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Eat 3 meals per day. Do not skip meals. Avoid snacking. Snacking or gazing throughout the day may prevent you from losing weight or cause weight gain due to excess calorie intake. Eat small amounts. Eat Slowly. Each meal should last 30-45 minutes. Do not gulp foods or fluids. Remember to chew, chew, chew your foods. Chew all to a paste consistency. Sallowing chucks of food may obstruct the outlet of the pouch. Use a small fork or spoon to help control your portion size. Put your utensil down between each bite. Wait for 1 minute between bites. Stop eating as soon as you feel fill. Signs of fullness include nausea, pain in upper chest, or pressure (sense of) fullness below the rib cage. Do not drink with meals. Liquids will cause the food to pass or wash through your stomach to quickly. You may consume liquids 30-45 minutes prior to a meal and 45-60 minutes after a meal. Drink plenty of non-caloric liquids (i.e. Water) between meals. Remember to sip, sip, sip your fluids slowly. Avoid high calorie liquids, which provide absorb-able calories without providing the feeling of fullness. Avoid foods high in sugar and fat. Eat a well-balanced diet.

i have never used depo but because of my gradual weight gain after high school i haven't had a period in almost 5 years.. dr told me that if i loose weight then i willstart to have cycles again so your weight could def be a factor in the no periods.

Hi, I am 4 weeks post-op, feeling good, but I really wanted to update this thread ( with the advantage of hind sight of course) My surgery was in the morning, I was pretty groggy but cheerful, I rested that afternoon, but went for a short walk to a local shopping mall that night to pick up some groceries. Second day post op was quite good! I spent the whole day at the shopping mall with my wife. I walked lots, and rested at each bench just to make sure I didn't over do it. I started to break my fast with fruit juces and strain chicken noodle soup from Tim Hortons. By the end of the day, I was pretty tired. I felt so good on day 2, We were planning on going to Naigra Falls on Day 3 but my experience the night before was terrible. My stomache had finally woken up from the anestetic ( hindsight) and the gas production in my stomache was in full swing. I was taking gas-x every hour or so, and I was interpreting the stomach cramps as needing to poop. I spend a great deal of time eternally optimistic sitting on the toilet hoping for a bowel movement. Day 3's trip to Niagra Falls was cancelled. Day 4 - If I thought Day 3 was bad, day 4 was more of the same and worse. By this time, I had stopped taking the codiene because I thought I was constipated. I was into the children's liquid tylenol( sickening sweet, almost gagging), I was taking milk of magnesia, and was also trying to induce a bowel movement with glycerine suppositories. I had also noticed that I had reverted back to an almost a Water fast. Nothing but water was weakening the heck out of me, yet, I didn't feel like I could handle anything else. Anyways, I started to force down the protien shake. And, I started to feel a bit better. Day 5 - because I was starting to feel better, we tried our luck at a trip to Niagra Falls. I was pretty much comatose on the drive there, and I don't think my wife realized how miserable I felt. We walked to the falls and spent about 30-40 minutes looking at the falls. She want to check out more attractions but I had to pull the plug on our plans, and asked to go back to the car. My wife was disappointed but understood. On the way home, we stopped at the Tim Hortons, and I was able to has a tiny tiny bowel movement. The first one since the surgery 5 days earlier. There was nothing solid about it , considering that my last meal was a ceasar salad the night before the surgery. I actually started to feel better on our ride back to the hotel room, but I was tired as hell. When we reached the hotel room, I was able to have another tiny tiny bowel movement, and that made me feel even better. Still tired so I laid down for a nap. Now here's an embarassing moment that I wouldn't be sharing if you knew my full name......I woke up after 45 minutes and went to the washroom to take another dump because I woke up having wet farts. Well, when I got to the toilet, I realized that I had completely soiled my drawers and the bed while I was sleeping. The milk of magnesia has finally unplugged me, and i made one hell of a gross mess. The whole experience was very embarassing. I don't think my wife totally understood what I was going through, but she got some change and laundry detergent and we cleaned the bedding ourselves at the hotel laundry mat. At least, I didn't have to call the cleaning staff in to take care of the mess. Day 6 and 7 were bad, but not as bad as before, because I was forcing down the protien shakes and my bowel movements were happening again. I lived in fear of diarehea. And, the gas production in my stomach surfaces as my biggest problem. Since day 3, every 2-3 hours I was getting gas pressure so bad it was causing me to hic up. Gas-X would settle it down. But I was taking it twice as often as the box was recommending, and I was begining to think the gas-x wasn't doing anything other than disolve the gas back into my stomache fluids so it could create more intestinal problems for me. I flew home on Day 7, it was a long 3 1/2 hour flight. I found myself finding a nuetral position that was most comfortable for me, which was an upright position. I was worn out and needed to sleep. I have sleep apnea and I'm unable to sleep well without a CPAP but that day I was able to breath ok by extending my jaw forward before drifting off to sleep. this trick is the first time I've ever tried it, and it probably doesn't work that well but it seemed to work well at least on that plane ride. Day 8, my first day of softfoods. I really didn't start to recover from my stomach problems until I started to eat soft pureed food. This leads me to beleive that existing on an almost liquid diet just isn't good for the stomache. After, I switched to cottage cheese, and apple sauce, and tuna, and mushed vegies, I felt better. By end of day 9, I was feeling better, and my hunger has returned. Today, I'm 2 days before my first fill, and I don't feel any restriction at all. This is discouraging because I find myself eating like I used to, and my weight loss has changed to weight gain. Anyway, this must be a pretty long rant by now. Good night, All! regards Tyler

Great post. My profile picture is me...I was banded in 2007...lost 130 pounds, had a lower body lift and breast lift with augmentation in 2009 and this pic was from vacation in 2010...first time wearing a bikini. Now...in December 2010 I was diagnosed with breast cancer...kicked it's ass and then got pregnant in September 2011...delivered my third son on May 15, 2012 and now I'm fighting the pregnancy weight gain. I have 60 pounds to lose but I keep my profile pic the same to remind me that I did it once so I can do it again all of you are beautiful...never be embarrassed of your pictures!

Hi sandyray. I'm over 1.5 yrs out and what you say is so true - you definitely learn your body and how it reacts, what things mean, etc. -- all of which makes it "easy" to work around the band. Eating stuff aside, have you looked into finding a therapist, preferrably one who specializes in eating disorders? We all know the food itself is such a small part of the story. Maybe if you had help identifying your triggers and gains (psychological gains, not physical/weight gain), you'd be able to rediscover the magical "groove" that keeps us being good (compliant) bandsters.

Donali, thanks for resurecting this post. Lisa, dont be afraid of the diet pills! It may be a temp. fix, but will help you with the stesses of a weight gain. Crystal, just letting you know Im thinking about you. :confused:

Yesterday's goals Today's goals 1) face the music - weight gain - when I see the surgeon and nutritionist today - done - no weight gain - hold even 2) 40 minutes on the treadmill - done plus 15 minute walk w/ steps 3) pick out medicine cabinet, toilet topper, blind, towel racks, floor tile, counter top for bathroom (this may take 2 days) - medicine cabinet, toilet topper, blind done 4) not eat after 8 - got home at 7:30, started eating, and went to sleep before I finished so I guess that counts (I have to start getting sleep at night) 5) remember to relax and unwind - no Wednesday goal 1) pick out floor tile and counter top for bathroom 2) no eating after 8 and stay awake until 11 3) 70 minues of exercise 4) try on clothes for vacation ---yikes, I'm going to Mexico for 12 days and I have nothing that fits,,,what if my capris fall off when I"m on the top of a ruin...so lets add that I need to buy what I need!!! I love this thread. It makes me accountable for my daily goals...

bandit, Some people can be overly sensitive. And, I am sure that some are just jealous and wish they could have a BMI where you are, it is hard for them to relate. I know when I started gaining weight and I was where you are now, I felt similar to how you feel. I wished I would have had a way to stop the weight gain then, instead of waiting until I needed to lose 120. I am proud that you are being proactive in trying to find a solution that will help you. As you will read in many posts.....many wished they had had the surgery years ago. Just realize the Lapband is not an easy life. Is it what you really want to do at this point? With best regards, Denise

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:

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

I have GERD and my surgeon talked me into a sleeve ( which exacerbates GERD) instead of the bypass ( which cures GERD). He said this is because the GERD is caused by the weight gain. Now i am worried. Surgery is April 3.

So, after months and months of misery and dollars spent, I have FINALLY found a doctor who was honest and thorough. He performed a flouroscope diagnostic and it turns out my band has been drastically overfilled which has caused all of my problems. Reflux, GERD, vomiting, and now pouch dilatation and weight gain. He removed .5cc and still the barium was back washing up my esophagus and not even trickling through the band. He wound up removing 1 full cc and now the fluid trickles through like it is supposed to but now my pouch is stretched and I have probably gotten all the weight loss I am going to get from it. Which totally SUCKS! Thousands of dollars, pain, discomfort, frustration, etc. etc. for a 60lb weight loss. I can warn those considering Lab Band enough, that just because you can eat doesn't mean you need a fill. Fill centers and "certified" doctors will take your $$ and just keep filling and filling. If your having reflux and gurgling etc, it's TOO TIGHT. Also, I don't know how many doctors are telling the truth about the expected weight loss, but 60% of your starting weight is on the high end of what the expect and as little as 10% is considered success. I have posted elsewhere on here about my health issues and weight gain and frustrations, only to have most of those on here blamed me for overeating and not "taking care" of my band. Why doesn't anyone ever look at the doctors who are supposed to know what they are doing?!?!?!? I wonder if I can repair the damage done to the pouch and get anymore benefit form having this thing in my body.

I was sleeved 3 weeks ago. I started off 200lbs and am down to 180 The progress does slow down, but when it does that's when you start walking and putting a bit more physical effort into it. That makes the weight continue to drop. Also, don't forget about all the health benefits! Preventing heart disease, reversing weight gain, leaving and avoiding obesity, I could go on and on! I know it doesn't seem like 5-10lbs is much, but the closer you get to your goal, the better you'll feel. Believe me! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

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.

Sorry but you will just have to live with the weight gain until you are off steroids. There's nothing you can do to avoid it. I am so sorry. I would be so frustrated if I were you! But the good news is that once you are off the prednisone, the weight will fall off pretty quickly. Predisone will also m ess seriously with your moods and the condition of your skin. So be careful. Right now just work on getting good nutrition.

I was so obsessed with weight loss that it consumed my life till the point of me purging everything I ate, unfortunately in the long run I had to get my bad removed. I am still obsessed with weight gain I was down to 103 pounds and I still thought I was fat. My family and friends kept telling me how sick I looked but I just didn't see it. I am now almost 4 months out without band and been so depressed with weight gain. I'm at 115 to 118 and I feel like a slob. I do everything in my power not to eat anything but the weight is still there. I don't know if I'll ever be happy with myself but I pray to God some day I could look in the mirror and say I love myself no matter what, I have a husband of 26+ Yes and 3boys and I should be happy they love me know matter what. What in the hell is wrong with me. 😥😥😥

After a while you will be able to increase calorie intake the farther out from surgery you are. But you have got to get a firm understanding on nutrition and what does and doesn't work for your body post surgery to consume. As for gaining muscle yes you can have success in doing it. But just like with everything else losing weight gaining muscle, toning shape, losing inches, that take consistent effort. You have to be consistent with the working out (not just cardio, but actual weight lifting and body training), eating sensible and right, and avoiding habit forming things that will make those gains you get in the gym not last as long as you want them to.

You will need to speak/work with your prescriber and bariatric team about this. (You may be removed from the med prior to surgery and for a little while after then resume regularly provided it's not time released or switched to a non time released formula) Since you have been on this med already and are not starting fresh It *may* be as simple as you lose what you lose (not sure if it would be more or less, too variant to tell/bariatric team will have better answers based on experience) Not surprisingly, a lot of people are on meds that also affect weight gain/loss so teams are aware of these things being a factor. Safe Journey 🎈

Julie, Look how darn cute you are in your cap and gown. You should be so proud. So I want to poll you guys: At any given time since having the lapband put on(other than complications do to a complete unfill and weight gain) what is the most you have gone up in weight???? I would love to know, now that you guys are about 18 months out and getting close to your goal weight, can you pretty much use the band to maintain????

Don't take off the 15 the hard way. Just go get a fill and use your band. Tell them you are ashamed about the weight gain and I'm sure they will be glad you came in for a fill.

HI! I had my band removed in September of this year after 3 years, but not for erosion. I'm sorry yours has eroded. It's good they found it early (or at least before you started having ugly symptoms). I chose to not have any more weight loss surgery. My insurance covered the removal as it was medically necessary. It also paid to have it implanted. Your idea of continuing to eat as though banded is good, in my opinion. It is what has helped me. I continue to lose weight or hold. At first I lost 8 pounds pretty quickly. Now it is slow and I sometimes stall for a while before it drops again. I want to lose at least 40 more pounds. Having your band removed is not an automatic sentence of weight gain! Not at all!!! Keep your goal as your top priority, no matter what. I feel so much better without the band because my body was rejecting it; so it helps me to feel how wonderful I feel being at a lighter weight and continuing on from here. I eat mostly protein and vegetables. I'm finding recipes from www.health-bent.com are helpful. My surgeon suggests a modified Mediterranean diet and also promotes the cook book found on health-bent called, Primal Cravings. I also take a high quality probiotic from Metagenics called, Acute Care. Banded or not, keep heading in the direction of your goal! I feel very fortunate to have found a surgeon who realized my band needed to come out. Your surgeon may have saved you a lot of pain and grief by getting to the problem before things got bad (as other people have described on this site). I had 3 years of discomfort, the last 2 quite miserable, before finding someone who could see clearly what needed to happen. I am so grateful. I'm glad you're being proactive about diet and thinking about how to proceed! ~hiddn~

At 3 and a half years post op, with nothing in my band, I eat whatever I like. I never maintained a tight fill, because while I liked the idea of losing weight, being ill due to lack of proper nutrition didn't appeal to me. It is true that it is trial and error, but I think by far and away the single most common mistake that is being made is overfilling. By being overfilled you limit the foods that you consume to a very small feild. And by doing so, you make yourself unhappy, frustrated, and likely to rely on soft foods. The result is little weight loss, or weight gain. I know you asked what foods are troublesome for banded folk. But the truth is, nothing should be a problem. You should be able to eat solid foods without discomfort and PB'ing.

You really did not give a whole lot of information for us to help you. Were you on any special post op diet? (Liquid/mushy/etc.) Are you getting 40-60 grams of protein/day? Are you drinking 50-60 oz of Water every day? Are you restricted with sugar? (some shakes are high in sugar and can cause weight gain) How much have you lost? (what weight did you start at?/before surgery?/since surgery?) Did you have any other surgeries when you were banded? How many calories/day? (you really need between 1000-1200/day in order to lose weight) The program that I am in, we are mixed with all surgeries (band, gastric bypass, and sleeve). While it may seem, like you are not making progress, you actually might be making great progress. Also, another way of looking at this. . . If you are like me, overweight for most of your adult life, I am usually gaining weight. If you have NOT gained weight or have lost a little ---- that is a WIN!! It takes time to about face and lose weight after being overweight. (I hope that makes sense) What I am trying to say, is that we are not all the same. There are so many factors that affect our progress. Talk with your nutritionist, doctor, therapist and find out. Log everything that you are eating/drinking. Measure everything. Meet with your nutritionist and they will help you find the solution. You may be overlooking something quite simple, that will make the difference. The band is not the answer. Restriction is not the answer. (It only helps with our feeling of fullness and our hunger sensation) It is a tool to get you the answer. Sorry to say, but the truth is that nutrition is really the answer. Good luck to you.

I know when I signed up for my surgery I had all sorts of high hopes this was the be all-end all and my life was going to be what I finally wanted it to be. Well as many of you know that's not what happened to me. For those of you who are not familiar with my story, I'll give you the brief overview. I was only half commited to my post-op lifestyle, I had expected my surgery to do a lot more than it actually did. I really believed I had found my "Magic-Bullet" and I would be on the road to losing weight and getting fit. Well I did the first year, very little effort on my part and I lost sixty pounds. After the first year everything came to a screeching halt, no weight loss or weight gain in a year, not bad uhh? After two years of staying the exact same I finally had to have the "Heart to Heart" with myself. Are you happy with who are now? "NO!" If you don't lose another pound will you be happy? "NO!" Are you willing to commit to a completely new "LIFESTYLE"? "YES" What are you going to do to make it happen? "Adjust my eating and exercise" I'm sure you have "Played this game"! What kind of talk did you have with yourself? Did anything change after you had the talk? I'm asking you to be very honest with "YOU" not anyone else. I can honestly say I have had that talk with myself on more than one occasion, but this time something stuck. Maybe it's because I'm in my forties now and have really embraced the gift I've received. Here are some other things that I've learned that have helped me to stay on track: · Get plenty of rest. · Eat slowly and chew my food thoroughly. · Eat until I'm satisfiedl, not "Thanksgiving full". · Find an exercise program I really enjoy · Drink more Water. · List all of the things for which I am grateful. So, here's my challenge to you: Try these suggestions for 1 month and notice how differently you feel, physically as well as emotionally. If you find that you feel better, and are experiencing some new sensations in your body and attitude, then consider extending this experiment for another month. This time, add one or two things that would introduce a small degree of change to your life. This last one is key: introducing too much change too fast just sets you up for failure, so keep it simple. I like the KISS acronym: Keep It Simple, Silly. I would love to hear your feedback. How are you feeling about the changes you are experiencing?

I was watching a program on PBS called "Depression: Out of the Shadows". Anywho, as one who has struggled with anxiety/depression and obesity for many years I have also struggled with the fact that having anxiety and depression contribute to my weight gain and vise versa and also the drugs that I take may also play a part in my weight issues. Back to the PBS show, there was a man on the show who had been profoundly depressed for a while and took a large cocktail of drugs that seemed to be working for him. He also took some medications that were to counteract some of the side effects of these drugs. He took a drug that I wasn't familiar with to counteract the weight gain side effect. Actually I'm going to try to go to the transcript of the show to see if I can find it but it was almost inaudible to me while watching. I then did a little research on the web myself and came across a drug called "zonisamide or zonegran". Has anyone ever heard of this before or have you been on them for this reason or anyone on a similar type of drug to counteract the weight gain side effects? I know there are certain antidepressants that specifically say they don't affect a person's weight but those are either drugs that haven't worked for me or not found to be true especially with the combination I take. And Wellbutrin has no affect on me whatsoever, just as an example. Thanks ahead of time anyone who has any info and would like to share, brandyII.:rolleyes2: