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Hello, Feb 23 bandsters..I'd love to compare notes with everyone..How much pain are you having, what stage of the diet are you on now, have you lost weight post op? I still have a mod. amt of pain at the puncture sites and shoulder, I'm on full liquids but I've not been able to get the daily required amt. of fluids in, and to my shock, my 24 hr stay in hospital resulted in 6 lbs weight gain....Luckily I have NO appetite and have to force every oz of fluids down. Hope to hear from ya'll soon............

I'm thankful that due to my sleeve journey I discovered I have severe sleep apnea! Restless leg syndrome, tired all day (over-caffeinated to compensate!), weight gain, etc. all the symptoms were there! My study was a horror-show! I selected a sleep clinic right in my small town (weird, never knew what the red door on main street went to...now I know!) Only one staff member there all night (scary!). There was another patient who arrived when I did so I waited from 10:30 pm until 11:30 for him to hook me up (meanwhile I had to be at work at 7 am -times a tickin'!) The TV was broken, whaa! Finally fell asleep only to need to use the restroom 50 times! I was told to use the TV remote to "bang on the side table" if I needed help! Hello-are you kidding me?!? No intercom. Just bang and yell in the middle of the night! I was so creeped out by the place, by the tech. Everything! I felt like I was in the next installlment of Saw-so scared! Results were horrendous! Guess what? They need me to do another study! Nooooooooo!!! This almost caused me to cancel my sleeve! I refused to go to that so-called center again so I had to change pulmonilogists-reschedule a consultation then had my 2nd study done at the sleep center in the hospital where my Bariatric surgeon's office is too. Where I should have gone in the first place, but tried to cut corners! PS-I hate using my CPAP machine! I go to bed with it on, but get claustrophobic and rip it off my face during the night! I have no idea how long I use it, but I know for sure it's not the 4 hour minimum! It dries out my sinuses and mouth soooo bad! I can only hope my weight loss reverses it sooner than later!

Here's info from the Bariatric Surgery Association: Summary and Recommendations. Substantial comparative and long-term data are now published in the peer-reviewed literature demonstrating durable weight loss, improved medical comorbidities, long-term patient satisfaction, and improved quality of life after SG. The ASMBS therefore recognizes SG as an acceptable option as a primary bariatric procedure and as a first stage procedure in high risk patients as part of a planned staged approach. Based on the current published literature, SG has a risk/benefit profile that lies between the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band and the laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. As with any bariatric procedure, long-term weight regain can occur and, in the case of SG, this could be managed effectively with re-intervention. Informed consent for SG used as a primary procedure should be consistent with consent provided for other bariatric procedures and should include the risk of long-term weight gain. Surgeons performing SG are encouraged to continue to prospectively collect and report outcome data in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.

i am happy that i found this board and appreciate the kind words and support i have received. i detest the judmental posts. we are all human here, no one is perfect. i am the 2 day cheeseburger poster...NO i did not eat it and was not SERIOUSLY considering it as posted above, but I was frustrated and asking if anyone else had experienced a LARGE surgery weight gain. Instead of reaching for a burger, I turned to this board for support. I dont think sharing our frustrations, temptations and slip ups are grounds for judgement. just my 2 cents worth but im braced to be judged for it.

Thank you for your very nice, and concerned response! I have been seeing a therapist, but not for the weight gain. I was seeing one for the OCD and anxiety, and they prescribed me with Lexapro. Ever sense I started taking it, I hardly ever have anxiety or panic attacks. It really has helped. But I heard it makes people eat - go figure, lol. The Lexapro has given me my spirited, outgoing self back. But I still have low self-esteem issues with my appearance. I know I'm attractive, but my weight is making me feel like I'm not myself. I am not at all in the process, besides making the decision to do it. If the Bypass were the only surgery available, I probably wouldn't have weight loss surgery at all. I heard the Sleeve is a bit safer. At this point, I'm going to have severe health issues in the future if I don't get the weight off. I have found a surgeon. His ratings are 4.8 stars out of 5, which is great! I called and left a voicemail at his office, but no one has returned my call. So, I think I'm going to give them a call in a few minutes. I am not being treated for sleep apnea. I haven't had a diagnosis yet, but I am almost certain that's what I have. The only thing is, I've heard you don't remember your dreams when you have sleep apnea; but I almost always remember mine, and have them frequently. WOW!! 200 pounds in a year?! Congratulations! That is so nice to hear. I am so happy for you. That is like 16 pounds per month! Have you had to continuously replace your clothes? Lol! As much as that would probably cost a lot of money to replace that many wardrobes, I'm actually looking forward to it. I still have a ton of clothes saved from high school that I hope to be able to wear again, since I haven't grown a single inch since I was 15. A few things that I am wondering about are my gastritis and PCOS. I found out I have gastritis, which is when the lining of the stomach is inflamed. I'm wondering if this will be a problem. I know you're not a doctor. I'm just hoping the surgery will maybe even improve my stomach problems. I also have PCOS which can cause women to gain weight. Do you have that?

Well, I was 18 then. I lost about 14 friends and a stepfather that summer is really the only trigger I know of. It was a very traumatic time for me. I did alot of partying during that time - self medicating, probably. Things changed. I met and married my husband - who was probably more of a rescuer than anything and I think I just turned alot of pain inside, but yea, along with the trauma of so many deaths close to me, the weight gain was devestating too, but I didn't have the tools to do much about it. I really think it was that comfort or hiding my body away from something. It was just a very tough time.

I am going to copy/paste an email that I sent to my Monday night group therapy/weight loss class. Thought I'd give you an update about my lap band appt yesterday with Dr. Forgione (the surgeon). Well, the first frustrating part was that I had gained THREE pounds in the last week. He was kind but told me that any more weight gain was unacceptable and that surgery would be cancelled. I was really embarassed and upset but realized that I ate like crap over the weekend and Monday night and didn't exercise. What did I think was going to happen???? So, last night I was back on the treadmill and have vowed to log all of my eating this week and get in my exercise. I am planning on going back over there next Tuesday to weigh in to chart my progress. He also told me that my Upper GI showed that I have a small hiatal hernia. Basically it's when your stomach starts to go into your esophagus and it's very common with overweight women. Mine is very small and I have never felt any symptoms. So, he told me yeseterday that when he goes in laproscopically he may find that he has to repair the hernia that day and not do the banding until a different time. He is quite hopeful that he won't but wanted me to be aware. I'm pretty concerned about that but trying very very hard to stay positive. Tentatively, surgery is scheduled for Feb 20th but I will hopefully know more before our meeting next week. ___________________________________________________________ Well, I wrote that email 2 days ago and I am feeling much better. If I have a hernia that needs to be repaired I would rather fix it before I have the surgery and risk a greater chance of slippage. I'm working on the food. I had 2000 calories yesterday which is too many but am happy to report that I've been on the treadmill for 30 minutes each day. I've decided that I get NO days off with exercise. Once I give myself a little wiggle room I just don't do it. I'm trying to make it as natural as brushing my teeth- wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?

Here's my background I am 67 years old. I was a thin child. My weight gain started at age 40 and yo-yo'd from 130 up to over 200. My blood sugar was pre-diabetic for the last 10 years. Family history was littered with heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes. And I was miserable. Depressed, embarrassed, ashamed and did I mention miserable. My Dr. told me in August that she was going to be forced to diagnose me as a full on Type 2 Diabetic. Spent a several month researching this surgery and I was a self pay. It was a lot of money to spend. Here's what I know after 5 months. 1. It isn't easy. I was so lucky, I had no complications, very little pain and was absolutely committed to following my (very conservative) Dr.'s instructions. I take my Vitamins, drink my Water and down 1-2 Protein shakes a day. The first month was challenging......there was discomfort, there was some second guessing, but never regret. I was finally NOT HUNGRY. Bored with the regimen, and chafing at having to set timers to drink something every 15 min. and so ready to crunch something.......but never regrets. I still long for an occasional cracker (again, the crunch), a good glass of wine, and that satisfaction sugar can bring. But I have the tool now to just say no.......and feeling good about myself is worth so much more than that moment of pleasure that eating a cookie would bring. 2. Here's what makes it worth it. The Dr. visit when she told me that I was in the normal range with my blood sugar and removed the Pre-Diabetic and Diabetic diagnosis in my record. When she took me off my Statin drugs for cholesterol problems. When she told me that my BMI was now out of the Obese category and in the Overweight range. (still working to be in the "Normal" range). Being able to get up and down off the floor to play with a grand child, walk 2 miles with out panting, walk into a department store and go to the regular women's department and not the Plus or Women's or Fat girl section. And what a joy to look in a mirror without wanting to cry. Sitting down in an airplane seat and being able to fasten that seatbelt without the struggle. Finding old bracelets and watches that actually fit around my wrists. I feel badly for the gentleman who has such regrets, but just as my experience is particular to me, his is a journey that I hope won't scare anyone considering this surgery away. You have to chart your own path. I just know that this was a miracle for me. I still have 30-40 lbs. to go and am pumped to see where the next months take me. Five months with out caffeine, alcohol, sugar, chips or bread would have been impossible for me to accomplish without the surgery. It isn't easy, it isn't cheap, but if you embrace it and follow the plan.........oh, the rewards.

Hi, I'm also in the very early stages. I have my 6 appointments set and have my first infor seminar July 7, lots inbetween and surgeon appointment Sept 30, Lots can happen between now and then and hope I don't get kicked to the curb along the way. I have a lower bmi so very unsure about getting approved. Hoping for the best. I'm 59 and wished I had made the decision a long time ago. I just know I can't continue on this path of weight gain. I have had weight problems for the last 40 years. pm me if you want to talk about our journey. good luck.

I had my surgery almost one year ago and originally I lost 65 pounds. I have gained 12 lbs back in the last two months. I have had numerous fills and the restriction usually only seems to work for a few days each time. I eat realtively big meals now and I'm constantly munching on Snacks that are about 100 calories each. After going thru a successful surgery with good weight loss, I now feel I'm losing it. My surgeon says my band is filled tightly enough. Weight gain happens to lap band patients but I don't see a lot of discussion here. Does anybody have any comments, suggestions, or thoughts?

Hi i have been up and down with my weight loss while during the 6 months weight managment, anyone been denied insurance for this, next Tuesday i have my last visit and then my paper work will be submitted im so nervous i will get denied because of this please advise thanks

I really find that lots of running cuts me a lot of slack in this area. I mean, I try to stay on track and eat well and I do 90% of the time, but for those times when I dont do so well, like holidays, being very active really prevents weight gain. I always found this prior to banding too.

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

So I see my PCP in the morning for my last appt of my 3 month supervised diet. I have done horrible and haven't lost any weight, i have gained! If I could lose weight in the first place, I wouldn't be where I am now, right? My surgeon requires the 2 months of not smoking so I quit. Hardest thing I've ever done but how was I supposed to lose weight and quit smoking at the same time? Now I'm worried I'll be denied because of the weight gain. Anyone know how this will affect my chances? I hate to have come this far in the process and not get approved!! Does anyone know if I need to send my food journal in to the insurance company or if my doctor's progress notes are all that is require?. Ugh, I am so frustrated and nervous about this whole thing. Any advice will help!!

Donali, thanks for resurecting this post. Lisa, dont be afraid of the diet pills! It may be a temp. fix, but will help you with the stesses of a weight gain. Crystal, just letting you know Im thinking about you. :confused:

I chose my goal weight because I thought back to when I was last happy about my size. That was when I was 12 or 13 and was a size 16. I was in the 180 pounds range at the time so that became my goal weight. The funny thing is... I reached that weight and wear a size 12 in jeans and medium in tops (still do, even with some weight gained back) so despite being the same height and weight as I was back then... I'm smaller. It was a happy surprise. And also, I guess I was right on the money to choose the goal that I did because as soon as I hit 175, my body was like 'okay, maintenance now' and I didn't lose a single pound more. I have gained some weight back though due to meds and I suppose partially due to my being almost 3 years post op, but I'm working on trying to lose at LEAST another 5 pounds of what I gained back (I'm 188 pounds according to when I weighed myself about two hours ago).

Thanks for all of the replies you guys, it just sucks to be at goal buy all these nice clothes and now you can't fit them anymore but I did it to myself and I'm doing something about it now and once I reach goal again I'm going to stay there cause I never want to feel this way again. I got a good man he saw the 25 pound weight gain and never complained he's away for six weeks when he gets back I hope to be at least 135 when he first met me wish me luck.

4 sets of 8-12 reps of a weight that's 80% of your 1 rep max is pretty standard set up to use for muscle growth. Mixing up the activity helps as well. Incorporating drop sets and Eccentric exercise into your routine will help keep those muscles growing. Don't forget about proper supplementation for weight gain as well, Using isolate proteins during the day, casein proteins for overnight repair / growth, creatine and other pre-workout supplements help as well.

The stats are averages & based on your weight after three years. With sleeve or bypass the average weight loss at that point is around 60/65% of the weight you had to lose to put you in a healthy weight range. It reflects factors such as bounce back weight gain, lifestyle changes, complacency, health changes etc. It’s not necessarily the lowest weight you’ll reach, or even where you’ll settle. It’s just gives you a bit of an idea. Some exceed it others don’t reach it. And as @ShoppGirl said your new set point will most inform of where you settle. Personally, I chose my goal as this was the weight I always dropped to before gaining again. It also put me in a healthy weight range (if you use BMI as a guide). Most choose a weight that was where they once were or think they’d like to be. No scientific reasoning at all. I passed my goal but I’m an outlier - someone who doesn’t fit the stats. I didn’t work at losing that much it was just where my body settled. My lowest was 48.2 but settled at 49kg. A medication change & a needed dietary change & I’m at 51kg & have been there for about 9 months. (Would prefer to be 49 but … you know life.) I think setting benchmarks for along the way like you’re doing is a great idea. If you set a final goal make it a ‘it would be nice if I got to that but I accept I may not & that’s okay’ goal. Congratulations on what you’ve achieved so far.

Hi Sky - thank you for sharing. My weight has been steady around 200 lbs and it seems after the first year or two of being on Zoloft, the gain has slowed a lot and I hover around this weight that I'm at right now for quite some time now. Regardless, I feel like crap with the BMI being 30 and the weight I'm at w/my height... I feel WLS (gastric sleeve, which is what I'm going for) is drastic enough to hopefully reset my weight downward enough to pre-zoloft levels at this age, which in my view, "buys" me healthy years even if I have to continue with the SSRI regimen... The only thing I am curious about is if dropping the weight as a result of WLS will relieve my symptoms, as I've read that people develop depression as a result of being overweight too... I don't know which came first, the gain or the depression or perhaps in parallel... All I can say with certainty is I felt the depression in spades and I also felt great relief while on Zoloft. I tried stopping once, it backfired... so I learned my lesson, sucked it up and took the weight gain rather than counter productivity and misery as a result of MDD.... Quite frankly, I have no idea how it will all pan out.. I'm glad this forum is here so I can share or update on what will happen, but this is certainly a venture into the unknown for me, hoping God steers me in the right direction, whatever that direction may be.... could be good, could be bad, or could be ugly... I have an intention of losing weight - how it pans out and what the ultimate price might be and what it looks like, I have yet to see - though I have optimism based on other people's experiences so far. Thanks for responding.

Hello, just wanted to share my recent success. Yesterday was my 3 month anniversary and total weight loss is 57.4 lbs!!! YAY!!! I am so excited. I don't know about the rest of you but I am counting my weight loss from what I weighed before the pre-op diet. If I count from date of surgery (10/17/11) I am down 48.4 lbs. Last week I experience my first weight gain of 1.3 lbs and I was a little upset....but between last week and this week/yesterday, I was down 4.9 lbs. Someone told me it is just my body adjusting itself, which does make sense. I am doing fantastic, tons of energy and working out. Is there anyone else 3 months out? How are you doing? Any Chicago sleevers?

Maybe you need ( like all of us) to get rid of words like "should" and "ashamed". I hate being told I cannot have certain foods...it is the one way to get me passionately interested in almost anything. If they came out with a study and said that rice cakes (ugh, ugh, ech!) were to be avoided by dieters at all costs, I would immediately begin obsessing ways to sneak them into my pantry in large quantities. I would doodle rice cake people on my desk blotter (I would have to actually buy a blotter on which to do this, thus blowing my household budget and risk losing my home to the bank), I would drool over pictures of illicit rice cakes in underground magazines while pretending to read literature, and my dreams at night...well, best to draw a veil, Dear Readers. My saving grace? I know this about myself after years of restrictive diets ( many successful for the short haul), self-blame, and Guilt. What works for me...not protein-lovers, not those content on low-fat programs, or the complex-carb folk - is the old fashioned calorie counting method, where nothing is forbidden, no food is "bad" (thank you WW for this gem), but married to the idea that food is actually fuel...and my body will simply not work well without the basics. Which have to go in first. So proteins first or I feel like crap and my hair will fall out - now there's a threat!, and tart cherry juice for my arthritis (140 cal), then veggies for vitamins and minerals, my milk quota, which I have in my tea ( I also add a teaspoon of totally useless calories in sugar which is non-negotiable if I am to feel human). This, believe it or not, leaves me with some extra calories that I can use anyway I want without guilt, horror, remorse, or weight gain. I get control and a MacDonald's smoothie (210 calories - less if you leave out the yogurt) with friends. Thinking of food a fuel makes me look at the Big Mac's, curly fries dripping with fake cheese, over-stuffed then fried burrito, etc as useless and disgusting excesses. What you need is to find your own path...almost all diets work, but won't last until they feed your souls and mind as well a fill your stomach.

Let me know how you like that website.. I love it.. went to my support group last night and their is a weight gain due to the water weight coming back after eating real food again.. but as long as you dont gain it should start coming off.. that web-site saves me.. even if I want to cheat I know how much I can taste of something as long as I dont go over my calories for the day.. or if you want to do carbs you can set it up for that too...

True or False: If a product says no added sugar, it’s sugar free. That statement is false. It just means the manufacturer didn’t add sugar to a product that may contain naturally occurring sugar from milk (lactose) or fruit (fructose). Foods with natural sugars also provide other nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber and anti-oxidants that are healthy for us. A revision to the Nutrition Facts Panel may include added sugars, which will be a better way to determine what foods to minimize. This change won’t be for another year or so. True or False: If a product says no added sugar, it’s sugar free. That statement is false. It just means the manufacturer didn’t add sugar to a product that may contain naturally occurring sugar from milk (lactose) or fruit (fructose). Foods with natural sugars also provide other nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber and anti-oxidants that are healthy for us. A revision to the Nutrition Facts Panel may include added sugars, which will be a better way to determine what foods to minimize. This change won’t be for another year or so. For bariatric patients, eating too much sugar after surgery can lead to dumping. Sugar is considered “empty calories” because all you get is calories without the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants or fiber that are good for your health. Other problems from sugar include increased triglycerides, decreased HDL (healthy) cholesterol, increased respiration rate, fatty liver, increased blood sugars, cavities and weight gain. Research is beginning to link too much added sugar with heart disease, inflammation, gout and premature wrinkles. Recent research points to people consuming too many added sugars dying from heart disease at twice the rate as for people with low sugar intake, even if the diet is otherwise healthy. Obvious sources of sugar are the sweets: cookies, cakes, candy, ice cream, desserts and sugar sweetened pop. Sugar sweetened beverages like regular pop, sports drinks and energy drinks account for about a third of the added sugars we consume. Added sugars can also creep into your diet through condiments like catsup and barbeque sauce, salad dressings, canned tomato products, coffee drinks, pastries, smoothies, crackers and ready to eat cereals. When reading the ingredients label, look for words like anything that ends in “–ose” (sucrose, fructose, maltose, dextrose, xylose etc..), syrup, juice, agave, honey, molasses, caramel, corn sweetener, high fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane guide, cane sugar, brown sugar, barley malt, and beet sugar. You now have information about how to read the label to see if what you are eating or drinking has added sugars. Next week, you’ll find out how to compare products to determine how much added sugar is in something you are eating or drinking.

Wow! The weather here is awesome! Trying to do some spring cleaning these last two days. That's one thing I've noticed with all the weight gain--- even little things like cleaning the house just wear me out! I wanna have the energy I used to have--- before I became so heavy! On the weight loss front, I finally bought a scale--- something I was not anxious to do! Also, trying harder to keep track of my eating in journal form--- this is one requirement of my insurance company before I can be approved. I'm supposed to do this for three months. I'm so anxious to get things moving along but in retrospect it has already been one month down for the journaling! I'm so hoping to get approval and surgery date for the end of May or first of June-- I'm a teacher and that would fit my schedule perfectly! Oh well, we shall see! Off to do more cleaning and laundry. Have a great rest of the day!