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As a young adult, I wore a size 7. Through the years of weight gains, I moved up to a size 8 1/2 and was fast headed for a size 9. Now my shoes are getting loose, so I guess I'll be down sizing soon. I look forward to a size 7 again. So, in answer to your question, your shoe size does change.

Since I have had a lot of trouble finding information about pregnancy with the lap band, I thought I'd share my experience on here . . . My lap band surgery was on 11/12/10, I found out I was pregnant at the end of June 2011. So, it was only about 7 months after my surgery. At the time I became pregnant, I had lost about 25 pounds and my lap band had 7.5 cc's in it. Right now, I am 33 weeks pregnant and my total weight gain has been around 8 pounds. This is my 3rd pregnancy and I'm 35 years old . . . my other children were born when I was 27 and 29. Also, I gained around 37 pounds with each pregnancy. With my first pregnancy, I lost all but 5 pounds of my pregnancy weight. But, with my 2nd, I only lost about 10 pounds and unfortunately continued to gain weight . . . hence, the need for my lap band. I have not had any of the fill taken out but I have had a lot of trouble eating. When I was around 23 weeks pregnant, I did call my lap band doctor to inquire about having some of the flll removed. But, I was told that he would remove all the fill if I came in . . . so I decided to just eat the foods that I knew would not bother me (i.e. make me throw up). Also, I drink a lot of the Muscle Milk light . . . especially if I've had difficulty with a previous meal that day. I eat a lot of Soup, sandwiches wrapped in lettuce (Jimmy John's Un-Wich - yum!!), and salads. Before I became pregnant, bread still was not a big problem for me . . . but I cannot eat it at all now. I did not want to have all the fill removed because my insurance will no longer cover anything related to my lap band. So, I would have to pay to have it removed and then after the delivery / nursing, he would not put all 7.5 cc's in at one time. Then, I'd have to pay for several visits to get back to the 7.5 cc level. But, my OB has been watching me VERY carefully, including bloodwork to check all my nutrition levels. So, I definitely have been eating, etc . . . Both of my current children were born at 37 weeks and I've been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions, so I think that this baby will also be born around 37 weeks. Anyway, I'd love to hear other people's stories . . . especially how much weight you gained while pregnant and how quickly it came off after delivery. I think I've lost weight during this pregnancy since I'm at 33 weeks with 8 pounds gained . . . my ultrasound last week came up with a current baby weight of 4 lb 3 oz. My only fear right now is something happening to my lap band during delivery . . . I really cannot find any information out there regarding what might happen during delivery to your lap band.

When I'm at good restriction I don't count cals. I eat prob an ave of 600/day. I recently had an unfil for plastic surgery & with that came weight gain, plus I couldn't exercise, so I'm currently counting cal & trying to stay @ 1200. As long as ut loosing weight wouldn't stress to much about it. For a while I became so obsessed with cals in cals out. I had a body bugg & tracked everything religiously. One day I just decided I had wls so I wouldn't habe to do all this crap... & stopped. My weight loss actually picked up once I put all of that energy into exercise & making healthy choices But I do believe when u find urself slipping sometimes u need to get back on track with cal counting

The last couple of weeks I have not been paying much attention to what I've been eating nor have I been very good at working out. Prior to my surgery this would have been cause for a great deal of stress and very definitely a weight gain of at least 5 lbs or more. But I just realized that instead of majorly overeating and gaining lots of weight and having lots of guilt, etc., I have been fluctuating up and down the same 2-3 lbs, have not felt like I've eaten everything in the house but the kitchen sink and don't have the same level of stress, anxiety, and guilt about it as I used to! I'm just having an "off" couple of weeks and I'm still able to maintain my weight! What a great feeling!

Not that I know of, though it probably has happened, most likely to someone who hadn't learned how to use the band, or had a bulemic eating disorder. I just had a baby 6 weeks ago. Admittedly, I was banded 3 years ago rather than 3 months ago, but I succeeded in keeping my weight-gain to 7# for the pregnancy (actually lost weight during the pregnancy--was down 17# from my pre-pregnancy weight 3 days after the baby was born) so I'll be happy to answer any questions or give any advice to help you through this phase of the journey. Feel free to message me.

Weight gain and stalls can happen, even this early out. Don't panic! Give your body time to adjust and adapt to all of the trauma it has been through. As for not feeling full, that is also common. The surgery can seriously damage your nerves and therefore mess up all the signals from your stomach to your brain. It is VERY VERY important to measure your food and eat on a schedule. DO NOT rely on signals from your body right now. Also, while it is good to be walking short distances frequently throughout the day, don't overdo it. You are still healing and recovering from major surgery. You shouldn't be worrying about calorie burn right now. You should be focusing on healing and getting all of your water and protein in.

I have had crohns for 23rd and too have had weight gain from the years off and on prednisone. I hope to have less pain,less bowel movements and urgency, my energy back and my sense if feeling normal again. Knock on wood I have the same positive outcome. I see my surgeon Nov 13 and he will give me my date, here's to hoping everything goes smooth with my insurance approval. I'm excited and nervous.

I had my sleeve done last Wednesday at Blossom, and they are as advertised. That practice is a well-oiled machine, and less than a week out I am feeling surprisingly good. I did not even have much in the way of gas pains. The worst of it was the side effects of the anesthesia and anti-nausea meds, which was gone within 2 days of surgery. I seriously debated flying out on day 5 or staying an extra day, but really wanted to get home to recover rather than stay in a motel room. I was able to fly as scheduled on Friday without any problems. I am post-menopausal and had reached a point where after years of yo-yo dieting, I simply could not lose and keep off weight. Last summer I tried a diet clinic and ended up even worse off, gaining back 15 pounds I had lost earlier in the year. YouTube's Dr. Weiner says that weight loss surgery is basically a one-time offer--only redeem if you cannot lose and keep weight off any other way. I feel I had certainly reached that point, and I had the surgery with a BMI around 35. I am down 16 pounds since I started my pre-op diet December 1 (a few days early). In comparison, earlier in the year it took me about twice as long to lose the same amount, and I plateaued after losing 25. This was on a low fat, low carb, low calorie diet that was torture the entire time. I am glad that I did this after entering menopause, because I rapidly gained a lot of weight at that time and hope that the hormonal aspect of weight gain is behind me now, so that my redeeming this offer will result in a lifelong improvement in my health.

Sorry, I had to cut my above post short, as had to attend to kid duties. Umm.. yeah, sorry about the wasps' nest that your post has stirred. Please keep in mind, as several of the above posters have mentioned, there are a lot of people here with "parent issues", and your post pushed some buttons. I was heavy by time I hit first or second grade, but really started gaining in earnest in middle school (blasted puberty!!). My Mom and Dad didn't have much money, so they did the best they could. I was the only one that became chubby on the pasta and day-old doughnuts, so it was a problem with me, not the diet But, alas.. the past is what it is, and I'm finally on a path to better myself. I'm 38. I recognize that you are terrified of complications from the surgery. You'd hate to see a perfectly healthy young adult sign up for an optional procedure that could leave her worse than she started, right? We can't promise nothing bad will happen during/after the procedure. But, we can promise that the risks are low, and the rewards are great. Post-surgery regain is a real possibility, and it can start as early as 6-8 months post-op. She has a lot to learn about changing the content of her diet, FOREVER, not just the quantity.. because she'll gradually be able to eat more and more, to the point of eating like a typical person (1 plate, not 3.. but she can get in big trouble with 1 plate!). If you can, please look up Dr. Matthew Weiner on youtube. He is a bariatric surgeon in Michigan, and he has a TON of information about how/why the surgery works, and tips for changing diet and lifestyle afterwords. We are so used to having to steer our kids in the right direction (away from danger), that it can be difficult to let them go and do their own things. Shoot, my husband didn't want me doing the surgery! He was terrified for me. I was more terrified for my high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, joint pain, inability to fit in an airplane seat (no 2nd honeymoon in Hawaii!), breaking toilet seats all the time, having to hold my breath to tie my shoes, couldn't wash the bottoms of my feet, having very limited wardrobe selection, couldn't go out to walk the dog without feeling like I was going to have a heart attack, stairs = seeing stars.. etc. I did great on diets when I was 20. Lost 65lbs, could hike 25 miles a day carrying a pack, etc. But, we can't all stay 20 forever, and having pregnancies, sitting at desk jobs, taking care of elderly parents in the home.. these things all take their toll, and weight gain happens... especially because a broken metabolism does not get fixed by diet and exercise! (There is some hope for a ketogenic diet, I suppose, but that was one I never tried). Fix the metabolism through surgery. Learn a new way of cooking and eating. Fix any emotional problems.. and your daughter has a great chance of having a normal life.

Cindi2014, thank you for sharing. I also am responsible for the weight gain. I've had a share of dysfunctions with the band, slippage, issues with my esaphagus but what I chose to eat is what put the weight back on. On 7/28/17 my band will be replaced due to a leak. Once repaired I start my journey again.

@@Boudala Don't worry about the weight gain from your period. The liquid diet is to shrink your leaking surgery safer- not really about weight loss. It'll go back down quickly. The stairs may be a little difficult but hold a pillow to your abdomen and take them slowly. Good luck.

I am on my 5th month of my dr supervised diet and I am still on the fence. Somedays I am like wow I want this surgery soo bad, and then the next day I am like what are you crazy! I worry about all the changes in my life too, and the quality of life after the band. I also know at this rate of weight gain, I won't have to worry about quality of life, because I won't have one. Just like everyone said you have to read the posts on this site with an open mind and remember this is not what happens to everyone, but it is good to know all the facts before doing anything. This site is great and you should use it everyday to help you sort out your emotions and doubts. Also keep in mind most people who do make the decision to be banded have thought about or researched it for a while so don't feel rushed to make such a decision. Good luck!

Happy New Year! I was hoping to hit the century mark in weight loss by the time the 1st hit, and I very nearly did it. I weighed in this morning at 288.8. I just needed another week in 2016 and I'd have done it! Still, I've erased about twenty years of weight gain in four months' time, thanks to this surgery. I have just over 100lbs left to lose, but it feels darn good to know it's GOING to come off. I feel good and I'm tremendously glad I made the decision to do it. I had my blood pressure checked and it's still elevated, even with the weight loss. It does run in the family, so it looks like I may just need to take medicine at this point...but we'll see, as I continue to lose weight and then start getting into shape. I'm hoping I can eventually ditch the CPAP machine AND the HBP medication. Can't put the cart before the horse, though.

Just wanted to chime in - I think I am the post-op weight gain record holder - 20 pounds - it was awful - came back off plus more - took about 4 weeks - just stick with it!

I read on a blog (OK; not the best or most reliable source) that 85% of couples split following a significant weight change in one partner. That can be weight up or down, btw. I can understand why a couple might split with a big weight gain in one of the people, because with big weight gain comes lack of mobility, socializing, community activities, etc. Then a downward spiral begins, as the normal-weight partner either goes and does their own thing, or stays at home to be with the inactive person, but resents becoming cut off from their formerly active life. And I can understand why a big weight loss would also impact a couple. Change is often a scary thing to navigate, and when one person is threatened by the other's change (vs being supportive of it), it doesn't bode well for the couple. For me, I am very aware of how my upcoming surgery and resulting weight loss may put my relationship at risk. My BF already has a very low level of energy---much lower than mine even though his is not obese and he is younger than me--and it's always been something that bothers me. I also blame a lot of my weight gain on the fact he never moves, so I don't either (lame, I know, but it's not a lot of fun doing stuff on my own.) I know that I need to be active to be successful with my lapband. I know it will mean doing it on my own. There will be some resentment there, and I am quite aware that this may mean the demise of my relationship. But staying fat and inactive is too high a price to pay to remain in my relationship, so let the cards fall as they may. I have one life and am fed up with letting the days slip by while there is just so much to do OUTSIDE IN THE WORLD!!!!

Hi I was just wondering how many of you gained weight before your first fill. I was banded in mid Apr and lost consistently until I started solids (and I was still very careful in what I ate AND have been exercising). I've noticed that I've gained 3-4 lbs in the last week!!!!! WTF!!!! I go for my first fill next week. I've heard this can happen but I'm just curious as to how many folks it has happened to. I'm trying not to beat myself up or get discourgaged by it but it is difficult!!

I really doubt 60 pounds weight gain was from birth control. but all peoples body react differently to things i guess. :thumbup:

I had the same fears pre op. 60% of my excess weight still leaves me in the "obese" catagory with 40 more # to lose to be normal. What I'm OK with now, 3 weeks post op in a one week stall, is that this small stomach will be a weight loss tool for the rest of my life. I don't find it hard to stay on primarily Protein with veggie back up. I now drink a lot of Water because I'm thirsty, not because I have to force myself. Down the road, if I go off the plan I'll still be eating MUCH less and I doubt weight gain will be an issue as I swim every day. Losing weight down the road is easier, I hear, by re-conforming to the diet in concert with the "baby stomach".

Have any of Doctors ruled out an ulcer? That would definitely cause you to be unable to eat, and if it is a bleeding ulcer, the blood loss would definitely make you weak and dizzy and if it is irritated, that could cause an infection (leading to the fever). If it happens after a fill, the irritation of having the band adjusted in a fill could trigger the ulcer to become inflamed. Vomiting would also irritate it. One other thing, when I was pregnant, I was highly anemic and got the "fade to black" thing when I stood up to fast or was too active. Have your Iron level checked. However, I don't think anemia can cause the other symtoms you are having, but you never know. If I were you I would march into my doctor's office and DEMAND that he find out what is wrong. At your age, there should be no reason why you have to feel like you do. Just to add, I read an article recently about sugar free gum and consumption of aspertame. Do you chew alot of sugar free gum, drink diet drinks or eat alot of food sweetened with aspertame? Apparently quite a few people have recently found to have a sort of allery of sensitivity to aspertame (which also goes by many other names). The sensitivity or reaction includes quite alot of the symptoms that you are having. You might want to look into it. There is also literature that aspartame sensitivity can be linked to depression. I found this on Diagnose-Me: Treatment: Aspartame (Nutrasweet) Avoidance - I noticed quite a few of the symptoms you mentioned here. Hope this helps. If you want to send me a PM, I will try to find that email that I had and send it to you as well. I apologize for the length of this. "Adverse effects reported from short-term and/or long-term use of Aspartame include: Seizures and convulsions, dizziness, tremors, migraines and severe headaches (triggered or caused by chronic intake), memory loss (common toxicity effect), slurring of speech, confusion, numbness or tingling of extremities, chronic fatigue, depression, insomnia, irritability, panic attacks (common aspartame toxicity reaction), marked personality changes, phobias, rapid heart beat (tachycardia - another frequent reaction), asthma, chest pains, hypertension (high blood pressure), nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, swallowing pain, itching, hives / urticaria, other allergic reactions, blood sugar control problems (e.g. hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia), menstrual cramps and other menstrual problems or changes, impotency and sexual problems, food cravings, weight gain, hair loss / baldness or thinning of hair, burning urination & other urination problems, excessive thirst or excessive hunger, bloating, edema (fluid retention), infection susceptibility, joint pain, brain cancer (in pre-approval studies on animals), death. Aspartame Disease may mimic symptoms of, or worsen: Fibromyalgia, arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease, lupus, multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS), diabetes and diabetic Complications, seizures, Alzheimer's disease, birth defects, chronic fatigue syndrome, lymphoma, Lyme's disease, attention deficit disorder (ADD and ADHD), panic disorder, depression and other psychological disorders."

They all speak truth -- every ounce of weight you lose will be from your own efforts. You *must* be willing to give up the habits that led to weight gain -- including certain foods and drinks and ways you spend your time -- and replace them with new habits you'll hopefully start developing.. now. The band, as noted is a tool. I like to think of it as a cattle prod -- it will complain if you abuse it, but there are ways to subvert it, just as with any surgery or diet. Consider it a conscience that is much harder to ignore, if that helps, that is there to help train you about a certain range of portion control. It won't help you if you drink all your calories, or spend all your calories on chocolate bars (though perhaps an RNY might), or nibble here and there all day, never giving yourself a chance to experience satiety. So the choice of treatment really is dependent on what underlying problems are behind your weight gain. It can be challenging, but even the pre-op phase can be worth it. I spent two months on a diet about halfway to what I'm eating now, and the improvements in my life just from that were just a preview.

This is a common misconception. The difference is not that dramatic. First of all, half a century ago is about 1958. In 1963, the average age of menarche was between 12.9 and 12.75 depending on what study you quote. Now it's about 12.5 to 12.8, again depending on the study you quote. The average hasn't been 16 for well over a century and we have a ways to go until it's 11 because there has been a leveling off in the drop. From reading the stories on LBT, I get the impression that entering puberty does start obesity in some women and for others having a baby does it. That doesn't cover everyone, of course, but those two themes seem to be the most common. Also, there is a correlation between weight and onset of menarche. But it's not that menarche causes weight gain. It's that you have to have a certain percentage of body fat in order to have menarche. This is one reason why the age has gone down -- nutrition has improved and there are a lot less starving kids with low body fat percentages in the world.

Those damned grocery store displays is right. We are surrounded by temptation, damned commercials, damned ads in magazines. But Tricia is right, the first line of defence is keeping a 'clean' house. I have 3 young kids, 11, 8 adn 6. I often feel as though I have to have 'something' in the house, 'for them' But often I am eating more than each of them. So I am starving my kids off sugar. That can only be a good thing, or at least training them that treats are for weekends. But certainly I feel your pain. I am all for throwing them in the garbage. I had to do that with much of the crap candy from Halloween that my kids had. I didnt' even want them to eat it. Good luck with this, it is a very difficult thing to do. hugs here is a good article I read on Canada.com Michelle Lang, CanWest News Service; Calgary Herald Published: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 KANANASKIS, Alta. - With an abundance of cheap, high-calorie food all around us, eating is replacing cigarettes and alcohol as the new "drug of choice,'' says a University of Calgary scientist. At an Alberta obesity conference on Tuesday, Jaideep Bains argued food may have more addictive properties than many people realize, with both eating and drugs activating the same regions of the brain. Back to Body & Health A molecule called orexin, for instance, is critical to stimulating appetite and also makes the brain more sensitive to the effects of cocaine, noted the neuroscientist and assistant professor at the university. "It's not drugs and alcohol that are the drug of choice these days it's food,'' Bains said. "Feeding behaviours are not dissimilar to addictive behaviours.'' The Alberta Obesity Summit is a two-day conference bringing together scientists from across North America to discuss their research into the growing problem of bulging waistlines. Bains also told the conference that stress appears linked to eating and addiction, triggering both behaviours, particularly binge eating and relapses in recovering substance abusers. He noted stressed-out university students, for example, may "pig out'' during exams. "Stress could make cravings (for food and drugs) more profound,'' he said. "There's also some thinking it could relieve stress. That it's a coping mechanism.'' Another presenter at the conference said it's never too early to start tackling weight problems, arguing a predisposition to obesity could even begin in the womb. Rhonda Bell, a human nutritionist at the University of Alberta, noted a Dutch study of pregnant women who were malnourished when their country was occupied during the Second World War had children with increased obesity rates. Bell's own research in animals also suggests early eating habits have a profound impact on weight gain later in life. In one study, Bell introduced fructose, a type of sugar, into the diets of rats between seven- and 12-days old when they would normally be feeding on milk from their mothers. The rats grew up to be 20 per cent heavier at 12 weeks old than rats who consumed a normal diet in the first weeks of life. Her research also found rats on high carbohydrate diets passed their weight problems onto their offspring. ``We look at kids and say `they can eat anything. They're so resilient.' But that isn't always true,'' she said. University of Calgary scientist Keith Sharkey said research presented at the conference suggests obesity is a disorder of the brain that's also strongly influenced by early life experiences. He said more research needs to be done to understand obesity so scientists can advise policymakers on how best to intervene in the problem. "We're not in any doubt as to what we have to do,'' said Sharkey, who helped organize the conference. "We're in doubt as to the best way to solve it.'' © CanWest News Service 2006 Oh ya, and love yourself enough. <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

100% honest; I am eating Carbs. Right or wrong I vomit so much toast became my go too for something. ( yesterday I vomited 4xs today already once just trying tunna with mayo to make it wet...1T and with in five min it hurts and there I go. I know...tuna for breakfast yuck but I didn't want to cook) ill wait till dinner to try again. If I vomit, ill wait n eat toast this is my average day. I will try to put protein on the toast if it feels ok. Can't say I need a new dilation as I'm gaining weight! Good lord that would be worse . No, I'm not drinking enough. I'll check that one...that's easy task to handle. Depressed and happy if I get dressed so no I am being lazy, laundry is a major hooraa right now. I have a hyper thyroid. No, I did not make a mistake its hyper. My meds are to make it NOT hyper.....side effect weight gain. Now I think its likley water....so ill tackle that first. Tomorrow is my weigh in (my own ...Thursday is my day) we will see how it goes. I lost my job after the op and complications. Sooo its just been a stressful month. Trying to pick a focus. Trying to get well quick. Fund for letting me vent

My apologies. I sincerely thought it must have been a typo and was teasing to be funny, not hurtful in any way. That being said, if a person is overweight it's a result of calories in versus calories out....overeating. You are right that there are other ways to become overweight, such as drastic hormone imbalances or certain drugs that cause weight gain. But those reasons don't land you on a WLS forum.

I have been thin most of my life. My weight gain came after several (8) rounds of chemo, first you cant eat then you can and food is wonderful then more chemo it was a vicious cycle. Size 6 then size 12 it takes a toll on you. Now cancer free for 3 yrs the weight just kept coming so I'd lose and something stressful would trigger and wham weight again. I can lose weight just can't maintain then my portion sizes got bigger and bigger. Then got diagnosed with diabetes and got really angry with myself because i caused the diabetes. Thats when my pcp and i discussed the sleeve. I was sleeved 9/10 and although I'm in the 3 wk stall i have lost 11 pds and 9 inches. Best decision ever. I have 70 more pds to hit goal of 110 as I am only 4'11.