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Hit back space a couple times and lost my post. Aargh. Main point. I am more powerful than my disease. I am more powerful than depression, injury, painful relationships, age, physical pain, uncooperative relatives, and cravings. When I fall off the horse I need to pick myself up, dust myself off, and get back on again. I control what goes into my mouth. No one is holding a gun to my head force feeding me carbs. I know what works. I know what triggers cravings. I can't have carbs. Period. End of story. I have 10 lbs to lose. Thank God I preplanned for relapse and lost 10 extra lbs and am still at an acceptable BMI. But I don't like the extra weight around my middle (which is exactly where I gained it. I don't like feeling sick and having my heart race after a carb binge. And I want to arrest this weight gain before it goes any farther. I rely on God, but he doesn't do the work for me. If I want a reprieve from my carb cravings I have to stop eating carbs. The cravings will subside. There is no easier softer way. There is no easy answer or solution. But if I tough it out for 5 days of no carbs, it will be much easier. Like Linda said, just for today, just for this moment, I will not eat carbs. One moment at a time, I can do without carbs. That's my part of the food equation. To deal with life I use the serenity prayer. "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Cheri

Thank you for this. I have been having a really rough time over these last 4 months. I had a friend pass away, a friend diagnosed with stage 3 cancer going thru chemo that is not working for her, and I lost my job all within months of each other. The weather where I live has been bad, so I stopped walking the 1 to 2 miles per day I was doing, and I turned to my comfort foods- cookies, icecream, etc. I have been wallowing in a sea of self pity, and even with telling myself each and every morning that today is the day I get back on track, by evening I would be eating wrong again. I have had the band in since Jan 9, 2010, and because of my gain, I am only 30 pounds down from when it was inserted. This is very very hard for me to deal with. During the end of the summer 2010, I had finally begun to play with my kids, going hiking, playing volleyball, etc, and I can't even tell you how GREAT that felt! I already feel the change that this weight gain has made in my ability to stay mobile and in my attitude toward exercise and moving! I want to be able to parasail, to hike the Appalachian Trail, to move with my kids! Thank you for rocking my boat, and hopefully getting me back on track! God Bless.

Oops sorry above. That was eat right. However I have not read any research on stress and weight gain other than stress causing overeating. There may be some data out there. I empathize with you believe me! Wow a Lot of typos in previous message accidentally sent before checked it. Hope its decipherable!

This Is Gonna Be My Quote For Life!! It's not important how far away your goal is - just that you're moving toward it. 237 and am so excited. That is 12 since Jan. 15, 2011. I have decided that I will go get 1 cc (I had 4 taken out last April). I will go next Friday. I feel like the one will help me. I know I do not ever want to be sick like I was last year. I was desperate going into my 3 rd year anniv. I paid for that. No more speedy go fast marathon. I am choosing to go steady. I have also learned to stay away from high sodium stuff. Weight gain galore. Bought the biggest loser juliann Protein choc. powder, had it last night. Very good. I did 1 cup ice, 1 scoop Protein Powder, 1 tbsp p.nut butter, 1/2 cup 1% milk and 1/2 cup Water. I am proud of my self.

I am down another lb. 237 and am so excited. That is 12 since Jan. 15, 2011. I have decided that I will go get 1 cc (I had 4 taken out last April). I will go next Friday. I feel like the one will help me. I know I do not ever want to be sick like I was last year. I was desperate going into my 3 rd year anniv. I paid for that. No more speedy go fast marathon. I am choosing to go steady. I have also learned to stay away from high sodium stuff. Weight gain galore. Bought the biggest loser juliann protein choc. powder, had it last night. Very good. I did 1 cup ice, 1 scoop protein powder, 1 tbsp p.nut butter, 1/2 cup 1% milk and 1/2 cup water. I am proud of my self.

Hello again everyone!!! It seems that in the few days I missed checking into LBT, everyone has been snowed or iced in, or lost power because of the gas shortages associated with Texas! Wow! Well...anyhoo...I was glad to rediscover this thread as it took me about a half an hour. I haven't been on the site much lately nor since they changed things. So if I seem confused about things...I am! Ok...how to start...well, I became depressed and anxious as a teen and started Prozac which served me well for 2 years. When its effectiveness began to fade, as Rxs often can, I started taking Effexor XR. I started gaining weight very slowly even though I was on my school's and a community softball team, and running around like most teens do. A number of years later, my depression developed into Bipolar II Depressive (meaning I can get really, really depressed but my hypo-manic periods do not cause me to put reality aside in order to partake in high-risk activities. When I am hypo-manic, I am super fun and bubbly, ready to organize and clean my house from top to bottom.) So my psychiatrist moved me from Effexor XR to a different class of medication for Bipolar, and my weight gain stopped. I didn't lose any weight, but it finally stabilized. It wasn't until a few years after stopping the Effexor XR that my Mom asked if I had started my weight gain when I began taking the Effexor XR. We had found our answer. When I started gaining weight, I didn't let anyone help me because I was SO embarrassed. I had always been very happy with the way I looked...nothing special...but I was happy and that was all that mattered to me. And then gaining that weight; seeing family I hadn't seen in years; running into old classmates and dealing with being Bipolar and having Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Dx'd as a teen), I ran away from all help and probably made things worse without knowing it by not watching my food intake. Ok...last and (LOL)...last January, I went to the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, MD for a medicine protocol, which went well, but two of the meds they put me on after the protocol to go home on had a high propensity to make patients gain weight. In a month and a half, while eating a nutritionist planned diet, I gained 25 more pounds! I was inpatient for 4 months with the hospital keeping track of weight and food intake, and up until I started the new meds, I had gained 3 pounds over those 4 months. It was yet another blow. As I began to feel better psychologically on my new medications, I decided I was going to research the LapBand to get the aid I needed to lose 100lbs. I researched and researched, and researched, and decided it was my time to do something to help myself. I have been banded since 8/24/10 and have lost 28lbs! Currently I am in a depressive state which is why it took me so long to get back on here, but it seems to be lifting a bit with the sun we've had the past few days. I usually log my eating although other than Protein and calorie intake, I have no idea how to use the information because my surgeon hasn't been very helpful in that, but I have slacked off on logging for the past month and a half due to my depression. I spent 3 days in bed 2 weeks ago so logging wasn't much a priority. Same with exercise. I did order and get the Jillian Michaels "30 Day Shred" and like it. It is pretty old school, so it isn't hard to keep up with...well, physically it is, but the moves aren't. I wish I had someone to go to a Zumba class with, but with this anxiety of mine, that is a tough thing to do alone. But I am staying positive that February will be my back on track month, and I will start losing again (been stuck at same weight for 3 weeks). I am trying not to beat myself up because I have many issues to deal with, and I knew going in I would have to work doubly hard. I try to give myself a short period to feel badly and then say, "Ok. Now we get to start again." I think my "book" covered what you were kinda asking for. Feel free to ask questions or give advice. The only thing I ask is that if I ask a question about my digestive track, you don't answer me back that "it isn't like you have a piece of PVC pipe from your esophagus to your bowel". Yea...some guy actually told me that. I thanked him for the physiology lesson. LOL Still makes me giggle. Hope it makes you giggle too! Keep warm. Please pray that Spring starts...oh...tomorrow! And be Blessed!

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

Weight gain is plenty normal when you move to solid foods. My suggestion is to really stay off the scale. Focus on what you're eating (hopefully it's healthy things) and in time the scale will move back down. You're not a failure in the least so head up. Your journey just began!

I think loosening it for an overseas trip, where care may not be available is a valid option, but not one you should be doing thinking that you can eat heaps on the trip and really enjoy yourself - that is the kind of dysfunctional thinking that made us fat in the first place. You can actually indulge in unusual or out of the ordinary foods on holidays without loosening your band, and you can enjoy it thoroughly. I think yo'[d find most doctors are willing to unfill for travel becuase it ensures band safety. To think you can unfill for one special occasion, that's not a very healthy way of thinking of life with the band. You need to be committed to a lifestyle change and that means your life no longer revolves around food - the whole point of a holiday or a wedding is not how much you can eat. And with a properly adjusted band, you can eat sensibly and enjoy special meals anyway- if you cant, you're too tight. When you get to goal, you can unfill. I never did, I stayed the same weight for years with the same fill, but recently, I had to be completely unfilled for cancer treatment. Amazingly it has not caused weight gain, over time on maintenance, you do learn to eat your caloric needs one way or another - and in hindsight, I was doing a fair bit of eating around my band - sweet treats, alcohol, Snacks, they made up the gap between the caloric values of the size meals I was able to eat and what my body needed, and they were the "extras' that I wasnt eating during the losing phase. When I was unfilled, i got straight onto tracking calories and have moved onto a three meals but bigger meals and healthier foods (all the fruit, vegies and salad I couldnt eat in real quantity while restricted) and I've actually lost about 20lb more (that I really didnt need to lose). I'm finding my balance over time, but am amazed that I need well over 2000 calories a day to maintain my 135lb - so my metabolism, given all the running and circuit training I do, is definitely not shot, its actually very healthy. But I exercised vigorously all the way through my loss and never dipped below 1500 calories, I think very low calorie diets are going to set you up for having quite a deal of trouble in the longer term maintaining your weight loss. Like the poster above me, I monitor my weight, and adjust if it goes up a little - had a big weekend away with a once in a lifetime gourmet dinner with wines matched to each course for our 20th anniversary. Ate breakfast, lunch and dinner in restaurants and cafes - yeah, got home with 3 extra pounds. So its back to 1400 calroies a day and right back on the exercise regime for the next week or so to shift it. If you remain aware, know what you're eating and are sensible, it is indeed possible to live unfilld once you've lost.

New Study of Splenda Reveals Shocking Information About Potential Harmful Effects Posted By Dr. Mercola | February 10 2009 | 296,373 views [/url]James Turner, the chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health, has expressed shock and outrage after reading a new report from scientists outlining the dangers of the artificial sweetener Splenda (sucralose).In animals examined for the study, Splenda reduced the amount of good bacteria in the intestines by 50 percent, increased the pH level in the intestines, contributed to increases in body weight and affected P-glycoprotein (P-gp) levels in such a way that crucial health-related drugs could be rejected. The P-gp effect could result in medications used in chemotherapy, AIDS treatment and treatments for heart conditions being shunted back into the intestines, rather than being absorbed by the body. According to Turner, "The report makes it clear that the artificial sweetener Splenda and its key component sucralose pose a threat to the people who consume the product. Hundreds of consumers have complained to us about side effects from using Splenda and this study ... confirms that the chemicals in the little yellow package should carry a big red warning label." Sources: Globe Newswire September 28, 2008 Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A 2008;71(21):1415-29 Dr. Mercola's Comments: It’s very important to realize that Splenda (sucralose) is actually NOT sugar, despite its marketing slogan “Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar”. Rather it’s a chlorinated artificial sweetener in line with aspartame and saccharin, and with detrimental health effects to match. Splenda was approved by the FDA in 1998 as a tabletop sweetener and for use in products such as baked goods, nonalcoholic beverages, chewing gum, frozen dairy Desserts, fruit juices, and gelatins. Sucralose is also permitted as a general-purpose sweetener for all processed foods. The approval was given after the FDA supposedly reviewed more than 110 animal and human safety studies, but as you’ll soon find out, out of these 110 studies, only two were human studies, and the longest one was conducted for four days! There’s overwhelming evidence that consuming artificial sweeteners will likely wreak havoc on your body. Previous news has centered mainly around artificial sweeteners’ ability to impair your appetite regulation and leading to weight gain. For example, it’s been discovered that diet soda increases your risk of metabolic syndrome and, ultimately, heart disease. However, the study mentioned above, published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, found even further disturbing news besides weight gain. Splenda: reduces the amount of good bacteria in your intestines by 50 percent increases the pH level in your intestines, and affects a glycoprotein in your body that can have crucial health effects, particularly if you’re on certain medications They also found unmistakable evidence that Splenda is absorbed by fat, contrary to previous claims. It’s truly disturbing that Splenda can destroy up to 50 percent of your healthy intestinal bacteria, as these bacteria help maintain your body's overall balance of friendly versus unfriendly micro-organisms, and support your general health. Many people are already deficient in healthy bacteria due to choosing highly processed foods. This is why a high quality probiotic is one of the very few supplements I highly recommend for nearly everyone. The Diet Fallacy The belief that consuming artificially sweetened foods and drinks will help you to lose or maintain weight is a carefully orchestrated deception. So if you are still opting for diet choices for this reason, please understand that you have been sorely misled. In reality, these diet foods and drinks can cause serious distortions in your biochemistry and ruin your body's ability to control calories. As a matter of fact, it’s been shown that diet soft drinks can double your risk of obesity! Nearly a decade ago, studies were already revealing that artificial sweeteners can: Stimulate your appetite Increase carbohydrate cravings Stimulate fat storage and weight gain Unfortunately, most public health agencies and nutritionists in the United States still recommend these toxic artificial sweeteners as an acceptable alternative to sugar. Now, I am definitely not a fan of sugar, but if I had to choose between sugar and any artificial sweetener, I would choose sugar, hands down, without question. I strongly believe artificial sweeteners are even more dangerous to your health than an excess of sugar. The Health Dangers of Splenda According to James Turner, the chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health: "This report followed accepted policies and procedures and the results make clear the potential for disturbing side effects from the ingestion of Splenda. It is like putting a pesticide in your body. And this is at levels of intake erroneously approved by the food and Drug Administration. A person eating two slices of cake and drinking two cups of coffee containing Splenda would ingest enough sucralose to affect the P-glycoprotein, while consuming just seven little Splenda packages reduces good bacteria." The web site www.truthaboutsplenda.com lists a variety of consumer complaints from Splenda consumption, such as: Gastrointestinal problems Migraines Seizures Dizziness Blurred vision Allergic reactions Blood sugar increases Weight gain My site also contains a long list of personal testimonials from readers who have suffered side effects from Splenda. In fact, we have more people on our site that have reported adverse reactions to Splenda than were formally studied in the research submitted for FDA approval! The symptoms are so numerous I can’t include them all here, but the following are common symptoms, usually noticed within a 24-hour period following consumption of Splenda products: Skin -- Redness, itching, swelling, blistering, weeping, crusting, rash, eruptions, or hives (itchy bumps or welts). These are the most common allergic symptoms that people have. Lungs -- Wheezing, tightness, cough, or shortness of breath. Head -- Swelling of the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, or throat; headaches and migraines (severe headaches). Nose -- Stuffy nose, runny nose (clear, thin discharge), sneezing. Eyes -- Red (bloodshot), itchy, swollen, or watery. Stomach -- Bloating, gas, pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or bloody diarrhea. Heart -- Palpitations or fluttering. Joints -- Joint pains or aches. Neurological -- Anxiety, dizziness, spaced-out sensation, depression. Beware – You Could be Consuming Splenda Without Your Knowledge You also need to be aware of the fact that although the bulk of Splenda is sold to processed food manufacturers and soft drink bottlers, it could turn up in your medicine as well, as nearly 10 percent of all sucralose is sold to drug companies. Many times sucralose (Splenda) will not be listed in the drug information, so there simply is no way you would know you are consuming a potentially dangerous artificial sweetener. However, if you experience any of the symptoms above even though you’re avoiding Splenda and other artificial sweeteners, then it may be worth investigating the ingredients of any medications you’re taking as well. Splenda Has NEVER Been Proven Safe for Human Consumption As of 2006, only six human trials have been published on Splenda. Of these six trials, only two of the trials were completed and published before the FDA approved sucralose for human consumption, and the two published trials had a grand total of 36 total human subjects. 36 people sure doesn't sound like many, but wait, it gets worse: only 23 total were actually given sucralose for testing, and here is the real kicker -- The longest trial at this time had lasted only four days, and looked at sucralose in relation to tooth decay, not human tolerance. Even more shocking, the absorption of Splenda into the human body was studied on a grand total of six men! Based on that one human study, the FDA allowed the findings to be generalized as being representative of the entire human population. Including women, children, the elderly, and those with any chronic illness -- none of whom were ever examined. The FDA claims they reviewed over 100 studies conducted on Splenda. What they don't tell you is that most of the studies were on animals. And, those animal studies reveal plenty of problems, such as: Decreased red blood cells -- sign of anemia -- at levels above 1,500 mg/kg/day Increased male infertility by interfering with sperm production and vitality, as well as brain lesions at higher doses Enlarged and calcified kidneys (McNeil stated this is often seen with poorly absorbed substances and was of no toxicological significance. The FDA Final Rule agreed that these are findings that are common in aged female rats and are not significant.) Spontaneous abortions in nearly half the rabbit population given sucralose, compared to zero aborted pregnancies in the control group A 23 percent death rate in rabbits, compared to a 6 percent death rate in the control group Chemically, Splenda is More Similar to DDT Than Sugar Yes. Splenda bears more chemical similarity to DDT than it does to sugar. Sucralose is in fact a synthetic chemical that was originally cooked up in a laboratory. It does start off as a sugar molecule. Then, in a five-step patented process of making sucralose, three chlorine molecules are added to a sucrose (sugar) molecule. The chemical process to make sucralose alters the chemical composition of the sugar so much that it is somehow converted to a fructo-galactose molecule. This type of sugar molecule does not occur in nature, and therefore your body does not possess the ability to properly metabolize it. As a result of this "unique" biochemical make-up, McNeil Nutritionals makes its claim that Splenda is not digested or metabolized by the body, hence it has zero calories. But, if you look at the research (which is primarily extrapolated form animal studies) you will see that in fact an average of 15 percent of sucralose IS absorbed into your digestive system, and according to this latest study, it is also absorbed into your fat cells. Unfortunately, if you are healthy and your digestive system works well, you may be at HIGHER risk for breaking down this product in your stomach and intestines! Your Healthiest Alternatives If you have a craving for sweets, rather than trying to find "healthier" ways to continue indulging in them, it is in your best interest to learn ways to relieve your cravings. The obvious one would be to stop eating any of the products to begin with. But sweets are powerfully addictive – sugar has even been shown to be more addictive than cocaine. Stevia is a preferable natural substitute, which can be used in making most dishes and drinks. However, complete avoidance of sweets is often necessary to break your addictive cycle, as your hormones insulin and leptin likely play an important role in your cravings. If you are unable to achieve abstinence from sweets, your emotional connection to cravings might be an important factor for you. One of the most profound methods I know of for diminishing the effects of food cravings is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). EFT is the psychological acupressure technique routinely used in my practice to help people reduce their cravings. There is enough evidence showing the dangers of consuming artificial sweeteners to fill an entire book -- which is exactly why I wrote Sweet Deception. If you or your loved ones drink diet beverages or eat diet foods, this book will explain how you've been deceived about the truth behind artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose -- for greed, for profits ... and at the expense of your own health.

I am now 19 days post op and have been doing great. I got on the scale this morning and I have gained 4 pounds! WTF? I don't know what I have done wrong. I haven't changed anything. Last night at work I kind of advanced myself to a regular diet, lol. I ate a very small "sandwich". I had a small strip of lettuce with about a teaspoon of pureed chicken salad, a small square of Colby jack cheese and a small amount of mustard, 3 whole grain chips and about a tablespoon of salsa. I did great with it. Went down and stayed down. Then today I had about 2 oz of grilled chicken and about 3 oz of broiled seasoned veggies (carrots zucchini and green beans) then for supper tonight I had 8 oz of low-fat chili with beans and about 1 oz of shredded cheddar cheese. I don't think I have done too bad since advancing myself. Has anyone else experienced a weight gain when returning to regular foods? I am such a worry wart and want to do everything right with this band and use it to the best of my advantage. My doc's protocol is that his patients wait 6 weeks for a fill. So I have 3 more weeks to go until I can have a fill. Am I stressing too much? Its very discouraging to see the scale trying to creep back up on me.

<FONT face=Georgia><STRONG>Hello eveyone, I am currently in my first week of pre-op diet. My insurance requires three months pre-op diet. The last three weeks will be liquid diet. If everything goes to plan I should be banded in April or May. I was weighed in last week at 354lbs. I am 5'5" and just turned 24. I have been considering surgery for many years but decided that I liked Lap Band the best about a year ago. I am not worried about the actual surgery itself but I am terrified about what might happen after I am banded. Background: My mother said I was born wanting food. She said she could not breast feed me for very long because I was always so hungry. I have always been an overeater and it became apparent when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade. I had some very traumatic events (just like everyone else) like parent's devorce and accident/coma/brain dammage/and finally death of my father. There was a large amount of weight gain after each of these events. I am absolutely a comfort eater. I have done many diets...and weightwatchers which I really enjoy but I never seem to last for more than a few months. I am capable of loosing weight and I do when I put effort into it but the big issue is that I have not found a coping skill for stress or anxiety to replace food. (I have very severe anxiety/panic attack and some depression) The first thing I would look forward to when I woke up was what I could eat and when I was on diets or weightwatchers I would almost be depressed and feel like I didn't really have anything to look forward to when I woke up. I constantly have cravings for food and when I can't have it I really really want it. It all sounds so very negitive but there are some things that are positive as well. I truly enjoy working out (although I have not been working out for the past couple years). I was a competitive swimmer in highschool and would love to find a swimming team of some sort once I am in better shape and not so embarrassed to be in a swim suit. I think that I was blessed with some good genetics because even though I weigh so much my body has kept an "hourglass" shape (just a thick hourglass) so with less weight I think I can be happy with my body. I know the band is just a tool and wont help with my mental issues with food. I am just very afraid that I will always crave food as badly as I do now and because of that be miserable. Did anyone else feel that way? Ashley

I have a friend who is getting VSG (she doesn't have an acct here) and she wanted me to ask you guys a question. If you gain roughly 5-6lbs BEFORE your surgery will it be cancelled? I personally have no idea because my surgery is scheduled for next month but hers is NEXT week!

I wrote the following around 8 a.m. but it wouldn't let me post -- luckily I copy & pasted it and didn't lose it. This site is terrible Goooood Morning All!!!! I agree that we need time to laze around and yakkity yakkity yak while in Chicago. That's why we need a week! LOL. I'm hoping most can come Thursday evening and leave Sunday or Monday. I myself will probably plan to get there Thurs. and leave Mon. Morning since I'm taking the train -- I'm in no rush to return to work. LOL. Apples -- are there trains from your area? I'm excited -- I love travel by train -- so interesting and relaxing. Sandy, I too used to be like you -- I was soooooo clean it was sickening -- I'm still fussy (no one can ever clean to my satisfaction -- I always end up firing any and all cleaning people I hire), but I'm not nearly as bad as I was in my younger days. My ah ha wake up moment was when I had kidney failure -- that was when I decided i wanted to live and get healthy and enjoy life. I agree with you about the 50 thing of realizing we aren't going to be around forever -- I quit smoking right after I turned 50 but it took me longer to realize my weight was also killing me. I used to say I was a "healthy fat woman". Wow, who the heck was I kidding? I used to say, "I'm never going to deprive myself of anything again cause it doesn't do any good." I also used to say "I can't exercise cause of my back - it will make it hurt worse" when in fact it doesn't hurt any worse and often feels better after exercise. That was just the fat chick inside me determined to take over and kill me! Once my GD was born it made me realize I wanted to be around to see her grow up. I'm so happy I made those choices. Eva and Apples sounds like a fun day - even if you aren't into sewing I'm sure the quit show was interesting. Apples, I am like you -- I have gotten away from all my creative projects as well -- especially sad I have not finished my book. We must vow to get back to these things this year. I too have a huge stamp collection and never make cards -- I have all these supplies and they sit, year after year unused. I must stop procrastinating and to it this year!! My DH was not feeling well when we returned from Des Moines yesterday. Tried a new bbque place that someone recommended and it was good -- I had turkey and a few bites of Beans -- couldn't eat much - DH had brisket and garlic bread (including mine), beans and french fries so not sure if something he ate made him sick or not. I felt fine -- it might just be the regular flu - -he had chills and aches and upset tummy. Hope he's better today - he's still slumbering - I really want to see the King's speech. Hope we can go. Aylah called and said she made us some refrigerator magnets and wants to stop by and bring them to us. She's so darn cute -- she's so excited. Spent about 2 hours in the kitchen after our return cleaning my chicken breasts and butterflying them in preparation for freezing - bought 10 lbs. of breasts - and it took awhile. Then I took the meat off the rotissiere chicken for DH - will make him some more homemade soup today -- that will cure him. Julie, sorry you are still having problems -- have you been to any doctors recently? When is your DH having his shoulder surgery? When is your DD due? Is it March? I can't remember. Sorry to hear about the weight gain -- try to eat mostly Protein and maybe some sugarfree puddings with extra protein in them -- that will help your hunger and shouldn't put on pounds. Have some protein drinks when you get hungry -- it's quick and easy - add a banana in it -- some Peanut Butter (or our powdered peanut butter) really helps fill you up -- DH is right - you need to have food to keep up your strength -- but the right kind of food is what you need --not carbs -- they don't build up your strength. Hope things turn around -- maybe you'll start to feel better when the cold weather passes -- it may be linked to cold, damp weather. I'm trying to remember when all of this started -- was it during winter? Hugs to you Julie, we think of you often. Hope it gets better. Cheri, Kaye has information on dumping syndrome on her site -- from what I remember reading it sounded like we could get it -- not just the by pass patients -- if I see that article again I'll send you the link. Arlene, you mom sounds like quite a lady -- I'd love to see a picture of her. I'm so glad she's doing better and ready to get back to her old life -- she's quite a fighter by the sounds of it. Good for her - you are such a great daughter -- glad you have such a good relationship with her - it's nice to hear about. I miss my mom and wish I could have some more time with her now that I'm older I think we'd have a better relationship. So please hear me when I tell you to enjoy her and be thankful she's still in your life -- once she's gone you'll miss her everyday. Well, DH isn't up yet so I think I'll get dressed and go work out. Have a good day everyone. Linda

I, too, have breast cancer. I was diagnosed with stage 1 (9mm tumor) N0, M0, T1 in 2002. I had a lumpectomy and a sentinel node biopsy. The nodes were clear. I had radiation (no chemo) and started on tamoxifen until my hysterectomy in 2003 when I was switched to femara. I have been on it since and my yearly mammograms have been fine so far. But being a glass half empty kind of person, I am always waiting for the other shoe to drop. I am so sorry that you have to go through with this all over again. Although we don't wish this on anyone, don't you feel like saying. Not me again - isn't it someone else's turn? What was the stage of your original breast cancer? Was it ER+/PR+? Were you on tamoxifen, arimidex or femara? Do you have a family history of breast cancer? I was not tested for BRC1 or BRC2. I do not have a family history of it. I was treated at a leading women's hospital and state of the art cancer treatment center. They weren't doing genetic testing on a routine basis then. I believe my 100+ lb. weight gain in adulthood contributed to my breast cancer. No one who hasn't gone through this process can know how enormously stressful it all is - starting with the yearly mammograms and waiting for all the subsequent test results - not to mention all the pain of surgery and the side effects of radiation and chemo. Just know that there are others out here who have been through it and I wish you the best in terms of diagnosis, surgery, recovery and the rest of your life. Good luck to you.

sounds like you all have PCOS - Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - look it up! Darkening skin on neck, etc. Skin Tags, weight gain/hard to lose, pre-diabetes or diabetes. etc. It's hormonal and gets worse with weight gain. Weight loss is one great way to diminish symptoms.

Goooood Morning All!!!! I agree that we need time to laze around and yakkity yakkity yak while in Chicago. That's why we need a week! LOL. I'm hoping most can come Thursday evening and leave Sunday or Monday. I myself will probably plan to get there Thurs. and leave Mon. Morning since I'm taking the train -- I'm in no rush to return to work. LOL. Apples -- are there trains from your area? I'm excited -- I love travel by train -- so interesting and relaxing. Sandy, I too used to be like you -- I was soooooo clean it was sickening -- I'm still fussy (no one can ever clean to my satisfaction -- I always end up firing any and all cleaning people I hire), but I'm not nearly as bad as I was in my younger days. My ah ha wake up moment was when I had kidney failure -- that was when I decided i wanted to live and get healthy and enjoy life. I agree with you about the 50 thing of realizing we aren't going to be around forever -- I quit smoking right after I turned 50 but it took me longer to realize my weight was also killing me. I used to say I was a "healthy fat woman". Wow, who the heck was I kidding? I used to say, "I'm never going to deprive myself of anything again cause it doesn't do any good." I also used to say "I can't exercise cause of my back - it will make it hurt worse" when in fact it doesn't hurt any worse and often feels better after exercise. That was just the fat chick inside me determined to take over and kill me! Once my GD was born it made me realize I wanted to be around to see her grow up. I'm so happy I made those choices. Eva and Apples sounds like a fun day - even if you aren't into sewing I'm sure the quit show was interesting. Apples, I am like you -- I have gotten away from all my creative projects as well -- especially sad I have not finished my book. We must vow to get back to these things this year. I too have a huge stamp collection and never make cards -- I have all these supplies and they sit, year after year unused. I must stop procrastinating and to it this year!! My DH was not feeling well when we returned from Des Moines yesterday. Tried a new bbque place that someone recommended and it was good -- I had turkey and a few bites of Beans -- couldn't eat much - DH had brisket and garlic bread (including mine), beans and french fries so not sure if something he ate made him sick or not. I felt fine -- it might just be the regular flu - -he had chills and aches and upset tummy. Hope he's better today - he's still slumbering - I really want to see the King's speech. Hope we can go. Aylah called and said she made us some refrigerator magnets and wants to stop by and bring them to us. She's so darn cute -- she's so excited. Spent about 2 hours in the kitchen after our return cleaning my chicken breasts and butterflying them in preparation for freezing - bought 10 lbs. of breasts - and it took awhile. Then I took the meat off the rotissiere chicken for DH - will make him some more homemade Soup today -- that will cure him. Julie, sorry you are still having problems -- have you been to any doctors recently? When is your DH having his shoulder surgery? When is your DD due? Is it March? I can't remember. Sorry to hear about the weight gain -- try to eat mostly Protein and maybe some sugarfree puddings with extra protein in them -- that will help your hunger and shouldn't put on pounds. Have some Protein drinks when you get hungry -- it's quick and easy - add a banana in it -- some Peanut Butter (or our powdered peanut butter) really helps fill you up -- DH is right - you need to have food to keep up your strength -- but the right kind of food is what you need --not carbs -- they don't build up your strength. Hope things turn around -- maybe you'll start to feel better when the cold weather passes -- it may be linked to cold, damp weather. I'm trying to remember when all of this started -- was it during winter? Hugs to you Julie, we think of you often. Hope it gets better. Cheri, Kaye has information on dumping syndrome on her site -- from what I remember reading it sounded like we could get it -- not just the by pass patients -- if I see that article again I'll send you the link. Arlene, you mom sounds like quite a lady -- I'd love to see a picture of her. I'm so glad she's doing better and ready to get back to her old life -- she's quite a fighter by the sounds of it. Good for her - you are such a great daughter -- glad you have such a good relationship with her - it's nice to hear about. I miss my mom and wish I could have some more time with her now that I'm older I think we'd have a better relationship. So please hear me when I tell you to enjoy her and be thankful she's still in your life -- once she's gone you'll miss her everyday. Well, DH isn't up yet so I think I'll get dressed and go work out. Have a good day everyone. Linda

Goooood Morning All!!!! I agree that we need time to laze around and yakkity yakkity yak while in Chicago. That's why we need a week! LOL. I'm hoping most can come Thursday evening and leave Sunday or Monday. I myself will probably plan to get there Thurs. and leave Mon. Morning since I'm taking the train -- I'm in no rush to return to work. LOL. Apples -- are there trains from your area? I'm excited -- I love travel by train -- so interesting and relaxing. Sandy, I too used to be like you -- I was soooooo clean it was sickening -- I'm still fussy (no one can ever clean to my satisfaction -- I always end up firing any and all cleaning people I hire), but I'm not nearly as bad as I was in my younger days. My ah ha wake up moment was when I had kidney failure -- that was when I decided i wanted to live and get healthy and enjoy life. I agree with you about the 50 thing of realizing we aren't going to be around forever -- I quit smoking right after I turned 50 but it took me longer to realize my weight was also killing me. I used to say I was a "healthy fat woman". Wow, who the heck was I kidding? I used to say, "I'm never going to deprive myself of anything again cause it doesn't do any good." I also used to say "I can't exercise cause of my back - it will make it hurt worse" when in fact it doesn't hurt any worse and often feels better after exercise. That was just the fat chick inside me determined to take over and kill me! Once my GD was born it made me realize I wanted to be around to see her grow up. I'm so happy I made those choices. Eva and Apples sounds like a fun day - even if you aren't into sewing I'm sure the quit show was interesting. Apples, I am like you -- I have gotten away from all my creative projects as well -- especially sad I have not finished my book. We must vow to get back to these things this year. I too have a huge stamp collection and never make cards -- I have all these supplies and they sit, year after year unused. I must stop procrastinating and to it this year!! My DH was not feeling well when we returned from Des Moines yesterday. Tried a new bbque place that someone recommended and it was good -- I had turkey and a few bites of Beans -- couldn't eat much - DH had brisket and garlic bread (including mine), beans and french fries so not sure if something he ate made him sick or not. I felt fine -- it might just be the regular flu - -he had chills and aches and upset tummy. Hope he's better today - he's still slumbering - I really want to see the King's speech. Hope we can go. Aylah called and said she made us some refrigerator magnets and wants to stop by and bring them to us. She's so darn cute -- she's so excited. Spent about 2 hours in the kitchen after our return cleaning my chicken breasts and butterflying them in preparation for freezing - bought 10 lbs. of breasts - and it took awhile. Then I took the meat off the rotissiere chicken for DH - will make him some more homemade Soup today -- that will cure him. Julie, sorry you are still having problems -- have you been to any doctors recently? When is your DH having his shoulder surgery? When is your DD due? Is it March? I can't remember. Sorry to hear about the weight gain -- try to eat mostly Protein and maybe some sugarfree puddings with extra protein in them -- that will help your hunger and shouldn't put on pounds. Have some Protein drinks when you get hungry -- it's quick and easy - add a banana in it -- some Peanut Butter (or our powdered peanut butter) really helps fill you up -- DH is right - you need to have food to keep up your strength -- but the right kind of food is what you need --not carbs -- they don't build up your strength. Hope things turn around -- maybe you'll start to feel better when the cold weather passes -- it may be linked to cold, damp weather. I'm trying to remember when all of this started -- was it during winter? Hugs to you Julie, we think of you often. Hope it gets better. Cheri, Kaye has information on dumping syndrome on her site -- from what I remember reading it sounded like we could get it -- not just the by pass patients -- if I see that article again I'll send you the link. Arlene, you mom sounds like quite a lady -- I'd love to see a picture of her. I'm so glad she's doing better and ready to get back to her old life -- she's quite a fighter by the sounds of it. Good for her - you are such a great daughter -- glad you have such a good relationship with her - it's nice to hear about. I miss my mom and wish I could have some more time with her now that I'm older I think we'd have a better relationship. So please hear me when I tell you to enjoy her and be thankful she's still in your life -- once she's gone you'll miss her everyday. Well, DH isn't up yet so I think I'll get dressed and go work out. Have a good day everyone. Linda

I'm so sorry you're having to face this for a second time. Its such a huge emotional hurdle to get over the first time, and my fear was always living with the shadow of cancer for the rest of my life. I havent had breast cancer but last August was diagnosed with rectal cancer. It seems nuts, but my hugest fears were to do with losing control of my healthy lifestyle - my eating and my running and exercise. I thought I was going to lose all I had worked so hard for. As it turned out, my excellent fitness has made a surgery possible that the next person would not be able to have. I was able to have my entire rectum and about 1/3 of my colon removed - laparascopically if you can believe it!! - with a few teeny scars, my caesar scar was the main access and I already had that. I've got a stoma for now so there'll be a scar there when that's reversed. The surgery was easy, thorough and with good margins because I have not got a pelvis full of fat. There was absolutely NO live cells left at surgery after the chemo and radiation I had and the radiation oncologist told me again, its a much easier job to target the tumour exactly in a thin person. Because of that, I didnt have the side effects normally seen with pelvic radiation - diarrhoea and skin issues - but it did put an end to my childbearing days. As it turned out, I first went for a run a mere 10 days after a super low anterior resection, so I have pretty much maintained my fitness regime seamlessly. I've butted heads with the stoma nurse and nutrionist regarding the appropriate diet for an ostomate, I refuse point blank to eat a stodgy white carb diet liek they want me to so I pretty much live with constant diarrhoea and this may have to changhe if I want any success with the rve4rsal, something that is making me extremely anxious. I was devastated at 6the thought of wearing a bag, but you know, if this was for life, it wouldnt phase me now, I dont even think about it, until I fart loudly in public - something I cant control because it now comes out of an opening with no muscles! Chemo for me has been 5FU which does not cause weight gain, so I've got the problem of having lost a lot of weight i never needed to lose. That avatar pic of me up there, that's now a "fat" picture. I'm extremely glad I've got a band that could be unfilled, so I can eventually gain some back and truth be told, I'm having so little trouble sticking to a healthy lifestyle that I dont know that I wever WILL fill it again. Why live that resdtricted lifestyle if you dont need to? My nutrition is way better and I need that for now. I've just started chemo again, 20 weeks of it as a mop up, ust in case and this time I feel like crap. But I am still running! I knw how you feel about going back to square one, but although its taken courage an determination, and not a little willpower on my worst days, I have maintained what I worked so hard for - my healthy lifestyle. Everyone, surgeon, oncolo9gist, friends, family, tell me to take it easy but keeping up with my routines makes me feel normal andl ike this horrible disease will not get one second more of my life that it has had. I believe that whilst we cannot control cancer, we do have some say in what it does to our lives. I wish you the very best.

Weird...I stayed overnight as well and had about 5 bags of saline and don't believe I gained anything...however, I WAS pretty dehydrated before I got to the hospital and was in and out of the bathroom for days. Maybe it was saline combined with swelling that was causing the weight gain from all the extra fluids?

Oh Megan, you're not alone! My experience is EXACTLY the same. I gave up even trying to eat breakfast a long time ago, and lunch is very small and either Soup or crackers. But evenings, I could eat a massive amount of food! I was living like this for a long time, and not losing weight because I was eating too much at night (and/or eating junk). So, I just got another fill. Now I feel like my restriction level is great--I still don't eat breakfast (just slowly sip tea with some soy milk), and lunch is tiny. But my evening eating is now nicely restricted, so I feel quite full after just a small amount of food. I feel like the level is perfect, but guess what? Now I have major heartburn and am waking up every night with acid reflux (sometimes I even vomit). So, obviously that's no good. I'll probably end up having to get the fill removed if this doesn't get better. And then I'll be right back to where I was, with not much restriction at all in the evenings. Anyway, just so you know, you're not the only one in that boat. And I struggle with making poor choices, and being hungry, and cravings, etc. If I didn't have issues with food, I wouldn't have needed the band in the first place! I've only lost 40 lbs in 10 months. I'm ok with that, though. The way I see it, this is a learning process. I am tweaking my restriction till I find what works best for me overall, and then learning to work with life at that level of restriction. Don't be too hard on yourself! In my opinion, that kind of thinking can actually lead to behaviour that causes weight gain. As long as you've lost weight, that's good. Just keep heading in that direction--it's a heck of a lot better than gaining!

I have been losing weight fairly consistently and this week am stalling. I'm not overly concerned as I think I may know the reason. It has coincided with a terrible stomach bug I have, when I have not been able to keep anything but water and some fluids down, so I suspect the small amount of calories going into my body may have shocked it into holding on to the water. I so want to be able to eat my calories and it's just not staying down; I feel incredibly sick and I didn't have any trouble beforehand. My periods have stopped since about 7 months ago and this is because of drastic weight gain. I was overweight and put more on in a quick and short space of time. I'm now actually starting to get sign of pms, like cramping, swelling in stomach and in my fingers and my hormones are all over the place. Yesterday I cried during an advert. It was pretty sad though but I'm crying at everything. Anyone who looks sad and I'm crying for them. I'm turning all mushy and emotional. I guess I've always been an emotional person but I'm feel like I'm feeling people's pain more now...

Globe, most insurance will cover Mirena. I have Tricare Prime Overseas and they did it with no problem. Tricare is usually behind the rest of the insurance plans as far as coverage. The way Mirena works is still really unknown. It does release birth control (levonorgestrel, as a previous poster mentioned) which is used in birth control pills. The device itself is supposed to also thin the uterine lining, making implantation much more difficult. If you remove the device to conceive, most doctors will tell you to wait for two cycles before trying again, because the uterine lining might be too thin to sustain a pregnancy. The questionable aspect for many people is that nobody is really sure if Mirena stops sperm from reaching the egg or if it simply prevents a fertilized egg from implanting. What a lot of people don't understand is that most women wouldn't conceive every month anyway - or even every year. So assuming that each month an egg is released and then fertilized, resulting in a spontaneous abortion is a bit much. It can happen, though, so for that reason many Catholics and other religious groups are completely against the use of the device, even more so than other forms of contraception. In my case, I opted for Mirena solely for control of my endometriosis. In that respect, it's the ideal treatment. My husband has infertility, and even if he didn't, I have no religious beliefs that would cause me to question the use of the IUD. The only side effect I could possibly say that I experienced *might* be a slower weight loss. But I can't be sure. I'm still losing, and still at a very good rate, so it might just be a natural slowdown as I get closer to goal. I have had none of the awful side effects I had with pills in the past - acne, moodiness, depression, weight gain and constant cravings for junk food - so for me, it's a great option. Another choice, if your insurance covers it, is the Nuva ring. Again, some people love it and some people hate it. I loved it, again, for endometriosis control (I left it in an entire month and went right to the next ring with no break). It simply isn't available in remote overseas locations, however, so I had to go with a different option. Best of luck to you. But check with your insurance, Globetrotter. I'd be willing to be they cover it already. ~Cheri

Hi, that is bizarre to put on weight in hospital with the surgery?? I had my surgery in Aug 2009, I was in & out in 24hrs no complications, the Dr never even mentioned anything about that kind of issue. The only weight gain they ever talked about is the one I've seen all around me with people who have had lap band surgery, myself included, 2 colleagues at work, 2 aquaintences, and just heaps of people I know from these forums, is that people pack back on the weight because they often just saw lap banding as a quick and easy fix to their weight problem, and made NO LIFESTYLE changes, no real attempts to stop packing in the calories via the easily digestible foods like, lollies, chips, chocolates, biscuits, ice cream, donuts, etc etc and low and behold most are even fatter than before the surgery. Luckily I only regained 2kgs (4.4) pounds) of the total 5kgs (11pounds) lost over 18mnths. Totally pathetic effort on my part! Not sure if it helps either but my starting weight was 93kgs (204 pounds). However, the other people I've observed sadly have packed on amounts like 30-60kgks or 66pounds-132pounds. For me, I started to get annoyed and frustrated as the band fills caused greater restriction, which of course its meant to. However, for me it meant I started to feel a bit deprived not so much hungry/deprived at meal times, but more psychologically deprived of food. Not sure if that makes sense, but obviously food brings us a lot of enjoyment and it was annoying and a bit depressing to feel I could only have such a small amount compared to what I was used to. Before long I relalize now, that I started to replace my meals with these easily digestible "treat foods" to compensate for not being able much. So after 18mths and an expensive $AU 13,000 op I had gotten absolutely nowhere! My treating psychiatrist whom I have seen for 10yrs for much different reasons is a lovely Dr, and she was fairly sceptical of the surgery, in fact I was her 1st pt ever to have the surgery and she is 60 yrs old. She has since said she would like to know the true statistics of lap banding and true long term statistics and patient outcomes as she too often sees these patients just get around the lap band with relapsing into poor eating habits with easily digestible junk food, and also the fact that it doesn't seem to take long for the band to seem to stretch and it seems you can eat as much if not more than before anyhow. In that regard, I was almost thinking why even keep this foreign body inside me after 2yrs and only 3kgs of weight lost and maintained off, god knows what affect it has on our bodies in the long run, however, the one positive for me is that it does have some restriction still, which does help with things like the fact that before the surgery I would easily eat a loaf of bread in one sitting, and now I can only eat 2 pieces of bread at a time, and that is comfortable, and that has helped to modify one ridiculous bad unhealthy habit. I have recently lost 2kgs on my own and have started to really return to some healthy eating habits that I am hoping to maintain, just the basic lean meat, vegetables, fruits, appropriate calories, Protein, fat, carbs, etc and portions for my height and weight, and regular exercise. There has been a documentary in Australia called Fat & Fatter where they send young UK people to the 4 fattest nations in the world the US, Greece, South America, and Kuwait, the Uk people are about 20stone, then the "Fatter people" are about 30+ stone. It is v graphic, they show the 30+ plus people dying literally feet first, kidneys first etc from type 2 diabtes etc etc it has scared the shit out of me. It scares the shit out of the UK people too. Some go back and get healthy some don't I know it sounds awful, but that was the kind of wake up call that I needed. I'm 14 stone, and I fetl that I was barrelling towards type 2 diabtes. This show has been more motivating and helpful and the lapband. However, if I hadn't tried the lapband I would never have learned that at the end of the day I had to face the fact that I was a bit in denial, and that i would have to do the work, make the choices every time i put something in my mouth, do I want these extra calories, or do I want to try and stick to the healthy eating plan and the goal of a healthy weight and lookin after myself for a healthy weight now and in the future. Blah..... Sorry this is so long I do wish you luck with yr journey.

Once I moved to mushies I did not get full from just a few bites! I had to carryfully measure everything. For week 3 I could have low/no fat cottage cheese and ricotta. I made a Italian bake cottage cheese, ricotta, grated Romano, some egg white with jarred spagetti sauce bake in the oven. The next week I was able to add egg whites. I would cook the egg whites and at the end add cottage cheese which would melt. Yummy. At that point I was also able to have canned tuna/chicken; which I mixed with low fat laughing cow cheese. I bought no sugar added apple sauce flavored with strawberry, raspberry to which I added splendra. Regarding weight gain if you are physically able start an exercise routine. I was back at the gym on day 4 and at day 14 I returned to swimming.