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My Np told me weight gain bump was normal. I too gained but found out I got gerd etc. it explains my situation. Plus not getting the protein and water for me. I was Thinking that I was always hungry as well. I got a ppi Like nexium. Etc.

Hello everyone, This is my first post. I have been peeking at your site for months reading your posts. I'm scheduled for LB on 6/21. That's probably the first time I've said that outloud. My story is the familiar one. Yo-yo dieting, comfort eating, no time for me. I am truly hopeful that the LB will be a tool to overcome the many pitfalls and vicious cycle I have subjected myself to over the past 10 years. It's odd--I'm not scared, it's almost as if I can't believe it is true that I'm actually going to go through with this. What I have noticed the most while reading the posts these few months is that most everyone on this board who have/had weight issues are never at a loss to accept responsibility for the weight gain. It's like we know exactly what we do wrong but have trouble fixing it. Well seeing all the success stories it really makes me feel like I'm doing the right thing! Please wish me luck, as I have secretly done for all you who have been recently banded. I think this forum is great.

I am 11 weeks out. I was only weighing myself every few days until I had a couple ounce weight gain. It freaked my out and made me fearful. I haven't experienced any stalls yet (that I know of). I really appreciate the feed back.

I have not been on this site for a while... (bad bad me). I decided it was time to come back for a little moral support... and maybe a little advise on the current issues/problem I am experiencing. I really need to get back on track!!!! I just posted a thread about what is going on with me... any advice would be appreciated from my Nymph sisters http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f255/does-weight-gain-make-your-band-tighter-106228/#post1369941 Currently, I am at 74lbs lost... (gained 7 the past few months) :confused:

I hear where you're both coming from. Exercise is not a problem. I do quite a bit of that. I understand it is not a quick fix but was expecting more control. After reading a lot of discussions on "fills" I am pretty sure that I am not where I should be. I've only had 2 fills and they were small amounts. I have my appointment tomorrow and am going to keep it. I'm going to discuss all my problems and weight gain and hopefully the Dr. will agree that I need another fill. Thanks for your replies. I know I am still going to need a Mentor to keep me going on this. You would think after almost 3 years I would have this all figured out. Was doing quite well until personal life issues kicked me in the butt too. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.

I am or I was between 2 programs. The nutritionist I was seeing, on my last visit, tried to convince me the band was now working despite being unfilled and why would I want a revision?? I was slightly ticked since I have had weight gain, SEVERE reflux, dilatation and a slipped band. I was dumbstruck! Why would I change my mind now that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!!! If I have to go back to school myself, I will teach myself what I need to know nutritionally speaking.

I used to exercise a lot, and was very much into running; weight gain slowed me down then eventually stopped me due to pain and discomfort. But for me, it really gave me a lot of confidence and a sense of power and achievement. I would set goals for myself for how much I wanted to lift, how many reps, or the distance I wanted to run (I was never fast though--I'm built for endurance, not speed!). My biggest achievement was a half marathon. Besides being beneficial for my health, that's what it was--a way to strengthen myself inside and out, and to provide myself with a way to achieve if I just try. There aren't too many things in life that can give you that freedom and that kind of guarantee. I dearly hope I can get back to that eventually. It was a good 50 lbs. ago that I had to stop even walking due to pain. I never felt better about myself than when I finished a good run.

Well, I totally disagree, lol. Most thin people use food inappropriately too. Nearly everyone does, the person who views food ONLY as a source of nutrition is a very rare person. Our culture has led us to viewing food as a source of pleasure, socialising, celebrating, most cultures approach food in that manner. Also human beings, like animals are really evolved to stuff themselves stupid, lie around in blissful satiation for a few days and then go and eat again. When we do eat, we're meant to expend huge calories to catch our meal. There's LOTS of reasons people have become fatter that have nothing to do with emotions or issues. We dont even have to wind our car windows down anymore. Speaking for myself, I was someone who held a bit of extra weight but was not obese for the majority of my childhood and up to when I started having babies. When I had babies, my lifestyle changed, the exercise dropped, the ability to think only for myself (and thus plan to shop and eat appropriately) disappeared into a haze of breastfeeding and nappy changing, followed by toddlerhood and with each baby, the weight went up a little more and whammo, sudddenly that 8kg weight problem was a 38kg one. On top of simply being a person who liked to eat, liked to cook and entertain and liked to sit on my well cushioned rear end in front of the telly, I was prone to that weight gain. I can see it in my kids now, one is active and thin, one is getting pudgy and is by nature very sedentary and one is too little to tell yet. So I have to insist - I dont have ANY issues. I just like to eat, specially when I'm bored and have nothing else to do. I learned to associate telly watching and internet surfing with food too, a habit I've broken. I couldnt say I ever had a food "addiction" in the way others talk about it, I just ate a bit too much. I dont call myself "lazy" but I enjoyed too many non active pursuits. I could always find the energy for whatever it was I really wanted, its just that my downtime I liked to spend non actively. Lazy doesnt translate into not good enough in my mind, it just means I like to be horizontal, blissing out. I can still be that, I just have to counter it with some activity. Actually, valuable as therapy can be, the whole "overtherapising" trend annoys me, it shifts responsibility onto some external event, person or thing. Seriously, I didnt exercise enough becuase that was something I didnt care to find the energy for and I ate too much because I just liked eating. When I really faced that issue - that I could do something about it if I really wanted to - I lost weight. Simple. It was down to me, it wasnt due to anything BUT me, and when I faced up to how big a problem it had gotten I knew I had to act so I did. There's no complicated issues there, it was just a matter of seeing the problem and taking action.

I wasnt fat as a child, a pre-teen, teenager, or in early adulthood. I was fairly slim weighing around 125-130, size 7/9, all through school. In my early 20s I went to 150's. At 26 I met my husband and was at 158. (152 in wedding dress) After 13 years being happily married I now weigh 228. There has never been a week/month/year that stands out for weight gain. It has just gradually crept up. Around 5 lbs a year, nothing drastic. I am definitely a yoyo dieter. I have gained and lost the same 20 lbs. so many times, and then some. I sometimes feel like I have let the weight creep up BECAUSE I am happy. I was all the recognized things in high school,,. class favorite, homecoming queen, straight A, etc..... I dont have an unhappy childhood or an unhappy adulthood. I now have a college ed, good paying job, great marriage, and great home life. I always wonder if I would be as miserable about my weight if I had always had to fight it. I have a great self-esteem, has it helped to get me to this weight? I sometimes wonder who has it worse, those who have always been heavy......or those who become heavy, guess this is an informal poll......lol

I am a 45 yr old female. After my overies were removed 10 years ago they did test all my hormones. All my hormone levels were almost nonexistant including testosterone levels. They put me on testosterone , messed with dosages, and it gave me severe acne, so I opted out. This may have contributed to my rapid weight gain in those 10 years (along with other things) I took estrogen for 5 years. Now I take none. I guess I should get some hormone testing done, but with no health insurance I avoid any added medical costs.

Bell, I am getting banded in 2 weeks. I have been researching the band for over a year. You are asking some great questions. Different people get banded for different reasons. I have absolutely no problem losing weight. I never have. Unfortunately, I am even better at gaining it. I am getting banded for portion control. I look at the band as a tool for stopping or slowing weight gain. I think I will be successful with it because I usually eat the right things, meat and potatoes. Just too much of them. I will do my part by losing the weight when I can and the band will play its part but keeping me from gaining it back when my willpower dwindles.

Maybe you can find a support group to join, like overeaters anonymous or something similar. Somebody should be able to direct to you to one. Are you sure you're not eating enough? What about eating all the wrong stuff? Studies have shown that we consistently underestimate how much we eat. For instance, we don't always count what we eat when we're grazing. I would think that if you have a medical condition that was the causing weight gain, there would be other symptoms as well. I'm on thyroid med for an underactive thyroid. It makes a it harder to lose weight, but the truth is, I eat too much and I tend to love food that is not good for me. Just a thought...... afterall, introspection is key to your weight loss journey. Good luck and try and stay positive.

I eat carbs but I am careful with the type. I had this surgery in order to live a life that is enjoyable and satisfying. I love fruits and vegetables and not having them is neither enjoyable or satisfying. My focus is Protein, and I always try and eat that first, however, this is a life-long journey and the minute I tell myself something is off-limits, the cravings begin. My carb intake slowly increased the longer I have had my sleeve but I try and make sure they are ones that are healthy for me. Old fashioned, but I believe the real truth is about the calories. All macronutrients have calories and it is the measurement of energy used for cell metabolism. Anecdotal evidence points to the increased number of calories verses the actual type of macronutrent being the real culprit of weight gain, and more and more scientific research is finding this anecdotal evidence to be true. Do not misunderstand me, certain foods can trigger dopamine receptors in the brain and various other pathways of central nervous system chemistries increasing cravings and decreasing chemical signals to the brain that help register satiety, but by and large, if calories in is less than calories out, weight will be lost. There are those who will argue that stalls are a result of "eating too many carbs" or "not eating enough calories" etc, but I don't buy it. We underestimate the number of calories by as much as 50% in the US population-can't speak for my mates across the pond, but this underestimation is pretty considerable. If "starvation mode" existed, why did concentration camp victims continue to lose weight when their captors/tormentors stopped supplying food? <jumps off soapbox> In short, I got this sleeve to use as a tool to help me control portion size and help me make healthier choices without restricting what those choices may be I weigh my food and measure everything, including carbs, and thus far, 6 months out, I have NEVER stalled. Live the life you choose and understand everyone has a different biochemistry and metabolism, some do well to limit carbs, some do ok with carbs, but it is all based on individual needs.

I just could not do puree, I did soups instead. I chewed any big lumps or squished them with the back of my spoon. I found a lot of these forward steps difficult. My team were very happy with me going at a slow and steady pace that suited my new stomach. When I was ready I went straight to regular foods like minced meats and vegetables and well cooked stews and casseroles. You will find what you can eat one day will not be ok another day. My new stomach has tantrums even now. Just do your best. I was so turned off food and was never hungry. I had a filthy taste in my mouth all the time, numerous tooth brushings never altered this. I too had deep regrets, everything I ever knew about eating was altered. I had to find new ways to find pleasure because now we have to eat to live and not the other way around. You will get there, just ride this out. Your hormones are running wild at the moment so it is all against you at the moment. Weight gains and stalls are all par for the course. You will get them all the time. A full bowel, a salty meal or salty broth can cause a temporary weight gain. Just stick to the plan and believe , it works. Soon you will be able to make your teams water and protein goals then you will feel so much better. People think that doing WLS is the easy option. Its not, especially early on. Contact your team and tell them your struggles. Get counselling if you need it. Chat and vent on here, we all have. Everyone has had similar issues.

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

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!

My answers will be in blue. Our new insurance is going to kick in as of June 1, 2007 and this is when I'm going to start my journey of trying to get approved for the surgery. I don't even know if our insurance covers any of it but I am hopeful and I still want to get as much research as possible within me. We are going to have UHC so my guess some of it could be covered but who knows, I will find out in June once we get our cards, info packets, etc. etc. Anywho, here are my questions.... If you are enrolled, and just don't have active coverage yet, you should still be able to get a copy of the SPD. You should not have to wait. (I could be wrong about this, but that's what I think, anyway) 1) It's been a little over a year since I've had a pap smear. I'm going to go once our insurance kicks in and I'm going to let my doctor know that I haven't had a period in 7 months and that I am interested in having a weight loss surgery. I'm very sure it's due to my recent weight gain, do you think she would be willing to write a letter of recommendation to the insurance company that the reason for surgery is a health issue? First, your doctor will have to verify that your cessation of periods is due to weightloss. Your doctor won't write a letter of recommendation on your assumption that it is. General guidelines for insurance approval include history of obesity (5+ years) and BMI over 40 or over 35 with two or more comorbidities (doesn't sound like you have this). IF the periods were a result of weight gain, this might be one comorbidity, but honestly - I'm not sure. 2) How will I know what other procedures I need to get done before being considered for the surgery? Does the insurance company tell me this or the surgeon? Usually no other procedures are needed unless you have something that has to be medically corrected before the surgery can physically take place. There are general criteria that (usually) need to be met for insurane coverage. Common criteria include 6 months of medically supervised weightloss (6 months of being weighed in doesn't normally count, they require an additional 6 months of going specifically for Morbid Obesity - 278.01), psychologist approval, standard pre-op admissions (xray, labs, etc.). These vary by surgeon and insurance company. Your surgeon will probably have a set of criteria, as will your provider. 3)After that, do I just call up my surgeon (I'm wanting to go to Dr. Spivak in Houston, TX) and say "Hey! I'm interested in getting the lap band surgery!" and do they just guide me from there? Determine if you're covered by your insurance, or if you will be self pay. Dr. Spivak may or may not be an in network provider. If he isn't, you can either pay the difference or find someone who is. Once that decision is made, contact the surgeon's office. Most require you to attend an information seminar during which you're given the paperwork you need to begin the process. 4)Is it possible to lose weight w/ out fills or are they necessary? You can lost weight without fills, but you shouldn't count on it. The point of the band is to be restricted. Sometimes enough restriction is given by the band itself that fills aren't needed. 95%+ of the time this isn't the case. It's safe to assume you will need at least a few fills. ...Grr, that's all I can think of as of right now. I took a shower earlier and I swear that I had questions coming out of my ears! Anyway, thanks in advance for all of your help! 5) I know that some insurance companies require you to have a 6 month weight loss documentation. This is no problem for me considering I have joined Weight Watchers numerous times in the past. How do I get my information from them? I have long thrown away all of my weigh-in cards but I assume they also keep them on file? Weight Watchers is not medically supervised in and of itself. If it was something you and your doctor agreed on, and you were going to follow-up sessions with your doctor to monitor your progress. Weight Watchers weigh in cards are pretty much worthless as far as "medically supervised" goes. See above information.

Without knowing what you’re eating I’d guess that you’re eating too many calories. Focus on these steps and see if you get better results. 1. Log everything you consume with an app like MyFitnessPal (MFP). 2. Do not drink with meals; instead wait 30-60 minutes after eating. 3. Weigh/ measure your food with a scale as we don’t always eyeball portion sizes correctly. 4. Eat dense protein first then non-starchy vegetables. Fill up on these items before eating other foods. And minimize consumption of processed food (e.g. crackers, bread, protein bars, etc.). 5. Do not chase being full. 6. If you’re consuming artificial sweeteners, try limiting or stopping them as some studies indicate they may lead to weight gain. 7. Walk as much as possible in your day-to-day life. Good luck, you can do this!

Before my weight gain, I was a 32B. I thought having big boobs would be nice. I've had these big boobs for 15 years (38DD), and can't wait for them to go away. If I need surgery after all of this so be it. I just hope that the doc can keep em small. lol

Please read my post again. I did not condemn the woman who needed to lose 68 lbs. I said I didn't know her story. Looking at her it didn't appear that she had weight to lose. I was only wondering about the choice. Did she do everything before taking such a drastic step, or did she do the surgery as a first attempt? I worry that this surgery is getting so popular that we will be having it for not the right reasons. I have been fat all my life and have suffered with every weight gain, every diet, every lb gained. I am not judgemental about those that have less to lose than I or haven't experienced all the gains and losses. What I was trying to express is that this is a major decision. It shouldn't be taken lightly. I don't think we should put teens through this until other avenues have been tried. To that end, the insurance guidelines are helping, in some cases. There will always be those that can afford it on their on and not need the insurance. There are those that need this surgery to live a healthy life. I can't judge anyone, nor do I want to.

Great thread, Wheetsin! I totally agree with Amy, "FunnyDuddies." A huge part of the appeal of the lapband , for me, was to limit or stop the continual weight gain. I didn't want to develop the co-morbidities. Also, the idea of banding teens to prevent MO is really interesting. It could completely change their lives. Sho, that is so frustrating to have the rapid weight gain as a side-effect of life-saving treatment. I do know what that is like, and it totally sucks! I thought it would be temporary because it came on so fast, but even years later, it is still hanging on. But even so, I am so grateful to be alive! At least it looks like you have your weight back down again. Personally, I fudged 1/2 inch on my height on my initial application. When I went to my first appointment to be weighed and measured, I stood tall and to my despair found out I had shrunk 1/2 inch and my height was correct. Karma!

If you are worried about what you did then speak to your team. My advice would be relax a bit, forgive yourself, you know what you did wrong and hopefully would not repeat the incident. You are so near onederland it would be a shame to put off this huge milestone by weight gain. You have done so well, keep up the good work

Your body will need more sustenance to maintain your exercise levels, you will need to eat more. The balance will be how much more. If you aren't losing weight eat a little less than 1600cals and keep adjusting down. There may be a pause on weight loss at the moment which is not related to weight gain due to additional calories, but if your muscles are really sore after each workout, your body is very likely retaining fluid to help repair the muscles. If you are really sore you may also be building lean body mass but this wouldn't be happening as fast you'd think it would and hopefully you are losing body fat at the same time.

@@Jamburd1, I can't offer any advice because I am going through the EXACT SAME THING. Our surgery date is almost identical, same weight gain & thought process. It's almost as if you wrote what I've been thinking but was too scared to write. In the past two months I've gained 8 pounds ( and never made it to goal). Once we get our mind right we can tackle this gain. It is possible, I've seen many people post that on this forum. @@Smoaklas awesome advice that I will take for myself. @@Jamburd1 Hang in there and let's do whatever it takes to keep the 8lb gain from becoming 18 lbs. we've been through too much

Yes I agree I don't have a scale I don't want to purchase one and it's simply because I've watched so many people get discouraged to the point they were in tears because of weight gain and they start to regret the surgery and it turns into a psychological thing and I don't want to deal with that and I've never been a person that looked at the scale so I don't have a problem with not having a scale Sent from my SM-G935T using BariatricPal mobile app