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My wife is 3 weeks out from surgery, has lost 47 pounds but has been having some issues as of recently. She started getting this severe pain in her right lower back/side, we think it could be constapation, she has went 3 times in the last 22 days, I ended up taking her to the ER and everything checked out normal from the blood work and cat scans. She has tried over the counter laxitives with no evail. She was originally losing 2 pounds a day, now she has gained 6 pounds, any ideas?

Thanks so much. I do plan to do exactly what the Dr tells me to do. I really need to do this. I was scheduled to do surgery in 2008 and at the last minute my thyroid test came back Hyperthyroid. I had been having issues with my heart rate and BP going up but not much weight loss. The Drs couldn't believe I had Hyper thyroidism (Graves Disease) and not hypo since I was a big girl. I had to have it ablated with radiation and now I'm on meds the rest of my life for HYPO thyroidism. After having it ablated, I gained another 50 pounds. I'm devastated by the weight gain and I just can't lose on my own. This really is my last option. I keep praying for GOD's guidance and I have to have faith that whatever happens God is in control. Thank you for your comments. It helps alot.

I'm sorry for the loss of your father. I lost my mother during the pandemic and I know exactly the mental state. But give yourself some grace. The weight gain isn't who you are, it's something that happened in response to some insanely tough stressors. Anyone who judges you doesn't deserve your company—people who truly love you just go, "That's my friend Thunder7, he's awesome," not some Mean Girls "zomg did you see Thunder7?". You know what you need to do to lose it, because you did it once before, and you've already started. Just know it isn't going to happen in two months, and it's gonna take work. Get the beer out the house right now, and don't go to bars. (Probably sage advice anyway in much of the country given the spread of the virus...) As for the loneliness factor... I get that too. I joined a small gym where everyone is very friendly and made friends there. Or if you're into singing (or anything else), just join activities and friendships will follow.

I lost 22 pounds in my 2 week liver shrinking diet and in the hospital I noticed I had gained back 3lbs. I am 4 days out of surgery and have gained and I was following everything perfectly. I am also frustrated because I expected to at least lose not gain. I talked to my surgeon and he told me that before surgery and during your hospital stay, they pump you full of fluids in your IV. So some people experience swelling of the ankles, feet, hands, and arms that is from the fluid. The fluid makes them have weight gain. However, once the fluid is urinated out over a couple weeks you will notice the weight loss. I'm not saying this is what is going on with you but it's something to consider that could be the problem.

Hello Beautiful Ladies, This is my first time on any site and admit the same thoughts and deep enter personal true core soul the center of who we are feelings. Majority of us have never truly have ever had truly mixed emotions all at one time. The true core soul questions. We where most miserable,lonely woman when we where to the peak Of our weight gain when we truly hit rock bottom to the soul emotion. That moment we all made the choice that was enough. We might have said to ourselves that's the last time I have the core soul raw heart to heart with our soul and said, 1. if I have weight loss surgery I will be healthier and can stop my meds 2. I would regain the eye of that special person we all love, wish we could love the one my eye would love to love. 3. I would once again feel sexy and not care who was looking at us. We had confidence smile and keep going. 4. Buy any cloths again something cute and of course sexy to be in but would catch the eye of that special someone. 5. We could once again fill our dreams with an activity that we have only dreamed of or was once a passion once before Now that we have had the surgery and have either reached that goal or lower and think once again hard on ourselves we thought or we imagine and or dreamed of what we would look like or should I say society influence on how woman should look. We are at the best part of the journey we started on and thought that all I needed to do was loose the weight. Well I have just mentioned thought, feelings and emotional roller coaster since I was 9 years old. Now being almost 55years old!!!! Yes let me just say to ALL woman from my heart and core soul no matter where we are on this journey called Life remember these words. I am Beautiful to me I am worth the moon I am blessed for the chance to be alive again and be true to Me I am so Thankful to myself to allow me to finally just be me. Dont know if it's my age or just tired of feeling like I'm always being judge or criticized by other people for obese when I was my worst critic. Now that I have chosen this path stay true to yourself. We have all made this choice for ourselves. Remember be happy to in control of our own body. We have been given a tool to use if we so want it. If we choose to not use it is our own choice. Dont blame others if we slid. Get up,move it and keep that control. So yes being in our head at our worst and now wiser stage of our lives to finally say this is my Life and who I am. Yes I am and you all are Beautiful woman, why because we are ALL special in our own ways. When you really LOVE ourselves we can have that confidence we once had years ago or never had that feeling and are first walk in front of those she only dreamed we could catch that special persons eye and now we do. Say yes," Girl you got this ****!!!!!" That's right the confidence not b***h type but deep core soul feelings this is what we have all worked for....you have worked for ???? LIVE IT, LOVE IT, LAUGH You have talked the talk now take the walk as you are the Beatiful Woman in the room as you see each and every woman in the room as your deep core soul sister and we share an true woman with confidence. Reach out to woman you meet, stand next too, in line at the store, come face to face with as you pass by, the woman having a miserable moment...you share the feeling with them with empathy, none judgemental, smile, simple hello, how are you today? A compliment. So as that woman that is just starting this journey or one can share this journey with those who had those questions and worry of the outcome, pain , suffering this new journey may bring on this so called being a woman we all can help one another with verbal and emotional support. I wish we as woman the beautiful humans God has created with such strong shoulders we bare, loving arms we hug those we love so tightly, the legs in which we use to carry our young to the heart and core soul of each and everyone of us deserve to be at peace and find that inner beauty we all have. Girl this is just truly the beginning I have found I'm finally finding peace within myself at my rip age off almost 55. Now matter what age on this journey you are on find that inner core soul peace. The Confidence!!!! I can feel each of you a part of me at some point and thinking wow we all feel it but never express to each other and share. Share with one another life is too short not to. Remember GO LIVE IT GO LOVE IT JUST LAUGH!!! GIRL YOU GOT THIS ****!!!!! Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi Megan, I suppose at 5 years post banding, I am not what you would call someone in the 'first flush' of the glory days of my band. Nor am I by any means a newbie, and as time goes on I am more interested than ever in posts that discuss the longevity of the band, especially with regards to symptoms experienced, in the hopes that I can in fact be vigilant of possible complications. First let me qualify that I'm Australian, and Australian surgeons have been placing bands for a lot longer than American doctors. My surgeon has well over a decade's worth of experience and to this day, still thinks the band is the most effective wls there is. I just wanted to make that clear so you understand where I stand on this. I recently had band replacement surgery as a result of a leaky band. I had the option of revising to a sleeve but both my surgeon and myself agreed that the band was a better choice. I have lost 100% of my excess weight, I have not experienced pain, reflux, nothing at all that has caused me concern, and even when my band was leaking for 15 months, I only gained 35lbs of which I then lost 40% of without the band's help before my replacement. All the recent posts I have read regarding complications experienced by banders who have had the band for 5 years or more have the same theme to it: pain, reflux, weight gain, discomfort, damage etc. I have experienced none of these. I maintain my weight easily when my band is working. I live with my band very easily. I have had a multitude of tests as a result of my leak and I have no physical issues or damage caused by the band. I have no reason to believe that will change, either, seeing as it hasn't happened yet, and if it was going to, I'd expect it to have happened before now. I also have a good lot of bandster friends on FB who have been quietly living their lives with the bands without complications, who have had their bands as long or longer than me, who just don't talk about it that much any more, unlike when they were first banded. So just to provide some balance, I do believe people have complications, and in many cases, serious ones too. And I do believe you have and it's always a wake-up call to see it talked about. But I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that everyone will, or that it will even be as common as some people make it out to be. Nothing you've said about your personal experience or anything I've seen posted about complications just recently has convinced me of that at all, especially since I see so few similarities with my own experiences with the band. So I'm piping in, I guess, to give a different view of what long-term life with the band is like so anyone reading understands that there is more than just one point of view to everything. And I personally have nearly nothing bad to say about my experience with the band.

Hi Dr Jossart Some of the medical literature seems unclear on this point; does ghrelin return 3-5 years after surgery? Is that a possible reason for weight gain? I understand that this procedure is still considered experimental by some and there is paltry information on long term effects, but when can we expect to see studies that aren't just anecdotal, that include quantitative information?

A severe texture aversion to most fruits and veggies played an active role in my inability to lose weight and my constant weight gain while growing up. I always tried to explain to the doctors/nuts/etc, even when I was just a child, that I WANTED to eat these foods and I TRIED to eat them, but the moment I put them in my mouth, my gag reflex kicks in immediately and I literally get sick trying to force these things down my throat. I would still try, and still get sick, all the time, and no one I ever talked to ever believed me. I was just a fat kid that "didn't want to" eat healthy foods. Never mind that my texture problems extend to plenty of unhealthy foods, like popcorn, twizzlers, gummy anything, etc.

Hello, My name is Andrea from New Jersey. had my VSG done in September of 2012. At my largest, I was 250lbs. In less than a year post op, I went down to 165lbs. I felt that I looked good! I could fit into so many cute outfits without feeling ashamed of how I felt in my body. Health-wise, it was a bit more complicated. Between my “water-nausea”, not being able to drink and eat at the same time, needing to take vitamins everyday, feeling sick after enthusiastically eating my favorite foods, and then, of course getting gall stones and needing my gallbladder removed in 2013, my VSG came with a lot of mixed feelings. Nevertheless, I was happy to feel like I looked good and have the energy that came along with that. Fast forward to February of 2017, I find out I’m pregnant with my first child. At that point, I had been able to maintain a steady 165-170 lbs. At 36 weeks, I went into labor and subsequently had my daughter a month before her due date. On the day I gave birth, I weighed 200lbs. I thought it was normal. The few days following the birth of my baby girl, I actually went down to 180lbs. Not exactly where I wanted to be, but at the time I thought my body would go back to 165-170lbs. ....Boy was I wrong. My daughter was born in September of 2017. In the winter months, specifically January, February and March of 2018 my daughter was diagnosed with RSV, Influenza Type A, and Metapneumovirus, respectively. My husband and I spent many days in the hospital with her.... stressing, worrying, sad, not getting paid time off (in my case), and, of course.....eating. During this time is when I believe my body began to turn on me. Today, I weigh 209lbs. I went from a size 8 to a 14, I feel that I have less energy, and I know that I’m unhealthy. I seem to have regained an almost insatiable hunger fueled by my constant anxiety and stress. Not to say that I didn’t suffer from these things before, but honestly, I don’t know what has changed exactly that doesn’t allow my body to metabolize quicker and keep the pounds off. I need help, but I’m scared of the actual work of exercising and eating better, because even though in theory, it sounds pretty simple, let’s be honest, those things require a great amount of inner strength and discipline. Just trying to figure out if I can actually do that creates a significant amount of anxiety, stress and, thus ultimately makes me want to eat. That’s the way I find comfort, the way I shut up that voice on the inside. Prior to having my baby girl, I could literally eat whatever the eff’ I wanted, and if I made a minuscule change to my diet, I would lose weight immediately. That’s no longer the case. Nowadays, I feel more like I used to pre-op, and that makes me feel very depressed. I don’t fit in like 95% of my old clothes and I’m slowly but surely needing bigger and bigger sizes. A few months ago, I followed up with my bariatric surgeon to see if there was anything that could be done. He prescribed Topiramate, so I wouldn’t get hungry at night. (It doesn’t work). My other doc prescribed Zoloft (for depression), Bupropion (for weight loss and depression), and Klonopin (for anxiety). Nothing’s really changed. I want to have another baby (hopefully) in a year or two, and I have strongly toyed with the idea of a revision immediately after that. For now though, I don’t feel mentally strong enough to change my circumstances, but I pray that side of me will eventually change, along with my circumstances. Blessings to you all in your journey too 😌 Any kind advice and/or your own stories welcome. ❤️

SouthBeach Diet Tips and Guides The SouthBeach Diet is different from the Atkins diet in that it is not a low carbohydrate diet. Regardless of which phase you are currently in, you should follow these recommendations: Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water, decaffeinated beverages such as club soda, tea, coffee, or decaffeinated sugar-free soda every day Limit your intake of caffeine-containing beverages to 1 cup each day Take one multivitamin and mineral supplement daily Take 500 mg of calcium for both men and women under the age of 50, and 1,000 mg for women over the age of 50, each day Eating can be both pleasurable and healthy as long as you eat the proper foods. All the meals in the SouthBeach Diet consist of healthy combinations of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Dishes can be made by anyone and the ingredients can be found in most grocery stores. These foods will satisfy your hunger without depriving your system of the low-quality starches and sugars that caused problems with your blood chemistry in the first place. The SouthBeach Diet does not involve counting calories, fat grams, or portion sizes. This plan was designed to be simplistic and will help you understand the principles of metabolism and put it to work for your own body. A major key to success with the South Beach Diet is the Glycemic index (GI), which ranks carbohydrate foods based on the effect on blood sugar levels. When you start adding foods back into your diet in Phase 2, keep your focus on low-GI foods such as apples, berries, grapefruit, high-fiber cereal, and whole grain breads. Preparing For The Rest Of Your Life Mindset Change for South Beach Diet You have learned what the South Beach Diet is, how it works, and what to eat. Now, you need to get prepared to change the way you eat, for life. Start by accepting that the first couple of weeks will be a big change but one you will not regret. The first morning of this diet, you will eat a breakfast that may consist of a two-egg omelet with two slices of Canadian bacon, cooked in either spray canola or olive oil. In your old life, you may have toasted bread or a bagel and had fresh fruit or fruit juice to go along with your omelet. However, with the South Beach Diet, the bread will have to wait. Most people have been conditioned their entire life to add bread to meals. You have toast with breakfast, sandwiches on bread for lunch, dinner rolls with dinner, and cake, cookies, or pie for dessert. However, during Phase 1, you will have to forget about the bread. It may take a few days to leave old habits behind but keep in mind that it is during this time that your body’s inability to process sugars and starches is being reversed. After trying numerous diets, most leave you feeling hungry, is one of the most difficult aspects of any diet. A common denominator seen with overweight people is that most of them skip eating breakfast. When this happens, blood sugar drops, which then increases the desire for bad carbohydrates to escalate until lunch when the entire meal is blown. Planning for South Beach Diet Planning will help you stay away from snacking or substituting things that are not healthy and could cause weight gain. Remember that once you start into Phase 2, carbohydrates will start being introduced back into your diet along with fruits. You also need to remember to eat your mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks, even if you do not feel like it. Some of the greatest low-fats foods to incorporate into your planning include cheese and yogurt to replace the fats since they have no bad carbohydrates. In addition, the sugar is found in the lactose, milk sugar, is one of the things you can have with the South Beach Diet. The South Beach Diet is a lifetime change, lifetime commitment, and a lifetime of health and vitality! How Does The South Beach Diet Work? As mentioned, the South Beach Diet is unique, successful, easy, and works in a three-phase process. Unlike many other so-called diets, with the South Beach Diet, simply substitutes your bad carbohydrates and fats for good ones. After trying this, you will be amazed by how well and quickly it works. South Beach Diet Phase 1 South Beach Diet Phase 1 lasts for two weeks. During this first phase, you will eat normal meals of chicken, beef, turkey, fish, and shellfish, lots of vegetables, eggs, cheese, nuts, and garden salads using 100% olive oil for your salad dressing. Each day for 14 days, you will eat three, well-balanced meals. While eating until your hunger is satisfied may go against most diets, with the South Beach Diet, it is part of the plan. Trying to lose weight and become healthy by depriving the body of food makes no sense. In addition to the three meals each day, you will also eat a snack between breakfast and lunch, and then again between lunch and dinner. Even if you do not feel like eating these snacks, for the South Beach Diet to work, you need to, and after dinner, you will even have dessert. Additionally, during this phase, you can drink all the coffee and tea you want and be sure to drink lots of water. You may be thinking that this is a lot of food - it is! With most diets, you deprive your body, eating only small portions of foods that are unappealing. The change you will make during this phase is that you will cut out all bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, baked goods, fruit, candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, or sugar. Keep in mind that these eliminated foods will be added back into your diet, starting in Phase 2. In addition to taking these foods out of your diet temporarily, you will also need to avoid beer, or any kind of alcohol. Once you start Phase 2, reasonable amounts of wine can be added back in. Instead of feeling overwhelmed about the foods that will be taken out of your diet during the first two weeks, stop and think about this for a minute. To achieve a life of health and lose unwanted weight, two weeks is a small investment to make. After all, you are worth it! The first two or three days will be somewhat challenging, but breaking any bad habit starts out a little bumpy. Once you pass this small hurdle, the rest of the time will go by quicker than you think. When you see the results that these changes bring, you will be glad you did not give up!

I am 7 weeks out and I think every phase so far has had a difficult part. After surgery is hard with the weight gain from the IV's in the hospital and the liquid stage, not to mention the reflux. Not drinking while eating has been difficult for me. Now that I have more tolerance for food sticking with 70% Protein and 30% vegetable has been more difficult. At this point I sometimes mourn food. You go to your favorite restaurant, you order and you can literally only eat 3 bites of it. Sometimes I find I just want to eat my food. Also, eating too fast. Hard to make 3 bites last a half hour! Overall it has been worth it though.

@@impact food addictions and old behaviors can start back up for any of us. You have lost weight before. You can do it again. Start back to where you began. Remove the food that trips you up out of your home, activity/exercise,Get back on your healthy eating plan and log food. Support and you might want to think about counseling. In the vets forum on BariatriPal there is information for people that are further out from surgery. Tips to get back on track after weight gain. Thanks for your honesty in your post. Just reminds all of us that the work never ends.

Thanks guys for all your kind words. I really don't think I was having the "last meal" mind set. I was just living the life that got me this way and gearing up for the changes after surgery. I feel much better now. I walked, had some slimfast and a Nap! (I think the nap was most helpful) I just hate losing the time. The dental office I work for is going to our confrence in South Beach Miami this November, and I wanna be able to wear something slightly stylish and keep up with my skinny coworkers. I was just in shock this morning. But it may be for the best now. I'm gonna get better mentally prepared this way having to do the liquids before hand. Why didn't he require it in the first place????? He said he had to cancel 5 surgeries this week because of weight gain, and was mad at his staff because of it. I guess HE SHOULD BE MORE CLEAR IN HIS INSTRUCTIONS. How about a good old hand out or something? He didn't even respond when I told him about the unusual stress level I have had lately. But he's supposed to be the best in the area, so I guess bedside manor will have to suffer. I'm trying to get rid of my "poopy pants". All your comments have helped. Thanks Nana and Julie!

Thank you all very much for answering my questions! BestyJane-I think it's awesome that you have the same surgeon that I am considering. All of your info helped me tremendously and I'll be sure to go to one of his seminars! azmensan-The first thing I'm going to do once our insurance kicks in is go ahead and get a pap smear and make sure that my recent weight gain is because of me eating cakes and Cookies and not a tumor, lol. My OB/GYN told me last year that I do have a slight condtion of PCOS and this could be why but I am really wanting to go and get this under control. Thank you so much for your concern!

Yes, PCOS can definitely cause the cessation of periods, and also can cause weight gain, chronic pain, etc. etc. For a while, that's what they thought I had. So yeah get checked out and ask for a hormone level check! If you have too much prolactin, it's your pituitary! L

I personally think Doritos must put something in them to make people so addicted. Seriously! I mean think about it, when you think about them and your brain is lighting up saying “oh just one, JUST ONE!!” LOL!! Of course we all know it would never be ‘just one’. JRF, I’m so glad you found this thread! It has been helping several of us, and of course this is a NONJUDGEMENTAL zone! All we want to do here is help each other, and pick each other up when needed. You sound a lot like me with the dinner and then it turns into a weekend of pleasure! LOL!! OMG, I need to stop doing that. Thursday night is my good dinner night. From then on, I’m just going full steam ahead with all the delightful delectable foods I can get my hands on. It’s moments like that I thank my lucky stars for my band! Thanks for the encouragement! Wow, I feel so great when I make sure I get my butt out there to get some sunshine and good exercise. I really do! The whole eating thing on the weekends might be something we struggle with for our whole lives. I believe though that if we have more good moments than bad moments, then we are on the right track. I don’t believe in being perfect! No way! Of course there are a few things I know I can never eat anymore (yes, I’m talking to you Mr. Doritos!) because it’s cause for a big downfall. I cannot stop eating them once I give myself that “inch”. Know what I mean? It’s like a freight train full steam ahead! Before I know it, I’ve consumed way more than I should have and then I get all that Water retention, weight gain, etc… Ugh! Enough of that already! I don’t mind the 170 calories for the nuts, it’s a healthy fat and calories, but it’s also best for me not to indulge too much! Those calories add up fast! Grrr… Oh, and they are soooo goooood!!! Your tiredness might be a result of not getting enough nutrients. It’s really important to get all of our required daily allowances. Just though I’d bring to your attention it sounds like you’re not able to do that anymore since your fill. If it doesn’t let up soon, it might be a good idea to seek a slight unfills. I’ve heard that even as little as .25cc might do the trick. Most likely since you have been unfilled for so long, it would have been better to start in increments again instead of a huge one all at once. I don’t know, I’m of course not a doctor, just a suggestion. I just don’t like the idea of you sounding like that! J How did the boxing go for your boys? How did they do?? Welcome! We all get caught up in a little of the eating what we shouldn’t. I especially think this is true for those who have been banded for more than 6 months maybe. After that ‘honeymoon’ phase, it’s so easy to slip back into bad habits. I think what we need to learn is boundaries, and we also need to realize what our ‘trigger’ foods are too. If we avoid those foods that get us into a dangerous place, then it’s best we don’t even eat them. Likely those foods carry no nutritional value, and even if they do, we still should just let them go. Aside from that, you will have much encouragement here! That’s what this thread is all about. We can have encouragement without negativity!! Mamato3 Welcome to our little family! It is so easy to get sidetracked, in fact your story sounds very familiar – hmmm… Heh, well it was me. Not the same circumstances of course, but my personal life took a negative turn. Within that I ended up losing ground, and gaining weight back. It was so devastating! Okay excuse me while I wipe my teardrops! Now that I have said that, I have to try to remember where I left off. Even if I did take some steps backward, it’s okay. That is why I created this thread! I think the more of us that get together and stick it out until we reach goal, the better! We can do this! Don’t beat yourself up, you went through some seriously emotional moments. I think majority of us would have ended up in the same result, to be honest. Losing a husband or the fear of it is a huge major deal, and one I don’t even like thinking about… L You did great though, just consider how much more you could have gained without your little friend, the Lap band? It could have been much worse, really. Now that you are ready to get back into it, we are here for you! Good luck on a speedy race back to onederland! I never quite made it to onederland, but this time I’m gonna meet you there. :-D Princesa, PB is a Productive Burp. When your food gets lodged in your throat, and you feel that food “dragging” – then all of a sudden it comes back up. Mine does happen during a “burp” if you will. I’ve heard others mentioning a slime that comes along with it. I have never experienced any slime, but I’m glad to be honest! HTH

I would love to lose my period most months. But I imagine that would make it a monster to deal with the months it did show up. My appointment is coming up soon so have a lot to ask about. Nexplanon, IUD, and maybe even depo...because I don’t want kids. So that side effect mentioned above doesn’t bother me. But the weight gain possibility does. So many choices! 😳

On Depo I had no period at all, no spotting, anything, after the 1st 3 months. I LOVED it! Did it cause weight gain? I'm not sure because I went through a lot of lifestyles changes during those years, and didn't practice a healthy lifestyle. So hard to know if it contributed. One thing that scared me off Depo, was the many studies showing it caused a loss of Bone Mineral Density. I finally figured it wasn't worth the risk the me long term health, sadly https://nwhn.org/depo-provera-and-bone-mineral-density/ I currently have the Mirena IUD, which I got right before my WLS, 6 months ago. I chose it because usually women have no periods on it. I have lots of friends who love it and have had that experience. I had a few normal periods after getting it, and now have annoying, unpredictable spotting. I'm hoping that will go away soon.

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.

consider all reasons for weight gain. It may just be fluid. Fall on the mercy of your surgeon. I am sure you are not the only patient who has gained. I did not gain I kept losing but it did take a year for me to meet all the requirements of my insurance company. I had to have a certain amount of visits to my doctor plus be cleared for surgery by a cardiologist, pulmonologist, endocrinologist, phsyc evaluation plus group sessions with other bariatric patients. Maybe your trip to the operation room will be a little longer than you thought but you can lose that Go on a liquid diet and mentally tell yourself your life depends on it because in the long run it does. Do the liquids for one week and see the results. Do protein shakes, broth, V8 juice, get balerina tea it works like you won't believe. YOU CAN DO THIS!!! I am not in Texas but that doesn't matter. YOU GO GIRL

How many of you did atkins before surgery? and how successful were you? I really want to be below 300 if possible before surgery so that my BMI is as close to 50 as possible, and my mother loves atkins and swears that will help. But I want to hear how it went after the band. Did you have trouble with taking in carbs and such? Was there an initial weight gain after the surgery? Thanks!! Amy

I was sleeved in 12/2012 and converted to bypass on 8/14. I went from 240-lowest 166. In July I was 166 using phentermine but have since gained 17 lbs since July. Had an upper GI don't and the area btwn small bowel and stomach has stretched. I go back in 1/25 to discuss options bc of cravings and weight gain. I feel like a failure. Who has 2 weight lose surgeries and can't maintain. I do eat fairly well and work out 5 days a week. I also had twins in oct 2015 so I'm always busy!! Any questions, comments or concerns welcome! Be nice please! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Don't worry about the weight gain. I had my sleeve on November 29th and initially gained probably 10 pounds from the surgery and fluids. I was a little stressed too when I got home and weighed more than when I left. However, the second week out I lost 17lbs!! It will come off, trust me!!

Well, my wife has been dieting and trying to eat about the same thing as me. Understand she is NOT banded. She has done terriffic, but the reason I got banded is because I believe everyone can lose weight until biologically we are driven to start eating too much again. I just believe, for most people it is inevitable to regain on a diet because we have in our basic genetic code too many things that work against us. I watch how hard she is working and I remember how difficult it used to be, and it really makes me feel bad. In fact it is down right upsetting. I wanted her to get either banded or get a gastric sleeve at the same time as me, but she just doesn't want to do it. She wants to lose it on her own. Well she is a strong women who has proven she can do it, but it is a terrible thing to watch how hard it is for her. I also feel that she has lost the weight in the past and can do it again, but has also always gained it back. Why can't she see how futile it is without some help? I'm just really frustated for her, and I feel guilty, about how well and how much easier this is with help. And then I dred what I think is inevitable, the biological need to eat will force her back into weight gain and make her feel like a failure.

When i first went to the surgeon I went for a consult on the band. She informed me that she was actually taking out more bands tthan she is putting in, but this is for her patients around the 5 year mark. They are experincing problems with continued weight loss, band issues and health complications believed to have been created from the band. She said that if the patient had increased weight gain after removal or at time of removal, was closer to an unhealthy BMI than a healthy one, most insurances were approving the sleeve. Hopefully yours will do the same and it will be smooth so that you can continue on your way.