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I've always been overweight, but as I put more and more weight on, I didn't realize it. Maybe because most of my weight gain happend around pregnancies, I don't know. After having my last child (he's 5 1/2 now!) as I had to shop for bigger and bigger clothes, 5x, then 6x, then 7x, it still didn't click "hey girl, you are really putting it on" It wasn't until my husband took a photo of my son and I just so happended to be getting dressed in the background...all I had on was my underwear! I saw that and was like OMG!!!! WTF!!! Then it hit me, I am really really huge! YET, I still didn't do anything about my weight! I didn't do anything until my mom won a free 2 month membership for 2 to Curves. And I only went initially because it was free. But, even after losing so much weight, I still don't see myself accurately. I look in the mirror or in window as I'm passing by and think I look ok, but in photos, I'm like, UGH, why don't I look in the photos like I look in the mirror? It's very strange! I wonder if it will still be like that once I get even smaller?

Ok, So I recieved my first fill on the 2nd while on my cycle and I have gained weight since the fill. 1st, my cycle has come on WHILE on my active birth control pills. It has been full force for over a week. Could this be because of my 40 + weight loss since November? 2nd, I got my fill and has not felt ANY restriction. It is almost like I didnt go. Now I weigh myself this morning and have gained 2.5 pounds this week. Could it be because of this pesty cycle? I need to know before I go workout and pull a muscle LOL. This is driving me crazy in more ways than one. And it doesnt help that I am snowed in with cabin fever. Everything I see I want. I need to get out of this house. HELP!!!!!!!!:thumbup:

Hi everyone, So just want some feedback as I weighed in today and started pureed food 1 week ago. I have 6.2lbs back of the 11lbs I lost the first 2 weeks. Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong? As anyone else experienced this?

Not sure what the options program is. I have the Kaiser Medicade program and at my very first visit they did weigh me in just as at any doctor apointment. They discussed the 2 kinds of surgery and gave an explanation of requirements to be met for Medicaide(nothing about losing 10%). They will also ask you if you want to take Phentermine(which I did and went from 420 to 335). I had to do a sleep study also and was found to have sleep apnea. Once I made it through Psychological Eval and 4 months of dietician visits I moved into class. They weigh you on the first and last day of class and all they want to see is no weight gain and somewhere around 5lbs or more lost from the first day of class to the sixth day of class. After the fourth day of class I had to do a second psychological eval to get cleared for surgery. Right now I'm in the waiting game until I get sleeved on Sept 7th. Sent from my LGLS992 using BariatricPal mobile app

Could the steriod shot I had to have b/c of poision ivy be making me hold fluid or gain weight? I have been eatting a little more that normal but I gained 6 lbs in the last 2 day. Any experience with them. I had the shot last tuesday it is now Sunday

I am 42 years old and been married for 8 years this feb.21, 2012. i have two 16 yr old girls and a 7 yr old girl. my wife had a D.S Switch in 2001 and has lost 200 pounds and has kept them off all these years with the ocasional 20-30 pounds of up and down. she kept telling me to have it but i did not want 2 and kept telling her i could do it myself. in 2003 we lost our daughter at 20 weeks and it was very hard on me to anything but sad and this went on for about 2 1/2 years. after losing the baby we decided to take the family on a vacation to yosemite and i decided this would be the time to make a change in my life so i started the atkins diet in august 1 week before our trip and did very well on it. after three weeks we came home i was sixteen pounds lighter but still had that cloud over my head but kept going and lost a total of 44lbs. by december 03. we also found out my wife was pregnant and was 5 weeks so they put her on complete bed rest for the rest of the duration so the diet came to a stop and the weight came back because i was more worried about her then the weight loss. after the birth of our daughter weight went up and down till she had her seventh birthday and one day said you know daddy your fat and well i smiled and thought i need a change so went for my physical and ask for a referal. i got a call in sept. 2011 and started my diet so when i started class i was 305.6 lbs. and i tell you after my first options class at downey kaiser i knew this was the right move. i came back every thursday and averaged 5-6 lbs a week, by week 8 i lost my 10% and after the final class was down 50 lbs. saw my bariatric surgeon DR. MUN on the 23 of jan. he was so impressed because by the day we talked i was 260.4 and was told that the ave. weight gain over the holidays was 3-5 lbs. so he set up my surgery for Feb. 1, 2011 and was weighed one last time and was 241 lbs.so he was really happy. was in my room by 6 p.m. and walking by 10 p.m. and felt so good. he let me know i was his new model as he should me the pictures of my sleeve and how good my liver looked. so if you ever go to the kaiser at harbor city and get DR. MUN for a surgeon he'll show you my surgery pictures. i am 9 days out lost a total of 70.5 pounds and just feel like my life just started over and well i love life again. ONE OF THE BEST CHOICES I MADE :biggrinjester:

Hi Melissa, Reading your post, describes me to a T. I drink daily. Was bulimic before the band. Have gained 15lbs in the past 4 months. I was at my end a couple of weeks ago and was stressing about the weight gain when I found this site: somethingfishy.com. It was very helpful in making me realize that I still have an eating disorder. I sometimes wonder how many people have been banded, without realizing that it will not help their eating disorder. I still binge. Going to that site made me realize that I have been using the wrong coping methods in dealing with anxiety. I started keeping a journal and it has really helped. Anytime I want to eat because of uncomfortable feelings, I pick up my journal and put my negative feelings on paper. Then I ask myself why I am feeling this way and if I trully am hungry, or if I just want to drown the feelings out. I'm working on that now. The drinking I will tackle next. One thing at a time. Anyways, I know I'm rambling now, but I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone in this. If you haven't been to this site, check it out. I think you will find that there are many people like you and me dealing with the same issues. Take care. Jasmine

I hope none of this happens to you! From what I have searched, it is not typical? I am 6 days post surgery. I'm 54 years old and I must say that this surgery was far more difficult than I anticipated. I've read where other people go back to work after one week and I'm thinking NO WAY!!! My goal was to return in two weeks and I just don't see it happening. I was nauseated the first couple of days but that has subsided. I feel very tired, my incisions are very sore, I am experiencing gas pains in the chest and abdominal areas. I feel extremely bloated. There was a 10 lb weight gain post surgery that is starting to subside. I did not have a bowel movement for four days. Prayers would be appreciated! One positive note is that I do not feel hungry. That part is TRUE! I hope that I can move around more tomorrow to alleviate the gas. It's just not lady-like to even talk about that subject. Good luck to you!

Most of us are scared before surgery - this is an optional surgery. Remember, human kind is afraid of what we do not know about. Some people are scared before learning to swim others were scared of transplant surgery. People are ignorant and it sounds like your doctor does not have all the facts. This does not make him a bad doctor but to threaten dropping you because you are pursuing something to make you healthier? Is that good medicine and in your best interest? No, he is not up to date on his information to advise you properly. I only had a 33+ BMI so insurance would not cover me. I was a healthy fat person considered obese, just not morbidly obese. Every physical for years my doc would suggest losing 75+ pounds. Wow, but surgery wasn’t an option to me without a weight gain of 25+ pounds – which is crazy. Knew what my future was...more weight, less activity, lower self esteem, inability to do the things I wanted to do physically, shop freely in normal size stores and so much more. Can I suggest you make a pro and con list? What happens if you do have surgery? What benefits do you get? Do research; ask others why they are doing this. Ask a person who has VSG for a while...are they still happy? (YES I AM) Now the cons - what happens if you don't have surgery? What is your future health going to be like? (take a look at your family who are overweight) This is not a decision to make lightly since VSG is non reversible. Move forward with confidence. Hugs to you!!!

The side effect of my medication is weight gain; for example my younger brother at one time took this same medication and gained over 60 pounds in 3 years (prior to that he was always skinny). I have def noticed an increased appetite with it. I have never eaten to feel "full" or uncomfortable since surgery, I have always been good about stopping and eating small portions at a time (half plate of food). However, I think my main issue is feeling hungry again soon after eating and then snacking. The only thing I can think to do is to measure every single thing I eat for a period of time and see if that helps, and to cut out snacking completely. My diet is average at best. I still make sure to get 60-80 grams of protein a day, and enjoy lots of veg and some fruits, however I do not stick to low carb or low fat options all the time--this may be another issue.

The key for me is to try small steps in calorie increases, and measure how my body responded. For some a small increase works well. and major increases at one time may prove to be too much and cause weight gain, which is discouraging. Good Luck

Wow that's awesome right on!! So the whole weight gain thing totally normal amen lol....congrats! If I may ask, what does hw? Stand for ....I know starting weight and current weight but don't know the H... Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Val, two words: Problem Solving E-Exercise W-Water HP-Huge Portions PS-Protein Shakes B-Bread WG-Weight Gain C-Other non complex carbs WL-weight Loss If... B+C+HP+W-E=WG then.. B-B+C-HP+PS+W+E=WL God I hope I did that right, anyway I made this example for you Problem solving and troubleshooting. Show your work!

The fear of weight gain can help keep you at a healty weight. Recognize if the fear gets to the point you obsess over your weight. Coments "you lost too much weight" can also make you question if you are too thin. If you are a healthy bmi ..ignore the comments. You are right. It's finding a balance. Recognize you are at a healthy weight. This is what maintaining looks like for me. I have a ten pound bounce range. If I gain weight. I work to bring it back in range. Dont let the regain posts freak you out. We all have our struggles with WLS. I am compassionate with anyone who has had regain. Sent from my SM-G920T using BariatricPal mobile app

I guess I didn't make myself clear enough the first time around. My dietician's (over the last three years) did not want me eating less than 1500 cals, as it was hard to keep my blood sugar on an even keel. I have a tendancy to be hypoglycemic, and get shaking and sweaty when my sugar is dropping. This has been happening on the 1500 max diet, which is what I tried to tell him today. I always eat my Protein first as to give it the max amount of time to work before the carbs are added, but it doesn't seem to help on this program. I was having much better luck controlling my diabetes when I was eating a min of 1500, with at least three meals and trying to get at least two Snacks in too. I don't think the 1500 max would be a problem for another patient, but that shipped sailed long ago. My metabolism was wrecked years ago, and have been trying to get it burning again for two years. Like I said, I was thrilled to see the scale going back down instead of up! Sometimes I think doctors forget each of us has our own unique body, and history that can't be made equal to another person. I am the ONLY large person in a large family of thin people (I'm the tallest female though) - mainly because my metabolism is burnt out. I started looking at Lapband as a way to keep small meals in my body consistently in order to get it burning correctly again. I don't want to ruin the progress I worked so hard to achieve. Quoting one of the thousands of studies on weight loss does not mean it will work for me - especially if its the program he uses for himself. Men and women are not the same creatures. I'm not looking for excuses, but solutions. I don't think this physician is looking to help a patient recovering from what is essentially anorexia (one meal a day) overcome their struggle, but to neatly fit me into their profile. He clearly stated that he doesn't have the time to read my reports from my endo, obgyn, dermatologis or neurologist, and thinks that my PCOS, migraines and diabetes were caused from my weight - not as a result of it. My endo and I have clearly marked the illness I had that resulted in 30 lbs lost in 30 days in my late teens, and weight gain/complications that resulted every year since. It clearly shows the progression of my diabetes, along with the increased symptoms of PCOS. This history will not be solved with a diet that isn't tailored to my individual needs - like the ones my dieticians have given me.

I am new at the band, but a long, long time gamer, going way back to Ultima on the Commodore 64 in the early 80's. Everquest 1 and 2, and WoW has consumed many hours of time. Talk about addiction, I used to "Raid" all by myself, with quad-boxing 4 accounts, sometimes 5 or 6 with borrowing friends accounts. So I am saying this, to establish my credentials, I FULLY understand gaming, and the addictions that it CAN represent. As I look back, and chart my gaming against my weight gains and losses, there is a correlation, due to the time I had available. No, playing games does not make you overweight. But for me at least, it had a huge correlation to the time I put into games, vs other things in life. So in the end, your choices are completely up to you. But I think you have come to this forum asking for help, asking for advice, or support. I am "down" to one WoW account now, and play alt's most of the time. You may want to try that, create another character that you can casually play, here and there, without the "pressure" to perform, or Raid. Try another server, the other faction, horde or Alliance. Try a different game like Age of Empires, or Civilization. Sometimes you have to go cold turkey, sometimes you can scale back. The bottom line is, that you are looking for time to exercise, and you can't cut work out. I try and get 5 min here, 5 min there, I walk down the hall to the farther bathroom when I need to go. I get 10 mins of hall walking in at lunch time. (I work with a really big complex of offices) You can try leg lifts while sitting at your desk. 100 leg lifts per hour. Some workplaces will let you bring in one of those giant ball to sit on instead of your desk chair. Not much difference, but you are using your core muscles to sit, instead of slouching in a chair (like I do ). I park in the farthest lot. I know, people use that excuse alot, but for me, it is 3/4 of a mile (according to my pedometer) from my car to my desk, each way. That is 1.5 miles a day just getting to my car. Now it sucks in winter, and Michigan winters can be brutal, but bring boots, heavy jacket, hat, wrap, gloves, even snow pants. You are worth it. I have found that if you look, you can find a few minutes here and there to increase your activity level. Sure, 30 min of cardio is the gold standard that we shoot for per day. But sometimes, we give up on exercise altogether, because we don't have the hour available to exercise (and then shower, change, get back to work). Three, 10 minute walks is not the same as 30 minutes of cardio. But to your muscles, it is activity, you are burning SOMETHING, it is better than just sitting doing nothing. And I found that it got me into a better place, where now I walk 1 hour each morning. (Ugg, I am NOT a morning person, but I set that alarm at 5:30, and drag myself out) You can do this, we are here to support you, but it is up to you to commit. Send me a PM if you want to chat more about games, and ideas for limiting their influence on your time.

dkearby, Hang in there. Don't let a few comments upset you or frustrate you. There is no reason why you need to wait until you are pushing 400 to get the band. I am 5'2" and weighed 206 before getting my surgery. Like another person said, I didn't look all that big either. When I told a few people I was thinking about getting it done, they said, I wouldn't qualify to get it done even self-pay, but I did and just hadn't told them. I saw where my life was headed because of my constant weight gain and family health history. I was not on any meds nor did I really have any problems, but I didn't want to wait until I had problems either. My surgeon said I was smart to take control early on because of my family's health history. I just wish I would have done it sooner. If WW, Atkins, South Beach diet, NutriSystem, and so on were the answers to our problems, I don't think hardly any of us would be here. I know, personally, I have tried all the ones I mentioned and then some. I have also tried many exercise programs and accupuncture. All were temporary because I didn't mentally change my relationship with food. Now that I don't need food to satisfy me all the time, I am a happier person. Just make sure this is something you are ready to commit to. Yes it will be hard and at times you may feel very hungry til you reach your sweet spot with fills, but in the end will be well worth it. I don't necessarily speak from a lot of experience with the band, since I haven't been banded long and haven't had a fill yet, but I know how I have felt and what others have told me. I am in my 5th week and still don't get hungry. I pretty much have to make myself eat something and when I do, I am so full on very little. I tell you, if I didn't keep a food journal, I would think I was eating like a pig, LOL!!!! Best wishes to you, Stephanie

Hi, @@ava32! I really am sorry to hear you have to deal with fat-shamers at work. That's got to be all kinds of stressful. Tuning it out is definitely the way to go! (Though, I don't know that I'd have that much restraint and grace, honestly.) I told a very small handful of people I'm close to, but they were carefully selected. Not even my brother knows. Right now I'm a full-time student, so I don't have to deal with co-workers but I won't be telling any of my professors or classmates. My health is nobody's business unless I want to make it so. Please don't feel pressured to tell people if you don't want to. People are nosey and will probably ask what kind of surgery you're having when you ask for time off, but you're not obligated to inform them. All you have to say is that you're having surgery to explain why you need the recovery time off and if they ask what it's for, you can tell them you prefer to keep your health and medical details to yourself. There is no shame in being quiet about it. They don't have to like it, they just have to respect it. As far as dealing with the stigma of not losing it on my own, maybe I'm an outlier here, but I don't really care? I've been fat since I was probably 9 years old after a trauma triggered my weight gain. I picked up habits from family and voila, here we are. I was 11 when I went on my first diet, not self-imposed. I've tried at least once a year, had some successful times, and used a number of methods, but nothing worked. I always gained it back. There have been COUNTLESS things I've missed out on because of my weight. Because of my weight, I don't really live anymore. I have been simply existing for the last 20 years. It's felt like being trapped behind a plate of glass while watching everyone else live their lives. I'm adventurous and actually enjoy working out, hiking, running, outdoorsy stuff, but for the most part, I can't because of my back and knee pain. What I want most in the world is to one day have a family. Someone I love, kids, dogs, etc. I want to really be there in the moment instead of in my head worrying about the pain, how hot I am, how I look, my shorts riding up or cutting into my tummy, etc. I don't want to pass my eating habits or lack of activity and enthusiasm to my future hypothetical children. That is something I would feel guilty about. I do not at all feel guilty for taking advantage of better living through science and medicine. Having the surgery doesn't mean there's no work involved. Figuring out your diet, managing that during your busy life, making a commitment to working out...those are things you will be doing after the surgery. The very same things someone would be doing who did not have WLS. You'll be doing just as much work as they will. The only difference is that for people who have WLS, doing those things on their own have already proven to not work. The surgery gives you a tool to help it work. It gives you a boost, but it definitely isn't work-free. Please stay true to what is right for you and don't let the obtuse, judgemental opinions of anyone else drive you away from staying true to you. You are doing this for you, not for anyone else. Your opinion is the only one that matters here. Sent From BariatricPal App

Fish and shrimp with veggies. I had a few French fries because I was too lazy to cook but nothing worse than that. I'm still only able to eat a few bites of whatever I eat so I'm surprised to see the scale go up. Maybe I'm not taking in enough Water. Have you experienced any weight gain since your girlfriend came? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

What does an average woman gain during her TOM does anyone know??? I've gained like 7 lbs Will it go away after it comes???

Hello! I am new to the board and had a few questions. I am currently 24.5 weeks pg with my 3rd child. I was banded back in 2011 and lost all and some of my weight. I had very high blood pressure issues but not extremely over weight and so was considered a candidate for the surgery. I started out this pg at 115 lbs and am now sitting at 132.5 lbs. I had a slight defill done in my first trimester (1cc was filled to 7.5cc's so I'm still at 6.5cc's about).... So my question is how much totaly weight did everyone gain during there pg's? I find I am still restricted to a certain amount and have a hard time eating certain Proteins, rice and dry things.....I am not really wanting to get a defill as I find I am gaining a sifficiant amount of weight.........How did all you ladies make out in that department? I am noticing I am eating alot of ice cream and chocolate at night.....lol......My cravings....lol

Normal weight gain for a bandster would be what any other normal person's weight gain would be. I gained about 50 lbs but I had half my fluid removed at 10 weeks and had no restriction. I think you are doing just fine!

Maybe, but I doubt it. Years ago my insurance didn't even cover weight loss surgery. If they are provided with information indicating this has been on ongoing issue for you, you'll probably be okay. When I explained to the rep that I had not had surgery and the reasons why she was very nice and understanding. She didn't mention a thing about weight gain or loss. You could say they approved my surgery before I was ready!

I was banded on March 9th (2012) and was doing awesome until October. I went into the red zone, had unfill due to not getting liquids down.. Beginning of Nov. I get another fill and do well until 2 days before Thanksgiving. I got stuck on turkey, spent 5 hours in the ER in extreme pain and ended up vomiting the food up. My Dr is 3 hours away so I thought the ER was quicker to get to since I was having very bad chest pain. Anyways, I went to see my surgeon and he was livid that I even went to the ER not to mention that I vomited. He gave me a very stern lecture and took out another full cc.. I was going on vacation at Christmas so I couldn't get another fill.. So I am far from the green zone but since my unfill, I have gained almost 15 pounds!! I am still watching what I eat (carbs under 80g a day), mainly protein and drinking water. I know when I go back to the Dr on the 21st of Jan, he is going to be upset about the weight gain. What's going on? Any good ideas on getting back on track? I am currently doing jazzercise several times a week so I am active.

Here is my list: 1. I'm a stress eater with a child with special medical needs (rare bleeding disorder) 2. I had thyroid issues in my teens and that started my weight gain, this resolved with pregnancy, but the weight remained. 3. I did too many yoyo diets, and wanted to be Barbie when I was in high school, with thyroid issues that never works. 4. I have an autoimmune disease that causes soft tissue damage, I have had 2 knee replacements, 3 (getting ready for #4) rotator cuff repairs. And can't workout without doing major damage to my joints. 5. I spent 17 years living in Chicago, and the cold weather caused me so much pain I was a hermit for 7 months a year, just packing on the pounds. 6. I was raped when I was 16 by my former step father, and didn't tell anyone until I was in my 20's. I think I ate to silence the scared hurt little girl that was inside my head. food didn't keep me safe, but my mom always equaled food to love, that's why under my user name it says "Food in NOT love". I learned with counseling that feeding people, and overeating myself didn't fill the void in my life, or make me feel any more loved. That was a HUGE step for me. 7. Genetics just about everyone in my family is obese. My grandfather was over 400 pounds, my mom is the oldest of 10 kids, all but 3 are morbidly obese, and those 3 are still overweight, one has a lap band and is getting healthy, the rest seem happy just the way they are. *I was just diagnosed with the auto immune disorder, in the past my pain, joint damage and soft tissue injuries were ALWAYS blamed on my weight. When I lost the weight and still had issues my new doctor started looking for answers. She said weight doesn't cause rotator cuff tears, and that I shouldn't have been dismissed because of my weight. I started seeing a new doctor when my previous md was not on board with my being revised from band to sleeve. She said just remove the band and do it the old fashioned way.