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I'll go there. My weight GAIN was mostly physiological -- four pregnancies in 8.5 years and eating completely wrong for someone predisposed to diabetes explains that, but there are some psychological components. Primarily, it boils down to one thing -- caring for a family of six on one income, luxuries were few and far between. food -- usually simple but delicious -- was a reward I didn't guilty letting myself have. I justified it that I was keeping it from going to waste. And subconsciously pleasing my mom, by living up to her expectations of a clean plate!! STAYING fat was a different story. I know that at least SOME of the reason I got so comfortable in the fat world was that it insulated me from unwanted attention. Last time I had a school girl figure, I was, well.................a school girl!! And I was one of those girls that developed early and looked 18 when I was 12. I got a lot of attention from that -- mostly negative, as you can imagine. I had to fight very hard and stand very firm to not live up to the reputation that I inadvertantly got from that. (Evidently, if you're cute and boys like you, well, you're a 'slut' whether you do anything or not!) Looking back on some of the situations I ignorantly got myself into, it's frankly amazing that I was never a victim of date rape!! But somehow I managed to stay a virgin until I married -- LOL -- not that I'd win any endurance records for that ..... I married 12 days before I turned 17 and got pregnant 9 months later. The 21.5 inch waist was gone forever and with it went the unwanted looks and flirtations of other men, so I actually LIKED that. See, my husband lived 500 miles away and was unaware of those rumors. I guess -- in my immaturity -- I tho't if he saw me dealing with glances and passes from guys, he would think I was causing it somehow and it would cause problems. LOL It seems silly to say that, after 28.5 years of marriage, there's probably not a less jealous man on the planet!!! But in my mind it was a huge deal back then. In 1988 I dieted down to a size 10 after several years of being an 18/20. It absolutely freaked me out the first time someone whistled at me.....I looked around to see who they were flirting with!! But I didn't have to worry about it long, because within a few months I was pregnant again and once again 'safely' invisible.

I had sleeve surgery in 2016 and got down to 160 pounds, then lost the last 30 doing keto. I stayed at 130 pounds almost perfect for me for 3 years then all the sudden this covid quarantine has me 23 pounds weight gain in just a few months! I’m eating sweets like crazy and bread and just a complete carb fest I don’t know what has gotten into me but it’s scaring me.

All of the above... I think mostly I gained steadily, but then there were the bursts, too... My first really big weight gain was when I was in highschool and started working at McDonalds. I went from a size 16 to a 20/22 in about 6 months... My first couple of years of college I hung around 185. Gained to 200 when I fell in love with my gay boyfriend. Lost 45-50 when I withdrew from college to deal with the fact that my gay boyfriend could never love me in "that" way... :doh: Steadily regained after returning to college. The summer of 1984 I think I put on 30-50 pounds. Left college in 1985 about 230. Got up to 300+ while living with the same gay boyfriend between 1990-1992. Got down to 220 or so and holding while in Europe, 1993-1994 Gained at least 50 pounds from 4/98-11/98. Got down to 200 in 2001. Between 6/2001 and 1/2003 regained to 303. Banded 1/03-7/04 - lost 103 pounds. And the 80 some pounds I've regained since unbanding has been over the last 15 months. Of course there were many more ups and downs over the course of those years, lowest being 185ish in 1986 or so, to highest of 3?? in 1992. The sad thing is, before banding, I habitually ate a large, deep-dish pizza Hut pizza every weekend, OR a bucket of KFC. That was the Friday night/Saturday am binge fest. I don't eat like that anymore, and yet the weight has come back just like I was eating out of control... OY VEY....

Thanks for starting this thread! I gained 65 pounds in three months due to a horrible psychiatric misdiagnosis and being a guinea pig for every medication under the sun. I have no psychiatric problems, just a 15 year undiagnosed case of RLS. And the meds that would have helped with that problem wouldn't have led to the weight gain. And yeah, I DID say 65 pounds in 3 months. I went from 135 to 200 in three months. Then, almost immediately, I went down to 185, where I've been for the last 4 years.

There are so many factors that contribute to weight gain. Many you can’t control. Be kind to yourself. You are doing your best to tackle the weight. I had a RNY bipass 7/18. I was scared too. I asked myself if I had another disease would I not seek treatment? In my opinion this surgery gives me a shot at a better quality and length of life.

Hi delphina I cannot believe that after going through a gastric bypass does that mean that I may have to go through a revision? It is sad that through all the challenges with our weight we still have to battle with weight gain. I too have beem gaining weight. I have done everything to monitor my food intake and still see the dial go up and up. Missy

I don't know if the weight loss is specifically what they are looking for. I went for many months and would lose and gain a couple of pounds. They still approved me based on my visits - not my weight gain/loss. Make sure your doctor writes or dictates everything down. Make sure you talk about weight related stuff - can't sleep, knees hurt, feel shaky if I don't eat... all things they can document to put in your chart. Good luck - and the time goes by fast!

So, I have been battling my weight since I was 13. I have tried too many diets to count. In August I will be starting my last semester of Nursing School. I will be getting married June 26th of 2010. With all these life changes (and a 15 pound weight gain during nursing school) I decided in May to join a gym since I would have some time over the summer. I wanted to get in shape for my wedding and lose some of this weight that has came and gone my whole life. I spent $2,000 on a personal trainer and 1 year gym membership. I have been going 5 times a week for 1 hour each time. I food journal everything I eat and my goal is less than 1,800 per day. I have cut out sugars and any carbs that are not whole wheat or brown rice. In 2 months I have gained 2.5 lbs. At dinner I began to complain to my fiancee's brother and his girlfriend (who both play college volleyball). I made the statement that I should have spent the $2,000 on the Lap Band instead. Which the flippant comment from her is "No you should just tape your mouth shut". I honestly can't express the pain and hurt I feel at being judged by my weigt. I am tired of being fat and trying so hard and putting so much in and GETTING NOTHING BACK. After the venting, I guess my question is, how do you know that the lap band will work for you. How do I know that I am not just going to throw MORE money and devote all this time into another weight loss thing. Sorry for the bi%*ing, Heidi

Don't give up. You do not need to go on a liquid diet. Have you had any adjustments? I know how you feel I had done great for over a year and now I have been bouncing with my weight gaining andf loosing 5 or 6 pounds. You can do it!!! As you get adjustments there yo will see that your body will not let you eat but so much. When you feel you are full STOP AND WALK AWAY!!! I have been doing this on my own since the start. I had to tell my family that I can not go out with you to eat or when I do I woi=uld only order an appetiser. It is difficult but you m ust take small steeps t change what you have been doing all of your life!!! Hang in there. :D :D :D

I was sleeved 9/26/12 I am on the shot had it a few weeks before my sleeve I will not be getting it again. Now I have been on it for 5 years so I do love it but do not love the Side effects weight gain slow weight loss. DH got a vasectomy today so I would not have to worrie today I was due for my shot he did this instead.

I noticed on Aetna's policy topic about bariatric surgery that it says "no net weight gain". What exactly does that mean? I am going to a nutritionist and I have been twice. I gained 3 pounds. Not sure if it was water weight or what but it was 3 lbs higher than my first visit. I am concerned because the scale at the surgeon's office had a completely different reading also. Can anyone provide some clarity on this subject?

Again I had the same question about the exercise program. What my surgeons office did is when I went to my weight management (behavior modification ) class we had to fill out a sheet each time, Containing what are daily activity is like what we are doing for exercise and how long...we also made a food goal like cutting sweet tea , or reducing carbs.. I wouldn't count you out yet over those 3 lbs what is your current bmi? I ask cause even though I had to not gain weight I did not have much wiggle room to loose either . But if you are able to stay above the required bmi with no issue push as hard as you can to drop 5 before the next visit. and do not gain another lb if possible. I was so obsessed about this part cause i knew this was the one part of the approval process that was totally up to me. Aetna is strict about the weight gain but make sure its documented somewhere that either you are on a certain med that makes you gain , Water weight , cycle time etc.

It's all about the FOOD! If u ask me ne ways. When I'm @ restriction I don't count calories. Also u will plateau. Everyone does. I personally loose for 2 wks then hold steady for 2 wks. I'm down 120 lbs in 13 months. I've had a lil set back due to be unfilled & unable to exercise bc of plastic surgery. So currently I am counting cals to help get the last 13 lbs of my 30 lb weight gain off! Surgery was 3 wks ago... I had a ton of swelling. But right b4 surgery I hit 120 lbs lost & was 14 lbs from my 150 lb goal weight

I think alot of people have had some covid weight gain. Both wls people and non-wls people. Reduction of activity, boredom, stress, proximity to the fridge/pantry all day long, etc., etc. I had a small gain of 6 lbs that I acknowledged mid-summer. As of this week I finally said good bye to those stinkin’ pounds. There really wasn’t a secret strategy to the loss: I cut calories and increased exercise a smidge. Took me 4.5 months (which is a stark reminder that weight loss is not as fast/easy as it once was, as the ease of not eating has decreased by a lot). I’m sure I could have probably done this faster by cutting more calories, but honestly, I just didn’t want to. I accepted the slower loss in exchange for extra cals. Its actually a good thing that you “caught” the gain and are making (it seems) an effort to address it now rather than later if/when the gain is much, much more. Remind yourself the eventual outcome if you continue on this path (an old Before Picture, perhaps?). Rid your place of the foods that are contributing to the gain, and replace with more appropriate foods if u are able. When the urge to eat when u are not truly hungry comes around, do something else: drink water, do some yoga, wash the dishes. If f u still want to eat 45 mins later, portion out a small-ish amount (like 1/3 cup or something) and commit to only eating that until another 45 mins has passed. Rinse and repeat. You know what to do. Its up to you to find it in yourself to do it.

This morning has been an interesting one for me. I have talked on my blog about how emotional I am and how I have been working on keeping things in perspective. I think in day to day activity, I'm doing a good job, but I still have a way to go. Let me give you some history: I have been overweight all my life. I remember thinking I was fat as early as first and second grade. My nickmame in fourth grade was Buffalo Butt. Nice, huh? My first weightloss memory (real or manufactured...) was going to a Weight Watchers meeting with my mom in fourth grade and weighing 144 lbs. I feel like I've been on a diet ever since. I love my mom. In fact, there is no one on earth I love more than I love my mom. My mom was always "normal" sized, but was almost consistently on a diet while I was growing up. My mom grew up in a household where her father expected perfection from her. She & Dad truly strived not to be that way with my brother and me. They just wanted what was best for us. They wanted me to be healthy and happy, so they helped me try and lose weight. They took me to Weight Watchers which helped when I was actually doing it. They took me to Nutri System in high school and after a week or two I was sneaking food on the side. They found out and were really mad at me. In retrospect, I understand that they spent a lot of money (that we didn't really have) to do this for me. At the time, I felt I let them down because I stayed fat. I was a food hoarder. I would eat normally in front of people then binge when I was by myself. I remember when I was young (maybe third grade?) I dipped a big tablespoon of peanut butter in sugar and started eating it. I knew it wasn't good for me, but it was tasty! I was in the living room and I heard my parents coming so I hid it under a piece of furniture. They found it and yelled at me. I feel quite sure that they were yelling at me because it is disgusting and gross to leave food around and it would attract mice and pests (which we had issues with anyway in our pre-1900 house.) I just heard them yelling at me becaue I was a disgusting fat pig. Every time my mom tells me I look thin or that I have lost weight, I soar! When my mom mentions that I look like I have gained weight (or she asks if I have gained weight), I get physically sick to my stomach. It has always been that way, but I'm just now starting to tell her when that happens. She thinks I'm being silly, and objectively, I probably am. I talk to my mom every morning during my commute. Every morning, I cheerfully tell her how much weight I have lost. I'm typically up a little on Mondays, but not much. Yesterday, I knew I was going to eat popcorn and I told my mom. She gets a little hitch in her voice when she says "okay" that makes me feel guilty. I was up today and I kid you not when I tell you I was in the shower this morning rehearsing what I was going to tell my mom. Sigh. I'm 36 and sometimes I'm 12. According to rehearsals, I was supposed to cheerily say that I was up a pound that I felt confident would be gone tomorrow. Instead, I told her that I don't share gains with her, only losses. She started laughing and said that I must have gained a lot because I tell her when it is a pound. (I want to step in a second and say that I truly do not believe that she was laughing AT me or trying to be insenstive. My mom loves me ridiculously so and would never intentionally hurt me under any circumstance.) My face and body started to get hot and I could feel myself tense up. I told her that it hurt me that she was laughing at my weight gain. She tried to explain that she laughs at herself all the time. I was so wrapped up in my anger that I almost hung up with her. Crazy! But I was able to change the subject and we moved on. When I got to work, my friend Liz approached me and said that she messed up. I had set up a birthday party for my friend Cori and had invited Liz, but not another work friend. Liz had mentioned the party to our other friend and other friend was hurt. To be truthful, it really wasn't something that was done intentionally. Neither Liz nor other friend has ever been invited to Cori's birthday party, but right at the time I was doing the invitation, I think Liz was on her mind so she said to invite her. It certainly wasn't an act of meaning to NOT invite other friend. In my mind, other friend is in a bad place right now and she is interpreting everyone's actions as something AGAINST her when in reality, that's not the case. I was actually that way last year, before I got my life on track. I realized that NOTHING anybody else said or did truly made a difference to me inside. If I loved myself, everything else would work itself out. That brings me back to my mom. I am so unbelievably fortunate to have my mom. I can't even list off all of the wonderful things she has done and continues to do for me. Nothing she does or says is meant to hurt me. If fact, I have no doubt that my mom would lay down her life for me. I have 35 years of demons to work through. I feel like I have gotten through a lot in 6 months, but it is still going to take some time to get through the rest. Occassionally, my feelings are going to get hurt through no fault of anyone's. But as long as I realize that I control the situation and it is I who decides my emotions, I will be able to move forward. I have have nightmares on occassion of a 5th grade me on a bus where kids are chanting BUFFALO BUTT! I have dreams all the time where people make comments that I'm fat. It is my achilles heel. But I'm doing something about it! At 60 pounds lost, which I should hit sometime this week, I will be halfway to my goal. Take that Amber Melvin from 4th grade! Take that mean, mean Debbie on the school bus! But most of all, TAKE THAT BETH! I am my own worst enemy, but this time is different. This time there is no self sabotage. This time there is no letting myself get caught up in the enormity (pardon the pun) of it all. This time, I'm not just losing weight...this time, I'm changing my life. Mom, I thank God for you and dad everyday. I love you.

I gained 14 pounds my nut told me what I was doing was completely normal that many do it. I was eating everything that I thought I could never have again. I had no issues as far as my weight gain and the surgery

Hi there. This is the time that you need patience and lots of work with your dr. I learned from reading these forums that weight gain after band surgery is normal! If your band isn't properly adjusted, then it's not dimming your appetite yet. I gained weight for the first couple of months after surgery, then I stopped gaining and maintained, and finally after about 5 months of getting fills (and a couple of unfills) every 3-4 weeks I finally found a comfortable spot where I was losing weight consistently. Good luck on your journey and do NOT be discouraged. It takes some time and work to get the band in the right spot. But for me, that flexibility and personalization was one of the reasons I chose the band.

lapbandtalker, you are correct in your assertian that sleep deprived people are less likely to lose weight. What they are talking about is people that only get about 4 hrs of sleep each and every night. Studies show everyone needs at least 7 hrs of sleep each night. Without that, you cannot stay healthy for long. I will not say for sure as you should not say for sure she lost the weight by staying in bed. We cannot say for sure either way. But, IMO, your advice to stay in bed with all the conveniences and food and drinks w/i arms reach was not good advice. Just because she could not walk on her leg does not mean she has to be bedridden. There are crutches. As a nurse, I would hope she knows about those. I will say that your sister most likely did gain 15 lbs of muscle. If she was with a personal trainer, she must have been with them for awhile to lose that much weight properly. I am willing to bet she lost the 15 lbs by losing that muscle weight gain. I know from personal experience that if you lift weights, you are going to gain muscle. If you gain muscle and do cardio, you are going to lose overall weight much slower.

When diagnosed with sleep apnea, which of course can happen to heavy people as well as thin people I learned some of the connections with sleep loss and weight gain. When you have sleep apnea you appear to be sleeping but you are not getting a good quality sleep because you stop breathing. Each time you are awakened because of the apneas you are not fully awake but it does affect that quality. Many people overeat during states of sleep deprivation and some do it mindlessly. It has something to do with your body's energy. So that's one reason why sleep is so important besides the fact she is wounded and should be in bed as her doctor had instructed her. Nancy:smile:

I was 160 at time that approval was gained. my doc was a true advocate, highlighting my comorbitities, family history, and chance of weight gain. Because I was lower weight my doc did not make my stomach super small, but I do understand that it is just a tool...to date loving it more than my band!!!

@@fatgirlsvelte Best of luck to you! I completely understand where you are at. In fact, I was just talking to my wife the other day and telling her that the most common thing I hear on BP is "i just wish I had done it sooner", and I for one, do not. I am 42, and the timing was perfect for me. I've been obese my whole life, and I have absolutely no regrets about surgery, but it's hard, and it's forever. That would have been a really hard thing for me to get my head around in my 20s, or even early 30s. I think I would have constantly had doubts if I had REALLY tried hard enough to lose it on my own, if I had REALLY given it my best shot. At 42, I know I have. I have tried every kind of diet, every kind of lifestyle change, and probably mot importantly, I just don't have it in me to keep trying. And if I quit trying, there would be no end to my weight gain. This is most certainly not an indictment of people who have surgery in their 20s and 30s, or any other age. Nor is it a judgement of people who regret not doing it sooner, it's just my life and my experience. And I'm sharing it just to say "I get it". I understand where you're at. You are young, you have time, you can always reconsider, or maybe (hopefully!) you will never need to. Good luck to you!

Absolutely. I weigh every day first thing in the morning, the scales keep me accountable to myself. I only write the weight down once a week tho, but it is a documented fact that people who weigh themselves regularly are less likely to gain the weight back. I got to 400 lbs by not weighing myself, would u really be aggravated at a friend if they said u look like u put a lb of weight on, just treat the scales like a friend, and if they show a lb increase use it as motivation to work harder the next day. I would hate to weigh myself at lesser intervals and find i had put on a few lbs and not know why. Everyday allows u to recall what u did the day before and pinpoint maybe what caused a weight gain. I agree we are all different and many people manage fine just weighing at the doctors office or only 1 a week or month, but that wouldnt work for me, i have maintained my weight loss for nearly a year now and maintaining a 237 lb weight loss takes a lot of hard work and determination, the scales help me in that determination.

Have you changed your workout routine? Perhaps you are building muscle? Peanuts are very calorie dense. Maybe you should save them for maintenance? I definitely haven't added them back into my diet yet. As tedious as it sounds, you really should (if you are not already) log your daily food intake. That way, when weight gain happens, you can look at your diet for the past few days and identify the problem. Good luck.

Happy Father's Day from BariatricPal!#subject#> body,div,dl,dt,dd,ul,ol,li,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,pre,form,fieldset,input,textarea,p,blockquote,th,td { margin:0; padding:0; } table { border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0; } fieldset,img { border:0; } address,caption,cite,code,dfn,th,var { font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; } caption,th { text-align:left; } h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { font-size:100%; font-weight:normal; } q:before,q:after { content:''; } abbr,acronym { border:0; } address{ display: inline; } html, body { background-color: #d8dde8; color: #5a5a5a; } body { font: normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif; position: relative; } h3, strong { font-weight: bold; } em { font-style: italic; } img, .input_check, .input_radio { vertical-align: middle; } legend { display: none; } table { width: 100%; } td { padding: 3px; } a { color: #225985; text-decoration: none; } a:hover { color: #328586; } div.outer { margin: 0 auto; padding: 14px; } table.wrap { max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; } td.logo { background-color: #0f3854; padding: 8px; } td.content { background-color: #fff; font-size: 14px !important; color: black !important; line-height: 150% !important; padding: 8px; } ul { margin-left: 25px; } Hey BariatricPal Members! Happy Father’s Day from BariatricPal! Today is the day when we take some time to appreciate our fathers or any father figures in our lives even more than usual. We at BariatricPal hope you have some special time scheduled with your family to appreciate each other. We also hope you’re using this as another chance to re-energize your WLS success efforts, since there’s a good chance that part of the reason why you’re in this journey is because of your family. If you are indeed looking for a little inspiration, we hope to give it to you! Here’s what you’ll find in this newsletter. Showing Gratitude with Health dinner Dad’s Way: Easy Peasy and Healthy Starting a Healthy Father’s Day Tradition If that’s not enough to keep you motivated, there’s plenty more help over on the BariatricPal Forums. Don’t forget to logon and join the fun – after you’ve said “Thanks” and “I love you” to Dad, of course! Here’s to weight loss surgery and what it can do to strengthen your family! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Showing Gratitude with Health A Healthy You Is A Better You Holidays like Father’s Day may make you think a little more about others. You might think about what you can do to be a better parent, or how you can show your parents how much you appreciate them. In all that generosity, you might forget about your own health, or feel guilty about focusing on yourself once in a while. After all, the pre-op prep and post-op recovery from weight loss surgery already demands a lot of time and energy that you aren’t spending on your family. But, the weeks, months, and years following weight loss surgery are just as important. To succeed long term, you need to take care of yourself. And that’s not selfish. All of your loved ones benefit when you are energetic, happy, and healthy. You can be more involved in family activities, and save money on healthcare costs. The effort you put into your own health is not just for you. It’s for your family, too. Share the Health Your healthy behaviors don’t happen in a vacuum. They happen in the middle of real life, and that’s great. You can be an excellent role model for your children and spouse just by sticking to your commitments and intentions. You can also actively involve them in a healthy lifestyle. You don’t need to be overbearing about. It can be as simple as inviting them to walk with you to the post office, letting them choose between carrot sticks and bell pepper strips when you pack lunches, and taking fun outings like hiking as a family. As health becomes the norm, your whole family can win. Dinner Dad’s Way: Easy Peasy and Healthy It may be a stereotype, but we’ll play along: not all dads are the best cooks. You may remember the occasional day in your childhood when Dad was responsible for looking after you and your siblings for the evening. What did you have for dinner? eggs? Cereal? Chinese takeout? Maybe you’re a father who’s guilty of this same behavior! Hey, whatever works to keep the kids happy and fed, right? Well, we have a better option. Keep the kids happy while getting a weight loss meal for yourself with no extra effort. Sound good? Here’s the scoop. Cereal for Dinner – a Classic “Dad” Dinner If cereal is your go-to, take a look at The BariatricPal Store’s cereal choices with about 15 grams of Protein and only about 120 calories per serving. We’re not talking about tasteless “health” cereals here. We’re talking about old favorites like cocoa flavored pops and honey nut circles. Yum! Add cow or soy milk for extra protein, or serve it with almond milk for a low-cal cereal “dinner.” If you want to be a super-dad, offer your kids fresh fruit or treats like raisins, coconut, nuts, or even chocolate chips so they feel special on their evening home with Dad. Cooking 101: Eggs If there’s one thing a guy knows how to cook, it’s probably eggs. But if you don’t know how to cook eggs, or you didn’t stock up on fresh eggs, or you just don’t want to try to get your college cooking skills back by experimenting on your children, you have another choice: BariatricPal instant Protein Omelets. You can grab them from your pantry and get them ready in minutes. Each bacon and cheese or vegetable omelet packet has 15 grams of protein and 100 calories. You can eat yours straight, but your children may want a little more oomph from Dad. Get your creative juices flowing and give them an omelet to remember! If your children like vegetables, make them a colorful, crunchy omelet with diced bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli florets, or any other veggie they love. You can eat the veggie omelet on its own, and serve it on toast for your kids. Top it with cheese, avocado slices, or salsa to make it a dinner to remember. Chinese Takeout Minus the Weight Gain Weigh the options. With Chinese takeout, you need to go get your food or wait up to an hour to be delivered. Then, you have way too many calories and carbs from fried rice, egg rolls, chow mein, and breaded sweet and sour chicken. The alternative? Grab a box of Spicy Chicken Oriental from your pantry and serve the family in minutes. The meal has 240 calories and 14 grams of protein – that’s quite a bargain for delicious chicken and rice! If you’re feeling super ambitious, start with Protein Fettuccine and Asian Inspired Pasta Sauce, and let your imagine take over. Toss in diced chicken or shrimp and bok choy and other vegetables, and serve up some healthy chow mein to make your children proud. Starting a Healthy Father’s Day Tradition If there’s one thing that makes a healthy lifestyle easier, it’s habit. You’re way more likely to get to the gym if you don’t stop to think about it. You’re way more likely to keep the junk food out of your grocery cart if you automatically steer past the aisles with packaged snack foods and frozen desserts. And packing a healthy lunch is way easier if you just know what’s going to go into it each day. So why not add another healthy behavior to your arsenal on this Father’s Day? You can kill two birds with one stone by spending some quality Dad time while you work on a new healthy tradition. It can be something for you and Dad, for you and your kids, or maybe for all three generations to look forward to every year. Here are a few ideas: - Healthy barbecue with chicken breast, veggie or turkey burgers, - An early morning fishing trip followed by feasting on your protein catch and a summer fruit salad to die for. - A trip to the beach or a local park for some volleyball, swimming, soccer, or a treasure hunt (if you have young ones around!). - A healthy gift exchange, with great gifts like a gift card to The BariatricPal Store, a set of partner training sessions for you and Dad with a personal trainer, or a sampler of grab and go protein Snacks like protein bars, salmon jerky, and peanuts. Whatever healthy tradition you start, you can rest easy knowing that’s one more day out of the year that you’ll be solidifying your healthy lifestyle while building those family ties. And when all is said and done, that’s what weight loss surgery is all about, right? Thanks for reading the newsletter and supporting BariatricPal. Have a wonderful, safe, and healthy Father’s Day, and keep letting us know how your weight loss surgery journey is going. Let this be a summer to be proud of! · Unsubscribe from all BariatricPal E-Mail.

I did not accept I had an eating problem until the day after I was banded. I have PCOS so I always blamed my weight gain and hunger on PCOS. But one the hunger was curbed, my need to overeat did not go away. I am/was simply used to eating family sized portions of food. In fact those first two weeks I was simply MANIC for food to deal with the stress of surgery. I staved it off with lots of Fiber rich smoothies and yogurts. I also learned that sugar free stuff made me super ravenous and I stopped eating it for good. At one point, overwhelmed, dazed even,I went to a drive thru and bought two chicken finger sandwiches (before I was off liquid food) and tried to eat one in my truck. I got something stuck for the first time then. Buns are NOT your friend with a lapband and neither is non-water soluble greasy chicken coatings! I found out real quick what happens: pain and nausea. You simply can't throw up hardly at all anymore, at least not in any way you will remember. When you eat too fast, or eat a gluey, chunky type-food and it gets stuck, it feels like someone has your heart in a vice. You will heave. Pain sets a VERY strong deterrent for eating foods which are naturally bad for you anyway. Any kind of bread, pastry, pie crust, and any crust with butter or grease in it, anything that will not melt naturally with Water, can get stuck at a moments notice. Carbonated sodas are out too, because the bubbles stretch the pouch. All this sounds hard to deal with. But the GREAT thing is I don't feel hungry. That empty feeling is gone. Just having the empty feeling gone all the time has helped me emotionally and physically get over the fact I can't binge anymore. Even more so it reminds me I don't have to binge to fill that void in me to feel full again. I get plenty to eat. I am eating good food. My food budget is down to 1/4 of what I used to spend. I'm loosing weight carefully and slowly. I just can't eat like I used to. And I really avoid those foods that make me choke. Once you choke on something, you really don't want to ever go back there again. Which I think is a good thing in the end.