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Well, I must say I learned a lot today at my post op. I wish it had been sooner so I could be privy to this info but I am glad just the same. I learned several things. 1st--my doc does not have us on a long liquid phase after surgery because he has found more success in his patients if they are re-introduced slowly to foods as soon as possible. Less cheating and damage to the band. Plus since he does not put any fluid in the band the healing time is less. 2nd--I should be eating a "salad plate" size portion at each meal. And here I thought I was eating too much. 3rd--I must eat 1200 cal a day. Eating low low calories can cause weight gain or I would stop losing weight. As it was explained to me, I should not be struggling with my diet. The only thing I should have to be concerned with is healthy choices. The amount I eat should be dictated by my band. Hence the reason for follow ups and fills, of course we all know that. Got to get to the "green zone otherwise known as the "sweet spot". Well I weight in and have lost a total of.....33 POUNDS!! 14.7 lbs since surgery. Not a lot but REALLY excited. My doctor is thrilled with it. He said slow is the way to go. As he put it, if you expected to lose a lot weight fast then you should have chosen one of the other surgeries. So true!! My BP is down. It is normal so that thrills me. I am off the reflux meds now. I haven't had any since surgery. Ok, so I had my 1st fill. I didn't have anything in the band and now I have 3 cc's. It was interesting. It didn't hurt one bit. We chatted as the nurse practitioner did my fill. It was tight and all day I sipped water and ate mushy foods. The swelling is down now because I am no longer burping when I swallow water. Then...I get home today and a local hospital (not the one I went to) sends me an invitation to their weightloss surgery seminar. I had never even inquired there. Strange.

I have an IUD (Copper). I had normal cycles, and I have had my IUD so long that my periods are light again after initially being heavy. I have always had regular periods my entire life, no lady issues, no PCOS anything like that. At first I still has normal periods, then once I dropped a lot of weight (over 100 pounds at about 9 months) I started having periods every 2 weeks almost. It seems to finally being almost normalizing, but my body is still trying to adjust to the weight I am at now. My periods are light so it doesn't bother me that they are every 2 weeks, except for the weight gain or stall that comes with them. It makes it hard to see progress on the scale, even though I can see and feel the inch loss.

:rolleyes2:Does anyone who has had the lap band procedure also have bi-polar health concerns? I have been reading about possible weight gain from the meds that the doc puts one one and wish to know if anyone has had problems with their plan?

I wish to God I'd had it done at a BMI of 33---all the time (and weight gain despite perpetual ---correct, supervised---dieting) didn't change the fact that I require a level of intake so low that it was impossible to maintain, long-term, without the band. My doctor jokingly called me "only a little morbidly obese" when I had my first consult. But I view obesity kind of like pregnancy---you are, or you aren't. Why should people spend years working their way into ill health before intervention? Wouldn't you have preferred to have YOUR surgical intervention before you became 150 pounds overweight? It defies logic. The idea is to PREVENT the health problems associated with obesity! Ah, well this is where your thinking goes a bit astray. The 35-40 BMI isn't driven by doctors (or "medical engineers") who think it's best to wait. It's driven by insurers who don't want to pay for surgery.

Excellent article. This is the first place I've read that stress can cause weight gain even without additional calories. So I did some googling and lo-and-behold, the studies are out there. Why is this not front-page news? Stress caused by financial insecurity is at Depression-era levels, as obesity rates soar. The fact that stressful events and depression alter how we metabolize food (not just what we choose to eat, or how often we move) is BIG. As long as we pretend the problems of obesity are individual not systemic, we'll be chasing the wrong solutions. My story in brief: I was a 10-pound baby and grew up chubby but healthy. Gained 20 with children and post-partum depression, then lost a friend to suicide and put on 35, very quickly. I lost that 35 with hard work and low carbs, but a series of stressors occurred that left me with little appetite or energy. Yet within two years, I gained 55 pounds. I am not a binger. I eat sensibly and am moderately active (I walk, bike, swim, hike). I don't drink soda, eat very little sugar, and stay away from carbs. I honestly thought my doctor's scale was broken. She figured it was my genes kicking in (my parents are large), and no doubt suspected me of lying about my diet and activity levels. The big takeaway for me? Even after WLS, stress will effect how I metabolize food. Looks like stress-reduction will be just as critical to my success as keeping track of food and exercise. I'll plan to add "cushion time" on MyFitnessPal to log daily meditation. It may burn more calories than one thinks. And join a support group! I suspect the cortisol-lowering effects of being with sympathetic people are just as critical if not more so than the "accountability" factor.

I am a psychiatric nurse practitioner and prescribe these meds to people daily. Although some people do gain weight on citalopram most do not. Escitalopram (Lexapro) is the newer "cleaner" version of citalopram (Celexa) and I see even fewer people gain weight on it. When they do research on these meds they have to document EVERY possible side effect. I believe that much of this is people that are very depressed lose weight and when they begin to take these meds they "gain" weight but really are just getting back to a normal weight. Brintellix is a good medication but is a newer one and much more expensive (and less well covered by insurances than citalopram). Also it work on serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, where citalopram works only on serotonin that is more implicated in anxiety (where the others are more implicated in depression and anxiety combined). The psych meds that are really bad for weight gain are the atypical anti-psychotics like Zyprexa, Seroquel, Risperidal, etc. These can be used for psychotic conditions and, more commonly, bipolar disorder. But not everyone gains weight on them. Anxiety meds that are worse for weight gain - paxil, remeron, sometimes prozac. In my opinion if you have uncontrolled anxiety you are more likely to "self -medicate" to feel better. That may be with food, alcohol, marijuana, other drugs (prescription or illicit), gambling, etc. Good luck!

My VSG doctor required a therapist appointment prior to surgery. The main thing I remember her saying was the hard part starts at 18 months to 2 years post op. I remember thinking that after that amount of time, it should be routine and a habit, but she was right. My weight gain started about 2 1/2 years post op and got worse in 2020. Now I am also working on losing what I've gained using the 10-day pouch reset diet. I had been of BP for a couple of years, but got back on for the tips and support of the forum.

I have always been big, I am 6'2 so in high school I was nicked name Jolly Green Giant. At that time I wasn't offended because I was big but most of it was muscle. I was very fit even thoiugh i was thick. I was huge into sports, so I could eat what I wanted and not gain. Then after Hs I got married at 18. Boy that was a BAD diet. My weight creeped up into the 250. I stayed in the 200's the first 5 years of marriage. Then our dreams came true. We were pregnant. We had been off birth control for five years and trying, testing, crying, wondering if it would ever happen. I had a wonderful pregnancy, never sick, nothing. Then I started having back pain real bad, I called me doc and he said that is normal your body is getting used to stretching. Well this pain lasted over a week. Finally One night around 12 or 1 I told my Dh I needed to go to the hospital. I went and they gave me a shot and sent me home. I went to my Ob the next day to just check. To my shock, They could not find my babies heartbeat. This could not be happening to me, Not only could we not find the heartbeat, it it looked as if my child had passed several weeks ago and I had not known it. I was admitted to the hospital to have a dnc, it was now thought I had been in labor for weeks and my body just couldn't do it. This lead to alot of weight gain due to depression. We had a baby girl. She had passed from a genetic disorder called Turners syndrom. God knew what he was doing because, Although some do live with Turners, It is a very hard diease to cope with. After a year we tried again and low and behold I was pregnant. I got over 300 for the first time in my life. I ate alot because I was so scared of misscarring. The yoyo effect was now a life style for me. I was up and down for the next five years and through two more pregnancies. At 28, I am in nursing school, married, with three perfect children, and missrable beyond belif. My feet hurt I am in the worst shape of my life. I am on zoloft just to get through the day. My Bf mention to me, her sister who had the lap band and had lost over 200 lbs. I thought about it and started researching it. I am now scheduled in 10 days to have my band. And My Dh has decided to do it with me, so we will be a team.

Thank you for this. I have been having a really rough time over these last 4 months. I had a friend pass away, a friend diagnosed with stage 3 cancer going thru chemo that is not working for her, and I lost my job all within months of each other. The weather where I live has been bad, so I stopped walking the 1 to 2 miles per day I was doing, and I turned to my comfort foods- cookies, icecream, etc. I have been wallowing in a sea of self pity, and even with telling myself each and every morning that today is the day I get back on track, by evening I would be eating wrong again. I have had the band in since Jan 9, 2010, and because of my gain, I am only 30 pounds down from when it was inserted. This is very very hard for me to deal with. During the end of the summer 2010, I had finally begun to play with my kids, going hiking, playing volleyball, etc, and I can't even tell you how GREAT that felt! I already feel the change that this weight gain has made in my ability to stay mobile and in my attitude toward exercise and moving! I want to be able to parasail, to hike the Appalachian Trail, to move with my kids! Thank you for rocking my boat, and hopefully getting me back on track! God Bless.

Cheri, I cannot thank you enough for being so open. I really appreciate it. You know, you might get insurance to cover some of your surgery because it seems to be medically necessary in your case. I have lost half my weight. and it really is just hangy below the navel and what skin is there is a mass of stretch marks from pregnancy and weight gain. There is some on the inner thighs and under my arms, but I think I can get that toned with exercise/weight training. I have to wait until a stabilize my goal weight for a year. I'll start thinking about it again later. Thank you and best of luck. You look great!

Im working on 30# loss as of 4-5-14. Banded on 8-23-13. Slow loser. Now at 180 #. Slow but sure. It is exasperating at times when I can go a month with no loss. The psych dr just added another weight gaining pill. But only taking 1/4 of it each night. Now up to 25+ pills a day.

Oh Thank you !!! I think I'll go to my family doc ,now that I don't have to worry about weight gain !

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:

i had no symptoms at all except weight gain. they did the fluroscope Wednesday morning and that's how they found mine. she said with me having no chest pain, no reflux, no throwing up that i prob caught it early so i'm hoping liquids will fix it and no surgery.

I'm really struggling with the decision to move ahead with surgery or not. Here's what I don't understand. How are you not destroying your metabolism by only eating 750 calories a day? Will you never be able to eat regularly again for risk of packing on the pounds? I did the HCG diet years ago (it's terrible. Never ever do it) In a nutshell... you gave yourself a shot every day that kept your body from realizing that it was being starved and then ate about 750 calories a day while your body worked hard to function as usual. The weight dropped off. I lost quickly over about 3 months and then stopped the injections and slowly eased back into a regular diet of about 1500-1800 calories a day. AND THE WEIGHT JUMPED BACK ON so fast I was floored. I was eating a healthy, well balanced diet on the low end of daily intake for my height and weight and activity. But I gained a pound a day until I was 20 pounds heavier than I was before the diet. Explain to me how this forced starvation doesn't do the same thing? My stomach will stretch. We know it does because we are told we can slowly eat more over time. Won't my metabolism think I've starving and halt? Am I really expected to only eat 800 calories a day for the rest of my life or expect to gain?? Thank you for sharing facts and experience.

I am 8 days post op today as well. I too had a small weight gain. I think it is all part of the healing process. Just keep your chin up and do what you are suppose to do and the weight will come off.

Since the sergery things have been wiered to say the least I have for the most part been losing weight but the week that I start eating regular food I gain weight. I know right. Gained weight? WTH? I have been in the gym busting my tail, I only eat till i am satisfied and I try to make good choices it is kind of hard to deal with but I Soldier on the best I can. I have met some one and things seem to be going great. She is supportive of my band and she treets me great I just wish I could figure out what was the deal with the weight gain it really bothers me to think I am gaining weight after the sergery. Guess I need to watch my self a little better(LOL)

Hi Mallory it's Karen. I hope you are feeling a little better today. I found that one day can really make a difference. Meeting was good. A couple of people had band to sleeve revision. I was the newest post op there. Others had over four years! The topic was weight gain. You and I aren't on that side but it was great to be around fellow surgery people. I ate 1/2 a scrambled egg today. Was sooo full. Still trying to get in enough fluids. My allergic reaction to the dermabond is subsiding thanks to the steroids. No more itch. Looking forward to meeting you.

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

Someone else posted this on earlier posting so if you would like u can go to KP.org/misg to bariatrics after surgery and they posted their eating schedule. Eating Plan after Bariatric Surgery These diet instructions are simply guidelines. Please keep in mind that early on some patients will not be able to eat the recommended amounts of food and supplements. A simple rule of thumb is to not eat more than the recommended amounts. If you get full before then, just stop eating. Also, if you have trouble with foods in a particular stage, you can always return to the previous stage. Stage 1 - Clear Liquid (Days 0-3): This will be your first stage after surgery. Hydration is very important. This stage consists of clear, sugar-free, and caffeine-free fluids. During this stage your goal is to drink at least 4-6 ounces of Fluid each hour. A clear liquid Protein, such as Isopure, will be used in this stage. Aim to drink 60-75g of protein in a day. Stage 2 - Full Liquid (Days 4-14): The full liquid phase will use a higher protein meal plan. During this stage you can move from clear Liquid Protein, to Protein shakes such as New Directions, EAS, Premier, etc. Continue to take your protein supplements throughout the day to make sure your body meets its protein needs. Stage 3 - Soft Foods (Days 15-30): During this stage you can start adding soft foods into your diet. The goal is to slowly advance your diet, so you can gradually start eating solid foods. Stage 3 alone will still not supply you with the protein your body needs, therefore you will continue to drink your protein supplements. Stage 4 - Gradually Advancing to Solid Foods (Day 30 and Beyond): Stage 4 includes all of the foods in Stages 1, 2, and 3, plus a wider variety of food options. Additional documents Eating Plan After Bariatric Surgery [PDF] Sample Menus - Stage 3 [PDF] Sample Menus - Stage 4 [PDF] Shopping List - Stage 1 & 2 [PDF] Shopping List - Stage 3 [PDF] Shopping List - Stage 4 [PDF] [/url] Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Sleeve Gastrectomy [PDF] [PDF] Labs Bariatric Post-Operative Laboratory Guidelines [PDF] Pregnancy after Bariatric Surgery Follow these basic guidelines for pregnancy after bariatric surgery. BEFORE you become pregnant: Wait at least 18 months after surgery to become pregnant to ensure healthy fetal development. Birth control pills may not be as effective after surgery. You may want to consider an additional contraceptive method. Inform your OB/GYN doctor about your weight loss surgery. Take an additional 400 mcg folate per day. Take an additional Iron supplement with at least 18 mg iron. Ferrous fumarate may be better tolerated. Baseline labs are needed to determine your nutritional status and to identify any deficiencies. Your care DURING your pregnancy: Tell everyone involved in your care that you had bariatric surgery. Do not take the glucose tolerance test (GTT), a test for gestational diabetes. The test involves drinking 50 grams of glucose, which can lead to dumping syndrome in patients who have had gastric bypass. Better tests are fasting glucose level or 2 hour post prandial (after a meal) glucose level. Your diet DURING your pregnancy: Add 300-500 calories to your recommended 1000-1200 calorie plan by adding 1-2 high protein Snacks during pregnancy (during breastfeeding increase to 2-3 high protein snacks). Continue to eat protein-based meals and snacks. Continue to take your Vitamins and minerals as recommended. Take an additional 400 mcg folate and at least 18 mg iron per day. Limit artificial sweeteners including aspartame (NutraSweet®) and sucralose (Splenda®) and avoid saccharin (Sweet'N Low®) and stevia (Truvia®). ** Caution with Vitamin A: Pregnant women should not exceed 6,000 IU per day. Weight gain DURING pregnancy: If your BMI is greater than 29, aim for a maximum of 15 pounds weight gain. If your BMI is between 25 and 29, then 15 to 25 pound weight gain is appropriate. After bariatric surgery, weight gain standards are different. Discuss your weight gain with your doctor.

I didn't have my surgery until I was past menopause, so I've had no personal experience with post-WLS birth control, but I do remember being on Depo-Provera once and gained like 40 lbs from it before I begged to be switched to something else. Not sure how that one would be if someone had had WLS, but not sure I'd risk it. Weight gain from the pill isn't as high as that - and maybe some brands aren't as bad when it comes to weight gain. I did go on the pill for awhile after the Depo disaster and didn't gain any weight, but it could be that I was watching it like a hawk because I was terrified of gaining more weight. Would your doctor be willing to do something like place an IUD? I'd just talk to him/her about your concerns and your options.

I particularly related to the post on the level of parents wanting us to be "better". Felt to me like " not good enough". I know they tried the best they knew... But telling a 13 yr old to diet and getting diet pills set up years of adult up and down weight gain and loss. I look at old family pics and damn. I was good enough... Just didn't get the message from anyone. Sigh

I had my surgery back in 2011... I've learned that the band is a tool that helps to control my weight, but in the end I have to carefully count my calories, carbs and protein intake. I went through a few years of having the band tightened and loosened. Either I was getting stuck all the time, or had no restriction. The magic spot for me was when I had a fill that allowed me to eat one slice of pizza in comfort (a rare treat these days!) without feeling the need to eat the whole thing! I have had years where I've gained some of the weight back, but that was due to my lack of diligence. At this point there are no foods I cannot eat as long as I chew properly. I've learned that counting carbs was very critical when I hit a stall. I've managed to lose weight continually by carefully monitoring and controlling the quality of what I eat. Giving up sugar and switching to fat free Half and Half in my coffee was enough to cause noticeable weight loss. Little things add up. That means I have to keep a computer log of my daily food intake and activities. I've learned that becoming complacent leads to weight gain. I've learned a lot reading these forums. In my humble opinion too many banders think the band is going to do all the work. Living with a tight band and being in discomfort IS not what the band is about. I have not been stuck if over five years. I don't have any sensation that the band is there, except that I know I feel satiated sooner because I do have the band. I am now averaging about .7 lbs a week weight loss, which is pretty good for a guy in his seventies and who is several years post surgery. I want to lose another 20 pounds before I leave this earth, makes it easier on my pall bearers. Good luck on your journey, it is worth it.

If I can stop shoveling the food in, I loose weight quickly. But historically, I also loose in spurts. I just found it interesting that this is also happening with the band, though it makes sense. The band isn't going to change how we loose weight, as far as I can figure it, it helps with the "shoveling food in" part. The real fun for me will come in a couple of months when it is warm enough to start cycling again, as I start training to do a Century in the fall, my weight will bounce all over the place as I spend more and more time on my bike. When I train heavily, I put on muscle, retain Water and see weight gains for weeks at a time to see 10 pounds drop in a week. It is a real "E" ticket ride.

Definately time for some new spandexy type pants. Too funny, but hey I think you would be much happier buying for weight loss than for weight gain. #priceless & #so worth it. This story has made my day.