I'm eating healthy and doing what I need to do for a healthy baby! Good luck to you!!

Here's a great article by Kaye Bailey re snacking: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you warm and well this second week of February. Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat. Happy 2011 - We are all in this together! Kaye KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com A Note: We have received the fourth printing of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood cookbook earlier than anticipated. We are processing backorders as quickly as possible - so look for yours in the next few days delivered by US Postal Service. Thanks for your patience! Link to view the previously published Weekly Digests in our 2011 Four Rules Series: Rule #1 - Protein First: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"> Rule #2 - Lots of Water LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are: Protein First Lots of Water No Snacking Daily Exercise In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today: Understand the Four Rules of WLS Before Going Under the Knife Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife. LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 No Snacking. It is the rule that works. Rule #3 - No Snacking Excerpted with permission from Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test by Kaye Bailey Pages 43-45 - Copyright 2009 - Kaye Bailey - All Rights Reserved "Without a doubt, the "No Snacking" rule is the most divisive in the weight loss surgery community. In fact, I've received more angry letters on this topic than any other of the Four Rules. One school of thought is that snacking is absolutely forbidden. The other school swears that three meals plus two Snacks a day are essential for the nutritional survival of the weight loss surgery patient. "I am not a doctor and I am not a nutritionist. But I work on the front lines with weight loss surgery patients every day, patients who are many years out from surgery; patients who have lost touch with their bariatric centers. What I do know for certain is this: patients who snack and who are not engaged in extreme athletics gain weight. There is a fine line between snacking intelligently and grazing and few, if any, of us have the self-control to toe the line. In my experience and in my opinion there is no reason for the average person post-WLS to ever engage in snacking. If we follow the I {heart} DIET we will not be hungry in the 4-6 hours between planned meals; there will not be a blood glucose emergency and there will not be a physiological need to snack. "This may be a very unpopular stand for me to take. But I have spent the last six years working with my fellow weight loss surgery patients and in every case of weight regain snacking has been involved. And in most cases the initial instructions from the bariatric center were for the patient to eat every 3 to 4 hours and somewhere along the third year things went wrong. Snacking on Protein Bars or nuts became grazing on pretzels and crackers washed down with soda, coffee or tea. Slider foods overruled sensibility. "No Snacking. It is the rule that works. "Now, I'm obligated to tell you to follow the very specific instructions given you by your bariatric center. If they instructed you to have three meals a day and two snacks a day that's fine: please do not feel I'm beating you up here. But please, go get your original notes and instructions. Review the list of approved snacks. Copy that list and post it on your refrigerator to keep your memory refreshed. The snacks your center permitted during the phase of weight loss are the only snacks you are allowed for the rest of your life if you want to maintain your weight loss. "I personally feel the "NO Snacking" rule is a tremendous relief. For several years of my adult life, prior to surgery, I had a 40-minute commute to and from work each day. My morbidly obese irrational thinking had me convinced that I could not last that commute without a large soda and giant cookie: both morning and night. Looking back that was about 1,200 calories of snacking I was taking each day just to "survive" my commute. Twelve hundred calories is equal to our full day caloric allowance after surgery! How was it again, that I became morbidly obese? Hmmm. My car was always full of crumbs and the back seat littered with empty cups and cookie wrappers, not to mention the expense of my snacking habit. What a relief when "No Snacking" took that burden from me. "One reason we are prone to break the "No Snacking" rule is because traditional snack foods are ever present in our society and they tend to set more comfortably in our stomach pouch than protein dense food. Have you found yourself able to eat an endless bag of crackers or chips yet struggle to get a few bites of roast chicken down? The crackers are soft and when consumed with liquid create slurry that never compacts in the pouch the way protein does. The cracker slurry slides right through in a steady stream: slider food (more on this in Part II: I {heart} DIET Basics). Solid protein, on the other hand, settles in the pouch like an unwelcome second cousin on your sofa and lingers just a little too long. So naturally we prefer to eat something that gives us comfort, not discomfort. "But the fact is, the pouch when it is used correctly, is supposed to be a little bit uncomfortable. The discomfort is the signal to stop eating. When we are snacking on slider foods we do not get that signal and we do not stop eating." LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you warm and well this second week of February. Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat. Happy 2011 - We are all in this together! Kaye KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com A Note: We have received the fourth printing of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood cookbook earlier than anticipated. We are processing backorders as quickly as possible - so look for yours in the next few days delivered by US Postal Service. Thanks for your patience! Link to view the previously published Weekly Digests in our 2011 Four Rules Series: Rule #1 - Protein First: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"> Rule #2 - Lots of Water LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are: Protein First Lots of Water No Snacking Daily Exercise In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today: Understand the Four Rules of WLS Before Going Under the Knife Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife. LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you warm and well this second week of February. Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat. Happy 2011 - We are all in this together! Kaye KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com A Note: We have received the fourth printing of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood cookbook earlier than anticipated. We are processing backorders as quickly as possible - so look for yours in the next few days delivered by US Postal Service. Thanks for your patience! Link to view the previously published Weekly Digests in our 2011 Four Rules Series: Rule #1 - Protein First: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"> Rule #2 - Lots of Water LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are: Protein First Lots of Water No Snacking Daily Exercise In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today: Understand the Four Rules of WLS Before Going Under the Knife Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife. LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you warm and well this second week of February. Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat. Happy 2011 - We are all in this together! Kaye KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com A Note: We have received the fourth printing of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood cookbook earlier than anticipated. We are processing backorders as quickly as possible - so look for yours in the next few days delivered by US Postal Service. Thanks for your patience! Link to view the previously published Weekly Digests in our 2011 Four Rules Series: Rule #1 - Protein First: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"> Rule #2 - Lots of Water LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are: Protein First Lots of Water No Snacking Daily Exercise In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today: Understand the Four Rules of WLS Before Going Under the Knife Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife. LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest The Four Rules: #3 No Snacking When snacking hurts; When snacking helps February 9, 2011 Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you warm and well this second week of February. Today we continue our discussion of the Four Rules - we are at Number 3: No Snacking. It's a tough one and I dare say most of will or have struggled with snacking following weight loss surgery. And, as you will see from the articles in this newsletter, not all bariatric centers follow the same Four Rules that include no snacking. But what is consistent, across the front lines of those of us living with weight loss surgery, is that out-of-control snacking on poorly chosen foods leads to a stall in weight loss and may possibly lead to weight gain. So please, take a look at the information here and revisit the information you were provided at the time of your surgery. Find your personal position on the "No Snacking" rule based on knowledge, experience, and environment -- it is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself in this ongoing battle of weight management in a world where it is much easier to be fat. Happy 2011 - We are all in this together! Kaye KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com A Note: We have received the fourth printing of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood cookbook earlier than anticipated. We are processing backorders as quickly as possible - so look for yours in the next few days delivered by US Postal Service. Thanks for your patience! Link to view the previously published Weekly Digests in our 2011 Four Rules Series: Rule #1 - Protein First: LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 <P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"> Rule #2 - Lots of Water LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest February 2, 2011 The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are: Protein First Lots of Water No Snacking Daily Exercise In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today: Understand the Four Rules of WLS Before Going Under the Knife Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife.

Here is how I feel about the depression, Vitamin, and minerals deal post-op. Due to the PCOS & weight gain my body felt like a living hell, I had no periods then all of a sudden 3 months later I would bleed to the point I felt anemic, I had to stay home several times not even medical pads could hold, then there was the SUPER elevated testosterone levels and you want to talk about anxiety...the sex drive of a horse...breakouts...unsatiable appetite-THAT was depressing. If you were to ask a general family practice physician what obese patients have in common i can assure you they will point to labs, one thing being low B12 and D, they don't know why but EVEN before any procedure there is already that issue lurking the waters. On to the subject of depression, if you have a history of depression I don't think the surgery will mask it or take it away, if you are new to depression post-op you have to look at the root cause, I think blaming the surgery is a cop-out, if I thought of all the negative things being overweight brought into my life that would be depression enough to make me want to go into a cave but it's a mind set that's how you see happy fat people and nobody can understand it. Sure my hormones are changing, I know that through many things on my day to day life and as I look back at life pre-op I cannot understand HOW I wasn't medicated because what I see through the rear view mirror was someone completely out of control. Most people in this country who are not obese have vitamim deficiencies mostly due to the crap that is being called "food" out there sponsored by all the hormones and chemicals they've managed to give lab rats and turned out to be a success and they decided to feed us the same way, the obese have more than one issue at hand, you don't see a lot of obese people going to tanning beds or even direct sunlight for too long that's my observation it could be a lot of reasons, but obviously the obese also don't get all the Vitamins and minerals they need because they don't spend all day eating the way they should, I know I wasn't is I had been I would not have needed the operation. If my stored estrogen is being released I am glad because I don't need all these fat cells hanging around, if you take a look at what the fat cells are actually doing then you will see they release a toxin which is why overweight people have an increased chance in developing cancer and other things. Though I never took meds for anxiety I know I had it and post-op I feel calmer, maybe too calm but I like it because when it's time to open the fridge and choose, I am clear headed. By no means am I saying here my life is perfect or that there is nothing that irritates me, what I am saying is that it's not due to the surgery. I'l' have my labs drawn in April and will let you guys know if anything is off meanwhile I am going to take a good book out to the backyard for a little sun time. Can't cry over spilled milk or cut out stomach gotta keep eye on what I can control and make the best of my new life everyday. The video below though about the MGB talks about the estrogen drop which applies to us too: 1 2

Since all weight loss comes from calorie deficit (burning more than eating), the key to all successful weight loss is to create a calorie deficit. There are many great tools to help track this and most of them are free. My favorites are the iPhone app, "LoseIt"; www.FitDay.com and www.Livestrong.com go to Calorie Tracker and myPlate and create an account. These programs track your deficit and help point out areas of improvement. In general, you should get about a third of your calories from each of the main food groups: proteins, fats, carbs. If you see higher percentages of fats or carbs, replace those calories with protein calories and it will really help you eat smarter instead of just less. Over the past 20 years we are eating many more calories and burning far fewer calories. The secret to weight loss is to work toward a calorie deficit whatever it takes. Most people losing weight successfully are eating about 1200 calories per day (women) and 1400 calories per day for men. Below this, your body tends to start freaking out and hanging on to everything you eat. It is also important to drink at least 64 ounces of water per day. Our bodies store environmental toxins in the fat and when you lose weight, all this stuff is coming out and your kidneys will really appreciate it if you drink plenty of water. This helps battle constipation as well. Also, take a multi-vitamin every day. The calcium and B-vitamins really help with weight loss not to mention the other minerals. Nutritional psychology is a hot new topic. Bad nutrition causes depression and low energy which makes us want to eat more to feel better and we snowball into bad weight gain. Better nutrition is required for successful weight loss and we feel better. Also, we eat way too much sugar and this raises our insulin levels which takes all that blood sugar and turns it into fat which drops the blood sugar which makes us hungry and we eat more sugar and this snowballs into weight gain. We eat way too much processed food and we have to get back to healthy foods. Brilliant food chemistry has not helped us. Cheap food sweetener (HFCS - high fructose corn syrup) is in everything now (sugary drinks, pasta sauce, ketchup) and our bodies don't know what to do with this stuff so we store it as fat. We consume massive quantities of this stuff and it doesn't help us lose weight. High tech fats such as trans fats and hydrogenated oils allow foods to have a much longer shelf-life because bacteria can't break it down but the problem is that we can't break it down either and we just store it as fat. A great rule of thumb is that if it doesn't spoil we shouldn't eat it. The classic example is an oatmeal pie that our kids drop in the mini-van and we find it a year later and it still looks good. We shouldn't be eating brilliant food chemistry. The more we preare our own meals and take our lunch instead of getting most of our meals at restaurants, the easier it is to lose weight successfully. Proteins - we should get about 45gms of protein a day (women) and about 60 grams per day for men. A 20gm protein portion (meat, chicken, fish, etc) is about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards. Protein keeps us full longer because it doesn't mess with insulin and we need protein while we're losing weight so that we lose fat and not muscle. Fats - are the highest caloric density food. Each gram of fat has twice the number of calories as proteins and carbs. Believe it or not there are actually "good" fats (unsaturated). You want to avoid saturated (bad) fats. Saturated fats raise our cholesterol and clog our arteries. Unsaturated fats actually lower our cholesterol. To lose weight, you should limit fat grams to 20 gms per day and keep saturated fats below 10gms per day. Trans fats and hydrogenated oils should be zero. All this is easier these days with nutrition labels. Examples of good (unsaturated) fats include avocados, peanuts, soybeans, olives and oils such as olive, canola, peanut, corn, safflower, sunflower. French fries from peanut or safflower oil are actually healthier than those fried in saturated oils - ask your restaurant which they use. Fats actually release a gut hormone called CCK (cholecystokinin) which causes the gallbladder to contract and it is a powerful natural appetite suppressant. If you give CCK to rat they won't eat. Therefore, if you snack on a handful of almonds or dip vegetable sticks in olive oil, you manage your hunger and it is healthier. Bison (buffalo) has a great beef flavor and it has much less saturated fat than cow beef. Bison burgers and steaks are a much healthier way to enjoy beef than the cows that predominate our diet. Carbs - when eaten shoot up the insulin levels which turn blood sugar into fat and this drops our blood sugar level which makes us hungry. If you want to lose weight you have to manage carbs (sugar, bread, potato, rice - "white foods"). I see a lot of patients who go all day without eating and then eat a huge pasta dinner before going to bed. This is a perfect way not to lose weight. Carbs are best eaten earlier in the day when you have a chance to burn off all that energy. Eating three meals per day will keep us out of intense hunger and we eat fewer calories overall. I don't like Atkins type diets simply because they are hard to sustain. Better to manage carbs - keep them below 33% of total calories and eat them earlier in the day. Ice cream is enemy number one for weight loss. A great substitute is to make your own fruit smoothies at home. It is a sweet dessert but it is fruit instead of sugar and fat. Many stores have smoothie blends so you just toss it in the blender with diet apple juice or plain yogurt and it's easy. Be careful and avoid sugar added smoothie blends. Just get plain frozen fruit or make your own from fresh fruit. Great way to spoil yourself and eat healthier. I will post topics on Fitness and Brain Stuff (I don't like terms like behavior modification) which are the other two main disciplines of successful weight loss. I put this info and much more on YouTube if you search Watkins Weight Loss Class. Weight loss surgery simply makes all this stuff much easier but knowledge plus change is where you will find success. I hope this helps. Brad Watkins MD Source: Maximizing weight loss - Nutrition

I guess I counted Monday, the day of surgery as Day 1 but really that should've been Day 0. Anyway - I weighed this morning at 268! I've lost 15 pounds in the first 6 days. I am still on liquids so I am attributing this to water weight and just the shock of my body going through the surgery. It makes me really wonder what the hell was I eating and how much was I really eating before surgery?! jeeeez. I admit that I am a restaurant lover. If I could, I would eat every meal out. I actually like cooking but hate the shopping, preparation and clean-up. If I could be a t.v. cook and have everyone do all of those other things for me I'd be sooo happy!! I could sweep in and prepare a fantastic, healthy meal for me and my family and walk out of the kitchen with the first bite! Ah if only! Anyway, I'm guessing that a lot of my recent weight gain came from 1. Not exercising 2. Eating out at restaurants or fast food places at least 5-6 times a week 3. Eating snacks late at night So because of this I'm trying to change those 3 things. The late night snacking I've gotten under control but that is mainly because it takes sooo little to fill me up. If I eat dinner around 6 or 7 pm I will usually have a sugar-free jello or pudding or popsicle around 9 or 10 pm and that's it. I drink water until I go to bed but I really want to learn to tame the night time eating. Today we went out to eat for the first time since my surgery. We were away from home and I had only had some crystal light with protein powder at about 9 am. By 2 pm I was feeling a little light headed. I could feel a teeny tiny bit of hunger but just barely. We met some friends at a phenomenal Mexican restaurant with a huge menu. The smells were amazing and I admit, for a moment, I was bummed I couldn't devour my usual basket of tortilla chips, salsa, 3-4 tortillas, 3-4 drinks plus my entree. I am supposed to be mainly on liquids until tomorrow so I ordered Caldo de Res, a vegetable/beef stew with broth. We were there with friends and 1 of my good friends knows I had the band and that I was planning on having plication. She was pretty amazed at how I was able to get around relatively well, considering. Anyway I really enjoyed sitting with friends and my family, enjoying their company. I sipped my broth and didn't feel weird or excluded or anything. I did take a bite or two of some super mashed, refried beans and a bite of the egg off a chili relleno, which were out-of-this-world!!! Other than that, I was pretty much on track. Everyone left complaining and holding their stomachs and I left pretty full myself but not miserable and stuffed (like usual). I'm so happy that things are going so well. I am still fairly sore and still take pain medicine at night before bed to help me sleep. I am planning on being off of work for another 4 more weeks as I have a very active profession so I'm hoping to fully recover before returning to work and to be able to start an exercise regimen. Take care, Jenn <a href="http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wuVsfBP/"> <img border="0" src="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wuVsfBP/weight.png"></a>

You and me both have something in common. A Leak for starts, that;s why the weight gain, and your surgeon can keep filling you, and it's gone. I have the same problem..... But you describe extreme pain. That's usually associated with Band Slippage. "BUT I AM NO DOCTOR !" talk to your Dr. about fluoroscopy, and replacement. They can see the leak with fluoroscopy, and they can then tell if the band slid down around the stomach "very painful." As far as a different surgeon?? you won't find to many that will touch someone else's work. I know this because I am still trying to find one. We moved, and we are a long way away from him, but if i have to,,, then i guess I'll go back, or have it taken out. I was banded 10/31/06 with a 4cc band, It blew with 2cc's in it????? How is that possible??? Had to be defective. I lost over 120lbs. only to put it all back on. You don't want to even go there.. When your Dr. puts the needle in the Port, take a look and see whats in it if anything. Ask him if you have to, to find out. Let him know that the fills aren't working at all, and whats next? This is a serious situation. If that band stays deflated, and food gets hung up on it, you could choke. If you have to go to the E.R. where he works, and tell them you are in pain. When they know you are his patient, they will find out whats wrong. If not the next day go to a different E.R. until someone tells you what's wrong. Like me I'm thinking total replacement. Don't let them repair it ! "it's like a flat tire, only gonna go again." Tell them to replace it. I wish you Luck, Shirley

Why am I fat..... I am fat because I have always put everyone in front of myself. A few years back, I was a personal trainer that loved working out. I was engaged and had two wonderful stepsons. While I enjoyed working out, I did not enjoy feeling the pressure to sale, sale, sale that my boss bestowed on me. Also, I didn't enjoy working seven days a week and over 70 hours. While I knew that this profession wasn't right for me, I also knew that it would put my family in a difficult spot so I decided to stick it out. Eventually, my body quit on me and I started getting extremely sick. Turns out I had an underlying thyroid condition and my schedule and lack of sleep brought it to the forefront. Had I have admitted to myself 6 months prior to leaving that I should have left that job things might have been different. This story is a constant pattern in my life. I start living for me and then the guilt sets in. Not because my family or friends make me feel guilty but because I make myself feel guilty. My now husband and stepsons stood by my side even when I quit my job as a personal trainer. They stood by my side through the weight gain, struggles with my thyroid, and now my current battle with PCOS. I suppose i expected everything to be fixed when I left this stressful job and it was pretty difficult to cope when I quickly found out it wasn't. The reason it wasn't and hasn't been is because I have failed to stand by my own side. My friends, family, and co-workers constantly tell me how happy I always seem and what a positive person I am. On the surface that may seem true but internally I tell myself a different story. I have no self-worth, am extremely critical of myself, and often feel guilty for putting me first. After almost a year of "thinking" about having lap band surgery, I finally decided that it was my time to shine and change my life. My surgery date is February the 23rd and I am excited about finally being "selfish" and doing something for myself. I hope that this is the first step in a journey that will lead me to inner peace and contentment. Courtney

Hi there! I wish I could say that I am newly banded but that is not the case, I was banded in Aug 2008 and started out great. I lost 50 pounds in 4 months and was the lowest weight I can remember in a very long time. Then I got pregnant and gainned most of it back. But thankfully not all of it. Anyhow, not going to give a sob story, i blame myself for the weight gain. So this Wednesday I will be getting my first fill in over a year and would like some support and advice how to get back on the band wagon. i am really excited to get started again but I kind of feel like I have forgotten EVERYTHING. I would love someone to kind of hold me accountable, let me know what worked best for you, what does your week look like in terms of meals? And also I have a family of 3 little boys and a husband and would like some tips aswell how to make food we both can eat. I should also say I do have some very picky eaters. One thing I know about myself is that if I have guidance like a meal plan even for a couple of weeks it will really help me out. i am pretty good at following those types of things. Also if you are near Colorado SPrings that would be awesome but not necessary. Thank you!

Poor girl, you`re still snowed under with work. Well, i hope it lightens up for you soon. In relation to the weight gain, your ideal is 135 right? You know what to do, hun. Hope your little puppy is doing well. HDmama, heard from the MIL? The weather is dreadful here. It`s windy and has been raining. It was not fun being a rugby groupie this morning. I lost a brolly to the wind. I could not walk around the pitch. What a pain. The eating is going well. Hope you`re all doing well.