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that wouldn't be a true weight gain. Could be constipation, water retention, or hormones. It'll probably be gone in a day or two.

Tiffkins has posted some excellent things on this board that go into great detail about the issues with the different surgeries. I'm not trying to discourage you from speaking with someone, but there is ALOT of information out there that will help you. Some of the things that you will find with the issues over people who have had the gastric bypass is the failure rate is pretty high. The malabsorption changes pretty significantly after about 12 to 18 months which takes most people by surprise. So, if people are consuming say 2,000 or more calories per day but their body is only absorbing half that in the beginning and then eventually the body adapts and starts to absorb more calories which equals weight gain unless people adjust their eating habits. Also, one of the biggies that most people have issue with is the permanent state of being dependent on way more supplements because your body won't be able to absorb the nutrients like it could prior to surgery. Failure to stay compliant with that life long regimen of staying on supplements can lead to serious health consequences. This includes regular bloodwork (minimum annual) to ensure changes aren't necessary to the supplements your body needs. Also, NSAIDS will be a forever no-no. So, if the surgery does fail you, you are still stuck with the life long consequences of dependency on supplements the rest of your life. Are you prepared for that? It is your decision in the end- just be sure you have all the information you need before you move forward. One other suggestion. Go to www.obesityhelp.com as they have LOTS of threads for ALL the different types of surgeries including threads dedicated to people who have failed/ having problems succeeding with their surgery. The bulk and share of those posters are people who had the RnY and if you notice most of them are at least 12 to 18 months out. Several people can be successful but after about 18 to 24 months start having issues with weight regain.

It is realistic to be a normal weight. Yes, it does take work (if you call eating healthy and taking the recommended amount of daily exercise work) but it is worth doing. And I don't actually know anyone who is a healthy weight who doesn't exercise daily, eat well, and take care of their health. I set my goal weight, and my Dr agreed that for a woman of my height, it was a good weight. I have maintained 107 (a BMI of 19) for over 18 months now with no "rebound" weight gain at all.

wow...12 months. That is amazing. I can understand why you would do that. It is stressful and I should eliminate as much stress as I can because stress leads to weight gain! I think I just obsess about the numbers. I guess I just want to know that going through all of this wasn't for nothing. If you didn't weigh yourself weekly, then how did you figure out how many carbs, protein, calories etc. you needed for your optimal weight loss? If you have any advice, then please share. Calories during the first month? protein? carbs? Thanks in advance.

hello everyone, my name is maria but i like to be called mer. been having a rough time lately with the weight loss. i had my band surgery on june 18, 2007. the surgery was easy, hardly any pain and i healed fast. i haven't lost that much weight and in fact the past month or two i have been gaining. at first after the surgery i did lose because i was in that zone to lose and with the restrictions from the band helped. exercised alittle too. everytime i noticed i was eating more than ishould i would go in for a fill. after the first couple of months everytime i went in for afill i would make an appt for my next fill. the first 13 months were free fills so why not and if i felt i didn't need afill then it was no problem cancelling. by the time my first year aniversary came around i had lost about 70 pounds. which is good but not good enough in my mind. i stayed at about 70lb loss for afew months then i had foot surgery so i was unable to walk around for acouple months and so i became bored. for me bored equals eating. while i was recovering i started to gain but then when i was able to walk on my foot the weight gain slowed, alittle. i thought when i would return to work it would get me back on some sort of routine but no. i just made an appt for a fill. i'm alittle embarrased because of the weight gain and almost didn't make the apt but i need to get back into eating better so i worked through that fear and called. any way just wanted to say hi and let you know where im at in my laplife. sorry it was so long:smile: mer

You are so welcome. Too bad you are in NH. Iam a very good listener and a great believer in everyday accomplishments whether mental or physical ( the latter not so much...........lol) I had GBS in 2006. Higher weight 311 lowest 187. In stating so, current weight bounces from 230 - 235 I seem to be stuck, but just can't be at peace with this weight gain. However my scale says "just live with this and move on" ! So hard headed! (and italian to boot!) Such is life. Love this site and just so happy for some that have made their goal above and beyond. Encouragement abounds!! Keep the posts coming! Thanks, Sharowna

So this last week has been a busy week. I had my nutritionist consult at Starbucks. She was nice I guess, but looked at me like I was out of my mind when I said I was going to self-pay. She literally stopped talking, put her papers down, her eyes got big, her mouth hung open a little, and she just stared at me for what felt like 3 hours. I know a lot of people (my husband and mother-in-law...) don't understand why I would go that far in debt for this, but I guess I can't really expect them to understand. They haven't lived their whole lives like this. Feeling like an outsider all the time. And now that I'm older (ripe old age of 25), and heavier, the daily physical pain, lack of energy, not being able to really be "me." My heart breaks when I can't play with my daughter more than a couple of minutes without being exhausted and winded. She deserves better than that, and I deserve to be able to be the kind of mom I want to be. Ah well, I'm rambling... So I had the nutrition consult. Took maybe 30-40 minutes. She had the nerve to drink Starbucks in front of me. I've cut Starbucks out cold turkey. I almost asked her if I could just take a sniff of her coffee. But that would have been weird... Then Thursday I had my first appointment with the surgeon's office. $150 to watch a video explaining the lap-band surgery . That was pretty much it. They weighed me, and I found out I weigh 5 lbs more than I thought I did. I thought I was at 405, but no, I am at 410. Sigh. Then I had to watch that video for an hour. Then, the lady gave me a paper with how much the cost of everything will be and the loan amount I need to take out. Yipee. Stupid employer exclusion... Friday, I had an appointment with my family doctor. I love him. He is so supportive of this decision. He had his letter recommending me for the lap-band surgery already written and typed up before he even came in the room. He also ordered the bloodwork, x-rays, EKG, upper GI, etc that the surgeon's office needs. I was so happy that he ordered it for me. That means my insurance will probably cover those tests since he ordered them, instead of my lap-band doctor. He completely understood and was very happy to do so. He said that he has several patients who have had the lap-band and been very successful. One lady was actually around my current weight, and is now down in the low 200's. He reminded me to be saving my money for plastic surgery as I lose the weight. The most interesting of all the pre-op appointments on my checklist, was the psych eval. It was on Friday too, after the family doc appointment. The psychologist/psychiatrist was very nice, and really funny. He cursed like a sailor and had really funny stories to tell (including one story about a man that liked to have sex while wearing his CPAP machine :thumbup:). He picked at my brain a little, but I think he could tell I'm ready for this surgery and fully aware of the physical & non-physical risks. There was only one thing that stumped me, and I've been thinking about it ever since. He said he has lots of patients that have been banded and aren't successful with it. They either don't lose much weight at all, don't lose any weight, gain weight, etc. Basically, the band just does not work for them, usually because they aren't sticking to the program, exercising, etc. He asked me, what about me makes me different from any of them. I told him that I am super-motivated and I'm going to do my very best. He replied that that's how they all felt in the beginning too. That kind of hit me hard. There are lots of bandsters that were just as motivated as I currently am with all the intentions to do everything right and lose all the weight, but they failed at it. What is going to make me different? I didn't know the answer to this and I couldn't answer him. I still don't know the answer to this. I wish now that I had thought to ask him if he had any suggestions of what could make me different from them. This question is kind of getting to me. What is going to make me different? So the only thing I've got left on my checklist is my upper GI stuff. I think that's usually done at a hospital. Someone is supposed to call me for a date for that. Even though I don't want the surgery until the last week of May or the first week of June (so DH, the teacher, will be out of school and can help out with our 2 year old), I feel so relieved to have pretty much everything done and out of the way.

Thanks Border for understanding. I guess it is a fear of the unknown when it comes to that particular doctor visit as well as having to pay someone to judge us for any psychological fitness. Know what I mean? It's already difficult when people are judging us for weight gain and then this, it's just another difficult appointment that I have dreaded. I will be calling Monday to make my appointment but now I think I will have a little more confidence when I go. Good luck Border.

Today I had a one pound weight gain. Fortunately, I knew that I would have a gain right after surgery because of the fluids they pump in you and the swelling at the surgery site. I felt pretty miserable last night and took a narcotic tablet that we had leftover from some back pain awhile back. My doctor doesn't prescribe narcotics...just an NSAID and I'm already on some of those (Voltarin) for my rheumatoid arthritis. This morning, I took 1/2 tablet and feel a little better. I'm wondering how much weight I will have to lose to go down a size? I just bought (online) a shirt to wear for Thanksgiving that is in my current size (but tight right now). I hope it literally hangs on me! We'll see...

I'm sorry for what you are going through. All you can do is your best to keep the weight off. Make sure you eat foods high in Protein and stay away from foods that contain a lot of fat, sugar and carbs. Can you walk without pain? If so, you should try to walk for an hour or more each day to minimize the weight gain and perhaps you will even lose some weight. I know you are depressed, but try not to let yourself gain anymore weight. Perhaps you can join Weight Watchers and begin losing again. Just a suggestion! Hang in there! Donna

Let me first tell you a little about myself. I grew up as a very athletic and yes a very skinny kid without a care in the world. Then the teenage years hit and I started battling depression. As a result I was put on drug after drug, many of which cause weight gain or atleast an inevitable carb obsession which leads to obeseity. I essentially became my feelings: slow, sluggish. I used food to try to fix my problems. But it didn't work, so I ate more and more.Don't get me wrong even in my teens and twenties there were times when I was healthy and thin, but then I would yo-yo back everytime my medications would have to be changed or tweaked to treat my depression and anxiety. From the time I graduated college 2008 to 2011, I yo-yoed up 100 lbs from 155 lbs weight to almost 257 lbs at 5'4''. This was the position I found myself at when I started my process of approval for lapband surgery in July of 2011. I was over 250 lbs. A size 22 pants and xxl in tops. It was the seemingly little things that made life so miserable as an overweight person. Some of these little things included walking from my car into the schools for work. I got mad at myself everytime I forgot something upstairs because the walk up the steps took my breath away. I would get blinding back pain. And then there were the times when people asked me "when is the baby due?" that really ruined my self esteem. I guess it wasn't there fault. I did look like an egg on stilts with my apple shape and protruding tummy. I knew right away that a typical diet wouldn't work for me. As long as I was able to each such large amounts of food it wouldn't matter what food I was eating (even healthy food is not longer healthy if the quantity is too large). I needed something to help my control the bottomless pit that was my stomach. Something that would stop my stomach from being treated like the trash compactor that it had become. Most importantly I needed a solution that would allow me to still absorb the medications I needed to maintain my mood. The lapband was the tool I chose to help myself lose weight. Yes, it is a tool not a fix all or miracle cure. So far I have used my tool along with diet and exercise to lose about 60 lbs. I am now in what some people call "onderland" where that first number on the scale is a 1 instead of a 2,3,4 etc. It has to be one of the best feelings in the world. I now wear a size 14 pants and a large top. Even though I'm not what many people call skinny or what I even consider skinny, I know that the decision I made and the sucess I have earned and deserve is signifigant to my health and wellbeing. I now don't have to struggle so much with the physical and emotional weight that was taking over my life. I can walk, I can even run (a little) and I love cycling. It hasn't been easy. In fact, it has been really hard to give up the food that I was using to comfort myself; in fact I still battle emotions that cause me to overeat, but now I feel like it's a battle I can win.

I too am experiencing no restriction while breastfeeding! Pre-pregnancy I weighed 178 and at delivery 200. Within one week or so post partum I weighed 181 and felt so excited that I might actually weigh less than before...weight was dropping fast and I was eating right. However, when my milk came in, I was drawn to carbs and started eating constantly. My baby is 3months now and breastfeeding well; however, I am now 198 and I feel every bit of it. Super stressed about the weight gain, but know nursing is best for baby. Keep thinking about weaning, but I'd feel like a failure. If I see 200 again, I might flip! Clothes don't fit and I feel like a pudge! Afraid if I limit calories my milk will diminish. I never anticipated the hunger while breastfeeding and this is baby #2.

I was in a seriously abusive marriage---to levels most of you would find hard to believe! And yes, prior to the physical abuse, was mental abuse. The article printed itemizing abuse is right on the money. And he may very well be mentally abusive right now. The question in my mind is---does HE know he is being abusive? I agree that the first year with an infant and 2 jobs---is very, very hard. If he is working one shift, and you another, and there is a baby around, it doesn't sound like you two have much alone time together. A sleep deprived, sex deprived person can be mean...man or woman! The difference is, your body went through the birth, and the nursing, and you had all the hormonal changes---he didn't. He likely wants back what he had, and is suffering some serious guilt over thinking that---I mean I am sure he loves his daughter to no end, but remembering life before....makes one wistful. And if life has not changed enough, here you go wanting more change!!! How dare you!!! Just kidding, but maybe he isn't. Maybe he IS worried, my DH was...he told me after the surgery, he was scared to death I would die in surgery. Well, in your case, if your DH thinks that....he then has a tiny little girl, to raise without her Mommy. I am not trying to exonerate him from being mean---he is definitely being an ass....but, I have to wonder, before the weight gain, before the baby, when things got tough, how did you handle them? Have you changed as well? We all change, every day we change...and hopefully we can both go with the ebb and flow of things, and grow and change together...but when you are already obviously out of sync....it is time that one of you is going to have to skip a few steps to fall into step with the other one. It sounds like he may not even have an idea of what is wrong---anger is often the easier emotion for people to express. We saw that with my step kids, when it was time to go home, they would pick a fight with one of us---it was easier to be mad, than to be sad about leaving they finally said!!! If kids do it---so can he. At least try to get through the first year or so, and see if you can settle into a routine that is not leaving you both exhausted. If you truly feel now is the time for surgery, then talk to him, and do whatever you can to try to keep it civil. If you think waiting is better, no one is going to fault you for putting in off for a few months! There is no cut and dried answer to your problem. You are the best judge of how you feel---whether you are in a bad situation or not. I would try to view him as scared, as opposed to just mean, and see if you can work with him any easier that way. Good Luck! Kat

Thank you! It is the kind of support I need! Just having someone to help me understand at least. I've been through all kind of appointments since August 2016, and my last meeting with the nutritionist was 2 weeks ago, and nobody mentioned anything about the weight gain. I'm on day 6 of the liquid diet, which only allows me 3 Protein shakes a day, broth, tea, and some green veggies with no oil or dressings. And I've done it perfectly!! I'm very proud of myself because it has not been easy at all, but I'm so excited and committed to this. I asked to meet with the surgeon tomorrow, but they seemed pretty sure about their decision. I'm going to try anyway. It's very unprofessional and heartbreaking for me to hear that I've made it this far to not know now of a date. Thank you again for your support. It feels good to let the frustration out. At least I know now that I can use this forum groups for support instead of using food and alcohol when things go the wrong way and I'm filled with anxiety

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?????

FINALLY!! A posting I can relate to..I was banded 7/11/07 and will be filing for a divorce this week. When I met my husband in 2003, I was a size 12; 5'9-exercised faithfully 3-4 weeks and ran the track. Through the course of the marriage I went up to a size 24-26 and hated myself because I've always been physically fit. This is our second marriage for both of us and I admit I married for all the wrong reasons, hence the weight gain. We tried marriage counselling and I even have individual counselling with a therapist who specialize in treating WLS patients. If I had the chance to do it all over again I would in a heartbeat due to the health issues/medications I was slowly accumulating. My DH is not happy about this but I can't afford to be in a marriage that is stressful on so many levels.

My Dr's. instructions say if you're having hunger or experiencing weight gain to call his office. It may be time for a fill (early).

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.

Funny how one person will read something and take it one way, while another person will take it completely differently. Jenna, I'm sorry you feel that low bmi folks are being "blasted." I have NEVER read anything on this board that I would consider blasting a low bmi person. Expressing surprise that someone with a relatively low bmi is considering the band is not blasting, it is simply expressing surprise. I'm sorry you think of yourself as a pig. I know that you are a cop, and "pig" used to be something that cops were called. I don't know if it is still the case. Could this be part of where part of your self-image comes from? This has to be a painful thing for you, and I am sorry for your pain. But your pain is not my pain. Your pain is not universal. I started my Band journey weighing almost 300 pounds. But you know what? My weight has not kept me from doing anything. And it certianly hasn't kept the boys away. At the last frat party I went to there were men clustered around me, plying me with drinks, wanting me to dance with them and in general vieing for my attention, wanting my phone number. And these boys were in the 20-25 age range for the most part. I'm 43, and these boys were facinated with me, all 275 pounds of me. When I enter a room, I if I so desire, I own the room. When I want to, I have a commanding presence. My weight has nothing to do with that. It has everything to do with my confidence in who and what I am. I too am an over achiever. I'm fat for lots of reasons, but mostly because I have been on masive doses of steroides since I was a little girl. I've been on other medications that cause a huge weight gain. I certianly wouldn't consider a PM a "chicken shit" approach. I would view it as a way to try to resolve a matter privately, and with some sensitivity. I know that people in different parts of the country and world for that matter, handle conflict differently. I probably would have also sent a PM. I believe that Babs did just the right thing. We have lots of lurkers here. Just because they don't wish to participate in your poll doesn't have anything to do with anything. Some are not ready to introduce themselves, others don't need what we offer. And that's fine too. I'm sorry Jenna that you have such self esteem issues. But your issues are not my issues. They are not universal issues. Fat does not equal ugly. I am not a pig, and I don't believe anyone else is either.

It spread to my neck. They started me on a steroid pack today - I don't feel like I am banded at all - I am starving - and eating like crazy. I feel very little restriction. I am super swollen - I hope that is what the weight gain is. I had gained 7 lbs when I went to the dr. today. I am trying to eat healthy. Okay - so the brownies weren't healthy - but they were low fat The steroids make me feel like I am running out of my skin. I feel like a humming bird. A huge freaking spotted humming bird. :-) The steroids are helping. I take 6 doses today. Everytime I take a dose - the bumps go away for a couple of hours. Hopefully it will get rid of them totally soon. Funny - at the Dr.s office - little kids were pointing and talking about me - and I knew it wasn't because I was fat! I guess you had to be there - in the elevator - I got in and everyone moved to the other side :-) too funny. I almost wish I was contagious!

Hi! I have an appointment for my first consult next week and they have sent me the paperwork to fill out before hand. I am worried that if I write down or miss writing down something that I may not be approved. So I have some paperwork questions and would like to how you answered the question. 1. Who is your PCP and may we contact them? I have recently gotten my HMO and picked a PCP out of a hat. I have seen him once to establish care (last week) and that is it. What do I say? Because of my insurance I don't need a referal from my PCP so I never brought the subject up of lapband or WLS. 2. Weight loss attempts: Year, how much lost, and how much gained. I started dieting in 1996. How do I answer because I have so many attempts I cannot remember all of them; plus weight lost and weight gained on the attempt. How many do I need to catalog to prove that I have tried multiple times and failed? Thanks for any suggestions you can give me on these questions! Misty :biggrin:

Jane, I needed to hear that. Thank you so much! I felt such disgust with myself until I read your post. I didn't realize how much I would need the support of others during this time, I thought all of the support I would need would be more physical then anything. I think this is the first time in my life I have exerted willpower with food and it is scary and empowering all at the same time. My reason for going through all of this is that if I do not have surgery any children my husband and I conceive will be high risk pregnancies. At this time I do not have any morbidities, however, at my weight I would be on bedrest my entire pregnancy, pre-disposed to gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and a plethora of other issues that would significantly decrease the likelihood of carrying any child of ours to full term. In addition to all of that, weight gain and body shapes are hereditary, however having healthy eating habits is something that is learned through your family. I do not want any children of ours to learn horrific eating habits because I eat the way I do. My husband is a slim man, very healthy, but his eating habits are worse then mine. I quit smoking 2 years ago for this exact same reason, I do not want my bad habits to be passed on to my children, which in term caused my husband to jump on the bandwagon of no longer smoking. He and I both feel that once my eating habits change his will to by default. Thank you again for helping me keep my eye on the prize.

congrats on your weight loss! I can't hardly wait til I can say the same. I don't have a surgery date yet and I really just got started with the process. I've wanted to have the lap band surgery for a few months now. I did WW and lost 83lbs. but I have really struggled to keep it off. I have gained 60lbs. of it back. My PCP knew I was doing WW at the time but I only saw him 1-2 times during the diet. My last check up ( last July), he was concerned about my weight gain since he saw me last. I hope he will be supportive since he knows I have tried in the past to lose the weight. It seems the older I get the harder it is to lose it. ( I'm 34).I go for my seminar and surgeon appt. in 2 weeks.

I've lost 100 pounds in 8 months, so it is definitely working for me. Ladies, just remember if you've had PCOS related infertility, that could change with weight loss. On one hand, that could be a blessing. On the other hand, that could bring on quite a surprise. PCOS, for the poster who asked, stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It's name is a bit of a misnomer since it has much more to do with insulin problems than with cysts in the ovaries. Some of the symptoms are: Irregular periods - Nine or fewer menstrual cycles per year may be a sign of PCOS. Bleeding may be heavier than normal. These conditions are caused by a hormone problem, because the ovaries are not working properly and producing hormones that keep the menstrual cycle regular. Infertility - Because women with PCOS don't have regular menstrual cycles, many are unable to get pregnant. With help, women with PCOS can get pregnant, however. A number of infertility treatments are available. (See section on Treatments.) Hirsutism - Hirsutism means excess hair, which can be a difficult symptom for many women. For most women with PCOS, hair in the mustache and beard areas becomes heavier and darker. Masculine hair on the arms and legs and more hair growing in the pubic region, abdomen, chest or back are also possible. This symptom is caused by high levels of male hormones (androgens), as are thinning hair and acne. Thinning hair - Just as heavier hair growth is possible, scalp hair thinning may be present. This is caused by higher levels of androgens. Acne - Acne (pimples and oily skin) can also bother women with PCOS. The acne is usually found around the face (especially along the jaw line), chest, and back. Weight gain - Many women with PCOS gain weight around their middles taking on an apple shape rather than a pear shape. Such weight gain is linked with problems with the proper use of glucose and insulin in the body. Other skin problems - Skin tags, thick lumps of skin that can be as large as raisins, can form and usually are found in the armpits or neck. These can easily be removed. Darkening and thickening of the skin also can occur around the neck, groin, underarms, or skin folds. This condition, called acanthosis nigricans, is a sign of an insulin abnormality. Depression and anxiety - Because of the nature of many of these symptoms, woman may find themselves more anxious or depressed by their appearance, or by their inability to become pregnant.

I'll use myself as a guinea pig. Here's an extremely accurate description of an INTJ. I've highlighted some of the specific areas that can (and do) impact weightloss/weight gain, focus on appearance, and all those other factors that play into it. You could do the same for any MBTI. So anyone who ever wanted a day in the life of Wheetsin, here you go. Now consider the highlighted areas not just in terms of being directly related to weightloss efforts, but also contributing factors to weight issues, especially those around interactiosn with other people/relationships, reluctance to "trust" a diet or weightloss program, etc.