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@msteinman weight gain is completely normal. I posted about same thing 3 days after surgery as I had gained weight too. The IV fluids and being bloated and full of gas makes you gain weight. It will take a few days for all that to get out of your system. Several people are going to tell you to stay off the scale. I kept looking every day and finally lost my first couple of pounds around day 5 or 6. I’m 11 days post op and down 10 lbs now: it’s okay. Just breathe, keep sipping you water and protein. Walk and walk some more. It all works out. You’re right on track!

Hi everyone, I am 2 1/2 years post op and I've gained 35 lbs. I'm getting married in June and instead of losing weight I keep gaining. Has anyone had the same problem? Does anyone know how what stage should do start on so I can shrink my stomach again? Any info would be appreciated.

I have PCOS as well and infrequent or absent periods has never been an issue. Insulin resistance, weight gain, brown patches on the skin...oh yeah. Perfect 28 day cycles are about the only thing that makes me not the norm "cyster".

I have been over weight my entire adult life. I am 24 and feel like i am older than that lol. About 4 years ago i had a knee surgery that would lead to my weight gain and ultimatly to the lowest self esteem of my life. I struggle day to day with my body image and i hate being the Fat girl that has a "great" personality. I want to feel better and to look better. I have a wonderful friend that is a godnsend in my life. She is my best friend and sister. Next Saturday we are going to duluth to go to a seminar on weight loss surgery. We are looking at both getting the lap band. I am both excited and nervous. Part of me feels crappy that i have to have this surgery to loose weight but part of me is ready to change. I am waiting on insurance but i should have no problem with getting aproved by my insurance. I also have had the recomendation to have this surgery done. I will be posting on here about my personal journey through weight loss hell and too the ideal that i will be. I cant wait to begin my journey! Im jsut glad i am not doing it alone!

Dear Diary, It's been awhile, I haven't been on site lately. I'm trying to get back to a routine. So much has happened. I am sorry to say at my last Dr. appointment I had actually gained 8 lbs.. My Dr. was very upset with me. He said you're such a nice person don't you care about yourself? You have diabetes and you're eating sweets. You need to see the psychiatrist immediately at least 2 times. He is a bariatric specialized psychiatrist that uses a cognitive approach. I know it would be helpful but he isn't covered by my insurance and pre-op visit alone (mandatory) was 220.00 He then proceeded to give me my first fill and said no matter how many fills I get if I continue to eat sweets I won't lose weight. He had some trouble finding the right part of my port and had to keep sticking me then manuevering syringe. He finally came in at a steep angle and filled my band. He said jokingly that this was my penance for eating poorly. As soon as I left the office--without making my next appointment ( I left quickly) and cried as soon as I got into the hall. My brother who had come with me was very worried. He asked if the doctor hurt me, I said no it was my own fault then went home and cried more. Even though I knew I had lost control and was eating way too many sweets. Sweets are my weakness. I was still disappointed about my weight gain. I now know I should have called the office and insisted on getting a fill after 6 weeks post op. I was hungry and could eat whatever I wanted so I did.I felt like such a failure. Here I went through surgery and I'm sabatoging my efforts. My doctor believes you should postpone doing fills until you have lost as much as possible on your own, without restriction. I assume full responsibility for my hand to mouth disease. I felt like the poster girl for What Not To Do With Lapband. Now on the bright side-- here it is almost 4 weeks later and I have lost the 8 plus 2 more pounds. I still need to call and set up an appointment but I am not letting the doc anywhere near my port. I have enough fill for now. I'm still getting used to eating post band fill. I've even vomited a few times. Soft bread and vegatables are a problem. I really have to chew carefully and limit bite size. At home I use a crab fork and take small bites. It really helps. I also use a jam spoon and that helps as well for yogurt etc. I really have to plan ahead because I need to concentrate on getting in enough protein. Sometimes at the end of the day I will have a protein shake to up calories and protein. I am finding that after my fill that I have really cut back on portions as well as my appetite. I am finally seeing the light and starting to believe I made the right decision by having the Lapband.:whoo: Much to my relief. I was eating grapes this morning, 3 grapes to be exact and that was enough. I chuckled because the quantities I am eating are so small. Yet I am satisfied so I am happy. I find I am more cheerful and upbeat. I even have more of a lap for my nephews to sit on while I read to them. I have also had to buy new pants in a smaller size. We're going to Claim Jumper for Thanksgiving and they serve huge portions, so I am taking a small cooler to store my leftovers. Leftovers from restaraunts are another thing I'm getting used to. Before I seldom had leftovers. Well good night all. Take care and keep your chin up.

If I had a STABLE BMI of 38 and I wasn't afraid of going higher then No, I would not even consider this procedure. BUT my situation is much different than yours. When I was in the low 200s, my shape was very much a pear shape. I held most of my weight in my thighs and hips and very little in my abdomen. I had no comorbidities(and still don't even at 40 years old and 330 pounds) I had no joint pain at that weight. I could do everything I wanted to do.... I could even jog and I could hike for 20 miles in a single day! so no. I would not have had the surgery at a 38 BMI unless it was to prevent future weight gain... NOW, If I was YOU, I would DEFINITELY have the surgery. If you have comorbidities, then your body is begging you to lose the weight. No two bodies are the same so it's really not fair to compare. I was in a way "blessed" genetically. Yeah, I do have some thyroid issues.. and I have a propensity to gain and hold on to weight and compounded with a healthy appetite and not always the best choices I wound up at 330 pounds... BUT I have low cholesterol, no signs of heart disease, normal liver profile, normal blood sugar.. etc. I am fortunate. Not everyone can be so lucky, so I say take advantage of this surgery in order to combat against your genetic predisposition! Best wishes to you!

By Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS When you're trying to lose weight, the question isn't whether or not you'll hit a plateau, it's when. Plateaus are like bad weather on a long hike: it's inevitable that you'll run into it, but knowing that in advance won't make it one bit less frustrating or annoying when it happens. Cheer up! Since plateaus are as common as rain, we have a pretty good idea what to do about them. At least one of the following techniques should help you break through a plateau and start losing again. 1. Be a Calorie Detective When clients tell me they've stopped losing weight, the first thing I ask is this: how many calories a day are you eating? Calories have a way of creeping up while we're not paying attention. Be brutally honest with yourself: how much are you eating? Using a food diary for a while is a great way to monitor this. And yes, sodas and alcoholic beverages count! A good calorie goal for dieters is your target weight times 10. 2. Change It Up When you're not making gains in an exercise program you change your routine. Same holds true with your eating plan. Low-carbers could go higher carb for a few days, high-carbers might switch to a plan like Atkins or South Beach. Varying calorie intake may have a positive effect: If you're averaging 1,500 calories daily, try dropping to 1,200, going up to 2,000 and then dropping back to 1,500. You get the idea. Your body's gotten comfortable, so it's time to shake things up. 3. Try a Temporary Ban Food sensitivities can cause weight gain and bloat, and the frustrating thing is that most of us don't always know which foods are the culprits. So play the odds. Highest on the list of "usual suspects" are grains (wheat in particular), dairy and sugar. Temporarily ban all three and see what happens. 4. Take Your Workout Up a Notch Forget the "fat burning zone." High intensity intervals -- 30 to 60 seconds -- are the wave of the future. If you're accustomed to level three on your cardio machine, ramp it up to level 6 for a minute then slow down, catch your breath and repeat. Ever see a sprinter with love handles? Training like a sprinter will lower your body fat faster than any technique I know of, plus it'll boost your metabolism and lower your weight. 5. Strength Training If you're not strength training, start now. And if you are, ramp it up a notch. Muscle is your greatest ally in breaking a plateau. Unfortunately many women train with weights too light to produce the metabolic boost they need. Don't be afraid of heavier weights. They should be heavy enough that you can only do between 8 and 12 reps. 6. Up Your Protein Studies show that higher protein diets make it easier to lose fat. Protein boosts the metabolism (in one study as much as 100 percent for 24 hours), and increases satiety, making it more likely that you won't overeat. A higher protein diet could be just what you need to break that plateau. 7. Try a Detox Unsupervised fasting is a really bad idea, but the idea of giving your system a rest makes sense. Try a "smart fast" of nothing but fruits and vegetables for a couple of days. The added fiber is always helpful, and the massive amount of nutrients and phytochemicals is like "spring cleaning" for your metabolism. 8. Take Inventory Other things besides diet and exercise could be stalling your weight loss, such as stress, lack of sleep or medication. Take a look at what else is going on in your life that might need attention. Sometimes when you clean up the problems in one area of your life, problems in other areas just naturally take care of themselves.

My husband was supportive about my choice to have surgery. When we met I was not diabetic. Maybe a year later I was. I just didn't relish the idea of being on pills or insulin for the rest of my life. But still, I was very secretive about the whole process. I only told my boss at work to let her know I would need time off and two close friends. Sadly, I am not talking to one of those friends anymore. People are so judgey about it. "Oh, just eat less, put down the fork." I can't not eat. Gamblers can avoid a casino and drinkers can pour all their vodka down the drain, but every day, I have to eat. I lost 70 lbs by diet and exercise and it all came back. In turn all that weight gain just made me depressed and I ate more. I no longer take my diabetes pills, my blood sugar rarely gets up past 130. I don't wake up with blood sugar at 210 no matter how healthy my meal was the night before. It's my body and it was my decision. I don't regret it at all. Life is too short to not be happy.

My surgeon said to expect a weight gain right away because off the iv. I stayed overnight so I had a constant iv and my weight jumped a couple of pounds. Don't worry it will be off before you know it.Congrats on entering band land.

I unfilled my band completely in October last year for cancer surgery and chemotherapy and I had very little trouble with weight gain. I really have patted myself on the back for a job well done, loudly and publicly, lol, but in truth, on reflection I think I had some assistance, what with being so sick. I remained unfilled for seven months and gradually over the last five have refilled my band up to decent restriction (althoug h I've not found the sort of restriction I had before, I've got what I can live with, thanfully as my band is 0.2cc from full). I found it very easy at first, I still couldnt eat a lot, and stuck to very small meals and healthy foods. It took months for my appetite to expand, I began to notice that dinner would leave me wanting, becuase I always restricted through willpower what I ate between meals fill or no fill. That sort of head hunger stuff was just the same. I kept running and going to the gym right through treatment. But I did gradually begin to eat more. Now with fill going back in, I dont feel any "different" like I was expecting to, but my meals are much smaller again. I might feel the same, thinking I had toast for breakfast, but then I realise that once again, the idea of two pieces of toast like normal people eat is like a major pig out, absolutely excessive and I realise yes, that restriction is there. Restriction really isnt a tangible thing that you can feel, it just subtly changes how much you eat, and you have to listen hard for it, and ignore the head hunger - that isnt real hunger. But its interesting to see what its like when restriction has gone isnt it? I think it has made me a better bandster, I kind of needed a kick in the pants after six years.

Hello folks...some may remember me...I was banded in 2007, lost 130 pounds, had a lower body lift and breast lift with augmentation and was the healthiest I have ever been. Then, on December 7, 2010 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and that's when the weight began. Following surgery and treatment I had packed on 20 pounds. My outlook on life changed after hearing "cancer" and I wanted to enjoy every minute of life and wasn't paying attention to calories and didn't take time to work out. I had also gone through a divorce but was dating an amazing man. Six months after treatment ended I was pregnant. Fear went through my body for many reasons...pregnancy wasn't good for someone who just beat breast cancer (hormone positive) and I was terrified of the weight gain. Well, after a very stressful pregnancy I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy (I'm no longer mom of 2 boys). I gave birth in May 2012. My LapBand surgeon said I could begin to get my band filled again but first I needed an upper GI. I had the upper GI and was ready to get back on track but my surgeon had other plans...he said I had a small hiatal hernia and he had to remove my band. I was devastated and depression was setting in, until I went somewhere else for a second opinion...I started getting fills in November and after my third fill, in January, I finally have restriction. So here I am starting all over. I have 70 pounds to lose. I'm sad but I know I can do it because I did it before.

Well, today I saw the Endo, but it didn't go quite how I would have liked. Becaue I don't have the strechmarks, and because I work out I don't have the thin arms and legs, he doesn't think I have cushings, but he ordered the 24 hour urine test and three other tests. (my husband has my PDA with that information). I do know they are testing my testosterone because of the increased body hair, the increased facial hair (6 laser hair removal treatments and it is all growing back) and the male patterned baldnes, he thinks I might have something wrong, like a masculinizing tumor, but probably not cushings. He wasn't interested in my sudden and unexplained weight gains, my fatigue, or my inability to lose weight. I think the man weighs 150 soaking wet. He's going to send me to a doctor that specializes in metabolic issues, although she mostly sees professional atheletes. He kept refering to me being obese (no kidding) and thinks that is why I'm having all the problems. He thinks I should work harder at losing weight. (hello! I had WLS for crying out loud, I work out, and I've managed to lose 15 pounds net since April. I'm not terribly optimistic, but he didn't dismiss me altogether either. He did tell me to stop taking the thyroid medication. He looked at my test results from Jan and couldn't believe the other doctor put me on thyroid medication.

Lynn, Glad to hear you are doing fine. Please take it easy as you don't want to overtire yourself. Getting up and moving around will definitely help with the gas pain from surgery. Make sure to drink your Protein drinks and get plenty of Water. Once on mushies you can get real creative. My favorite is refried Beans, chili con queso. I mix them together on my plate. Yummy. Also bean and bacon soup puree. It is very tasty and filling. Just remember that when you do go to solids you might see a little weight gain. During this phase you are healing from surgery and shouldn't be concerned with weight loss. The first fill will start giving you restriction. Right now you are wide open so will be able to eat once the swelling goes down. Good luck on your journey.

I initally had great loss, I was going like gang busters. I lost 35 pounds by almost the 3 month. Yes, 10 or 15 pounds were water weight because I had a sever edema problem. Yes no more edema was one of my first NSVS. But whee! the weight was coming off! Then my weight loss stopped. I gained about 5 pounds before my first fill. After my first fill last month I lost 1 pound. This month I lost 1 pound. 2 months, 2 pounds. At the support meeting this week, I had my official weigh-in. 1 pound down since last month. I was so angry and pissed off and discouraged, words fail to express my disapointment. I have attempted to be the model bandster. I feel like I had good restriction, and my food has been ... small. My calories have been in the zone. But no loss. 2 months and 2 pounds. So angry. So many tears. Yes, I have had so many NSV I've thought about starting a thread dedicated to all my NSV. Yes, this weekend I actually bought a LARGE jacket, not a XXL jacket. But this NSV was completely obliteraged by my non-loss. Stupid scale. Failure me. 5 months ago They were considering putting me on oxygen therapy. Again. Today I don't even cary a puffer with me, and I run for the bus without a second thought. Okay, my second thought is "I wonder what these people think of big fat me running," and my thrid thought is "don't get in my way!" I chased my sweet 6' tall baby through a parking lot this weekend, him trying his best to not get caught, me doing my dardest to catch him. We ran around for about 2 minutes. Yeah, not long, but I was running to catch him. Not even out of breath, except for maybe the laughter. But the scale hasn't moved in 2 months and I feel like a failure. I was so angry I actually had a temper tantrum. I was so upset I almost quit everything related to the band. I was so upset to the point that I almost came here a deleted every one of my posts. All of them. I felt like a lier, like what could I possibly have to contribute because I am not loosing. But I waited. I know better to act in the heat of my anger. Of course, my wonderful Spudboy and DH have tried to put things into perspective for me. They have noticed my size change. They have noticed my increased energy and my increased spirits. They keep pointing out that I've been really sick for so long, and that my body is probably rebuiling the muscle that I've lost. This summer, I have had on going health issues that are not related to the band. I've had on going GYN issues, including a ruptured overian cyst. Talk about painful! I never passed out from the pain from tthat, but man I was close. I went through almost an entire bottle of phenegren in two weeks because of the pain induced nausia. Anyway, I spent 2 months on various drugs that normally cause weight gain, but I maintained. I suppose that is an NSV, but again, the NSV is obliterated by the scale. I know the scale lies. I've known that it lies for at least decade, but yet I still listen to what it says. I am so very discouraged. I have a fill appointment schedule so I have a fill before I go off to Idaho. The next opportunity I have for a fill will be November. Why can't I take my own advice? Why can't I be kind to myself? Stupid scale.

At 16 months out i consider myself to have been quite successful and have been a consistant loser. For me thus far moderation has always been the key as far as food is concerned. I still eat what i want (with the exception of bread and beef) only FAR FAR FAR FAR less. I find that if i keep in tune to my sense of restriction and try and head in for fills when that feeling is lost that my pattern of losing remains consistant. Ive had minor set backs along the way (10 lb vacation gain in ONE WEEK!), holliday weight gains and so forth but i always GET RIGHT BACK ON TRACK. I weigh my self every day at the same time each day and very rarely does a day go by when i dont drink a minimum of 50oz of water. I would probably be further along then i am if i was more of an avid exerciser, but i try an do what i can when i can. Ive never had one problem with my band thus far and IM LOVING IT! I still have a ways to go but im in it for the long haul. Good luck to you.

Kat, kat, Kat! Relax. You are still HEALING, actually. The Band is not a "Switch" that turns weight loss on. Or weight gain off. It's a whole different thing, and you are still right at the Beginning. The whole Lap band Experience is SO different for everybody. It might be a few more weeks before you see any changes. Or it could start tomorrow. But, as everyone here has already said, you are at the BEGINNING of this process, really. You need to give it some time. Life with the band is all about "tuning". Adjusting what you eat, when you eat, how much you eat, how much Fluid you have in the band, etc. There are people here who went for a LONG time before they began to lose. But, then it just began to ROLL off, and they were on their way. If you have concerns, talk to your Surgeon. But I'm pretty certain that he/she will tell you the same thing everyone here is telling you: Relax, and be patient. It will happen. Just give it some time. :crying: HH

Did you lose the 30 pounds prior to surgery? Have you lost any since surgery? It's still odd to me that your doctor will not fill you. My surgeon or fill person has never asked me if I was hungry. They assumed that if you were still eating and not having that tight feeling that you needed more ccs. I have the 10cc band and only have about 4ccs right now. I've felt the fullness from the band but I've also had cravings a lot for sweets etc... and now am focusing on Protein and am feeling full. I could get a fill in the next two weeks and will try it again. I know weight gain or weight issues in general can have some psychological issues attached to them but it seems that physically you're not feeling it the restriction and I don't understand your doctor's position on this. Therapy is great but the therapist might also help you to get the message across to your doctor that something is not right and he needs to check it out. It's definitely puzzling to me! Good luck, brandyII.

I am just over a year out from surgery, and am doing well (in my opinion) on the weight loss front. I have lost 100 pounds (285 to 184ish at 5'9"), and am just 10 pounds from what I considered my "stretch" goal weight, meaning what I thought before surgery to be my "thats too skinny" weight. That weight is 175, and is what I am after now. Yet, I have fallen off the "diet" wagon, as well as the exercise wagon, and am stalled. In all seriousness, I can handle the stall. No big deal. I'm not gaining. I'm at my original goal weight. I'm sure I will pick it back up again and find a way to drop that final 10 once summer gets here. What worries me is this: I am back to over eating. And its causing digestive trouble that is affecting my day to day activities. I am eating too much (yes, FAR less than what I used to eat, but I am still eating too much), and my stomach is not having it at all. I think what happens (totally guessing here) is that my stomach gets too full, then dumps everything (or at least some of its contents) into the intestines to make room. While I have heard of dumping syndrome, I do not have the light headeness, or any of the other physical symptoms (pain, etc.) that dumping is usually associated with, other than the digestive trouble. While the good part of this is that I think the food is not digested properly so I am not extracting all o the calories from the food, resulting in no weight gain, I am having to make frequest trips to the bathroom lately, and I dont like that. Also, usually the problem surfaces the day after I eat too much, so that makes me think its not dumping as well. Basically, what I am looking for is this: Any one who has faced this problem, what did you do to curb over eating? Have you heard of the above situation before, and know it to be caused by or termed something that I am not seeing? I really appreciate the feedback, and will keep an eye on the thread to respond to replys. Thanks!

@Deedee12Thank you! I don't know quite who to talk to @ Aetna, I was thinking a case manager may be able to help me. I too would just barely meet criteria if just applying for a sleeve as I am just obese, have no co-morbidities. In the clinical policy bulltetin there are options A-D for repeat bariatric surgery and all of them require "compliance" with diet and exercise program which is hard to show because when I was successful I did not frequently see a doctor for my band. I started seeing a doctor when my reflux started and i started gaining weight. My doctor prefers to do the removal and revision in 2 different surgeries but if there is no complications will do it all in one. My fear is that if i Just get the lapband removed I will be denied for a sleeve. Even without the "compliance records" I feel like with the damaged lapband evidenced by xray and the reflux and weight gain I should be approved for a revision---I feel that with all the research and data out about lapband complications insurance suggesting another band or a band fix is ridiculous! The person at my doctors office just keeps saying this may be tricky, I want to know from someone at the insurance company what I need to submit exactly to be approved. I have a POS II policy. I don't know who to talk to there or where to start and would like to speak to someone before submission because I know a denial can be difficult to fight. I am also choosing to go out of network because the previous physician I had seen did not catch all the problems visible on Xray with my band. I appreciate all of your advice, thank you! If you have any other suggestions I would appreciate it! Thanks! Maura

Hello Everyone, Was looking for some insight. I have been having weight gain and some left side pain and have found out that my lapband tubing is disconnected and there has been a slip, I'm most likely going to convert. Does anyone know what aetna requires before a conversion? Thank you!

@@justhere4theshow Waking up like that is horrible! I would ask for a different med to see if that helps. Sometimes the combination of meds are needed. In terms of the weight gain - don't panic - you are probably retaining water or constipated. Be sure to hydrate! Take care!

Had surgery 3/19 ..193lbs...Bm on 3/23..192lbs Monday morning 195...can anyone tell me what's going on? We all are Superstars!*

Thanks for the dose of encouragement!! Last year was the year from hell. The result was the weight gain. I know I have to put the past in the past and move forward. Any how, I am from The Town of Tonawanda. It's about half way between the city of Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Are you familiar with these areas?? Where do you live? You mentioned that you needed a little encouragement yourself. Anything I can do?! I've heard of the doctor that did your surgery. I also know of a couple of people who live in Buffalo who have had gastric bypass by two different surgeons. One, a male, lost alot of weight. The other (obviously female) did okay, but lost her weight very slowly and didn't lose as much. Tell me all about where you are in your journey. I would love to hear it!!

Please be careful with seroquel. It is known to cause weight gain.

I no longer eat bread, have a hard time with meat, (about to give that up) and as far as rice, I need to mix it up real good with something, but cannot eat it straight. There are other things I have given up. But I eat more fish than ever before, and chicken. More vegetables. I suppose I could get a slight unfill to enjoy more foods, but to the contrary I can't wait till my next appointment in Feb so I can get a slight fill because weight gain has slowed way down, plateaued.