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@ Thanks for your honesty. With weight loss surgery the work is never over..Right? Bravo to you for getting back on the horse. No point in beating yourself up over the weight gain. Push forward. We know you have done this before and you can do it again.

On my liquid phase I lost about 16 pounds. I'm on my 3rd week (mushy foods) and after going from the liquid stage to the mushy foods I went up about 4 pounds. On liquids I was on about 300 to 400 calories a day to now about 700 - 1,000 per day. Why the weight gain if the calories are still low (under 1200)? When does the weight start coming off at a normal rate of 1 to 2 pounds a week? Once I start regular food and go to maybe 1200 will I gain all my weight back? Please let me know if this is typical in the beginning? Thanks,

Thanks Macman. It just seems strange that my straying didnt seem to effect my ability to lose, but now it and my same eating is causing me to gain. I havent really changed anything, and am not aware of what I would change to go into maintenance mode. If anything, it would seem that any change in mode would result in weight gain. I am comfortable where I am, but I dont want to be so obsessed with my eating every minute of the day - that is the DIET model, which I hate and was the whole reason I got the surgery in the first place. Congrats to you. At your height, I would think you must feel pretty good where you are...?

Hi Ladies- first hope all of you are well! It's been a while since I posted but now that I am post delivery (my little girl is 2 months old already!) I wanted to share my experiences being pregnant and delivering with the band should it be helpful at all: - My 10cc band was filled to 5.5 cc at the time I learned I was pregnant - My surgeon suggested we leave the band filled as long as I could eat- subsequently I never had an unfill throughout my pregnancy - Food: Before I got pregnant I had not eaten any bread/crackers or other types of carbs since my surgery. My first trimester was filled with daily nausea and I got through it by turning to carbs to settle my stomach also ginger ale which I would let go flat first. - Weight Gain: I gained 50 pounds during my pregnancy- most of it in the last 3 months. I did notice that as I grew so did my appetite and most days did not feel much restriction At delivery I was over 300 lbs and suffered no complications- in fact my entire pregnancy was pretty uneventful (thankfully!). I had the normal swelling in the last weeks and some carpal tunnel in my hands but that was about it. - Delivery: My daughter was 2 weeks late...and after 17 hours of labor we ended up need a c-section to finally get her out! Now post delivery I have lost 30 pounds from delivery but find my appetite and sweet spot gone. My surgeon would not do a fill without an upper GI first to make sure the integrity of the band was intact after pregnancy and delivery. Happy to say the test went well and have had my fill (6 ccs) and feel the return of the sweet spot! All in all, I experienced NO complications with my band during pregnancy and delivery. The only thing I noticed was that the port was VERY easy to feel as my belly was huge towards the end and many times it was mistaken for the baby's foot :-) Would also like to add that I have NEVER vomitted either post surgery or throughout my pregnancy. Good luck to all you ladies and am happy to answer any questions! Have happy and healthy pregnancies! xoxox abby

I just had gastric sleeve surgery on Dec 17, 2015 and I the only ones who know are my husband, our twelve-year-old daughter, my mom and my best friend of 30 years. I went in to surgery weighing 279, and today, twelve days later, weigh 266. Post-surgery is going well. I'm feeling better and still on the bland, mostly liquid/pureed diet, and thankfully, haven't had any real issues with portion control and keeping things down. My husband, daughter and mom are 100% supportive. My best friend's reply to the surgery news, however, was that I was "lucky" to be having weight loss surgery. She's a petite gal, and when we were in college, was a size 4 (me, a size 14). At age 50 now, she's probably a size 10. So, I don't see her as ever having had much of a weight issue that a little diet and exercise can't fix. Me, I went from 135 lbs in college to a whopping 308 lbs before deciding to have surgery. Like many of you, I've struggled since puberty with weight gain and health issues and have battled my way through POCS, infertility, fibroid tumors, gerd, gout, sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, RA, anxiety, etc., and finally sought bariatric surgery for some relief from all of it. At present, I have chosen not to tell my extended family about my surgery. Even though no one on my side of the family has had to deal with obesity, I know they will be supportive because they've always been supportive of me and each other (and, if for nothing else, my four normal size brothers will stop feeling embarrassed about their "fat" sister.) But, I know based on past history, my in-laws and my husband's siblings won't be. Some of them are obese and miserable, so not being overweight anymore will definitely ruffle some feathers with both the skinny and not so skinny ones. Heck, my MIL was jealous that I got a new (used) car for Christmas. (Didn't matter that it's 9 yrs old and we desperately needed a decent second vehicle so my husband can get to work.) She couldn't even be happy about that!!! So, I'm not looking forward to a conversation about anything personal like my weight loss or appearance. Wish me luck new bariatric weight loss friends.... and please let me know how you've handled your friend/family struggles with this topic. I really could use some support and encouragement and specifically what effective responses you gave to others in handling your version of this problem. I know I'm in for a bumpy ride when the weight starts coming off and I can't hide that I had surgery! Thanks

Your doc is right--the emotional roller coaster IS very normal. Some people don't have it at all; others have it big-time. I was (and still am) someone who has it big-time. Is there a therapist that is connected with the bariatric program you're in that you could see? It might help a lot. I know it has for me. Also if you have access to bariatric support groups (in person ones), they can be very helpful. Body image is a huge adjustment for a lot of us and has many layers that can surface. Maybe you can do some online searching (WLS body image; WLS self confidence). Also, if you haven't ever tried journaling, maybe you might want to look into doing that. Really think about all the progress you've made, and that you don't want to allow yourself to do these "cheat meals/days." You are better than that, and you deserve better than that for yourself. Stay on your program, because cheating eating is going to send you down the road to weight gain and we all know how depressing that can be. Try not to be too hard on yourself. Sometimes we just have to let our feelings sit there for awhile while our brains catch up. It sounds like you've accomplished a lot in a short 7 months. This is a big life-changing event. Right up there with graduations, marriage, having kids, etc. There's a lot of learning, growing, and adjusting to go. Just go with the flow. Take care.

Are your weight gains the fault of the band or your fault for not following the program? The band has been successful for some and there are people out there who swear by them (as opposed to swearing AT them). Fix whatever is broken so, if it's the band's fault, then go for the revision. If your eating habits are the problem, then why undergo surgery? Even with the VSG, you have to make it work... it won't do it all by itself. Best of luck on whatever you decide.

HAVE YOU GAINED WEIGHT AFTER YOUR SLEEVE. Hello everyone. I haven been on this forum for quite a while. I was sleeved back in June 2012. I had the lapband revision to sleeve. So far I've lost 45lbs give or take. My starting weight was 216. I lost my first 20 very quickly but from there on its was like pulling teeth.LOL. Anyhow a year to the day I had emergency gallbladder surgery and had to stop working out for a few month, gained a couple of pounds I was able to loose them again. For the past year and half I had endured Iron infusion for my low iron and hemoglobin. In December my OB/GYN decided I needed a total hysterectomy had the surgery done December 19 again had to stop working out and again gained roughly about 10 this lbs I haven't been able to loose it. I'm very worried and upset that I will be gaining more and more. I'm back working out and I'm very careful with what I eat and nothing scale won't move I know I haven't lost inches either because my clothes still fit tight. Everyone keeps telling it's because of the last surgery and that I look fine. It's sad because I don't like what I see in the mirror. And upsetting because I've put my body through so much and I don't want to be I vain.

I typed up a whole blog introducing myself and such, but I will give a much shorter version here! :smile2: I'm Ryan, I'm a 27 yo single mother, current (and heaviest weight) is 267, and in the process of getting banded (hopefully, if God allows!!) I am from Savannah, GA and will hopefully be banded in January. I have quit smoking in order to get banded, and have mulled over this decision for quite some time... luckily I work in a hospital (don't let that fool you, it's not like i get any special privilages or anything with the surgeons!) and have found a testimonial which finally gave me the last "umph" to believe in myself and know that I CAN and WILL be successful if/when I get banded... and I just wanted to share it with you... Mary Ann Bowman Beil On June 22, 2009, I celebrated the 5th anniversary of my bariatric surgery. For all of us who have had bariatric surgery, this anniversary date is one of the most celebratory days of our lives. It is a milestone accompanied by a sense of reflection and recommitment. I think that the bariatric patient’s surgery anniversary date should be dedicated to sharpening the tool we’ve been given. I will never forget when I first determined that I would have bariatric surgery. After the long deliberation that most of go through to reach that definitive moment, Dr. Angstadt and Dr. Whipple would constantly remind us all that the surgery was just a tool. No matter how often I have heard them both repeat this gentle admonition, I experienced the exquisite sharpness of the almost complete loss of appetite and hunger in the first year after surgery. This seduced me into the belief that my surgery had so perfectly sharpened my tool of resistance that perhaps it was a solution for me, not just a tool. This is one of the great blessings but myths of the life of the new bariatric patient. But it is a feeling that you want to claim, remember, and strive to recover. When you realize that it abates, you will have to sharpen both the tool and your skills to stay the course of exquisite good health and maintain the lifestyle success that the surgery has now let you glimpse. I have found that there are certain “stones” that you must claim as your own and use with almost religious zeal to keep the tool of bariatric surgery sharp and effective. I think every person who has this surgery builds their own cairn out of the stones that they discover work best to encourage them. So here are a few of mine. Stone #1—Quiet Reflection This one takes different forms for different people—prayer and meditation, transcendental sauntering, yoga, sitting quietly, being. Take your pick, but this is an important discipline as it keeps the bariatric patient in touch with the one thing that our weight and former dependence on food distanced us from—our feelings. You must think about how you feel, stay aware of how you feel and set your compass each and every day to make all of the choices that keep you feeling good, feeling lean, and feeling in control. Stone #2—Meaningful Movement Do something. For me the compliance to this particular “stone” is profoundly personal and it took me almost four years to figure out that I would exercise far more consistently if I would work out early in the morning versus in the evening when I almost always had a conflict or flagging motivation. Committing to a time that no person or event could challenge and making it virtually impenetrable from interlopers made this one of the most significant assurances for me. If I start with this stone on the cairn—even if it is just a 45 minute energetic walk—everything else seems to fall in place. Put simply, if I even reluctantly walk over and pick up this stone (no matter how heavy) and carry it to my weight loss cairn each morning, I know that I will virtually run and, with little effort, pick up the rest of the stones that day and stack them on the monument of the day’s success. Make this stone anything you like—for me it is walking, rowing, dancing, or maybe a touch of light weightlifting that I should actually do more often. Stone #3—Liturgical Vitamin Ceremonies My vitamin consumption has become an almost holy symbol of my intent to honor the body this surgery gave me. I bought a tea box (a wooden box with 12 square compartments) that sits next to my favorite chair. Every morning and night I open it up to behold the vitamin selection that assures my good health. There they all are—the multi vitamin, the Co-Q10, the Calcium, the Colace (still needed from time to time). I take Vitamins several times a day, and each time I take one, I whisper “I am good to me.” Stone #4—The Security of Staples Always, always, always have the staples you need to stay the course for good health. This takes discipline and a list (laminated and always with you). For me, the staples are hard boiled eggs, fat free cottage cheese, Montreal steak spice, Lite Havarti cheese, apples, blueberries, fat-free yogurt, and Crystal Light. These must be in my reach at almost all times or I will most assuredly make the same bad choices that caused my weight gain. Make your own list and carry a small cooler in your car everyday if you must—and I have—so that you have no excuse. Never, never go home without knowing that you have the staples you need there. I do better without too much choice. An important related “stone” to this one was a hard one for me to acknowledge and eventually convince the rest of my family to join me in honoring. I cannot have any food in my house that is not desirable for a weight-loss patient to consume. Once that first year of no appetite passes and hunger makes its inevitable return, the same temptations you once knew will be back. Even though you will feel rotten if you succumb, it is just too tempting. I find the de-temptation of the home environment and replacing it with staples (symbols of on-going health) is critical for me. Any family member frustrated by this strategy can find plenty of excuses to sneak out of the house for a non-healthy treat. Stone #5—Surround Yourself with Stone Masons This has to do with the ongoing support we all need in life to achieve any of the goals we set before us, particularly the goal of good health after weight-loss surgery. For some, this may mean participating in support groups. I have had a mixed reaction to formal groups for bariatric patients. Prior to surgery, I found the groups to be absolutely inspiring with so many stories of success transformation. They were a remarkable source of hope during a time of despair. However, not long after my surgery, I found that most support groups were negative. The participants focused on what wasn’t working, what they couldn’t eat, or what they didn’t like. Since I had been totally prepared for the changes that my surgery was intended to bring, I did not find what I wanted in a group. Look intentionally for a support group that absolutely encourages the excitement (and yes, reality) of a body that has been readjusted completely to bring about a transformation. Yes, our cups may now be literally half full, but our lives and futures are virtually overflowing. Surround yourself with people who see it that way and, do as I did, select your own personal support team. The people on that team are your stone masons who will help you set the stones you choose in place and secure them for life. Stone #6—Celebrate and Play At least once a quarter, take a day to do nothing but Celebrate. Keep a list of the things that you always said that you would do when you lost the weight—take a hike, ride a horse, go to a concert, climb a mountain, go sit on the beach and watch a sunset, shop, etc. Write down everything you can imagine and, like a bucket list, do them one by one. Plan these important days, give them to yourself and review the stones in your weight-loss structure. If you can, take the day off on your surgery anniversary and honor your good health. Stone #7—Share the Joy Take some of the new energy of life that is most certainly one of the extraordinary benefits of weight-loss surgery and give it away to somebody who needs it. Do this in whatever way the world calls you to give something back. People carry “weight” in very many ways and I think we end up with an obligation once ours is gone, to help others carry their own or lose it as the case may be. Stone #8—Lighten Up and Face the Facts The reality of my numbers is as follows. The last time I weighed prior to surgery, I was a precious but substantial 327 pounds. I would lose a total of 167 pounds, 18 of which have found their way back. Of course, this predictable weight gain is a fact that strikes sheer terror in the heart of any person who has struggled with weight loss and knows how easy and devious the return of pounds can be. However, using the stone stacking method described here, I have discovered how to maintain my weight within about a two-pound fluctuation over the past year. Put simply, the balance of stones and habits for me that I have in place right now will accommodate maintenance. What I also know is that if I want to be as lean as I have been (which I very much would), I will have to exercise a bit more and trim some additional calories out of my diet to create that outcome. These are facts, not magic and not a failure of the surgery. Just a reminder that I will have to continue to use my stones in different ways everyday for the rest of my life to sharpen the tool of my surgery and create the monument to good health that I want my cairn to be .

Glad to find these posts - thanks for the information. I was having problems with keeping food down a few weeks ago and my doctor did a complete unfill and wants me to have an upper GI (being scheduled) to make sure I didn't have a slip. I am now feeling better but have gained 7 lbs. I do not feel any pain now - does that mean my band did not slip? My surgeon never mentioned a liquid diet though. I will try that just in case - plus it may help with the weight gain. Good luck.

Hello - I have had my band for over 5 1/2 years. After about 18 mths my band slipped. I think it was from Throwing up. (not confirmed by My Dr) but I know my body and I was getting sick alot when I ate. But I was willing to go thru this to loose the weight. Bad idea. My Dr took some of the fluid out to see if the pouch would reduce/ the swelling to go down on its own. ( it didnt) One thing that can happen when the band slips is your pouch becomes enlarged, and in my case even part of the old stomach made its way up thru the band, thererfore creating a new pouch from my old stomach. So now I had 2 smal pouches, not a good thing, I was able to hold more food, explaining the reason I was not loosing any weight. So I had surgery to replace the band. Well, just a month ago same thing, but this time I have not been throwing up. However I noticed I was and could eat more then I normmaly use to which also explained some weight gain, I thought maybe I need a fill, I went to the Dr and Bam enlarged pouch, then 2 weeks later band slippage. My band now has to be removed for a 2nd time. Things to learn from my post: You must always remember your band is a "TOOL" never take it for granted. If something doesnt feel right it probably isnt. Check it out...Use common sense, most of the time your Dr. does want what is best for you, seek their advice or call the nurse, they are very knowledgable and have probably heard your worry from many others. Do not over-eat and you should not be throwing-up more then the occasional burp-up. Stay in a support group. Band slippage most of the time can be prevented, sometimes not. For me personally I think the first time might have been preventable, I use to beat myself up over it but now that I have had a 2nd slip, I am not so sure, I didnt throw up. Sometimes it just happens....I will be having a revision surgery this July..not another band, not becuase I do not have faith in the band - I do - it took me down 85 lbs, but My Dr says its time for something else. I will either have the Sleeve or the RYN...5 years ago the RYN was a dirty word to me, now I am prepared, it too is still a tool and I am sure it will get me to goal. Would I do it all over again, YOU BETCHA. Love your band!!

Whew! Glad to hear about the weight gain following surgery. I didn't know what was going on!

I experience similar issues. I will eat a healthy 300-350 cal breakfast about 8:30 and by 11 I feel hungry, by 11:30...very hungry. I was at 5.5 but had to get an unfill b/c my healthy protein (meats) were getting stuck and began eating the slider foods which caused me some weight gain. I am probably going to make an appt to discuss this and see what they say. Really confused. I am thinking maybe I am eating too fast at times, but it is always the chicken and turkey that gets stuck.!@#$%. Anyone else????

I came back from vacation today, and my scale is saying I gained 6 pounds. I cannot believe that is true. This vacation was one of the most physical vacations I've done. There was a lot of hiking and exercise. I ate normally (about 800 to 1000 calories a day). I did NOT eat my calories, and I didn't eat sweets and high-calorie things. Most days I ate Breakfast (two eggs), lunch (a couple of pieces of lunch meat rolled up without any spread or bread), and dinner (one night it was chili). The activity level was high. We were walking several miles a day; one day it involved a very hilly three-hour hike. After the hike, I felt like I could walk back the way we came, but my kids and husband wanted to use the shuttle (none of them are overweight). It was a good active vacation with smart food choices. Yesterday, my ankle was swollen quite a bit (I have arthritis). Because of the swelling, I suspect a big portion of this weight gain is Water weight. I am going to up my liquid intake today and hope that things flush out. I'm also going to change the batteries in my scale. I am not trying to be delusional. I had actually expected a loss when I stepped on the scale. I did not do anything that would account for a six-pound increase.

After my RNY gastric bypass surgery, I do not recall my stomach swelling. I had some weight gain because they pumped your body full of fluids in the hospital. This weight gain took less than a week to go away. After surgery your body also produces a lot of gas. Walking helps with this condition. The blood thinner medicine that I took caused my body to bruise very easily. My body really looked like I had been in a boxing match because of the bruising. But after a month this went away.

Glad to hear back from you. 5.5 pounds is fantastic. You are proof you can work off weight gain years out from surgery. Can I ask what you have changed to get back into weight loss mode?

Hi everyone. Yesterday I met with my weight management doctor and he said I am right on track and I can look to having surgery sometime in February. I made an appointment with the surgeon for Tuesday 12/22. I also have an orientation meeting at the hospital on Monday 12/21. Things are moving right along. I'm getting excited now. I also met with a Psychologist yesterday and she talked about the results of a test I took to determine my state of mind. She said I was more depressed than 90% of the people that come in. I told her I thought all people who were struggling with being overweight were depressed. She said yes, to an extent but with my stats she said that it looked like a person that would have trouble with weight gain even after surgery. That scaires me but we talked about it for awhile and I think we're ok. She also strongly supported the Lap Band surgery and said that the device has greatly improved and it's much safer than the other options. They have lost patients with the other surgeries, but never with the Lap Band. I know there are risks but from what I've read on this site, the Lap Band just doesn't seem to last long-term. She kept saying that the VSG is such a long incision and the stomach acid could impair the healing in the lower part of the stomach. She said I should bring up all these things with my surgeon on Tuesday and see what he says. I know there are risks but the VSG still seems to be the best alternative for me at this point. Thank you all for your support and advice.

Just be slightly more strict with yourself and wean yourself off a bit on the snack foods. Like yourself, I had some gain back due to a med that I needed for a TN flare (gabapentin) and got all the way up to 197 pounds. I've since weaned myself off the med after being put on something different that doesn't cause weight gain and I've dropped 10 of the pounds I gained as I'm 187 today, but I don't know if it's even possible to lose the 5-10 more pounds I want as I've been struggling to lose any more despite adjusting and fixing my eating habits. My doctor told me today to not stress about it because some of it may be due to my MCAS and some of the issues it's been causing lately. So maybe a part a part of the weight gain you're experiencing is diet, some from the med, and the other part possibly stress? (stress can cause weight gain as well) If you're struggling with getting your diet back on track just slowly adjust it. Don't stress yourself out even more by denying yourself everything just cut it back slowly bit by bit and eventually you'll be eating better and hopefully the weight will come back off.

According to a bariatric nurse that I know, these are symptoms of a dilated pouch and/or slip: Being able to eat more, weight gain or failure to lose, not feeling full, heartburn, and reflux. I'd consider these signs as over a period of time, not just one occurrence. I've had all of these (except weight gain) at one time or another, but not night after night or day after day. If I had the signs for more than a few days, I'd call my doctor. Relax. Follow MOST of the rules MOST of the time and things should be OK.

I am 5' tall and was 234. I call myself the weeble wobble. I had no comorbidity, in other words I have no illnesses. I didn't have high BP my cholesterol was only up 2 points and down 2 points for good cholesterol. I had no signs of diabetes but I have Hypothyroidism which causes weight gain and then PCOS which causes weight gain. So with the odds stacked against me and wanting to be proactive I was blessed that the insurance approved me. As far as the first few weeks, they are tough, liquid diet to mushy to solids. Definately research recipes ahead of time, it will make your life so much easier to have several ideas for mushy foods. I made thick chili with bison meat. 4oz or half a cup was 23g of Protein. The pain wasn't that bad, as long as you don't lay around. You have to get up and walk and it is uncomfy, but it is much more uncomfortable to have gas trapped in your body. Once on solids before a fill, you are going to be hungry at times, Water, water, water, fluids, fluids, fluds. Stay away from sugar and carbs and you should loose weight fine. I wish you the best of luck.

Hello! I am new here, so I am still finding my way. I had weight gain his me over the past 10+ yrs. like it came on overnight. And I've tried and tried to diet but I always fall back-to-back habits. I had an eye-opening moment where I thought to myself, "You don't really see a lot of overweight elderly people" and that thought hit me hard. I am 40 and much too young to feel this old! My joints ache, my ankles swell, my back hurts, I have high blood pressure, sleep apnea, GERD and anxiety out the wazoo. I am nowhere near ready to die, and I sort of had a "come to Jesus" moment with myself and knew I had to get serious about my weight and health. I have so much to live for and I don't plan on going anywhere any time soon!! I am a mother to a wonderful adult son. I have an amazing boyfriend and a family whom I love dearly. I love my job and have so many blessings that I don't want to take for granted. I keep telling myself "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels", and I know that has to be true. I have one more appointment with my PCP before I can be submitted for insurance approval, and then hopefully a surgery date!

I agree, six months is nothing. My insurance requires a twelve month MD supervised diet. It is just something that you have to do unless you have the resources to go to a surgeon and self-pay. I suggest if you do that, that you do some serious research about the doctor first. Some are wonderful, some are questionable, some are quacks. Also, you need to set up aftercare in your area BEFORE you go elsewhere and have a band placed. Just some things to take into account. I am also here to tell you that six months means EVERY month. Do NOT miss ONE single monthly visit. If you do not have the resources to self-pay or decide that the six month diet is doable, then start right away! Also you have to find out if your policy has a weight loss requirement during this six month program. If so, you need to make sure you loose that weight or you will be denied. I was, and that was despite letters from two doc's saying it wasn't my fault and that I was sick and on meds that precipitated my weight gain. Good Luck!

These are my personal observations about my own weight issues. I have spent years struggling with real and imagined issues with food. I decided to have the lap band surgery after about 4 months of deep and meditative introspection about what my true 'issue' with food was. I had tried everything as many of you have. But when I took a good look at why diets, exercise & food control issues failed for me I realized a lot. One thing that became clear was that I was using food to 'medicate' myself. Every issue, large or small good or bad was medicated with food. I used food in place of dealing with my true issues. Tired, bored, happy or sad I solved the problem with food. It was no wonder I was never full. It was no wonder I was always reaching for something to eat. I would attempt to make healthy choices, I would exercise and I still did not lose weight for all the biological reasons doctors explain about metabolism. But the bottom line was that food was always front and center in my mind. I hated the grocery store like most people hate going to the dentist. I realized at one point that food, for me, was in actuality, an addiction (I speak for myself only, of course). And I realized that this was the worst kind of addiction ever. People can give up alcohol completely and live, they can give up cigarettes & drugs and still live. They can completely remove themselves from temptation of those substances (in extreme cases of course) and function. But food addicts can't. No one ever says, "Oh, I'll just have a little heroin today." But food addicts do. We attempt to restrict the thing that helps get us emotionally and physically through the day. The bad news is that we can never truly escape our addiction to food, after all, we need food to live. The only thing we can do is make vital attempts to undertand our relationship with food, make changes where necessary, & most of all understand ourselves and WHY food is so gosh darn important to us. If we could simply view food as fuel we wouldn't overeat, right? After all, there's no sense in overfilling your fuel tank in your car, is there. But that's not so easily done. Food has a powerful influence in our lives. We Celebrate with it, we suffer through mourning with it, we simply need it to survive. So I had to ask myself, "What the heck are you trying to avoid by numbing yourself with food?" It took a ot of time and listening to things my inner self didn't want to listen to but in the end the answer to that question was...."Everything!" What I lacked in my relationship was covered by my relationship with food. What was lacking physically after a workout was covered by the physical apsects of food. What was lacking in the department of self-love was covered by food. For me food was a cure all. I didn't have to search for answers anywhere else, I didn't have to look for solutions to deep and heavy issues in relationships because food cured those for me. Food, for me, simply made those things go away. Unfortunately the side effects were a catch 22. The food made me feel better in the moment but then almost as soon as I'd eat it I'd start to realize that I did not do myself any favors and of course would feel intrinsically bad and would search for more food to cure the problem...creating a catch 22. For me the answer came one day when i took a good hard look at myself. I realized that I really did love myself but what I was doing with food was inherently NOT loving to myself. I knew then and there that the best way to love myself was to overcome my addiction to food and start solving the little issues of life some other way other than food. But how? I attempted to gain control of my eating. I made health choices, exercised and foced on all foods I put into my body as a gift of love to myself. Food is fuel not medication, I would tell myself. Some days I would do very well, and others I would fail miserably. Days when emotional issues, fatigue, stress or other stressors increased I would feel myself quickly losing control over my new found 'self-love' mantra and back through the drive through I'd go. After many attempts to control increasing hunger after workouts & emotional eating I decided I needed help. I did my research on the lap band and decided that it was the right thing for me. I'm a natural health kinda person so the thought of surgery was not an easy prospspect for me but I knew this was the right thing to do. I did struggle a little with the thought that I SHOULD be able to hand this on my own, after all I did have good in-control days, sometimes. But my weight was getting dangerously high and I knew I had passed my personal point of no return, weight wise. So I chose the surgery. I came to the conculsion that I would probably always have an addiction to food deep down. Just like recovering alcoholics say...you are always recovering. I knew I'd always be recovering from my food addiction but made my peace with the fact that alcoholics get help, drug addicts get help, gamblers get help, why shouldn't people with food addictions get help. The lap band was my addiction help. I knew I'd have to do some work too but I figure that if I could get a little help on the really bad days I just might be able to fight this addiction. It has been a year and two months. I've lost 80 pounds. I struggled with new issues after the band such as exercise. I knew I was supposed to exercise but exercise never worked for me before. I feared failure or even muscle weight gain so I didn't exercise much. Yeah, a new issue to deal with. I feared I spent all that money on the band and it wouldn't work, because after all, nothing else had and this was (for me) an addiction which is all in the head right? But as weight slowly started to come off and I recieved support from friends and family who loved me (but admittedly knew nothing of how hard it is to struggle with food issues) I began to see the light. The band helped me gain control where I was simply ill-equipped to do so previously. Can you fail with a lap band? Probably. Can you sabotage yourself? Probably. Did I want to? Absolutely not. In my mind, this was my last chance and I was going to do whatever it took psychologically & physically to make it work. Even if that meant I'd have to search elsewhere, namely deep in my soul for answers to those daily stressors and emotional issues I avoided and had medicated with food for so long. Do I still crave food when I am angry, hungry, happy or stressed? Not really. Does it cross my mind? Yes, on occasion. Why? Because over the last 14 months the physical attributes of the band and intense personal exploration has helped me develop new habits. I use the band like alcoholics use Antibuse. I know that if I eat more than I should out of compulsion I will get sick and that's not good for me. So over time, I have come to the understanding that my band is there to help keep me in control of eating while I use my mind to solve emotional stressors. Of course I still need to eat, but out of nutrition needs, not emotional needs. I let the band help me get the proper nutrition and use it to assist me in dealing with stressors appropriately. It's sort of my version of 'tough love'. It won't let me have what I want because it knows it's not good for me and forces me to deal with the rest of life the way I should. And the only side effect is that I am losing weight. Recently my band became lose with weight loss & increased exercise. I was hungier than usual, could eat more and I did. I felt like I was a little out of control. I attempted to handle it on my own for a few weeks understanding that at some point in my life the band may not work well anymore and I needed to see how much progress I had made in my emotional journey. The answer to that was...only a little. I didn't feel bad however, after all, I'd spent a lifetime developing my food issues. I didn't expect them to disappear in 1 year. I found myself able to eat larger portions, reveling in it, & in truth thinking "Oh, I bet I could have a Sonic hamburger." In essence, I was having a relapse. I was thinking of all the wonderful things I could have to 'love myself' with. But! the funny thing was, that the food didn't have the same medicating response anymore. Nothing that I ate gave me that sensuous UMMMM! response I thought it would. I didn't have one of those...."Oh my God, I haven't had this in a year and it tastes incredible!" feeling. I simply just ate a little larger portion than ususal and felt kinda bad about it, simply for the fact that I was pretty sure I didn't need that extra portion. So I learned that just because I could eat more, I didn't really need to and in actuality I wasn't getting that response I had expected. And no, I never really did eat a Sonic hamburger. It was at this point I chose to get my band adjusted a little to give myself the assistance I needed. I know I am making progress and my goal is to some day get to the point where I am in control of all food issues band or no band. I think I'm well on my way. I no longer fear the day I may not have use of my band because I have seen progress and I know I will get there. So for those who still struggle with hunger, compulsion to overeat or cravings I feel for you. All I can suggest is that maybe you take a good hard look at what food means to you and how you are using is. Be honest with yourself, I know it's hard. Society doesn't make weight loss or body image easy. After all, simply take a look at your next restaurant portion and you'll see that. Your body probably only needs about a quarter of what is put on your plate to survive nicely. No one can come to these realizations for you. All I know is that I was tired with struggling with my love/hate relationship with food. I was tried of trying to bend food to my will skipping this, substituting that. I wanted my relationship with food to be normal. And I can honestly say that with the help of my lap band I'm as close to normal as I have ever been in 41 years, but still a work in progress. I am slowly making peace with food, using it for what it was intended & loving myself in the process. I used to tell people who said I need to love myself more...."I'll love myself when I'm a size 8 again." I finally realized I was missing their point. Loving who you are, doing things that honor & love the self is a process not a size destination. I am now 185 pounds, 41 years old, a size 12 and if I never lost another pound I honestly think I'd be perfectly happy with myself, physically and emotionally. If you have ever uttered the phrase "I love to eat." or "I just love food." I would highly suggest you take a good hard look at why you made those statements and you'll get some good insight as to your personal issue with food. It may not be like mine but it just might. Thank you for reading my story and I hope you have a wonderful learning experience with or without your band. Sincerely, Samantha Hall

hi minismom sorry for your weight gain, BUT don't worry. don't beat yourself up over it. My WLS 12/15/11 - i considered the beginning of the month my funeral, and i went crazy on wild and nutty things to eat, cuz i figured i would never be able to eat them again, or in very small quantities. I did gain weight, but i was having the WLS in a couple of weeks. so i figured.... Was treating the world like it was going to end tomorrow. i wasn't required a pre-liquid or anything diet., i wish i were. I really didn't take the time before surgery seriously enough, and try to lose some weight, Some others do the same....wrong.....but mistake is done and over with. Can't change whats already happened. You on the other hand are so wisely aware of what happened with you gaining weight. You'll do better. Don't kick yourself for gaining -you'll probably lose the weight and more before WLS Surgery is not til July. I know you will work hard and probably lose some weight will come off before the WLS. Regardless, like i said, its over, can't change, sounds like you will do great. See you around the site in preparation for WLS July will be here before you know it. Best Wishes Congrats on your pending WSL kathy

No. Sleeves don't really stretch. The stretchy part, or fundus, was removed during surgery. It would take years of grossly overeating to the point of vomiting to actually stretch it enough to where you're eating significantly enough to cause weight gain. Can the sleeve relax and complete healing over time allowing more food to be eaten? Absolutely.That's why it's important for us not to just count on sleeve restriction and pay more attention to what we are eating for when that time comes. And to the OP: You can have 10 different weight loss surgeries, but the fact of the matter is if your head isn't in the game, NONE of them will work. Like Ann said, look inside and try to figure out what caused you to not succeed before, and then figure out the steps it will take to help you become successful whether you decide on revision surgery or give this one antother go. Your sleeve hasn't changed, it's just waiting for you to.