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you are me. I'm 9 weeks out. I had no other issues outside of PCOS (on the verge of diabetes). I have impeccable eating habits as well. Any more weight gain could have pushed me into a whole different territory. I wanted to be around for my kids like my eating habits show. Surgery has helped me lose almost 50 lbs in just 9 weeks. You have to be ready though and their is no shame in changing your mind. It's such a personal decision. I can say for me I thought I was happy and confident prior to surgery, but my actual weightloss has revealed something completely different. I'm truly finding myself now.

First off I gained 5 lbs this week. Not lost. Gained. :thumbdown: Medications - Up until last Saturday I had been talking the following medications. Benicar - Blood pressure medication Antenolol - Blood pressure medication Furosemide - Heavy diuretic (water pill) Klor-con - Potassium pill (counter balance to the furosemide) It's great that I am able to go off these medications now and that my blood pressure is doing so well. My blood pressure reads on a continual basis to be in the middle of the normal blood pressure range. With my legs over the last week I have had a minuet amount of swelling not the measurable amount that I had in the past. I also have not worn the compression socks that I have so I will wear those over the next week and see if that makes a measurable difference. What I am not sure about is going off the Furosemide. I know that some of the weight I gained this week is water weight but I just don't know how much of that is. It's something I have to work through. Exercise - I have to say this has been a decent week for exercise. Of course walking every evening after work but also I have been good also in getting out at lunch time to walk. It feels great to know that I am pushing myself harder with this but I can tell that I still need more. I am going to have to add some additional exercises to my daily program to continue my weight loss. Food - I have made some bad food choices this week. There has been a couple of times that I snacked on stuff I shouldn't have and I know that I am eating more then I should. This has to change and is changing starting today. I can tell that I need a fill and I do have a scheduled fill on the 26th. I just wish it was sooner to help me with this hunger that I have been getting. I have to be strong once again and have the will to keep working at the weight loss. I am so close to breaking that 400 lbs mark and continue on down. Overall - Overall this week is a wash to me. Off medications and doing good with walking but bad food choices resulting in a weight gain. I have to really step it up more this next week. I have had a steady weight loss since the middle of October. In the middle of October I weighed 465 lbs and today I weigh 415 lbs. So yes that is a total of 50 lbs since then and since my highest weight in January of 2008 I have lost a total of 70 lbs but I have a lot more to go and need to keep focus on what it is I am doing. I guess this is my two steps forward and one step back week. Now get moving forward and don't let this discourage me is what I have to do now.

Jenpa, thank you as well. It's comforting to read the physicians are comfortable and successful. Abdominal compliance is definitely challenging. I am tight and with the weight gain I feel extremely tigh. Which of course makes me so nervous. I've decided to go with Dr. Illan in May. So if anyone has used him after TT. I would love their input as well.

@@nprcowboy Glad to hear that, and I hope this turns around for you soon! For the better! Have you spoken with your doctor regarding your weight still increasing? As far as I know, Paxil causes weight gain also, although treating major depression has to take priority! As far as I know , Effexor and Wellbutrin don't cause increased appetite and weight-gain. They may not be suitable for you though, I don't know ..... maybe you can ask your doctor about them, anyway. Try to get back to high Protein, low carb eating. Hopefully high protein will keep you satisfied for longer time. Good luck and hope all gets better for you soon.

45 pounds is great! You are headed in the right direction. I also experience slower weight loss than I expected, but at 14 months I am down 90 pounds from my highest and 75 since surgery. When I stall, it lasts for months! I actually thought I was done losing weight when I hit a major stall at 6 months, but since then I have had spurts of weight loss and now I am 20 pounds from goal. Try not to get discouraged. If you keep eating healthy and stay within the parameters of the diet your doctor laid out for you, you will continue to lose. Slow weight loss is better than weight gain any day, right? You got this, Pinkgirl. Congratulations on your success so far!

I literally almost DIED 5 years ago because I couldn't afford going to a university and having health insurance. I was afraid of the bills so I waited until it was life or death. A friend had to drag me to the ER. It would have cost nothing to give me antibiotics but instead I was hospitalized for 2 weeks with a bladder, kidney, and blood infection. I had to drop out of school because of this and I STILL have debt I can't pay off. :tt1: this incident ruined my life and could have cost everyone a lot less stress and money. I still haven't completed school because i failed out of all my classes from missing too many from being sick for weeks. It is just my story. I hope that no one ever has to go through that or struggle even in their mid twenties just to get a Bachelor's Degree. (depression from this most definitely contributed to at least a hundred pound weight gain.)

For those of you that need or have had revision surgery, what do you think was the gateway to the weight gain? What do those undergoing WLS really need to be careful about?

I had my wisdom teeth, all four, removed Dec 23. I did this to eliminate the desire to over eat during the holiday weekend. It was wonderful, just a few bites and some pain in my teeth. I really got to enjoy the socializing. I also was able to squeeze in some exercise. I got on the scale today to see weight gain when I had been losing. I also have a a sore throat. I am on antibiotics, narcotic pain medications, and eating alot of cough drops. I wonder if this is just a blip from the pain and sickness and will see it disappear in the next few weeks. Looking in the mirror my face does look more round than it has lately. Happy New Year to all!

Hi everyone- I'm new to BariatricPal. I had RNY Gastric Bypass in June 2008. Met goal weight of 118 lbs. by August 2009. Had my son in September 2011 so I gained 30 lbs. which I subsequently lost within 6 months of his birth. I am now approaching my 12 year surgiversary and I have crept up to 180 lbs. I am so mortified and disappointed in myself; and I understand it is also due to the lack of fullness after so long. I am going back to my original surgeon to discuss revision options. My question is, I have NJ Family Care / Horizon BCBS of NJ and there isn't much online as to whether they typically cover weight loss surgery revisions. I am so nervous because my insurance barely wanted to cover a root canal and this is obviously much more invasive. The other problem I have is chronic pain, as I had back surgery in 2013 following a car accident. The added weight has worsened all of my issues and I am dealing with horrible sciatica with the weight gain. I just wish I felt full. I do not drink, smoke, or do illicit drugs. I just would like to know if based on my circumstances if I can be approved by Medicaid for the revision. Thanks for reading and for any advice.

At 10+ years post op I'm also battling ups and downs. My story is different from yours but the bottom line is getting rid of the excess weight. Have you considered options besides revision surgery? I'm likely covered for revision despite relatively low regain due to other health issues. You may improve your chances of approval by focusing on co morbidities caused by regain. A revision would be successful, but until I live differently I may face the same situation in another 10 years. My BEHAVIOR caused my weight gain. INTERMITTENT FASTING is helping me control this need to be full. I'm training my body and brain to understand that feeling hunger is not the same as starvation. It is helping me to drop the pounds and revise my attitude towards food. Jason Fung (search YouTube and online) and others have been my guides. My desire to be full is my eating disorder. Fasting helps me to focus on nutrition and understand when I need to eat vs when I want to eat. As an advocate of health at any size, my diet for life keeps me in good health. Periodically I tweak my program because of metabolism issues. When I stay with my program I maintainin. When I slip from my program the need to get full emerges. Diets to reset my pouch as someone already suggested work well for me. However, eventually I want to feel fullness again and I'm attempting to reset more and more often. This is why I'm working to become content with an empty belly and a well nourished body. I wish you successful weight loss and good health however you decide to accomplish your goals.

Here is the medical reasoning for the weight gain. Once you stop exercising for a few weeks or even days you have to get the muscles going again. When you do this, Fluid gathers around the muscles you are working. This is a protective mechanism to keep the stretches muscled lubricated and to keep the joints lubricated. As for the muscle weight compared to the fat weight ... Yes, a pound is a pound is a pound. However, it takes a LOT more muscle to fill the spaces than it does fat. It is denser than fat and it is tighter "wound" if you will than fat. So, ideally, muscle does weigh more than fat since it takes a lot more muscle fibers to fill a glass for instance than it takes loose-fibered blubber. Hope this helps!

Why don't people share? I guess everyone has their reasons. I think some are embarrassed that they could not defeat the battle on their own. I have also had that feeling myself. But I realized that is nothing to be embarrassed about! I am proud of myself for doing something about this as I have many medical conditions I didn't have 2 years ago as a result of my weight gain. I am going to have a healthy life. I am the type of person that is a pretty open book so for me I will tell anyone that stays still for 5 minutes, I am not a private person. Not that I share absolutely everything about my life to everyone. I still believe the main reason is embarrassment. It is within our human nature to try to not have the feeling of embarrassment which is why I think people keep certain information to themselves. Just my opinion :-) Why don't people share? I guess everyone has their reasons. I think some are embarrassed that they could not defeat the battle on their own. I have also had that feeling myself. But I realized that is nothing to be embarrassed about! I am proud of myself for doing something about this as I have many medical conditions I didn't have 2 years ago as a result of my weight gain. I am going to have a healthy life. I am the type of person that is a pretty open book so for me I will tell anyone that stays still for 5 minutes, I am not a private person. Not that I share absolutely everything about my life to everyone. I still believe the main reason is embarrassment. It is within our human nature to try to not have the feeling of embarrassment which is why I think people keep certain information to themselves. Just my opinion :-)

Hi. I am sorry you had a weight gain. I never heard of PGX. Have you thought of going back to your surgeon and dietitian for help? They maybe the best people to help you get back on track. Good luck.

I think one of the reasons my program has lower protein requirements than you'll often see....is that my program serves a LOT of international clients, many of whom are vegetarian or semi-vegetarian culturally. High protein diets DO promote faster weight loss. This is undeniable. But I'm building my forever diet...and I'm trying to get my body used to a diet it can be on forever...so I don't have a big metabolic shift later. (or the weight gain that can occur with big dietary changes) For me, a high protein low carb diet is not a great choice for a forever diet. If I were 400 pounds...I would consider a very restrictive high protein diet for a short period of time for rapid weight loss. At 190...I want something sustainable and permanent. I want a forever diet that I can live with...well...forever. LOL:)

You said you completed a 'light' workout. That may be the key to your weight gain... Glycogenation is the dominant reason for weight gain when working out while consuming so few calories. Exercise boosts our muscles' energy storage capacity. Since active people need more fuel, a body that has just exercised adapts by increasing its capacity for glycogen storage. This process leads to temporary water weight gain. Also, very low-calorie diets (read: the pre-op liquid diet) can result in water retention. Therefore, you may be losing fat, but the progress you've made is masked by water weight gain. Maybe you lost a pound or two of fat the first few days but gained a few pounds of glycogen and/or water in that time. In summary, stay off the scale. Let your body sort out the changes it's experiencing. Measure your progress by the looseness of your clothing, not by an arbitrary scale number. Good luck to you.

Hey..yes you will have to go through the stages and if anything it is stricter than the sleeve.. I had my revision on 29/7 for reflux and weight gain and I'm happy to say I've had no reflux since surgery. I have to take a Zoton tablet before bed for 3-6 months so whether that is controlling it or the surgery I'm not sure, but when I was in hospital I wasn't taking anything..[emoji4]

I would definitely let him remove the band. I would also move Heaven and Earth to try to revise to the sleeve. The things I've read about weight gain after band removal are horrifying. It doesn't even sound like "normal" weight gain. It sounds more like accelerated weight gain due to the body being so accustomed to such small amounts of food while banded.

I joined this forum in 2012, but wasn't really active. One friend who I connected with on here and she vanished, so I just never really came back. I just had a revision from sleeve that was done Nov. 2012, to bypass on Tuesday. I had some GERD, but not severe, but full weight gain. I also was 30 pounds from goal weight at my lowest. I knew the sleeve wouldn't work for me, because it's not about how much I eat, but what I eat when I feel like eating. You guys, this is HARD. Before sleeve, I didn't eat much, even less after. Now, I'm freaking dying to eat. Really, I just want coffee with my creamer and I'll be good. I've always said, I could drink coffee all day and be fine. I can't get comfortable. I handle surgery really well, like shopping the day after hysterectomy, appendectomy, etc, but this?! I'm still on pain meds & anti nausea. I could really use some encouragement, cuz I'm miserable. I need to know there's light even in a week. I'm really struggling. For those who have done this, any words of encouragement?

Good morning all! Correction!! My surgery date is in fact 9/15/10 and not 9/14/10. Whoops! What a booboo, but hey at least I didn’t not (grammatically incorrect I know) find out and it was the day *before* I thought. Ha-ha now that would have been a big deal. Besides I'm sure the surgeon’s office would have been sending me reminders and it would have clicked eventually. So, all is good on that front! I will need to arrive in San Diego a day early. The reason is I will be riding into Mexicali and shortly after; I will undergo all the wonderful pre-operative testing that is imperative to be performed before undergoing such an invasive procedure. I’m getting ready though! More ready than I have ever been with any previous surgery. I’m also so glad I have the funds to be able to make my own decision this time, and not rely on insurance to make it for me. I need to create myself a to-do list since I will be traveling a distance to get there. I won’t fly in either since I’m scared to fly. I’m not that far anyway. San Diego is only a 7 hour drive from me. I will undergo any extra stress to do what I must. To be perfectly honest, I never thought I’d be so excited to have my band removed. I sincerely have zero faith in it anymore. At some point you become so detached with something that had so much promise. When you get like that, it’s time to move on. I had a choice though, keep the band and risk more complications, weight gains and misery – or work to have it removed, revise to something else and get your life back. I choose the latter. I am a fighter and until my last breath I will always forage on to become the best person I can be. All that starts in the head and it will manifest itself onto my body, my personality and everything in between. If that means cutting my losses and admitting a failure (not in a bad way) and making that into a success then I have done what I needed to do. I would encourage anyone to do this for themselves. The band did get me semi-results before it started going bonkers on me. It was very short lived. Only up to 4 months in, and I had gone from 283 on the day of surgery down to 227. The difference I felt in those 56 Lbs was incredible. I felt so freed of the bonds of that extra weight. I was wearing clothing sizes I hadn’t in more than a decade. I was so energetic and life was just bliss. I want that for myself again, more than anything. I was a much better person, easier to get along with and my outlook was super positive. Well when one goes in the wrong direction, and especially with WLS surgery this can be quite amplified, it can really put a strain on your inner self. Sure the bones can feel it physically, but the heart and mind I think go more into self-destruct than anything else. It spirals and spirals until you wake up one day and realize you have lost total control of that steering wheel. What do I do then? Accept the path I’m going down into certain crash? Or, rather do I grab back onto that wheel and veer it back onto the road. It will be a bit jittery getting back on that road, but at least I did something about it. I do not accept a negative fate. I have way too much to live for, to fight for… So with that, you all know a little where I’ve been and surely now know where I’m headed. Blessings for the day!

Hi everyone! I have recently decided to make a change in my life. I just got married and I was looking back on wedding pictures and in a sense it kind of upset me. I have struggled with my weight my whole life. Needless to say I have tried everything. I was not the weight I wanted to be on my wedding day I am 20 years old with a BMI of 45 and a weight of 300. I have recently made the decision to go ahead and talk to someone about the procedure. My husband and I discussed what I had researched and we both think it would change my life for the better! I need all and any advice I can get. Where do I begin? Who do I talk to? I also have a heart condition which was brought on by my sufficient weight gain. I played rugby in high school and even conditioning 4 days a week I was still heavier set. My husband and I would love to start a family in about 3 years after I finish my degree and being this weight it's just not a possibility. Any knowledge would help tremendously! I really appreciate it and look forward to hearing from you!

First of all let me intorduce myself. My name is Michelle and I will be 32yrs old if a few days. I have not had the surgery yet but have my pre op visit on Sept 6th and was told my surgery will be 3-4 weeks after that. I have been over weight my whole life and am hoping this helps. I have been over 200 lbs for 13yrs and after my first child went to 220 and stayed there until 2 yrs ago. I hurt my back 2 yrs ago well actually it will be 3 yrs in Oct and as the scale went up my health went down. 1 yr ago I was diagnosed with diabetes, I also have asthma, high blood presure, chronic joint and lower back pain, irritable bowel syndrome, heart burn 24/7 and poly cystic ovarian syndrome. I have been looking into the band for just over 2 yrs since my weight gain after hurting my back. My highest weight was 272 and right now I am at 269 at 5'' 8' tall. My question is about the different size bands. I know that they are using a 10cc band now and I was wondering if that effects the speed of weight loss or increases problems people have with the band? Why did the change band sizes? My ex sister in law had it done 3yrs ago with the 4cc band and has lost 100 lbs. Some of the post I have read seem like it is a slow start with the weight loss. I feel comfortable with my decission and the process. This is just the one thing that has been on my mind and I dont see the surgeon untill Sept 6th. Any input?????

before the sleeve: 311 after the sleeve:195 no weight gained but 116 pounds lost !!!!

Before 229 After 129-135 flux Sleeve date - feb 25- 2011 (13 month out) Weight gain- nope Accomplishments - 1 half marathon down - 4 more this year, full marathon next year!!!

I thought about doing that, but I toughed it out. My doctor felt like it would be better for my sleeve surgery to have been unfilled prior to. His nurse said maybe two weeks before, but I went in a month before. It has gone fast, but the weight gain was fast too...

Hello, Well I had the gall bladder taken out and THEY SAVED MY LAPBAND I am so happy!!! I definitely think the vomiting from the gall bladder stones took a toll on the lapband too! The lapband is a piece of cake over this gall bladder. Very interesting fact for you guys. Essentially when you are on a low fat diet for along time like we all have been for the most part...the bile in the gall bladder which really is just cholesterol becomes hard hence turning into stones. In other words the liver shoots out bile when you eat a high fat meal, if it can't keep up it has the gall bladder shoot some bile to break down the fat. But if you don't eat high fat meals the gall bladder's bile turns sludgy then can turn into stones. Unlike kidney stones these stones can not be broken and must come out. So if you guys get food regurgitation into your mouth, bloating, rotten egg burps right shoulder pain and pain in your stomach check your gall bladder. I have to start all over again with Clear liquids, full , puree, mushies, soft...I can barley remember the stages. You guys reading your posts I see you beat yourselves up over those ten lbs up and down, but the more people I see that have had the full RNY have large weight gains back, hang in there. I have had so many complications but still love my band.:thumbup: