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I’m self-pay, so no issues with insurance due to weight gain, thankfully. It is the time of year, every year, when I start to eat uncontrollably and gain weight. I have SAD, and It happens EVERY year between late August and late September as the days start to get shorter. I’m already up 5#, and I Can’t Stop Eating. My surgery is September 24, and I’m just so irritated, even though this is Just what I do this time of year. Anyone else have this problem?

Katt - You are feeling the same way that I am sure most of use felt pre-banding. It is a huge leap of faith! I will be praying that you are accepted, you will have no complications, and your Diabetes will disappear with your excess weight. Medications and a Sedentary life style because of physical problems can cause rapid weight gain. This happened to my best friend. She had a very successful Lap Band Surgery April 4th. Despite not being able to exercise and being on Steroids and pain meds, she has lost 24 pounds already. I have faith you can do this too.

Hello, This is my first post so I am learning. In July I had blood clots in my legs that moved to my lungs and spent a few days in the hospital. The first thing my Dr said to me was Smoke and die, and Blood thinners for life! That being enough of a 2x4 upside the head, I quit smoking and started on my way to a 20 lb weight gain. Also i was unable to take ibuprofen anymore for my bad knees so I started excersising and walking less and less as they got worse and worse. This also led to a weight gain. I had previously lost 65 lbs on Adkins but had been stalled for a long while. I gained almost all this back in 4 months. Talking to my Dr about what to do with my knees, she suggested the surgery. I didnot realize my insurance co paid for this till then ( 90-10 coverage). My husband and i went to the informational meeting and I decided to have the lab band- less intrusive with my history. I think the hardest thing was calling a shrink! Anyway, surgery was Feb 7 2006 and my first fill is next wed. I was 337 before the 2 weeks preop of liquids. 325 at surgery and 305 now. I have been surfing this site for a few days and have learned a lot. Thanks!:clap2:

Thanks guys I needed that bit of support today. I know the last two days i was more in 1500 calorie range, and I am ashamed to say the filets were breaded. I told my hubby in the future we can't buy the breaded ones. And for me, I have insulin issues, if I eat any carbs at all from a non veggie source my body produces large excesses of insulin. Then my body turns all those little carbs into stored fat. I am actually one of those people who's weight gain isn't entirely my fault, mostly, but not entirely. I did after all eat the doritos with sour cream when I would PMS after all. Insulin issues or not, I did choose to eat the junk that made it all far worse. But this is a new life without the junk!:clap2: And I can do this Oh and Yoda, my advice to you would be to not eat the baby food in front of your hubby. If he is anything like mine he will get grossed out. I grossed mine out a few times on the combos of foods I'd put in the blender. The one that really did it was refried beans, cottage cheese a little taco seasoning and a little bit of milk to thin it out.

I had my sleeve a year and a half ago and was wondering about approximate weight gain 2 or more years after surgery when the stomach has had time to stretch a little? Just looking for several years post surgery experiences. It seems like most people are pre surgery or only a few months post surgery on here. I weighed 231 and at goal weight of 135 but was wondering how hard it is to maintain as time goes by.

I had my surgery on 9/21. I also had some hernia repair, so I was in bed until Sunday, drinking my fluids like a Good Girl. Monday I weighed myself, and lo and behold, I lost 12 lbs! Needless to say I was thrilled. So, since Monday I've been up and around as usual, feeling great. Today I stepped on the scale, and I GAINED BACK 3lbs. How can this happen on a fluids only diet of about 500 to 600 calories a day? Has anyone else experienced this? I just keep thinking that what happens if this lapband thing doesn't work any better than my eating plans in the past. Help, I need some encouragement. Thanks, Judy

Heather, what was your weight gain like in previous pregnancies? I gained none in my third, like I said, but in my previous two before that, it was only 10 or 15lb both times. I'm just not someone who gains a lot of pregnancy weight. Dont even talk to me about what breastfeeding does to me though, I piled it on then!

I think that's a good idea. That said, the whole you need to gain 25lb thing is a bit of a myth. Your baby needs nutrients, not calories. It takes very few extra calories to grow a baby, perhaps 250 a day in your third trimester. If you are taking in the nutrients your body needs during pregnancy, things will probably be just fine. In my third pregnancy, I gained no weight at all. I kept it completely stable BY DIETING. Moderately - weight watches, 27 or so points a day. With my doctor's blessing. I took a good supplement and I ate really really well because I was already about 210lb when I conceived and had had blood pressure probs resulting in induction twice before. When I had Eliza, she was a healthy 8lb and perfect, and I left the hospital 10kg (25lb) lighter than when I'd conceived. Mild fat loss from YOUR body wont harm your baby. But that said, you've actually lost while pregnant, which would indicate your energy needs arent being met. I'd consider a supplement like your doc suggests, I wouldnt curtail physical activity because it is so good for you, but supplementing calories AND nutrients might be a really good idea. You dont want to lose any more but it probably wont matter if you dont manage to gain much. But bear in mind, that without the weight of your baby, and all the extra fluids in your body now, you actually probably weigh a bit less than 142. You want a bit of condition on you if you want to breastfeed! Good luck, dont let it worry you though, once upon a time a much much smaller weight gain was considered healthy in pregnancy, the standards quoted today are just current trends is all.

I was just wondering if anyone has had any problems losing the "baby weight" after having the VSG surgery. I am contemplating having another child when my IUD is done in about 2 years. I already have 2 year old twins, but I had them pre-op. I am terrified that I will not be able to lose the weight I will gain with a pregnancy. Any helpful advice would be much appreciated!!

Seven and a half years out. No revision, no major miserable side effects, no issues, no permanent weight gain. I had to have my gallbladder removed a year after my sleeve and I have GERD that I take a PPI for. I lost 100 lbs and gained five over the first two years. Stable at 137 since except for a 7 lb gain last year due to too many Frappicinos. The seven pounds are gone now. I would have sleeve surgery again in a second. I am skinny and happy.

Hi ya'll! This is all new to me. I am in the early stages of researching lapband surgery, and trying to decide if this is for me. For the last 10 years I have really been struggling with my weight. My weight has really seemed to sky rocket since the birth of my twin girls, 3 1/2 years ago. I don't even recognize myself anymore. Because of my weight gain, I suffer with sciatica (nerve pain in the legs), knee pain, lower back pain, and plantar fascia. I am on so many different medications; and have been told by my Family Practicioner, Gynocologist, and dietician that the medications have slowed down my metabolism to almost null and it will be very difficult for me to lose weight. My cousin is a member to your website - JerseyTammy - she's really a S.C. girl! She has been great about sending me information. I have been to one information seminar so far with Dr. Bour. I have been told by a few people that they believe he is the best in the area. Unfortunately, I did not feel comfortable with him because he really pushes the gastric bypass surgery and doesn't seem to have alot of faith in his lapband patients. He commented that alot of them find ways to cheat and that this was not a miracle cure. I would really like to hear from anyone that has used Dr. Bour in Greenville, SC. His office has already checked with my insurance company, and yeah! I would be approved. Also, I would like to hear from anyone in the upstate area that used any other WL doctors. Thanks so much! Anita:hungry:

My last 6 month program is Sept 13 and I gained 14 pounds since I quit smoking and my insurance does not want weight gain after yur first apt. However I kept being told that Eatna insurance will consider bcuz of me quitting smoking . I am fallowing all on the eating and I'm walking 3 times a week or more.. has anyone been through this and if so how did it turn out? I have 15 days to lose 15 pounds anyone have any ideals how I can do this? Please help Sent from my SM-T550 using BariatricPal mobile app

I wanted to throw in an update because just... WOW!!! For MONTHS I've been stressing due to all the swellings, weight gains and whatever else comes with plastic surgery... however - as always with time comes healing and RESULTS!!! Every single day now I'm seeing humungous differences!! I'm over the moon right now, and THANKING EVERYTHING GOOD that I chose the right surgeons. They performed literally miracles for me. I. AM. HAPPY. In the last 4 weeks alone I've dropped NEARLY 15 INCHES off my whole body!!!! YAYAYEEESSSSS!!!!! Picture Updates: carweightintrunk.bmp Source: My Plastics Journey - My first one (of several)

I am 7 years post op from my gastric bypass surgery. I am able to consume much more than I was able to in the begining. I see my surgery team regularly (2-3 times a year) to keep on track, be reminded of the correct way to live as a gastric bypass patient, and to make sure my vitamins ect are all where they need to be. I was told the pouch does not stretch, however there are many causes to weight gain (I have gained about 60lbs in the past 7 years) and prevent weight loss after surgery so I work closley with my surgery team. Grazing is a huge no-no and I am guilty of it. Eating ANYTHING that is not on the perscribed list of foods is a no-no and just sends you right back to old habits and ways of eating. Drinking fluid to soon after your meal or with your meal is not a good thing, the fluid pushes the food out of your pouch where you get the satisfied full feeling and leaves you being able to put more food into your body. Not eating protein first everytime you eat will leave you feeling unsatisfied and will not keep you full until the next time you eat (it takes 3-4hrs to proccess protien in your body). You have to keep good habits and follow the rules even if you don't have dumping like most of us do when we eat foods our pouch doesn't like. Just because you can eat it doesn't mean that you should. If you want to loose the rest of your weight to reach your goal you need to instill a new way of eating and relationship with food.

Hi everyone. Here's my intro post! I am a 39 y/o artist, Mom and Wife and have been fussing over my weight since I was 13. A day hasn't gone by in that many years that I haven't thought about food or my weight from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep. Some history: I was athletic as a child--tall and lean and often called "too skinny". Then, I had a little weight gain around puberty (size 7 to size 9) and then woved steadily upward through my teens to a 12. In my early 20s, I gained 100 lbs in one year (size 12 to size 16). Then, I stayed at a size 16/18 for 15 years before gaining 50 pounds more in the past year or two. I blame stress for this one. (two military deployments, a relationship crisis, a high-risk pregnancy with 6 months of bed rest, a near-fatal car accident, and quitting my job to stay home with my son). Now. I wear a size 24 on a good day. And there aren't many good days because I am anxious, depressed and tired all the time. Comorbids are: Upper Airway Restrictive Syndrome (similar to sleep apnea), PCOS, joint and muscle pain and constant irritability. I love fashion but can't wear what I want. I make custom leather products and have already grown out of a display model I made just this Spring! I am running out of sizes and styles that are wearable. My next fashion step is the mu-mu and I REFUSE to go there. I made a vow today that I will not buy myself one more plus-sized outfit. EVER---even if I have to tie myself to a bed and wire my mouth shut. I have also entered menopause and all my fat (which I carry around the waist) seemed to drop overnight. When I walk, I can now feel my stomach on my thigh. Because of the injuries from my accident and the intrusion of my fat rolls, there are simple things (like fastening a bra) that I need help with. Sometimes, I have to take a shower after using the toilet because I can't reach my butt to clean it properly. That hurts to type but it's time to be honest. I am tall and my most comfortable weight has been around 170 but I haven't seen that number since around 1990. I have chosen that now as my goal weight. But really, I would just be happy if I didn't have a roll of fat on the back of my neck. Like most of you, I have spent years denying, dieting and settling but I can't do that anymore. The truth is, my weight is out of control and I need help getting it together. My most successful weight-loss attempt was the diabetic diet during pregnancy. I lost 12 lbs while pregnant. Go figure. My diet of choice has always been basic healthy-eating with exercise plan but the results never come and I give up. It took me two years of 5-day workouts at the YMCA and a low-fat vegetarian diet to lose only 20 lbs. I was able to climb a mountain at the end but my size was basically the same. It left me frustrated and discouraged. I am not afraid of exercise. In fact, I LOVE it (if I can get to the gym or motivate myself to get started). I love to swim and work the elliptical machine and weights. I love food but at this point, I would eat dried grass for the rest of my life not to feel this way anymore. (I have said this before in my life and ultimately failed). So, here I am looking at lap-bands. I went to a seminar today and was pleased with everything I saw and heard. I only have one thing holding me back. What if I can't stop myself from eating past the full point? How will the lap-band stop me? Being full doesn't stop me now. I am full right this second and planning to go find a snack any minute now. The seminar host told us that what stops her from overeating is the throwing up process. She said she ate a doughnut after surgery and never did it again. I do hate to vomit. But is that enough to stop obsessive/head hunger? Until I can answer that question, I can't make a strong decision because I won't put myself through this just to fail. Right now, I am just going through the process, researching and meeting people to learn as much as I can. I am dead-set against Gastric Bypass and lap-band is the only procedure I would ever consider. Since I can't seem to do it on my own, it's either this or die fat and early. I can't do that to myself or my family. I have the most perfect, darling little boy and I need to be here for a long time to watch him grow up. I am usually the person on forums who gives all the advice but I can't do that here. This time, I think I need to shut up, listen and ask for help. So, I'm asking: How did you deal with the emotional/head/obsessive eating? What did you say to yourself when visions of cupcakes floated into your consciousness? Does anyone have TriCare Standard who can talk to me about options and OOP costs? Who is having a hard time with the band/lifestyle changes and what are you doing to change your thinking or behaviors in order to make it work? Is there anyone here who regrets having it done? If you are a survivor of abuse (like me) and put on weight as a protective shell, how did you feel when your body was vulnerable and exposed after weight loss? How did you deal with it? How does losing the weight (or having the band) affect your relationships with others? Would you do it again if you could? Who here has gained weight back and why? Do you tell people you had surgery? I ask because so many people consider it "cheating" even though we know it is hard work. (I have considered not telling anyone BUT I have a big mouth and probably can't keep it shut even if I try)

Ok everyone! so after 4 months of preparation and Dr. visits and the the untimely death of my brother in September and stressful 5lbs weight gain. I finally got my banding date, It's Nov 14. I am so happy and excited about it but at the same time I am wondering if I will be able to travel on the evening of the 15th? The man that murdered my brother will be going to court on the 16th and the entire family is expecting me to be there. My family members are unaware of my weight loss plan only my husband and long time friend knows. This will be the third court appearance (I missed the second one) as we find out what will happen to him at the same time we will be talking to the DA handling his case. Did I also say I am my families acting spokes person and all decisions are made as a whole with my mom, my 2 older sisters and myself plus my mom respects my decision making. What is this soon to be BANDSTER to do.

So tomorrow I go to see my bariatric doctor.. I am pretty freaking nervous. I've completed every step so far to get to the point of surgery. I've been working hard, monitoring my eating. It never fails though, every Monday, I am heavier than I was the past Friday. I had a requirement of losing 10% of my highest weight. Currently I'm at 31 of 38 pounds lost. I am really happy about the progress I've made but at the same time I'm frustrated that this keeps happening. Friday I was 1 pound away from goal and seemingly "gained" 7 pounds over the weekend (which I know isn't a true realistic gain either). I'm stressing out a lot and working out even harder, limiting my calorie intake and pushing water like crazy. I'm going to be pretty disappointed to work so hard and not meet goal (and also thinking maybe if my appointment were Friday I'd be in luck since by Friday I usually have lost whatever I gained from the weekend.) I'm sorry if I sound like I'm whining I just needed to vent. It's been a long process for me starting in June 2015 and through insurance hurdles, job changes, weight gain to weight loss, I just am anxious to keep moving forward to a better life, just to be stuck at 8 pounds to go (the 7 I "gained" plus the 1 I still needed to lose as of last Friday!) before I can move forward any farther. I'm irritated with myself because I believe I always had the opportunity to do better or work harder.

You look FAN-TAS-TIC, you are one pretty lady! Do not beat yourself up over a .6 weight gain, you know that as soon as you are able to get up and move you will continue to lose. There will be times in all of our lives where we won't be able to exercise for whatever reason but as long as we get back at it as soon as possible all will be well. I have never had any previous bariatric surgery but have lost large amount of weight before only to gain it right back so I kind of know where you have been and the fear that you have. I just have to believe that we learn from our mistakes and that everyone has battles they are struggling with in their lives it is just that those of us with weight issues have a very visible struggle and it is easier for people to judge us then to look within themselves and face their own weaknesses/failures.

Maggie, do you journal or blog? I started one with my pre-op diet. It keeps me focused. This link, is my first post during my vacation, we spent a week exploring the Northeast before we got on the ship. This link,is from when I returned. Like you, I did not get my first fill until I returned from a 3 wk vacation. I gained a couple pounds, but lost it in no time with the band. I took another 3wk vacations this past April, I gained a couple pounds in lost it in the first week I returned. I really think the weight gain is from all the extra salt in the foods.:thumbup:

I received my pre-op diet today and was completely shocked when the NP said we were to start it today. I had anticipated two weeks before surgery since that's what the handout said. She first provided us with a very detailed 7-day diet that told us exactly what we are to eat at each meal. However, she went on to say that they want us to limit our calorie intake to 1400 per day and that we could choose from a number of options such as meal substitution (Slim-Fast), established programs (Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, TOPS), diet books (Atkins, South Beach), or counting calories. I am to pick the option that is best for me. Easy decision for me---counting calories. The handout we received today states, "Two of the places excess fat can occur are in the liver and in the abdominal cavity. Having fat there makes surgery more difficult." I kept that in mind as I pushed my cart past the Reese's Peanut Butter eggs while shopping at Wal-mart this evening. (I had originally planned to buy one as a final treat before the two-week diet started.) Before dismissing our group, she warned us to not gain weight and to emphasize her point, she told us our surgeon had already postponed three surgeries this week due to weight gain. That fact will hopefully help me stay on the straight and narrow path for the next few weeks.

Hi all! I've been a slow loser since my gastric sleeve in July and while I'm trying to keep my chin up, I'm beyond frustrated. I eat very close to Whole30, get 70-90 grams of protein daily, take all my vitamins, drink plenty of water. I walk at least 2 miles a day 7 days a week, do HIIT a couple times a week and lift weights twice a week. I'm also on 150 mg of Pristiq and 2 mg of Abilify. I used to take Metformin to negate some of the possible weight gain with Abilify, but stopped just before surgery. Now I'm wondering if the Abilify is hindering my ability to lose weight. Does anyone else take Abilify or other mood stabilizers who's had this experience? I'm talking with my psychiatrist about it on the 21st, but I'm just curious if other people have experienced this.

I am wondering for those who needed surgery to try to combat PCOS or just trying to get pregnant, which surgery did you decide and why? Are you pregnant? Have you had weight gain that you can't loose after pregnancy? Any struggles?

I am still pre-op but I've had a ton of other surgeries and I can vouch for the IV fluids causing a LOT of water weight gain! I've gained as much as 15 lbs from a surgery. You might also have some swelling inside, Give it time, that surgical water weight should come off very easily in the next week or so.

JerseyCityGal - First off congrats! that's so exciting. Seems we are about the same stats and I love your progress! Couple questions if you don't mind... 1. Did UHC Oxford mention anything about your progress as far as weight loss? I've gained some weight because I had the flu and basically sat around for days on end.... 2. My Bariatric facility seems to think right after my 6th visit with the NUT we can submit my paperwork my only concern with that is that's only 5 months total on the "motivated attempt" I'm wondering if that's true... I'm so worried about the weight gain it's driving me crazy!! Any encouragement will help. Thanks.

I received the instruction email today from my surgeon and time of surgery. 6pm! April 2. Wow! 6pm! surgeon will be exhausted by then! I will be staying overnight for sure, I assume. He wants me on a high protein ZERO starch for the next 3 wks with lots of fruits and veggies. He's just asking for no weight gain between now and then. Fortunately, I have lost some. One week before surgery drop red meat, lettuce and leafy veggies. One day before surgery go on a full liquid diet. I can do this....getting excited ladies. Getting that email makes it seem really real......