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So I got down to 196 now a week later I'm 198 wth??? Anybody else go thru this? Should I b concerned? I had surgery 1/24/11 btw

Travelling down was not great, my compression band was really irritating! It is heavy, and it creases, and put pressure right on the ends of my incision! While I was in Texas, I went shopping, and found a firmest control type of high waisted compression he told me I could move to after 2 weeks, and let me tell you it made a HUGE difference!!! It is made of soft sleek material, as opposed to the other that was stiff. I bought 1, to see how it did, and have already been back to buy another! I am allowed to move to less firm control after 4 weeks.....so will see what I do then. Other than that the trip was uneventful. I was concerned about weight gain! I am on antibiotics---so have to eat 3 meals a day with the pills to avoid making myself sick at my stomach. Since we were there such a short time, we didn't really open up the house much, so did not turn on appliances---so ate out the entire time, or with relatives. But I only come home 2 pounds up, and when the swelling from the heat went away so did the 2 pounds. But that means I am still sitting at 177----time to get busy I guess!!! I did end up with some infection, which he said was highly common when the fat necrosis begins, due to the moist areas. It was grown and only shows a strept type infection, no staph type grew. It is still oozing, and has some open areas. My incision is not curved, it is more angled, following the angles of my body. It begins on one hip, and goes down on an angle to the "corner" of the pubic bone, then straight across, way low, right at the pubic hairline, then when it gets to the other side it angles back up to the other hip bone. From the edge of the pubic bone on both sides up to the hip bone it looks awesome! Healed almost invisibly!!! BUT the straight across part looks horrible, oozy, and has a couple of holes in it. He says it is ok, but I am concerned, and looking forward to my appointment Wed. to see if it should still be this way. I want it better!!! It does not hurt. There is no real pain left. Occasionally I stretch further than before and a muscle twinges, but nothing bad. I went for a motorcycle ride last night!!! It felt wonderful! Didn't go far, just a maiden voyage since surgery!!! DH said he sure could feel the difference in room on the bike! My size 12's are still what I am wearing, they are loose enough to be comfy and yet look like they fit. One of the biggest differences in the compression garments is how my clothes work with them. The old one was made with this ace bandage kind of like texture, so it helped hold up clothes that were too big. The new one being slick----does not!!! Almost lost a pair of pull on capris! I was walking in a store in Brownwood Texas, and felt like the crotch was twisting----nope, they were almost falling off!!! I would have been so mortally embarassed!! LOL!!! Anyway, gonna go check on the girls coming up!!! Just wanted to let you know, the travelling was fine----I did get my Dr.'s ok first though!!! Kat

I've always found exercise a better preventer of weight gain than it is a cause of weight loss. I can run 10km in an hour and burn 1000 calories - now that is quite effective exercise which will contribute to weight loss. But if you can only walk slowly for half an hour and burn 250 calories, hmmm, not so much. Your loss is going to be more dependent on what you eat. But the two go hand in hand. What exercise does for your body in terms of its composition and condition cant be underestimated and almost without exception successful bandsters are dedicated exercises. It makes the difference between being a 50% statistic and losing 100% of your weight, it provides a focus and goals that are helpful in the journey, it shapes your body and makes it healthier, honestly, you're mad not to work exercise into your schedule. And when it comes to being able to indulge a little and not gain weight, exercise is your best friend.

Had pre-op bootcamp today. Xrays, bloodwork, education, etc. But when I came in I had a 5 lb weight gain and my left leg is swollen (normal for me) but my Water pills are not pulling Fluid like normal and I am not sure if it is due to lack of sleep. Since they gave me my surgery date, I cannot sleep but 10-20 minutes at a time. Going to see my pcp at 3...just frustrated. Sent from my SM-S920L using the BariatricPal App

Hi...glad to see I'm not the only one gaining weight. I am on maintenance and found Doritos. Delicious, cruncy, and go right thru. Gained 2 pounds this week. A body cannot gain weight unless there is too much intake. Even those w/ medical issues that causes weight gain won't gain weight if they don't eat. - not realistic; however. I am just going back to meal planning and ensuring I have plenty of food that won't cause weight gain (I slime if I eat to much) and stay away from Doritos. Yes, get a fill. Paying out of pocket is something many if not most of us do. But it's so worth it! Good luck and keep us posted.

These are the things that I think have made me successful: DIET: I eat 1200 cal a day and I break it down as follows: 50% Protein (150gm) 40% fat (53gm) and 10% net carbs (30gm). Net carbs is derived from taking the total carbohydrate and subtracting the grams of Fiber. I religiously keep track of all my food and exercise at myfitnesspal.com and you can manually input the calories and p/c/f any way you want. I use it a lot for planning as well. Around lunch time, I see how much of each I have left and I play around and input different things that I could have for supper, and choose the one that fits in to what I have left for the day. Some of my favorite foods are: string cheese, Atkins chocolate Peanut Butter and Caramel Nut Chew Bars, a homemade ham, cheese and spinach omlette, 100 cal packs of almonds, Smart Ones Salisbury Steak & Veg, Turkey & Potatoes, Roast Beef and Potatoes, Lean Cusine Herb chicken & Veg, Healthy Choice Beef Merlot. Hungry Girl Flat Out breads make great sandwiches, pizzas, burritos, tacos, sloppy joes, etc.-get the whole wheat with flax one (always near the deli) and I like Nature's Own Whole Wheat Double Fiber. I have to have bread toasted to go thru my band. My go-to fast food is a small Wendy's chili. You can find the nutritional information for most all restaurants at dwlz.com and exercise4weightloss.com. There will be restaurant links. I also drink 10-12 cups of Water per day, so I label the 16oz bottles 1-6, because I lose track if I'm busy at work. I will occasionally use the sugar free flavorings. My favorites are Hawaiin Punch Lemon berry and Cherry Limeade. I drink nothing carbonated, nor do I drink any caffeine. I was told the carbonation stretched out your stomach and makes you hungrier. First thing in the morning, I get down 2 bottles of water, 1 on the way to work and I make a point of finishing it before I get there. Then I drink my Protein shake about 9am. Then I dont drink anymore water until about 30min-1hr before lunch and I have my 3rd bottle. Otherwise, you will wash the shake down and get less benefit from it making you feel full. I do not ever drink anything 20 min before a meal, during, or 1-2 hr after, then I drink one late in the day and one on the way home. I always eat the protein 1st, then vegetable, then carb. I almost always eat a lower carb WW, Healthy Choice or Lean Cuisine meal for lunch, then reasonable dinner. You can look at the nutritional content of each of the frozen meals online and then it is easier to pick them up at the store than looking at the back of every box. I probably eat the same 10-12 meals all the time. I really don't snack much. If I do, I try to eat a Protein Bar on the way home for work so I'm not tempted while I'm cooking supper. PROTEIN: This is by far the single most important part of my success. For Breakfast everyday I have a protein shake. My favorite is Pure Protein, which comes in an 11oz can with 35gm of protein. I like the Chocolate, banana and strawberry the best. vanilla was just ok. I did not like the consistancy of the Cookies and creme. I havent found a chocolate mint one in the store to try yet because it is new. I only get the 35 gm ones- that way you get more "bang for your buck" as far as higher protein content for the least amt of carbs and calories. If you end up not liking them, you still only have to drink just the 11 ounces. They are kind of expensive- they end up being about $2.25 each, but who doesnt spend that at a drive thru anyway? It has been worth the investment for me and IT WORKS. I always feel full before I finish the shake.You can buy single cans to try at Vitamin Shoppe, but once I figured out which ones I liked, I bought them by the case thru amazon.com. I also like a powder made by Forza Pro in chocolate mint. It is a very smooth powder and mixes well and only availabe tha Nurtishops. It has 30gm of protein a scoop. HEAD HUNGER: This has improved over time for me, but this is the one thing that no one can really prepare you for pre-op. It just plain hard sometimes. Have I ever cheated? Sure. But just because you take one step back, it doesnt mean you have to fall down the whole flight of stairs. I kind of have a 5 bite rule: if I want something really bad- I eat 5 bites and walk away. Get it in your head this is a TOOL, not a cure. You can sabotage this easily with slider foods. You will still be on a "diet" with the band. You still have to make good decisions everyday for the rest of your life. Which do you want more???? WEIGHT: I do well with negative feedback- I choose to let it motivate me instead of discourage me. Therefore, I weigh myself every single day, first thing in the morning. I also track it on myfitnesspal.com. If my weight is up, I can look back over the previous day or two and identify the problem. Then I correct it, not dwell on it, and MOVE ON. Pat Summitt, famous coach of the Lady Vols and my hero, always said you get 24 hours to Celebrate a victory and 24 hours to feel sorry for yourself when you lose a game, then get over it and get back to work. That what I try to do. I would not do well if I had a big surprise 3-5 lb weight gain after not weiging for a week and then trying to figure out where I went wrong. Some people hate weighing every day. I want to know sooner than later. I have figured out to a science how many carbs, fat, protein, etc I can have a day to lose and it takes the guesswork out of it, but this took several weeks, and it keep changing as I lose also. I got annoyed with my scale at home, so I did some research and bought one on Amazon called EatSmart Precision Digital scale and I really like it. I make sure it on the same tile block in my kitchen everyday and I zero it out then step on- and only once. I searched a really long time for the perfect one and this has certainly been worth it. That is the mentality I use. I do go to Weight Watchers religiously. No one is going to teach a nurse and master dieter something she doesnt already know. Some people think it silly to pay a weekly fee to let someone else weigh you. It's a proven fact that people who go to meetings lose 1/3 more weight than people who do it online or on their own. I am as proud of my 10% keychain, my 25lb, 50lb and 75lb charms as anything. I am also always good on Mondays before weigh in. Another negative feedback thing for me. EXERCISE: 45 minutes of aerobics twice a week with my girlfriends from church who don't care how stupid we look doing it. I hope this helps someone! Maybe bits and pieces of what I do may help you in some way. That is what were are all here for! Good luck on your journey!

This is the start to my journey back to a former life. Yesterday I complete the six month doctor visits that is required by my insurance company (BCBS). I am now waiting for the insurance companies OK stamp on my paperwork. I know how slow paperwork can creep through the system, so I am a month or more from surgery. I am starting off a 365lbs at 5'11" and BMI about 50. I am borderline with a few medical issues that haven't cropped up yet, so I better do something. Yes, I have tried the diet plans from A to Z and a few I have tried a few more than once. Part of my problem is a bad back problem I recieved for a car accident in May 1990. At that time I was a 210, six foot military man in good shape. Since, it has been a downward spiral of weight gain and pain... Now, is the time for me to turn this around before medical issues crop up or death replaces this life. If you care to read my journey, I plan on posting at each event while going through this change of life. Since, my goal is 210, I might be writing for awhile. If you care to comment I would love to hear from you. -Bill

Hello Everyone, I am a year out of surgery and I am planning on getting pregnant. I wanted to hear from others as I am scared of the high risk pregnancy and malnutrition. I am also very terrified of the weight gain as I am addicted to the scale now (I literally had to have my husband hide the scale from me). Has anyone had a baby after weight loss? How did you handle putting on weight? How did you not gain a lot of weight? I have a doctors appointment tomorrow and will talk to them about being on a strict diet. Before surgery I was diabetic and I am fearful that will come back with the pregnancy as well. Any advice or if anyone can share their story and please tell me straight forward. I know everyone is different but I just want to hear the good and the bad. HW 303 SW 296 CW 170

My thoughts exactly. I just returned from my endoscopy this morning. sleeved over 6 years ago and noticed return of reflux (weight gain) and wanted to check it out. Turns out my sleeve is a little stretched and although I was nervous about bypass, I'm moving forward after today as I am not going back and I know what I didn't do with the sleeve..I fully own my part in this setback. I'm doing the pre stuff for revision to bypass and wondered if I was the only one as this doesn't appear to be a big topic. This is my 2nd chance to get it right.

I completely agree with you. I've always been an athlete and I was in the Army and could eat a hardy diet and stay only slightly overweight, and teeter totter back and forth into a healthy BMI when I was required to. The problem was once I stopped working out my appetite was still there and I wasn't working out nearly as much, the weight didn't come on over night, maybe 3 to 4 lbs a month over the course of a few years that added to about a 50+ lbs weight gain. The bigger I got, the hungerier I was, allllll the time. Dr. Alavarez was my surgeon and he did diagnose me with a metabolic disorder just as you had mentioned. The bigger I got, the hungier I was, and I had complete insulin resistance and was even put on medications for it. After surgery my hunger went almost completely away, and now I have it but in the faintest form. Nothing like it was before- that by itself was life altering. I know how to eat healthy and workout, but my brain was always hungry and I was never on the same page with my body. Self control is mysterious to me- so much self control in other areas of my life, and yet I struggled so fiercely with my weight and controlling my eating habbits

Hello to anyone that will take the time. I sailed right through the surgery and it was fantastic. My doctor took great care and I was back to normal about 2 days after surgery. He requires us to stay in the hospital overnight. I followed all the rules and felt absolutely fabulous after surgery. I started walking right away and of course on liquids for 2 complete weeks and then mushy for the next 2 and then incorporated solids slowly. After about the first month I was 11 pounds down! I was totally happy with that! But after I started eating it was no problem at all eating. When I went in for my first fill I was still 8 pounds down and felt absolutely nothing after the fill. Maybe for the first 5 days I really took it easy. 2 months after I had another appt. I had lost exactly 1/2 pound and it's because I was never full. I can't do it on willpower alone. He filled me (I'm up to 5ccs now) It was perfect for about 5 days and then and NOW I can basically eat everything and anything. There is no restriction! Consequently I've gained back all the 11 pounds plus and I'm so depressed. And calling this guy and trying to get an appointment is like pulling teeth. It takes 2 months to get an appointment. Luckily for me (after all this weight gain) I'm scheduled for next week! Has anyone else gone through all of this? I thought you weren't supposed to be able to eat much. I can take pills and swallow big chunks of food with no problem. Can anyone offer me any advice at all? I'm so desperate. I've called the doctor's office every week for a month but they "can't get me in sooner". Is anyone else having a scheduling problem? Should I try to be seen somewhere else? I'm really lonely about this because I don't really have anyone to talk to. I would appreciate any help anyone can give me. Also, when I go in next week what should I say about a fill? Tell them to close me up? I would prefer to only be able to drink liquids for about 2 months at least. :sad:Thank you

as long as you are mindful of the types of food that you are eating, this is normal. I lost up front until i started solid foods and then did not loose any weight for a couple of weeks and then started loosing. it is natural for us to fear the weight gain as for most of us we have not been successful with dieting and what has been our experience with that? we gain...keep heart. Journal your food, water, and exercise keep track of your measurements as sometimes your body will loose inches and not pounds. Good luck to everyone no matter what stage in the process that you are!

@@Dub Love the pictures lol Mine is my pre-weight gain clothes. Right now I have a closet full of stuff that doesn't look like anything I could possibly ever wear but I'm less then a month post-op, so it's going to be a while. Congrats on your progress!

BlueSea, Isnt it amazing when your on the path to WLS that you notice the small things in life. Especailly how others eat their food. I agree with your decision to continue to be private about your upcoming surgery. And even with the knowledge of your friends possible WLS you had the respect to allow her to continue her journey for a healthier life style. No matter what that is something you should be proud of! When I started WLS journey I knew it is something I feel I want to guard with all my heart. Not because I feel I am weak as a person because all of us have face the unsettling judgement of others during weight gain moments of our life. I just want to protect myself and my journey and not be derailed by others comments. I am doing this for me and my family to have a long and healthy life. I lost my father to obesity plan and simple he was very young. So for me I have been on this journey to get healthy and happy with the wonderful tool of VSG also I didnt want my daughter to go through the same pain in her young life. And I have a little cheerleader on my side!! So Happy I did this!! Wishing you the very best!

@emleyrose https://asmbs.org/patients/bariatric-surgery-misconceptions http://www.healthline.com/health-news/bariatric-surgery-patients-see-weight-gain-after-honeymoon-period-080515#2 http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/fullarticle/2422341 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2174497/How-gastric-surgery-patients-ALL-weight-on.html

There is a chance that you may qualify and if you do not qualify, there is an appeals process. I was recently approved by my insurance company but before submitting the paper work to the Insurance company I was told you may not get approved because I had gained weight. I had my lap-band drained in March and started to put a few pounds on. Visit #2, I was told I cannot put on any more weight, I have to show my ability to lose weight. My 3rd visit I was down 5 lbs and I was told you may not get approved because you gained weight and didn't lose all the weight gained. I wasn't told you cannot gain weight at my initial visit. I think they prepare you for the worst possible outcome. Good luck

Hey Ezma! Girl you are looking great!! Haven't been on in a while and noticed the title of this..well you're not alone. I just finished commiserating with Lil Miss about our weight GAIN and loss and plateaus!!:cursing:I walk every day but now it's time to start with something a little more aggressive! I like the Wii idea..I've heard it's lots of fun from other folks here..but I have the old Richard Simmons tapes..dancin to the oldies! Believe it or not they are fun! :wink2: But I don't even do this in front of my DH! Don't think I will until I have more weight loss because I can see myself in the reflection and just have to laugh at how corny I am compared to the other guys and gals on the video!!:tt2:

Challenage Accepted. Need to lose holiday weight, gained a whole 10 pounds from holloween to new years.

Hey Teresa Ive been wondering about you also. Been missing hearing from you. I feel like we are in the same boat. I was banded on 5-6-04, and have not had a fill yet, yet I have steadily lost weight. But this weekend just went out the window eating properly. My scales show a 2 lb weight gain, so I am trying desperatly to get back on track. Keep in touch...Janie

I'll check in with you on Monday to see if the evil weight gain has gone. Congrats on the 5 lbs.!

Week 28 (7 months) Last week’s weight – 195.8 This week’s weight – 195.8 Total weight gained/lost this week – 0 Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 50.4 lbs I need to have a serious “talk” with myself. I am not happy with this yo-yoing I am going through. Currently my weight is fluctuating between 197 – 195.8. I know this is due to a lack of focus. I hit the 50 lb mark and now I am not as motivated or as focused as I was. My worst time is after work. I am bored or avoiding house work. That is when I munch and drink. This is what I ate yesterday – 16 oz of water Slimfast ready made drink with 20 grams of protein Walked into a training where the trainer had Halloween candy. I ate 6 small twix and 3 whoppers (not hungry it was just there). Cream of Chicken soup at hand Crystal Light Lemonaid with 20 grams of protein (added strawberry protein stuff from Unjury) Dinner with friend at Outback Firefly Lemonaid Drink (had a few sips and then took home and finished later) Ceaser Salad Chicken Flatbread Pizza Appetizer (ate one slice and then took the rest home which I ate later) [*]Finished rest of flatbread pizza (shared 3 slices with husband) and drink [*]Ate a bunch of pistachio nuts (not hungry – bored while watching TV – avoiding laundry) [*]Ate a bunch of dried mangos (not hungry – bored while watching TV – avoiding laundry) I did work out in the morning – Crossfit. In hindsight I should have not ordered the drink. I should have avoided the Halloween candy. I should have had the croutons taken off my salad. I should have drunk more water. I should have avoided the pistachio and dried mangos. Ugh….I stepped on the scale this morning and yup I was up from 195.8 to 197.2 (not counting it because I only record weight on Wednesday). Need to be more mindful about my eating and drinking this week.

You can totally eat too much eventually! DougNichols posted about running into a 4-yr sleever who was still overweight and just ate around her sleeve. I'm on vacation now and have been consuming a ton of calories, too! You can't down an entire cheeseburger or a burrito or something, but if you eat frequently, eat high-calorie items, and drink sugary drinks and are sedentary, you could easily gain weight. I probably had like 3000 calories yesterday....I'm not stressing because I also walked 10 miles and was active otherwise (swimming, etc), but if I was sedentary, this would definitely translate into weight gain.

I just started Linzess this morning. So how much weight gain did you experience? He told me yesterday it would not cause weight gain? *sobbing* Sorry about your thyroid going out. Do you think it could be coincidental? That you gained cuz of hypothyroid issues rather than the Linzess? I don't have any experience with the Trulance. Wish I could give feedback.

I have some regrets. I was not always overweight, my weight gain happened within the past 8-10 years. I went to an information seminar, really just wanting to find out more about my options. At the end, they asked for our insurance cards. Next thing I knew, the clinic called and said I had been approved by my insurance, was scheduled for tests, and had a surgery date. 3 weeks later, I was in surgery. Besides my weight, I didn't have any health problems, no comorbidities, etc. I wish I had taken more time to make the decision, and spend time on a doctor supervised diet, like so many others on here have done. Of course, without the surgery I might never have put the time and energy in to diet and exercise that I do now. I'll just never know. I think this is a decision that should not be entered into lightly, everyone should do plenty of research and spend a lot of time on these boards before taking this step. I didn't do that and have too many "what ifs" and "maybe I should haves" to put behind me. I bowed to the pressure to move quickly when I should have put the brakes on and given it more consideration.

You know, I just started about a week ago but seldom because its been linked to weight gain. I was doing th sf monsters but it would take me all day to drink and I would dehydrate. Though crystal lite raspberry lemonade. Sooo good!! I like to mix it in a bottle and stick it in the freezer until it starts to freeze. Good and refreshing.