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Hi Again: Leatha: Thanks for the positive words. I am more afraid to take the anti depressants because of weight gain at this stage. Unfortunately, I can't change schools for my son. He is extremely gifted and the school he goes to is for kids at his IQ range. This is one of 8 schools in the country that handle what they call "duel exceptionality" which is gifted coupled with some other issues like ADD spectrum, emotional immaturity, social integration for the gifted etc... There are only 22 kids that his school and it is run by a doctor and his wife. They have what they call an 'autonomous learning model" which works well for kids like my son. Thats why we are selling the house and moving closer! Theresa: I have found that blood tests dont mean anything to test for certain deficiencies. My blood tests came back normal months ago and I know I eat better now than I have before. I have a list here on my desk that outlines what kind of tests to ask for to make sure that they dont waste my time checking for the wrong things. Atkay: Thanks. I am sure that I dont have Alopecia. I am not losing in Patches. (Thank God!). I believe my problem has to be hormonal or Vitamin related. I know it will grow back, but watching gobs fall out is scary. I am losing more in the front, but all over evenly. I still have hair and luckily my hair is very thick to start with. I am feeling a lot better today know that I am taking action! Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

omg, you are me. i am a very well educated and professional individual. i too struggle with the whole house thing because of my perfectionism. i don't like to 1/2 clean and if i can't do it right, forget it. my closets are mostly empty and the stuff is cluttered all over the house because...i'm not shoving it in the closet. How insane is that? Clean, mostly empty closets and clutter everywhere. i'm not sure how this would apply to my weight gain history though. I think mine is for different reasons other than perfectionism. Anyway, glad to hear that there is someone out there who feels the same way as I do about having two selves.

Hey Jessica. We were banded the same day! I have lost 16 pounds pre-op and as of today...3 since surgery. I was also told that weight gain/loss is not important right now. Healing and getting our protein and water in are!! I wish you all the best!

WARNING: I tend to ramble! :confused: My name is Amy, am 40 years old, married with two furry feline babies. My husband and I own a tanning salon in Little Rock, Arkansas. My struggles with weight started about 3rd grade, I remember having to shop at Sears in the "chubby sized section" (yes, it did say that on the signs) I remember watching my mom and grandmother constantly fight with their weight. When mom was on a diet, so was I - which I needed, but as soon as I was out of her sight, straight for the donut shop! In high school, I pretty much starved myself down to 125 lbs and can distinctly remember passing out in the shower several times because my blood sugar was so low. After one year in college, the weight came back in spades!! I have been over 200 lbs since 1989, which led to poor self image and self esteem, which led to bad relationships, which led to more weight gain. I'm happier in my life than I've ever been and it's time for me to get out of this fat body suit I've been wearing for 25 years. It took me until I reached 40 years old and having a wonderful husband to realize that I am worth it, dammit! I'm excited, nervous, scared, motivated, committed, fearful of failure all rolled into one. Anyone else with me? :ohmy:

I'm 3 years post surgery. I've recently been able to eat whatever I want and I have no will power! I've gained 12 lbs in one month. Anyone have suggestions? Advice? I've heard some pills can be taken. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm 5 weeks postop I've lost up to 46lbs since surgery. Since this weekend I've gained like 5 lbs out of nowhere. Have not cheated and have almost had to force myself to eat because I'm not really hungry and exercised every day. Feeling frustrated. I know I should be grateful for what I've lost but irritated at the gain.

I have pizza all the time. It's just not pizza from a restaurant. I do a "skillet" version, using a cast Iron skillet, a carb master tortilla, organic/low carb marinara sauce, turkey pepperoni, with pizza cheese and veggies. They are about the size of a personal pan pizza, have a thin crispy crust and are lovely when you finish them up in the oven under a broiler so the cheese gets all bubbly and gets those little bits of brown. I can eat half at a meal and it's under 300 calories and low carb to boot, with some decent Protein. You can have all the things you used to love eventually. Just better (healthy) versions, or in smaller quantities/much less often. And the big thing to realize - you may not even want most of the really bad for you foods once you relearn how to eat healthy foods, and feel and look better overall. food issues that lead to obesity usually aren't just because a person is hungry; overeating or eating crap foods to the point of serious weight gain. Most of us have other reasons to medicate with food - low self esteem, fear, depression, using food as a reward/comfort/distraction. You're focusing on food obsession and fears and worrying over changing something that has been a huge part of your life, but likely has caused you more grief than happiness. No matter what, change is hard and can be scary. But if you are a candidate for WLS, then you either have serious health issues exacerbated by the weight, or high enough weight alone where the doctor feels that this is the best path for you to regain your health and give you a fighting chance to relearn how to eat properly - it will give you the time to regain control so you can start over with your relationship with food. .

Hi y’all! Fair warning, I’m posting PUI (posting under the influence) right now! 😳🥳🤩🤪🥰😂🤣😅😇 Seems I had a serious case of the fomos this week with @GreenTealael having her upcoming VSG to RNY surgery for GERD and @Alex Brecher having his RNY reversal for bowel obstructions/necrosis. I just had to wrap up a pending tri-fecta! LOL What I thought was a serious case of food poisoning — or as I like to say, “When good refrigerator roulette goes bad”...was actually a sudden onset of internal hernia with twisted gut. It came on so quickly Sunday night and by Tuesday I couldn’t eat. And Wednesday ended up curled up on a cold tile (filthy) floor in the ER convinced I was dying, moaning, sweating profusely and making quite a spectacle! My only regret is I didn’t have a tip jar handy to earn a few quarters!! It’s a risk of WLS that is part of less than 3% total for complications after surgery—so no need to fear complications from WLS. To put in perspective that 3% is lower than the national averages for all sorts of surgeries!!! I’m 17 months out from RNY and was just so super surprised by this new development! But initial surgery went very well! I went into surgery at 12 midnight and was back in my room after recovery by 3:45am! Woot! I have a rockstar surgeon and team who were able to do it all laporoscopically! She said if I play my cards right and am able to eat something later today and get my walking in that I can probably go home late this afternoon! Yeah, baybee!!! Now I just have to proactively start medicating to guard against having a Rosemary’s Baby sort of post op poo! 😞😥 i’m so grateful to everyone and for our Bariatric Pal Family! Thanks Alex for creating such a special place! (Oh and I don’t recommend doing it this way, but this morning was back to being only 3.4lbs away from final Goal #3 of 130lbs!!! Woohoo! With my post op plan progression in place I expect to shed this post surgical fluid weight gain in a couple of weeks and reach Goal #3!)

I've had many, many Ah-ha's over the years, but I guess the most serious one was in 2000 when my mother was felled by a stroke, brought on by her diabetes and lifetime of obesity. I spent a couple of weeks down in La. helping my dad adjust to her being bedridden. It was entirely too sobering to realize that even after having lost 100 lbs a decade earlier, it still took two or three people to roll her over to change her bedding. And that they did not make Depends large enough to fit her. I went home and told my husband, "I have seen my future and I do NOT want to go there." I immediately started trying to get approved for bypass, but failed to accomplish that (Not enough documentation, the ins.co. said!). Had some moderate success with WW, but eventually gained that all back. Then in Dec. 2006 I had an episode with my heart and was diagnosed with diabetes. The meds for both added to my weight gain and made me SO lethargic. I literally felt like I was dying a little each day. My cardiologist shocked me when he said, "It would take you two to three years to lose the weight you need to "IF" you could do it and your history does not make that look likely -- Simply put, you don't HAVE two to three years!" He referred me to Dr. Miranda, who's office staff was AWESOME and they did all the tough, insurance stuff FOR me. Here I am a year after my first consultation, banded, down 72 lbs and off of 8 out of 9 meds I took before surgery!

I gained about 12 pounds in the 6 month "Physician assisted" weight loss attempt. My surgeon doesn't submit paperwork till you've completed this step. I was close as far as qualifying BMI wise at 36 (35 with co-morbidities was the cut off), when I started the 6 months so losing before I qualified wasn't an option, AND my PCP had just started me on a statin, which can cause weight gain. No one cared. What my surgeon DID care about was AFTER I was submitted I did have to lose 10 pounds for liver shrink within the 4 weeks before surgery. I dropped 13.

Anyone out there that's had weight gain struggles post gastric bypass? I had my surgery back in 2009, did excellent with weight loss but over the past year I have put weight back on. I'm currently getting back on track and losing the weight but I'd like the support of a buddy who's gone down the same road.

Well this is a hit in the head. Lost 12# one week post op. Next 2 days, I have gained 1 1/2 #. Getting 90% of water, 100% protein, and about 500 calories what with skim milk and protein mix. Anyone else had this happen?

I think the 10 pgs. is way too much information. Stick to the facts, list diets you have been on steady weight gain, list all the medical conditions you have from the excess weight. The only letter I had to provide was one that my suregon suggested my primary doctor write. The letter was a draft of what my primary should say. The draft letter was what the insurance companies want to hear and is what I listed above. Insurance companies only want what effects you medicaly.

That was the biggest surprise of my life. I had to undergo more than a year of fertility treatment and artificial insemination to have my daughter and now, when I least expecetd, I got this blessing. I am 3 month post VSG and almost 6 weeks pregant. I am still afraid, concerned about the nutrition of the fetus, weight gain, breatsfeeding ... finances... and all those things... but I am sooooo HAPPY about this baby. May God bring him/her in good health! I will keep you all posted.

When I was still eating at McD's, I remember telling someone, "I don't even like it!" And yet, there I was - eating it again and again even though there were consequences (weight gain and bad feelings) for doing it. As a general thing - people don't like to give things up unless they have something to replace those things. Drive-thrus offer that immediate gratification. How else can you get that? The other thing that has worked for me is setting rules about those kinds of places. For example, at McD's - no more fries, remove the bun from any burgers. With enough rules in place - it just wasn't worth it to go there anymore - and now I don't.

In your position, I would want another band too - or another surgery. But on an ecouraging note, i was devastated to learn I'd have to unfill my band for a major surgery, and that it would need to remain unfilled for up to six months as I have to have a second follow up surgery. So far its been over 2 months, I've actually LOST weight and that's without hardship. All I've done is log my 2000 maintenance calories a day and exercise like I always did (which is why I can eat so many calories). I have enough for three good meals, the occasional treat, and a "bank" throughout the week as I hardly ever eat the entire 2000 so that I can go out and have a bigger meal without guilt or repercussion. Seriously, its been easy and sooooo enjoyable to have bread, salads and red meat again. I will not fill again unless weight gain occurs, but truly, I am now confident I can maintain my weight, as long as I keep up my running.

Globe, most insurance will cover Mirena. I have Tricare Prime Overseas and they did it with no problem. Tricare is usually behind the rest of the insurance plans as far as coverage. The way Mirena works is still really unknown. It does release birth control (levonorgestrel, as a previous poster mentioned) which is used in birth control pills. The device itself is supposed to also thin the uterine lining, making implantation much more difficult. If you remove the device to conceive, most doctors will tell you to wait for two cycles before trying again, because the uterine lining might be too thin to sustain a pregnancy. The questionable aspect for many people is that nobody is really sure if Mirena stops sperm from reaching the egg or if it simply prevents a fertilized egg from implanting. What a lot of people don't understand is that most women wouldn't conceive every month anyway - or even every year. So assuming that each month an egg is released and then fertilized, resulting in a spontaneous abortion is a bit much. It can happen, though, so for that reason many Catholics and other religious groups are completely against the use of the device, even more so than other forms of contraception. In my case, I opted for Mirena solely for control of my endometriosis. In that respect, it's the ideal treatment. My husband has infertility, and even if he didn't, I have no religious beliefs that would cause me to question the use of the IUD. The only side effect I could possibly say that I experienced *might* be a slower weight loss. But I can't be sure. I'm still losing, and still at a very good rate, so it might just be a natural slowdown as I get closer to goal. I have had none of the awful side effects I had with pills in the past - acne, moodiness, depression, weight gain and constant cravings for junk food - so for me, it's a great option. Another choice, if your insurance covers it, is the Nuva ring. Again, some people love it and some people hate it. I loved it, again, for endometriosis control (I left it in an entire month and went right to the next ring with no break). It simply isn't available in remote overseas locations, however, so I had to go with a different option. Best of luck to you. But check with your insurance, Globetrotter. I'd be willing to be they cover it already. ~Cheri

What did you mean by this statement? I thought you meant you were going to have an unfill..your not planning on going tighter are you? Please do not take offense to my post I'm only writing this out of concern and to offer you support but did you get the band to not eat? and only survive on two teaspoons of liquids or 1/2 cup of food for the day? . Sure you may lose weight now but eventually you will have to eat solids and then what? Your going to gain wieght back,how long do you think oyu can live like this with no nutrition? it is proven from liquids to solids there is weight gain. Its alos proven that if a person does not take in enough calories, their body goes into starvation mode and stores every calorie which wil lresult in no loss or even a gain. I sure hope it works for you. I know first hand of others in your situation who have lost their bands because they were too tight and did not take action and had the mindset you did..only to have their band slip. I can guarantee you that if Dr. Kuri knew you were not able to eat solids he would say you were too tight.I can also guarantee Inamed would feel the same way, the band was not designed to just live on Soup or 1/2 and not be able to eat anything of substance..I know Dr. Kuri's practice from several of my other bandster friends who have used him here in Orange County. Heck, other Dr.'s would think you were too tight..I know my Dr. would have a fit if I was just taking in soup and not able ot eat anything of substance, he would demand I come in for a slight unfill.....I'm sorry but It's thinking like this from bandsters that just frustrates the hell out of me..at what cost will you go to to lose weight? I got my band to control my protions, not live on liquids and not to be able to eat anything of substance..I'm sure others will agree! In your first post you say you can not eat anything of substance Then in your next post you say this What food are you eating since you can not eat anything of substance? Here is a link to Inameds handbook on the Lap Band..I reccomend you print it out and read it, you may find it very helpful and enlightening http://www.inamed.com/pdf/health/94829F_LB_Patient_Book.pdf I sure wish you the best, I hope you have no repracutions from leaving your band so tight.

One other thing - I have a number of problems after the surgery and one it didn't fix. I was hospitalized for malnutrition badly enough I got told I ws going to die. I still tell people get the surgery. Because 98.5% of people have no problem and the biggest issue they have is weight gain. I would rather enjoy the quality of life that I had in swimming, running, etc. and the memories of that then sitting on my can doing nothing. I don't regret the surgery. If I can say that, isn't giving your life and health worth the chance? My stuff is rare and I had GI problems to begin with. If you can get the surgery DO IT! It is worth it.

I confess all i wanted was carbs this weekend, and I ate chocolate and waffles. But in general, I confess that I'm wickedly pleased that by the time I see one of my best friends (in another part of the country) again, I'll likely wear a size smaller than she does. She means well, but is from a very judgemental family and has always been disapproving of my weight gain - but super supportive of my loss attempts too. I feel a little shallow-competitive, but, it's I confess time!

Guys, I am so happy to say that I have a positive update and one that might help other women in the 45 to 55 age category who are going to do VSG or in the process of having had it and experiencing difficulty getting weight to move. I am very hard on myself. While I was not being perfect on my journey, I have a tendency to always feel that if something is not going right, it is all my fault. I was a food addict for so many years and did everything wrong that I almost felt like when my weight plateaued and then stopped and then I started to gain weight that it was just because I let myself down. To cut a very long story short. I had a gynecological emergency about a month ago and ended up having to go through a bunch of tests. It was discovered that I was producing next to zero progesterone and my estrogen was also extremely low. It was causing me SO MANY problems which I will not get into so that I will not digress from the main point. As a result I was put on hormones and almost immediately I started to loose weight again! I have lost 10 lbs since I started taking hormones 3 weeks ago. The reason why is that hormones have a major role to play in weight loss and weight gain. The reason why I was gaining and not loosing was not because I was being so terrible in my disciplines but because the lack of estrogen and progesterone, the total imbalance was actually causing me to GAIN weight. So I am working with my doctor now to see how HRT may be able to not only help my perimenopause/going into menopause issues but also to help bring better balance to help the weight loss process kick in further. I feel like an entirely different woman - I cant even articulate it the difference in overall feeling but certainly the fact that I have lost the weight I had gained and now back to making the scale go down instead of up. You can read my previous thread to get a better context of where this post is coming from. If you are having similar struggles and are female in the age range of 45 to 55 it might be well worth your time to have your hormone levels tested and see if hormone therapy can help you get balanced again and improve your weight loss. I am just one lbs away from being in another weight bracket and after not loosing for 4 months I feel like a million bucks There are many articles and information on Google that you can look up and research regarding hormonal imbalance and the role it might be playing in extremely difficulty in weight loss, especially in women of a certain age. I am just putting this out there for your consideration in case you are a woman like me that may be struggling in this area and not even know it. Talk to your gyno and get your hormones tested. I will soon post an updated photo when I hit that next weight bracket

Hi All, I did pretty well eating this weekend. I made pretty good choices, chewed well and ate slowly and......I still gained 2 pounds. Oh well! I have been debating whether or not to schedule another fill and, my weight gain this weekend decided it for me. My doctor is out of the country right now so I am scheduled for Aug. 11. I still have restriction but, I am noticing that I can eat more and definately don't stay full as long. I'm still paranoid about getting too much of a fill and becoming too tight. I like the fact that I can eat just about any food right now just not nearly as much of it as I used to. I'm thinking about changing my September challenge goal to 250 by my b-day which is 9/15. By the way, 3Loves, your kids are adorable. I saw the pictures you posted on Amy's thread. Oh, I almost forgot, welcome the gang Barbara!

I am a former D1 college wrestler (heavyweight). I've been big all my life, and wrestling/football kept my weight under control. I wrestled at 285 in college and now I weigh 475. While I once blame the immobilization of my two herniated discs in my lower back and the meds administered afterward for my weight increase (common med steroids) ,I think we all know that terrible eating and drinking habits are the true culprits to my excessive weight gain over 2.5 years. Im 6 ft 5 in. So how on God's earth can I go through the sleeve operation without having the extreme drooping and sagging of my skin after losing the weight so quickly?? I hope to schedule my surgery before Christmas '14, but I feel I need to get a gym membership to lift and run asap to start the process now. What are tips and workouts to follow before, during, and after my procedure to keep from having skin removal surgery? I am open to any and everything! I am getting married to the love of my life on 6-4-16, and I want to look as amazing (265) and fit as I did when Liz first met me. I also want to increase muscle mass along with the weight loss. Again, any advice is welcome. Thank you for your help, -Adam

Well I knew that it would happen someday but I didn't think it would happen this quickly. I gained weight this week (1 lb) It’s a real sucky feeling but I have no one to blame but myself! For the 4 days this past week I didn't get in enough Protein and I know a big key to my weight loss is getting in 60+g of protein EVERYDAY. I also took in a lot more carbs then I usually do and I didn't make it to the gym in two weeks now. I was sick one week and then the next I just didn't go because I would have only been able to go one day since the rest we were out of town. So like I said, My Fault all the way! I KNOW what I need to be doing now I must just do it! For whatever reason it seems that now I can "see" myself and my excuses better than I used to! I guess before surgery I chose to not see and now I chose to see. By making excuses I am just hurting myself and I don't want to do that! I WANT to be healthy and lose all my weight, I WANT to feel good in my own skin and I WANT to be physically fit! I can only do those things if I Choose to eat the right things and I go to the gym! Today is a new day and I'm going to Choose the right way!

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.